any Conditions to become Master of so considerable a Kingdom to which he had no Right either by Birth or other Claim and more especially since these Conditions are neither Rigorous nor Dishonourable but such as are decently consistent with the Regal Character he is to be Invested with Thus the Polish Gentry of a kind of Monarchical Government have in time made a perfect Republic consisting of three Orders The King Senate and Gentry which they call the Nobility Here My Lord I must take notice to Your GRACE that the Polish Nation is divided into two sorts of People the Gentry or Freeborn Subjects who are hardly a Tenth Part of the Kingdom and the Vassals who are no better than Slaves to the Gentry for they have no Benefit of the Laws can Buy no Estates nor Enjoy any Property no more than our Negroes in the West-Indies can and this because some Ages since the Common People Revolting against their Lords and having driven them out of the Nation the Gentry came with a Foreign Power and reduced them to a greater Subjection than before in which they have been kept ever since So that the Government of Poland at present comprehends only the King and Gentry By a Gentleman or Nobleman of Poland is understood a Person who either himself or his Family has a Possession in Land For they never Intermarry with the Common People All the Gentry from the King's Sons to those that are but only Masters of an Acre of Land are equally Noble both by their Birth and the Constitution of the Kingdom for no Body is Born either a Palatine Senator or Lord but those Titles are always annexed to certain Employments which the King only gives to Persons advanced in Age and recommended by their Merits The Diet of Poland in some respects resembles our Parliament being made up of two Houses the House of Senators answerable to our House of Lords and the House of Nuncio's not unlike our House of Commons The Senators are the Bishops Palatines Castellans and the Ten Great Officers of the Crown in all about 142. In the upper-Upper-House the Senators sit not by any Writ of Summons or Letters Patents as in England but only by Virtue of the Great Preferments in the King's Gift which they Enjoy for Life So that the King wholly Constitutes the Upper House but the Lower are the Representatives of the Gentry Elected by them alone in their respective Provinces without the Concurrence of the Common People who have no Priviledge to Vote in their Election Insomuch that at least Nine Parts in Ten of the People of Poland are excluded from having any Share in the Government The Grand Diet of Poland is nothing else but the King Senators and Deputies assembled together in any Part of the Kingdom that his Majesty Commands Without this great Assembly of the States the King can neither Make nor Repeal Laws Declare War nor Conclude a Peace make no Alliance with any Foreign Princes raise neither Troops nor Taxes Coin no Money and in a word can Determine no Matter of State of any Importance without the Universal Consent and Concurrence of this Parliament which they term the Free States of Poland Several powerful Motives have enclin'd the Poles to Establish this kind of mixt Government which they take to be a just Temperament of whatever is to be found most Excellent in the several Monarchies Aristocracies and Democracies that have been in the World The most considerable of which Motives as I have met with them in their Histories or learn'd them from the most knowing among their Natives are as follows First They think by this Judicious Choice of a Government to preserve their Kingdom from those Disorders which most commonly attend Absolute Monarchies Agreeing herein with that Prince of Philosophers Aristotle who though he preferr'd this kind of Government to all Others yet was he nevertheless obliged to own that when ever it degenerated it was the most pernicious of all Thus the Poles have temper'd the Exorbitant Power of their Kings with the mixture of two other Governments whereby they thought to secure their Liberty a Thing always most Dear to them from the Arbitrary Will of a Prince who by Imagining himself above the Laws might Fancy whatever his Passions prompted him to allowable and his truest Interest to be the Entire Subjection of his People The miserable Examples of their Neighbours the Turks and Moscovites have sufficiently convinced them of this Truth wherefore the Polish Nation thought it but convenient to limit the excessive Power of their Kings and confine them to Rule with more Moderation and Justice Secondly The Poles have observ'd as well from their own Government as from that of their Neighbours that no small disadvantage has flow'd from an Aristocracy They could not be perswaded but that the Authority of one Person was infinitely more easie to be Tolerated than that of many for that either the Ambition or Jealousy of such would often disturb the Repose and Tranquility of the Public Poland also began to Reflect upon its former Miseries under its Woievods when it was deplorably rent and torn by the Factions among those Palatines Insomuch that even while it became a Conqueror from without it was vanquish'd within and that by its own Force This gave the Poles no small dislike to an Aristocracy which they have resolved never more to admit among them The Third Reason of State which has obliged the Poles to reject a Democracy is that they look upon that sort of Government to be the most dangerous of all being the easiest enflam'd and the greatest Enemy to true Nobility Its first Maxim is To procure a Vniversal Levelling or making all alike whereby under the Notion of a common Liberty they weaken and enervate those great Genius's which were design'd to Govern and Protect them How then could it be expected that the Descendents of those mighty Warriers who Founded the Polish Nation and have so long maintain'd the Honour of it by their Valour should submit to have their Blood debased by mixing it with the Ignoble Vulgar The Tyranny of Laws which the Nobles are subjected to in an Absolute Common-wealth would be too rude a Check to this Ambition which the Poles have always had to Command over their Vassals and therefore they have always entertain'd a secret Odium for those Grecian Republics that Banish'd their greatest Statesmen meerly because they would not have them gain too fast upon the Affections of the People If any should perhaps doubt of the pernicious Consequences of a popular Government where Reason does not so much reign as an Unruly violence of a People who know no other Laws than those of their Passions let them cast their Eyes on the Heats of the Roman Empire who were often ready to Overturn the State had not the Senate speedily applied a prudent Remedy But there are other Examples more Modern as the Revolt
same either by himself or his Generals can Regulate his Troops and see his Army duly paid out of the Treasury of the Republic He has a great deal of reason to hope for Success in his Expeditions because that not having undertaken them on his own account those that engag'd him to them will infallibly support him in them and the rather by reason that what was done was altogether with their Consent This has prov'd the Cause of almost neverfailing Success to the Polish Arms till of late Days the King and his Subjects not having been in so good Intelligence with each other as formerly When the King is in the Army in Person he has the Supreme Authority there gives Battle when he pleases and Besieges Towns as often as he thinks fit And likewise Commands absolutely all the Gentry to follow him into the Field on Horseback at ever so little warning At Home he has the free Nomination of all Ecclesiastical Benefices and of all Secular Employments as well Military as Civil throughout the whole Extent of his Dominions without speaking of a great number of Royal Demesnes which together with the State-Dignities he confers on those that have deserv'd them He can bestow as considerable Preferments as any Prince in Europe and oblige and raise the Fortune of whom he pleases He has his Vote in Naming Cardinals as well as other Roman Catholic Kings have He can send and receive Ambassadors privately in Matters relating only to himself but as to what concerns the Republic the Senate must have their Share in it He can Call Prorogue and Dissolve the Diet at Pleasure In a word the Poles term him The Protector of their Laws and Privileges The Distributor of Honours The Supream Head of their Republic and Supream General of their Forces The Poles attend his Person Uncover'd The Chief Senators generally Serve him at Table first tasting of the Cup before they present him with it His Subjects never sit before him nor cover their Heads any where but in the Diet and there too the Senators are only allow'd that Liberty for the Deputies stand behind with their Furr'd Caps in their Hands The late King John Sobieski din'd always in Public and I never saw any sit down with him at Table when he eat at Court except the Queen his Children and foreign Ministers Yet when he either Hunted or Travell'd I have known some private Gentlemen to have had that Honour Nay even his own Servants that waited on him were then admitted to eat with him This his Majesty knew was absolutely necessary for him to allow of since by refusing any this Favour he might incur the Displeasure and Hatred of the whole Noblesse This was verified in the Case of Sigismund of Luxembourg who for having refused the Polish Gentry to eat with him was utterly excluded from the Crown that had been design'd him by Lewis King of Hungary and Poland his Father in Law The Poles when they speak to their King call him Mosci Krullo or Milociwy Krullo which is as much as to say Great or Merciful King The Titles Ambassadors give him or which are commonly made use of in Acts of Parliament or other Instruments sign'd by him and made in his Name are these Frederic Augustus II. King of Poland Great Duke of Lithuania Duke of Russia Prussia Masovia Samogitia Kiovia Volhynia Podolia Podlachia Livonia Smolensko Severia and Czernikovia All sorts of Gold Silver or Brass Coins are Stamp'd with his Image and Name All Justice is Administred in his Name and at Church they always Pray for the King and Royal Family When he is Crown'd the Diet allows him a Pension of about 140000 l. per Annum which together with his Patrimonial Estate maintains him a very splendid Court He has his Polish German and Hungarian Guards and has the same Officers of his Houshold as other Kings have While the Queen-Dowager lives the Queen-Consort maintains her Court at the King's Charge but after either the Queen-Dowagers Death or Marriage or the King's Death she has a Revenue Assign'd for that purpose as will appear hereafter Over and above the Pension which the Diet settles upon the King and Queen which in that cheap Country serves to maintain them as high as our Kings live here The King of Poland has great Incomes of his own for the Poles never care to Elect a Poor Prince for fear his Children may come to be a Charge to them after his Death He gets besides vast Sums of Money for Nominations Employments of which the late King did not scruple to sell though 't was directly contrary to the Constitutions of the Kingdom Nay the Ecclesiastical Benefices which are so very considerable have been put under Contribution by some cunning Artifice or other as happen'd some Years since about the Naming of a Bishop of Cracow whose Bishoprick is worth Eight Thousand Pounds Sterling per Annum which will go further than Twenty Thousand Pounds in England There were several that Aspir'd a long while to this Vacant Dignity and every one solicited what Friends he had at Court for the obtaining of it but most applied themselves to the Queen and begg'd of her though she has no Authority of her own to Intercede to the King in their Behalf After a long Debate the Queen call'd the Abbot Malakowski aside who was one of the Competitors and a rich Man and told him That tho' there were several that aimed at that Bishoprick yet she would Wager Fifty Thousand Crowns that he was prefer'd to them all Whereupon the good Abbot thinking to venture nothing being sure that either he should be Bishop or should gain a considerable Sum readily lays down the Money and by way of an accidental Bargain bought very dear his Bishoprick It has been Calculated that the late King what by his Own Incomes Pensions allow'd him from the Crown and other Casualties was worth about Three hundred thousand Pounds Sterling a Year of which he did not spend much above one Hundred thousand having had no Soldiers nor Army to Pay or Maintain but only his Guards and his Court. He hoarded up the greatest part of the Money in the Kingdom and was reputed to have had as much ready Cash by him as any Prince in Europe all which nevertheless the Poles Vow'd they would have back again when his Sons bought their Votes to be King The Kings Crown-Revenues are Imposts upon Merchandizes and upon the Jews part of the Customs of Dantzick and the Revenues of the Salt Mines of Cracow and other Places The Queen's Revenue consists either in a Gift from the King her Husband out of the Royal Revenues with Consent of the States or in an Annual Pension allow'd her by the Republick The Gift from her Husband serves also for her Dower and is called by the Poles what amounts to the Sense of the word Reformation being the Reversion only of a certain number of
Then they proceed to institute the Court call'd Kaptur treated of before This Diet consists of the Archbishop of Gnesna who represents the King's Person and the other Senators together with the Deputies of the Provinces In Case there is no Archbishop of Gnesna when the King dies the Office of Inter-Rex comes to the Bishop of Cujavia and next to the Bishop of Posnan and so to the rest of the Bishops of Lower Poland which in this Respect is preferr'd to the Higher tho' in nothing else Yet however they may grant away their Power as they did in the Inter-Regnum before the Election of the late King when the Bishop of Cracow officiated during the whole Interregnum by a common Consent of those Bishops Some of the Senators and Deputies are dispatch'd to the Generals of the Army to remain with them and to be assisting to them with their Counsel in the Affairs of the War Some Senators and Deputies likewise are appointed to inspect the Crown-Treasure deposited in the Castle of Cracow and to take an Inventory thereof which they are afterwards to report to the Diet. This Treasure is commonly committed to the Custody of eight Senators who are the Castellan of Cracow the Palatins of Cracovia Posnania Vilna Sendomir Kalisch and Troki together with the Treasurer of the Kingdom each having his particular Seal and Key and therefore none to act without the unanimous Consent of all Also Commissioners are sent to inform themselves of the King's Crown-Revenue which they are likewise to make their Report of during this Session and till a new King be proclaim'd the Republick claims the Title of Most Serene from all Sovereign Princes and Crown'd Heads altho' Hautaville says he has observ'd that the King of France writing to this Diet of Election has not faluted them with that Title but only express'd himself in these Terms To our dearest and well beloved Friends and Allies the States of the Kingdom of Poland and Great Dutchy of Lithuania Whilst this Diet sits which by the Laws is not to be above a Fortnight without Prorogation and from the Time of the Circular Letters to the Conclusion of the Diet of Election all Courts of Justice cease except only that of the Marshal's which continues as before and a Court establish'd to prevent Disorders in the Diet. As for all private Affairs and Suits of Law they are delay'd till after the new King's Coronation The Proceedings in this Diet are much of the same Nature with those in other Diets Most Crown'd Heads and other Christian Princes send Ambassadours to this Election and more especially the Emperour and King of France The Pope also always sends his Nuncio to take care that the Election should fall upon a profess'd Catholick and one that is in the Interest of the See of Rome The Emperour and French King always raise great Factions to promote their several Interests Before any Ambassadours arrive they are to send Notice of their coming to the Archbishop of Gnesna who is to appoint them Lodgings at a Distance from the City and to assign them a Polish Gentleman whose Business is rather to observe their Conduct and to acquaint the Diet therewith than to do them either any Service or Honour But however these Rules are but seldom observ'd for Princes Ambassadours now generally live publickly at Warsaw A Gentleman 't is true is still appointed to be always with them whose chiefest Business is to prevent their corrupting any with Money but this Precaution is notwithstanding now become useless since Avarice bears so great a Sway in Poland that even the Fidelity which a Polish Gentleman ows his Country cannot withstand the Charms of a Thousand Crowns Embassadors are not only receiv'd from Foreign Princes and their Masters Letters publickly read but also Polish Ministers are sent at this Time from the Republick to all Neighbouring States to answer their Embassies and to request their Amity Here it may be observ'd that all Embassadours or Envoys who have had Audience of Leave before the late King's Death are desir'd to depart within eight Days Embassadors from foreign Courts must take especial Care to secure the Diet in general since the bare disobliging of one particular Member may render them for ever incapable of bringing their Designs about as it hapned in the Election of Michael Wiesnowiski where the true Reason of the Duke of Newburg's being excluded was the Quarrel with the Chancellor Patz Nevertheless it must be acknowledg'd that that Election was tumultuary the Nobility had not their free Votes and that they were in a manner hurried away by the Violence of the Multitude which was so great that Prasmowski then Primate was forc'd to proclaim him tho' he knew that the Republick at that Juncture had need of both a rich and valiant King neither of which that Prince could in the least pretend to be He was no sooner proclaim'd but the Chancellor began to insinuate that he ow'd his Crown to him nor was it a difficult Task for him to impose on a Prince who was easily govern'd and who had always shewn more good Nature than Judgment After the Diet of Convocation ended the Nuncios and Deputies retire to their several Countries where they acquaint the Gentry being a second Time assembled in their Little Diets of the Proceedings in this general Convocation and particularly of the Day assign'd for the Election Whereupon the Gentry immediately begin to consult about what is proper to be propos'd in the Diet of Election and they proceed to choose new Deputies In Prussia the Bishop of Varmia being sole Lord Lieutenant summons all these little Diets by his Mandates The general Diet for the Election of a King was formerly held at Petricovia but since the joining of the Kingdom with the Great Dutchy is always held in an open Field half a League from Warsaw and near the Village of Vola and is not to continue by the Laws above six Weeks The Crown-Treasurer at the Charges of the Republick builds there a large Booth or Hall with Boards not unlike Booths in our Bartholomew Fair The Name the Poles give to this Place is Szopa signifying a cover'd Room against the Injuries of Weather It has but three Doors to go in at and they fortifie it round with a broad and deep Ditch When this Place is thus finish'd by the Care of the aforesaid Officer and the Day fix'd for the Diets convening is arriv'd the Senators and Nobility go in great Order to St. John's Church at Warsaw where they pray God to assist them in the Election of a King who may have all the Qualities necessary to defend the Church and protect the Republick Then they go to wait on the Queen Dowager to condole the Death of the deceas'd King her Husband the Primate speaking for the Senate and the last Nuncio-Marshal for the Deputies who are then answer'd in the Queen's
the Clergy first by obliging the Bishops because they bear great Sway in the Diet and next the Priests and Fryars they having no less Influence and Authority over the People But however Presents are not to be made them in gross but by little and little lest they fly off when they expect no farther Recompence for the Poles generally think themselves oblig'd to serve you not for what they have already receiv'd but because they are still in Hopes of receiving more They are all likewise apt to neglect your Interest and will sometimes take Money from another Prince or his Embassador to vote against you The late King is accus'd of taking Money of the Emperor the Duke of Lorrain and of the Duke of Newbourg to employ it in their several Interests in the Election but however he did more wisely to make use of it himself to get to be elected in which we find he had good Success After the Embassadors have thus had Audience and that all other Matters are settled in the Republick they proceed to the Election of a King but first they implore the Assistance of the Holy Ghost by singing the Veni Creator Then they proceed to give their Votes and communicate them to each other when if they are unanimous for one Candidate the Archbishop of Gnesna or Bishop that presides in his Place demands thrice if the Grievances and Exorbitancies are redress'd which being answer'd in the Affirmative he immediately proclaims the King Elect which is likewise done at the same Time by the Marshals of the Crown and the Great Dutchy and then they all joyn in the singing of Te Deum Here it may not be amiss to give your Lordship farther Particulars of the manner of Election which is this Assoon as the Anthem is ended the Senators and Deputies remove from their Places and divide themselves into their several Palatinates making so many peculiar Rota's the Archbishop of Gnesna only still keeping his Seat The Orders being thus divided the first Senator of every Palatinate numbers their Votes which afterwards are transmitted into a Roll and delivered under their several Hands to the Nuncio-Marshal All these Suffrages are then reckon'd together by the Senate in the Szopa where if there be a Majority for any one Candidate they labour what they can partly by Perswasion and partly by Promises to bring the Electors to be unanimous for till then no King can be lawfully Proclaim'd yet when there is a Division in the Diet as most commonly it happens the strongest Party still carries it as it appear'd in Stephen Batori's Cafe and that of Sigismund III. which last coming soonest into Poland was Crown'd King at Cracow notwithstanding that Maximilian was proclaim'd at Warsaw by Cardinal Radzvil It may be observ'd that the House of Austria has been put by the Crown of Poland no less than thrice First in the Person of Ernest by the Election of Henry of Valois and Secondly and Thirdly by the Exclusion of this Maximilian And this because the Poles have a Maxim never to Elect any Powerful Neighbouring Prince for fear of being subdu'd and brought under an Arbitrary Power The Day after the Election all the Senators and Deputies meet either in the Rota Equestris or the Castle of Warsaw and draw up the Decree of Election subscribing it with their several Hands which is immediately afterwards sent to the Press to be Printed To the Election of a King of Poland not only all the Gentry of the Kingdom and Great Dutchy but likewise a great Number of Strangers from all adjacent Countries come yet notwithstanding that People come from all Parts of Poland the Senators and Deputies only have a lawful Vote in the Election Nevertheless the other Gentry Interest themselves either in favouring the Senators or the Factions of the Deputies and sometimes fall out among themselves about it so that it is the absolute Interest of the Candidate to treat and present not only the individual Members of the Diet but also these Nobles altho they have no actual Voices in the Election for their great Number can easily favour and carry on a Faction by threatning the Senators and Deputies in Case they do not elect such a Prince as they propose This was confirm'd in the Election of Michael Wiesnowiski where none of the Electors thought of choosing a Piasto and much less such a weak poor unexperienc'd Prince as this Duke was yet the turbulent Mob of Polish Gentry soon forc'd them to elect and proclaim him King notwithstanding this being no free Election they never paid him any great Deference but undervalu'd and were so displeas'd with him that some say after four Years Reign he was poison'd by the Contrivance of the Great Men. Thus it is palpably more safe and creditable for a Candidate to purchase himself a strong Party in the Diet and to support and back them by procuring the Affection and good Will of the rest of the Gentry than to rely barely on the inconstant and tumultuous Suffrage of a senseless turbulent Mob as the late King sufficiently experienc'd before his Election There are several Conditions requir'd in a Candidate that aspires to the Crown of Poland which are now past as Constitutions of the Kingdom for he must not be a Native which Hartknoch says he may and which he proves by a great many Persons nor marry'd nor present at the Election but must be rich and no absolute or neighbouring Prince And as for his Religion he must either actually be or promise to become a Roman Catholick before he can be crown'd All this after the Death of King Michael the late Elector of Brandenburg and Duke Ernest of Brunswick promis'd being not willing it seems to lose a Crown for an exteriour Show of a Piece of Religious Ceremony The Gentry of Poland think themselves so great and so equal in Respect to each other that they do not willingly consent to elect a Piasto or Native to a Crown which their Birth gave them a parallel Right to They besides think it a great Advantage to their Nation to choose a forreign and rich Prince that they may make more Alliances abroad and oblige such Kings to bring all their Effects with them to enrich the Kingdom They are for an unmarry'd Prince that they may have the Opportunity of matching him and so to strengthen their Alliances that Way They care not to elect a neighbouring Prince for fear he should become absolute by his adjoyning Force But however these like their other Constitutions have not been always observ'd for the only Maxim they have hitherto kept inviolable is not to elect any Prince but a Roman Catholick for the late King was both a Piasto and marry'd before he was elected 'T is true they would have had his Queen divorc'd from him that they might have marry'd him to King Michael's Queen Dowager Eleonora at present Dutchess Dowager of Lorrain but the Affection
the King always bore to his Queen in Conjunction with her own Intrigues among the Senators soon broke this Design They have also sometimes elected absolute and neighbouring Princes as the King of Sweden the King of Hungary the King of Bohemia and the Prince of Transilvania but then this Constitution was not in Force being only made of latter Days for they are now resolv'd to admit of no such Election hereafter So that at present a Prince must be very rich to purchase the Votes of so many Hundreds that compose the Diet and to treat the Gentry in general And besides must have many Heroick and Warlike Qualities and a great Reputation in the World to obtain the Crown of Poland Insomuch that before he can be elected and crown'd it must necessarily cost him several Hundreds of Thousand Pounds Sterling And moreover the vast Sums that all the Competitors spend liberally at this Election far exceeds what the elected Prince has spent so that the Members of the Diet must needs get well by their Election which I take to be one of the chiefest Reasons why they maintain their Kingdom elective The others are first That they take that Government to be easiest which is executed by a Person whom they have unanimously chosen to obey being not thereby oblig'd to be subject to a Prince that Nature only has set over their Heads Secondly That they esteem an elective Kingdom free from those Hazzards which one that is successive most commonly incurs during the Minority of its Princes for that then either its Neigbours take an Occasion to invade it or its Great Men to embroil it the better to secure the greater Share in the Government to themselves under so weak a Head If this be pretended to be remedy'd by assigning fit Tutors and Counsellors to the young Prince They say that the Government will be miserably mistaken for that we do not want in History several Examples of young Kings who have been driven out of their Thrones by their assign'd Governours And moreover that seldom any Kingdom has been known to continue long in Peace during the Minority of its King The third Reason they give is that in an elective State rarely any Blood is shed about the Succession as has frequently happen'd in other Countries without fetching any Examples from Antiquity Fourthly They say that a King chosen by the free Consent of the People will be likely in common Gratitude to retaliate the Obligation by the Clemency and Justice of his Reign The fifth Advantage which the Poles pretend by an Election of their Kings is that in no other State Princes take so great Care to educate their Children as in theirs And the sixth is That by Means of electing their King the Gentry who are only consider'd in Poland have the greater Power of conserving their Liberties and Privileges in which their greatest Happiness consists And the seventh is by limiting the Actions of their Kings to the unanimous Consent of the Diet. I might here mention many more Reasons but for Fear of tiring your Lordship by too long a Digression I return to my Subject As for those that have Suffrages in this Election it must be observ'd that the Diet have in general as likewise the Deputies of some particular Cities especially the greater ones of Prussia which formerly had not only Place among the Nuncios but also in the Senate As for the lesser the Bishop of Varmia generally subscribes in their Names There are others who have pretended to but have been deny'd a Vote in the Election as the Dukes of Prussia and the Dukes of Curland when they were only tributary to Poland The King's Sons also are excluded from a Vote tho' they should be dignify'd with Consent of the Republick Soldiers likewise are refus'd a Suffrage tho' it is no wonder that they laid Claim to such a Privilege being for the most part chosen out of the Gentry when the Cosacks once pretended to it but who were rejected with Contempt being look'd upon to be no better than the Scum or Dregs of the Populace At the Time of this Election the Diet apply themselves to the Conservation of their Rights and Liberties for this is the best Time to secure their Constitutions and Privileges and to prevent any Abuse of or Breach in their Laws for which Purpose they are always then very busie in making new Laws not only to preserve but likewise enlarge their Prerogatives As soon therefore as their King is elected they propose to him certain Articles or Capitulations to be agreed to before he can be proclaim'd These Articles they call Pacta Conventa being properly a Contract between the King and People which he swears afterwards to keep inviolable before the Altar in the Church of St. John at Warsaw Providing the elected King be a foreign Prince then must his Embassador who represents him sign these Articles and take this Oath for him Thus at the Election of Henry of Valois his Embassador John de Monluc Bishop of Valence was oblig'd to come to the Diet where after the Conditions to be observ'd by the new King his Master were read to him he sign'd them in the Name of the said Henry and of Charles IX his Brother King of France Then was he conducted to St. John's Church where after taking the abovesaid Oath his Master Henry of Valois was proclaim'd King of Poland by the Great Marshal the eighteent of May in the Year 1573. Afterwards according to Custom in these Cases Embassadors were sent by the Republick to take the Oath from that King in Person at Paris which they did on the tenth of September following This is the Method prescrib'd by the Laws for swearing to observe the Pacta Conventa yet which is not always punctually observ'd for King Michael and John Sobieski took that Oath several Days after their Election The Form of this Agreement or Capitulation is drawn up and methodiz'd by Order of the Senators and Deputies at the same time that they make the Decree of Election after which the three Orders viz. the King elect or his Embassador the Senate and Deputies go to the Church where the Chancellor or Grand Marshal reads distinctly with an audible Voice the whole Contract as follows 1. That the King shall not assume to himself the Quality of Heir of Poland nor will appoint any to be his Successor but on the contrary will preserve and maintain inviolable the Laws and Constitutions made for the free Election of a King 2. That he will pretend to no Right of Coining Money but will entirely leave that Power and the Profit thereof in the Hands of the Republick 3. That he will ratifie and confirm all the former Articles of Peace made with foreign Princes 4. That he will make it his principal Care to preserve and maintain the Quiet and Tranquility of the Publick 5. That without the Consent of the Diet he will not
to the People Next Day the King goes on Horse-back richly attir'd and in great Pomp to the Town-House some of the Senators carrying the Regalia before him The Order of March is the Bishops behind and the Lay Senators before and then the other Officers Nuncios c. before them While he is in Procession the Great Treasurer of the Kingdom scatters among the People a great Number both of Gold and Silver Medals more from the Castle to the Town-House Here he is habited a-new with his Royal Robes and seated in a splendid Throne erected on purpose when the Senate sitting in an inferiour Degree on each Hand of him the Magistrates of the City come to pay him their Homage and to assure him of their Fidelity and Loyalty presenting him again with the Keys of every of their Gates gilded and laid in a Silver Plate Which done the Chancellor assures them of the King's Favour and then reads aloud the Oath of Fealty to them which they then take on their Knees holding up their Hands all the while Having thus sworn the Magistrates Present him with a Purse of Gold and then receive their Keys back After which the King having deliver'd the Scepter and Globe to some of the Senators standing about him he receives a naked Sword from the Great Sword-bearer which rising up and flourishing over his Head towards the four Quarters of the World he sits down again and by a light Stroke of the Blade on the Shoulders of some of the Burghers creates them Knights This done the Great Treasurer in the King 's Return back to the Castle scatters some more Medals among the People whilst the Canons proclaim their Joy and if it be Night as generally it is by that Time all these Ceremonies are over the Fireworks are lighted and various Proofs of Satisfaction are every where both to be seen and heard The King being thus establish'd in the Throne the Diet of the Coronation sits where first the Primate lays down his Authority of Inter-Rex and then every individual Member of the Senate and Diet takes an Oath of Allegiance and Supremacy to the King after which his Majesty is invested with the Plenary Regal Authority he gives new Seals to the Chancellors and the Marshals bear their Staffs erected before him then he issues out his Royal Proclamation commanding all Magistrates and all other Officers of the Kingdom Great Dutchy and annex'd Provinces to cause his Coronation and Confirmation of the Peoples Liberties and Privileges to be proclaim'd on the first publick Days in every City and Town and afterwards to be registred in their Journals Also by the same Proclamation he gives Liberty to all the Courts of Justice to proceed after their usual Manner and then confirms aâ— the Acts and Constitutions which have pass'd in the Diet during the Inter-regnum As to what relates to a Queen of Poland's Coronation we must first observe that she cannot be Crown'd unless she be a Roman Catholick an Instance whereof we may see in Helena Wife to King Alexander who being of the Greek Perswasion and not caring to reform was not Crown'd Also we may read in History that Queens have either been Crown'd with their Husbands or without with their Husbands when they were either marry'd to them before or at the Time of their Coronation and without when they were marry'd afterwards with Consent of the Diet for it has always been thought so very necessary to have their Consent that it is inserted among the Articles of the Pacta Conventa Likewise the King cannot be Divorc'd from his Queen without the Approbation of the Diet Neither can he crown her if she be marry'd to him after his Coronation without their Consent but if she were marry'd before he may The Place of the Queen's Coronation is generally Cracow altho there have been some Examples to the contrary for Vladislaus VII caus'd his Queen Cecilia Renata to be Crown'd at Warsaw and King Michael his Queen Eleonora in the same City but however this last was with Leave of the Diet tho' at the same time they forbad it to go for a Precedent for the future What has been said about a Queen 's not being to be crown'd if a Dowager surviv'd is not so as may appear by several Examples As for the Manner of a Queen's Coronation alone it must be with the King's Consent he must request it of the Republick he must be present at the Ceremony he must lead his Queen into the Church and he must present her to the Archbishop or other Bishop who is to Crown her Anoint her with consecrated Oyl and to put a Scepter into her Right Hand and Globe into her Left The King likewise is to carry his Queen to the Town-house but she is to receive no Homage there Having thus My Lord amass'd the several Particulars intended for Your Lordships Perusal I have nothing left to do but humbly to acknowledge my Presumption and to have Recourse to your Candour and Goodness for Pardon and Protection I am My LORD Your Lordship 's most humble and most devoted Servant J. S. LETTER V. To the most Honourable JOHN Lord Marquess of Normanby Of the Power of the Gentry and Slavery of the Commonalty in Poland with an Account of the Customs and Manners of the People of that Kingdom as likewise of some peculiarly relating to particular Countries My LORD TO approach so great a Person as your Lordship on so trifling an Account as the Subject of this Letter I was conscious to my self was no way suitable On one Hand your known Abilities might reasonably deter my Presumption and on the other your elate Quality check my Ambition Yet considering at the same time that sometimes the greatest Genius's and Persons have stoop'd to be entertain'd with the Follies and Transactions of the Crowd I hop'd among the rest I might not offend if I address'd this Letter to you and the rather because it was first design'd for the Entertainment of your Lordships Leisure Hours My LORD The Third Order of the Republick of Poland is that of the Nobility out of which all the Senators and all other Officers as well Civil as Military are taken for no Body else that is not a Polish Gentleman tho' he be never so Noble in his own Country can be capable of any Preferment here unless it be some inconsiderable Posts in the Army the highest whereof is a Colonel or at most a Major-General which is much the same with a Brigadeer in our Army So that there is little or no Encouragement for Persons of foreign Countries of what Merit or Degree soever to go to serve this Republick which proves no small Inconvenience and Prejudice to their State As for the Citizens and Peasants they are excluded from all Preferments and can have no Possessions unless they be a few Houses in a City or a small Piece of Land about a League off in the
Miâ—ceslaus I. 24. His Christian Wife ib. His Wars 25. II. His Wars 26. Character and Death 27. III. When Elected and how long Reign'd 36. Whence surnam'd the Old ibid. Is Dethron'd 37. Endeavours to get restor'd 38. Is restor'd 40. Dethron'd again ibid. Reinthron'd 41. His Death ibid. Michael Wiesnowiski Refuses the Crown 144. Accepts it ibid. Proclaim'd Crown'd and how long Reign'd 145. His Marriage ibid. His Death 149. Leaves no Issue ibid. Buried 171. Marienburg City built 51. It s Description 262. Maximilian the Emperor King Elect Acquainted that he was chosen 87. Prevented invading Poland by Death 88. Maximilian of Austria Routed by the Polish General 109. Beaten again and made Prisoner 110. Offer'd Liberty on honourable terms 111. Dissents ib. Consents ib. Mines 245. Of Cracaw 246. Description of them ib. c. Manna Particular sort and eaten for Sauce 248. Michalevia Territory It s Description 262. Marienburg Pal. It s chief Cities and Towns 262. Their several Descriptions ib. c. Masovia Province Its Bounds 283. Inhabitants 284. Division into Palatinates ib. Their several Arms 288. 289. 290. Masovia Pal. Division into Districts 284. Chief Cities and Towns 285. Their Descriptions ib. c. Mindog Duke of Lithuania Acknowledg'd King 308. Murther'd 309. Mscislaw Pal. Description 333 Division into Districts ib. c. Chief Cities and Towns 334. Descriptions ib. c. Its Arms 335. Mscislaw City It s Description 334. Minski Pal. Division into Districts 337. Chief Cities and Towns ib. Descriptions ib. c. Its Arms 338. Minski City It s description 337. N. Number of Polish Princes 9. Of Towns and Villages in Poland 217 c. Novogrodec Pal. Division into Districts 332. Chief Cities and Towns ib. Their descriptions ib. c. Its Arms 333. Novogrodec City It s description 332. O. Oliva Treaty there 133. P. Poland Its Origin 3. Whence so call'd 5. What by the Inhabitants ib. By whom Founded ib. Its Policy 7. Made a Figure in the IXth Century 20. It s Antient Extent 213. Encrease by Conquests ib. By Policy 214. Present Extent 225. Its Bounds and Soil 216. Its Products 217. Cilmate 218. Rivers ib. Their several Courses ib. c. Its Lakes 220. Poles when first Christians 24. March to recover Podolia 148. Conquer but fail in their design ib. c. Popiel I. 16. His Vices and Death ib. II. ib. Judgment upon him 17. Piastus 21. Cause of his Election ib. His Vertues and Death 22. How long his Family Reign'd ib. Gives the Name of Piasto 23. Patron of Poland 30. Premislus when Crown'd 48. Murther'd ib. Prophecy Comical 108. Posts when first setled in Poland 123. Peace concluded with the Turks 173. How long lasted ib. Prince James his Character 188. Intended Marriage disappointed ib. Marry'd to another 189. Weak and Sickly ib. Officiates as Embassador 192. Resigns his Interests to the Elector of Saxony 206. Princess John III's Daughter Her Character 190. Her Marriage ib. Portion 191. Ceremony of her Marriage ib. Equipage for her Journy to Brussels 193. Reception at Berlin 195. Is met by the Elector 196. Proceeds on her Journey 197. Arrival at Brussels 198. Physicians A Consultation of them 199. Posnan City It s Description 221. Posnania Palatinate Its Arms 226. Prussia Province Its Bounds 257. Products ib. Rivers 258. Lakes ib. Division 259. Officers that belong to the Great Council ib. Its Arms 265. Prussia Royal Division into Palatinates 259. Prussia Dueal It s Chief Cities and Towns 264. Pomerania Pal. 260. Premislaw City It s Description 269. Podolia Pal Wherefore famous 274. Division into Districts ib. Chief Cities and Towns ib. Their several Descriptions 175 c. Plosko Pal. Division into Districts 288. Chief Cities and Towns ib. Their Descriptions ib. c. Plosko City It s Description 288. Podlachia Province Its Bounds 296. Division into Districts ib. Chief Cities and Towns 〈◊〉 Their Descriptions 297 c. Arms of the Proâ—ovince 298. Pinsko City It s Description 331. Polocz Pal. Division into Districts 338. Chief Cities and Towns ib. Descriptions ib. c. Its Arms 339. Polocz City It s Description 338. Q. Queen-Dowager's Zeal 156. King Michael Assign'd a Jointure 166. Queen's John III's first Coming into Poland 186. Her first Marriage ib. Age and Qualifications ib. c. Her Address in disposing of Employments 187. R. Rochester Lord His Embassy into Poland 172. Had Audience of the Queen at Dantzick ib. Made a Present to the Princess ib. Receiv'd by the King in his Camp 173. Had Publick Audience at Zolkiew ib. Manner thereof ib. His Return home ib. Respect Little paid to the King's Children 189. Rava Pal. Division into Districts 230. Its Cities and Towns ib. c. Rava City It s Description 230 c. Russia Province Division and Description 266. Division into Palatinates ib. Arms 276 280 281 283. Russia Pal. Division into Districts 267. Their several Arms 269 271. Chief Cities and Towns ib. Rosienia Capital of Samogitia It s Description 293. Religion Antient and Present of Lithuania 339 c. S Stratagem Succeeds 14. Defeated 15. Sigismund I. When Elected and how long Reign'd 69. Defeats a Conspiracy and Army ib. Other Wars ib. c. His Marriage 70. War with the Teutonic Order ib. Grants Liberty of Conscience to Dantzickers ib. War with Knights ended by Mediation 71. Forces other Invaders to retire ib. His Death and Age 72. His Character Marriages and Issue ib. II. Surnam'd Augustus When Crown'd and how long Reign'd 75. His Marriage displeases the Diet 76. Unites Livonia to Poland 77. His Wars with the Moscovites ib. Forces the Czar to a Peace 78. Sends an Army to support Bogdan in Valachia ib. Oblig'd to return home ib. Rather favour'd than disturb'd the Lutherans 79. Hears several of their Preachers ib. Enclines most Bishops to that Perswasion ib. A great Escape he had ib. His Death and Issue ib. Stephen Batori King Receiv'd and Crown'd 88. Primate submits ib. Who greatly Assisting to him in his Election ib. His Rise 89. His Marriage ib. More severe in Punishments than Laws allow'd 90. Encourag'd Speaking Latin 91. A Wonder to the French ib. His Wars ib. Is refus'd to name a Successor 100. His Character ib. His Death and Epitaph ib. c. Sigismund de Vasa King Ambassadors sent to acquaint him 107. Is Crown'd in Poland 109. His Marriage 111. Crown'd King of Sweden 112. Depos'd there ib. Cause of his War with the Moscovites 113. His War with the Turks 115. Invasion by Gustavus Adolthus 116. Sigismund's Death ib. His Character ib. Speech of the Bishop of Premislaw 119. Another Appeases Heats 143. Another by the Palatin of Russia 160. Byasses Poland and part of Lithuania 161. Senators of Great Poland 225 227 229 232 233 236. Of Lesser Poland 248 254 256. Of Prussia 265. Of Russia 274 276 277 280 281 283. Of Masovia 287 289 290. Of Samogitia 294. Of Volhynia 296. Of Podlachia 298. Of Lithuania-Proper 328 330 331. Of Lithuanic-Russia 333 335 336 338 339.
Severia City Belongs to the Bishop of Cracow 243. Siradia Pal. Its Arms 230. Sendomir Pal. It s Division into Districts 249. Chief Cities and Towns 251. Their several Descriptions ib. c. Sendomir City It s Description 250. Sanoch Town It s Description 273. Sâ—â—â—giâ—ta Province 290. Its Bounds 291. Manners of People ib. Their Superstition 292. Manner of Sacrificing ib. c. Division into Districts 293. Principal Towns ib. Descriptions ib. c. T Teutonic Order Call'd into Poland 43. Establish'd in Prussia 51. Proves troublesome to the Poles ib. Therefore Excommunicated by the Pope 52. Routs the Prussians and Casimir IV. 64. Tartars First Inroad 44. Second Incursions 61. Third Incursion with the Moscovites and Moldavians 71. Turks Take Podhais 170. Thorn City It s Description 261. Its Arms ib. Native Town of Copernicus ib. c. Troki City Built 315. It s Description 329. Troki Pal. Division into Districts 328. Chief Cities and Towns 329. Descriptions ib. c. Its Arms 330. U. Visimirus 10. His Conquests 11. His Death ibid. Venda 13. Her Death ib. Uladislaus I. 30. His Wars ib. His Marriage and Death 31. II. When Elected and how long Reign'd 33. Persecutes his Brothers 34. A Severe Revenge ib. His Flight out of the Kingdom and Death 35. III. Uladislaus Lasconogus 42. Surrenders his Crown ib. IV. Whence so call'd 48. When began his Reign and how long Reign'd 49. His Wars and Vices ib. Is Dethron'd ib Restor'd 50. Meets with Difficulties ib. c. His Speech to his Army 52. Overthrows the Teutonic Order 53. Is Crown'd with his Queen ib. His Death ib. Uladislaus V. Vide Jagello VI. When Elected and how long Reign'd 60. Regents during Minority 61. Crown'd King of Hungary ib. His Wars with the Turks ib. c. Is Complimented on a Victory 62. Kill'd and Routed by the Turks 63. Epitaph upon him ib. His Perfidy awakens the Turks ib. VII Elected Proclaim'd and Crown'd 121. His Marriage and Wars ib. With the Cosacks 122. His Death 123. Ukraina Country of the Cosacks Whence so call'd 93. How divided ib. To whom antiently belong'd ib. Its Inhabitants Vide Cosacks Vielunia Territory It s Division 229. Principal Towns ibid. Arms 230. Uladislaw City It s Description 234. Varmia Bishoprick and Pal. Exempt from Regal Jurisdiction 263. It s Chief Cities and Towns ib. their several Descriptions ib. c. Vinnicza City It s Description 277. Volhynia Province Division into Districts 294. Chief Cities and Towns ib. c. Its Arms 296. Vilna City Built 316. It s Description 325. Its Arms 328. Vilna Pal. Division into Districts 325. It s Chief Cities and Towns ib. Descriptions ib. c. Its Arms 328. Vitebsko Vide Witebsko W. Woievods XII Their Government 12 14. Depos'd ib. Wenceslaus King of Bohemia Crown'd King of Poland and how long Reign'd 49. Goes into Bohemia ib. Loses his Kingdom of Poland and dies 50. Warsaw City It s Description 285 c. Witebsko Pal. Has but one District 335. Chief Cities and Towns ib. Their Descriptions ib. c. Its Arms 336. Witebsko City It s Description 335. Z. Ziemovitus 23. His Wars Character and Death ib. Ziemovistus ib. His Character and Death ib. c. Zulava Island It s Division 263. Zamoisk City It s Description 283. TABLE II. ☞ Note This Second Volume having been put to two Printing-Houses a Second Alphabet was necessary to be made use of Therefore to avoid Mistakes the Reader is desir'd to take notice of this Asterism * after the Folio's for the Distinction of the Second Part. A. ARmenians in Poland Where Inhabit 49. Have peculiar Prelates c. ib. Service in what Language ibid. Acknowledge the See of Rome ib. Associates to Judges 77. Army Polish It s Division 9 * Of the Horse ib. c. * Of the Foot 11 * Manner of Paying the Army 20 * Inferiour Officers of the Army 31 c. * Auxiliaries What 16 * Example ib. * B. Bishopricks Polish How many 36 c. Their several Diocesses 37. Peculiar Jurisdictions ib. Bishops Polish Each has a kind of little Court 46. Have also Suffragans ib. Contest with Lay-Senators for Precedence ib. Have most of them large Revenues 47. Bishop Greek In Premislaw 44. In Kiovia being formerly Primate of Moscovy 45. Burgraves Their Office 80. Baths in Poland Private and Publick with their Effects 199. Burials Order of Procession at them 206. Other Proceedings 207. Particulars of the King and Queen's Interrments ib. C. Commonalty Polish Their Condition 5. Wherefore Enslav'd ib. Incapable of Preferment except some few 167. How first Enslaved 182. Live Satisfied notwithstanding 183. Their present Condition 184. Enrich their Lords ibid. c. How fix'd in a Farm 185. Cosacks A further Account of them 11 c. * Their Councils of War 12 * Way of Fortifying their Camps and Boats ib. * Their Power 13 * Crown of Poland Means to continue it in one Family 26. Vacant four Ways 126. Customs Polish Way of Hunting Wild Oxen 209. Manner of Taking Bears 211. Way of Ordering Cabbage 212. Poles eat but little Bread 215. Customs at Feasts Vide Feasts Manners at Table 217. Way of Taking Tobacco 218. Customs in Travelling Vide Travelling Manners of peculiar Countries 224. Customs in Grinding Corn 227. Rusticks Employments within and without Doors 229. Manners in Husbandry 233. Way of Pruning Trees ib. Manner of Sowing ib. c. Way of Securing and Ordering Corn 234. Peculiar Customs in Prussia ib. Manner of Fishing in Poland 40 * Manner of Electing and Ordaining Priests in Dantzic 47 * Counsellors Privy Who in Poland 31. Four Senators particularly Assign'd 31 35. Castellans What and whence so call'd 35. Names and Precedence from 61 to 67. Their Duty 60. Their Division Qualifications Office and Titles ib. c. Name in Polish 68. Cracow Bishop of His Residence and Precedence 42. Bishoprick and Power ib. How Address'd to 43 Cracow Palatin of Wherefore Preferr'd 55. Cujavia Bishop of His See Precedence and Authority 43. Has several Places of Residence ib. Culm Bishop of His Precedence and See 45. Chelm Bishop of His See Translated and wherefore 45. Caminiec Bishop of Honorary being under the Turk 46. Churches Greek Two Sorts 47. Priests how call'd and Wherefore ib. Calvinists In what Part of Poland 48. King oblig'd to protect them ib. Name in Polish ibid. First Nobleman that became Calvinist ibid. c. Clergy Regular Their Privileges 51. Dissolute Lives ib. Clergy Secular Their Manners 52. Division ib. Churches Polish Fine and well adorn'd 53. A rich Cope at Leopel ib. Chancellors Great and Vice Qualifications of those of the Kingdom 70. Both have Seals and equal Authority 71. Their Office and Power ib. Succeed each other 72. How ought to be qualified ib. Cavalry Polish What requir'd in vain of them 7 * Great Force with Examples 24 c. * Cup-bearers Carvers c. 77. Custom-house Commissioners 78. Chamberlain Vice of District His Office 78. Chamberlains under him ib. Convocation
to be in English Hands ibid. * Whence had its Name 114 * U. Vilna Bishop of His Diocess 43. Vilna Castellan of Preferr'd wherefore 55. Varmia Bishop of His Jurisdiction and See 44. Votes Intended Limitation like to produce a bad Effect 104. Who have them in Election of a King 144. Volunteers What in Poland 17 * Examples ib. c. * Selected out of the Gentry 18 * Universities Two in Poland and Lithuania 75 * Chief Studies there ibid. * Have no solid Learning 78 * W. Women Polish Their former and late Fashions 197. Very modest 200. Exception 201. Their Liberty restrain'd ibid. War Two Qualities necessary there 26 * Z. Zuppars What 80. Vide Mines FINIS From the Year 550 to the Year 1698. Former Power of the Kings of Poland A. D. 1574. Advantage thereby Why European Princes Court the Polish Gentry Nobilities Resolves thereupon Abridge the Antient Power of their Princes And Constitute a Republic Division of the People of Poland The Diet. It s Power Motives for a mixt Government A Motive II. Motive III. Motive Advantage of a mixt Government Division of the Republic Kings present Power and Prerogatives His Happiness Unhappiness A great Inconvenience to the State Instances of Poles Affections to their Kings Modern Kings Power Abroad and at Home The great Respect paid him His Titles and other Prerogatives His Pension Houshold-Officers and Guards Queen Consorts Court how maintain'd Kings Patrimonial Estate and Perquisites Late King 's great Riches The Crown Revenues Queens Revenues The King's Power limited in several respects Nobility only capable of Preferment Other Limitations of the Kings Power Inconveniences thereby Why he is paid so great Respect Cities present their Keys upon his Approach Why he can raise no Forces without Consent of the Diet. His Legitimate Issue greatly Respected His Illegitimate as much slighted Means to continue the Crown in one Family Why the K. of Poland can't imitate him of Denmark Not Unhappy because he cannot secure the Succession to his Family Crown and Court Officers Gentlemen Pensioners Horse-Guards Court Officers in Lithuania And in several Provinces Chief Officers of Queen's Court. Principal Officers of Primate's Court. What peculiar to him The Senate and its Office Senators by whom made and their Oath Four to attend the King and wherefore Senators not suffer'd to travel * Vide Sueton. Cap. 42. in vita Jul. Caesar Tacit lib 12. Annal. cap. 23. This Title not bestow'd by its self Senator's Office Extreamly prize their Dignities Their Division and Subdivision Diocesses of Poland Peculiar Jurisdictions of the two Archbishops Ecclesiastical Senator his Power and State His Power as Inter. Rex Why entrusted so much His See Two other Bishops in Leopol Those of the Greek Perswasion Their Tenets Ceremonies and Ornoments His Bishoprick and Power His Residence and Precedence His See Precedence and Authority Several Places of Residence His Diocess His Diocess His Jurisdiction and See His Jurisdiction and See His Diocess Here is a Greek Bishop Likewise Bishop of Curland yet has no See His Precedence and See His See translated and wherefore Honorary A Greek Bishop formerly Primate of Moscovy Honorary Honorary Each Bishop has a Kind of little Court Their Precedence in the Diet and large Revenues Religion in Poland and Lithuania Conversion and several Perswasions of the Poles Socinians expell'd 1658. 1673. Lutherans and Calvinists and other Religions in Poland The Roman Catholick prevails and always prefer'd Privileges of Regular Clergy Their dissolute Lives Fasts how observ'd in Poland Manners of the Secular Clergy The Poles Behaviour at Church Their Churches Division and Subdivision of Lay Senators Palatins c. with their Precedence 1. Lay-Senator Preferr'd and wherefore 1130. * Duglossus lib. 4. Annal. Polon p. 369. Preferr'd for what Reasons †Lib. 2 Cap. 3. p. 504. Preferr'd and why Wherefore preferr'd and how chosen Honorary Palatinate Why he has the Title of the Province Honorary Palatinate Honorary Palatinate Formerly Seat of Teutonic Knights Honorary Palatinate Greatest Part Honorary Honorary Palatinate Duty and Office of Palatins * Hartknoch lib. 2. cap. 3. p. 506. c. Vice Palatins and how qualify'd Duty of Castellans Their Division Qualifications Office and Titles Greater Castellans and their Precedence Lay-Senator Honorary Honorary Honorary Honorary Lesser Castellans No enjoying Plurality of Offices Castellans how call'd in Polish The ten Crown-Officers Those of the Kingdom precede Lay-Senator His Office Power and Authority Duty and Privilege His Perquisites Deputy and who officiates in Cases of Absence Qualifications of these of the Kingdom * Lib. 2. Cap. 3. p. 528. Both have Seals and equal Authority Their Office and Power Succeed each other How ought to be Qualified Their Office and Authority A remarkable Breach of Trust Contend for Precedence but refus'd it Extra-Senatorial Officers Great Generals Have equal Authority Their Power and Duty King's Interest to head his Army Present great Generals Dignity successive Lieutenant-Generals and their Office Chief Commander of the Guards Other great Officers in the Army Camp-Notaries Captain of Guards against Incursions Great Secretaries and their Authority Referendaries and their Office Cup-Bearers Carvers Sword-Bearers Court-Treasurers and their Office Treasurer of Prussia Associates to Judges Chief Notaries Registers inChancery Escheator Commissioners of Custom House Governours of Mines Governours of the Mint Court-Officers Civil Officers of Districts Vice-Chamberlain and his Office Chamberlains Judge and Assistant Prothonotary Head Collector Other Officers and why so call'd Military Officers of Districts Starostas with Jurisdiction Vice-Starostas c. Jurisdiction of Starostas Starostas without Jurisdiction Burgraves and their Office Revenue of Starostaships Zuppars what What the Diet is By whom call'd and where and how often meet Manner of calling it and Proceedings thereupon Where the little Diets meet I. In Great Poland * Vide Herburt Voce Comitia p. 92. and in Edit Polon p. 257. Podlachia and Masovia II. In Little-Poland III. In Lithuania IV. In Prussia V. In Russia VI. In Volhynia VII In Samogitia Qualifications for and Manner of voting in little Diets Who and how many chosen Deputies With their Instructions Proceedings in little Diets * Hartknoch lib. 2. cap. 6. p. 682. c. Deputies how chosen †Hartknoch lib. 2. Cap. 6. p. 689. Cannot be Senators Their Salaries When first sent Vide Constitut An. 1581. p. 375. Their general Meetings Diet divides into three Nations Speaker how chosen and Heats thereupon How occasion'd Next Proceeding Further Proceedings Reflection of Hauteville Speakers Request for the Deputies His Authority Proceedings in the lower House Conference s with the Upper and Nuncios Power Confirm'd and encourag'd Their Privilege * Constitut An. 1649. Committees How long sit Upper House how employ'd Manner of breaking up Session in the lower Two Houses join'd Speakers Power devolves to great Marshal Where the King suspends his Opinion What requir'd to establish a Law Where it cannot be printed Session of the Diet limited Wherefore Affairs treated of in the Grand
Frederic Augustus the Present King of POLAND The History of POLAND IN Several LETTERS to Persons of Quality Giving an Account of the Present State of that Kingdom VIZ. Historical Political Physical and Ecclesiastical The Form of Government The King's Power Court and Revenues The Senate Senators and other Officers The Religion Diet and little Diets with other Assemblies and Courts of Justice The Inter-regnum Election and Coronation of a King and Queen with all the Ceremonies The present Condition of the Gentry and Commonalty as likewise The Genius Characters Languages Customs Manners Military Affairs Trade and Riches of the Poles Together with an Account of the City of Dantzic The Origin Progress and Present State of the Teutonic Order and the Successions of all its Great Masters Likewise The Present State of Learning Natural Knowledge Practice of Physick and Diseales in Poland And lastly A Succinct Description of the Dutchy of Curland and the Livonian Order with a Series of the several Dukes and Provincial Masters To this is also added A Table for each Volume And a Sculpture of the Diet in Session With some Memoirs from Baron Blomberg VOL. II. By BERNARD CONNOR M. D. Fellow of the Royal Society and Member of the College of Physicians who in his Travels in that Country Collected these Memoirs from the best Authors and his own Observations Compos'd and Publish'd by â—ir SAVAGE LONDON Printed for Daâ— Brown without Templ-Bar ' and A. Roper and T. Leigh both in Il et-street 1698. D R. CONNOR ' S PREFACE IN my PREFACE to the First Volume of this Historical Relation of POLAND I have mention'd my Incapacity for Matters of this Nature both because I was only Twelve Months in that Kingdom and because I have no Talent or Genius for History I thought Writing it by way of LETTERS in Imitation of some of our Neighbours would be more easie to my self and more acceptable to the Publick I am proud to have this happy Occasion of giving the Honourable Persons I write to so publick a Testimony of my Respects I am sorry in the same time I cannot have Leisure to honour my self in writing to the Noble Persons mention'd in the Second Volume as I have had in the First I follow a Profession so remote from HISTORY particularly a Polish one that it neither allows me Time nor leaves me any Inclination to attend any other Business I hope notwithstanding the Persons I promis'd to write to will be pleas'd to excuse me for not being able to keep my Word to them as I flatter'd my self I could since the ingenious Gentleman I desir'd to undertake this Work will give them the same Satisfaction he having already assisted me in my First Volume and having had all my Memoirs for this Second THE Antient and Present STATE OF POLAND PART II. The Present State LETTER I. To His Grace THOMAS Lord Archbishop of Canterbury Of the Form of the Government in Poland and of the King's Power Court and Revenues My LORD THAT high Station wherewith the King has Recompenc'd Your Merits and the great Trust His Majesty has reposed in Your GRACE during his Absence shews his Confidence in Your Ability as well to Govern the State as the Church Since therefore being lately Invested with a share of the Regal Authority you had occasion to know more intimately Our King's Power and Prerogatives I thought my self oblig'd to give Your GRACE an Account of those of the King of Poland to the end that comparing both together you might more sensibly perceive the Excellency of our Own Constitution which makes the Greatness of the King inseparable from the Interest of the People For when the Executive Power is as vigilant to see our Laws obey'd as the Legislative has been provident in making them England can justly boast of a much greater Happiness than either Poland or any other Kingdom of Europe Having My LORD not been a full Twelve Month at the late King of Poland's Court I cannot pretend to be throughly acquainted with that Kingdom yet I find that like most other Countries it has undergone several Changes in its Constitution since the middle of the VIth Century at which time it began to be a distinct Nation during the Reigns of the two great Houses of Piastus and Jagello Ever since the time of Lechus its Founder the Kings thereof have been Elected to the Crown after an Hereditary manner tho' not by an Hereditary Title They have really been Absolute and their Will went for a Law for then they made Peace and War when they pleas'd Levied as many Troops as they thought fit Punish'd or Pardon'd at Pleasure and Rewarded where they saw Convenient And all the Administration either of Public or Private Affairs was so wholly lodg'd in the King's Hands that I have heard the Poles themselves say That Sigismund II. the last King of the Jagellonic Family was to the full as Absolute as either the King of France or Denmark is now Whilst the Kings of Poland thus maintained a Supream Power over their Subjects they exceedingly enlarged their Dominions were both fear'd Abroad and belov'd at Home Commanded Potent and Numerous Armies into the Field Executed most Enterprizes speedily and were almost always sure of Success and this because they did not then as now depend upon the lingering Determination and tedious Conclusions of a Turbulent Diet. But the Family of Jagello being once Extinct by the Death of Sigismund II. who had resign'd his Kingdom to the Senate and Polish Gentry and given them full Power and Authority to dispose thereof as they thought fit the Crown of Poland was anew declared Elective to the end that all the Princes of Christendom who had due Merits and Qualifications might have a Right to Aspire thereunto This gave occasion to most of the Princes of Europe ever since to Court the Polish Nobility after their King's Death And that either to get the succeeding Election determined in their own Favour or else to have some of their Friends Advanced to that great Dignity but this most commonly rather with regard to their own private Interests than out of any Respect to the Person they desired to Promote as the Houses of Austria and Bourbon have always practis'd The Gentry of Poland therefore observing that several Princes at a time always Aspir'd to their Crown and considering that not one of them had more Right than the rest as likewise that it lay altogether in their Power to choose whom they pleased resolved Unanimously to Elect none but such as should Condescend nay Swear to observe the Terms and Conditions they proposed Hereby the Poles by degrees have clip'd and limited the Antient Power of their Kings and have reduc'd them to the Bounds we now find them to have that is barely to a third Part of the Grand Diet For the Poles knew very well that no Prince would be so Imprudent as to scruple Submitting to
Starostaships after the Death of those that Enjoy them If the King chance to die before the Queen has this Reformation assign'd her then the Republic gives her a Yearly Pension out of the Crown-Revenues but this no longer than she continues unmarried or stays in the Realm for otherwise in both those Cases the Queen Regent gets it or else it reverts to the State It may be observ'd that the Queen Regent never comes by it without the Consent of the Diet and that is no ordinary Expence to her to procure by Purchasing almost all the Votes of that Mercenary Assembly This may be seen in the Case of the present Queen-Dowager for when the Queen her Predecessor Marry'd the Duke of Lorrain she observing that the Settlement of her Pension was like to be put off to the succeeding Diet which is conven'd only once in three Years thought it better to be at the Charge of gaining their Votes at that Session than to lose three Years Income This Revenue is generally computed at half a Million Polish which amounts to about Thirty Thousand English Pounds As long as the Queen-Dowager enjoys this Pension the Queen-Regent can have none for the Poles say that it would be too much to Pension two Queens at once Tho' the King of Poland has many important Employments to distribute yet his Power is always limited in the Distribution of them for he cannot Name any of his Children no nor so much as the Queen to any Charge either Ecclesiastical or Temporal Sigismund III. having a mind to give his Queen Constantia two Starostaships vacant by the Death of Queen Anne who died in the Year 1625. all the Gentry oppos'd it by a great Uproar in the Diet and maintain'd vigorously That a King of Poland ought not to part with any Office without their Consent Neither can he Purchase any Lands for them in any part of the Kingdom without Consent of the Diet Although the late King bought several vast Territories in other Peoples Names both in Russia Prussia and almost all over the Kingdom and besides purchas'd a Principality of the Emperor in Silesia for Prince James his Eldest Son But the Poles having long since discovered the Secret pretended when I was at Warsaw that all those Lands must come to the Crown after the King's Death Some of the Kings of Poland also have been so kind as to part with their Prerogatives in Ecclesiastical Matters so that now they retain only the Collation of Benefices As for the Foundation of Monasteries whatever Power the King may have left to Erect them they must always be confirm'd by the Three Orders of the States The King of Poland is likewise limited in divers other respects for he can neither encrease nor diminish the Number of Officers either of his Court or the Kingdom nor Name any Stranger that is not Naturaliz'd to any Charge or Government only in the Foot Army and there too such a Person can pretend to no more than to be a Captain or at most a Colonel This may appear by the Example of Stephen Batori who having had considerable Services done him by the Hungarians in the War against the Moscovites he thought it but reasonable to Prefer some of them for Recompence which extreamly incens'd the Poles and particularly the Grand General so much that he immediately thereupon resign'd his Staff 'T is also out of the Kings Power to advance some Natives for all Citizens Merchants Tradesmen and their Sons Country-Men Labourers and generally all Artificers are not only by the Constitutions of the Kingdom excluded from Preferments which the King has the Nomination of but also have not Liberty either of Buying or Enjoying Lands or Estates 'T is then the Nobility alone or Freeborn of the Kingdom of Poland the Great Dutchy of Lithuania or of the other Provinces Incorporated into that Monarchy that can pretend to any Preferment in the Republic Wherefore the aforesaid King Batori thinking to Advance his Nephews by reason he had no Children design'd to get them Naturalized in the Diet held the Thirteenth of December 1586 but was prevented by Death It must withal be understood that 't is not every one of these that can Aspire or lay Claim to every Preferment but only such as have Lands or Estates in the Kingdom the Great Dutchy or any other Incorporated Province where the Preferment lies For a Free-born Native of the Kingdom though he has an Estate in it yet cannot be a Governor of a City in Lithuania nor have any kind of Employment there without a setled Estate in that Country But the Advantage that all Freeborn Natives have is that they can Buy an Estate throughout the whole Extent of the Dominions of Poland There is another Inconvenience which very much Prejudices and Limits the King's Power and the public Interest of the whole Commonwealth for where-ever a Noble Pole is once named to a Preferment and is in actual possession of it let him commit never so many Crimes against the Crown or State he can never be depriv'd of his Employ or turn'd out of it without the Unanimous Consent of the Diet but shall continue in the same for Life even against a the Will of the Diet if he has but one Member on his Side who will protest against the Proceedings For the Negative Voice of a Member of the Diet of Poland has the same Force with a Negative of a King of England in Parliament This pernicious Constitution occasions many Troubles and Animosities for it encourages Unruly and Mutinous People to disturb the Commonwealth Officers never serve the Republic faithfully Treasurers arè thereby emboldened to give no Account of the Public Revenues the Generals of the Army and Governors of Provinces and Towns do as they think fit and most commonly mind their own private Affairs more than the Interest of the Republic In a word though the Poles term this Constitution the greatest Mark of their Liberty it inevitably Ruins the Foundation of the whole State and every one sees what bad Consequences must and do necessarily follow from this excessive Liberty or rather Libertinism of every Private Officer of the Kingdom My Lord This great Privilege of the Ofcers makes them pay more than ordinary Respect to the King before they are Dignify'd and court him to give them a Charge which he can never afterwards take away Moreover this Power of the King 's to Name such of the qualify'd Nobility as best pleases him to these important Employments keeps all the Gentry in a great Dependance on him for the design of the Republic in lodging the Nomination of Officers in the King's Hands was that he should take care to confer them on those that had best deserv'd them by their Services either in Peace or War and exclude such from them as had been Stubborn Mutinous and Unserviceable to the State Another Reason that makes the King respected is the natural Ambition
the Poles have to Aspire to the Honours of the Kingdom for by their Constitutions all the Nobles as they call them or Free-born of the Land are equal as to their Birth and none though never so Poor ows precedence unless through a Compliment to any ever so Rich Insomuch that Preferments and Honours are the only Means by which they attain to Precedence which is annex'd thereto and ascertain'd by the Statutes and Laws Now one would think that this mighty Power which the King of Poland has to dispose of so many Places of Profit and Trust so many Lands by Royal Tenure and so many Benefices must needs gain him the Love and Affection of those on whom they are conferr'd But on the contrary the Poles being none of the most grateful and knowing too well that the King cannot dispose of those Preferments but to themselves they believe that when he Grants them he only gives back what of Right belongs to them and that it is not so much an Act of Grace in him as a piece of Justice When a King of Poland comes to any City the Inhabitants are oblig'd immediately to present him with the Keys and he can send his Regiment of Guards to take possession of the Gates The Citizens of Dantzick only have a Privilege to keep their own Keys and to hinder all but a few Troops from following the King into the City It is certain that Dantzick has more Immunities and Privileges than any other City of Poland insomuch that it may be rather look'd upon to be a small Republic of it self under Protection of that Kingdom than a City subject to it Nay it has in a manner all the Marks of a Sovereign Power for it can Condemn to Death without Appeal even the Polish Gentry if they commit any Crime within its Territories and Jurisdiction The King can raise no Troops at his own Charges without Consent of the Diet and this for fear that he should strengthen himself and Intrench upon their Liberties Nevertheless Vladislaus VII Levied some with the Portion of his Queen Mary Ludovica but the Senate so Murmur'd that he was soon oblig'd to Disband them The King cannot on any Account whatever go out of the Kingdom without Consent of the Diet for Your GRACE may observe that King Henry of Valois was fain to steal out of the Kingdom when he went into France Sigismund III. after the Death of his Father John King of Sueden was forc'd to call a Diet at Warsaw in the Month of May 1592. to obtain Consent to return into Sueden to take Possession of his Hereditary Kingdom and that Lewis King of Hungary who was chosen King of Poland in the Year 1370 having a mind to return to his Native Kingdom desired leave of the Senate and was oblig'd to Augment their Privileges to obtain it The King's Children are more than ordinarily respected though at the same time every private Gentleman thinks himself as great as they by the Law and to have as lawful a Right to the Crown yet are they nevertheless always treated as Princes of the Blood Royal. His Eldest Son has the Title of Prince of Poland and the others barely that of Princes adding withal their Christian Names as Prince Alexander and Prince Constantin of Poland The Kings Eldest Daughter is call'd the Princess of Poland and the others only Princesses adding thereto their Names as Princess Mary of Poland But it must be understood that when the King their Father dies and a new King of another or the same Family succeeds and has Children then do they lose the Titles of Princes and Princesses of Poland and take only the Names of their Families or Estates such as Prince Sobieski Princess Czartoriski yet however the Senate always look upon themselves oblig'd to provide for them to give them Pensions and to Match them equal to their Dignity and Birth which has ever hitherto been duly observ'd Nay the Poles have all along shew'd such Esteem and Affection to the Royal Family that although they have not allow'd them any Hereditary Right to the Crown by Law yet have they always Elected one of them King where there was any surviving For I find from the time of their Prince Piastus even down to that of the Election of the late King John Sobieski which is from the Year 830. to the Year 1674 the Crown has always continued in the same Family in a direct Line as your GRACE may observe in the First Volume of my Account of Poland They have also not confin'd this Affection of theirs to the Kings Sons only but have likewise extended it towards their Daughters and even their Widows as may be seen at large in their Histories where Your GRACE will find what strict Regard the Poles had to the Royal Race in the Election of the Princess Hedwigis whom they waited for with great Patience though all the while they suffer'd extreamly by the Insults of the Duke of Masovia who pretended a Right to the Crown as being a Relation to Casimir the Great The King 's Natural Sons are extreamly undervalu'd and are hardly look'd upon to be Common Gentlemen for none of the Gentry care to keep Company with them Nay one of the Late King's is a Clerk in the Salt Custom-House at Thorn a City in Prussia where his Place is not worth him above Thirty Pounds per Annum All over the Kingdom they usually have a very mean Opinion of Illegitimate Children though Nature endows them generally with as many Perfections and with as good Qualities as she does the Lawfully Begotten The only way for a King of Poland to continue the Crown in his Family is to be Warlike to enlarge his Dominions to gain the Love and Affections of his People by his own Merits and by the Favour of the Clergy to send his Children early to the Wars to get Credit and Reputation in the Army to spend Liberally all his Revenues and to die in Debt to the end that the Poles may be enclin'd to Elect his Son to enable him to pay what his Father ow'd But all this while he must never think to encroach on the Privileges of the Nation nor endeavour by any means to render the Crown Hereditary for whenever the Poles begin to smell out any such private Design they are presently apt to stir up Seditious Tumults which would prove very Pernicious to all the Posterity of that King as the ill Success the Late King's Sons have had sufficiently demonstrates It is altogether impossible for a King of Poland in Imitation of the King of Denmark to reduce his Subjects under an Arbitrary Power for the State of Denmark was quite different then from what that of Poland is now In Denmark the King Clergy and Commonalty were under the Rule and Government of the Gentry so that it was the Interest of the Clergy and Commonalty to side with the King to abate and depress the
excessive Power and Privileges of the Nobility which they soon effected by being Resolute and more in Number But in Poland it is quite otherwise for there the Clergy and Gentry have a common Interest to keep the King and People in Subjection The Clergy have great Privileges and are very Rich. The Bishops for the most part are Princes or Dukes they are all Senators and sit in the Diet before all the Temporal Lords so that by the great Authority and Veneration which they have procur'd to themselves from the slavish People they can hinder them from making any Insurrection and by the Arbitrary and Free Power which they and the Gentry have hitherto maintain'd to Elect whom they pleas'd for King they will always keep him in such a Dependence for the sake of his Children that he shall hardly ever be able to effect any Design upon their Prerogatives Nay providing he had found any Opportunity to compass such a dangerous Enterprize yet would it not consist with Prudence either to declare or Attempt it for fear of Incurring the Hatred and Displeasure of the People which would not only tend to his own Ruin but likewise Obstruct the Election of any of his Family to the Throne after his Death so that the surest way for a King of Poland to continue the Crown in his Family is never to attempt any Innovation I would not however think the Kings of Poland Unfortunate in not being able to assure the Succession of the Throne to their Children since they are thereby compell'd as it were by a lucky Necessity to breed them up to all Royal Virtues and this to the end that it may render them more Accomplish'd and Worthy to be Elected For where they are satisfied that the Crown is not due to their Blood but to their Merits what will either the Father or Sons omit to obtain it by the most Glorious Means My LORD I have hitherto presented Your GRACE with what relates to the Form of Government in Poland and to the King's Power and Revenues I would now give a particular Account of the King's Court were it not like to that of other Princes as to Splendor and Number of Officers For besides the Great Crown-Officers as the two Great and Little Marshals as many Chancellors and Vice-Chancellors two Generals and two Great and Little Treasurers The King has his Lord-Chamberlain his Court-Marshal or Lord Steward his Master of the Horse his Secretaries of State his Standard-Bearer Chief Huntsman his Gentlemen of the Body answerable to our Lords of the Bed-Chamber his Physicians Chaplains Pensioners Cup-Bearers Sewers Carvers Musicians and Guards The Gentlemen Pensioners always attend the King on Horseback this Body of Gentry consists of the Noblest Youth of the Kingdom whereof many have Court and State-Employments and are all subject to the Jurisdiction of the Court-Marshal There are some of these that attend his Majesty on Foot but in long Journeys they are always carried in Waggons A set number of these keep Guard Day and Night about the King Whenever the King goes in Public these last March every way about him with long Battle-Axes on their Shoulders and Sabres by their Sides but still admitting the Senators and Chief Courtiers to March next him yet when the Queen goes with the King the Senators and other Persons of Quality are to walk before The King's Horse-Guards ought by the Constitutions to be either Poles Lithuanians or Natives of some of the Incorporated Provinces but however this Law has been dispens'd with for the late King admitted both Germans and Hungarians amongst them Their Number by the Law is not to exceed 1200 and their Chief Commander is to be subject to all the Four Marshals The King has the same Number of Court Officers in Lithuania as he has in Poland the Lithuanians being as Ambitious to keep up the ancient Grandeur of their Great Duke as the Poles are for that of their King The King has likewise the Nomination of some Court-Officers in several Provinces as in Prussia Masovia and Russia which had formerly distinct Princes of their own and were afterwards United to the Kingdom of Poland so that the King has the Nomination of as many Court-Officers as any Prince in Europe but most of them are rather Honorary than Beneficial yet the Gentry always make great Interest to get into them Precedence of which they are Ambitious being Regulated according to the Nature and Dignity of the Employment As for the Queen's Court it consists of about Thirty Officers the Chief whereof are her Marshal and Chancellor Their Business is to Preside over Domestic Affairs in the Queen's Court. Her Marshal or Steward is to carry the Staff before her and her Chancellor or Secretary to Write Sign Receive and Answer all her Letters There is her Treasurer who Manages her Revenue her Master of the Horse Cup-Bearers Carvers Sewers Clerk of the Kitchen c. For Women Servants she has her Ladies Maids of Honour Dressers c. When she goes in Public she is always attended by a great number of her own Sex It may not be here amiss to add something of the Court of the Inter-Rex or Primate and so I will conclude While the Archbishop of Gnesna has the Administration of the Government he has much the same Officers with the King but when he has laid down that Authority his Officers are his Marshal spoken of before his Chancellor who Presides in his Courts of Justice his Almoner Master of Requests Cross-Bearer Steward Treasurer Chaplains Library-Keeper Clerk of the Kitchin c. This Archbishop alone as he is the Chief Senator of Poland has Drums beating and Trumpets sounding both within and without Doors before he sits down to Table He also by his Prerogative is not to wait for the King's Commands when he should Visit him but may go when and as often as he pleases Before My Lord I put an end to this Letter permit me to take notice to Your GRACE that the King of Poland does not Name his Privy-Counsellors but all Senators are Counsellors of Course for all of that Dignity that are about the Place where the King Resides have a Right to sit at the Council-Board For fear notwithstanding that there should not be always Senators sufficient for that purpose at Court the Senate always depute four of their Members to attend the King's Person by turns and that not only to give him Advice but likewise to Inspect into his Conduct and to prevent him from Acting contrary to the Laws For the King and Council are accountable to the Diet for any Mismanagement in the Government In short the Genius of the Polish Nation and the whole Frame of their Constitution is entirely bent to Curb the King's Power and to secure their Laws and Prerogatives against the Incroaching Factions of Foreign Princes or of their own Court-Party I might here My Lord add a great many
more Particulars relating to the King of Poland but this is what I thought most material to be mention'd and what I cou'd only learn in so small a Time as I have lived in that Country I beg your GRACE's Pardon for tiring your Patience with so long and imperfect an Account and desire my Lord you wou'd receive this at least as a Testimony of my good Will of satisfying your Curiosity and of owning your many Favours to My LORD Your GRACE's Most Obedient Servant BERNARD CONNOR The following Letters intended at first to be Written by Dr. Connor were Compiled by Mr. Savage the Doctor not having Leisure to attend them from his Practice LETTER II. To His Grace HENRY Duke of Norfolk Earl Marshal of England Of the Senate and Senators of Poland both Ecclesiastical and Temporal With an Account of the Present Religion in Poland and Lithuania As also of the State-Officers and Officers of Districts belonging as well to the Kingdom as the Great Dutchy My LORD YOUR Grace's High Birth and Station in our Government together with Your Primary Right of Suffrage in our House of Lords entitle you in a Superlative manner to the Patronage of this Letter Wherefore I was glad to meet with an occasion so favourable to pay my Duty to Your GRACE and I could heartily wish it had been on a Subject that I were more Master of than in an Account of a Country which I never saw yet that you may give some Credit to the Truth of my Relation I dare humbly assure you that I have mention'd nothing therein but what I either had out of Dr. Connor's Memoirs learn'd from his own Mouth or drew from such Books as both the Doctor and Other Persons of Credit have own'd to be Authentic and most Correct My LORD The Senate of Poland is an Order of Nobles between the King and common Gentry establish'd to rule and govern according to Law and to observe the Conduct of the King And moreover they are to apply themselves to study the publick Good and the Preservation of the Privileges of the People It consists at present of a far greater Number of Persons than formerly It is the King that makes every Senator but who being once so made is to continue his Office for Life At the Time of his Creation he is oblig'd to take a solemn Oath to conserve inviolable the Rights and Liberties of the Republic so that if the King himself had a mind to extend his Power and Authority beyond the Limits prescrib'd him by the Laws every Senator's Oath alone would oblige him to acquaint his Majesty with due Respect of his Duty and Obligation Nay every Nuncio in the grand Diet assumes this Liberty For in that Place dicunt quae sentiunt sentiunt quae velint as may appear by an insolent Affront put upon the late King John Sobieski who having been call'd Tyrant Nero and many other opprobrious Names by some of the Deputies and not being able to bear it he started up and threatned them laying his Hand on his Sword That had he been the great General still he would have done something whereat one of them rising likewise and clapping his Hand to his Sword reply'd and that Sword would have done something too Another Passage I have read of Lewis King of Hungary and Poland who having been basely abus'd in the Diet stood up and cry'd Si non essem Rex whereto the Orator briskly reply'd Si non fuisses Rex These Senators are likewise bound to see that nothing be done against their Privileges and therefore four of them are always deputed to attend the King with their Advice Besides these four who are ever actually the King's Counsel any of the others in like manner have a Right to assist at the Council-Board if they think fit The Presence of these Senators is look'd upon to be so absolutely necessary for the Good of the Kingdom that not one of 'em can travel upon whatsoever Account without Leave of the Republic This Custom is taken from the Romans who not only forbid the Senators but also their Sons to go beyond the Verge of Italy This Title of Senator the King cannot bestow by it self but it is always annex'd to one of the four Dignitys of Bishops Castellans or Palatins The Ten Crown-Officers all which the King names whereof Palatins are Lord-Lieutenants of Provinces Castellans are Governours who have not their Names from Castles as the Word might reasonably import but from commanding a Portion of a Province in Time of War The ten Crown-Officers are the Marshals Chancellors and Treasurers of the Kingdom and Bishops preside over their several Diocesses with an Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction When any one is nam'd a Bishop Palatin Castellan or any of the ten Officers of the Crown he is immediately a Senator without more ado Their Business is to serve faithfully the King and Republick in the Senate at home to administer Justice by Commission or otherwise and abroad with Consent of the Diet to exercise foreign Ministrys c. These Senators of Poland value their Dignities so highly that they despise almost all other Titles of Honour whatever and therefore when Sigismund I. went to Vienna and the Emperour offer'd the Title of Princes of the Empire to the several Senators that came along with him they absolutely refus'd 'em giving for Reason That being born Gentlemen of Poland and thereby having a Right to treat either of Peace or War with their King they believ'd it an Injury to their Dignity to have a Prince of the Empire thought superiour This Senate consists either of Ecclesiastical or Secular Members The Ecclesiastical are either Archbishops or Bishops and are the chief Members of the Senate Their Number at present is but sixteen Three of these Bishopricks are now in the Enemies Hands though they nevertheless have titular Bishops viz. Smolensko and Kiovia possess'd by the Moscovites and Caminiec enjoy'd by the Turks So that there remain but thirteen Bishopricks actually in the King's Dominions of which but two are Archbishopricks viz. those of Gnesna and Leopol When any of the aforesaid three Bishopricks are vacant there are always those ready that will beg their Titles meerly to have the Honour to sit as Senators The several Diocesses belonging to all these Bishopricks are Archiepiscopal of Gnesna and Leopol Episcopal of Cracow Cujavia and Pomerania Vilna Posnan Plocksko or Plosko Varmia Luceoria or Lucko Premislia or Premislaw Samegitia Culm Chelm Kiovia Caminiec and Smolensko Subject to the two Archbishops are the other Bishops and first to the Archbishop of Gnesna are the several Bishops of Cracow Vladislaw Posnan Plosko Vilna Varmia Samogitia and Culm And next to the Archbishop of Leopol are the Bishops of Chelm Caminiec Luceoria Premislia and Kiovia The Archbishop of Gnesna is not only Chief of the Bishops but also of all the other Senators of Poland He is
Primate of the Kingdom a Title given him by the Council of Constance and moreover stiles himself the Pope's Legate Born by a Grant of the Council of Lateran All Ecclesiastical Affairs that have been determin'd in the Archbishop of Leopol's or any of the other Bishops Courts may be revers'd or confirm'd in an Appeal to him His Power and Authority is exceeding great and even next to the King 's It is Death to draw a Sword in his Presence or to quarrel in any manner whatsoever before him When he goes to the King or the Diet there is always a golden Cross carry'd before him and when he sits his Chaplain holds it behind his Chair He has his Marshal who is a Castellan and Senator of the Kingdom This Person on Horse-back carries a Staff before his Coach but salutes none with it except the King when the Archbishop and he happen to meet This Marshal has likewise the Honour to carry the like Staff before the King where the other Marshals are absent When the Archbishop comes to wait on the King the great Chamberlain or some other great Officer always receives him at the Stair-Foot and the King afterwards comes out of his Chamber to meet him in the Anti-Chamber He never pays any Visits out of Duty but to the Pope's Nuncio and to him only but once He visits no King's Ambassadors tho' they visit him first After the King's Death he is the supream Regent of the Kingdom till a new one be chosen during which Time he may coin Money in his own Name a Privilege granted him by Boleslaus the Chaste but which nevertheless has not been practis'd no Money having ever been seen of his coining The Revenues also of the Crown belong to him in the Inter-Regnum he convokes the Diet and dissolves it at Pleasure and in case there happens any thing extraordinary the Government assigns him several Senators for his Assistants In short he is Tantum non Rex He only can proclaim the King when elected and crown him afterwards except where he dies as in the following Case which is so very considerable that he is look'd upon by the Ambassadors and Envoys of the Candidates as the only Person upon whom the Success of their Negotiation depends and therefore all of them do their utmost to make him their Friend Hereupon I must acquaint your Grace with a Passage in the Election of the late King of Poland John III. in the Year 1674. when one Czartoreski was Archbishop of Gnesna who being entirely in the Austrian Interest and a great Friend to the Chancellor Patz and by consequence both an Enemy to the French and John Sobieski's Party could by no means be brought to proclaim him but as it happened he dy'd three Days before the Election and that Power devolv'd to Trzebicki Bishop of Cracow who being altogether for the Grand Marshal forthwith proclaim'd him with Joy The Reason why the Republic entrusts this great Authority to a Clergy-Man is for Fear that if it were bestow'd on a secular Senator he might make use of it to advance himself to the Throne This Archbishop's See is at Lowitz a City in the Palatinate of Rava in Lower Poland He is born a Canon of the Church of Plosko The second Ecclesiastical senator is the Archbishop of Leopol the capital City of Red-Russia so nam'd from a sovereign Duke of that Province call'd Leo who was subdu'd by a Castellan of Cracow in the Year 1279 and under the Reign of Lescus VI. This City is the Seat of three Bishops viz. the Roman-Catholick Archbishop the Armenian-Catholick Archbishop and a Russian Greek Schismatic Bishop These two Archbishops have the same Belief and Religion only the Armenian have some particular Ceremonies wherein they differ and the Women are separated from the Men in the Church The Russian or Greek-Schismatic Bishops cannot Marry because they must of necessity be chosen out of the Order of Fryars of St. Basil who all make a Vow of Chastity Nevertheless the Parish Priests are not oblig'd to live in Coelibacy that is if they were admitted into Orders after their Marriage for they cannot be constrain'd to leave their Wives but however when their Wives dye they cannot Marry again unless they have a mind to relinquish their Priesthood Their Liturgy is in the Russian Language being as the Polish a Dialect of the Sclavovian Their Tenets are that the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father by the Son and that the Pope is not Head of all the Church but only the first of the two Patriarchs whereof theirs of Constantinople is the second and independent of the first In other Articles of Belief they agree with the Roman Church Their Ceremonies and Ornaments differ from the Roman and Armenian They pray standing tho' they make frequent Genuflexions They receive the Communion in both Kinds after this manner The Priest consecrates several little Pieces of Bread made with Leaven after which he receives himself and then breaks the Bread in divers little Pieces which done he puts 'em into the Chalice with the consecrated Wine and then with a little Silver Spoon made for that purpose he communicates to the People who all stand with their Arms across upon their Breasts when they receive This done the Communicants follow the Priest thrice about the Altar with folded Arms who all the while advises and charges them to make good Cheer for seven Days together and to fast the next seven Days after that The Russians likewise make their Children communicate tho' never so young When they have all taken the Sacramenâ—â— the Priest consumes the rest at his Pleasure This Digression being curious I thought it not amiss to insert it but now I must proceed to The Third Ecclesiastical Senator who is the Bishop of Cracow the capital City of the Kingdom lying in High or Little Poland This was first an Archbishoprick establish'd by Miecislaus I. in the Year 964. immediately after he had embrac'd the Christian Faith but was afterwards lost by means of one Lampert who being made Archbishop and valuing himself too much on his Birth neglected to send to Rome for Consecration whereupon the Pope order'd it for the future to remain only a Bishoprick What is remarkable in this Bishoprick is that the Archbishoprick and that have frequently been held by the same Person This Bishop stiles himself Duke of Severia in which all the People are subject both to his Ecclesiastical and Temporal Jurisdiction His usual Residence is either at Bozentium a small Town at the Bottom of the Bald Mountain or else at Kielsk in the same Palatinate of Sendomir He has in his Diocess 1018. Churches of which thirteen are Collegiate His Seat in the Senate is on the left Hand of the King and next to the Archbishop of Leopol tho it ought to be on the right he being the first Bishop in the Kingdom This Bishoprick was formerly join'd to
Gnesna An Address to this Bishop is commonly Admodum Reverendo when others have only Reverendo The fourth Ecclesiastical Senator is the Bishop of Cujavia and Pomerania the See of whose Bishoprick is at Vladislaw upon the Vistula four Leagues below Thorn in Low Poland His Seat in the Senate is on the right hand of the Archbishop of Gnesna whose Place he officiates in an Inter-regnum as your GRACE may have observed before His Bishoprick was formerly call'd the Bishoprick of Cruswick because he had a Cathedral Church there but that being translated to Vladislaw at this Day it has sometimes the Name of the Bishoprick of Vladislaw His usual Residence when in Poland is either at Wolboria in the Palatinate of Lanschet or Lagovia in the Palatinate of Sendomir and when in Prussia is chiefly at Sobkovia The fifth Ecclesiastial Senator is the Bishop of Vilna the capital City of the great Dutchy of Lithuania on the River Vilia which discharges it self into the River Niemen below Cowno His Diocess extends it self thro' Lithuania and White-Russia even to the Borders of Moscovy The sixth Ecclesiastical Senator is the Bishop of Posnan a City in Low or Great Poland situate on the River Varta There are the Tombs of several Kings of Poland in the Cathedral Church of this City all which are very Magnificent His Diocess not only extends thro' the Province of Posnania but also thro' some part of the Palatinate of Masovia as Warsaw c. The seventh Ecclesiastical Senator is the Bishop of Plosko a small City in Masovia on the River Vistula five Leagues above Vladislaw He has the same Jurisdiction over the Territory of Pultausk as the Bishop of Cracow has over the Dutchy of Severia and wherein there lies no Appeal to the King His Episcopal See is at Pultausk in Masovia upon the River Narew which runs into the Bug two Leagues below The eighth Eclesiastical Senator is the Bishop of Varmia in Royal Prussia which Bishoprick is so divided that the Bishop has two Parts and the Chapter the third and in which they have a free Jurisdiction over the Gentry exempt from the Regal Power His Episcopal See is at Frawenberg a little Town near Frisc-haff The ninth Ecclesiastical Senator is the Bishop of Luceoria or Lucko which is the capital City of High Volhynia His Diocess contains part of the Palatinate of Masovia Podlachia and Briescia or Polesia in the great Dutchy of Lithuania The tenth Ecclesiastical Senator is the Bishop of Premislia or Premislaw a City of Red-Russia on the River San six Leagues above Jeroslaw and twelve from Leopol In this City there is a Greek-schismatic Bishop It was here that a Canon of the Cathedral Church nam'd Orikowski in the Beginning of Lutheranism maintain'd the first that Priests might Marry and who Marry'd afterwards himself in the Year 1549. under the Reign of Sigismund II. The eleventh Ecclesiastical Senator is the Bishop of Samogitia who obtain'd from Pope Vrban VIII that he might likewise be Bishop of Curland This Bishop has no particular See appointed but sometimes resides at Midnich one of the chief Towns in that Province The twelfth Ecclesiastical Senator is the Bishop of Culm a City of Royal Prussia on the River Vistula six Leagues above the City of Thorn This Bishop formerly preceded the Bishop of Varmia His Episcopal See is at Lubavia as likewise at Stargardie which the Germans call Althousen The thirteenth Ecclesiastical Senator is the Bishop of Chelm in Red-Russia There is besides in this City a Greek-Schismatick Bishop The Bishop of Chelm has for some time translated his See to Kranostaw a Town in the same Palatinate of Chelm built upon a great Lake thro which runs the River Nieper This Translation was occasion'd by the frequent Irruptions of the Tartars and Cosaks and who have altogether destroy'd the City of Chelm The fourteenth Ecclesiastical Senator is the Bishop of Kiovia capital City of Low Volhynia and of all Vkraina Here is moreover a Greek-Schismatick Bishop formerly Primate of all Russia or Moscovy The Inhabitants of this City are all of the Greek Perswasion and at present are subject to the Great Czar The fifteenth Ecclesiastical Senator is the Bishop of Caminiec Capital of Podolia which is now under the Turk The sixteenth Ecclesiastical Senator is the Bishop of Smolensko upon the River Vistula Capital of the Dutchy of the same Name This Dutchy was formerly subject to Lithuania but now is also subdu'd by the Moscovite Every one of these Bishops has a great Retinue and a kind of little Court having several Ecclesiastical and Secular Officers about him The greatest Part of them also have Suffragans because they believe themselves chiefly made Bishops to have a Right to sit in the Senate and not to be troubled with the Duties of their Office and therefore allow these a small Pension to perform all Episcopal Functions for them Guagnini says that in the Year 1506. there was a great Contest in the Diet held at Lublin between the Ecclesiastical and Lay Senators for the latter pretended to have a Right to sit next the King on his left Hand but which at length the Bishops over-power'd them in and thereby retain'd their ancient Privilege Krzistanowic in his State of Poland says that such was the Piety of the Poles that immediately after they became Christians they prefer'd their Clergy to their Laity and allow'd them many Noble Immunities and Privileges which they enjoy to this Day Most of the Bishops have very large Revenues wherewith they may not only live splendidly and comfortably themselves but also be assistant to the inferiour Clergy and charitable to the Poor Here I must beg leave to give Your GRACE by way of Digression some Account of the present State of Religion both in Poland and Lithnania together with a few historical Circumstances relating as well to modern as more remote Times and wherein I shall all along endeavour to be as concise and comprehensive as the several Particulars I have to go thro' will admit Your GRACE may first be inform'd that the Poles became Christians under the Reign of Miecislaus I. in the Year 964. as may be observ'd in the Life of that King The first Tenets they embrac'd were those of the Church of Rome But however the Russians entertain'd the Greek Perswasion which they continue in many Places of that Province to this Day They are utterly averse to the Roman Catholick Religion and term its Professors by way of Contempt Latins their Service being in that Language There are two Sorts of Greek Churches in this Kingdom the Schismaticks and the Vniats whereof the latter differ only from the Roman Catholicks in that their Devotion is all in the Greek Language The Priests of both these Churches are call'd Popi the Word Pop in Polish signifying a
a Dragoon having but fifteen Pence of our Money a Week to maintain his Horse and himself that they must be forc'd to rob or be otherwise very industrious to live This is the Reason that Visits from these Gentry are seldom acceptable to any Body The great Senators and more especially the Generals of the Army come always so numerously attended that the King himself for greater Security is always wont to increase his Guards at the Time of the Diet otherwise he might be expos'd to the Insults of the Gentry who often take a Liberty in the Diet to threaten and abuse him to his Face Some of these Gentry have a Row and sometimes two Rows of Guards that reach from their Houses to the King's Palace where the Diet is kept The Order of Session in the Diet is as follows First the King sits on a Throne under a Canopy upon which are plac'd on each side the Arms of Poland and Lithuania On the two Sides of the Throne stand the Ten Senator-Officers whereof five for Poland are on the right Hand and as many for Lithuania on the left Then the Bishops sit in two Rows whereof the first part are on the Right Hand with the Archbishop of Gnesna and the other on the Left with the Archbishop of Leopol Below and behind the Bishops sit the Senators according to their respective Precedence and next behind them stand the Deputies of the Provinces all with their Caps off All the Senators sit cover'd before the King in the Senate tho' in all other Places they stand bare before him The Members of this Diet wear no particular Habit of Ceremony or formal Distinction but sit in the same Cloaths they usually wear at home with their Swords or Sabres girt by their Sides The same Custom is observ'd by all the Judges and Magistrates of the Kingdom Sigismundus Augustus is said to have endeavour'd to distinguish the Palatins from the Castellans and those from the Nuncios by different Habits but this without Effect Nothing proves the Equality of the Polish Gentry more than the Order of their Great and little Diets for tho' all the Free-born are by them divided into the greater and Lesser or rather Richer and Poorer Nobility yet have they all the same Power in the Diets and in making or breaking Constitutions the Minor Gentry of every Province being superiour in Number keep by their Votes and sometimes by their Scymitars the greater Sort in Awe Their Power is so extraordinary by reason of their Number that the great Gentry do in a manner depend upon the little and that in so great a measure that they are as it were affraid of them and consequently are rather apt to oblige and court than anger and displease them They always do what lies in their Power to procure their Affections saluting them by the familiar Titles of Mosci Panowie Bracia that is Gratioss Domini Fratres which is the greatest Demonstration of real or at least pretended Friendship and Equality imaginable These Titles being omitted in the Year 1667. there arose great Disturbances for want of them King Casimir observing the great Abuses that spring from every little Gentleman's pretended Privilege to fit in the little Diets order'd that none should have a Vote there in electing a Deputy or Nuncio but such only as had at least two Hundred Crowns a Year whereupon the Palatin of Posnania offering to put this Law in Execution in his Province was not only affronted but also narrowly escap'd with his Life These Deputies which depend on the free Nomination of the minor Gentry in their respective Provinces by their superiour Number keep likewise the King and Senate in a great Dependance on them in the great Diet since they can do nothing nor conclude the least Matter without the free Consent and Approbation of these Deputies This great Dependance of all the three Orders of the Republick on one another should one would think cause the greatest Union between them and make them to have but one common Interest to agree in their Assemblies to all the Articles that tend to the publick Good but on the contrary Self-Interest and the excessive Liberty and Privilege not only of every Order of the Republick but also of every individual Member of the Diet produces another-guess Kind of Effect for certainly there is no Assembly in Europe more subject to Disorders more distracted by Cabals and Factions and in fine more corrupted by Bribery and base Practices which is the Reason that the Diet of Poland seldom concludes upon what they sit and deliberate about tho' it should be of the greatest Importance imaginable All these Intrigues and Mismanagements are generally fomented by the two powerful Factions of the Houses of Austria and Bourbon Every one knows the great Advantages the Emperours have had when they have maintain'd a good Correspondence or Confederacy with the Poles against their common Enemy the Turks and Tartars And on the other Side it is the French Interest to prevent and oppose such Correspondence and endeavour to render all Means ineffectual which might otherwise favour the Emperor to enlarge his Dominions Hereupon the Poles are so weaksighted that they never reflect that neither the Emperour nor the French King have any Kindness for them but only make Use of them as Instruments the better to accomplish their Designs There is nothing that can promote or favour Foreign Factions more than the unlimited Prerogatives of each Member of the Diet for the King Senators and Deputies have all equal Voices and equal Power in their Affirmative or Negative Votes and Affairs are not concluded or agreed upon by Plurality of Voices but universal Consent of all the three Orders and the free Approbation of every Member of the Diet in particular so that if but one Person only who has a lawful Vote thinks fit to refuse his Consent to what all the rest have agreed to he alone can interrupt their Proceedings and annihilate their Suffrages Nay what is yet more extravagant if for Example there were Thirty Articles or Bills to pass and they all unanimously agreed to Nine and Twenty yet if but one Deputy disapprov'd of the Thirtieth not only that but also the other Nine and Twenty are void and of no Force and this because all the Articles at first propos'd have not pass'd Hence say they the Diet can make no Law without its having been concluded by their Concludere Comitia or Breaking up of the Diet They understand likewise that all the Points propos'd are to be unanimously agreed upon which nevertheless happens but very seldom for most commonly some Factious Person or other having perhaps been brib'd or otherwise byass'd will protest against their Proceedings and who consequently oftentimes prefers his own private Interest to the publick Good of his Country Moreover their Liberty extends so far that this corrupted Member is not oblig'd by Law
the Church and the Civil Magistrates are oblig'd to be Assisting to them in the Execution of their Sentences as often as they shall be so requir'd To the Ecclesiastical Courts belongs the Court of Nunciature held by the Popes Nuncio for that purpose always residing in Poland However before he can have any Jurisdiction he must have presented the King and the Principal Ministers of State with the Apostolic Brief of his Nunciature The Civil Jurisdiction is divided among divers sorts of Judges and belongs to the Commonalty as well as Gentry Some of these determine Causes exempt from Appeals and others cannot Those from whom there lies no Appeal are the three High-Tribunals instituted by Stephen Batori the Judges whereof are all Gentry Two of these Tribunals are for the Kingdom and one for the Great Dutchy Those for the Kingdom keep their Session Six Months at Petricovia in Low Poland and the other Six at Lublin in High Poland That for the Great Dutchy is alternatively one year at Vilna and another either at Novogrodec or Minski They all consist of so many Judges both Ecclesiastical and Civil chosen out of every Palatinate the former once in four years and the latter once in two Judgment is pronounced here by Plurality of Voices but where Matters are purely Ecclesiastical there ought to be as many of the Clergy as the Laity The Causes here are heard in Order for three days are allow'd to enter all that come and whatever are not enter'd within that time cannot be adjudg'd that sitting A Man that has a Trial in these Courts may be said to have all the Nation for his Judges Deputies both Ecclesiastical and Temporal being sent thither for that purpose from all Parts of the Kingdom The Senate also Judges of Civil or Criminal Matters without Appeal As do likewise the Great Marshals in all Cases relating to the King's Officers And the Great Chancellors in matters of Appeal to the Court which they have only Cognisance of But the Marshal's Jurisdiction extends over all Merchants and Strangers both who find but little Justice done them in Poland when they have occasion for it Also there are two Exchequer Courts for the Revenue one held at Radom in High Poland and the other at Vilna These Courts seldom sit above a Fortnight or Three Weeks Those that are not exempt from Appeals are the Courts of the Gentry and Commonalty in every Palatinate which are by no means to have any of the Clergy for Judges Those for the Gentry are either the Courts of Land-Judicature or those of the Starostas and are more or fewer in number according to the Extent of the Palatinate where they are held The Courts of Land-Judicature have one Judge an Associate and a Natory or Head-Clerk to Try Causes and Administer all Civil Justice in some Places four in others six times a year and in others once a Month. The Courseof these Courts can only be interrupted by the Death of any of their Judges by the Diet or by the general Meeting of the Palatines and Magistrates which last is every Autumn to hear Appeals from Inferiour Courts The Towns where the Gentry sit are in great number and it must be observ'd that none who have Lands or Goods within each Jurisdiction can be made to Appear at a Court where they have none The immediate Appeal from these Courts is to the Vice-Chamberlain of the Palatinate who either by himself or his Deputy the Chamberlain of that District restores all that have been Dispossess'd and ascertains all Bounds and Limits of Lands This is as it were his whole Jurisdiction But where there is any Contest between the King and any of the Gentry in this Kind then at their request Commissioners are appointed out of the Senate to inspect the matter disputed and to do Justice therein Likewise where the Difference is between the King and a Clergy-man Commissioners are order'd but there the Bishop of the Diocess Claims the Nomination of one or more of them When any of the Officers of the Courts of Land-Judicature die the King cannot Name others till the District to which they belong'd have chosen Four out of the House-keepers but then he may pitch upon One for each Election This Office being once obtain'd it cannot be forfeited but by a Higher Promotion or Male Administration The other Courts for the Gentry are those that take cognizance of Criminal Cases whereof there is one only in every Starostaship call'd Sudy Grodskie Where either the Starosta himself or his Lieutenant-Criminal Administers Justice in his Castle or some other publick Place at least every Six Weeks He likewise has Cognisance of Civil Causes between such as have no Lands and such Forreigners as come to Trade here Process in Criminal Cases is to be serv'd here a Fortnight and in Civil a Week before the Court sits He is also the Executive Minister of all Sentences pronounc'd and likewise a sole Conservator of the Peace within his Territories He is oblig'd by himself or his Officers to see all Publick Executions perform'd The Courts of the Commonalty are either in Cities or Villages In Cities Justice is Administred by the Scabins Town-Hall or Judg-Advocate The Scabins have cognisance of all Capital Offences and Criminal Matters the Town-Hall of all Civil Cases to which likewise the Gentry are subject and the Judg-Advocate of Offences committed by Soldiers Civil Matters of small Moment are determin'd solely by the Governour of the City but which are subject to Appeal to the Town-Hall and thence to the King In Villages the Commonalty are subject to Scabins being the Kings Officers and to Scultets or Peculiar Lords from which last lies no Appeal Here Justice is almost Arbitrary except in Criminal Cases The Scultets are Hereditary Judges The Execution of all Sentences in Cities and Towns is in the hands of its own Magistrates though in some cases they are forc'd to beg Assistance from the Starostas The Officers and Magistrates of the Plebeian Courts are some nam'd by their Peculiar Lords and some Elected by their Fellow Citizens except in Cracow only where the Palatine has a Right of Choosing the Magistrates though he has not the same Power to dis-place them after they are once chosen for they are to continue their Office for Life unless they forfeit it by Infamy or Inability Out of the XXIV composing the Council or Senate of Cracow the Palatine every year deputes Eight with the Title and Power of Presidents He also Names the Judge and Scabins by the Magdeburg Laws though these in other Cities are chosen by the Council The Scultets or Hereditary Judges cannot be remov'd but in extraordinary Cases The Profits of all Offices are but very small and scarce any certain the Poles esteeming the Honour of enjoying them sufficient Recompence Nevertheless they have all Salaries and Perquisites though inconsiderable The Military
Jurisdiction of Poland is wholly in the hands of the King or his Generals although the Palatines and Castellans who generally Accompany his Majesty to the Wars retain their Authority over their respective Inferiours but where those are Refractory a Court-Marshal Adjusts the Debate As for the Laws of Poland it is on all hands agreed that it had none till the time of Casimir the Great and then but very few made by him altho it is certain that the Poles hadlong before been Christians and were well enough vers'd in the Human-Learning yet was there never any Law or Statute of any Prince committed to Writing but that People were contented to be govern'd by the Customs and Manners of their Ancestors handed down to them from Father to Son Casimir III. therefore call'd the Great from his prudent Administration observing the disadvantages his Kingdom labour'd under by the Germans who then frequently came into Poland on account of Trade receiv'd the Saxon Laws now call'd Magdeburg-Laws from the City of Saxony whence they were taken by which Poland is at this day principally govern'd although the Gentry have many peculiar Customs and some Statutes which have been since made And which in the Time of Sigismundus Augustus being compiled into one Volume by Learned Men were entitled the Statutes of the Kingdom and since some having been Approv'd and Augmented and others Chang'd and Alter'd in several Diets have obtain'd the Name of Constitutions of Poland to which nevertheless all that Kingdom is not Subject Lithuania and Volhynia observing its own Laws Prussia likewise both Regal and Ducal has a Municipal Law of its own commonly stil'd the Law of Culm from which notwithstanding Three Cities are Exempt viz. Elbing Bransberg and Fraumberg all which make use of the Laws of Lansberg The Punishments in Poland are various and differ only according to the Quality of the Crimes and not of the Persons for a Thief is to be hang'd of what degree soever he be and Capital Offenders of all other Kinds and Qualities are to be Beheaded except in Notorious Villanies where the Offender is commonly broke on the Wheel or else Tortur'd by cutting off two Thongs or long Pieces out of the Skin of his Back A Nobleman is sometimes punish'd by forfeiting half his Estate to the King and the rest to an Informer and sometimes by Imprisonment only Masters also have a Power of Chastising their Servants which they do after this manner If the Servant they are about to Punish be a Polish Gentleman then they make him lye down on his Belly on a Carpet spread on the Ground or upon a Stool when another Gentleman-Servant lays him on unmercifully on the Back with a Rope or Stick giving him as many Blows and Lashes as the Master who is then present orders After which he that is beaten embraces the Knees of him that had commanded him to be Beat and salutes him with the good-natur'd Title of Benefactor This Discipline seems a little too severe but however the Temper of these People makes it necessary The Peasant-Servants are punish'd after the same manner only with this difference that they have no Carpet spread under them Some of the former sort think it an Honour to be so lash'd which Honour they always receive liberally as often as they deserve it This Custom of the Poles in punishing their Gentlemen-Servants so rigidly ought not much to be wonder'd at if it be consider'd that they may serve in the meanest Offices without derogating from the Nobility of their Birth or incapacitating themselves for the Highest Preferments For says Hauteville I have known some who from being Foot-boys to great Lords and Drummers in a Company of Dragoons have been advanc'd to the Dignity of SENATORS Also in general Nothing debases Nobility in this Country but a Handicraft or Mechanic Employment This SIR is all that I could meet with by various Reading relating to the Legislative and Executive Justice in Poland and which though not capable to pass your Censure with the Name of a Regular Composition I hope may obtain Effects of your Candour under the Regretted Title of a hasty Compilation I am SIR with all Humility Your most Obedient Servant J. S. LETTER IV. To the Right Honourable JOHN Earl of Marlborough Governour to his Highness the Duke of Glocester Of the Election and Coronation of a King of Poland with the Proceedings in the Inter-regnum and all other Ceremonies as likewise a short Account of the Coronation of the Queen My LORD TO whom can this Letter which treats of the Election of a King more properly address it self than to your Lordship who has lately been pitch'd upon by the wisest of Monarchs to be Governour to the presumptive Heir of his Crown No Doubt his Majesty saw those united Qualifications in you which were but to be singly met with in all others and which moreover could not but be requir'd to copy a successor from so great an Original as himself These Considerations My Lord have embolden'd me to present your Lordship with this imperfect Account but which I hope in regard it has been extracted from so many Volumes may favourably pass your discerning Censure tho it must not in the least pretend to deserve your Approbation My LORD The Crown of Poland may be vacant four Ways for either the King abdicates voluntarily and publickly like John Casimir is depos'd for his Vices as Locticus was runs out of the Kingdom as Henry III. of France did or dies which is the ordinary Cause of an Inter-regnum When the Crown is once become vacant the Archbishop of Gnesna being the first Senator of the Kingdom is the Prime Minister and hath the same Authority as the King had most of the Crown Revenues being invested likewise in him during the Interregnum After the King's Death he issues out circular Letters to all the Provinces to acquaint them therewith and to command their several Officers to make Publication of the Inter-regnum as likewise to summon a general Convocation of the Gentry to meet at Warsaw at a Time prefix'd Before this general Meeting they meet at the Little Diets where Care is taken to secure the Roads from Thieves and to set strong Guards every where on the Frontiers to oppose an invading Enemy Next Spies are sent into all Neighbouring Kingdoms to have Intelligence of what they design or do Then all Persons are prohibited either to go out or come into the Kingdom during the Interregnum as likewise to carry any Horses out of it All foreign Letters directed to any Members of the Senate are intercepted All the High-ways are block'd up with Trees fell'd down and Ambuscades are plac'd about them None of the Senate nor no Foreigners are permitted to write to the Army All the Gentry are commanded to have every thing in Readiness for publick Defence The common Use of Guns is forbidden Taverns are shut up and Concerts of Musick silenc'd
there should be no Successor nam'd for the future while the Predecessor surviv'd This Constitution Stephen Bateri would have invaded but the Republick oppos'd him so vigorously that he was forc'd to let fall his Design All Christian Princes having a feasible Right to the Crown of Poland it is the Interest of each of them to oppose the Election of a Successor since they would thereby absolutely be excluded from it This occasion'd the present Emperour Leopold to send Francis de Lisola to the Diet held at Warsaw in the Year 1661 where John Casimir had a Mind to propose a Prince to succeed him Wherefore in Conjunction with John Owerbeck Envoy to the Elector of Brandenbourg Lisola rais'd Factions in the Diet which were seconded by Marshal Lubomirski insomuch that they quickly overthrew King Casimir's Design and caus'd the Diet to confirm the former Constitution against electing of a Successor Several of the Lithuanian Gentry had the same Intentions with John Casimir but however with these following Precautions First That such a Successor should be elected a new after the King's Death Secondly That he should be a Roman Catholick Thirdly That he should not be a Piasto or Native Fourthly That he should neither be an Emperour King nor Sovereign Prince of another Country Fifthly That he should not be any Neighbour of Poland Sixthly That he should neither be too young nor too old And Seventhly That he should not be marry'd No doubt the Designs of King Casimir and of all those that were for the Election of a Successor were good for they had thereby a Mind to secure the Government from those Divisions and Intestine Jarrs which commonly happen in Interregnums But those who oppos'd them affirm'd that the Election of a Successor would undoubtedly soon introduce an Hereditary Monarchy and be the ruin of their Liberties and Privileges whatever care they could take to prevent it That it would be likewise against the Constitutions of the Realm to Elect a Soccessor in the King's Life time and that if the Republic consented to it they would be no longer at Liberty to oppose it That it would moreover be an Injury done to several Princes who all had a kind of Right to the Kingdom of Poland which would therefore infallibly embroil it in new Troubles when it was the Interest of that Crown to be at Peace with all the World These were the several reasons offer'd by the two Parties the last whereof as I said before got the better Till a King of Poland be Crown'd he has really no Regal Authority for he can bestow no Benefice give no Office nor Pardon any Offence Neither can he make use of the Great Seal of the Chancery nor set the Courts of Justice a going which are always silenced during an Interregnum till he has taken his Coronation Oath It belongs to the King-Elect to appoint a Day for his Coronation which formerly was wont to be at Gnesna till the Coronation of Vladislaus Locticus was solemniz'd at Cracow in the year 1320. where it was fix'd by the Constitutions of the Kingdom nevertheless Vladislaus VII would needs Crown his Queen Caecilia Renata at Warsaw but which was not perform'd without excessive Murmurings of the Gentry The Day of Coronation being arriv'd the King makes his solemn Entry into Cracow with great Pomp and Acclamations The Scabins of the City carry the Dais over him preceded by all the Horse and Foot-Guards with their Officers Immediately after the King follow the Bishops Palatins and foreign Embassadors on Horseback Just before the King Rides an Officer who throws some Coronation Medals among the People but which seldom amounts to any great Sum. Thus Attended his Majesty is conducted thro' the City to the Castle having first receiv'd the Keys of the City from the Magistrates in the first Gate thereof and pass'd under several Triumphal Arches with Motto's of various Invention At the Castle-gate he has the Keys of that Important Place also presented him with a solemn Harangue by the Starosta of Cracow The rest of the Day is spent in Banqueting and Feasts The Day following being that which precedes the Coronation the Obsequies of the deceas'd King are to be celebrated when they carry his Body to Schalka to the Church of St. Stanislaus The Order of Procession is this First the new King marches on foot then follow all the Officers of the Crown and Great Dutchy together with the Deputies the Ensigns with the Standards of every Palatinate and lastly the Crown Scepter Globe Sword and other Regalia being carry'd before the Corps pointed towards the Ground After these come a great Number of other Gentry and next after them march the several Companies of Trades barefooted belonging both to the City and Court each having an empty Coffin and Pall born before them on the Shoulders of two Men. It is to be observ'd that all that assist at this Procession must be in Mourning At the Place of Interment the Marshals break their Staffs against the King's Tomb and all the other Officers are discharg'd of their Authorities several Ways After which the Body is interr'd in the Cathedral Church among the rest of the Kings of Poland who for the most part lie all buryed there I should have remember'd that the Myter'd Clergy generally march about the Corps The Day after the Funeral is assign'd for the Coronation the Ceremony whereof is to be perform'd by the Archbishop of Gnesna as Primate of the Kingdom altho' that Office was once disputed with him by Sâ—igneius Olesnicius as being both Bishop of Cracow and Cardinal at the same time yet nevertheless Casimir IV. decided that Difference in Favour of the Archbishop and which was afterwards confirm'd by Alexander Notwithstanding if the Primate be either dead or refractory that Right devolves to the Bishop of Cracow and upon his Obstinacy Absence or Death to the Bishop of Cujavia The two Bishops that assist at the Coronation are the Bishops of Cracow and Cujavia The Ceremony of the Procession when the King goes to be crown'd is order'd by the Master of the Ceremonies but before his Majesty stirs out he is habited after a very splendid Manner by the Great Marshal of the Kingdom The King is conducted from the Castle to the Cathedral by the Senators foreign Embassadors and a great Number of the Gentry Before he enters the Church the Great Master of the Horse brings the Crown Scepter and naked Sword to the Archbishop who places them all upon the Altar After which the Bishops of Cracow and Cujavia having receiv'd the King they hold him under each Arm and present him to the Archbishop to whom he makes a Bow I imagine a more particular Account of this Ceremony may neither be unacceptable to your Lordship nor the Publick and therefore I shall for the future describe all the most remarkable Circumstances thereof as
it was practis'd in the last Election with as much Brevity and Succinctness as possible and which are as follow After the King has thus been conducted into the Church the Ceremony forthwith begins First the Archbishop in a short Oration exhorts the King to continue stedfast in the Roman Communion to exercise all Regal and Princely Virtues and lastly to remunerate his Obligations to the Republick by a just and inviolable Administration of the Government After which the Archbishop asks him to this Effect in Latin Will you support and maintain the Holy Catholick Faith and uphold it by good Works To which the King answers I will Then the Archbishop asks him again Will you protect and defend the Churches and their Ministers Answer I will Then the Archbishop again Will you govern and rule the Kingdom committed by God to your Charge according to Equity and Justice Answer I will Then the King-elect kneeling and kissing the Archbishop's Hand and laying his own upon the Evangelists sworn to perform all that he had before sworn to observe at St. John's Church at Warsaw with some other Particulars that induce me to repeat the Form which runs thus We Frederic Augustus duly elected King of Poland Great Duke of Lithuania and Duke of Russia Prussia Masovia Samogitia Kiovia Volhynia Podolia Podlachia Livonia Smolensko Severia and Czernicovia by all the Orders of both States of Poland and Lithuania and by all the Provinces incorporated and depending thereupon do sincerely promise and swear before Almighty God and upon the Evangelists of Jesus Christ to maintain observe keep and fulfill in every of the Circumstances Particulars and Articles all the Rights Liberties Immunities and Privileges both publick and private excepting such as are contrary to the common Rights and Liberties of both these Nations or to any Law either ecclesiastical or civil that have been justly and lawfully establish'd by our Predecessors the Kings of Poland Great Dukes of Lithuania and Dukes c. Or which have been granted by all the Orders during the Interregnum to the Catholick Churches Lords Barons Gentry Citizens and Inhabitans of what Rank or Condition soever together with the Pacta Conventa agreed upon between our Embassadours and the Orders of the Kingdom of Poland and Great Dutchy of Lithuania We do moreover promise to maintain and acquiesce in whatever has been enacted or establish'd in the Diet of our Election as we do likewise to what shall be agreed upon in that of our Coronation Also that we will restore both to the Kingdom and Great Dutchy whatever has or shall be alien'd and dismember'd from their Lands or Revenues Moreover we promise not to lessen the Bounds of either the Kingdom or Great Dutchy but rather to defend and enlarge them We swear likewise to establish Courts of Justice throughout the Kingdom and Great Dutchy and to see that Justice be render'd every where without Intermission or Delay without any Regard to or Favour of Persons or Things And lastly we consent that if it should happen which God forbid that we should in any wise violate this our Oath or any Part thereof that the Inhabitants of the Kingdom and all our Dominions shall be totally discharg'd and exempt from paying us Obedience and Fidelity This Form or Oath having been distinctly repeated by the King after the Chancellor and before the Archbishop his Majesty takes the Testament in his Hand and Kissing it uses these Words So may God help me and the Contents of this Book inspire me as I perform inviolably this sacred Oath After the King has been thus sworn he rises and hears the Pacta Conventa read and confirms the Oath which he had taken concerning them Then he Kneels again and receives the Benediction of the Archbishop and other Bishops after which he rises and has the upper Part of his Cloaths taken off when the Archbishop Anoints his right Hand and Arm up to his Elbow and Shoulder with consecrated Oyl with these Words I anoint thee King with consecrated Oyl in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost Amen And then he has his Cloaths put on again Afterwards the two Bishops lead him to a Chappel on the left Side of the Church where they Habit him a-new somewhat like a Bishop After which he has other Ornaments put on by the two Marshals of the Kingdom and Great Dutchy and then he is convey'd by the Senator-Officers the Standard-bearer of the Kingdom walking before to the Throne rais'd for him in the Middle of the Church whence after having heard Mass he is brought back to the Altar where the Archbishop delivers a drawn Sword into his Right Hand with these Word Receive this Sword and cordially protect and defend the Holy Church against all Vnbelievers Then the King delivers the Sword to the Great Sword-Bearer of the Kingdom who having put it up in its Scabbard returns it to the Archbishop who then girds it to the King's Side whereupon the King immediately rises and drawing it again Flourishes it three Times over his Head to signifie that he will defend the Trinity and Church against all Unbelievers This being done the King kneels again and the Archbishop puts the Crown after a very solemn Manner on his Head which the two Bishops bear up with their Hands till the Archbishop has said certain Prayers After which the Archbishop puts the Scepter into the King's Right Hand and the Globe into his Left when the King rising his Sword is given again to the Sword-Bearer of the Kingdom to bear before him After this his Majesty is brought back between the Archbishop and the two Bishops to the Throne wherein he is forthwith plac'd by the Archbishop with these Words Sit and maintain the Place given you by God c. The King being thus seated the Archbishop and Bishops return to the Altar where they sing Te Deum which being ended and the Archbishop sit down by the Altar the King comes and Offers him Gold Kisses his Hand and having made his Confession to him receives the Sacrament and Benediction from him Thus the Ceremonies being at an end the Archbishop rises and gives his Benediction to all present when the Court-Marshal with a loud Voice cries out Vivat Rex Vivat Rex Which Signal being taken from him by the People all the Church soon rings with the same joyful Notes after which the Great Treasurer scatters a great Number of Coronation-Medals among the People and the Guns begin to roar out their Satisfaction in what had been done when the King forthwith returns to his Court with great Pomp and Magnificence The Coronation being thus compleated the rest of the Day is spent in various Kinds of Feasts and Rejoycings among which there is one very particular in the King's Court where they roast three whole Oxen stuff'd and larded with divers Kinds of fatned Wild Beasts when they also give a great many Hogs-heads of Wine and Beer
we in England but the third Part of their Liberty we could not live together without cutting one anothers Throats since Experience dayly shews that notwithstanding the great Vigilancy of our Officers the Severity of our Laws the just Rigour of our Judges and Magistrates and the punctual Execution of their Sentences and Judgments the Gallows and Gibbets are more frequently visited here than even the Prisons are in Poland I fancy the Reason that the Poles are so quiet and good natur'd is because being born free and living in an excessive Liberty under no Laws nor Arbitrary Power there is nothing before them that can constrain their Minds bridle their Passions or curb their Thoughts but as there is nothing that can entice them to do ill so nothing likewise can hinder them from doing it Dr. Connor says He has ask'd some Polish Noblemen why they so inhumanely treated and undervalu'd their Boors They answer'd That formerly all the Boors of the Kingdom revolted from their Landlords rebell'd against them as the Swissers did against their Gentry and conspir'd together to extirpate and destroy them all that they Murther'd and kill'd a vast number of Gentlemen and that the rest were oblig'd either to hide themselves or to leave the Kingdom But that at length the Gentry getting together from all Parts and being moreover Assisted by their Neighbours they so frighted and defeated the poor Peasants who had made a general Insurrection against them to set up a Commonwealth of their own that they brought them to such Extremities that ever since they have been contented to be kept Slaves Yet the Poles say that though they have an Absolute Power over them they seldom make use of it any more than other Christians do over their Dogs or Horses Strange Comparison As if they spar'd the poor Peoples Lives rather out of Self-interest than Charity and by reason that they thought they would be more serviceable to them Living than Dead not unlike some Kings who give Malefactors their Lives only to prefer them to their Gallys Notwithstanding the Peasants in Poland being born Slaves and having no manner of Notion of Liberty live very well satisfy'd and contented In Curland they are as subject to their Landlords as in Poland and in both Countries Masters are almost paid Adoration Their Slaves love them and Fight willingly for them and all they have is absolutely at their Devotion Nay though they Debauch their Wives and Daughters yet they only care to obtain their Liberty by it and this is so common a thing among these poor Wretches that they never value their Women the less for it nor think themselves a whit either injur'd or dishonour'd by it The Condition of the Kmetons as the Poles call them or Boors or Rusticks at this Day in Poland is such that they lead miserable and wretched Lives haviug no Laws no Judges and scarce any Religion among them but like Brutes they are forc'd to Work on Sundays and dare not so much as Appeal to the King or Diet for Redress However in Royal Prussia their Condition is something better for there they enjoy almost the same Laws and Liberties with the Gentry Formerly Casimir the Great made several Laws in their behalf but which at this day are seldom or never practis'd All Bishops Abbots Palatins Castellans c. are oblig'd to be of the Nobless except a certain Number assign'd by King John Albert out of the Plebeians to be capable of being inferiour Divines Lawyers or Physicians only An Exception from this Law may be seen in the Person of Peter Gamratus who from a Plebeian was prefer'd by Sigismund to several both Ecclesiastical and Temporal Dignities But in Prussia as I have remark'd before the Customs are much more indulgent to the Common People As I have hinted before to your Lordship a Gentleman's Revenue in Poland partly consists in his Slaves for he cannot well be esteem'd Rich unless he has a great Number of these poor Creatures under his Power whereof there is scarce any but earn their Lords a 100 Franks a year It may not be improper therefore to observe here the Manners and Customs of these poor Wretches And it may first be remark'd That these Slaves can enjoy nothing of their own nor ever become Free unless they can get into some Convent or get to be Ordain'd Priests or else incline their Masters to Debauch their Wives or Daughters whereby the Law sets them Free But most commonly their Lords have a watchful Eye over them and obviate all their Policies These Lords never Let their Lands to Farm but to establish a Peasant on them they forthwith order the other Peasants of the Village at their own Charges to Build him a House Furnish him with a Cow Hens Geese and a quantity of Rye sufficient to keep him a Year so that a Lord of a Village is at no other Charge to set up a Slave on his Lands than he first Cost him These poor Slaves or Subjects as they call them most commonly work three Days in a Week for their Lords to one for themselves and sometimes four Dr. Connor says in his time a Country-man had a mind to forward his Son in Learning and would have sent him to the University but which the Signior would by no means condescend to and put the Son in Prison for refusing to be his Secretary till at last the Father was forc'd to purchase his Liberty at the Expence of 400 Crowns which he had Borrow'd When a Lord sells his Land the Slaves commonly go along with it though he can dispose of either separately if he pleases At the time of Harvest all the Peasants of the Village meet together to Reap their Lords Corn who are supervis'd and forc'd to Work by very rigid Taskmasters Their Punishments are sometimes several Blows of a Cudgel and sometimes a kind of Pillory wherein those Wretches shall be sometimes set for a whole Day together I should think now these poor Wretches the most miserable Creatures Breathing but they on the contrary never having known any better Condition and having seen their Fathers Slaves before them are well satisfied and contented with their Servitude But however they have this Happiness that they seldom want for Victuals and Drink for their Wives chiefest Employment is to provide them with that They have generally three or four sorts at a Meal viz. One of Pease with a little Bacon slic'd among it Another of Course Wheat Barley or Millet whereof they make their Cachat and two others of several sorts of strengthening Roots whereof they have great Plenty and very good The Movables of these Peasants Cottages are only a few Earthen or Wooden Dishes and a hard Bed which they make themselves with a very wretched Coverlet Their Children are not suffer'd to have a Bed till they are Marry'd but are forc'd to lye upon Boards by the Hearth side These sort of
Crowns but they are worn only at Diets and descend from Father to Son The Fashion the Women use comes nearer to that of the Men than in most Countries In Lithuania the meaner sort make Shoes of Bark of Trees which they wrap about and put under the Soles of their Feet These Shoes they call Chodakys Of the tenderest Bark also they make Stockings turning and winding it about the Calves of their Legs Before they come into any Town they always take care to put on fresh Chodakys These every Countryman almost makes so that it is commonly us'd as a Jest in Poland That there are more Shoomakers in Lithuania than in all Europe besides The same People likewise wear a sort of Habit with Sleeves woven all of a Piece This they call Samodzialka It is commonly Gray and very thick and worn equally by Men and Women among the Rusticks Some few of the Poles imitate the French Fashion and wear Linnen Lace Point Perukes and Swords for those who retain the Polish Habit have no other Linnen but Shirts and Drawers and some of them Socks The ordinary sort of Gentry and even some of the Great Men put sifted Chaff into their Boots which serves them instead of Socks When I speak of the Poles wearing Linnen I mean only the Gentry and Citizens for the Peasants wear none at all unless some by chance happen to have Shirts of Course Cloth The Women formerly had only Garlands on their Heads compos'd of Gold Gems Flowers Silk and the like but now they wear Silk Caps lin'd with Furr like the Men. They also formerly imitated the Women of Foreign Countries and in the late Reign all the Women of Quality particularly those that resided at Court follow'd the French Mode King John III's Queen being of that Nation Never does the Price hinder their having fine things for they suffer themselves to be Bubbled by Foreign Merchants especially French at a ridiculous rate Both Women and Men are Extravagant to an infinite Degree insomuch that some among them will have fifty Suits of Cloaths at once all as Rich as possible but what shews their Prodigality yet more is that they will almost have their Servants go as well drest as themselves whereby they generally soon spend their Estates and are reduc'd in a short time to the extreamest Want But this Prodigality of theirs does not only extend to their Habits but likewise to their Buildings Equipage and other Customs In their modern Buildings many of them imitate the Italians tho' generally speaking indeed their Houses are Small and Low especially in the Country They never live above Stairs and their Houses are not united The Kitchin is on one side the Stable on another the House on another and the Gate in the Front All which make a Court either Square or Round These Houses are for the most part of Wood though the other sort are both of Brick and Stone The Inside of their Houses is generally hung with Tapestry or Arras and all the rest of their Houshold-stuff and Utensils proportionably suitable Yet towards Tartary they do not much care to have any Furniture extraordinary for fear of the Incursions of that Barbarous People Therefore in that part of Poland the Gentry content themselves with a few small Beds with Taffeta Curtains just enough to serve their Family for if any go to Lodge at their Houses they generally carry their Beds along with them The Polish Gentry have seldom any Gardens or Orchards to their Houses though their Country be very proper for Fruit-Trees whereby they might save the Expence of a great deal of Corn which they consume in Beer by making of Cider and Perry Although it be extream Cold in Poland yet will the Polish Gentry have almost every one a Bagnio in his House in which the Women have their Apartments separate from the Men. There are likewise publick Baths in every City and Town for the use of the Common People which they frequent not only in Summer but also in Winter From their frequent use of Baths probably comes the reason that the Polish Children are seldom Scabby either in Head or Face It may be here also observ'd that the Children in Poland are seldom distorted crooked or ill-shap'd as it often happens in other Countries because here they do not Swath their Children but only wrap them loose in Linnen Clouts The Poles are generally so great Admirers of Splendour and Show that their Women seldom stir out of Doors without a Coach and Six though it be only cross the way either to Church or to Visit a Neighbour but the Men for the most part go on Horseback and rarely on Foot which they look upon to be very Ignoble Both Men and Women are always attended with a great Number of Servants of both Sexes The Women to wait on the Women and the Men on the Men. The Principal Senators always Ride or Walk in the middle of their Retinue putting the best Cloath'd of their Servants before them When the Gentry of either Sex go abroad a Nights they have twenty four or more Whitewax Flambeaux carried before their Coach Women of Quality generally have their Trains born up by He or She-Dwarfs These Ladies have also with them an Old Woman which they call their Governante and an Old Gentleman for their Gentleman-Usher whose Office is to follow their Coach on Foot and to help them out of it when they Alight It may be remark'd that their Coaches go always very slow and gravely The reason of these two Old Peoples waiting on the Ladies is not because their Husbands are Jealous as in most of the Eastern Countries for the Polish Ladies are generally very Modest and do not at all abuse the great Liberty allow'd them But this Rule does not hold among the Common People for Maids with them never think themselves awhit the worse for being unmarried Mothers Nor is their Frailty any hinderance to their Fortune for they soon Marry again and thereby repair the Scandal These sort of Grass-Widdows most commonly serve for Nurses for a Virtuous Marry'd Woman though she be never so Poor will hardly ever Nurse any Child but her own It may be observ'd notwithstanding all these Honours done the Women in Poland that they do neither keep the Purse nor wear the Breeches for when they have a mind to have any thing they are oblig'd to ask their Husbands for it by Kneeling Embracing his Knees and calling him their Benefactor except some few Trifles of course allow'd them As Butter and Eggs after the House is serv'd and Flax ready hitchell'd by the Peasants all which indeed they may dispose of without their Husband's Privity but as to other Things they cannot For the Man is the sole Manager of all Things in Poland and the Women have little more to do than to Eat Drink and Divert themselves As the Poles
bear their own Losses and suffer all Disasters with a great deal of Temper so likewise they regard the Miseries and Misfortunes of others with the same Indifference for they will often stand and see a House burn without offering in the least to lend a helping Hand to quench it Neither are they more indulgent to their Children or on the contrary the Children to their Parents both whom are reciprocally suffer'd to continue Slaves to the Tartars when but a small Summ of Money would purchase their Redemption In Poland there are neither Academies nor Schools for the Manege Riding the Great Horse Fencing nor Dancing and yet the Gentry being naturally bent to those Exercises will either Practise them at home after their own rude Fashion or Travel to inform themselves of Strangers abroad Of all these Pastimes Musick and Dancing are their Darling Pleasures for even the very Nurses are order'd to teach their Children this last as soon as they can go So that you shall often see two Children tripping it about a Room to the dull Notes of their Nurses or a Servants Pipes The Poles are so addicted to Musick that Barge-men may be frequently seen Playing on Fiddles as they Sail along the River Vistula with Corn. The other Customs and Manners of the Poles I shall inform your Lordship of as methodically and succinctly as the Variety of Matter will admit But first a word or two of the Polish Families and Names The Gentry are divided into many Tribes all distinguish'd not by Places or Countries but by several peculiar Appellatives and Coats of Arms Out of every one of these springs several Families of different Names and Affinity For example to the Tribe of Lelivicz whose Standard is a Field Azure charg'd with a New Moon in chief and a Star of the first Magnitude between its Horns belong the Families of Zarnowiski Pileczki Melstin c. Formerly the Poles had their Names from several occasions but of latter days they have been accustom'd to take them only from Castles Cities Towns and Villages most commonly by adding the Termination ski or ki which signifies Son though some say Dominion because they are generally so call'd from the Place which they Govern In Lithuania the Termination for the most part is in witz which rather implies Son than Ski Sometimes also they take their Names from these Places by omitting Ski and Witz and putting before the Place à ab in or de As à Gorka in Tenstin de Fulstin and the like Some of the Poles usual Names are which I mention for the difficulty of Pronunciation Chrzonstowski Krzikritzki Grzmialtowski c. Lastly Several Names in Poland begin with an O as Opalinski Osolmski Vzaorwski Orzakowski and such like Now as to Marriages among the Poles it must first be observ'd that the Feasts of those of the Gentry always last three days be they that make them either Poor or Rich wherefore they must necessarily be exceeding Expensive If a Lady Marry any of her waiting Maids she generally Expends as much as for one of her Daughters But as the Court-Marriages will shew the greatest Magnificence of this kind I shall entertain your Lordship out of Hauteville with one of that sort When the Queen Marries any of her Maids of Honour or when any Senator or great Lord is to be Marry'd the first and second day the King gives a great Feast For this purpose a large Hall is pitch'd upon where there are three Tables set out At the first Table sit the King and Queen in a Manner that they both Face the Hall Next the Queen sit the Two that are to be Married and next to the King the Popes Nuncio and Archbishop of Gnesna At the same Table likewise sit the Foreign Embassadors over against the King and Queen At the two other Tables extending the whole length of the Hall all the Ladies Senators and Officers except only such as wait on the King and Queen are plac'd by an Officer according to their respective Precedence Most commonly this Feast begins about four or five of the Clock in the Afternoon and lasts to two or three in the Morning Here it may be observ'd that the Senators are accustom'd to rise often and go up to the King's Table to drink his Majesty's Health on their Knees At these Feasts they eat little but drink Hungarian Wine to an immoderate Degree The Ladies out of Modesty only touch the Tops of the Glasses with their Lips and so set them down before them or pour them into their Plates in a manner tha◠more Wine is thought to be spils and lost here than drank When they have sate about five or six Hours at Table the Violins and a little Sort of portable Organs begin to strike up and then they spend the rest of the Time in Dancing In this Exercise every body joyns and not so much as the old People of either Sex are excus'd Those that begin the Dance are generally the ancient Senators and old Ladies who move slowly about like so many Fryars or Nuns in Procession but altho the Dancing begins with so much Gravity and Formality yet it usually ends with a great deal of Hurry and Confusion On the second Day all the Guests present the Bride with something new and none give less than a small Piece of Plate All these Presents are made before the Queen This Ceremony is perform'd before they sit down to Table These Presents most commonly make a good Part of the Brides Portion The late Princess of Poland when she was marry'd to the Elector of Bavaria had above the Value of 100000 Crowns presented her On the third Day are solemniz'd the Espousals All the Wedding Guests accompany the Bridegroom and Bride on Horse-back to Church as likewise in their Return Home when they are always to pass by the King's Palace During all the Time of their coming and going the Trumpets sound from the Balconies on both Sides the way When the Bride has been conducted to her Husband's House and a magnificent Feast there prepar'd is ended and the Company gone the Bride begins to fall a crying it being the Custom it seems in Poland for Maids to weep at that time and to seem concern'd for fear they should be thought impudent and immodest The other Marriages of the Gentry in Poland are perform'd much after the same Manner only with less Magnificence The Men and the Women that are Godfathers and Godmothers to Children are always Cousins and Relations tho they were not so before and consequently cannot be marry'd without a Dispensation from the Bishop of the Diocess The Ceremonies of Burial in Poland are usually celebrated with so great Pomp and Magnificence that one would rather take them for Triumphs than Enterments The Corps having been put into the Coffin it is plac'd in a Herse or Chariot with six Horses all cover'd with black Housings The Coffin has a
large black Velvet Pall thrown over it with a Cross of red Satin in the Middle and six long black Silk Tassels hanging down from it which are born up by as many of the deceas'd Person 's Domesticks all in close Mourning Before the Chariot march several Priests Monks and a great Number of People each of which carries a white Wax Torch lighted in his Hand next to whom and immediately before the Herse come three Men on Horseback who carry the Arms of the deceased one his Sword another his Lance and the third his Dart. The Procession thus set out marches very slowly in a manner that they usually come late to the Church After the Burial-Service is over those that carry'd the Armour enter the Church on Horse-back and furiously riding up to the Coffin break the Arms of the deceas'd thereupon after which the Body is Inter'd Then they return to the House where there is always a great Feast prepar'd when the Lay-Guests will not only drink to Excess but likewise force the Clergy to follow their Example Here it may not be amiss to observe something relating to the Interment of the King and Queen of Poland As soon as the King dies he is laid upon a Bed of State and a certain Number of the Senators both Ecclesiastical and Temporal are appointed to attend about his Corps The Republick also orders all necessary Expences relating hereunto to be levied out of the Crown Revenues A deceas'd Queen likewise has the same Ceremonies and Honours as a King for Queen Mary Ludovica Wife to John Casimir was carry'd from the Suburbs of Warsaw where she dy'd to the Castle where she lay in State till she was carry'd to Cracow to be buried It may not be improper to entertain your Lordship with the Manner of her Death there being something observable in it She dy'd of a Defluxion upon her Lungs or of a Consumption occasion'd by Excess of Passion on Account of a Contest she had had with the Chancellour Patz about something she had propos'd to him which he would not consent to This Princess lov'd so dearly to intermeddle with and to govern the State solely according to her Fancy that she was not a little jealous when the King her Husband spake to any other Women and that chiefly for fear he might enâ—line to be govern'd by another more than her self This your Lordship may imagine gave him no great Cause to be concern'd at her Death for at the very Instant of her expiring he posted away to a Mistriss he had formerly lov'd but whom he durst not have spoke to during his Queen's Life As Mourning is not only a necessary Circumstance but also the Sequel of a Funeral so I think my self oblig'd here to give some short Account of it The Mourning of the Men is much like ours only differing according to the Habits of the Country but the Women of Quality are generally apparell'd in a Sort of coarse black Stuff and their Linnen is not much finer than Canvass and the greater the Quality always the coarser the Linnen and Stuff This Habit does not misbecome Widows that are both young and handsome It may here be observ'd that the Senators Deputies and all others that have a Mind to appear at the Diet of Election must be in Black tho' the Fashions of the several Countries of Foreigners are not requir'd in like manner to be alter'd For the other Customs of eating and drinking among the Poles both at Feasts and elsewhere they are various but first I must give some Account of the Edibles and Potables Their ordinary Meat is Beef and Veal for Mutton they do not value and generally give it to their Servants They have great Store of grey but no red Partridges a great many Hares but no Rabits for they would sooner eat a Cat than these last They have 't is true some white Rabbets which they breed tame for the Sake of their Furrs In Poland there are a great many Roe-bucks but few Stags Abundance of wild Boars Hogs Poultry Pigeons and the like But as for wild-Foul they have great Store indeed in Summer but none in Winter as in other Countries when they are best They have a great many wild Oxen which when moderately salted are great Dainties with them The Manner of hunting these wild Oxen it may not be improper here to give some short Account of when they have surrounded the Beast with a great Number of Horsemen each of them rides up to him and darts him with an Arrow when the Beast feeling himselfwounded eagerly pursues its Enemy while another Person darting him from behind he turns in great Rage after that Person and then another darting him as likewise many others successively at length the poor Beast is so tir'd with pursuing so many Assailants that he falls down and is easily taken or kill'd They have another way of taking them in the Woods which is by causing the Rusticks to enclose a great Number of them with Trees feil'd down who also immediately raise up a Stage for Spectators when the Hunters assigning themselves every one a Post and the Beasts being frighted into the Middle by Dogs and the great Vociferation of the Assailants as they move towards each Person they are wounded with Darts which making them to run with great Force against their Enemy and finding an Opposition by the Trees they endeavour to force their Way whilst the Hunter from behind most commonly gives them their Deaths Wound but if they happen to break thro' then the next Hunter holds out a Piece of red Cloath which it seems this Beast having an Antipathy against forthwith leaves that Person and runs at the other who being provided for him most commonly kills him or in Case of Danger his Neighbour has Recourse to the aforesaid Stratagem which never fails of diverting the Fury of this wild Beast It may be also observ'd that this Beast has a Power of drawing a Man to him with his Tongue it being rough if he can but reach any Part of his Coat or the like Near the Mountains of Hungary there are also wild Goats which they admire mightily for Meat They likewise make a fine Dish as they think it of Beavers Tails but throw away the Body They likewise eat Bears Paws when pickled for Dainties When they take or kill Elks they do not gut them for fourteen or fifteen Days afterwards and sometimes in Winter not in a whole Month. When the Great Men come to the Diet they commonly bring these with their Skins and Guts and hang them at their Windows some five or six at a Time until they turn rank like Venison then they roast some and dress others like Beef a la mode This is esteem'd delicious Meat and none but Great Mens Tables have it The Manner of taking Bears also I presume may not be unacceptable to your Lordship They are generally taken with Nets even
any Presumption I had to lay down any thing which might in the least contribute or add to the Knowlege of a General Officer of your Experience MY LORD In the Infancy of the Polish Empire the Poles were rather forc'd by an Arbitrary Power than commanded by indulgent Laws to defend their Country and extend its Limits but since Christianity has been received among them Bolestaus Chrobry their first King ordain'd a certain number of Horse out of every Palatinate and District and a set company of Foot out of every City and Town to be ready at a short warning and to bring their Provisions and Ammunition along with them This is what they call their Pospolite Ruszenie or the whole Body of Militia of the Kingdom gathered together under one Head or General at a place and time appointed by the King and those of the Senate that are always to attend him as his Privy-Council To this General Expedition first all Landed Gentry as well Publick as Private a few only excepted which I shall name hereafter are obliged to come 2. All Gentry that live in Cities or Towns upon Usury or otherwise 3. All Citizens that enjoy Lands or Tenements These besides all in Prussia are those of Cracow Vilna and Leopol 4. All Tenants that have hired Lands are to go themselves or to send out others 5. The Kings Tenants 6. Ecclesiastical Scultets or Advocates 7. In cases of imminent danger all Citizens in general are ordered either to send or go themselves 8. Even those Gentry that are clapt up in Jails for hainous Crimes are to be let out to assist at the Pospolite yet when that is once over they are to return to Prison again to expiate the whole extent of their Sentence All these are to be Horse well accoutred but as an Army cannot be compleat without some Foot this Pospolite also did consist formerly of the 20th Boor out of every Village or rather Farm who was to be arm'd with a Scymitar long Gun and Pole-Ax but which is often now chang'd to a Mulct to hire Forreigners Yet there are still some Polish Foot tho' of small Esteem Every Citizen that is now worth 8000 Florens is to find a Horse and he that has only 4000 is to set out a Foot-Soldier well provided The Boors also are to fit out one among 28 Families and to furnish him with Provisions sufficient for half a Year The Poles term both these Wybrancy's that is Pick'd or Selected Men so that Wybraniecka Piechota is a Pick'd Soldier If any of all these refuse to appear upon the third Summons their Lands or Goods are immediately confiscated to the King's Use Those Gentry that are excus'd from appearing at the Pospolite are 1. Such as may depute others in their Room viz. Superannuated or Sick Persons Widows Orphans Minors and lastly the Clergy for their Temporalities When any Publick or Private Nobleman is Sick he must notisie and attest it by the Oaths of several sufficient Witnesses Also it must be observ'd that in Lithuania a Clergy man must send out both for his Spiritual and Temporal Estate as likewise in Poland where there are any Temporal Lands annex'd to his Benefice 2. Those that have Estates in several Palatinates or Districts are oblig'd but to appear for one 3. The poorer sort of Gentry are eas'd in some measure for several of them may joyn in the fitting out of one Horse which is practised especially in Masovia Also Brothers that are Joint-Tenants may Depute one to appear for all 4. The King's Court and Retinue are not obliged to Muster under the Palatins and where the King does not go into the Field in Person they are to be totally excus'd 5. About 30 of the Gentry of the Queen's Court are exempt 6. About 12 of the Archbishop of Gnesna's Court and oftentimes some Officers of the Bishop of Cracow and other Bishops Courts especially where their Attendance is otherwise requir'd by the Republick 7. All Ministers to Foreign Courts together with their Domesticks are absolutely to be dispensed with 8. All Starosta's that are left in Garrisons and their Tribunes And lastly the great Constable or Governor of Cracow Castle with his Deputy the Burgraves and two Captains of Foot are to be excus'd Several Provinces and Palatinates likewise have peculiar Privileges relating to this general Meeting for in the Palatinates of Masovia and Plockzko six Brothers altho' they have distinct Estates send but one Horse-man In Podlachia out of ten Farms they send but one Light-Horse and out of twenty but one Cuirassier The Palatinates of Kiovia and Braclaw have likewise peculiar Privileges In a general Expedition the Gentry of Podolia were to continue in Garrison at Caminiec while the Poles had that City in possession The Prussians also need not march beyond the River Vistula Ossa and Drebnicz And lastly Lithuanians are not to go beyond the bounds of their Great Dutchy As to the great number assembled at this Pospolite Basko a Polish Writer says that only in the Palatinate of Lenschet in the time of Boleslaus Chrobry 2000 Cuirassiers and 4000 Light-Horse were raised at one time Starovolscius says that Uladislaus had 100000 Horse against the Prussian Knights over and above what he had left to defend the Provinces I might observe several other prodigious Lustrations out of the aforesaid Author but for brevity sake I omit them only I may affirm with Boterus in his Description of Poland that in case of necessity the Poles can raise upwards of 100000 Horse and the Lithuanians 70000 But Starovolscius is of Opinion they can both raise above 200000 Horse without Expense Also Fredro thinks that the Poles can raise above 200000 Horse The number of Polish Foot is uncertain they being at Liberty to appear or to be excused for Money Starovolscius says that in his time they did not amount to many hundreds being discouraged by the rigour of their Starosta's and wholly confin'd to their rustick Drudgery tho' continues he they are more able to sustain the hardships of War then either the Germans or Hungarians who can scarce live in the Polish Air. He also is of Opinion that the Polish Infantry if encouraged might amount to a considerable number and be not a little serviceable The Foreign hir'd Foot have sometimes exceeded 30000 when the Cosacks serv'd the Poles but they fought also on Horseback and King Stephen in his Expedition against the Suedes in Livonia had above 16000 German and Hungarian Foot in his Pay Now I shall proceed to present your Grace with an account of the manner of raising and Mustering this vast Body of Men. When a Pospolite is once agreed by the General Diet to be summon'd the King after the Ancient manner sends out his Writs or Letters into all the Palatinates or Districts of his Kingdom which being received by the inferiour Officers they are fastned by a small Cord to a long Pole whence they are called
about the good of the Publick Next the four Supreme Counsellors or Ministers of State meet twice every Year that is on the Epipbany and Trinity Monday at Mittaw and sit at least five Weeks to exercise and do Justice The First Week is usually spent in State-Counsels where the Princes Presence and Authority is likewise requir'd The second is taken up in judging Appeals from inferiour Courts The Third in determining Criminals Cases The Fourth in settling Ecclesiastical Affairs And the Fifth in hearing Complaints of and receiving Petitions from the Subjects The degrees of demanding Justice in Cities in all extraordinay matters are these First The Gentry apply themselves to the Supreme Starosta for it must be observ'd that the inferiour Starostas have little jurisdiction but in small matters Secondly In Case of Appeals they have recourse to the supreme Councellors Court In Criminal Cases where the life of any Nobleman is concerned immediate Application is made to this Court and the four Supreme Starostas are oblig'd to assist there If any of these Starostas happen to be absent one that is inferiour may be deputed in his room Thirdly Appeals may be made both in Criminal and Civil Cases to the Court of Poland which the Curlanders term Judicia Post-Curialia Ecclesiastical Courts are held by the four Supreme Councellors before mention'd in conjunction with a Sur-intendant and four Provosts The Inferiour City Courts belong to the City Magistracy or to the Neighbouring Starostas within whose Jurisdiction the Offender lives Appeals in these trivial Courts can be made no farther than to the Supreme Starostas whose Sentence is Final The Executors of Justice in Curland are term'd die Man-Richters who in Civil Cases after a third Summons to satisfy the Plantiff and upon Non-performance or Non-Plea levy the Debt or Demand by way of Distress The Trade of Curland consists in much the same Commodities as in Poland The Corn of Curland and Livonia is fought after by the Dutch more than that of Poland by reason that it is better prepar'd and cur'd here than in other Countries for they are accustom'd to dry their Corn in the Straw as we do Malt and afterwards to thrash both together But this consumes a great deal of Wood and therefore the King of Sweden has forbid it to be practis'd any where within his Dominions I had almost forgot to acquaint you Sir that this Dutchy of Curland in case the Duke thereof wants Heirs-Males is to revert to the Crown of Poland in like manner as Ducal-Prussia is to do from the Elector of Branden burg Thus Sir I have endeavour'd to make what use I could of my short time and imperfect helps to entertain you but which I have a great deal of reason to despair of accomplishing unless I could have produc'd something more Accurate in its kind nevertheless I hope you will dispense with my Inabilities and accept the Good Will of SIR Your very Humble and Obedient Servant J. S. FINIS THE TABLE VOL. I. A ALexander King When Crown'd and how long Reigned Page 67. His Wars and Death 68. His Character Ibid. Alexander Prince His Character 189. Affected by the Queen ibid. B BOleslaus I. His Wars 26. Institutes XII Senators his Assistants Ibid. His Character and Death ibid. II. How long Reign'd 29. His Wars Marriages and Vices ibid. Flight out of the Kingdom and Death 30. III. His Sir-name and Wars 31. c. His Marriage 32. Valour and Success 33. Death Issue and Character ibid. IV. When Elected and how long Reign'd 35. His Wars ibid. His Death 36. V. His Sir-name and Guardians 43. When Elected and how long Reign'd ibid. His Marriage ibid. His Troubles 44. Retires into Hungary ibid. Returns 45. Farther Troubles and Wars ibid. His Death ibid. Batori vide Stephen Bishop Of Cracow Lord over 13 Cities 223. His Chapter ibid. Bresty City It s Description 234. Braclaw Pal. Chief Cities and Towns 277. Descriptions ibid. Braclaw City It s Description 277. Belsko Pal. Description 280. Division into Districts ibid. Chief Cities and Towns 281. Their Descriptions ibid. Belsko City It s Description 281. Byelsko Cap. of Podlachia It s Description 297. Broscia Pal. One district 330. Chief Cities and Towns ibid. Descriptions 331. Its Arms 332. Brescia City It s Description 331. Bears Nourish Children 342. Story of one ibid. Assertion confirm'd by the King 343. Another account from the Dutch Embassador ibid c. A third Account from Hartknock 348. C. City The First 6. The Second ibid. Cracus His Death 13. His Issue ibid. Cracow When and by whom built 12. University by whom Founded 59. Taken by Stratagem 132. Where Situate and how distant from other Places 238. Whence its Name ibid. Its Division Castle and Cathedral 238 c. When first made a Metropolitan See 240. How many Churches ibid. Its University and Professors ibid. c. Its Colleges 241. Vice-Chancellor ibid. Monasteries and Mendicants 242. Its Houses ib. Mayor of Cracow 248. Government of the Castle 249. Chrobry vi Boleslaus I. Casimir I. Queen Regent during Minority ibid. He becomes Monk ibid. Recall'd upon Agreement with the Pope ibid. His Marriage Wars Death and Issue 28. II. When Elected and how long Reign'd 37. Surnam'd the Just and an Example ibid. c. Eases his Subjects of Taxes 38. Conspiracy against him ibid. Disappointed 39. His Wars ibid. Death and Issue ibid. III. Surnam'd the Great 50. When Elected and how long Reign'd ibid. Makes Peace with Teutonic Knights ibid. His Conquests ibid. Good Deeds ibid. Character other Wars and Death 55. IV. When Elected and how long Reign'd 63. His Marriage ibid. Assists the Prussians 64. Routs Teutonic Order ibid. Obtains advantageous Peace ibid. His Issue 65. His Death and Age. Curland and Semigallia First Duke 77. Enjoy'd by his Posterity ever since ibid. Common Wealth Jocular of Babina 79. Candidates for the Crown After the death of Sigismundus Augustus 85. After the Abdication of Henry of Valois 87. After the death of Stephen Batori 104. Two of these come into Poland 108. After Uladislaus VII 125. After John Casimir 140. After Michael Wiesnowiski 155. After John Sobieski 235. Courts of Justice none 90. Batori erects two call'd Tribunals ibid. Were to determine Civil Causes without Appeal ibid. Cosacks How so term'd 94. Us'd to make Inroads ibid. To whom compar'd ibid. Reduc'd to a Discipline ibid. Whence their Name ibid. Extent of their first Dominions 95. A Conjecture about this Country ibid. It s present Extent 96. Their Buildings ibid. Character ibid. Religion 97. Fasts ibid. Language 98. Customs and Manners ibid. Abundance of Flies and Locusts ibid. Their Customs and Manners in Peace and War 99. Their Rebellion 146. Are favour'd by the Turks ibid. Produces a bad Peace ibid. Conti Prince of Pretends to the Crown of Poland 205. Proclaim'd King by the Primate 206. Sent for into Poland 207. Favour'd by Prince Sapieha ibid. Comes to Dantzic ibid. Gives
over his Pretâ—nsions 208. c. Cujavia Territory Division into Palatinates 234. Chief Cities and Towns ibid. Cracovia Palatinate It s division into Districts 237. Cities and Towns ibid. Their several Descriptions 238 c. Castellan's Power 248. Czentochova a Town Famous for a Convent 244. Cruswick City It s Description 235. Culm Pal. Join'd by the Territory of Michalovia 260. Chief Cities and Towns ibid. Their several Descriptions ibid. c. Culm City It s Description 260. Caminiec City It s description 275. Built 320. Chelm Pal. Division into Districts 282. Chief Cities and Towns ibid. Their descriptions ibid. c. Chelm City It s description 282. Crasnistaw Town It s description 282. D. Denmark It s King taken Prisoner II. Dantzic Made a City 39. Dantzickers reduc'd 89 c. First allow'd a Vote 120. Deputies first admitted to the Diet 65. Diet. Conven'd 85 101 119 124 140 154 205. Dobrina Pal. In what abounds 289. Division into Districts ibid. Chief Cities and Towns 290. Their Descriptions ibid. c. Dobrina City It s description 290. E. Election By Horse-race 15. Peaceable 118. Of Sigisimund de Vasa 106. Of Uladislaus VII 119. Of John Casimir 124. Of Michael Wiesnowiski 144. Of John Sobieski 155. Embassadors Admitted to Audience 105 120 141 159. Elbing Town It s description 263. F. Family of Lechus 11 c. Cracus from 12 to 14. Leschus II. from 15 to 17. Piastus from 21 to 57. Jagello from 58 to 82. Factions Lutheran and Catholick 102. Not to be United 103. The former Mutiny ibid. Suppressed ibid. Three Factions 103. Lutheran's Policy 105. Frederic August King Elected 207. Takes possession of Cracow ibid. Crown d ibid. Reasons why he is likely to restore Poland 209. First German Prince that has been King ibid. G. Great Poland Province It s Division 220. Palatinates 221. Their several Cities and Towns ibid. c. Their Arms 226 c. Gnesna City It s description 223. Great Dukes of Lithuania Their several Lives from 310 to 324. Grodno City It s description 329. H. Henry I. Elected and Dethron'd 48. Appoints a Successor in vain ibid. Hedwigis Queen comes into Poland 58 Is Crown'd and how long Reign'd ibid. Has several Suitors ibid. Marries Jagello 59. Dies ibid. Henry of Valois King Sent for by the Diet 85. Agrees to Articles and takes an Oath ibid. c. Is Crown'd 86. Abdicates Poland 87. Embassies sent after him in vain ibid. House of Austria Jealous of Sigismund I's greatness 71. Raises Enemies against him ibid. How came by Hungary Bohemia and Silesia ibid. Habit of the Poles 177. Heilsberg City It s description 263. Halicz Town It s description 271. I. Jagello Great Duke of Lithuania Becomes Christian 59. Crown'd King of Poland and how long Reign'd ibid. Converts the Lithuanians ibid. Founds the University of Cracow ibid. His Wars ibid. Death and Issue 60. John Albert King His Character 66. Policy and Army defeated ibid Makes Peace with the Valachians and Turks 67. His Death ibid. John Casimir King Led a Religious Life and made Cardinal 124. His Character and Travels 126. Like to be excluded ibid. c. Elected 128. His Marriage ibid. His Wars ibid. c. Suedish King invades Poland 139. Wherefore 131. Motives and means of Casimir's Abdication 134. His Death 135. His Epitaph 136. John Basilowitz Czar of Muscovy Is a great Tyrant and his variety of Tortures 78. John III. Sobieski Elected in the Year 1674 163. His Father and Mother ibid His Travels 164. His Marriage ibid. His Generosity 165. Zeal to Arms discourag'd 166. War with the Turks and Tartars 167 c. A Battle 169. His Coronation 172. He relieves Vienna 173. Defeats the Turks 174. His entry thro' the Breach 175. Pursues the Enemy ibid Takes Zytehin in Hungary 176. Enters into a League against the Turks 177. Is immoderately covetous ibid. His Person and Dress ibid. His Character 179. Engages Dr. Connor in a Dispute ibid. His Buildings 184. Care of his Children 185. His great Riches ibid. Fortune formerly and gradual Promotion 150 His Sister 198 What Issue she left 200. Account of the King's Distemper from the Bishop of Plosko 201 c. The King's Death 204. Reflections on his Disease ibid. Inter Regnum before the present King's Election 205. Inowlocz Pal. Division into Districts 235. Chief Cities and Towns ibid. K. King Of Poland his Policy 8. The first 9 25. Four classes of Kings 10. Title ceases 30. Restor'd 48. King of Sueden enters into a League with the Elector of Brandenburg 132. Koningsberg in Regal Prussia built 45. It s description 264. Kalisch City It s description 226. Kalisch Pal. Its Arms 227. Kiovia Pal. How bounded 277. Chief Cities and Towns 278. Their descriptions ib. c. Kiow City It s Description 278. L. Laws What formerly in Poland 5. Lechus I. 10. Founds Poland 5. Builds Posnan and Gnesna 6. Occasions Poland the Name of Lechia ib. His Posterity how long Reign'd 11 12. II. His Banishment and Death 13. Lescus I. 14. Elected by a Stratagem ib. Reign and Death uncertain 15. II. How Elected 14. His Death 15. III. His death uncertain 16. IV. His Character and Death 23. V. Surnam'd the White 39. Under Guardians ib. His Wars 40. Is dethron'd ib. Restor'd ib. Dethron'd again 41 Put by an Election ib. c. Re-establish'd 42. Murther'd in a Bath ib. VI. When Elected and how long Reign'd 46. His Wars ib. Insurrection against him ib. Retires into Hungary 47. Returns with success ib. His death ib. Leaves his Kingdom in distraction ib. Lasconâ—gus Vide Uladislaus III. Locticus vide Uladislaus IV. Lewis King of Hungary When Crown'd and how long Reign'd 56. Oblig'd to take an Oath ib Returns into Hungary ib. His Wars Death and Issue 57. Commendable Example of his ib. Leopol City whence so call'd 46. It s description 267. Luther's Doctrine when first known here 70. Very much propagated 78. The occasion ib. First Person of Note that embrac'd it ib. Lutherans Contend for share in the Government 101. Obtain perpetual Liberty of Conscience ib c. Lutheran party Dissents 107. Elects and Proclaims Maximilian of Austria 〈◊〉 2 Pronounc'd Traytors by the Diet 108. Lithuanid Tends towards a Civil War 160. How call'd by the Inhabitants 302. Present Bounds ib. Antient Extent ib. Soil and Products ib. c Union with Poland and Privileges 303. Division ib. Its Arms ib. Different Opinions about its Name 304. Its Dukes from 305 to 310. Division into Palatinates 324. Lithuanid Proper Province 325. Lesser-Poland Province Its Bounds 236. It s Division into Pal. ib. c. Their several Arms 249 254 257. Lowitz City It s description 231. Lanschet Pal. It s division into Districts 232 Chief Cities and Towns ib. Lanschet City It s Description 232. Lublin Pal. Join'd by the Territory of Lukovia 254. Chief Cities and Towns 255. Their several Descriptions ib. c. Lublin City It s Description 255. Lutzk City It s Description 295. M.
Diet Who not to be present at Tryals for Treason Naturalization and Manner of making Noble in Poland Restrain'd in some Respects notwith standing Great Concourse at the Diet. Provisions indifferent Planty notwithstanding Dangerous to walk a Nights Visits at this Time unacceptable Great Guards of some Gentry Order of Session in the Diet. Members wear no distinguishing Habits * Hartnoch lib. 2. cap. 3. p. 512. What proves Equality among Polish Gentry Intended Limitation of Votes like to produce a bad Effect Deputies awe the King and Senate Causes of Disunion in the Diet. Fomented by the Empire and France What promotes foreign Factions Members not to give Reason for Dissent to any Bill Easie Matter to annul the Projects of the Diet. Great Freedom of Speech there Unhappy State of the Polish Government Policy of concluding Matters by unanimous Consent Wonderful how the Polish Government can subsist Must always flourish for several Reasons I. Reason II. Reason III. Reason Assemblys of the Convocation and Synods in Poland The Kaptur Court Ecclesiastical Courts and their Jurisdiction Court of Nunciature Gentry's Civil Courts High Tribunals The Senate and Green-Cloth Exchequer Courts Gentry-Courts not free from Appeal Of Land-Judicature with its Judges Vice-Chamberlains Court Commissioners to take Appeals Gentries Criminal Courts Starostas Power and Office Courts of Commonalty in Cities In Villages Officers and Magistrates of Plebeian Courts 〈◊〉 Profits Military Jurisdiction Origin Progress and present State of Laws Punishments in Poland Manner of chastising Servants No Disgrace to the Genty to be thus beat Crown vacant has many ways Diet summon'd Proceedings in little Diets before Grand Session Who officiates where no Interregnum * Lib. 2. cap. 1. p. 275. First Proceedings * Hartnoch lib. 2. cap. 1. p. 291. †Ibid. lib. cap. eodem p. 306. Courts of Justice cease except two Foreign Ministers on this Occasion Notifie their Arrival and how receiv'd Embassadors from the Republick Caution to foreign Ministers Deputies Business after this Diet Diet of Election * Hartknoch lib. 2. cap. 1. p. 295. †Ibid. lib. 2. cap. 1. p. eadem First Proceedings therein * Piasecius ad An. 1632. p. 530. Exorbitancies examin'd and Embassadors receiv'd Manner of Receiving them What requisite in forreign Ministers Diet proceeds to Election Further Particulars thereof Great Concours at the Election and Policy to byass them Qualifications requir'd in a Candidate * Lib. 2. Cap. 1. p. 309. to 312. †Ibid. p. 431. Rules observ'd by the Poles in Elections Why preserve their Kingdom elective Who have Votes and who not The Pacta Conventa When taken by Embassadors By whom drawn and after what manner Administred The Form and several Articles An Article Violated Occasional Articles Ceremony of the Kings swearing The Oath Presented with the Decree of Election Concerning the Election of a Successor Interest of foreign Princes to oppose it Reasons for and against such an Election The King has no Regal Authority till Crown'd * Hartknoch lib. 2. cap. 1. p. 331. Appoints the Day of Coronation †Neugebaver Hist Polon lib. 3. p. 185. Manner of his entring Cracow with other Ceremonies Obsequies of Deceas'd King and order of Procession * Piasetius in Chron. Anno 1632. p. 525. †Hart knoch lib. 2. cap. 1. p. 336. Ceremonies at the Interment Day of Corenation and by whom perform'd * Herbert Tit. Cardinalatus p. 63. †Heidenstein lib. 2. Rerum Polon p. 95. Procession in order to Coronation Ceremony at the Coronation Further Particulars of the Ceremony of Coronation King exhorted and sworn His Coronation Oath Words at kissing the Book Unction with other Ceremonys Manner of Crowning him Is Enthron'd And prenounc'd King Feasts thereupon Procession to receive Homage and Citizens Knighted Inter-Rex resigns and King Proclaim'd Queens where Crown'd and where not Place of their Coronation And what requir'd to confirm it Gentry only capable of Preferment Commonalty Incapable except some few Gentrys Power and Privileges Cannot be Apprehended till convicted Exception Cannot be Executed without the Kings Consent Need not Quarter Soldiers Other Privileges of the Gentry Need not pay Taxes unless oblig'd by the Diet. Privilege of Preemption Have one Grievance notwithstanding How they came by these Privileges All equal and consesequently value no Honour Title of Prince despis'd An Order Instituted but undervalu'd What Dutchies in Poland Polish Gentry assume Titles when they Travel Farther Power of Polish Gentry What makes them so Great Their Excessive Grandeur and Magnificence Means to support for ever the Polish Republic What foreign Embassadors are oblig'd to Law Differences decided by the Sword An Example Nature of Descents in Poland Children however support their Families Good Temper of the Poles and its Effect How Occasion'd Polish Peasants how first Enslav'd Live satisfy'd notwithstanding Their present Condition Enrich their Lords How establish'd in a Farm Their Service annex'd thereto Meet to reap their Lords Corn. Their Manners at Bed and Board Children how taught to go Habits of both the Men and Women Nobility how acquir'd in Poland Creation of a Gentleman A third way of becoming Noble Three ways of forfeiting it In what Case restor'd Chracter of the Poles Their Complexion Constitution c. Manners of the Polish Men. Their further Character Education and Learning To what generaly apply themselves Worst part of their Character Genius how enclin'd Enur'd to Hardship Greedy of Money Manner of Lending and Borowing Love to make a Figure Their present Fashions What Furrs us'd Rusticks Habit in Lithuania A few follow the French Mode The Womens former and late Fashions Poles great Extravagance Description of their Houses Furniture No Gardens nor Orchards Private and publick Baths with their Effects Poles great admirers of Shows Their Atendants Women very Modest Exception Women's Liberty restrain'd Indifferences in the Polish Temper What Exercises Practis'd Polish Families and Names formerly and now Marriages and their duration Court-Marriages Customs thereat Presents made the Bride Espousals and Ceremonies Who not Married without Dispensation Burials and order of Procession Other Proceedings Particulars relating to the King and Queens Enterment Cause of J. Casimir's Queens Death Manner of Mourning in Poland Edibles among the Poles Way of Hunting wild Oxen. Odd Dainties Manner of taking Bears Other sorts of Fowl What Fish they have Way of ordering Cabbage Their Potables Beer of what Quality Sorts of Mead. And of Wine What strong Waters Customs in Eating and Drinking Potage and Sauces Poles eat little Bread Crachat how made Customs at Feasts Banquetting Hall Particulars of Servants Manners at Table Poles way of taking Tobacco Feasts made by turns Brimmers much practis'd Customs in Traveling Description of Inns. Have few Conveniencies Travellers oblig'd to carry Provisions c. Travelling cheap in other respects Poles manner of Travelling Incommodities in Travel how remedy'd Disturb'd a Winter Nights by Boors Danger of losing Noses Manners of peculiar Countries Concerning Lithuania What relates to Courts of Justice there Former Judges Of