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A90698
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The present state of Denmark and reflections upon the ancient state thereof. Together with a particular account of the birth, education, martial atchievements and brave performances of His Royal Highness Prince George, only brother of His present Majesty of Denmark. / By G. Pierreville Gent. Secretary to the King's Minister at the Court of Denmark.
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Pierreville, Gideon.
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1683
(1683)
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Wing P2212A; ESTC R203183
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58,876
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158
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His Royall Highness Prince GEORGE Brother to Christian the 5th the Present King of Denmarke Etate sue 30. 1683 THE Present State OF DENMARK AND REFLECTIONS UPON THE Ancient State thereof Together with a particular Account of the Birth Education Martial Atchievements and brave Performances of his Royal Highness Prince GEORGE Only Brother to His present Majesty of Denmark By G. Pierreville Gent. Secretary to the King's Minister at the Court of Denmark LONDON Printed for William Benbridg in Huggins Alley in Woodstreet 1683. To His Grace Charles Seamour Duke of Somerset c. May it please your Grace HAving been some years Secretary to the King's Minister at the Court of Denmark and brought some Memoirs from thence relating both to the Ancient and Modern State of that Kingdom I was prevailed with through the Importunities of some Friends to commit them to the Press For the Northern Regions not lying in the usual Road of our Travellers and not being thought to have any thing sufficiently inviting as to engage them to undergo the inconveniencies and hardships that attend all Voyages into those Parts nor to make such a stay as is requisite for the rendring their Observations worthy of the Curiosity of the Age. We are generally very much in the Dark as to the Government and Manners of those People This has made me liable since my return from those Climats to daily Questions about them especially of late since the Discourses of the Match between my Lady Ann and Prince George People beginning to accuse themselves for entertaining so slender an Opinion of these Countries that can produce a Prince every way so great and endued with such Royal Qualities as is His Royal Highness Though these Considerations made me give way to the instancy of my Acquaintance yet I could not resolve upon the making them publick without imploring the Patronage of your Graces Illustrious Name And though I ought to have curb'd my Presumption from offering you up so unpolisht and so imperfect an Oblation yet hoping that some things in it might merit your Graces Speculation I flatter'd my self that your Grace abounding with so much goodness would pardon in me the Ambition I had to declare the profound Zeal Respect and Submission wherewith I am My Lord Your Graces Most humble and most obedient Servant G. PIERREVILLE THE Present State OF DENMARK THE Kingdom of Denmark containing that part of the Cimbrick Chersonese called Juitland Holstein a great Shoal of Islands the Principal whereof are Zealand Funen and many more but of less Note with the great continent of Norway and the Isles thereof is Bounded on the West with the Main Western Ocean on the East with the Baltick Sea on the north-North-East with part of Sweedland Full-North with the Main Frozen Ocean and on the South with Germany from which it is seperated on the South-west by the River Albis and on the South-East by the Trave a small Isthmus or Neck of Land Uniting it to that Continent It had its Name from the People of those many Islands which lie together in the Bay or Gulph called Sinus Codanus Now the Baltick Sea who took upon them the Name of Danes Extending their Name afterwards as they did their Conquest and not from Dan a Fabulous King thereof above a Thousand years before the Birth of our Saviour As for its Position in regard of the Heavens part of it lieth within the Northern temperate Zone and part within the Artict Circle reaching from the middle Parallel of the 10th Clime or 55 Degree of Latitude where it Joyneth with Germany as far as the 71 Degree where the Frozen Ocean is its only Boundary thus the longest Day in the Southern parts hereof is 17 hours and a quarter But in the parts farthest North they have no Night for two whole Months three Weeks one day and some Seaven hours over as on the Contrary no Day for the like space of time when the Sun is farthest distant in the other Tropick Thus the Air would be very sharp and bitter were it not Temperated by the warm Vapours of the Sun by which means in Juitland Zealand and the Adjoyning Islands it is not so Cold as in places which lie much more South Now tho the Land be Naturally Sterile and affording little besides Woods and Mountains yet the Care and Industry of the Inhabitants have made it very Fruitful Denmark abounds in Rich Pastures which Feed such vast Numbers of Cattle that it has been some times known that in one Year a Hundred-Thousand Cows and Oxen have been hence Exported into Germany and the Netherlands which brings a Vast Income to the Kingdom nor do they want excellent Breeds of Horses that part of it called Oldenburg especially Furnishing the best and finest Coach-Horses of all Europe The Sea Coasts of Juitland Zealand and other parts of the Danish Territories are plied with such Vast Shoals of Herrings Plaise Whitings Cod and other Fish that they are almost capable of Hindring the Passage of Boats and Ships Nor are their Forrests less stocked with Venison there being no less every Hunting Season than Fifteen Hundred Bucks brought into the Kings Pallaces besides Vast numbers of Wilde Boars Hares and such like sort of Gaim Notwithstanding the mean Opinion which the Romans had and the Ill Character they have given us of all the Northern Nations yet they found themselves constrained to Buckle under their Vigourous Attacks and abandon their City and Country as a Prey to the Pillage and Mercy of the Triumphing Cambrians nor are the other Northern Nations insensible of the Mettle and keenness of the Danish Swords the Danes having Conquered Ireland no less than Eight several times Beaten the English Ten times and who for a long while were Subject to the Kings of Denmark Scotland for some time Tributary to this Crown Saxony has paid Homage to several of the Danish Kings and Sweeden frequently own'd e'm for their Soveraigns nor is the Kingdom of Norway a small proof of the Danish Courage neither have their Women been Barren of Brave performances their Exploits being equally Glorious with those of the greatest Heroes of other Nations But Valour and Warlike Conduct are not the only qualities praise worthy in the Danes they are no less to be Commended for their Hospitality and Extraordinary Complaisance to all Strangers and tho their Entertainments do sometimes degenerate into Luxury and excess yet without doubt the Crime is much more Pardonable in them than those who live under a more happy Climate The Danes indeed are Haughty and Superstitiously Jealous of their Honor revenging the least outrage and contempt and resenting to a High Degree all things which give the least apprehension of an Affront and as they are Rigorous Prosecutors of Insults done to themselves so are they no less severe Punishers of Criminals of State especially Thieves and Pirates And as they are Peremptory in their Executing of Justice upon Offenders so are they most Religious in doing
April 1646. Elected King of Denmark and acknowledged Heir of that Crown on the 12 of June 1650 Married on the 10 of May 1667 Charlotta Landgrave of Hesse Castle the Daughter of the Landgrave William and of Hedwige Sophina Electoral Princess of Brandenburg the Ceremony of their Marriage was performed at Niccoping in the Isle of Falster in the Month of July in the same year with all the Splendour and magnificence Imaginable by this Princess the King has a numerous Issue But before I proceed to give an Account of the Royal Family it is convenient I first set down some Circumstances relating to the present King of Denmarks Person his Title Arms Dominions Patrimony Revenue and Strength his Power Prerogatives Supremacy Soveraignty and Respect And then I shall proceed to the giving an Account of the Nobility and Orders of the Knight-hood of that Kingdome with several other particulars ending with a Geographical or rather Topographical Descriptions of the several Provinces and Places belonging to that Crown And now first as to his Person having already mentioned his Birth Marriage and Coronation Than that he is possessed of all the advantages which Nature or Education could afford which have been so well Seconded by Fortune in several Expeditions into Schonen and Germany and the engagements of his Fleets that he is become the Darling of his People and the Terror and Admiration of his Enemies The King of Denmarks Title now is King of Denmark Norway of the Goths and Vandales Duke of Sleswick Holstein Stormar and Ditmarsh Count of Oldenburgh and Delmenhorst It was much more pompous formerly when he Swelled out the Catalogue of his Dominions with England Sweeden and other Provinces The Ancient Cimbrians are said to have had their Shields and Helmets Painted with the Shapes of several sorts of Wild Beasts and sometimes used to set a Brazen-Bull upon the top of their Standard as a token of Strength and Valour But at this time the King of Denmark's Coat is a Complication of Fourteen several Coats thus ordered In a Field Gules He bears a Cross Argent the Arms of the House of Oldenburgh which quarters the upper part of the Coat into four Cantons The First of these gives the Arms of Denmark Or Six half Hearts Gules three Lyons Passant Guardant Azure with Crowns of the First This Coat is parted with the Arms of Norway Gules a Lyon Crowned Or holding in his paws an Hatchet Argent with an haft of the Second The Second Canton carries Gules a Leopard in Chief Or the Field Sown with nine Hearts of the Second which are the Arms of Gothland these are parted with Gules a Dragon Crowned Or the Ancient Coat of the Vandals or Slavonians the Third Canton gives Azure Three Crowns Or to Denote the Union of the Three Kingdoms of Denmark Norway and Sweeden This Coat is parted with Gules a Paschal-Lamb Argent holding a Cross Or at which hangs a Streamer of the Second charged with a small Cross of the First The first Original of this Coat is said to have been this In the Year 1218. when King Waldemar the Second Engaged in a Sharp and Bloody War with the Lifelanders the Danish Troops having lost their Standard began to be disheartned to that Degree that they gave Ground and were ready to fling down their Arms out of dispair and yield the Victory to the Heathens When a new Standard of a suddain fell from Heaven Displaying a White Cross in a Bloody-Flag At the sight whereof the Danes forthwith Rallyed their Forces that were Dispersed with that Vigour and Courage as rendered them in a short time Masters of the Field The Kings of Denmark kept the Holy Flag in Remembrance of so Miraculous a Deliverance with all the care and Veneration imaginable Believing their Future Success did in a high Degree depend upon the Safety of so Sacred a Banner But though the Danish Historians do Assert this to be the source of this part of the Arms of their Kings yet it is much more reasonable to believe that this Banner was bestowed by the Pope upon their King when he undertook that expedition into Lifeland since the main Design of that War was the Conversion of those Infidels But to proceed the Fourth Canton bears Or two Lyons Passant Azure which are the Arms of Sleswic these are parted with Gules an headless Fish stuck on a Stake and Crown'd Argent which is the Coat of Iseland In the Center of these four Cantons and the middle of the great Cross hangs a Scutcheon bearing Azure a Horse-Man in compleat Armour Argent holding a Sword in his Right-Hand of the same with the Hilt Or his Horse covered with a Cloath of the Second which are the Arms of Dithmarse The lower part of the Arms contains four Coats more Whereof the First is Gules three Pinks some call them Nails of our Saviours Passion and three Leaves of Nettles which are intermixed and meet in Angles at the Heart of the Coat which is charged with a small Scutcheon Argent for Holstein The Second which is the Coat of Stormaria is Axure a Swan Argent with a Coronet round her Neck Or. The Third belonging to the County of Delmenhorst is Or two Bars Gules The Fourth and last Coat which belongs to Jutland is Azure a Cross Patty at the bottom of it Achet Or below the Arms is usually hung in a Chain Or the Scutcheon of the Order of the Elephant The Helmet Or Embroidered and Damasked the sights covered and wanting Bars above with a Crown Or encircled with four Circles and Adorned with precious Stones On the top of this a Globe Or and above all a Cross Patty Argent The Crest is a Leopard Passant over the Crown Or eight Streamers Azure a plain Cross Argent four Spears bending to the Dexter side and as many to the Sinister Or. Supported by two Savages Crowned and girt with Ivy Proper Armed with two pointed Clubs The Mantle Or Sown with Hearts Gules and Lions Azure doubled Ermine The Ancient Dominions of the King of Denmark were of a much Vaster extent than they are at this day that Crown possessing in the time of Canutus the Great England Denmark Sweeden Norway Slavonia Sambland and Normandy with several Islands Whereas now his swayreaches only over Juitland Holstein Zealand Norway Iseland Freezland Greenland the Feroe and some other Islands of small Note with the Counties of Oldenburg Stormaria and Dithmarsh and alternatively Slezwick as shall be shown more at large hereafter besides some Fortresses and Colonies in the East and West-Indies and upon the Coast of Africa The Kings of Denmark have certain Lands Annexed to the Crown which are inalienable and in case upon the Necessities of some Junctures any of them be alienated for the Publick Weale yet the same Prince or any of his successours may reunite them again let the consideration be what it will of their Alienation But it is no easie matter to State the account of