riches 1370 Lodowick King of Hungary and Nephew of Casimir the Great Hitherto the Crown of Poland was successive except when the King dyed without issue In the third Class it began to be elective Vladislaus Jagello being obliged to swear as Hartknoch acquaints us that he received it by election and not succession This Class contains the Kings of the Jagellonian family in the following order 1386 Vladislaus Jagello chosen Husband to Heduiges second daughter to Lodowic and therewith King of Poland upon condition that he should unite to the Crown his dominions of Litvania Samogitia and part of Prussia become Christian himself and endeavour the conversion of those Nations and lastly pay two hundred thousand Florens to William Duke of Austria forfeited by Heduiges who was before contracted to the said Duke He was a pious Prince and founder of the University at Cracow 1434 Vladislaus III. 1447 Casimirus IV. 'T is very memorable what Loccenius reports of this King how that meeting with Charles King of Swedeland at Dantzick he was forced to get a Monk to talk Latin with the said King who understood no Polish but talked Latin accurately Hereupon Casimir being ashamed of the ignorance of himself and his followers returning home caused publick proclamations to be made That from thence-forward no man should be advanced to any dignity except he were able to speak Latin Whence saith the same Author it came to pass that the Polanders have ever since excelled in the Latin tongue 1492 Johannes Albertus In whose reign the Tartars laid waste Rusia Podolia and several other parts of the Kingdom 1501 Alexander This King is reported to have been such a prodigal that had he ruled long he would have begger'd the Nation His Queen Helena was not suffer'd to be crowned because being a Greek she refused to conform to the Roman Church 1507 Sigismund I. Reckon'd by Paulus Jovius one of the three Worthies Charles V. Emperor and Francis I. King of France being the other who had they not been contemporary Princes deserv'd singly to have ruled the whole world Besides the large endowments of his mind he was a person of such vast strength of body that 't was ordinary for him in his youth to break asunder horse-shoes and strong ropes 1548 Sigismundus Augustus In his time the Lutheran Religion began first to take footing in Poland The fourth and last Class contains a Register of Kings elected out of divers families which occasioned several Interregna The order of these Princes is as follows 1574 Henry Valois Duke of Anjou He fled from Poland into France upon news of his brother Charles's death and was thereupon deposed by the Estates He reigned five months 1576 Stephen Bathor Palatine of Transylvania 1587 Sigismund III. Prince of Sweden who after the death of his father John III. was crown'd also King of Sweden but deposed again by his subjects chiefly for attempting to introduce the Roman Religion amongst them in which he had been educated by his mother His Uncle Charles IX Duke of Sudermannia was chose in his place 1632 Vladislaus IV. Famous for his many conquests over the Turks and subduing Muscovy of which he was elected Tzar in his Fathers life-time 1648 John Casimir designed for a Religious and had lived two years of probation amongst the Jesuits but as Hartknoch writes nominated Cardinal by Innocent X. before he took the vow of that order Being elected King he married his brother Sigismund's widow He laid down his Diadem and retired into France 1669 Michael Koributh Duke of Wisniowiec An unfortunate Prince who lost Caminiec to the Turks 1674 John Sobieski formerly General against the Turks now reigning A. D. 1679. The Queen of Poland except she be a Roman Catholick is never crown'd nor then unless the King himself request it who is always present at her Coronation During his life the charges of her Court are defrayed out of his Exchequer but after his death she maintains her self out of the revenues of such lands as the King with the consent of the Estates made over to her upon marriage The Senate of Poland is famous as well for the Nobility as number of persons Among whom he that precedes all the rest both in dignity and place is The Archbishop of Gnesna who always sits next the King upon his right hand He has belonging to his Court a Marshal who is also a Senator of the Kingdom in the rank of the Castellanes This Marshal rides before the Archbishops Coach and when he goes to Court carries a staff before him upright till he comes into the Kings Chamber where he turns it downwards His authority is so great that in the absence of other Marshals he bears the staff of authority before the King when he goes to the General Assemblies The Archbishop has also a Cross born before him which the bearer holds upright behind his chair whilst he sits in the Senate Next to the Marshal is the Chancellor for the dispatch of publick affairs both in Church and State The other Officers of the Archbishops Court are the Chamberlain Master of Requests Steward of his Table Treasurer Chaplain Library-keeper Master of the Horse and Clerk of the Kitchin As he is a Prince while his meat is going up to table whether at home or abroad the drums beat When he comes to Court he goes directly to the King never waiting his Majesties leisure or any prefixt time And upon notice of his coming he is met at the bottom of the stairs by the sub-Chamberlain at the top by the Marshal of the Court. When he approaches the Royal presence the King himself goes some paces to meet him The title which the King gives him is To the most Reverend Father in Christ By others he is styled Most High and most Reverend Lord Lord N. by the grace of God and the Apostolick See Archbishop of Gnesna Legate born Primate and chief Prince of the Polonian Nobility His prerogatives are so great that he gives not place to any Cardinal for which reason no Cardinal is ambitious of being sent into Poland Next to him the Archbishop of Leopol takes place After these two Archbishops the Bishops are seated in the Senate according to their dignity in the following order 1. Cracow 2. Cujavia who is also Bishop of Vladislow and Pomerania 3. Vilna and 4. Posnania by turns 5. Polockzo 6. Varmia and 7. Luceorea by turns 8. Praemislia 9. Samogitia or Mednic 10. Culmo 11. Chelmo 12. Kiovia and Zernichovia 13. Kamienieck 14. Smolensko These Bishops sit on the right and left hand of the King next the two Archbishops Concerning the revenues and splendor of the Bishops of Poland see Cromer l. 2. descript Pol. pag. 177. and Stanislaus Lubienski in vita Angelotti fol. 310. Bishops by the Law are forbidden to hold Abbeys in commendam with their Bishopricks only the Bishops of Kiovia and Kamienieck having lost their revenues are now permitted that liberty for their subsistence Next to the Bishops sit
generis quam Meritis in Patriam Honoratiss o Viro D. o NICOLAO VON BODECK Consuli et Primario Iudici in celeberrion totius Maris Baltici Emporio Vrbe Gedanensi artium literarumque â—autori benevolentiss o D. D. D. Ioannes Ianssonius MASOVIA Masovia called by the Polanders Mazowsze by the Germans Die Masaw lies in the very middle of Poland bounded on the north with Prussia on the east with Lithuania and Polessia on the west with some part of the lesser Poland on the south with the Palatinate of Rava 'T is usually divided into these four parts The Palatinates of Podlachia Plockzo Masovia strictly so called and the territories of Dobrin which last ought rather to be reckoned a part of the Palatinate of Plockzo There are different conjectures touching the original of its name The most commonly received is That upon the death of Mieceslaus the second the Nobility of Poland not enduring the impotent and effeminate government of his surviving Queen Rixo layd hands upon what every man could catch Among these Masos or as others call him Maslaus formerly Cup-bearer to the deceased King siezed upon that large tract of land which he after his own name called Masovia This Masos was afterwards overcome by Casimir the first by whom he was taken and put to death By this means it was again restor'd to the Crown of Poland though it still retained the name of Masovia But Stanislaus Serictius rejecting in part this story derives more probably the Massovii from the Massagetes I know saith he what our Historians have written touching the original of the Massovians But it seems incredible to me that so famous and couragious a people should stoop to borrow their denomination from so mean a person In the year 1220 Lescus the white in the Parliament of Sandomir granted the Dukedomes of Masovia Cujavia and Dobrinia to his brother Conrade from which time it was governed by Dukes of its own doing homage however to the Kings of Poland till the the year 1495 but then the race of the Dukes of Masovia began to fail For that year John Duke of Masovia dyed a Batchelour upon which John Albert reunited Plockzo to the Crown leaving the rest of Masovia to his brother Conrade Which after his decease in the year 1503 was granted to his children upon condition that for default of male issue it should return to the Crown which was effected in the reign of Sigismund the first In the same manner the Palatinate of Podlachia formerly belonging to Masovia and joyned by Casimir Jagellon to Lithuania return'd to the Kingdom of Poland in the year 1567. There are no peculiar Bishops in Masovia but the whole Province is divided under the jurisdiction of Posnan Plockzo and Luceoria The Metropolis of Masovia is Warsaw by the Polanders called Warfrawa seated in the very centre of the Polish dominions upon the Vistula encompassed with a double wall and deep ditch distant 40 German or 160 English miles from Posen and Cracow Here the King of Poland keeps his Court in a large four squared Palace built by Sigismund the third but much beautifyed by his successours Over against this on the other side of the river which is passable by a stately wooden bridge sits the great Parliament of Poland in another of the Kings Palaces called Viasdow seated in the midst of many and delicate Groves and Gardens In the City are publique buildings of good note the most remarkable of which is St. John Baptists Church where divine service is performed by secular Canons Not far from Viasdow in the suburbs called Cracow stands as a trophie of the victory obtained by the Poles over the Moscovite a small Chappel built by the Kings command for the burial of Demetrius Suiscius great Duke of Moscovie who dyed a captive in the Castle of Gostenin The Nobility of Masovia which are more numerous then in any other part of Poland being reckoned to amount to near forty thousand whereof fifteen thousand appear'd in a body at the Coronation of Sigismund the third are all Roman-Catholicks never suffering any of other religions or opinions to reside among them Out of these are sent yearly to the general Assembly of the Estates one Palatine and six Castellanes The Palatinate of Plockzo lyes eastward from Masovia between the Vistula and Prussia Plockzo 'T is divided into the territories of Plockzo Zavera Mlava and Srensco and sends out to the great Parliament four Senators that is The Bishop The Palatine and Castellanes of Plockzo Radzyagas and Sieprez It has its name from Plockzo its chief City seated on a high bank of the Vistula whence you have a fair prospect of a pleasant and fruitful Countrey The City is an Episcopal See and very populous There are in it several religious houses and Churches besides the Cathedral very well endowed especially the Abby of Benedictines in the suburbs where among other reliques is kept the head of St. Sigismund to whom the Church is dedicated enchased in gold given by Sigismund the third The territory of Dobrizin is properly a part of the Palatinate of Plockzo though Mr. Blaeu Dobrzin and some others have made it a distinct part of Masovia It has its name from the City Dobrzin situate between Cujavia and Plockzo on a rock near the banks of the Vistula The houses in it are generally of wood and the whole City is environed with wooden fortifications The Countrey affords great store of fruit and fish PRVSSIA Whence Prussia or Borussia called by the Germans Preussen should fetch its name Prussia is not easily determined Certain it is That it is not to be met with amongst antient authors Cluverius thinks Helmoldus who flourished in the twelfth Century is the oldest writer that gives any account of the Countrey under this name But both Dithmarus who lived in the beginning of the eleventh Century in the days of the Emperour Henry the second and before him an Anonymous writer of the life of St. Adalbert the Apostle of the Prussians about the year 990 mentions it Marianus Scotus will have the word derided from Aprutis a City saith he in these parts where St. Adalbert suffered martyrdome in the year 995. But this conjecture is vain and precarious for where any City of this name formerly stood or its ruins can at this day be found only he himself can tell us Johannes Annius Viterbiensis tells us the Prussians were at first called Pruti and that from one Prutus a Scythian King grandchild to Noah That this nation is an offspring of the antient Scythians is indeed allowable but to the rest of the story we can say no more then That 't is well known how nimble this author and his feign'd Berosus are at counterfeiting of names in the Etymologies of Countries Others of the same authority with Viterbiensis bring the Prussians out of Asia under the command of Prussia a King of Bithynia Some will have the word Prussi or Prutheni corrupted
dedicated to him so stately and magnificent that by the relation of Johannes Magnus who tells prodigious stories of the Golden Roof c. the Temple of the Sun in Cuzco was but a poorly adorn'd Chappel to it In the middle of this stupendous Fabrick their God was set upon a bed or couch with a Crown upon his head adorn'd with twelve stars and a scepter in his hand Upon his right hand stood Oden or Othen arm'd like a soldier Cap a-pie not unlike the Roman God Mars On his left was plac'd the Goddess Freia their Venus holding a sword in one and a bow in the other hand These three Deities were had in special reverence amongst them Votaries coming from very remote parts every ninth year to visit the Temple and pay their devotions offering the most precious gifts they could provide and sacrifices for nine days together Pythagorean-like counting nine an auspicious number and on every day nine sorts of Animals three of every sort not sparing their servants friends children nor even their own selves from being part of such bloody victims This they did not by choice every votary striving to be presented a sacrifice to his God but by lots taking him on whom the lot fell tying a cord about his middle and so let him down alive into a large well dugg close by the Temple for that purpose if he expir'd quietly and without any great struggling or motion of the water they concluded that their god was pleas'd and their Petitions heard if otherwise and he seem'd to dye with any reluctancy they suppos'd their god was angry and thereupon presently made ready another such-like sacrifice to appease the wrath When the body was drawn up out of the well if a pleasing sacrifice they thought it not fit to bury it in the ground the ordinary way but hung it up upon a tree in the consecrated grove and for ever after suppos'd it to be instated in a place of happiness and esteem'd it as one of their Demi-gods In these cruel sacrifices their Kings themselves were not only present but sometimes when the lot fell upon them offer'd up to their Gods being attended to the place of execution with great joy and acclamations by the greatest part of their subjects who promised themselves great and lasting happiness by so Noble a victim Besides these three principal they worshiped many other inferior Deities upon different occasions as Methothim who presided over their Magical Arts Fro to whom they always offer'd black victims Vagnoft Hading c. with all the the Sons and attendants of their principal Gods Of which see Johannes and Olaus Magnus Adam Bremensis and Loccenius The many foolish superstitions to which their Ignorance and credulity made them subject as their arming themselves whensoever it chanc'd to thunder and shooting arrows up into the clouds to assist these Gods of their Country who as they suppos'd were waging war against those of other Nations Their using to sacrifice their horses before they engag'd with their enemies and setting the heads of them upon pales before the Army in manner of a Palisado and such like frequently met with in Authors are scarce worth mentioning only this may be observ'd that in their customs and ceremonies about their worship they had some faint notions of an Infinite power to which they owed their being and happiness that their soul did not dye with their body and such like common dictates of natural reason All which were clearly discover'd to them and the mists of Idolatry and Irreligion quite dispell'd by the happy plantation of Christianity amongst them In the year of Christ 780 〈…〉 Bero or Biorno III. King of Sweden desir'd Charles the Great Emperor of Germany to send some able Ministers into the North to plant Christian religion amongst them who accordingly sent one Herebertus surnam'd Belga a man of noted piety and learning in those times He succeeded well in his undertakings gain'd many proselytes and built a Church at Lyncopen in Ostro-Gothia where himself was Rector and afterwards dyed Ann. 814 Ludovicus Pius I. Emperor of Germany in the sixth year of his reign sent hither more Apostles one of which was nam'd Ansgarius a Monk of Corbey in France who brought with him from thence divers of the Monks and planted in Saxony a Monastery of the former name intending it for a Seminary to supply the want of Preachers in the North. But all this Emperors time Christianity was rather privately brought in hither Paganism prevailing and most of these pious men being martyr'd for their Religion then publickly countenanc'd or established till about ann 955 when Olaus Scot-konung desirous to enjoy the purity of the Gospel sent to Ethelred then King of England desiring him to furnish him with Ministers to preach Christianity to him and his subjects That there hath always been great friendship betwixt those two Crowns appears by many particulars one especially not to be forgotten is that the Kings of Sweden would never permit any of their subjects to engage with the Danes and other Northern people to exercise Piracy against or invade the English Dominions as 't is observed by Jo. Magnus and other Authors Ethelred readily consented to so pious a request and dispatch'd over one Sigfrid then Archbishop of York with divers other godly Priests and worthy labourers who at their arrival in Sweden found kind reception baptiz'd the King himself with all his Courtiers and prevail'd so far to have the Gospel propagated amongst his subjects that Christian Churches were built in every Province of the Kings Dominions This so happy a plantation was water'd by the blood of three of his Followers Vnaman Sumaman and Vinaman murther'd by the contrivance of a wicked woman and lye buried at Wexio a City in Smalandia After this Christianity was nurs'd up by their succeeding Kings Ericus especially who as was said before propagated it to the Finlanders Exercis'd it was according to the Ceremonies of the Church of Rome till about the year 1530 at which time Gustavus I. then King upon what motives Authors do not agree established the Lutheran Religion displacing all those that refus'd to subscribe the Articles he propos'd amongst whom was that elegant Historian and very learned person Jo. Magnus then Archbishop who refusing to comply with the King left his Country fled to Rome there wrot his History with an account of this Metropolis and dyed 1544. In the year 1537 the said Gustavus enter'd into a League with Christianus King of Denmark Philip Landsgrave of Hassia the Elector of Saxony and other German Princes to defend this Religion thus reformed against the Emperor and other Princes of the Communion of the Church of Rome In the year 1613 it was publickly consented to by the States of the whole Kingdom A. D. 1627 Gustavus Adolphus gave sactuary in his dominions to all those that were any way persecuted in Germany or elsewhere for this profession Confirm'd it was and agreed to by Charles
34. Christian I. son of Theodoric Count of Oldenburgh was elected King of Denmark upon the death of King Christopher He was a generous pious and valiant Prince but wholly ignorant of all manner of learning He reduc'd the Swedes to their Allegiance who in the beginning of his reign had revolted from the Crown of Denmark annex'd Holstein to his Dominions made himself Duke of Dithmars and Stormar and having ruled three and thirty years dyed in peace in the year 1481 and was buryed in a Chappel which he himself had built at Roschild leaving his Crown to his son 35. John who was a Prince endued with all the Royal qualities of his father He was devout in exercises of Religion temperate in diet grave in apparel and valiant in exploits of war which excepting only the overthrow he receiv'd from the Dithmarsians in the year 1500 proved exceeding successful He dyed of the plague at Olburgh in the year 1513. 35. Christian II. King John's son who was the bloodiest cruellest and most dissolute Prince that Denmark or perhaps any other Kingdom ever saw Lindenbruch gives this character of him That Nero Phalaris and Sylla put in the scales against him would signifie no more then half an ounce to a pound weight Meursius reports that he was born with one hand grasp'd which when the Midwife opened she found full of blood This was look'd upon by his father as a certain prognostic of a bloody mind of which his subjects had afterwards a lamentable experience The only good he ever did his Country was the founding a Fair and establishing a more then ordinary trade at Copenhagen At last after he had by his wickedness thrown himself out of three Kingdoms and for six and thirty years undergone the miseries of banishment or imprisonment he dyed in the Castle of Kallenborg in Zeeland in the year 1559. 36. Frideric I. King John's brother succeeded his Nephew Christian As soon as he was Crown'd in the year 1524 he begun to bring the Augspur Confession into all the Churches of Denmark He ruled almost ten year in quietness and dyed at Sleswig in the year 1533. 37. Christian III. Frideric's son He perfected the reformation which his father had begun in the Church He lived and dyed in the year 1559 a Prince of singular piety wisdom temperance justice and all Royal virtues And left behind a fair pattern of a happy King and good Christian to his son 37. Frederic II. Who having exactly imitated his fathers example after a happy reign of twenty-nine years dyed in his Palace of Anderscow in the year 1587. Immediately after his Coronation he was engag'd in a war against the rebels of Dithmars whom he quell'd with small trouble Afterwards he waged war with Eric XIV King of Sweden which lasted seven years The rest of his days were spent in peace and quietness 39. Christian IV. before his fathers burial was elected and soon after crown'd King of Denmark In his reign the Emperor of Germany Ferdinand II. overrun the greatest part of the Cimbrian Chersonese and had once well nigh brought the whole Kingdom of Denmark under his subjection But King Christian contracting as it were all the exspiring Spirits of his Realm made the Imperialists at last give ground and brought them to a Treaty upon honourable terms He dyed in the year 1648 and was succeeded by his son 40. Frederic III. Who receiv'd as great a blow from the Swedes as his father had done from the Germans Charles Gustave the victorious King of Sweden had brought him to that extremity as to lay close siege to Copenhagen which City and consequently the whole Kingdom of Denmark would doubtless have faln into the hands of the Swedes had not the Emperor of Germany the King of Poland and most of the Northern Princes jealous of the growing power of the Swedish King concern'd themselves in the defence of it He that desires a further account of the beginning continuance and end of these Northern wars may have recourse to the accurate history of them written by R. Manley and printed in the year 1670. King Frideric got his Nobles perswaded to consent that the Kingdom of Denmark as well as that of Norway should be Hereditary and was himself proclaim'd hereditary King the twenty-third day of October in the year 1660. He dyed of a Fever the twenty-fifth day of February 16 69 70. and that night as is before said the Nobility swore Allegiance to the new King 41. Christian V. now reigning A valiant and active Prince The Royal Family of Denmark consists of the Children of the King 〈…〉 and his near Relations together with the Princes of Sunderburg Norburg Gluckburg Arnsbeck Gottorp and Ottingen or Oytin who are all descended from King Christian the third excepting the Houses of Oytin and Gottorp who are the issue of his brother Adolph Duke of Sleswic The Nobles who never pretend to nor accept of the Titles of Dukes Earls or Barons are such as have for many ages had a single Coat of Arms belonging to their Family which they never alter nor quarter with any other There are to this day some Families of the Nobility in Denmark as Wren and others who are said to have been at the signing of a Treaty of Peace between Charles the Great and King Hemming on the Eidor Upon the death of any Nobleman all his goods moveable and immoveable are divided amongst his Children so as a son has two moieties and a daughter only one By the Laws of Denmark the King is prohibited to purchase any part of a Nobleman's Estate nor can any of the Nobility buy any of the Crown Lands A Catalogue of the names of the chief Noblemen at this day in Denmark is given us by the Author of L'Estat des Royaumes de l'Europe in the following Alphabetical order Achsel Appelgard Alefeld Andersem Bielke Banner Brache Bilig Below Bild Brokenhusem Biorn Beck Blick Bassi Bax Baselich Bockowlt Budde Baggen Bammelberg Brune Blom Blocktorp Breiden Daac Dresselberch Dune Duram Dam Freze Fassi Falster Falcke Guldenstern Grubbe Goce Green Gelschut Galle Gram Gris Goss Gadendorp Grabow Hardenberg Holke Hoken Hiderstorper Hube Hesten Hager Holer Hoeken Hoier Hacken Harberger Jul Juensen Juenan Jensen Johensen Korwitz Krabbe Kaas Krusen Kragge Krumpen Krumdick Kercberg Karssenbrock Koelet Knutzen Lange Lindeman Lunge Lutkem Laxman Lancken Leven Lindow Munck Matiessen Marizer Must Matre Meinstorf Moeten Magnussen Negel Narbu Norman Ofren Otten Pasberg Podessen Podebussen Papenheimb Podwisch Plessen Pensen Paisen Petersen Qualem Quittow Ranzaw Rosenkrantz Rastorp Ruthede Reuter Ruten Rosenspart Rosengard Ronnow Reventlow Ratlow Ritzerow Schram Schefeldt Schelen Seestedt Stuege Swron Stantbeke Split Solle Swaben Santbarch Spar Spegel Sturen Suinem Staken Stove Siversen Trolle Totten Vhrup Vonsflet Vantinnen Vken Voien Vlstandt Vren Wlefeld Walkendorp Wipfert Witfelt Wogersen Wenfsterman Wolde Worm Walstorp Wenfin Wittorp Though none of these are ever made Dukes Knights Marquises Earls or Barons yet 't is usual
for many of them to be dubb'd Knights upon any considerable piece of service done their King or Country The Danes call their Knights Ridders i. e. Equites Riders and all their offspring have the title of Riddersmens men The most noble Order of Knighthood in Denmark Knights of the Elephant is that Of the Elephant Of which we cannot have a better account then is given us by the Learned Elias Ashmole Esquire Windsor Herald at Arms in his famous work of The Institution Laws and Ceremonies of the most Noble Order of the Garter p. 120. Observing saith he some difference among writers touching the Institution Collar and Ensign of this Order I was in doubt what to say till at length I haply met with better satisfaction from a Letter wrote in the year 1537 by Avo Bilde Bishop of Arhusen sometime Chancellor to John King of Denmark and Norway unto John Fris Chancellor to King Christian the third a copy whereof was communicated to me by Monsieur Cristoftle Lindenow Envoy from Christian the fifth now King of Denmark to his sacred Majesty the present Soveraign of the most Noble Order of the Garter This Letter informs him of the Institution and some other particulars relating to the Order to wit That King Christian the first being at Rome whither he had travel'd upon a religious account Pope Sixtus the fourth among other honours invested him with this Order in memory of the Passion of our Lord and Saviour and withall ordain'd that the dignity of Chief and Supreme should be continued as a successive right to the succeeding Kings of Denmark This King founded the magnificent Chappel of the three Kings in the Cathedral Church at Roschild four leagues from Copenhagen where the Knights were obliged to assemble upon the death of any of their fraternity He also admitted thereinto divers Kings Princes and Noblemen The chief Ensign of this Order was the figure of an Elephant on whose side within a rundle was represented a Crown of Thorns with three Nails all bloody in honour and memory of the Passion of our blessed Saviour The Knights were obliged to the performance of acts of Piety Alms-deeds and certain Ceremonies especially upon those days on which they wore the Ensigns of the Order But King John set so high a value upon it that he wore them on every solemn Festival He also advanc'd the honour of this Order to so great esteem that it became accepted by both our King Henry the eighth and James the fifth of Scotland his sisters son with whom the Ensigns thereof remain'd as a pledg and assurance of constant and perpetual friendship with these he likewise invested divers Ambassadors Senators and Noble Danes There is one Ivarus Nicholai Hertholm a learned Dane as I am inform'd who hath written a particular Treatise of the Elephantine Order but not yet printed The scope whereof is to shew that the before mentioned Epistle of the Bishop of Arhusen does not sufficiently make it appear that it received its first Institution when Christian the first had those many honours confer'd on him by Pope Sixtus the fourth And that the Badge was an Ensign meerly Military anciently given as a memorial and incitement to the Danish Princes who took upon them the defence of Christianity against the Moors and Africans 'T is greatly presumed that this Book which we hope may shortly be published will furnish the world with many choice things relating to the antiquity and honour of the Institution Ensigns and Ceremonies of the Royal Order Heretofore the Knights wore a Collar of Gold compos'd of Elephants and Crosses fashioned something like Crosses ancrees Mennenius calls them Spurs at which hung the picture of the Virgin Mary to the middle holding Christ in her arms and surrounded with a Glory of Sun-beams But they have long since laid this Collar aside and now wear only a blew Ribbon at which hangs an Elephant enamel'd white adorn'd with five large Diamonds set in the middle Those Elephants worn by the Knights in the days of Christian the fourth had in the same place within a circle the Letter C and in the heart thereof the figure of 4 made to signifie Christianus quartus This honour hath most commonly been conferr'd by the Kings of Denmark on the day of their Coronation both upon the Nobles and Senators of the Kingdom It seems Frederic the third brought into use in imitation of the most Noble Order of the Garter an embroider'd Glory of Silver Purl wrought upon the left side of their Cloak or Vest on which was embroider'd two Crowns within a Rundle bearing this Motto Deus Providebit for such an one did Count Guldenlow Ambassador hither from that King wear at his residing here in England in the year 1669. But we are to note that the Motto hath changed with the King for that of the present King is Pietate Justitia and this the Knights of his election now wear in the middle of the circle Nevertheless all the Knights created by his father are obliged still to continue the former Motto In remembrance of the Danebroge or holy Danish Cross which was thought miraculously to have preserved King Waldemar the Second's Army from the fury of the Lieflanders as we shall have occasion hereafter to shew when we come to speak of the Arms of this Kingdom that King instituted the Order of Knights of the holy Cross Knights of Danebroge Which continued till the relique it self was lost in Ditmarss but then was for many years quite lay'd aside Of late the present King Christian the fifth revived this antiquated Order in the year 1672. Ordaining That Knights of this Order of which he himself is one should wear a white enamell'd Cross edged round with red hung in a string of the same colours reaching from the right shoulder to the left side Thomas Bartholinus P. has given us a large account of the first Original Progress Restauration c. of this Order To whom we refer the Reader Out of these Knights Senators and the rest of the Nobility were chosen formerly the Senators who seldom exceeded the number of eight but are now a far greater number As long as they continued in their places they were maintain'd as our Parliament may be if they please during their sitting by the Country The King allow'd them Castles to live in They pay'd no Taxes but were obliged to keep a certain number of Light-horse ready for service upon all occasions They were bound to attend the King at his call upon their own charges provided he stir'd not out of his own dominions But if he sent them on an Ambassy into other Princes Courts they had an allowance out of the Treasury Besides these there are others that live as Pensioners Pensioners to whom the King in requital of some good services done him assigns certain Livings for life or a set number of years forlaeninger out of which they are to provide so many
claim'd by vertue of the Treatyes of Roschild Copenhagen and Westphalia which by this Treaty were confirm'd The Duke expected besides being restored to his Countries some recompence for the damages he had sustained during the war and at least to have had back the Canon being an hundred excellent Brass pieces which were taken out of Tunningen when it was seized and dismantled by Denmark But his expectation in this point were not answered One of the Articles of the same Treaty was That the Country of Rixingen belonging to Count Alefelt Chancellor of Denmark made Governour of Holstein in the year 1663 upon the death of Christian Earl of Rantzaw chief Minister of State to the late King Frideric III. confiscated during the war should be restored to him DITMARS THE inhabitants of this Province are a remnant of the ancient Saxons and retain much of the prowess and heroic spirits of their ancestors Some will have the word writ Deutsch or Teutschmarsh i. e. the German or Dutch Marsh because the people are reliques of the German-Saxons and the Country plain and fenny The Ditmarssians were never like the Wagrians and Stormarians brought under subjection to the Earls of Holstein till that whole Earldom was annexed to the Crown of Denmark And tho they were given by the Emperor Frideric III. to Christian Earl of Oldenburgh the first Danish King of that House yet soon after they threw off this yoke and refused to acknowledg themselves subject to him or his successors till by the valour and good fortune of King Frideric II. they were vanquished and forced to submit in the year 1559. In this expedition the King of Denmark was assisted by John and Adolph Dukes of Holstein his Cousin-Germans Whereupon they sharing the conquest with him Ditmars was divided into two parts whereof the Southern fell to the King of Denmark and the Northern to the Dukes of Holstein The only places of note in Ditmars are 1. Meldorp the chief Town in the Province seated on the German Ocean and a place of good trade 2. Heyde which is a large but poor City on the borders of the great barren Sands of the same name which overspread the middle of the Country 3. Lunden opposite to Tonningen near the mouth of the Eyder STORMAR STormar Stormars or Stormarsh signifies no more then the Marshy ground lying along the banks of the river Stoer For 't is observable that the inhabitants of the Great Dukedom of Holstein are distinguished by names taken from the nature of the soil in that part of the Country they inhabit And the ancient Marsi were nothing else then a people that liv'd in these bogs and fens and thence took their name Hamburgh of which City we shall have occasion to give a large description elsewhere stands in Stormar Hamburgh and upon that score the Earls and Dukes of Holstein have always pretended a right to this City and demanded homage of the Citizens These pretensions were judged legal and the right and title of the said Dukes ratified by the Emperor Charles IV. in the year 1374. Whereupon the Hamburghers swore allegiance to Christian I. King of Denmark acknowledging him and his successors their lawful Lords But not long after they endeavoured to throw off that yoke presuming much upon their own strength and the assistance they promise themselves upon all occasions from the rest of the Hans Towns This last year 1679 the present King of Denmark renewed his claim and came before this City with an Army of sixteen or seventeen thousand men to demand homage entring the Elb with fourteen men of war and seizing several Merchant-ships English and others at Gluckstadt On the ninth of November an agreement was signed between the King and this City the Articles of which were I. That his Majesty and this City shall remain unprejudiced in their several rights and pretentions and that the point of homage shall be amicably determined by Treaty or by an ordinary process before the Chamber of Spire and that in the mean time this City shall enjoy a Neutrality and free commerce as formerly II. That this City with a thankful acknowledgment of his Majesties good will towards them shall remain in an humble devotion towards him and shall to the utmost of their power further his good and prevent any evil they know likely to happen to him III. That for the greater manifestation of this their devotion this City shall send a formal Deputation to his Majesty IV. That this City in consideration of his Majesties being graciously pleased to receive them again into his favour shall pay him 220000 Crowns at four Terms the first payment to be made immediately after the ratifying the Recess the second within six months after and the third and last at the end of other six months V. That his Majesty shall quit all his pretentions to any Lands which this City at present holds either in particular or in common with the City of Lubeck shall release the Ships stopt DITHMARSIA RENDESBURGUM KIEL et BORDESHOLM in Occidentali pâ—rte HOLSATIAE Tabula Geographica novissima DUCATUS STORMARIAE in Meriodionali parte HOLSATIAE Apud Janssonio-Waesbergios et Mosem Pitt WAGRIA quae est PARS ORIENTALID HOLSATIAE Ex Officina Janssonio-Waesbergios et Moses Pitt at Gluckstadt and shall ratifie this Recess within eight days Five days after the signing of this Interim Recess so called because it leaves both parties in the same rights they had before the Deputies of Hamburgh according to the tenure of the third Article waited on the King of Denmark at his Quarters at Pinneberg and being admitted to Audience spoke to him in the following words Most Serene and most Potent King most Gracious Lord Whereas your Royal Majesty is by the mercy of God happily arrived in this your Dukedom and consequently in the neighbourhood of this City of Hamburgh and hath caused proposals consisting in three points to be made to the said City and hath desired their resolution thereupon And whereas the first point through the shortness of time and for other reasons could not be determined at present and that your Majesty hath therefore been graciously pleased to refer the same to an amicable agreement or to a legal determination and in the mean time to remove the displeasure you had taken against the said City and by an Interims Recess graciously to agree That as well the rights and pretentions of your Majesty as of the said City shall remain unprejudiced The Burgermasters and Raedts Deputies do in the name of themselves and of all the Burghers appear before your Majesty and do promise faithfully to observe the said Interims Recess in all its points and clauses and particularly to bear your Majesty most humble and becoming devotion That to the utmost of their power they will further your Majesties good and hinder all ill and detriment from happening to your Majesty Provided this City be left in a quiet and undisturbed enjoyment of their
endeavours to prove that Xen. Lampsacenus mentions the Baltic Sea and thence concludes that this name is much more ancient then most of the modern Geographers fancy who make Adam Bremensis and Helmoldus the first Authors that call this Bay Mare Balthicum But he that shall take the pains to examine Pliny's words upon this occasion will find that no mention is there made of the Baltic Sea but of an Island only in these parts called Baltia which is now named Schonen but is not as the Ancients imagined an Isle From this Baltia some think this Sea was called Baltic as the Adriatic Sea had its name from the Island Adria Others more happily derive the word from the Danish and English word Belt because Seeland and the greatest part of the King of Denmark's dominions are girt round with this Bay And to this day the inhabitants of Seeland and Funen call that small arm of the Sea which part these two Islands die Belt Pomponius Mela who is followed by many late writers of good note calls the Baltic Sea Sinus Codanus which signifies no more then the Danish Bay For Codanus Godanus or Gedanus is the same with Danus and Gedanum and Dantiscum signifie the same thing And indeed when we consider what a large portion of the Danish Kingdom is encircled with the Sea we shall find reason enough notwithstanding the late surrender of several Islands to the Swedes to let it still retain this its ancient name The most considerable Islands in the Baltic which at this day are subject to the Crown of Denmark are these that follow FIONIA FIonia or Funen is parted from Jutland by a streight of the Baltic called by the inhabitants Medelfarsund about one German mile in breadth and separated from Seeland by the Beltis-sund or Baltic Bay The length of it from East to West is about ten German miles and the breadth eight Saxo Grammaticus Lyscander and most of the Danish writers make this the pleasantest piece of ground in the King of Denmark's dominions Whence they have fancied the Island had its name from fine which has the same signification in Funen as in England Tho Adam Bremensis may seem to favour this conceit in calling the inhabitants of this Island Finni and their Country Finningia and Pontanus allows the etymology yet methinks Stephanius guesses better at the derivation of the word when he fetches it from Fion which in the old Runic monuments signifies a neck of land rent from the continent and such any man will suppose Funen to be who shall have the opportunity of viewing that slender Frith which at this day separates that Island from Jutland The Island abounds with all manner of Corn especially Wheat and Rye which is hence yearly transported in great quantities into other Nations Besides the Natives have generally great Herds of Cattle and very good Breeds of Horses The Woods which overspread almost the whole Island are exceedingly well stored with Deer Hares and Foxes The chief City in this Island is Ottensee which some will have to take its name from Woden the great God of the ancient Danes whom some of their Historians call Othin or Odin Others more probably say 't was built by the Emperor Otho the first who overrun a great part of the Danish Kingdom and left his name in more places then one This opinion seems to be confirmed by a Letter written by the Emperor Otho the third about the year 987 in which this City is named Vrbs Othonesvigensis Pontanus thinks 't was first built by King Harald who to testifie his gratitude to the forementioned Emperor Otho the first by whose procurement he was converted to Christianity called it Ottonia or Ottensche and his son Suenotto This City is seated in the very center of the Island and therefore in a fit place for the Sessions of the Nobility and Magistracy which are yearly held in this place As were likewise the General Assemblies of the Kingdom of Denmark before the year 1660. The buildings in this Town are generally well built and the streets uniform Besides other public buildings there are in it two fair Churches whereof one is dedicate to St. Cnute the other to St. Francis Not far from the former of these stands a stately Town-Hall upon a very spacious Market-place where King Frideric II. renew'd the ancient League between the Crown of Denmark and the Dukes of Holstein and Sleswic in the year 1575. When the Quire of St. Cnute's Church was repair'd in the year 1582 the workmen found in a Vault a Copper Coffin gilded and adorn'd with precious stones upon which was writ the following inscription in old Latin-Gothic characters Jam coelo tutus summo cum rege Canutus Martyr in aurata rex atque reconditur arca Et pro Justitiae factis Occisus inque Vt Christum vita sic morte fatetur in ipsa Traditur a proprio sicut Deus ipse ministro A.D. MLXXXVI Other Towns of note in Funen are 1. Bowens a Port-Town of good trade seated on the West-side of the Island at the North-end of Medelfarsund 2. Middlefar seated on the common passage from this Island to Kolding in Jutland On the thirtieth of January in the year 1658. Carolus Gustavus King of Sweden led his Army over the ice to this place and having routed the Danish Forces that opposed him made himself absolute master of the whole Isle of Funen 3. Ascens not far from the mountains of Ossenburgh where John de Hoy Nicholas Fechlenburgh and Gustavus Troll Bishop of Vpsal were slain and their Army commanded by Christopher Earl of Oldenburgh totally routed by John Rantzaw King Christian the third's General who level'd this City to the ground 4. Foborg upon the Southern coast of the Island It was once burnt by the unruly soldiers of Christian the third whilst Odensee adhering to the captive Prince Christian the second who at that time was kept close prisoner at Sunderburg redeem'd it self from the like fate by a large sum of money 5. Swynborg over against the Island of Langland From this place Carolus Gustavus King of Sweden led his Army over the ice into Seeland in the year 1658. 6. Nyborg the usual passage from Funen into Seeland This City was first fortified with a Moat and Bulwarks by King Christian the third It is very memorable for the battel fought by the Confederates of the Empire Brandenburgh Poland and the Low Countries in the year 1659 against the Swedes who in that engagement were overthrown and utterly routed out of Funen Besides the great Towns mentioned there are in Funen a great number of fair Villages among which they reckon up no less then 264 Parish Churches SEELAND SEeland the largest fairest and most fruitful Island in the Baltic Sea lies to the East of Funen from which 't is separated as we have said before by the Belt On the other side it is parted from Schonen by a small Frith call'd by the inhabitants Oresundt thro which
his Son Charles succeeded Matthias in all his Titles and Dominions The Bohemians fearing he might prove as severe a persecutor of the Protestants in that Kingdom as his predecessor had been refus'd to acknowledg him their King but immediately upon his being proclaim'd Emperor proffer'd the Crown of Bohemia to Frideric V. Count Palatine of the Rhine who accepted their kindness Which so highly enraged the Emperor that he resolved to use his utmost endeavours wholly to ruin and overthrow the Protestant party Whereupon ensued that bloody German war of almost thirty years continuance which was at last happily concluded by the Westphalian Treaty of Peace in the year 1648. After a troublesom reign of seventeen years spent in a continual Civil war which had ruined and laid waste the greatest part of the Empire he dyed at Vienna leaving his distracted Empire to his Son 1637. Ferdinand III. who the year before his Fathers death was elected King of the Romans He carried on the war which his Father had begun with variety of success He obtain'd a great victory over the Protestant party at Ratisbon and broke the vast power of the Swedes at the battel of Norlingen But afterwards being forsaken by most of the Princes of the Empire he was forc'd to think of procuring a peace by fair means and Treaty Accordingly the Articles of Peace between the Emperor and the other Princes and Estates of the Empire were sealed at Munster and Osnaburg the Popish Agents keeping their residence at the former of these Cities and the Protestants in the latter A. D. 1648. In the year 1653 Ferdinand IV. this Emperors eldest Son was elected King of the Romans at Augsburg by an unanimous consent of all the Electors and within a month after solemnly Crown'd at Ratisbon But dying within a year after his Coronation he never liv'd to inherit the Throne of his Father who surviv'd till the third of April in the year 1657. 1658. Leopold the present Emperor of Germany and Son of Ferdinand III. was elected on the eighth day of July after a vacancy of fifteen months into his Fathers Throne and Crowned at Francfurt the twenty-second day of the same month He is a mild peaceful and religious Prince a great lover and encourager of Learning and more conversant in the study of Books then Arms. Whether his young Son now living who is not yet full three years old will be elected King of the Romans or the growing Interest of the French King may engage a party strong enough for the Dauphin is a question that time only can resolve Of the Power of the GERMAN Emperors THO the words Imperator and Rex seem to signifie the same thing yet the general consent of all Nations hath for many years distinguish'd between an Emperor and a King and given the former the preeminence All the European Monarchs that write themselves Kings do willingly and readily give place to the Emperor of Germany whose Ambassadors in foreign Courts are always first admitted to Audience David Vngnade the Emperor of Germany's Ambassador at the Court of Constantinople having design'd to take formal leave of the Sultan was admitted to Audience for that purpose but observing the most honourable place in the Presence-Chamber taken up by the Persian Ambassador and not like to be resign'd he flung away and had left the Sultan and Court in a huff if the Persian had not which he afterwards was forc'd to do given him the place and seated himself below him 'T is well known that from Julius Caesar the Roman Emperors got the name of Caesares and every one of them after Octavian got the trick of surnaming himself Augustus In Germany the Emperor is to this day stiled Der Keyser or Caesar and he always writes himself zur aller zeit Mehrer des reichs which the Germans make to signifie the same with semper Augustus Further it is the generally receiv'd opinion amongst the Commonalty and the tradition is stifly asserted and maintain'd by many of their most famous writers that the German Empire is the same with that which the Romans anciently pretended to and hence it is that they call their Emperor Der Romischer Kayser that is The Roman Cesar and the German Empire Das heilige Romische Reich that is The holy Roman Empire I shall not here stay to enquire after the large extent of the old Roman Empire or the power and authority of their Emperors 'T is sufficient to know that Petronius's Verse Orbem jam totum Victor Romanus habebat was only an hyperbolical rant And when St. Luke tell sus there went out a decree from Cesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed he means no more by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then the several Provinces and Territories of which the Romans had then made themselves Masters So that tho we should grant which we shall find but little reason to do that the whole power and authority of the Roman Cesars descended upon the German Emperors it will not thence follow what some of the High Dutch writers endeavour to make out that all the Princes of Europe to go no further ought to pay some homage or acknowledgment to the Emperor of Germany But we cannot indeed allow them so much as this that the German Emperors have any right or title to the ancient Roman Empire The original of this conceit sprung hence Charles the Great in the year 800 coming to Rome upon some religious account or other and not to lay claim to that City was unexpectedly saluted by Pope Leo III. and the Citizens by the title of ROMANORUM IMPERATOR AUGUSTUS But what a sorry kind of Empire the Romans could then pretend to is well known The Western parts of their ancient Empire Germany and France were already in Charles's possession and the Soveraignty which that City once challenged in Spain and other parts of Europe was quite lost Nay in Italy it self the Pope and Citizens of Rome had nothing left to dispose of except that City and some few small Towns which this Charles the Great and his Father had taken from the Lombards by force of Arms and annex'd to the Dominions of the Bishop of Rome Whence it will appear that Charles the Great got little more then a bare Title at Rome and that some other considerations as the vast extent of the German Empire beyond the narrow compass of any European Kingdom has moved all the Western Monarchs to give place to the Emperor Besides the crafty Bishops of Rome have always made it their business to diminish the Emperor's power and grandeur lest it should eclipse their own By which means the Authority which the Emperors do still retain is scarce sufficient to secure them from contempt and the Imperial Crown brings little more dominion along with it tho much more honourable then that of an inferior Monarch It is an undoubted prerogative of every great Monarch in the world to confer Titles of Honour as Dukes
unanimous are sufficient to defend the whole Island against a potent enemy The Language anciently spoken in Rugen was a Dialect of the Slavonian or Wendish tongue Language But after the Dukes of Pomeren assisted by the Citizens of Stralsund as shall be shew'n hereafter had possession of the Island the Wendish manners and language were utterly abolished insomuch that 't is recorded in the Annals of Rugen as a memorable thing that in the year 1404 there was one old woman left in the Isle that understood perfectly and could speak the Slavonian tongue At this day the greatest part of the inhabitants speak the language of the Lower Saxons and some few especially where the King of Sweden's Officers keep their residence speak Swedish The ancient inhabitants of this Isle were the last of all the Northern Nations that were converted from their Idolatry and Paganism Religion and embrac'd the Christian Religion Helmondus seems to point more especially at the Rugians when he says Inter omnes autem Borealium populos sola Slavorum Provincia remansit caeteris durior atque ad credendum tardior However about the year 813 a company of hardy Monks ventur'd to preach up Christianity to these stubborn people and succeeded so well in the undertaking as in a very short time to bring over a great many of them to the true faith But they as quickly abandon'd Christianity and relaps'd into their former Idolatry For as upon the first preaching of the Gospel in Lycaonia the inhabitants of that Country were ready to do sacrifice to St. Barnabas and St. Paul under the names of Jupiter and Mercury so these poor people mistaking God's Ministers for God himself idoliz'd St. Vite a poor Monk that had undertaken their conversion by the name of Swant which name was afterwards given to a monstrous four headed Image which they worshipp'd in a sumptuous Temple To this Idol all the Rugians repair'd as to an Oracle for advice and the foreign Merchants that had made a safe Voyage were obliged to offer up some of their best Merchandises as a tribute of thanksgiving to this grand tutelary God of the Island Three hundred Horses were kept constantly for the service of Swant one whereof was white and never rid but by the chief Priest This Horse was now and then shew'n to the people in a morning all over besmear'd with dirt and sweat the Priest in the mean time protesting to the multitude that Swant himself had brought the beast into that pickle by engaging with and pursuing the Enemies of Rugen the night before The manner of worshipping this Idol which stood in Arcona the famous City in old Rugen before mention'd was thus The chief Priest looking into a Horn which the Image held in its right hand and which had been fill'd the year before with a precious liquor prognosticated from the good quantity or scarcity of the liquor therein contain'd the plenty or dearth of the year following That done with his lips shut for fear of harming the Idol with his breath he very solemnly poured out the remaining liquor at the feet of the Image and having replenish'd it afresh plac'd it again with a great deal of reverence in the God's right hand whence he had taken it down These Ceremonies being ended the rest of that day was spent in anniversary feasting and jollity In this miserable condition the Rugians continued for some ages until by a continual conversation with their neighbours the Pomeranians they were almost insensibly turn'd Christians and about five hundred years ago at last wholly quitted their Idolatrous practices and at this day the inhabitants of Rugen are as zealous assertors and maintainers of the Augsburg Confession as any Germans whatever The Isle was anciently govern'd by Princes of its own Gâ—â—â—mers whose Dominions reach'd beyond the narrow boundaries the Sea had set them a great way into Pomeren taking in all the Territories near Stralsund Gripswald and other places now subject to the King of Sweden Antiquity will afford us a Register of Eleven Princes of Rugen and those in the following order 1. Wislaus who is said to have been Prince of Rugen in the days of the Emperor Otho I. about the year of Christ 938. 2. Grimus Remarkable for nothing but his filling up a space in the Catalogue of these Princes 3. Cruco or Crito At the same time Prince of Rugen and petty King of the Obatriti in the year 1100 who after he had for some years exercis'd Idolatry and Tyranny in his Dominions was deposed and slain by Henry Son of Gothscalc another inconsiderable King of the said Obitriti at the entreaty of his wife Schlavine Daughter to Swantibor I. Prince of Pomeren 4. Raze A great Warriour who besieged Lubec and took it He died in the year 1141. 5. Teslaus A Prince who had continual wars with the Kings of Denmark two whereof Eric VI. and Sueno III. he as often overcame as he was beaten by them but at last was utterly vanquish'd and made tributary by King Waldemar 6. Jarimar Teslaus's Brother The first Prince of Rugen that embraced Christianity 7. Barmita arimar's Son He died in the year 1241. 8. Witzlaus II. Barmita's Brother and Founder of the Monastery at Campen He died in the year 1247. 9. Jarimar II. Witzlaus the second 's Son who immediately after his admittance to the Government rebell'd against the King of Denmark and at last after many Engagements got himself and his successors eas'd from that yoke in the year 1259. 10. Witzlaus III. Jarimar the second 's Son A great promoter of the Christian Religion in Liefland where himself sometimes took upon him the office of a Priest preaching Christianity to the poor Infidels of those parts 11. Witzlaus IV. The last Prince of Rugen of this Family Upon the unruly growth of the great City of Stralsund the Merchants and Burgers finding themselves able enough to grapple with this Prince were resolv'd to be no longer subject to him or any of his Successors if by violence or otherwise they could procure their liberty whereupon they openly proclaim'd themselves a free City declaring that neither the Princes of Rugen nor any of their neighbours could lawfully pretend to exact any Tribute or Homage from the Citizens of Stralsund Upon the noise of this revolt Prince Witzlaus assisted by some of the neighbouring Kings and Princes besieged Stralsund demanding submission together with an humble acknowledgment of their unpardonable crime in daring to make so traiterous a revolt but in vain For the Stralsunders not only persisted in the resolution of asserting their Liberty to the last but bravely withstood the assaults of Witzlaus and his Associates and after many hot disputes slew this Prince in a sally thereby putting an end to the controversie and whole Lineage of the Princes of Rugen in the year 1325. After this the Island of Rugen with other parts of that Principality upon the Continent came into the hands of the Dukes of
by the weeds Fowls are here in great abundance and variety Fowls Our men have seen those they call Bassgeese or such as once a year come to breed in the Bass a famous rock or Island near Edinburgh The natives also have a very great art and dexterity in making and setting snares and springes to catch them which they do chiefly for their skins and feathers Two or three of our men with their guns killed in one day fifteen hundred and found them worse tasted but better clothed than those of the same kind in these countries they could not eat them till flayed their skins being very thick tough and more cover'd with feathers which also were not easily plucked off which is the reason that the natives dress their skins as they do those of beasts and Seals and make garments of them using them to all purposes like other furrs with the feathers outward in summer inward in winter which is also observed in all other cold countries as well as Groneland All persons Of the North-light that have been there give a wonderful and strange account of a certain northlight as they call it not easily conceived by them who have not seen it It appears usually about the time of the new Moon and tho only in the north yet doth it enlighten the whole country sometimes also Norway Iseland and even these regions of ours as Gassendus vita Piresk exercit In Doctorem Flud saith himself observed and at large describes Nor should I much doubt to affirm that it is that which is sometimes seen in England and especially in the northern parts call'd Streaming It is said to be like a great pillar or beam of fire yet darting out rays and streams every way moving also from place to place and leaving behind it a mist or cloud continuing also till the Sun-beams hide it The country seems to be inhabited by divers nations Division of the Country differing in habit manners and language Those whom James Hall found and brought with him differed much from those with whom Gotske Lindenaw had to do That part which the Norwegians are said to have anciently possessed was an inconsiderable part of that whole country and they found several nations there besides themselves govern'd by several Kings tho they write not that they had wars one with another but only against them Our late discoverers in 66 deg 50 min. found a country which the natives as they could understand them called Secanunga who also said that they had a great King carried upon mens shoulders and they called him Cachico But more particulars than these I find not The inhabitants are generally of a low stature Inhabitants black hair flat nos'd broad fac'd lips turned up and of a ripe Olive colour some of them also quite black Their women for their greater ornament doubtless stain their faces in blew and sometimes in black streaks which colour they let into the skin by pricking it with a sharp bone that it will never be taken nor worn out In all things they resemble the Samoieds and Laplanders They are very active and strong yet could some of our English run swifter and leap farther than any of them but they were hard enough for any of ours at wrastling They are also very couragious and sometimes desperate for rather than be taken by our men they would throw themselves down the rocks and mountains Extreamly thievish treacherous and revengeful they proved nor could any kindness or fair dealing win them but as true Barbarians never omitted any opportunity of fulfilling their desires they would steal when they saw the Mariners look upon them After they had been well used and treated at their tables they would shoot at sling stones wound and kill our men if they could Yet are they apprehensive enough and quickly conceive yours and express their own meaning If they had not seen what was asked them they winked or cover'd their eyes if they understood not stopt their ears and the like They delight exceedingly in musick to which they would keep time both with their voice hands and feet wonderful also affectionate one to another and to their country In one voyage there went a Danish Mariner with black hair flat nos'd and other tho not very exact resemblances of a Gronelander as soon as they saw him they came about him kissed him hung upon him and shewed to him all possible demonstrations of kindness and affection And those who were in Denmark never enjoy'd themselves nor had any content but continually pined away and languish'd with discontent for their condition and love of their country Their religion such as it is seems to be unto the Sun for when our people invited them to conversation bartering c. they held up their hands towards the Sun and cried Yotan nor would they come near us till our men had done the like But John Munck and divers others having gone farther into the country found images such as we make of Devils with horns beaks claws cloven feet c. very ill made Altars also and quantities of bones of beasts as of Deer Foxes Dogs and the like near unto them They seem also as all Idolaters given to inchantments and sorceries Our men have seen them lying flat upon the earth and muttering their prayers or charms into the ground worshipping the Devil whose proper habitation they conceive to be under them In some diseases they tye a stick to a great stone to which they pay their devotions and if they can lift it up easily and lightly they think their prayers are heard and recovery granted In winter they retire from the Sea-side unto the warmer valleys where they have their houses and towns which are commonly caves at the foot of an hill round like an oven close to one another and passages in the inner parts from one to another their doors which are low and round open to the south and they dig trenches also to draw away the water that falls or drains from the hill The entrance and some part of their house stands without the cave which they frame very handsomly and commodiously of the ribs of Whales join'd artificially at the top and cover'd with Seals-skins They raise also one part of their floor higher than another which they strow with moss to sleep upon But in their fishing time they have tents which they remove from place to place in their larger Boats They set up four poles and cover them with skins which serves very well in summer when fishing is done they return with them to their houses Their manner of bartering is to make two heaps one of such things as they desire the other of what they would part with and they cease not to take away from the one or other till the trade is ballanced The chiefest things of ours which they valued were knives needles little pieces of iron looking-glasses c. for these they would sell their bows and arrows
standing as they were before wherein were their wives children c. but all the men of war he took with him and placed himself and them in ambush who rising up at the approach of Vng-Chan slew him and all his followers and presently seizing upon the Kingdom caused himself to be called Gingis-Chan and from the very beginning of his reign either incited or encouraged as all Authors agree and himself always pretended by some divine or at least supernatural apparition he designed wars upon all his neighbours and the enlargement of the dominion and name of Tatars He also set up a new Religion if it was not the same which was begun by Sagomorbar-Chan who was taken for a great Prophet of whom we know very little but wherein it consisted I find not any satisfactory account He believed a Providence and set up Mesquitas to comply with Mahometanism but as an Arabick Author saith it was like a branch broken off the great tree of the Musselmans law and is extremely detested by them He compelled none to his Law and gave greater indulgence then they to the Christians and some of his successors either Manga or Kublai were actually baptized with his whole family and many of his chief Officers who obtained great victories against the Saracens but afterwards they returned to their former impiety which is continued by them to this day The first thing Gingis-Chan did His Victories was subjecting to himself all the neighbouring Scythians which he easily did partly by force partly promise and subdued to the Tatar Government all Cathay eastward to the great Ocean and as far as the Volga or Edil westward He also extended his dominion very far into India and Persia Yet lived he not many years but at his death divided his conquests amongst his sons and after he had shewed them by a bundle of arrows which as long as bound fast together none of them could break but the youngest broke them all when severed exhorting them to unity amongst themselves and obedience to his eldest son he gave him the ancient kingdom and of his conquests as far as Bactria or Chowaresme and made him supreme over all His successor was Ogtai His Successors or as we call him Hoccota-Chan whose life also was short besides him he had many sons particularly one called Tuschai whom some call Ken others Cuine the Father of Batuu or Baydo of whom more by and by Hoccota had also Cuina-Chan who succeeded him The next Emperor to Gina or China-Chan was Mango-Chan who conquered China To him succeeded Cobila or Kublai Chan of whom M. Paulus Venetus Haytho and others write largely he is said to have been baptized and embraced Christianity by the perswasions of a King of Armenia The eleventh or as some say the thirteenth of this race not in order of succession to the Chan but to one of the brothers was Timurlangh whom we commonly call Tamerlan who attributed all his victories to his observance of the Religion of Gingis-Chan Of Tamerlan for which he was by the Mahometan-Doctors declared an Infidel and by their writers call'd Devil Plague Calamity Traitor and Aldighall which we corruptly call Degnal i.e. Antichrist to the Turks and indeed he persecuted them with very great violence and mightily encouraged the Sect of Gingis-Chan Concerning these Of Batuu account must be given in due place it is necessary for our purpose to speak only of Batuu or Baatu or Bayto whom our authors call Batus son of Hoccota He enjoyed the country upon the eastern banks of Volga or Edil and to give a specimen of his disposition when Ban either his brother or brothers son complained that he saw no reason why Baatu should enjoy the fruitful pastures upon Edil and himself as near akin to Gingis-Chan should be driven into the dry and sandy wilderness Batu sent for him and tho the words were spoken in his drunkenness which the Tartars are used to pardon he cut off his head This Batu therefore his son Sartach also possesing northwards all betwixt Don and Volga fell upon the Nations called Comani His Wars Alani and Gazani living between the Euxin and Caspian Sea and wholly wasted their country destroying all except some few who fled into Hungary and there got for awhile secure habitations Afterwards he fell upon the Polowczi seated upon the Tanais and all along upon the north of Palus Maeotis They are commonly said to have been Gothic Nations but Polotwski are called by the Russes such as live without houses in waggons wandring from place to place as they can find pasture for their cattel Whatever they were they sent Ambassadors to the Russes their ancient enemies for assistance against the Tatars as did also the Tatars to advise them to be quiet But the Russes put to death the Tatar messengers and joined with the Polowczi Some say that Cottian their Prince had married his daughter to Miecislaus Duke of Kiow and that this Miecislaus Romanowitz Miecislaus Mscislawitz with the Militia of Halicks the Dukes of Czirnovia Smolensko and most of the Russes joined all their forces to the Polowczi and having march'd twelve days together arrived at the river Kalcza A. C. 1224 July 17 the Tatars who were there encamped perceiving them wearied with so long a march immediately gave them battel and made a very great slaughter many of the Russians were slain and taken and the rest flying homewards were murder'd by the Polowczi whom they came to assist The Tatars pursuing their victory absolutely destroyed the Polowczi and seized upon their country which is that which we call Tartaria Precopensis About thirteen years after A.C. 1238 they fell upon Russia part of which they absolutely wasted as all the country about Kiow part of it being full of woods and lakes and not fit for the Tatars pasturage they conquer'd but gave them conditions whereof we have given before a short account p. 37. thinking it more advantagious to have tribute and dominion over the country then to lay it waste Not long after Batu divided his army himself with one part fell upon Hungary the other he gave to one Peta to march into Poland c. who the first year destroyed all as far as Sendomiria The next year he entred again and forced Boleslaus the Chast Duke of Poland out of the country who retired to the Monastery of Willehrad in Moravia Peta then also burn'd Cracovia all except St. Andrews Church which was fortified and well defended against them Thence they came to Breslaw in Silesia which they found burnt to their hands by the soldiers and inhabitants despairing to keep it Thence they came to Lignitz where Henry Duke of Silesia had got together a considerable army besides those brought to him from Poland Prussia and many other places and gave battel to the Tatars who there obtained a very great victory Henry the Grand Master of the Dutch Knights and many other persons of quality were slain and
still pay homage to the Princes of Poland From that time the Polanders begun to sleight and hate the Silesians seldom calling any of the Silesian Nobility to Councils of Parliament and balking the right succession if any of this Province had a just title to the Crown These jealousies and quarrels were fomented and increased by John King of Bohemia son to the Emperor Henry the seventh who by this means whedled the Dukes of Silesia into his yoke and afterwards forced Casimir the Great to resign the supreme government of that Province into his hands After this the Poles though they had frequent skirmishes with the Bohemians yet never regain'd any considerable footing in Silesia For excepting the small territory of Wschovia retaken by Casimir the Great A.D. 1343 and some other parcels of ground annexed to the estates of several Bishopricks and Abbeys in Poland Silesia is at present wholly subject to the King of Bohemia Lusatia was once conquer'd by Boleslaus Chrobri but soon after lost again Lusâ—â—â—â— For though when John King of Bohemia subdued Silesia Lusatia was reckoned a part of that Country and has ever since so continued yet the Polanders claim'd no more of it as Lords of Silesia then a few frontier Towns the rest was under the Marquesses of Misnia and Lusatia Princes of the Empire as Goldastus proves 'T is without all authority of Annals what some of the Polish writers have endeavoured to make out by Etymologies Neâ— Maâ—â—â— that the greatest part of the Marquisate of Brandenburgh was formerly subject to the Princes of Poland That New Marck indeed or at least a good share of it was theirs is beyond all controversy since as the best Historians witness Miecislaus or Miscio the first Christian Duke of Poland towards the latter end of the tenth Century first founded the Bishoprick of Lubuss This City was taken from the Polanders by the Emperour Henry the second but recovered by Boleslaus the first King of Poland His successours kept it till the year 1109 when it was again taken by the Emperour Henry V who gave it to Adelgot Archbishop of Magdeburg But soon after it return'd into the hands of the Poles When Silesia was as we have said divided among the sons of Vladislaus the second the territories of Lubuss devolved into the hands of the Silesian Dukes whence it happened within a short while after to be made a part of the Marquisate of Brandenburgh Cromer says 't was mortgaged by Boleslaus the bald and never redeemed But Dlugossus ad ann 1198. tells us 't was sold by Boleslaus son to Henry Duke of Vratislavia From that time the Kings of Poland have had very little to do in New Marck and at present have not one foot of land in it Vladislaus Jagello brought it wholly under his power but his son found it too hot service for him to keep it and was therefore fain to resign it up to the Marquess John Casimir their late King parted with the last stake by delivering up the Town and Castle of Drahim to the present Elector of Brandenburgh in the treaty at Bydgost in the year 1657. That the Slavonians were antient inhabitants of Pomeren is undeniably true Pom … Pomorska in the Slavonian language signifies near the sea whence Vincentius Kadlubko an antient and judicious Polish writer uses frequently the word Maritima for Pomeren and speaking of this Country these phrases are ordinary with him Maritimae Praeses Maritimae Dux Ingressus est Maritimam c. But whether or no the Polanders were masters of Pomeren immediately upon the entrance of the Slavoniaus is a grand question which the Poles affirm but the Pomeranians deny and 't is hard to decide the controversy between them Helmoldus agreeing as it should seem with the latter places Pomeren amongst the free Slavonian Provinces lying without the bounds of the Polish dominions And before his days Adam Bremensis gives us the same account Micraelius an Historian of good credit lib. 2. Chron. Pomer num 46. p. 191. is of opinion that the first entrance which the Polanders made upon Pomeren was in the tenth Century when the Emperor Otto III. authorized Boleslaus Chrobri King of Poland to make war upon and bring into his subjection the Prussians Pomeranians Wendi and Russians Which done the Emperor at a visit given King Boleslaus made the Bishop of Colberg a Suffragan to the Archbishop of Gnesna In the beginning of the eleventh Century Miecislaus II. spread his dominions all over Casubia and the Eastern Pomeren putting Garrisons into all the Forts and Castles between the Persandt and the Vistula and committed the government of them to Bela the King of Hungary's brother But upon Bela's return into Hungary Pomeren shook off the Polish yoke and only was subject to Dukes of its own till Svantibor surrendred it again to Boleslaus III. Duke of Poland upon condition he would free him from prison to which his own subjects had committed him After Svantibors death the Dukedom of Pomeren was divided amongst his four sons whereof two who were Dukes of the Western Pomeren from Colberg as far as the Marck and the Dukedom of Mecklenburgh were admitted Princes of the Empire by Frederick Barbarossa the other two were forced to yeild themselves subjects to the Crown of Poland But the Pomeranians soon weary of bondage revolted once more from the King of Poland and perhaps had for ever rejected his government had not Mestwin their Duke wanting issue endeavour'd to subject them to the Dukes of West Pomeren For looking upon the people of that Country as meer strangers being indeed three parts of them Germans they chose rather to give themselves up into the hands of their acquaintance then to be slaves to an upstart and foreign Nation Whereupon they unanimously swore fealty to Praemislaus II. King of Poland who took upon him the title of Duke of Pomeren and quarter'd his Coat with the Arms of Pomeren the Gryphins By this means the Kings of Poland became sole Lords of the Eastern Pomeren In the year 1460 Casimir Jagellonides straitned in the wars he was engaged in against the Teutonick Order in Prussia committed the Cities and Castles of Lavenburgh and Bouta to the trust of Eric II. Duke of West Pomeren whose successor George son of Bugislaus X. and Nephew to Sigismund I. King of Poland had these Cities confirmed to him and his posterity upon condition of paying some sleight acknowledgment to the Crown of Poland Upon these terms the present Elector of Brandenburgh renewed his title to these places after the usual fashion by his Ambassador in the year 1670. What right the Polanders have at this day in Prussia we have shew'd before but formerly their pretensions were much greater then now Sometimes the Duke of Masovia Lorded it over the Prussians and made the Master of the Teutonick Order his Vicegerent But in the treaty made between Sigismund I. King of Poland and Albert Marquess of Brandenburgh whom the
chief security to the Russes on this side but now are all given up by the forementioned Treaty A. D. 1616 into the possession of the Swedes As 1. Notteburg which the Russes call Oresia i. e. a Nut from its compactness and strength It is seated in a small Island at the mouth of the River Nieva which by reason of its breadth is a great security to it About the year 1614 Gustavus Adolphus besieged this City and after he had lain before it with his whole Army for a long time and not by force able to gain it it was at last by the Burghers voluntarily surrendred up to him not because they wanted any provision necessary to defend the City but because as is reported a strange distemper of Boils or Warts in the mouth and throat seized the greatest part of the inhabitants so that they were not able to eat any victuals or sufficiently to secure their Bastions against so potent an enemy 2. Ivanogorod built upon a Rock in a small Isthmus at the confluence of two Rivers it lies opposite to Narva parted from it only by a large and rapid River which runs from the Lake Peipus and empties it self into the Finnic Bay On the East-side of this City there is a small Mount made hollow partly by art and partly by nature in the side of which many of the poorer sort of people such as ordinarily live in the suburbs of great Cities come to inhabit 3. Jamagorod situated upon the River Laga 4. Capurium or Coporio a strong Fort lying upon the Finnic Bay All these Cities and Forts by vertue of the Peace concluded 'twixt Gustavus Adolphus King of Sweden and the Muscovite an 1616 or 1617 were deliver'd up into the hands of the Swedes and ever since by them retain'd of what was given to the Tzar by that Treaty see what was said in Muscovy p. 23. concerning the Province of Novogorod c. Of the new Accessions in Livonia SOme Livonia tho the lesser part of Livonia or Liefland as is taken notice of in Poland where a description of the whole Province may be seen belongs at present to the Crown of Poland all Esthonia with the Island Oselia and some Towns in Lettia and other parts which lye upon the Baltic coasts being in the possession of the Swedes and held by them by vertue of a Ratification of Peace concluded at the Monastery of Oliva near Dantzic ann 1660 between John Casimir King of Poland and Charles XI the present King of Sweden The Articles which chiefly relate to the Swedes and their possessions in Liefland we shall for the Readers satisfaction here insert 1. It was agreed on That a general and inviolable peace amnesty and friendship should thenceforward be maintain'd between the said Crowns of Sweden and Poland the Emperor Leopold and Frederic Wilhelm Marquess of Brandenburg and between their subjects of what degree condition or Religion soever 2. That the King of Poland for himself and his heirs should renounce all pretensions to the Crown of Sweden and the Great Principality of Finland and to all other possessions which his Grandfather John III. King of Sweden had formerly enjoyed but that the said John Casimir during his life might when he writ to any Prince or Ally whatsoever use the Arms and Title of the King of Sweden as well as those of Poland Only observing this that in all transactions 'twixt him and the King of Sweden he should stile himself King of Poland and Great Duke of Lithvania without adding any more Titles but only annexing three Etcaeterations thus John Casimir King of Poland Great Duke of Lithvania c. c. c. The like was to be done by the King of Sweden after the Title of Great Duke of Finland 3. That the King and States of Poland and Lithvania should yeild up to the Swedes all Livonia beyond Dwina with the Island Rune and some other places beyond the Dwina which the King of Sweden during the Truce had possession of and also all Esthonia and Oselia and all Cities Towns Forts c. that did formerly any way belong or appertain to the Crown of Poland the King of Sweden being hereby obliged vpon the surrender of these places not to lay any claim to Curland or Semigallia or to any Towns and Forts that belong to those Provinces That all the inhabitants in the Swedish Livonia should have free exercise of their Religion Laws c. with undisturb'd intercourse of Trade upon the Dwina And several such-like Conditions The whole Province of Liefland 〈…〉 in respect of its jurisdiction may be divided into Swedish and Polonian Liefland 1. Polonian Liefland Polonian Liefland which lies beyond the Dwina and contains in it the Dukedom or Principality of Curland and Semigallia with part of Lettia of which see Poland 2. Swedish Liefland 〈…〉 which may be said to contain the Districts of Esthonia Odepoa Oselia and Lettia This Province being frequently subjected to different Princes has no very certain limits set nor like names given to the parts of it by any that have undertaken to describe it Some Authors adding Harland and Verland as distinct Provinces from the former which may seem rather parts only of Esthonia then different Principalities from the rest I. Esthonia Estia or Esthland 〈…〉 so call'd from the Estii its ancient inhabitants is bounded on the North with the Finnic Bay on the West with the Baltic Sea and the Islands Dagho and Oselia on the East with the Lake Peipus and part of Muscovy and on the South with the District of Lettia and the River Dwina It is cut out into five divisions or Dioeceses Alentakia Wiria Harria Wicia and Jervia 1. Alentakia Alentakia which lies betwixt the Lake Peipus and the Finnic Bay having the River Narva on the East and on the West the District of Wiria In it are two Cities of note 1. Narva call'd commonly the German Narva to distinguish it from Muscovitic Narva which lies opposite to it upon a River of the same name not far from the famous Fort Ivanogorod It is a place of great strength and consideration and ordinarily well garrison'd with Swedish soldiers Behind the Castle there is a small piece of ground encompass'd with wooden pales which was given by Gustavus Adolphus to the Russes where they are permitted to live and enjoy free exercise of their Religion which is according to the Ceremonies of the Greek Church The German Lutherans of which there is a vast number that reside here have a particular Church allow'd them and Sermons preach'd to them in their own language This City is said to have been built by Waldemarus II. King of Denmark A. D. 1223. It was taken by the Russes in 1558 and by them lost to the Swedes A. D. 1581 and in the year 1599 by a Ratification of Peace confirm'd to the Kings of Sweden and ever since by them possess'd It lies in 60 deg of Northerly Latitude
serves for a good Land-mark to the Sea-men that sail along this dangerous shore This Church was first built on the top of a hill by King Eric Barn whom St. Ansgar had converted to Christianity about the year 848. Near an hundred and fifty years after upon the reclaiming of the Danes from the Idolatry they were relaps'd into this Church was turn'd into a Cathedral and Ripen made a Bishops See as it hath continued ever since There is a kind of an University at Ripen but comes far short of that at Copenhagen The rest of the Cities and great Towns of moment in this Diocess are 1. Kolding first built by Eric Glipping about the year 1268 in the place of an old Castle of the same name and fortified with such strong walls and good ditches as made it a City able to defend the frontiers of the Danish dominions which in those days reached no further South then this place But they that think Kolding had its name from Ptolomy's Chali who seem to be placed in this part of Jutland make it a City much more ancient Christian III. was so much taken with the situation of it and plenty of all things in the Country adjoining that he removed his Court to the Castle Arnsburgh which hangs over the Town which he repair'd and in which he ended his days On the South the City is washed by a River which divides the Northern Jutland from the Southern and separating it self into two branches is emptied soon after into the Baltic Sea The Bridge over this River brings yearly a great treasure into the King of Denmark's Coffers For besides the impost upon all other kinds of commodities for every Ox or Horse that passes this Bridge towards Holstein or any of the Hans Towns the owners pay a Rixdollar which considering the infinite number of Horses and Kine which are yearly sent this way out of the Northern Jutland must needs amount to a vast revenue 2. Wee l a compact neat and well built City on the Baltic shore but not very large 3. Ward 4. Rinkoping Both seated near the Western-shore upon the same River 5. Holstebro 6. Lemwick which is the outmost bounds of the Bishoprick of Ripen Northward seated on the Limfiord whence it has its name At Jelling a small Village in this Bishoprick not far from the City Wee l is to be seen one of the most famons Runic Monuments that the three Northern Kingdoms afford This Village is said to have had its name from one Elling a General of the Cimbrians and fancied to have been the seat of several Danish Kings The inscription has been thought worthy the diligent enquiry of Jos Scaliger Bonaventura Vulcanius Lindenbrogius Stephanius and Wormius and may therefore justly challenge a place in our description of this Province The words are these Haralter Kunugr bad kaurva Kubl dausi eft Gurm fadur sin Aug eft Thiurni mudur sinasa Haraltr Kesor van Tanmaurk Alla aug Nurvieg Aug tini folk Kristno i. e. Harald the King commanded this Tomb to be built in remembrance of Gormo his father and Thyra his mother Harald the Emperor won Denmark and all Norway and Christ'ned the inhabitants of both Kingdoms How worthy Queen Thyra was of such a lasting monument as this we shall shew hereafter and shall in this place only take notice of King Harald's styling himself Kesor or Emperor of Denmark and Norway Which seems to be done in contempt of the Emperor Otho the first who having conquer'd a great part of the Kingdom of Denmark annexed this to the rest of his dominions and writ himself Emperor of the North till this King Harald Blaatand forced him to retire and made him part with not only whatever he had taken in Jutland but a great part of Saxony After so great a conquest and defeat of so mighty an Emperor he had reason to assume a title as swelling as ever Otho could pretend to who came no further then Othesundt with his Army Especially if it be true what Helmoldus reports of him that he was so far King of Saxony as to be the Author of those Laws which are to this day observed in the upper and lower Saxony and contained in their Saxon-Spiegel Southern Jutland THE Southern Jutland which is often comprehended under the name of the Dutchy of Sleswic reaches from Kolding and the River Leewens Aa as far as the Dannewirk which is reckon'd about eighteen German miles The breadth of it does not any-where exceed eight seldom six miles The chief City Sleswic which sometimes gives name to the whole Province is Sleswic It is seated on a River or rather a small arm of the Sea called by the inhabitants De Slye So that Sleswic is no more then a Village call'd anciently by the Saxons Wic by the Hollanders to this day Wiick and the Latines Vicus upon the Slye Hence the ancient people of these parts are called by Ptolomy Sigulones which some read Slievâ—nes i.e. Wooners or dwellers upon the banks of the Slie Adam Bremensis calls the Town Slias-wig and Ethelwerd an ancient English-Saxon Historian gives us this account of it Anglia vetus sita est inter Saxones Giotos habens oppidum Capitale quod sermone Saxonico Sleswic nuncupatur secundum Danos vero Haithaby i. e. Old England lies between Saxony and Jutland the Metropolis of which is called by the Saxons Sleswic but by the Danes Haithaby In an old History of the life of Charles the Great it is called Sliestorff It had its Danish name Haitheby saith Pontanus from Hetha a certain Queen of Denmark Which assertion seems confirm'd by a passage in the Preface to King Aelfred's English-Saxon translation of Orosius And of Scipinges heale he cÆ¿aeþ ê§ he seglode on fif dagan to þem porte þe mon haetaet Haeðh um se stent betÆ¿uh Winedum Seaxum Angle hyrðh in on Dene i.e. And from Sciringes-heal he said that he sailed in five days to the Port which is called Haethe which stands between the Vandals Vinedi Saxons and the Angles to whom it is subject 'T was questionless heretofore a City much frequented by Merchants from Britain France Spain Flanders and all other parts of the trading world Adam Bremensis who lived about the year 1100 calls it Civitatem opulentissimam ac populosissimam i.e. a City exceeding rich and populous And so it must needs have been For before Mariners learnt perfectly the way of shunning the dangerous Sands upon the coasts of Jutland and at the entrance into the Baltic carriages were usually brought up the Eidor and Threan as far as Hollingsted by Ship and thence conveyed by Land to Sleswic where they were again shipped and so transported into Zeeland Sweden c. The Citizens here were first converted to Christianity and the great Church built by King Eric Barn assisted by St. Anchar about the year 800. Not long after in the year 1064 the Slavonians making incursions into this part of the Country
superadded to the Title of Freyherr to denote the antiquity of those four who bear this name in the rank of Barons Paurmeister gives his opinion of the case proposed in these words Ego Baronum genera nulla esse arbitror quocunque nomine Semper-Freyen Freyherrn Edle Herrn vel singulariter Freyen Herrn Edle vel Die Edle appellantur Nobilitate ac Dignitate pares esse Omnes enim generali vocabulo Herrn comprehenduntur ut perpetuo habet Decretorum Comitiorum subscriptio Von der Graven und Herrn wegen i. e. I do not think there are any different kinds of Barons but that whatever Title they may have whether Semper-Freyen Freyherrn Edle Herrn Freyen Herrn or Edle they are all of them notwithstanding of equal Nobility and Dignity since they all agree in the general Title of Herrn as we find the Decrees anciently pass'd in the Diets subscribed Von der Graven und Herrn wegen i. e. by assent and authority of the Counts and Barons And as Herrn is a common name for all sorts of German Barons so is Herrschaft a general name for a Barony which two words the High Dutch use in the same sense as we do Lord and Lordship We see then what the Title of Frey-herr signifies â—â—â—on And in the modern writings of the Germans we seldom or never meet with the word Baron tho this is as ordinary in Spain Italy France and England as the former is in Germany However Schottelius who made as diligent enquiry into the ancient monuments and records of the German Nation as any man whatever assures us that Bar or Baar in old Teutonic manuscripts signifies a Baron and is commonly there used instead of the more modern word Frey-herr And possibly there may be as just grounds for deriving Baro from the High Dutch as either the Latin or Greek For the Latin word Vir signifying a man separate and distinct from the vulgar by his virtue whence the generality of Critics derive Baro has in all probability been borrowed of the High Dutch in whose ancient Laws Baro or Barus and Foemina do usually occur for a man or woman The English Saxons call'd a man Æ¿er or Æ¿ar which the old Franks turn'd into Ber and afterwards Paro In Junius's Edition of the Codex Argenteus the Gothic word Wair is used for man and Waire in the plural for men Sometimes instead of Baron the Germans use the Title of Banner-herr â—â—nner-herr or Panner-herr which may be render'd Dominus vexillifer and signifies the same thing with Banneret I cannot certainly affirm that the word Banner-herr tho ordinarily met with in German writers is ever made use of to denote any High Dutch Title of Honour but only to express the Honorary Titles of other Nations What a Chivalier Banneret or Knight Banneret which the Germans usually render Banner-herr does signifie may be learn'd from the account which the Author of La division du mond gives of it Pour faire says he un Chevalier Banneret cest quant il a longement suyvy les guerres et que il a assez terres et revenue tant que il peult tenir et soudoyer cinquants gentils homes pour accompagnier sa Banniere Lors il peult licitement lever ladit Banniere et non autrement car nul autre home ne puit porter Banniere en Battaile sil n'a cinquant homes prestz pour battailler Which story of maintaining fifty men under him to accompany his Banner is in the end of the old printed Copy of Gesta Romanorum in French notwithstanding the assertion of some late Authors that a Banneret need have no more then twenty-five some say ten men under him The Germans call a Knight Ritter â—â—tter for the same reason as the Latins stiled him Eques because this Title was formerly never conferr'd upon any man that had not perform'd some gallant exploit in the field and who was dubb'd Knight by being accouter'd with a Sword and pair of Spurs One of our ancient English Poets Dan. Lydgate gives us a full explication of the Title of Ritter in these words Eques ab Equo is said of very right And Chevalier is said of Chevalry In which a Rider called is a Knight Arragoners done also specifie Caballiero through all that party Is name of worship and so took his ' ginning Of spores of Gold and chiefly Riding The first original of dubbing of Knights with a Sword came probably from the ancient custom of the Northern Nations of girding their young men with a Sword as soon as they were able to bear Arms. Nihil says Tacitus speaking of the ancient Germans neque publicae neque privatae rei nisi armati agunt Sed arma sumere non ante cuiquam moris quam Civitas suffecturum probaverit Tum in ipso concilio vel Principum aliquis vel Pater vel Propinquus scuto frameaque Juvenem ornant Haec apud illos Toga hic primus Juventae honos Ante hoc Domus pars videntur mox Reipublicae Besides this Ceremony of giving a Lance or Target to such as were admitted members of the Empire they had another way of adopting Sons per arma Thus Theodoric King of the Eastern Goths in Italy adopted the King of the Heruli by a Charter still extant in Cassiodorus's Northern History And hence Justin the Elder being about to adopt Cosroes the King of Persia's Son was advised by Proclus his Chancellor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Procopius speaks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. That it should be done according to the custom of the barbarous Nations who did not adopt Sons by Writing but by Arms. There are not so many several Orders of Knighthood in Germany as in most other European Nations Orders of Knighthood if we except those who have any Honour and Title of some particular Order sent them from the Kings of Spain England and Denmark For from these Princes several Dukes Counts and other Grandees of the Empire receive the honorary Titles of Knights of the Golden Fleece the Garter and the Elephant The Teutonic Order of Knighthood of which we have spoken something before in the Description of Prussia was first instituted under the walls of Acon or Ptolemais in the Holy Land altho Jacob de Vitriaco Polydore Vergilius Gretser and several other Historians of good note make the Order much more ancient After the City was taken by the Christians these new Knights who were most of them Citizens of Lubec and Bremen fix'd themselves at a Church dedicated to the Virgin Mary from whence they are sometimes stiled Equites Mariani Here they were setled under Henry Walpot von Passenheim their first Great Master in the year 1190. Afterwards when the Christians were beaten out of Syria they remov'd to Venice and thence to Marpurg in Hassia where as in several other parts of Germany their Convent was endow'd with fair revenues Whence some fancy they first got the name of Equites
death Elected Emperor Whereupon he conferr'd the Marquisate of Brandenburg upon his Brother 17. Sigismund King of Hungary and Bohemia who succeeding his Brother in the Empire sold the Marquisate to Jodocus Duke of Moravia but afterwards having redeem'd it out of the hand of William Marquise of Misnia to whom Jodicus had mortgaged it conferr'd it upon Frideric Burggraf of Noremberg at the Council of Constance in the year 1417. From which time we may begin to reckon up the third and last Catalogue of the Marquises of Brandenburg as follows 1. Frideric Burggraf of Noremberg was in consideration of his good services done against the Rebels in Hungary and Bohemia created as before said Marquise of Brandenburg paying only for his Investiture 400000 Crowns His Son 2. Frideric II. succeeded his Father Surnamed for his peevish and cruel temper the Marquise with the Iron teeth He was made Duke of Pomeren by the Emperor Frideric III. but his Brother 3. Albert relinquished all but the bare Title in Pomeren leaving nothing to his Successors but the name which they have hitherto kept of Dukes of Pomeren However he is said to have been so remarkable at some acts of Chivalry that the usual Titles conferr'd on him by Pope Pius II. were Achilles Germanicus and Vlisses Teutonicus He died at Francfurt at the Election of the Emperor Maximilian in the year 1494. His Son 4. John is reported to have been a Prince as eloquent as his Father was valiant and therefore he is commonly stiled Cicero Germanicus He left the Marquisate in the year 1499 to his Son 5. Joachim As great a Lover as his Father was a Master of Eloquence Founder of the University at Francfurt and first authorizer of the Reform'd Religion in Brandenburg 6. Joachim II. succeeded his Father and in the year 1534 got himself and his followers no small credit in a brave Expedition against the Turks at that time the common Enemy of the German Empire His Son and Successor 7. John George govern'd a long time in peace and prosperity During his life his Son 8. Joachim Frideric was Administrator of the Archbishopric of Magdeburg and after his Father's death govern'd the Marquisate of Brandenburg with the same peaceable meekness and piety He had the usual blessing of good and religious men the happiness to be a Father of many Children whereof the eldest 9. John Sigismund succeeded him He married Ann Daughter of Albert-Frideric Duke of Prussia and Mary Eleanor his Wife Daughter of William I. Duke of Cleve who married his Daughter to the said Duke as he did all the rest to other Princes with promise that upon the decease of her Brethren without issue she and her Heirs should succeed to all his Territories Upon this Title the present Elector of Brandenburg lays claim to the Dukedoms of Cleve Juliers and Bergen or the Mountains with the County of Ravensburg 10. George-William Son to John Sigismund and the Lady Ann beforemention'd claim'd in his Mother's right the Dukedoms aforesaid together with the Barony of Ravenstein All which were parted betwixt him and his Cousin-German Wolfgangus Palatine of Newburg and Son of Magdalen younger Sister to Mary-Eleanor But falling out at last about the division of their Territories they engaged their Friends and Allies in the broil the Palatine having call'd in to his assistance the Forces of Spain and the Elector John Sigismund in behalf of his Son the Confederate States of the Netherlands After the death of Bugislaus Duke of Pomeren 't was hoped he might succeed into that Dukedom also but how the Swede balk'd those expectations in the Treaty of Munster we have already inform'd the Reader This Marquise's Son 11. Frideric William is at present Elector of Brandenburg a Prince wise valiant religious temperate chast and in a word master of all the noble virtues without the least mixture of vices of his Countryand Family He was born in the year 1620 and upon his Father's death declared Elector in the year 1656. He has several Children by both his Wives before mention'd whereof the eldest Son or Electoral Prince Charles Emile was born the sixth of February in the year 1655. Tho the Elector of Saxony was formerly look'd upon as a much more potent Prince then the Marquise of Brandenburg Strength and for that reason has always taken place of him at the Elections of the Emperors yet certainly the case is much alter'd at present and the many accessions to the Elector of Brandenburg's Dominions whereof the present Marquise and his predecessors have made themselves Masters in these last ages have render'd him the most powerful and formidable Prince next to the Austrian Family in the German Empire Besides the Marquisate of Brandenburg he challenges the Dukedoms of Magdeburg Preussen Juliers Cleves Bergen Stetin Pomeren Casubia Vandalia Silesia Crossen and Jagerndorff Again he writes himself Duke of Rugen Prince of Halberstadt and Minden Earl of the Marck and Ravensberg and lastly Baron of Ravenstein The Marquise of Brandenburg's chief interest seems to consist in a firm adherence to the King of Denmark Interest who possibly is the only Prince can secure him from the encroachments of his neighbour the Swede Next to the Swedes he is most jealous of the Dukes of Saxony as having observed them more favoured by the House of Austria in the controversie about the Dukedoms of Juliers and Cleves then himself This obliged him to compose the differences betwixt himself and the Duke of Newburg upon easier terms then otherwise he would have been willing to have done The King of Poland is another terrible neighbour on the coasts of Prussia and therefore the Elector not daring to repose too great a confidence in a Prince who pretends a right to the Ducal as well as Regal Prussia is obliged to keep a constant and strong Army upon those coasts In the year 1657 this question was moved Whether the Elector of Brandenburg might lawfully be deprived of all the Territories which he held in Prussia as Dependances on the Crown of Poland upon his having enter'd into a League with the King of Sweden at that time declared Enemy to Poland The Polish Lawyers urged in the affirmative that the Elector was the King of Poland's Vassal and therefore forfeited his Lands by entering into a Confederacy with his Master's Enemies But certainly when we consider in what a miserable condition poor King Casimir was and how unable to defend either himself or his Subjects and again how probable 't was that in this conjuncture the Swedish Army would have swallow'd up the whole Dukedom of Prussia as it had already the greatest part of the Kingdom of Poland without being obliged to quit the field by such a Treaty the Poles had greater reason to thank the Elector for preserving by this expedient some part of their King's Dominions from the common destruction then to condemn him for wisely shunning the ruin which King Casimir had brought upon this Kingdom There are
them in the year 1648 which have not since been rebuilt However the place is still beautified with a fair Church College and Town-Hall and the Streets especially the Market-place which is in an exact square are generally neat and uniform Oelsse had anciently its own Duke who kept his residence in that City but upon the death of Duke Conrad the Eighth in the year 1492. the Dukedom was given to the Dukes of Munsterberg who have ever since been Lords of it In this Principality are reckon'd the small Cities of Bernstatt Festenberg Kunstatt Stroppen Mosebahr Hundsfeld and Trebnitz VI. The City and Dukedom of BRESLAW BRESLAW or Wratislavia the Metropolis of Silesia has its name from Wratislaus a Bohemian Prince its first Founder whence the Citizens bear a great W in their Coat of Arms to this day 'T is seated at the confluence of the two Rivers Oder and Ohla in a rich and pleasant Country Towards the North indeed there are some Marshes and moist fields whence are now and then some unwholesome gales sent into the Town and the whole City is reported to have been built in the place of a great Pond dried up The Citizens who are exceedingly numerous by reason of their great Traffick with the Hungarians Bohemians Polanders and other foreign Merchants who resort hither are said to be as neat and gentile in their Clothes and Cookery as any other of the Emperor's Subjects whatever Breslawers love to be esteem'd immediate members of the German Empire and cannot endure to be reckon'd a part of the Kingdom of Bohemia Hence 't is that they have obtain'd leave of the Emperors to bear the spred Eagle in their Escutcheon and that they petitioned Charles V. to confirm their priviledges For this reason M. Boregius a Breslawer who wrote a Chronicle of the Kings of Bohemia ranks Breslaw among the Imperial Cities but ne're mention it with the King of Bohemia's Towns altho it be certain that 't was formerly subject to that Prince This Goldastus in his learned Treatise of the Kingdom of Bchemia evidently proves notwithstanding what is usually alledg'd as an argument to the contrary by some ignorant and silly Historians that it was once one of the Hans-Towns The generality of the buildings in this City are fair and stately only on the banks of the Oder stand four old fashion'd Fabricks with Turrets on the top which the Antiquaries of this place fancy to have been the ancient Palaces of so many Schwabish Princes who in former days were Lords of this City Besides the vast traffick of the Citizens the Town is famous for a Bishop's See and an University wherein have been bred many learn'd men and some great Writers The Bishops of this Diocese who had anciently the Epiphet or Title of Golden given them from their vast revenues are put in by the King of Bohemia whom they acknowledg their supreme Head at least in Temporals 'T is a receiv'd Tradition in these parts that the Kings of Bohemia have no power to promote a stranger to any Bishopric in Silesia so that a Bohemian is no more capable of being advanced to one of their Dioceses then a Silesian is of being preferr'd to the Archbishopric of Prague But how false this report is Historians will sufficiently inform us Boleslaus Dukedom surnam'd the Long a Polish Prince was created the first Duke of Breslaw and Lignitz by the Emperor Frideric in the year 1163. But these kind of petty Princes not being able to secure their Territories and especially this large and rich City which was a bait sufficient to tempt the most potent Prince of the neighbourhood from the incursions of the Tartars Polanders and other foreign Enemies the Citizens of Breslaw were forced to put themselves under the protection of the Kings of Bohemia or as they will have it Emperors of Germany to whom they are now immediately subject VII The Town and Dukedom of LIGNITZ LIGNITZ a fair City on the banks of a small Rivulet call'd Katsbach is thought to have its name from the Lygii City a German people the ancient inhabitants of this part of Silesia About the year of Christ 1170 this Town was much enlarg'd beautified and fortified by Boleslaus the Long the first Duke of Lignitz After him Duke Frideric the second so far improv'd his predecessor Boleslaus's undertakings that in the year 1532 it became one of the best fortified Cities next to Breslaw in all Silesia Things best worth seeing in the Town are the Hospital the Town-Hall and Castle The Dukedom of Lignitz is reckon'd one of the best Corn-Countries in Silesia Dukedom and affords near as great plenty of the Terra Sigillata as the Dukedom of Schweidnitz especially the white sort which is here more plentiful then in any other Province The whole is commonly subdivided into seven Circles whereof four have names from the four Cities of Luben Parchwitz Hayn and Goldberg and the other three are the division of the barren or desert part of the Dukedom VIII The Ducal Cities of JAWER SCHWEIDNITZ BRIEG MONSTERBERG and OPPELEN THE City of Jawer is seated in a pleasant Valley Jawer tho not far distant from the rugged Crags and Mountains which separate Silesia from the Kingdom of Bohemia It has not the advantage of any River near it so that all the fortifications it has are high Rampires and deep Ditches There is little of note in the Town but the Church burnt down in the late Civil Wars A. D. 1648. but rebuilt more stately then before and the Castle wherein resides the Lieutenant of the two Dukedoms of Jawer and Schweidnitz The Emperor Charles IV. King of Bohemia married Ann Daughter of Henry II. Duke of Javer who with his Brother Bolco Duke of Schweidnitz died without issue whereupon these two Dukedoms were more immediately subjected to the Kings of Bohemia in whose hands they still remain To the Dukedom of Javer belong the Towns of Buntzlau Lemberg Schonau Greiffenberg Lahn Fridberg Lubenthal Schmideberg Naumburg upon the Queiss Kupfferberg and Hirschberg 2. SCHWEIDNITZ or Schweinnitz Schweidnitz has its name from the great Herds of wild Swine which were harbour'd in this place before the Forest was cut down in the year 1070. Whence the Arms of the Town are a wild Boar. It was afterwards much enlarged by Boleslaus I. who fortified it with Walls and Rampires and beautified it with several fair buildings so that 't is now one of the finest Cities in Silesia The most remarkable sight in the Town next to the Churches and other publick buildings is the great Gun in the Armory which carries a Bullet of three hundred and twenty pound weight This is by Schickfusius in his Preface to Curaeus's Chronicle of Silesia very improperly reckon'd amongst the great and extraordinary blessings which the Almighty has been pleased to bestow on some of the Cities in Silesia In the Dukedom of Schweidnitz are the Towns of Strigau memorable as we have already acquainted
East of the Dukedom dividing it from the Kingdoms of Hungary and Poland mention'd usually in Latin writers by the name of Montes Carpatii or Hungarici but by the Natives of this Country call'd commonly Jablunka Amongst these Hills the Silesians find the chief treasure of their Great Dukedom having here a great many Mines of Silver and Lead The Miners that inhabit these parts are call'd by their neighbours Die Walachen and are a sort of people much more rough and rustical then the rest of the Silesians A vast company of these Bores in the year 1643 revolted from the Imperialists and fled to the Swedish Army but were not long after reclaim'd The other row of mountains are on the South and divide the Dukedom of Teschen from the Marquisate of Moravia These Hills the Natives call Gesencke but Latin Authors make them a part of the Sudetes and name them Montes Moravici These latter do not afford that plenty of Ore which is found in the former but are tolerably well stock'd with Minerals and some Metals and supply what they fall short of the other in this kind with huge flocks of Sheep which are here pastur'd Other Towns of note in the Dukedom of Teschen are Bielitz Freystattlein Friedick Jablunke which has its name from the Eastern row of mountains abovemention'd Nistkow Strummen Skotschau and Schwartzwasser Some add Lassla with whom agrees J. Scultetus's Map of Silesia but this Town ought rather to be referr'd to the Dukedom of Troppau X. The County and City of GLATZ AMongst the Montes Sudetes lies the County of Glatz County being bounded on the South with Moravia on the West with Bohemia and on the East and North with the Great Dukedom of Silesia For which reason modern Geographers have been at a stand to determine which of the three Nations they should refer it to some of them making it a part of the Kingdom of Bohehemia others esteeming it a petty Province of the Marquisate of Moravia and a third sort who seem to have most probability on their side call it a Silesian County It s ancient inhabitants are thought to have been the Marsigni in whose days the City of Glatz was call'd Luca. After them the Hungarians got possession of this and the neighbouring Provinces and kept it till the Emperor Henry I. routed them and hang'd up their chief Commander in one of the Forests of this County From this great Hungarian Warriour whose name is said to have been Glozar the City of Glatz or Glotz was first named tho other Etymologists think its ancient name to be Klotz which signifies properly the root and trunk of a Tree but is sometimes taken for a large Forest or Copse of Shrubs such as they tell us once grew in the place where Glatz now stands The Nobility of this County have a tradition amongst them that before their Land was conquer'd by Henry the First and made Christian this County was immediately subject to the Emperors of Germany by whom 't was afterwards bestow'd on the Kings of Bohemia M. George Aelurius in his Chronicle of the City and County of Glatz printed in the year 1625 says that 't was as his Countrymen affirm subject at first to the Emperors but afterwards won and enjoy'd for some time by the Princes of Poland from whom the Bohemians took it and as appears from the Records of that Kingdom were Masters of it in the years 1074 and 1114. After this the Dukes of Silesia made themselves Lords of the County of Glatz which within a while return'd to the Kings of Bohemia and then back again to the foresaid Dukes In this state it continued till the days of the Emperor Charles the Fourth in whose reign it was once more subjected to the King of Bohemia And thus it continued till King George about the year 1460 bestow'd the Cities of Glatz Munsterberg and Franckenstein upon his own Sons who thereupon had the Titles of Dukes of Munsterberg and Earls of Glatz conferr'd on them by the Emperor Frideric IV. In the year 1500 the Dukes of Munsterberg sold this Country to Vlric Earl of Hardegg whose successors within less then forty years after sold it again to the Emperor Ferdinand I. who bestow'd it on the Lords of Bernstein From them it descended A. D. 1549 upon Ernest Duke of Bavaria after whose death it return'd again to the Kings of Bohemia in whose possession it continues to this day The Commodities of this Country are Iron Coal Silver-Ore Timber all sorts of Venison and tame Cattel Butter Cheese c. How rich the Country is may hence easily be gather'd that not many years ago the King of Bohemia's Stewards and Rent-gatherers have been known to bring into their Master's Coffers near forty thousand Ricxdollars yearly out of this one County The City of Glatz is a neat and compact Town 〈◊〉 seated in a pleasant plain on the banks of the Neisse but fortified with a strong Castle on the top of a neighbouring Hill which overlooks and commands the Town The great Church is said to have been formerly the Temple of an Idol worshipp'd by the ancient inhabitants of these parts in which as Aelurius tells us the young maids of the Country used to nail up their hair against the walls as was the custom amongst the ancient Romans and that not many years ago several of these kind of Tabulae Votivae were still to be seen The Charter of their City permits their Magistrates to coin money in their own names but they seldom make use of the priviledg any further then to give abroad a kind of small coin little better then the farthings and half-pence lately currant by the authority of no better man then an ordinary Grocer or Chandler in most of our Market-Towns in England Besides Glatz there are the following nine great Towns in this County Havelswerd Neurode Winschelburg Mitselwald Reinertz Lewin Landeck Beurath and Wilhelmsthal or Neustatl besides an hundred fair Villages and upwards MARCHIONATVS MORAVIAE Auct I. Comenio Excudebat Janssonio-Waesbergä Moses Pitt et Stephanus Swart Notularum explicatio Vrbs muris cincla Oppidum Pagus turritus Arx Zamek Castellum â—â—â—z Pagi innominati Monasterium Vinetorum colles Thermae seu aquae medicale Officinae â—â—â—â—aria Auri et Argenti fodinae Ferri fodinae THE MARQUISATE OF MORAVIA MORAVIA is commonly in the Bohemian writers preferr'd before Silesia altho this later be a Dukedom and the other no more then a Marquisate The reason of which preeminence must be ascrib'd either to this Marquisate's having been anciently a Kingdom or else to its being made subject to the Kings of Bohemia before ever the Silesians embraced their yoke The Germans call this Country Mahren and some of their writers would have it nam'd Mehrhenland or Equarum Regio imagining the true Etymology of the word to come from the multitude of Horses or Mares bred in this Marquisate But certainly the word Moravia which is undoubtedly of the same offspring with the
quarter is struck by a Child with an Apple the second by a Youth with an Arrow the third by a full aged man with a Tip-staff and the fourth by an old man with his Cane On the outside of the Church are shew'n the true increase and decrease of the Moon with the motion of the Sun through all the Signs of the Zodiack For a larger Description of this master-piece of Art I refer the Reader to the Treatises writ on this Subject by Dasypodius Schadaeus Frischlin c. The Bishopric of Strasburg was founded by King Dagobert who made St. Amandus the first Bishop of this Diocess Of late years there have been several quarrels betwixt the Bishop and Citizens who to this day are unwilling to allow their Prelate the Jurisdiction that he lays claim to The Armory of this Town is well worth the seeing But their University makes more noise in the world then it ought to do The Reader may expect a more accurate account of the present state of some parts of Alsace when we come to treat of the French King's Conquests in the Volume of France THE DUKEDOM OF WIRTEMBERG WIRTEMBERG is a Province of the great Circle of Schwaben a Country sufficiently provided for with all manner of profits and pleasures The Mountains are full of Mines and Vineyards and the Valleys are well stock'd with large Herds of Cattel 'T is of no great extent but so populous that there is in it 't is said 63 Cities 158 great Towns 645 Villages and 14 Abbeys Before the Civil Wars of Germany the Duke of Wirtemberg was able to raise an Army of 24000 men in 24 hours but that calamitous War lessen'd the number of Soldiers in this as well as other Provinces of the Empire The Princes of this Country were anciently no more then Counts but raised to the Dignity of Dukes by the general consent of all the Estates of the Empire in a Diet held at Worms A. D. 1495. The reason of which advancement was the great improvements they had made of their Estates wherein was contain'd only the Castle of Wirtemberg with some few Villages depending thereon When Duke Vlric was driven out of all his Territories in the year 1519 his whole Dukedom was sold to the Emperor Charles V. Afterwards in the year 1534 the Duke was restored to his Dominions by the assistance of Francis I. King of France and Philip Landgrave of Hesse the former whereof aided him with Moneys and the latter with Men and Arms. Whereupon he sent his Son Christopher to Ferdinand King of the Romans who agreed that the House of Wirtemberg should be again restor'd to their Dutchy paying homage to the House of Austria This order was observ'd till the year 1599 wherein by a Covenant made betwixt the Emperor Rodolph II. and Frideric I. Duke of Wirtemberg the Dukedom was reduc'd to its ancient state the House of Austria only reserving to it self the Title and Arms which the Emperor now bears of Wirtemberg and the right of Succession upon failure of Heirs male The Metropolis of this Province and place of the Duke's residence is Stutgard seated not far from the banks of the Neccar about the middle of the Country Stutgard signifies properly a Yard to train young Horses in and such some Antiquaries tell us was formerly the place where this City now stands This story they confirm by the Arms of the Town which is a young Colt let loose But I rather think this only a Rebus taken from the name of the City which may possibly have no more affinity with the true Etymology of the word then the Ox in the Arms of our City of Oxford has with the ancient name of this Town The Duke's Palace is a noble Fabrick adorn'd with most delicate Groves and Gardens of pleasure In these you have as fair rows of Orange-trees as well contriv'd Grottoes and Waterworks and as stately a Pleasure-house as at any Prince's Palace in the Empire But the Houses of private Citizens fall short of this pomp and grandeur Most of them are wooden buildings and of a very despicable height WIRTENBERG DVCATVS Apud Janssonio-Waesbergios Mosem Pitt et Stephanum Swart There is also at Tubingen a supreme Court of Judicature wherein all Controversies in Cases Civil and Criminal are determin'd by five of the Nobility four Doctors in the University and as many Burgers of the Town Besides this there is a Consistory of Divines and Civilians who take cognisance of all Ecclesiastical matters The first Rector of the University in this Town was Joh. Nauclerus whose Historical works Philip Melancthon took great care to publish in the year 1500. A Book highly commended by the learned Camerarius in his life of Melancthon The only famous men I think whom they can brag of for this last age are Martin Crufius and Will. Schickard both singularly well skill'd in the Oriental Languages Besides these I fancy 't will be as difficult to find a Scholar worth the mentioning bred at Tubingen as to meet with one City or great Town among the Hundreds of that name in the Dukedom of Wirtemberg which merits a particular description in this place The End of the Second Volume An Advertisement to the Reader FOR the literal faults which may have escap'd the Press there needs no Apology because these are neither so numerous nor so gross as to interrupt the sense or disturb the Reader And some of the more material Errata may be excused by considering the different times wherein several Paragraphs of the Book seemingly contradictory were pen'd For Example 'T was true in the year 1680 when the sixth sheet was printed that Augustus Duke of Saxony was Administrator of Magdeburg and Halle as is said Pag. 21. Col. 2. And as true that the present Elector of Brandenburg was Duke of both those places at the penning of Pag. 92. Some other considerable mistakes we have taken notice of may be thus Corrected I. Instead of Halberstadt pag. 9. col 2. lin 9. Read Hildesheim as in pag. 51. col 1. II. For Charles IV. Wenceslaus c. pag. 33. col 1. lin 35. Read Wenceslaus Charles the Fifth's Son c. Since as the best German Historians inform us Wence slaus was the first of their Emperour 's that had the Title of King of the Romans conferr'd on him AN ALPHABETICAL INDEX Containing The NAMES of all the COUNTRIES CITIES TOWNS RIVERS ISLES c. IN THE Maps of the Second Volume Places Map Latitude D. M. Longitude D. M. A Â AAb 34 49 30 26 50 Aag 01 47 40 25 20 Aaken 14 51 30 29 00 Aaihusen 17 51 50 26 40 Aâ—â— 01 51 00 20 00 Aâ—â—delost 14 51 35 29 30 Aâ—â— fl 38 46 00 23 40 Aâ—â—berg 01 46 50 23 30 Aâ—â—â—g 01 47 00 24 10 Aâ—â—â—w 38 47 00 24 20 Aâ—â—â— 2 3 05 54 10 25 50 Â Â 53 40 25 50 Aâ—â—h 01 50 40 19 50 Aâ—â—ve fl 05 53 25 26 30 Aâ—â—h 34 48
and set up a Government for himself in this Province and Helsingia which lyes Northward in Suecia properly so call'd having on the East part of the Province of Medelpadia on the West the Dofrine Mountains on the North Angermannia and on the South part of Helsingia and Medelpadia This Province did anciently belong to the Kings of Norway though in the reign of Olaus Scotkonung it is said to have revolted from Olaus Crassus then King of Norway and become Tributary to the Crowns of Sweden In the year 1613 by a peace concluded between the Northern Crown it was by Gustavus Adolphus yielded up to the King of Denmark but A. 1642 repossess'd by the Swedes Pontanus in his Map of Scandia reckons up some places of note in it viz. Alsne Ron Aus Lidh Hamer-dal Vndersaker Oviken c. In the time of Olaus Magnus this Province was under the jurisdiction of the Arch-Bishop of Vpsal Near a small Village in this Country there are says Messenius several large stones with Gothick Inscriptions which are a prophesy of what for the future would befall the Scandians 5. Herrndalia Herrndalia call'd by Pontanus Herdalia and by most Authors reckon'd as a part of Helsingia contains the Territories of Nomedal Hellegeland Frostena Indera Heroa with some others all which belong to the Dioeceses of the Bishop of Nidrosia and are in the possession of the King of Sweden Of the Baltic Sea the Finnic and Bothnic Bays and the Swedish Islands contain'd in them THe Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea so called says Pontanus from the Saxon and English word Belt because it encompasseth the Kingdom of Sweden after the manner of a belt or girdle or as Jornandes would have it from Baltia or Basilia i. e. Queen of Islands the ancient Greek name of Scandia or Scandinavia or as Adam Bremensis is of opinion from the Wiso-Goths who inhabited upon the Coasts of it usually call'd Balts i. e. a stout and valiant people is the largest of any Sea in Europe except the Mediterranean containing in it five and thirty Islands of considerable bigness besides an infinite number of lesser note The whole Bay as some are of opinion is call'd by Mela Sinus Codanus q. Gothanus or Gothicus from Gothia that borders upon it or Caudanus from Cauda because it comes from the main Ocean after the manner of a tail of a beast by Strabo the Venedic Bay from the Venedae a people of Germany who liv'd upon the Coast of it and by the Danes and Swedes the Oost-Zee because as may be gather'd out of the History of Eric Eigod King of Denmark the Danes who went pilgrimage to the Holy Land used to pass into Russia and the Eastern parts by this Sea It beginneth at the narrow place call'd the Sund and interlacing the Countries of Denmark Sweden Germany and some part of Poland extendeth it self to Livonia and Lithvania It either by reason of the narrowness of the passage by which the Ocean flows into it or because of its Northerly situation whereby the Celestial influences have less power over it never ebbs nor flows From the several Countries and places that it washes it has diverse names given it and is distinguished into different Bays the most remarkable are 1. The Bothnic Bay The Bothnic Bay counted from the Island Alandia Northward to the River Kimi which falls into it at the very furthest Cape It has its name from Both signifying in the Swedish Language a Fenny Country or a Land overflown with water 2. The Finnic Bay The Finnic Bay so call'd from the Principality of Finland which it waters Some will have the Sinus Venedicus of Strabo and the Mare Amalchium of Pliny particularly to denote this Bay The Swedish Islands in this Sea concerning those that are under the Danish Power see Denmark to begin with the most Southerly first are 1. Rugen upon the Coasts of Pomeren given to the Swedes by the great Treaty of peace at Munster and Osnaburg A. D. 1649. Of which consult the Volume of Germany 2. Bornholm is situate more Northward then Rugen and lyes opposite to Blekingia it has one City in it nam'd Santwyk and thirty-two small Villages This Island was by a Ratification of Peace held at Copenhagen A. D. 1660 given up to the Danes under certain conditions of which mention is made in Denmark 3. Huena or Hueen a very small Island in the Oresundic Bay famous for the City Vraniburg built by that excellent Mathematician Tycho Brahe where the Pole is elevated 55 deg 54 min. This Isle was yielded up to the Swedes by vertue of the foremention'd Peace concluded betwixt the two Northern Crowns A. D. 1660. 4. Vtklippa 5. Vtlengia both lying over against Blekingia 6. Oelandia a fruitful and pleasant Island in which are said to be the best breed of Horses that are in all the Swedish Dominions This Island A. D. 1526 was taken by Christiern King of Denmark and shortly after regain'd by Gustavus I. King of Sweden A. D. 1613 it was put into the hands of Gustavus Adolphus and ever since retain'd by the Swedes See more concerning it amongst the Provinces of Gothia 7. Gotland lying over against Ostro-Gothia in length seventy-two miles and in breadth twenty For a long time almost torn in pieces by the continual Arms of Denmark and Sweden till 1648 by a Treaty of Peace betwixt Christina Queen of Swedeland and Christiern IV. of Denmark it with the City Wisbuy of which see amongst the Gothic Provinces was wholly yielded up into the hands of the Swedes to be held by them as a perpetual possession 8. Oselia call'd by Pliny Oserica opposite to Liefland and reckon'd by some as a District of Esthonia fifty-six miles in length and twenty-eight in breadth In it is the City Arnsburg fortifyed with a strong Castle 9. Daghoe Dachden or Dagheroort parted from Oselia by a very narrow Bay 10. Alandia lying in the middle Sea betwixt it and Vpland reckon'd by some as a part of Finland in it is the Fort Castleholm 11. Hogland in the Finnic Bay with severalothers of less note and importance REGNI DANIAE Accuratissima delineato Nobilissimo Amplissimo Consultissimoque Viro D. GERARDO SCHAEP I. V. D. Inclyti et Celeberrimi Ansterodamensium Emporii Consuli ac Senatori et ad Serenissimos SVECIAE DANIAque Reges Legato Dignissimo Fidelissimo D. D. D. Ioannes Ianssonius DENMARK SAxo Grammaticus deduces the name of Denmark Danmark or Dania from Dan 〈◊〉 the son of Humblus a Prince of these parts many years before the coming of our Saviour This opinion seems to have been an ancient tradition amongst the Danes and is confirmed by one of the old Chronicles of their Kings published by Wormius out of a manuscript copy of the Scanian Laws writ in Runick characters in the beginning of which we read Dan heet den forste cunung i Danmurk der var fore Christus borth Af hannom call is Danmurk i. e. The first
King of Denmark was called Dan who reigned before the birth of Christ From him Denmark had its name But the stories they tell us of this King like all their ancient histories are so incoherent and incredible that little trust can be given to this etymology Others ridiculously derive the names of Danes and Danemark from Dan the son of Jacob. Some from the Graecian Danai Hadrianus Junius a learned Historian but not too happy in etymologies would have the Danes so called from the abundance of Fir-trees which grow in their Country not considering that a Fir-tree has not the same name Dannen or Tannen-baum in Denmark as in Germany for the Danes as well as the English call it a Firtre or Firtrae Pontanus sleghting all the conjectures of other Authors thinks he gives us a sufficient account of the original of the words Dani and Dania when he tells us That these people are the Danciones or Dansciones as the learned Mr. Cambden reads the word instead of Dausiones in the vulgar Copies mentioned by Ptolomey But this determination is not at all satisfactory for the question is not how long but whence the Danes have had their name For my own part I dare not assent to any of the derivations yet given but had rather guess that the Danes or Dansche took their name from the great opinion they had of their own uprightness and integrity For Danneman is a word ordinarily used among them to this day to denote an honest and good man Thus the Germans use the phrase ein Teutschhertziger mensch to signifie a true Dutch hearted fellow And we may observe that it was the constant custom of all the Northern Nations to give themselves names from their piety as well as prowess Thus the people who stiled themselves Germans War-men in the field were Teutschen or Godly at home and the Cimbri or Camp-fighters in time of war were Gottisch pious and religious as soon as they laid down their weapons The ancient inhabitants of Denmark were the Cimbri and Getae Ancient Inhabitants of both which we shall discourse at large in the description of Jutland Concerning the Goths something hath been said in the description of Sweden and more may be expected in the treatise of the Cimbric Islands The Kingdom consists of 1. Jutland Division and Situation which is a Peninsula washed on either side by the German and Baltic Seas and bounded on the South with some parts of the nether Saxony 2. Zeeland Funen with some more Islands of less note To these may be added 3. Schonen and Halland which formerly did belong to this Kingdom but in the year 1658 by a Ratification of Peace concluded at Roschild between Frederic III. King of Denmark and Charles X. King of Sweden were wholly annex'd to the Crown of Swedeland and by another Ratification held at Copenhagen 1660 confirm'd to it The Air is not so cold as in some places of Germany which ly much more to the South Air. nor so hot in Summer This temperature proceeds chiefly from the adjoining Sea which as in England fans the inhabitants in Summer and keeps them warm in Winter Sometimes indeed the Baltic Sea is frozen up as it happ'ned in the year 1659 when the King of Sweden march'd his army out of Jutland into Zeeland over the Ice and then Charcoal and Turf which is their only fuel stand their friends The Land naturally barren Soil and abounding with little but Woods and Mountains is by the late care and industry of the inhabitants made very fruitful Funen furnishes many foreign parts with Barley and Zeeland's greatest trade lyes in transporting of Corn and Hay Schonen is full of pleasant Meadows whence some Authors think it had its name for Schone signifies fair The rich pastures in Denmark afford such multitudes of Kine Cattel that according to Oldenburgh's relation some years forty thousand others an hundred thousand Cows and Oxen are hence transported into the Low Countries which must needs exceedingly enrich the Kingdom They have also good breeds of Horses but not in such numbers that they can afford to send any into other Nations Helmoldus tells us Fish that in his time the great riches of the Danes consisted in Fish And Saxo Grammaticus says the Sea-coasts round Zeeland and other parts of the Danish Kingdom are so stock'd with shoals of Herrings and other Fish that you may not only take them up with your hand without the help of any Net Line or Hook but that they hinder the passage of Ships and Boats Certain it is however strange and incredible Saxo's story may appear Herrings swim usually in infinite numbers and no part of the Seas were anciently better stock'd with this kind of Fish then the coasts of Denmark But of late years the Herring-trade has fail'd strangely here and those they do catch come far short of the English and Dutch Herrings in bulk and goodness I am unwilling to think with Oldenburgh this decay of the Fishing-trade in Denmark a judgment inflicted on the inhabitants since our Fishermen will tell us that some years the Herrings haunt the English shore sometimes the Dutch or French However tho the Herrings have forsaken them they have still plenty of other sorts of Fish as Plaise Whiting Cod c. which they dry and send abroad Pontanus to shew how well they are provided in this kind tells us this memorable story It happened not many years before the writing of his History of Denmark that several Ambassadors from most of the greatest Princes in Europe being met together at the Emperor of Germany's Court had some disputes about precedency Some of them asserted the dignity and power of their Masters from the riches of their Country in Gold and Silver others brag'd of the plenty of Corn Fruits c. when all had done the Danish Ambassador told them That should the richest Prince in Europe sell his Kingdom and with the price buy nothing else but wooden Platters the King his Master was able to fill them all with three sorts of fresh Fish Whereupon they unanimously declared the King of Denmark the happiest Prince in Christendom and placed his Ambassador next the King of France's who sat on the Emperors right hand Their Forrests are full of all sorts of Venison Forrests insomuch that every hunting season which commonly is in August there are above sixteen hundred Bucks brought in to the Kings Palaces besides an infinite number of Hares Conies Boars c. However the ancient Romans vilified and contemned all the Northern Nations Manners esteeming them a sort of barbarous dull and unactive people yet 't is manifest from the relations given by Lucius Florus and other Roman Historians who never cared for speaking too well of their enemies how stoutly the Cimbrians encounter'd the Roman Forces And 't is more then probable that the Galli Senones came out of this Country who forced their Infantry to take sanctuary or