powerful have a joint Interest to limit the King's Power and to keep the Common People in subjection who are stupidly pleas'd with or rather insensible of their Slavery And the Notion of Liberty is so inbred with the Polish Gentry that if they should suspect that their King did aim at making any Breach upon their Laws they not only think themselves no longer oblig'd to pay him Allegiance but likewise exclude his Children For they maintain That â—â—ex est Rex their Law is their King and that they elect a Prince only to head their Army against the Invasion of Foreigners and to govern the turbulent Spirit of the Grâ—â—â—â—â—â— who think they are all equal among themselves and their King but the first among his Eqâ—â—ls So thâ—â— the â—â—urest way for a King of Poland to maâ—â— the Crown Hereditary is never to 〈◊〉 but to â—â—ave entirely to the free will of the Diâ—â— to â—â—ouse whom they please Which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the bad Success Prime 〈◊〉 had in the â—â—te Election caused by the ill Conâ—â—â—â— of King â—â—obieski his Father who prompted by his 〈◊〉 and French Counsel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—â—ears before his Death to perswade the Dieâ—â— iâ—â— thuse a Successor which drew such 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Jealousy upon his Children that very few appear'd for them in the last Election thâ—â— he â—â—lig'd the Chief Officers to whom he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—â—onsiderable Employment to take an Oath to 〈◊〉 his Childrens Interest after his 〈◊〉 But the Poles who think themselves to longer â—â—ound by their Oaths than they find them conformable to their Laws and Interest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tâ—â— abandon those Princes to chuse the Elector of Saxony and to give a new Precedent for two things they never practised before to exclude their own King's Sons and to elect a German Prince For the distance and situâ—â—iâ—â—n of the Elector of Saxony's Hereditary Dominions and the Jealousies the other German Princes would have conceiv'd had he usurp'd more Power than the Laws allow'd took away from the Poles all suspicion that this Prince would ever attempt to invade their Privileges as they apprehended the Prince of Conti and perhaps John III's Children would have done When I came first into this Nation my chief Design was to converse with Physicians and other Naturalists to improve my Knowledg in the Practice of Physick and in Natural History But finding little here to satisfy my Curiosity in these Matters that I might not lose my Labour in travelling in so remote a Country I resolv'd to look into their Chronicles to inform my self of the Origin of the Monarchy of the Succession and Remarkable Actions of all its Kings of its Geography and its Products and to enquire into the Antient and Present State of that vast Kingdom Which I have done with as much Care and Accuracy as I could well compass in so short a time People perhaps will admire how I could pretend to give an Account of so large and Antient a Kingdom not having been in it a full Twelve-month I own this were no small presumption in me had I undertaken to give a compleat History thereof but as I only relate briefly either what I have gather'd from the best Polish Authors learned from the most Intelligent Natives or observ'd my self I hope the Publick will have no ill Thoughts of me for this Attempt The first Writers of the Polish History like most other Historians were credulous and superstitious and have fill'd their Writings with a great many Romantio and almost fabulous Stories which I have omitted tho I have inserted some as the golden Tooth the devouring Dragon Popiel's being eaten by Rats and some others not with a design to make the Publick believe them or that I believ'd 'em my self but only to shew how the Ignorance of some and the unfair Relations of others have impos'd upon the World in all Ages I knew something of the Constitution of Poland before I went thither having formerly conversed with several Gentlemen of that Country at Paris in Italy and Germany which inclined me in some measure to travel with some of them from thence into that Kingdom Besides I came out of Poland with the Electoress of Bavaria the King's Daughter in Company with several Natives thereof who attended her Highness from Warsaw to Brussels In this long Journey I had likewise opportunity to inform my self further of the present State of that Country So that I have not only collected this imperfect Account which I have ventur'd to give of it during the little time I resided at the King's Court but likewise before I came thither and since I left it I did not at first design this Historical Account should swell to so great a Bulk nor that chiefly the Geographical Part should be so tediously long but thought to reduce the whole to the narrow compass of one Volume until Mr. S considering the Inconveniency of too small an Epitome enlarg'd the Geography of the Kingdom of Poland and of the Great Dutchy of Lithuania to make the Relation of them both more exact and more satisfactory to such as are desirous to compare the Towns and Provinces with the Map THE CONTENTS OF THE First Volume Letter I. TO the Right Honourable William Lord Dartmouth Of the Origin of the Kingdom of Poland with the Succession and remarkable Actions of its first Dukes from the Year 550 to 830. Let. II To the Right Honourable Laurence Earl of Rochester Embassador from his Majesty Charles II. into Poland Containing the second and third Classes of the Kings of that Country or the Succession and Remarkable Actions of the Families of Piastus and Jagello from the Year 830 to the Year 1574. Let. III. To his Grace William Duke of Devonshire Lord Steward of his Majesty's Houshold Of the Succession and remarkable Actions of the four Classes of the Kings of Poland consisting of mixt Families from the Year 1574 to 1674. Let. IV. To the Right Honourable William Earl of Yarmouth Concerning the Family and remarkable Actions of John III. King of Poland As also his Daughter's Marriage to the present Elector of Bavaria c. Let. V. To the Right Honourable Charles Lord Townsend Of the Extent and Products of Poland together with a Description of the chief Towns and Provinces of that Kingdom Let. VI. To George Stepney Esq His Majesty's Envoy Extraordinary to the Princes of the Empire Of the Extent and Products of the Great Dutchy of Lithuania with an Account of its chief Towns and Provinces The CONTENTS of the Second Volume being the present State of Poland In several Letters Letter I. To his Grace Thomas Lord Archbishop of Canterbury Of the Form of the Government in Poland and of the King's Power and Revenues Let. II. To his Grace the Duke of Norfolk Of the Senate of Poland or House of peers consisting of Bishops Palatins Castellans and the ten great Officers of the Crown as likewise of the Starosta's and other Persons of Note Let. III. To
Poland tho always Elective yet has been successively in the same Family from Father to Son or at least from Father to Daughter or other Relation from the Year 830 to the Year 1674 which is from Piastus his Reign to the Election of the late King John Sobieski except only the five Months that Henry of Valois reign'd I mean Henry III. of France who was kill'd by a Monk To evince this your Grace may be pleas'd to understand that the last of the Family of Piastus in a direct Line was the Princess Hedwigis who marry'd Jagello Great Duke of Lithuania His Male Race by her reign'd to Sigismund the Second's time of whose two Daughters one was marry'd to King Stephen Batori his Successor and the other was Mother to Sigismund III. who with his Sons were successively elected to the Throne to the time of King Michael Wiesnowiski who tho he was not lineally descended from Jagello yet came laterally from the Race of Koributh Jagello's Brother So that it is evident that the Poles have reconcil'd a free Election of their Kings with an uninterrupted Succession of the same for 844 Years as likewise that they have never excluded the deceased King's Son nor ever elected any German Prince to the Throne before this last Election of the Elector of Saxony Frederick Augustus now King of Poland But as it is lawful for all Governments to alter their Constitutions at often as they find it convenient for the good of the Publick so the Poles observing that their Native Kings have not of late sufficiently promoted the Interest of their Country were wise enough to choose a Foreign Prince whose Wealth and Courage would enlarge their Dominions as their present King Frederick Augustus is very likely to do being in League with the Emperor Muscovites and Venetians I hope your Grace will be pleas'd to pardon my Indiscretion in presuming to write of Matters which are altogether out of my Element since it was only to shew with what Deference and Respect I am My LORD Your Grace's most Obedient and most Humble Servant B. C. LETTER IV. To the Right Honourable WILLIAM Earl of Yarmouth Concerning the Family and Remarkable Actions of John III. King of Poland As also his Daughter's Marriage to the present Elector of Bavaria My LORD THE Obligations I owe to your Brother Mr. Alberti and his Lady join'd with the Value I have always profess'd for your Lordship's Friendship makes me glad to find this occasion of giving both you and them a publick Testimony of my Respect and Gratitude and since you have often shew'd your self willing to know something of the Affairs of Poland I thought nothing could be more agreeable to your Temper than that I should inform you chiefly of the Heroick Actions of that great Prince with whom your Brother for so many Years so prudently manag'd the Interest of the wisest Republick in the World in a long lingring War against the Ottoman Empire It is to his Kindness that I must own my self indebted for the Honour I have had of being in the Esteem of so Warlike a King and of being moreover entrusted with the Care of what was most dear to him John Sobieski my Lord is not so much to be esteem'd for his memorable Exploits after his Election as for his Merits and the wise Conduct by which he advanc'd himself from a private Gentleman of an indifferent Fortune and nothing at all related to any of the former Kings through all the Posts of the Army to the Crown of Poland notwithstanding the several powerful Factions which appear'd against him Immediately after the Death of the late King Michael Wiesnowiski John Sobieski then Crown-General gave a signal Overthrow to the Turks near Caminiec which caus'd a great Alteration in the Republick of Poland for thereupon the Turkish Aga and Treasurer were not so peremptory in their demanding Annual Tribute shamefully stipulated for by Michael as they had been before but were contented to be put off to the Diet of Election The Senate being assembled order'd publick Rejoicings and began their Session by leaving off their Mourning for the late King The Diet which preceded that of the Election was appointed to meet the 15 th of January 1674 which was design'd to be terminated in 15 days but the ordinary Disturbances that arose in these sort of Assemblies together with the Inclination which every body had to advance General Sobieski occasion'd it to be prorogu'd till the 22 d or 23 d of February without doing any thing but assigning a Jointure to the Queen Dowager The 20 th of April began the Diet of Election the Candidates were in great number and every ones Pretensions were heard The Czar of Muscovy who had been so often baffled at preceding Elections yet made fresh Interest at this His Envoy demanded the Crown for his Master's youngest Son who was then about thirteen or fourteen Years of Age but however he neither made so great Profers as formerly nor us'd any Threats for he would then have been laugh'd at Poland being at that juncture in a much better condition than before Next the Prince of Transilvania offer'd fifteen Millions of Money as likewise that he would unite his Principality to Poland and maintain fifteen thousand Men in the Service of that State against the Turk but these Propositions were look'd upon too considerable to be either real or possible for the Poles believ'd that they had possess'd themselves of the greatest Treasure of Transilvania when they chose Stephen Batori for their King The Elector of Brandenburg likewise had some hopes in favour of the Prince his Son when he profer'd that he should change his Religion as soon as ever he was elected but he soon quitted his Pretensions when he consider'd what had pass'd in regard to the Germans and Protestants in former Elections If this Prince had been a Roman Catholick his Family might have had just Pretences to Poland by the Interest of uniting Ducal Prussia to that Kingdom The Dukes of Modena and Parma had also their Envoys at this Election but whereas every body thought their business was to ask the Crown they only came to condole the Death of the late King and congratulate the Poles on their Victory at Chochim so that they did not add to the number of the Competitors Don Pedro di Ronquillos came from Spain without taking upon him the Quality of Embassador His Instructions were to recommend Duke Charles of Lorain after he had done his best in favour of Don John of Austria but this Policy did not take and the Council of Spain afterwards found another Expedient to rid themselves of this Prince A French Prince whose Name was not mention'd tho I suppose it was the Prince of Conde occasion'd the most Jealousy of all the rest The other Pretenders to the Crown were not a little pleas'd that this Prince was not nam'd The Duke of Neuburg renew'd his former Pretensions
about the Antiquity of the Monarchies of Persia Greece and Rome a certain merry Fellow started up and cry'd What makes you thus boast Gentlemen of the Antiquity and Extent of these Monarchies when ours of Babina is much more antient and of wider Bounds than them all What says David Omnis Homo Mendax all Men are Liars wherefore the whole Earth must consequently have been comprehended within the Limits of our Jurisdiction from all Ages His Opinion was unanimously receiv'd with Applause This Society further boasts of having always had Privileges and Immunities from Emperors and Kings but still such as were too severe in their Reflections were not to be admitted of this Republick The place where this Assembly met the Members term'd Gelda being the word that the Dantzickers use for a Tavern and which the Poles apply to a merry Company of witty Fellows Sigismund died of a Chronical Distemper at Knyssin in the Consines of Lithuania c and left no Children but had two Sisters surviving Catherine and Ann the former of which was first married to John Duke of Finland and then to the King of Sweden she was Mother to Sigismund III. who was afterwards King of Sweden and Poland Ann liv'd a long while a Maid till she was married to Stephen Batori Prince of Transilvania and afterwards King of Poland After this Sigismund's Death the Male Race of the Jagellonic Family was quite extinct I am afraid I have almost tir'd your Lordship's Patience with this prolix Narrative of the second and third Classes of the Kings of Poland yet I can safely aver that I have been as concise as the Subject Matter would hear since I have run through the Course of about 800 Years where your Lordship may observe that tho these Princes could never prevail with their Subjects to declare their Kingdom Hereditary yet they had sometimes Influence sufficient over them to cause them to elect their Children for their Successors while they themselves were yet alive And likewise sometimes the great Service they had render'd their Country oblig'd the Poles in Gratitude to advance their Issue to the Throne after their Deaths Besides the natural Affection which this Country always bore to the Royal Family enclin'd them to elect the next Relation to the deceased King But notwithstanding after Sigismund the Second's Death tho there were several of the Family of Piastus and Jagello remaining alive both in Poland and Silesia yet the Poles for fear so long and so uninterrupted a Succession of Princes of the same Line might subject them to a Despotic Monarchy as they almost were in Sigismund's time resolv'd to choose Kings out of other Families as they effectually did afterwards out of France Transilvania and Sweden which it would be too tedious to give your Lordship a Relation of and therefore to ease your Impatience I will subscribe my self My LORD Your Lordship 's most Obedient Humble Servant B. C. LETTER III. To his Grace WILLIAM Duke of Devonshire Lord Steward of His Majesty's Houshold Of the Succession and Remarkable Actions of the fourth Class of the Kings of Poland consisting of mixt Families from the Year 1574 to 1674. My LORD THE great Esteem and true Respect which your eminent Qualities and gallant Behaviour both beyond Sea and at home command from all those who have heard of your Name made me ambitious to give your Grace in this Account of Poland a Testimony of mine and congratulate my self in the Honour of being known to so great a Person The Subject my Lord I thought most sutable to so great a Mind and Genius as yours is a Relation of Heroic Actions I mean the Lives of the Kings of Poland from the last of the Jagellonick Family to the Election of the late King John Sobieski comprehending the space of a hundred Years By Sigismund the Second's Death the Great and Renown'd Family of Jagello came to be extinct as to Males for he left no Children and had only two Sisters Catherine and Ann. The former was first married to John Duke of Finland and next to John III. King of Sueden having been Mother to Sigismund III. who was afterwards both King of Poland and Sueden The latter Ann liv'd a Maid for a considerable while till Stephen Batori Prince of Transylvania being elected King of Poland marry'd her but had no Issue by her The ABp of Gnesna James Vchanski having notify'd the late King's Death to all the Gentry call'd a Diet after the usual manner to Elect another whereupon several Candidates appearing they all had their different Parties and Friends in the Kingdom The chief Pretenders were Ernest of Austria the Emperour's Son John III. King of Sueden the Great Duke of Muscovy and Henry of Valois Brother to Charles IX of France besides several Natives of the Country After a long deliberation they pitch'd upon HENRY of Valois Duke of Anjou and sent Adam Conarsky Bishop of Posnan and Albert Laski Palatin of Siradia in quality of Ambassadors together with several other Senators into France to bring him into his Kingdom after having agreed to the following Articles to the performance of which both the King of France and his Brother the King of Poland took a solemn Oath The Articles were as follows Imprimis That Henry of Valois should transport all his Effects and Annual Revenues in France into Poland 2. That the King of France should pay Sigismund the late King's Debts with his own Money 3. That the French King should maintain a hundred young Polish Noblemen at his Court and fifty in other Places 4. And lastly That he should build a Fleet in the Baltic Sea and help the Poles to carry on the War against the Muscovites There was another Article the King would by no means consent to till he came into Poland and that was 5. That he should marry the Princess Ann Sister to Sigismund late King of Poland King Henry having thus chiefly satisfy'd the Conditions he set forth from Paris about the beginning of October in the Year 1576 and pass'd through Lorain and Germany directly to Posnan in Poland whence he soon after went and was crown'd at Cracow the 21st of February 1577 but in four Months time after his Coronation receiving Letters from France that the King his Brother was dead without Issue and being begg'd to return to enjoy his Right he communicated those Letters to the Senate acquainting them withal that it was necessary he should return into France to prevent Civil Wars and maintain his Title to that Crown But fearing lest the Poles might have detain'd him as I have often heard them say they would certainly have done on the 18th of March he stole away and rid Post through Silesia and Germany into Italy and thence to France The King being miss'd next morning they sent several Senators after him who overtook him in Silesia and begg'd of him to return and not abandon a Nation so shamefully which
the Right Honourable James Vernon Esq Principal Secretary of State Of the Diet or Parliament of Poland and other Courts of Judicature Let. IV. To the Earl of Marlborough Of the Election and Coronation of a King of Poland with the Interregnum Let. V. To the Lord Marquess of Of the Power of the Gentry and Slavery of the People in Poland where the Genius Character and manner of living of the Poles are related Let. VI. To his Grace the Duke of Ormond Of the state of the Army Forts and Military Affairs in Poland Let. VII To his Excellency Monsieur de Cleverskerk Embassador from Holland An Account of the Trade and Riches of Poland as likewise of the City of Dantzic Let. VIII To the Earl of Burlington Of the Origin of the Teutonic Order and the Succession of its great Masters in Prussia and in Livonia with its present State in the Empire Let. IX To Sir Thomas Millington President of the College of Physicians Of the state of Learning of Natural Knowledg and particularly of the Practice of Physick in Poland with an account of some natural things chiefly of a Disease in the Hair peculiar to the Poles call'd Plica Polonica Let. X. From Baron Blomberg his Highness the Duke of Curland's Minister to Dr. Connor Giving an Account of the Duke of Curland's Family Strength and Revenues as likewise the Extent and Products of his Territories Let. XI To the Honourable Mr. Bridges eldest Son to my Lord Chandois and Fellow of the Royal Society Giving an Anatomical Account of the Natural Cause why People must necessarily die of old Age alone attended with no other Disease Let. XII To Explaining the Nature of curable and incurable Wounds demonstrating by Practical Observations and Anatomical Experiments the small number of Wounds which are of themselves absolutely mortal and shewing the true use and common abuse of Styptic Waters and Pouders in the Practice of Surgery A Catalogue of such Authors as have been consulted in both Volumes of this Book whereof some have been quoted and others omitted on account of Consent in Opinion POmponius Mela de Sarmatiâ Commentariolus Hartmanni Schedii de Sarmatiâ Aeneas Sylvius de Poloniâ Lithuania Prussiâ five Borussiâ Martini Cromeri Polonia Alexandri Guagnini Rerum Polonicarum Sigismundi Liberi Baronis in Herberstein Descriptio Lithuaniae Jacobi Pritusii de Provinciis Polonicis Chronicon Poloniae Vincentii Kadlubâ—â—i Matth. de Michovia Chronica Polonorum Polonici Regni tredecem Mutationes Johannes Duglossus Annales Polonorum Salomonis Neugebaveri Historia Polonica Johannes Herburtus à Fulstin Compendium Historiae Polonicae Flosculi Legum Polonicarum Stanislai Orichovii Annales Mariciani Mattbiae Ladovli Constitut Polon Compendium Pastorii Florus Polonicus Johannis Boteri Poloniae Descriptio Historia Reformationis Polonicae Authore Stanistao Lubiensko Equite Polono Stanislai Krzistanowicksi Status Poloniae Simonis Starâ—â—volsâ—â—ii Poloniae Relation Historique de Pologne Par Mons Hauteville Hartkâ—â—â—bii Respublica Polonorum Adam Bremensis Seculi IX Scriptor Historia Ecclesiastics Alhini Chronicon Hornii Arca Noae Historia de Vitâ Obitu Sigismundi Augusti Heidenstein de Rebus Polonicis ab exoessii Sigismundi Augusti Dâ—â—â—â—soanorum Clades a Johanne Lasicio Polonâ—â— â—â—obâ—â—slaus Balbinus Historis Bohemiae 〈◊〉 Historia Bohemiae 〈◊〉 Chronica Pomeranie Alberti Cranzii Polonicarum Rerum 〈◊〉 Annalâ—â—s Polon 〈◊〉 I. Regis Poloniae cum Fragmentls 〈◊〉 Vladislai Boloniâ—â— Sueciae Principis Vita Casamir Roy de Pologne Guerre Civili di Poliniae di Alberto Viâ—â—ina Description d' Vkraine par Beauplan Cuerres des Turcs avec la Pologne Histoire des Cosaques leurs Guerres contre la Pologne La Politique des Polonois 〈◊〉 diere Histoire des Dietes Philippi Honorii de Interregno Grammatica seu Institutio Polonice Linguae Effata Regum Poloniae 〈◊〉 Polonica Books printed for Daniel Brown and Abel Roper 1. FOur Treatises of Physick and Chirurgery 1. A Physico-Medical Essay concerning Alkaly and Acid. 2. Farther Considerations on the said Essay 3. A new Light of Chirurgery 4. The new Light of Chirurgery vindicated from many unjust Aspersions By J. Colebatch a Member of the College of Physicians 2. His Treatise of the Gout 3. His Doctrine of Acids in the Cure of Diseases farther asserted in which is contained some things relating to the History of Blood c. 4. Nature and Qualification of Religion in reference to Civil Society Written by Sam. Puffendorf Counsellor of State to the late King of Sweden Translated from the Original The Present and Antient State of Muscovy in which is inserted all things material to be known in relation to that vast Country with several Sculptures and a new Map A New Map of POLAND Exactly delineated after the best Modern Geographer THE â—â—ntient and Present STATE OF â—â—OLAND PART I. The Antient State LETTER I. 〈◊〉 the Right Honourable WILLIAM Lord Dartmouth 〈◊〉 the Origin of the Kingdom of Poland with the Succession and Remarkable Actions of its first Dukes from the Year 550 to 830. MY LORD HAving had the good Fortune some Years since to meet your Lordship at Venice in my Travels from France â—â—hrough Italy and Germany into Poland I â—â—ound that not contented with a superficial â—â—nd transitory Account of Places your Genius led you naturally to enquire not only into the Government Laws and Characters of the several Nations you passed through but likewise to examine nicely into their Maxims of State and their different Interests and this that by discovering the Excellency of some of their Constitutions and Defects in others you might like a wise and thinking Patriot admire the Perfections of our own Government Goodness of our Laws and Wisdom of our Senate whereof you your self are so worthy a Member My Lord You may remember that after your Resolution to take Medicines as well as my small Skill in prescribing them had had the good Effect of curing your Lordship at Venice of that acute Disease which made me almost despair of your Recovery I left you at Padua with the Earl of Kildare to gather strength and went thro' Tyrol Bavaria and Austria down the Danube to Vienna where having staid for some time to see the Emperour's Court I set forward with some Noblemen of Poland through Moravia and Silesia to Cracow the Capital City of that Kingdom from whence in eight days we arrived with a numerous Attendance at the King's Court which always resides at Warsaw where I was kindly receiv'd by the late King John Sobieski who did me the Honour to intrust me with the Care of his decaying Health and sometime afterwards his Majesty sent me with her Electoral Highness the Princess Tcresa his only Daughter then married to the Elector of Bavaria to take care likewise of her Health in her long Winter Journey from Warsaw to Brussels which gave me opportunity to come sooner out of that Kingdom than I at first apprehended I cou'd Tho my Lord my chief business both in Poland and other
extended their Dominions beyond those of any State in Europe had their other Constitutions been as well grounded or as exactly observed For tho the Poles have been constantly molested by their Neighbours the Suedes Moscovites Tartars Turks Hungarians and Germans and their Kingdom been several times reduc'd to Extremities burnt and plunder'd by frequent Incursions put into Convulsions and Desolations and thousands of their People been carry'd away into Captivity yet by the prudent Conduct and Courage of their Kings through a desire of gaining the Affection of their Subjects by serving their Country zealously to the end their Fame and Merits might raise their Children to the Throne after their deaths the Poles have not only always oppos'd but likewise repuls'd the exorbitant Force of their Enemies They have also by degrees enlarg'd their Country by vast Conquests and render'd it several times the most formidable of any Kingdom in Europe They have likewise never submitted to any Foreign Power no not even to the Romans by force They have also hitherto inviolably maintain'd their Liberties Properties and peculiar manner of Government against all the Attempts both of their Enemies abroad or the Cabals form'd either by themselves or their Kings at home and I believe I may say to their great Commendation that they are the only Nation in the World who have kept the longest Succession of Kings without subjecting themselves either to a Despotic or Hereditary Monarchy their Princes being now as most are thought to have been at first wholly elected by the People Tho My Lord I have said the Poles have never excluded their Kings Children yet must it be understood that their Crown has not always been in the same Family by reason that from time to time the Royal Line has fail'd and therefore they have consequently been oblig'd to elect Princes out of other Families but still I may very well affirm that there has never been any Stranger chosen except in the present Election where the preceding King had any Issue surviving The Princes and Princesses of this Kingdom have in all been fifty two whereof were Women as Venda and Hedwigis both having had the Government for some time and the other forty eight were Men. At first these Princes were only stil'd Duces Dukes or Generals of Poland as if their Office in those times had been no other than to head Armies for 't is to be observ'd that to Boleslaus Chrobry they were not so much as crown'd This Title continu'd from the Year 550 to the Year 1005. when the Emperour Otho III. created Boleslaus I. the Sixteenth Duke of Poland King being the second Christian Prince that had govern'd that Country all before him and Miecislaus I. his Father having been Pagans as were likewise the Poles themselves till the tenth Century when this Miecislaus the fifteenth Duke of Poland turn'd Christian in the Year 964 in Pope John the XIIIth's time by which means his Son Boleslaus came to have the Title of King All the Princes of Poland may be divided into four Classes whereof the first and last are of different Families the second and third of but one in which the Crown passes from the Father to the Daughter The first Class reign'd from the Year 550 to the Year 830 The second from 830 to 1382 The third from 1382 to 1574 and the last from thence down to our Time I shall now proceed to give your Lordship some short Account of the Succession and most Remarkable Actions of the first Class of the Dukes of Poland from the Year 550 to the Year 830. LECHUS Son of Annon first Duke of Poland as I said before founded this Nation He built the first City there naming it Gnesna now the Primate's See as likewise the City of Posnan Capital of Posnania 'T is uncertain how many govern'd before his Race came to be extinct and there is great Contest among the Polish Historians about his Successor but some affirm that he order'd by his last Will like Alexander the Great that they should elect the most worthy Person among them VISIMIRUS his Nephew was thereupon chosen who is reported to have extended his Dominions even to the very Borders of Denmark and to have built a very great Ship which was an exceeding Terror to the Danes He is also said to have given that Nation a great Overthrow by Sea and to have pursued his Victory into the very Bowels of that Kingdom where he subdued many Provinces and built several Cities whereof one was Wismar which retains his Name to this day In one Battel this Visimirus is said to have taken the Danish King Prisoner and to have carried him into Poland whence afterwards being releas'd and conspiring together with the Swedes and Holsatians he made an Incursion into Poland with a numerous Army but was soon met and vanquish'd again by Wisimir who thereupon push'd on his Victory so far as to reduce the greatest part of Denmark which he then united to Poland In opposition to this Story Monsicur Pauli Minister here from Denmark has assured me that the Poles never made any Conquest in that Country which may give some Exception to the truth of this King's Reign tho it may very well be suppos'd that several Kings reign'd during the space of 150 Years there being so much time between the beginning of Lechus his Reign and the Election of Cracus However to gratify the Curiosity of the Publick I hope I have not done amiss to insert it since I withal quote my Author After many glorious Actions having greatly augmented his Dominions this Wisimir died without Issue Vapovius says that Lechus his Posterity reign'd all that space of time between him and Cracus being 150 Years yet having consulted all their Historians I can find no manner of Account given of their Reigâ—â— nor of the Government of Poland in all that space of time Lechus his Issue being extinct 't is certain the People elected twelve Woievods in the Polish Language Captains of War to govern 'em who divided that Country into twelve parts for the Poles sticking close to their Liberty would then by no means put the Government into one Man's hands But soon after these Palatins disagreeing among themselves the People chose one CRACUS for their Head a very Rich and Popular Person reported to have been of the Race of the Gracchi at Rome who were banish'd into this Country by King Ancus Who this Cracus was all Historians do not agree The Polish Writers say he was one of the twelve Woievods but the Bohemians affirm he was a Prince of their Country He gain'd extremely upon the good Will of his Subjects for he soon appeas'd the impending Storms of a Civil War built a City on the River Vistula calling it after his own Name Cracow and transfer'd his Residence from Gnesna thither which is the reason that this City has ever since
all â—â—e Chronicles Histories and general Tradions of Poland agree that out of these dead odies came a vast number of huge Rats â—â—hich guided by an unknown Intelligence â—â—llowed Popiel his Wife and Children whereâ—â—ver they went neither Rivers nor strong â—â—alls close Rooms nor their very Guards as they say were able to prevent these Aniâ—â—als from crawling about 'em and continually eeding on their Bodies both night and day They first devour'd the Sons afterwards the Wife and lastly Popiel himself tho he retir'd or safety to an Island in the River Vistula T is said the Water-men were afraid that hey should gnaw through their Boat and sink â—â—m before they reach'd the Island for they â—â—lways pursu'd through Fire or whatever else was oppos'd to 'em with a great deal of Noise â—â—nd Fierceness This doubtless your Lordship will think fâ—â—bulous yet since all their Historians unaâ—â—mously agree in it I thought my self oblig to relate it as they do 'T is certain the Poâ—â— would never elect any of Popiel's Nephews â—â— any other of his Relations for the Aversioâ—â— they had conceiv'd to his Name after this â—â— normous Crime so that he was the last of hâ—â— Family that reign'd and likewise the last â—â— the first Class of the Dukes of Poland After the Death of Popiel the Poles electe one Piastus a Wheelright nothing related â—â— ther to him or any of his Predecessors H Family reign'd successively without interruâ—â—tion for about 800 Years of which it woulâ—â— be too tedious to trouble your Lordship wit a Relation and therefore I will conclude wit giving you only this imperfect Account â—â— the first Princes of Poland and with subscribing my self My LORD Your Lordship 's most obedient Humble Servant B. â—â— LETTER II. To the Right Honourable LAURENCE Earl of Rochester Embassador from his Majesty Charles II. into Poland Containing the second and third Classes of the Kings of that Country or the Succession and remarkable Actions of the Families of Piastus and Jagello from the Year 830 to the Year 1574. My LORD THE great Character I found your Lordship had left behind you in Poland to the Honour of the English Nation makes me as well admire your prudent Conduct and circumspect Behaviour at that Court as the happy Choice so great a Prince made of you to represent his Royal Person there for tho this Western part of Europe will hardly allow the Poles the same proportion of Sense and Judgment with most other Nations yet Politicians readily own that there is more Art and Policy requir'd in an Ambassador to manage his Master's Credit and Advantage with the turbulent Spirit of the Senate of Poland than with any other Court whatever govern'd by well regulated Methods and refin'd Maxims This my Lord the vigilant Court of France and wise Republick of Venice have long experienc'd and therefore of late have sent into that Kingdom none but their most accomplish'd Statesmen The Esteem the Court of Poland profess'd for your Lordship's Memory was fresh enough in my time to convince me that you were throughly acquainted with the Genius and Constitution of that Nation Two things Publick Ministers ought chiefly to be vers'd in and which are the Rules they generally go by in their Ministry to compass more effectually their Designs It would therefore my Lord appear vain in me to presume to tell you any thing New as to the present State of that Kingdom since by conversing with your Lordship I have learn'd some Particulars of that Country I knew nothing of before The Subject I thought most agreeable for your Entertainment was a short Account of the Renowned Families of Piastus and Jagello who reign'd about eight hundred Years and whose remarkable Actions were doubtless out of the Memory of those Grandees you convers'd with being only recorded in voluminous Annals which probably Publick and more Important Affairs might not allow your Lordship leisure to peruse The Kingdom of Poland beginning to make some considerable Figure in the World about the ninth Century and having imbraced the Christian Religion in the tenth foreign Nations particularly its Neighbours began to look more nicely into it and to embody its History with their own so that from thence forward I can promise your Lordship a more certain Account of this Country than hitherto I have given from the sixth Century to that time After the Death of the inhuman Popiel the last of the first Class of the Princes of Poland his Cousin Germans whose Father he had poison'd aspiring to the Crown were unanimously rejected by the Poles either because they were thought unqualified or undeserving or by reason of Popiel's Crimes which had entail'd a kind of Odium both on them and all his Posterity Whereupon a General Assembly or Diet was call'd at Cruswitz a small Town in Lower Poland but not being able to agree their Session was dissolv'd A little while after another was conven'd in the same place which being resolv'd to pitch upon some body to prevent farther Disorders elected one PIASTUS a Wheelright Son to Cossisco a Citizen of Cruswitz in gratitude for having supply'd their want of Provisions after the following manner Piastus having provided a small Collation for the naming of a Child born about the time of that Convention happen'd to be visited by two Pilgrims Paul and John whom they report to have been afterwards Martyrs at Rome These Mendicants being repuls'd at the Hall of Election were notwithstanding kindly receiv'd by him whereupon to return his Civility they named his Child Ziemovitus and departed Afterwards by the great Concourse of Electors Provisions growing scarce at Cruswitz and many applying themselves to Piastus for Relief he furnish'd them all gratis but that not without being thought a Miracle for 't was believ'd the Blessing of those good Men remain'd upon him and extended his Bounty much beyond his suppos'd Ability which made 'em look upon him as a Man sent from the Gods to govern 'em and therefore unanimously chose him for their Prince This good Man having thus obtain'd the Principality did not yet change his Life with his Condition but his Power being encreas'd continued his Bounty comparatively In his Reign there arose many intestine Disorders all which he soon quieted rather by his Clemency than Severity So being belov'd by good Men and respected by bad and having remov'd his Court from Cruswitz which he abominated for having been the Scene of Popiel's wicked Life to Gnesna he died in the 120th Year of his Age. His Family reign'd above 600 Years in Poland nay a Branch of 'em were Princes of Silesia a long while after to the Year 1675 when George William the last of that House dying without Issue the Dukedoms of Lignitz and Brieg in Silesia fell to the Emperor In memory of this Piastus when any Native ever after obtain'd the Crown of Poland they call'd him a Piasto He was succeeded by his Son ZIEMOVITUS
Son and the other nam'd Hedwigis he left to succeed him in the Kingdom of Poland This Prince was very curious to know what Opinion People had of him and was also exact in reforming the Faults they laid to his Charge For this purpose he was wont to disguise himself and enquire among the People how they lik'd their King and what they thought amiss in him and according to their Answers he redress'd the Grievances suggested to him My Lord I have hitherto given you a succinct Account of the Family of Piastus next I shall proceed to present your Lordship likewise with that of Jagello being still a Continuation of Piastus his Family in the Line of a Daughter Of the Family of Jagello When Lewis King of Poland and Hungary dy'd his Daughter Hedwigis being with her Mother the Queen Dowager in Hungary the Poles tho there were several Princes of the Race of Piastus left in Poland and Silesia yet either because they did not think them deserving or else by reason that they believ'd 'em engag'd in their Enemies Interests sent a solemn Embassy for the young Princess HEDWIGIS who soon came into Poland with Cardinal Demetrius the Bishop of Strigonia and several others of the chief Nobility of Hungary At her arrival the Poles receiv'd her with great Joy Splendor and Magnificence and the Arch-bishop of Gnesna Bozenta crown'd her after the usual Ceremonies at Cracow on the Feast of St. Hedwigis always religiously observ'd in Poland in the Year 1382 and she reign'd alone four Years This young Princess being not yet marry'd had several noble Suitors among which Ziemovitus Duke of Masovia was the first whom she refus'd the next was William of Austria who came in Person to court her Him she lik'd but the Senate of Poland would by no means consent to a Marriage with him having always had a Maxim which they never hitherto broke that they would by no means admit any of that Family to their Crown and this fearing so powerful a Neighbour might one time or other find means to make himself Absolute in their Country But at last Jagello great Duke of Lithuania had better Fortune for he soon obtain'd her by the great and advantagious Proffers he made the Poles He first promis'd to embrace the Christian Religion with all his Country who were before Fagans Next to unite Lithuania to Poland during his time under the same form of Government and lastly that in case his Male Race fail'd it should for ever after be annex'd to that Kingdom Hereupon Jagello was baptiz'd and takes upon him the Name of ULADISLAUS V. and after having consummated the Marriage with Hedwigis was consecrated by the Arch-bishop Bozenta in the Year 1386. and reign'd 48 Years Not long after his Coronation he went with Priests into Lithuania and in a twelve Month's time converted all that Nation but this not so much by their Preaching and Vigilance as by his own exemplary Zeal and Perswasion After this he erected the University of Cracow which Casimir the Great had only begun and sent to Prague in Bohemia for learned Men to instruct the Youth in all manner of Sciences which had never before been taught in this Country About this time Queen Hedwigis dy'd after having endow'd the University to encourage Learning This Prince had long Wars with the Teutonic Order which then very much insulted over the Frontiers of his Kingdom whereupon the Poles were not a little enclin'd to be reveng'd on this proud and powerful People Now Poland not being alone sufficient to withstand 'em Jagello made up a considerable Army of Poles Lithuanians Russians and Tartars with all which he march'd directly towards them who were got ready to receive him with a Body of about 140000 Men yet notwithstanding after a long and doubtful Fight the Poles happen'd to have the better and entirely routed the Teutonic Army killing their great Master Conrade of Thuningen with about 30000 Souldiers and near 15000 taken Prisoners This Victory the Poles pursued so far that they took most of the Towns in Prussia and doubtless had entirely destroy'd that Order had not the Emperor Sigismund ' come to their Relief who soon forc'd the Poles to make Peace with 'em and to restore all they had taken from ' em Afterwards Jagello had several other Conflicts with the Teutonic Order in all which he conquer'd He dy'd of a Fever in Russia after having reign'd forty eight Years and some Months and lies buried in the Cathedral at Cracow This King had had four Wives all which he caus'd to be crown'd and two Sons Vladislaus VI. and Casimir IV. Tho his Son ULADISLAUS the Sixth was but nine Years old when his Father dy'd yet after long Debates and great Opposition in the Diet he was elected at Briescia in the Year 1435 and reign'd ten Years He was so young when he was chosen that his Coronation Oath was fain to be dispens'd with his Mother Sophia and some of the Peers having promis'd he should take it when he came of Age. In the mean time the Senate were Regents during his Minority Some while after the Tartars made great Incursions into Podolia which then belong'd to Poland when having kill'd the Polish General Bucarius and the greatest part of his Army they retir'd with great Booty into their own Country After this by the Death of the Emperor Albert Hungary having no King to defend it against the Turks who threaten'd it on all sides sent Embassadors to Vladislaus to entreat him to come and be their King which after some Deliberation he accepted of and going into that Kingdom notwithstanding the Cabals and Party of the Empress Elizabeth who was left four Months gone with Child he was crown'd King of Hungary at Buda The Child the Empress went with was afterwards born and call'd Ladislaus but she dying not long after left King Vladislaus in Peace at least at home till the Turks oblig'd him to take Arms for his Defence abroad for Amurath Emperor of the Turks was not only then on his March to besiege Belgrade in Person but also commanded the Hungarians to pay him Tribute Hereupon Vladislaus was forc'd to declare War against him and under the Command of Huniades sent an Army made up of Poles and Hungarians to oppose him which coming upon him by Night surprized the Turkish Army near the River Morava in Hungary and made such a slaughter of 'em that 't is thought the Turks lost above 30000 Men that day After this happy Victory Vladislaus banish'd all those Infidels out of Hungary and pursu'd 'em to the very Frontiers of Macedon in Greece where he gain'd a second Battel over Carambeius General of the Troops of Asia took him Prisoner and drove his Army into Mountains and inaccessible Places The King was wounded in this Action Upon this occasion John Palcologus Emperor of
means was rated much lower than the House of Austria could have expected For altho it was urg'd to Sigismund that as Charles the Vth dealt formerly by the King of France on the like occasion so he ought to have a Sum of Money paid down sutable to the great Quality of his Prisoner yet Sigismund answer'd That it was to no purpose to propose Charles the Vth as an Example in this Case since that Prince had been guilty of an Action unbecoming his Grandeur When for his part he did not look upon it sufficient Advantage to have got the better of his Enemy unless he likewise had the Glory to give him his Liberty and not to make him buy it By this Mediation Maximilian was to quit for ever his Title to the Kingdom of Poland to restore some Places which had been surrender'd to him and to remain in a perpetual Amity with Poland to all which the Emperour his Brother was made Guarantee But altho these Conditions were so very reasonable yet Maximilian would not ratify them till 1589. Wherefore his Wilfulness detain'd him in Prison till that time when he escape 〈◊〉 to his Parole of Honour Nevertheless he was afterwards brought to sign them by the Power his Brother had over him Sigismund III. was first marry'd to Ann Daughter of Charles Arch-Duke of Austria and after her Death to Constantia her Sister by both which he had three Sons Vladislaus by the former and Casimir and Ferdinand by the latter the two first succeeding him in the Kingdom When the King his Father was dead he went into Swedeland and was there likewise crown'd King of that Country in the Year 1592 on condition that every fifth Year he should come and reign over Sweden in Person but being engag'd in a long War against the Muscovites Turks and Tartars he could not be spar'd in fifteen Years and therefore sent a Senate of Jesuits to govern them and suppress the Lutherah Doctrine which was then mightily spread in that Country Here it must be observ'd that this King's Mother Catherine strictly adher'd to the Roman Church by the permission of her Husband John III. King of Sweden who also lean'd a little that way Whereupon when Sigismund's Tutor Arnold Grothusius would have seduced him from that Perswasion his Father John being in a great Passion and drawing his Sword upon the Tutor cry'd I will have my Son educated in hopes of both Kingdoms meaning his own and that of Poland These Jesuits the King order'd to be receiv'd with the same Honour as if he himself had come in Person at which the Swedes being grievously nettled sunk them in the Harbour of Stockholm in the Ship that brought 'em from Dantzic and immediately thereupon proclaim'd Charles Duke of Sudermannia Sigismund's Uncle their King who had embrac'd Lutheranism some time before and which the Swedes have profess'd ever since This occasion'd bloody Wars between these two Nations but Sigismund being likewise engag'd with other Countries was forc'd to accept of a dishonourable Truce In the beginning of this War King Charles IX took a great many places from the Poles in Livonia most of which were afterwards retaken by the Polish General and Chancellor Zamoski Besides this the King of Sweden was vanquish'd in a great Battel fought near Kirckholm and Riga where he narrowly escap'd himself but some intestine Divisions arising between the King and Nobility of Poland he got time to recover Breath The occasion of the Wars between the Poles and Muscovites was this A certain Person coming into Poland pretended to be Demetrius Son to John Basilowitz Great Duke of Muscovy and that he was to have been murder'd by order of Boris Gudenow afterwards Grand Duke who hop'd thereby to secure the Succession after the Death of Theodore eldest Son of the said Duke but that another had been kill'd in his stead Hereupon he found so great Encouragement from George Mniszeck Palatin of Sendomir that he married his Daughter to him and by the Assistance of some other Polish Lords gather'd together a great Army and march'd with Demetrius into Muscovy when Boris Gudenow then Grand Duke happening to die suddenly he was receiv'd by the Muscovites and proclaim'd Czar in Moscow Hereupon he sent into Poland for his Bride but while the Nuptials were celebrating in Moscow the People suspecting him to be an Impostor gather'd together rais'd a Tumult and attack'd the Castle where they cut to pieces Demetrius with most of the Poles that came along with him and his Bride and took her Prisoner Then Basilius Suski descended from the Grand Dukes by the Mother's side having got together about â—â—0000 Men was proclaim'd Czar immediately after which a Rumor being spread abroad that Demetrius had escaped tho Suski had taken care to expose his Body to view which was so mangled that none could know him and a Person pretending to be him the Poles acknowledg'd him as such whereupon they together with the Cosacks assisted this Person to recover his pretended Right and several times beat Suski and oblig'd him to set at liberty the Captive Bride She also acknowledg'd this Demetrius for her Husband but whether he was really so or not could never yet be determin'd Sigismund laid hold of this opportunity to try at least whether he could recover Smolensko and Severia whereupon he besieged the former in the Year 1609 but could not make himself Master of it till the Year 1611 when he took it by storm In the mean time the Poles who had hitherto sided with Demetrius were recall'd by Sigismund who thought it not convenient that so considerable a part of his Forces should be under the Command of another By the removal of this Army Suski had leisure to recover himself whereupon with the Assistance sent him out of Sweden he march'd directly against the Poles who then were besieging Smolensko but was shamefully defeated by them near Clusin By this Overthrow the Affairs of the Muscovites were again in a very dangerous Condition wherefore to avoid the danger they resolv'd to depose Suski who by his Misfortunes became odious to them and to offer their Crown to Vladislaus Sigismund's Son This Suski was afterwards surrender'd to the Poles and dy'd at Warsaw in Prison Whereupon Vladislaus marching towards that Country with a powerful Army in the Year 1610 and they hearing of it thinking he came rather to conquer than accept their Crown unanimously revolted against him especially when they heard that Demetrius had been murder'd by the Tartars who were his Guards Hereupon Prince Vladislaus his Expedition was made to no purpose he being forc'd to make a Truce with the Muscovites for fourteen Years whereby it was agreed that in the mean time the Poles should keep in their possession the several Dukedoms of Severia Zernikow and Novogrod which they had taken during the late Troubles in Muscovy In the mean time George Farenbach surrender'd several Places in
endu'd with the Warlike Spirit of his Predecessors for in his time the Turks not only over-run Podolia but also took its Capital City Caminiec and likewise oblig'd the Poles to dishonourable Articles of Peace whereby Michael was to pay the Turks an Annual Tribute The farther Particulars of this Matter are as follows Sobleski made Great Marshal and Crown-General by Casimir for having always adher'd to his Interest presenting King Michael when elected with a Coach and six Horses to comply with the Custom only for it must be understood Sobieski was his Enemy the King by the Perswasions of his haughty Mother refus'd the Present which the General greatly resenting sought all manner of ways to be reveng'd on him and in order thereto frequently caball'd with the Gentry assembled in Parliament against him and at length oblig'd the Diet to be dissolv'd without concluding any thing to his advantage while in the mean time I am positively assur'd he kept Intelligence with the Turks and Tartars as may appear by their taking of Caminiec and besieging of Leopol Mr. James Walker a Scots-man who was in the City when besieg'd and is now in London told me lately that there were 90000 Turks 20000 Tartars and 10000 Cosacks and Moldavians at that Siege which happen'd in the Year 1672 all which begirted the Town close playing continually upon it from five Batteries The Governour that held out against them was one Lonsky a Colonel of Dragoons who had as Mr. Walker assures me but five hundred of his Men in Garison without any Horse besides 1100 of the Inhabitants in Arms With these Lonski defended himself vigorously insomuch that what by the Correspondence he kept with the Christians in the Turkish Army and by the Bravery of his own Men he maintain'd his Defence three Weeks when the King sent Count Morstin and other Commissioners to treat with Caplan Bassa General of the Turks who agreed that for raising the Siege the King should pay 22000 Gold Ducats yearly Tribute to the Grand Seignior 100000 Lion-Dollars down on the nail to save the City whereof the Inhabitants paid 10000 presently and the Publick were to pay the rest this they gave eight Hostages to perform who were kept Prisoners at Caminiec and dy'd there by reason that the Debt contracted for was never paid Besides the Turks were to remain in possession of Caminiec and all Podolia But General Sobieski and the rest of the caballing Party being asham'd of this dishonourable Treaty came to a better Understanding among themselves and sided with the King to recover what had been lost Hereupon the Armies of Poland and Lithuania marched directly towards Podolia to retake it that of the Kingdom being commanded by General Sobieski and the other of the Dutchy by General Patz These two Generals soon obtain'd a signal Victory over the Turks near Kochim five Leagues from Caminiec by the Treachery of the Moldavians and Valachians who never hitherto signaliz'd themselves but persidiously which yet prov'd very advantagious to the Poles who were then in want of every thing but Courage Caplan Bassa commanded the Turkish Army being join'd by the Moldavian Troops headed by their Hospodar but the former being displeas'd with the Conduct of the latter his Souldiers being not so many as he expected and those not well equipt struck him over the Head with his Scimiter which the Hospodar highly resenting resolv'd upon Revenge which he afterwards effected by deserting the Turks in conjunction with the Valachians who took his part and going over to the Poles This mightily facilitated Sobieski's Entry into the Enemy's Camp which gain'd him a compleat Victory This Defeat had doubtless put the Affairs of Poland into a good Condition had the Generals sufficiently pursu'd it But as it has always been the unfortunate Custom of the Poles they immediately withdrew their Troops into their Country and so have since left the Turks in full possession of Podolia This famous Battel began upon Saturday and was scarce fully over in three days Some few days before this Victory obtain'd King Michael dy'd at Leopol November the 10 th 1673 suppos'd to have been poison'd by a French-man at Zamoisk being about 32 Years old and having reign'd about four Years leaving the Poles less afflicted at his Death than asham'd at the bad Choice they had made of him for their Prince This Prince not long before he dy'd had the Misfortune to see an Aga come from the Grand Seignior to demand Tribute of him who brought him from his Master a Commander's Staff and a Turkish Vest both being Badges of Vassalage He left no Children tho his Queen who was afterwards marry'd to Charles late Duke of Lorain has since had several She is lately dead and in my Travels from Italy to Germany resided at Inspruck the Capital Town of Tyrol where I had the Honour to kiss her Majesty's Hand being introduc'd by my Lord Carlingford Her Brother the Emperor allow'd her and her Children a Pension out of the County of Tyrol for she receiv'd nothing either out of Poland or Lorain the latter having been hitherto in the French Hands and the Constitution of the former being that when the Queen Dowager marries she forfeits her Pension setled upon her by the Diet at the King's Coronation An odd Story goes of a Child that was born in this King's Reign in the Year 1670 at Vilna in â—â—ithuania with a Golden Tooth which was esteemed truly such by all the Physicians Surgeons and Goldsmiths about that City being also tri'd on the Touchstone in the presence of the Bishop of that place But what is yet more wonderful that Child having a Fever afterwards in the Year 1673 his Golden Tooth was changed into Bone How worthy this is of Credit I leave to the Judicious Naturalists I have only this to say for my self that I found it in an authentick Author King Michael being dead was succeeded by John Sobieski the late King of Poland who was Captain of the Guards and Gentleman of the Bed-Chamber to King John Casimir Whilst he had these Employments he marry'd Prince Zamoski's Widow who had 10000 Rix Dollars left her for a Jointure by the contrivance and management of King Casimir and his Queen to whom she was then Lady of the Bed-Chamber At this Juncture Sobieski's own Estate was not 2000 Pounds Sterling a Year But however the King promis'd to advance him after he had marry'd this Lady which he accordingly perform'd and I may say that it was through the means of this Marriage that Sobieski was gradually promoted to the Supreme Dignity of the Crown Thus my Lord I have given as short and exact an Account of the memorable Actions of the fourth Class of the Kings of Poland as my Incapacity and the Precipitation with which it was publish'd would allow But before I put an end to this Letter I must beg your Grace's leave to take notice that the Crown of
Companions dead upon the Spot In this Action there were several brave Polish Gentlemen slain Afterwards the King being again ioin'd by the Lithuanians by which his Army amounted to fifteen thousand Men march'd to seek out the Enemy tho by a modest computation they might be reckon'd seven times as many But understanding that the Enemy had besieg'd Podhais he was marching thither to relieve it when by the way he receiv'd Intelligence of its being surrender'd burnt and plunder'd and twelve thousand Persons made Prisoners tho the Garison had expresly capitulated to march out with Bag and Baggage The King was extreamly nettled that so many Christians should be made Slaves and his Territories laid desolate therefore he resolv'd forthwith to remedy it or perish in the Attempt for he march'd the same day towards the Enemy who were then set down before Buozalz but upon notice of his Approaches they rais'd their Siege and retreated with all their Forces to Trembowla which they likewise invested Here they were often repuls'd with great Loss yet continu'd obstinate to pursue their Enterprize till at last happening to intercept a Peasant that was carrying a Letter from the King to the Governour wherein his Majesty assur'd him that he was coming with all speed to his Relief the Terrour of King Sobieski's Name struck such a faintness into the Infidels that they immediately dislodg'd their Cannon from their Batteries which consisted of a hundred Pieces and forthwith march'd towards Caminiec with a great deal of Confusion Nay so great was their Consternation that under the Cannon of Caminiec they thought not themselves sufficiently secure for not daring to stand an Engagement with the Poles they resolv'd to pass the Niester and march towards Valachia Yet this they could not do so speedily but Prince Lubomirski with part of the King's Army fell upon their Rear and slew great Numbers of them The Turks by the Fear they were in of being farther pursu'd re-pass'd the Danube and the Tartars return'd home with great Precipitation by the way of Bialogrod Whereupon the King resolv'd to put his Army into Winter-quarters and so to return home which he did to the Joy and Satisfaction of all his Subjects It being now high time to prepare for the Ceremony of the Coronation January the 17th the Corps of the late King Michael was convey'd from Warsaw in a Herse drawn by eight Horses attended by all the Officers of his Houshold and several Persons of Quality to Cracow where together with the Body of King Casimir likewise brought lately out of France it was honourably interr'd all Decency and Respect being paid to both their Memories This Ceremony being dispatch'd John Sobieski with his Queen Mary were both Crown'd in the Castle of Cracow the 2d of February in the Year 1676 with great Pomp and Magnificence After this the King applying himself to supply the Vacancies as usual made Lubomirski Grand Marshal of the Kingdom the Lord Siniawski Court-Marshal and Prince Demetrius Wisnowiski Palatin of Beltz He likewise bestow'd the Command of General of the Forces of the Kingdom on Jablownowski Palatin of Russia at present Great General of Poland In June following Sultan Nuradin with the two Sons of the Great Cham pass'd the Niester with a great Army having sent out Parties before to ravage the Country At the same time Ibrahim Bassa advanc'd likewise to several Posts about Caminiec Whereupon the King order'd what Troops he could get together near Leopol where they were to rendezvouz and likewise convok'd the Pospolite or Militia for the defence of the Country The same Year his Excellency Mr. Hyde now Earl of Rochester was sent Embassador from his Majesty Charles the IId to the Court of Poland to congratulate the King upon his Accession to the Crown and to stand for his Master Godfather to the young Princess now Electoress of Bavaria He arriv'd at Dantzic in August where meeting with the Queen of Poland who made a Journey thither while the King was in the Field he had Audience of her Majesty there and presented the young Princess her Daughter with a very rich Jewel a Cross of Diamonds of great Value He afterwards set forward for Poland and was received by the King in his Camp near Leopol in Russia with Demonstrations of Respect and Kindness sutable to his Character and Person where his Majesty sent some of his chief Officers to shew him the Army and their way of Encamping The Turks and Tartars began to appear now very formidable and yet at the same time continu'd so sensible of their last Year's Defeats and so dreaded the Name of King Sobieski that they seem'd to desire nothing more than Peace for which purpose the Grand Seignior by the Prince of Moldavia made an Overture for a Treaty which was accepted after a Battle gain'd by the Poles and some other small Mischiefs done on both sides The Peace being thus happily concluded to the Advantage of Poland his Majesty return'd in November to Zulkiew his own Patrimony whither my Lord Rochester waiting upon him had his publick Audience there in a more solemn Manner than before He was first carried in the King's Coach and then received by the Court-Marshal who is in the Nature of a Lord Chamberlain at the Stairs-foot of the Palace and was conducted to his Majesty who receiv'd him standing under a rich Canopy of State and after two Months residing there his Excellency had his Audience of Leave and return'd into England through Silesia Austria and the Empire The Poles enjoy'd this Peace with the Turks till the Year 1683 when they came under the Command of Cara Mustapha their Grand Vizier to besiege Vienna whereof Count Starenberg was Governour The King with his Son Prince James Prince Lubomirski and most of the Polish Grandees came with an Army only as they assur'd me of twenty four thousand Men to relieve it This the King of Poland was oblig'd to by the Alliance sign'd with his Imperial Majesty in 1683. When being join'd by the Imperial Army together with the Electors of Bavaria and Saxony the Duke of Lorain and a great Number of other Princes of the Empire in all amounting to near fifty thousand Men he attack'd the Turks with such Bravery and Conduct that on the 12th of September they tho consisting of 191800 Men as appear'd by a List found in the Grand Vizier's Tent were oblig'd after an entire Defeat to raise the Siege and retire towards Hungary The great Standard and the Horse's Tail were taken by the Poles who obstinately pursu'd the Turks in their flight tho no great way being too much fatigu'd before There was also great Booty found in the Turkish Camp which was wholly plunder'd even to the Tent of the Grand Vizier where they met with great Riches in Gold Silver and other precious things All their Ammunition and Baggage with their Artillery consisting of above a hundred Pieces of Cannon were taken This
Parts of the Body desir'd to know what was properly Death The School Divinity maintains that Death was a Separation of the rational Soul from the Body I own'd indeed that in Death the Soul was actually separated from the Body but I could not allow that that Separation was the cause of Death but that the Death of the Body was the Cessation of the Motion of the Heart of the Blood and of the Spirits which Cessation could not proceed from the Separation of the Soul since these don't at all depend upon it as I proved before but it was occasion'd by some Defects in the Organs and Fluids of the Body which losing their due Disposition and their mutual Correspondence with one another all their Actions cease which Cessation is properly called Death so that the Soul finding them incapable of receiving its Influence and of obeying its Commands quits the Body after it is dead by which it appears that the Separation of the Soul is not properly the Cause of Death but that the Death of the Body is the cause of the Separation The King himself illustrated this Opinion with a familiar Example of an Organ and an Organist While the Organs were in their due order and symetry the Organist play'd upon them but when by length of time they were either broke used too much or any other way quite put out of Tune he leaves off playing on them This Discourse my Lord held from three of the Clock till seven and the Divines were extreamly warm in it and some of them had the boldness to tell the King that his Majesty should not suffer such Heretical Opinions as they called them to be introduc'd before such a great Assembly contrary to the receiv'd Doctrine of the Church This Discourse caused a great many other Matters to be talk'd on of which it would be too long to inform your Lordship By this you may plainly see how fond the Divines are of their old Opinions relying upon the Doctrine of Aristotle whom we can't suppose to be so throughly acquainted with the Structure Springs and Motions of the Humane Body nor indeed with all other Natural Causes as the Modern Physicians are yet it is the Policy of the Divines not only in Poland but in Spain Italy and in most other Countries where their Power is very great not to let any Opinions creep in among them that would seem to contradict those of Aristotle for having built their Systems of Divinity upon the Principles of this Pagan Philosopher they are justly afraid that if Experience and Reason should shake the Foundation the Superstructure would fall to the Ground as doubtless it would for the most part This King built several fine Houses both in Russia and other parts of the Kingdom particularly three Miles from Warsaw a neat Country House call'd Villa Nova very richly furnished He has had several Natural Children but took no care of any of them for it is not customary in Poland to have that Consideration for them as there is in other Countries but he left vast Riches to his Lawful Children and made a Motion in the Diet five or six Years before he died to settle the Succession on one of them He told the Assembly of the Disorders that usually happened in Elections after the King's Death that the Turks and the Tartars took then Opportunities to make Inroads into the Country and ravage all before them that the Nobility of the Kingdom were generally divided headed by Factions and biass'd by Self-interest against the publick Good of their Country and that he himself would be glad to prevent all those dangerous Broils before he died out of the Love he bore to his Country and Subjects But the Diet finding that his private Design was to get one of his Sons elected answered That they hoped that his Majesty would live yet a long while that it was necessary to take a long time to consider of a Matter of that great moment which the King seeing it was a civil way of refusing to enter upon that Subject never after intimated any thing to them like it but took all possible care to enrich his Children in case none of them should be elected after his Death It was exactly computed to me that he laid up every Year for above twenty Years 100000 l. Sterl which he left partly in Bankers Hands at Dantzick Hamburgh and Amsterdam and put the rest into the hands of the Jews who are very numerous in that Kingdom to trade with it besides he bought great Territories in the Kingdom tho it is against the Constitution so that his three Sons James Alexander and Constantino if they manage their Affairs right may be worth each above 50000 l. Sterling per Annum for it is the Law in Poland to divide equally the Estate among the Children The Queen was but ten or twelve Years of Age when she together with the present Duke of Gordon's Aunt afterwards married to Count Morstin great Treasurer of Poland came from France into this Kingdom with Ladislaus King of Poland's Queen who made them both her Maids of Honour and took great care of Madamoiselle d' Arquien being very ingenious and beautiful She got her married first to Prince Zamoiski who soon left her a Widow with a Jointure of about 2000 l. a Year she was afterwards married in Casimir's Reign to John Sobieski then Captain of the Guards who was not very willing to marry her until the King promis'd that he would give him considerable Places which he accordingly did by the Instigation of the Queen for he made him Great Marshal and Great General of Poland which gave him Authority and Interest enough to make himself afterwards King and her Queen so that this Marriage was the occasion of his Rise in the World which he was so sensible of that he refus'd to be divorced from her as the Diet would have perswaded him to do after his Election The Queen is now about fifty four Years of Age tho she appears not to be forty she goes in the French Dress as all the Polish Ladies do she speaks almost naturally the Polish Tongue which with lier sweet Temper refin'd Sense and majestick Air gain'd her such Affection with the Poles such Influence over the King and such Interest always in the Diet that she manag'd all with a great deal of Prudence and that to the advantage of her native Country France whose Interest she generally espous'd upon most occasions during the King's Life which was believ'd to be the Cause that he did not carry on the War with vigour these late years against the Turks and Tartars She maintain'd at her Court her Father Cardinal D' Arquien and her Brother Count Maligny who had but a very small Estate of their own She has two Sisters one is the Widow of the late Count Bethune who was Ambassador from France in Poland and afterwards dy'd in his Embassy in
presents amounted to the value of 100000 Rix Dollars The Hospodar of Moldavia sent her a pair of Pendants of a considerable Value This Custom of making Presents to the Bride is not only for Kings Daughters but for every one else according to their Quality and the Gentlemens Daughters do not so much reckon upon the Portion their Fathers give them as upon their Number of Relations and Friends who are to make them Presents and the Husband is as diligent to know how many Relations she has as how much her Father will give her Upon the day of Marriage Prince James the young Bride's Brother took upon him by the King and the Elector of Bavaria's Consent the Quality of Embassador for that day by reason that the Court would not receive as was secretly whilsper'd Embassadors from the Duke of Bavaria as being not an absolute Prince He went three Miles out of Town in the Morning and about two of the Clock in the Afternoon made a most solemn Entry on Horse-back having his Brothers Prince Alexander on his Right-hand and Prince Constantine on his Left preceded by a great Number of Coaches with six Horses and a noble Cavalcade of the Polish Gentry who went two by two Thus he march'd through the City to the Palace where he was receiv'd by the King and Queen and after half an hour the great Officers of the Crown the Palatins and other Senators with an incredible Number of Gentry began to march from the Palace on Foot two by two upon Scarlet Cloth spread all along to St. John's Church being about three hundred Paces after them Prince James led the Bride the French Embassador Monsieur de Polignae led the Queen and the King came last alone with a grave majestick Countenance The Ceremony of the Marriage was perform'd by Cardinal Radziouski the present Primate who was the King's Relation Afterwards they returned to the Palace where they were nobly entertain'd for four days together with Feasts Balls Fire-works and an Italian Pastoral in nature of an Opera made upon this occasion by the Secretary of the Pope's Nuncio After the Ceremony was over a splendid Equipage was prepar'd for the Princess's Journey from Warsaw to Brussels The Bishop of Ploskow was named Embassador and the Palatine of Vilna's Lady Prince Czartoriski's Daughter was appointed Embassadress Monsieur Zalowski the Bishop's Brother and his Lady were likewise nam'd besides abundance of Gentlemen and about forty of the King's Life-guard to attend her Electoral Highness The Embassador represented to their Majesties that in such a long Journey of near 1000 Miles and in frosty Weather it was necessary to send a Physician with the Princess for fear of any Accident or Distemper by the way one Signior Revelli an Italian and several other Physicians made Interest for this place but the Queen would by no means employ any of them having no Opinion of their Skill Hereupon my Lord I spoke to Mr. Alberti your Brother Minister there from the Republick of Venice who had great Interest with the King and Queen and desir'd him to get me imploy'd in that Journey for I longed to be out of that remote Country tho I had not been a twelve Month in it to come for England for tho the King and Queen had a great deal of Kindness for me and Prince James whom the Court Party look'd upon to be the King's Successor promis'd me a considerable Pension after the King's Death yet seeing that the King then being sixty four Years of Age very corpulent and labouring under several Distempers as the Dropsy Gout Rheumatism and Oppression of the Lungs could not live long and that Prince James was not beloved and besides having never had any mind to engage my self to live in any Foreign Country I resolv'd to come out of that Kingdom Their Majesties not knowing my private Resolution of coming for England did me the Honour to name me Physician to wait upon the Princess in her Journey which I was very ready to comply with tho to outward appearance I did not seem much desirous of it this my Lord gave me opportunity to come out of that Country sooner than I could have decently done till the King was dead which I must owe intirely to the Friendship and Interest of Mr. Alberti who is a great Lover of the English Nation The Princess set forward on the 11 th of November following with a Retinue of about two hundred Persons all which came to Brussels with her besides abundance of the Nobility who waited upon her Highness to the Frontiers of Brandenburg The Palatins of the Provinces receiv'd and entertain'd her in all the Towns she pass'd through with a great deal of Splendor and Expence our first Reception was at Lowitz the Cardinal Primate's Castle here the Princess lay one Night and was most magnificently entertain'd The next was at Posnan a considerable City in the Province of Posnania where she lay two Nights the Palatin and the City made her a Present entertain'd all her Retinue and got Fire-works ready for her Reception From thence we went to Frankfurt upon the Oder in the E. of Brandenburgh's Country where his Electoral Highness sent his chief Officers to attend and compliment her from thence we went to Berlin where the Elector and Electoress came two Miles out of Town with a numerous Attendance to receive her they took her into their own Coach and march'd in order to the Palace giving her with roaring of Cannons and ringing of Bells all Demonstrations of Respect Here she lay two Nights the Court appear'd most splendid and very numerous and the Elector got some Fire-works which represented the King and Queen of Poland and the Elector and Electoress of Bavaria's Names there were Balls both Nights and English Country-Dances which the Electoress of Brandenburg being descended from the Blood-Royal of England delighted extreamly in it was the first time the Princess of Poland had seen any and therefore was extreamly pleas'd I was glad to see some of our English Gentlemen who travell'd in Italy in my time as Mr. Archer Mr. Ward Mr. Duncomb and the late deceased Mr. Tent made so much of at this Court and behave themselves so handsomly at the Balls The Princess of Poland made Presents to the Electoress of Brandenburg and to most of the chief Officers of the Court and the Electoress of Brandenburg likewise made her a rich Present of a Poesie set with Diamonds and to the rest of her chief Officers other Presents Afterwards we set forwards on our Journey and were entertain'd for twelve days together in the Elector's Country it 's usual with him to defray the Charges of all Princes while they are within the limits of the Marquisate of Brandenburg But when the Princess of Poland went out of it into the other Territories of his Electoral Highness she bore her own Expences the chief Towns notwithstanding as Magdeburgh and Menden entertain'd her as
Crown'd and that the King his Uncle sent him the Character of Envoy to compliment him upon his Accession to the Throne He us'd to admire the Government of England and to say that it was the best in Europe except that of his own Country and the chief Reason he gave me why he preferr'd the Constitution of Poland was that the King of England had a Power of turning People out of Employments and the common People had the Benefit of the Law and could buy Estates as well as the greatest Noble-man This Prince shew'd me an old Roman Scimiter which his Father brought from Jerusalem and told me it was that with which St. Peter cut off Malcus's Ear which a great many had either Faith or Superstition enough to believe and paid it a great deal of Respect The year after I came into England the King of Poland's Symptoms encreasing more and more the Embassador Monsieur Zalowski Bishop of Ploskow sent me from Warsaw to London the following Letter desiring Advice concerning his Majesty's Distemper which was very uncommon and extraordinary A Monsieur le Docteur Connor à Londres Varsovie 2 Juin 1696. Monsieur EN Attendant que Je vous Envoye les Memoires que vous Souhaitez pour l' Histoire de Pologne de nôtre Roy qui requierent quêque loisir que Je n'ay pas encore pû prendre comme Je tacheray de faire le plutôt qu'il me serà possible Vous obligeriez beaucoup sa Majesté si sur l' Information que vous verrez au bas de cette Lettre touchant l' Etat de sa Santé Vous vouliez bien prendre la peine d'en donner vos Avis Conseils d'en prendre aussi des plus habiles Gens de la Profession dont votre Royaume est si fertile Vous asseurant que vous en aurez du Merite auprez de leurs Majestez que vous travaillerez à votre propre Gloire que Je Soûhaiteray de voir par là augmentée étant Monsieur Votre tres-humble Serviteur E. de Ploskow Information de l'Etat de la Santé du Roy de Pologne SA Majesté à les pies les jambes les cuisses même la Region Inferieure du bas ventre tumifiées considerablement depuis quêque tems que ces Tumeurs sont augmenteezde jour en jour depuis cette Eté quelles avoient commencé à paroitre quoique l'on appliquât les plus efficaces remedes interieurs exterieurs pour en empecber le Progrez pour les dissiper Lors qu'on presse du doit ces Tumeurs il ne reste aucun vestige du doit Carces Tumeurs ont la dureté du Fer la pesanteur du Plomb Quand sa Majesté marche elle croit avoir un poid pesant attaché à ses jambes la dureté de ces Tumeurs ne peut étre amollie cependant lors qu'on frotte avec un linge chaûd les parties embarrassées affligées elles semblent d'abord être Degagées Soûlagées Mais peu apres elles retournent à leur premier Etat La Couleur de ces Parties tumiflées n'est point Pale mais Pourprée tirant vers le rouge English'd thus Warsaw the 2d of June 1696. SIR I Will send you as soon as possible the Memoirs you desire for the History of Poland and of our King which require more leisure than I could have hitherto had In the mean time you would mightily oblige his Majesty if upon the Information you will find at the bottom of this Letter concerning the State of his Health you would please to give your Opinion and Advice thereupon and likewise consult with the Ablest of your Profession who are so very numerous in your Kingdom about it I assure you you will greatly gain their Majesties Esteem thereby and advance your own Reputation which I wish encreas'd by these means Being SIR Your most humble Servant E. Ploskow An Account of the State of Health of the King of Poland HIS Majesty's Feet Legs and Thighs as likewise the lower Part of his Belly have been considerably swell'd for a good while These Swellings have daily encreas'd since they began this Summer notwithstanding the most effectual Remedies both Inward and Outward which have been made use of to prevent their Progress and to discuss them When these Tumors are press'd with one's Finger they do not pit for they are almost as hard as Iron and as heavy as Lead When his Majesty walks he imagins he has a great Weight ty'd to his Legs The hardness of these Tumours cannot be softned Nevertheless when the swoln Parts are rubb'd a little with a hot Cloth they seem immediately to be abated and eas'd but soon after they return to their former condition The Colour of the Swellings is not pale but reddish something enclining to Purple A Week after I receiv'd this Letter news came that this Prince was dead as I could not but reasonably expect he would be labouring under so rare and dangerous a Disease being a Dropsy turn'd into a Schirrus or into a hard and insensible Tumor Cases of this nature my Lord are very seldom seen I have spoke lately with some old Practitioners in Physick that had never met with any for my part I have never observ'd any Disease like it and I was at first surpriz'd that the King's Legs that us'd to pit an Inch deep when I was at his Court should become so very hard and so heavy afterwards but considering that in our Mass of Blood there is even naturally a great deal of earthy Parts or Dregs and that these Lees may by way of Sediment fall into the Legs and that their Weight and Quantity can hinder them from ascending to the Heart with the circulating Fluids I rather admir'd why Cases of this nature do not more frequently happen particularly in old and Plethoric People as the King was These hard Swellings of his Legs hinder'd the Blood to circulate downwards and so drove up all the Humours to the Head which oppressing and overflowing the Brain caus'd an Apoplexy of which he died the 17th of June fifteen days after the date of my Letter in the Year 1696 in the sixty sixth Year of his Age and the 22d of his Reign He was the oldest King then in Christendom He kept his Subjects in great Awe and the greatest Noblemen paid him all the Respect imaginable they never us'd at Court to eat with him at his Table He din'd always in Publick and the Great Men waited upon him serv'd him with drink and none of his Subjects ever cover'd themselves in his Presence And I admir'd to see the Persons that abus'd him in the Parliament-house and spoke to him with all freedom when he sat on the Throne pay him so great a Submission and Respect every-where else But the Liberty of a Member of that Parliament is such that he can speak what he
several Magistrates the Prussians have also a Treasurer Burgraves of Castles Sword-Bearers Judges and Sheriffs but none of all these have any Place in the Council The Palatins of Prussia have far greater Power than those in any other Province of Poland The Arms or Standard of Prussia are an Eagle expans'd Sables with a Sword evaginated and held by a dexter Hand Argent Both in a Field Or. The Fourth PROVINCE of this Kingdom is Red Russia the other being White Russia and belonging to Lithuania This Province extends it self from the Frontiers of Lithuania as far as the Mouth of the Nieper in the Black Sea which River separates it from Moscovy to the East as likewise do the Carpathian Mountains from Hungary to the South-West It is extreamly fruitful in Corn Beasts of all kinds Fish and Honey In this Province there are several Trees daily found along the Shore of the River San which are very hard and black as Ebony The Country People say they have lain there ever since the Deluge but it is probable they might have been wash'd down by the Course of the River a great while since It is bounded on the South by Hungary Moldavia and Bessarabia on the East by the Scythian Desarts and especially Moscovy on the North by Russia Alba separated by the Rivers Stiro and Pripecz and on the West by Lesser Poland from which it is divided by the Rivers Vislocz and Vepre This Province comprehends seven Palatinates Viz. The Palatinates of Russia Podolia Braslaw Kiovia Volhynia Belsko and Chelm The first Palatinate of this Province is that of Russia which is divided into four Districts which are The Districts of Leopol Premislaw Halicz and Sanoch The first of these Districts has in it these remarkable Cities and Towns Viz. Leopol Archbish Cap. Grodeck Javorisvia Zolkiew Gliniani Zloczow and Komarna Of all which the chief City is Leopol call'd Lwow or Luwow by the Polanders and Lemberg or Russe-Lemberg by the Germans It is the Metropolis of this Palatinate and lies in the 46 Degree of Longitude and 49 of Latitude It is built amongst the Hills on the Banks of the River Peltaw fifteen Polish Miles from Mount Carpathus to the South and as many from Premislaw to the West thirty from Caminiec forty from Cracow and about fifty from Warsaw to the South-East This City is large and well fortify'd having two Castles one within the Walls and one without on a rising Ground which commands the Town both which together with the City were founded by Leo or as they call him Loo Duke of Russia about the Year 1289. The Archbishop of Leopol is both Spiritual and Temporal Lord of his Diocess His See was translated hither from Halicz in 1361 by Order of King Casimir Here also reside an Armenian Archbishop and a Russian Bishop depending on the Patriarch of Constantinople with several Churches belonging to each Bishoprick The Armenian Roman-Catholicks have inhabited here time out of mind and are govern'd wholly by their own Prelat They enjoy very great Privileges on account of the considerable Commerce they maintain with the Persians and other Eastern People This City is famous for several Sieges it has sustain'd As first it was besieg'd by the Cosacks and Tartars with a dreadful Army Secondly by the Moscovites and Cosacks in the Year 1648 with an Army of above 120 thousand Men without being able to take it in two Months and a half but the last time the Turks became almost Masters of it in the Year 1672 yet by an Agreement oblig'd themselves to quit it This hapned under the Reign of King Michael Wiesnowiski who dy'd here in the Year 1673. This City gives great Encouragement to Learned Men who are very civilly receiv'd by their Academy which is supply'd with Professors from that of Cracow Here is kept a very famous Winter-Fair whither the Hungarian Moldavian and in time of Peace Turkish Merchants resort in great Numbers Amongst other Rivers it has Roxolania wherein Barbels are taken of a great Size It has likewise an innumerable Company of Fish-ponds all about it replenish'd with several sorts of very fat Fish which are salted up in great Numbers and transported all over Poland The Churches here are generally very fair and well-built and abound with all kinds of costly Ornaments Grodeck a palisado'd City with a Castle built in a Plain and surrounded with Bogs It lies about four Miles from Leopol Javorisvia famous for a natural Bath arising in the next adjoining Village of Sclovia This alone suffices to disperse several stubborn Distempers as Sixtus Leo a Physician of great Experience testifies in his Treatise concerning it Zolkiew a Town adorn'd and defended by a Castle and intermix'd with several delightful Gardens with a fair Church in the middle of it built with various sorts of Marble It was the Seat of the late King John Sobieski where my Lord of Rochester had Audience of him The Standard and Arms of this District are a Lion Passant Crown'd Or by a Rock Sables all in a Field Azure The second District of this Palatinate is Premislia which has in it these principal Cities and Towns Viz. Premislaw Bish Sambor Jaroslaw Lancut Resovia Fulstin Visnia Zidaczow Moscisca Dubiecz Canczuga and Prevorscia Whereof the capital City is Premislaw built on the River San with good strong Walls and a Castle situate upon a Rock on the other side of the River This City lies about six Leagues above Jaroslaw and twelve from Leopol towards the West There are in it two Bishops one of the Place and the other a Russian Prelat of the Greek Church Orichowski a Canon of this Cathedral maintain'd that Priests might marry Here is a College belonging to the Jesuits for the Education of Youth The Citizens are very much addicted to Trade and have several famous Fairs every Year Near this City is a very spatious Park of the King 's full of all kinds of wild Beasts and strongly wall'd in that they might do no mischief The Country hereabouts abounds with Castles for defence against the Incursions of the Tartars the chief of all which is the Castle Crassici lately built on the River San. Sambor a Palisado'd City upon the River Tyra with a Castle built near the Borders of Hungary Jaroslaw famous for a Fair kept on Lady-Day and the most celebrated of any in all Poland Where besides several Merchandizes brought from Persia Constantinople Venice Muscovy and Amsterdam they say it is wont to have above four hundred thousand Head of Cattle and half as many Horses In this Town the Jesuits have a College for Students and without it there is a very stately Nunnery of modern Architecture Neither is its Castle to be despis'd which is seated to the East on the River San. Lancut famous for several magnificent Churches founded by Stanislaus Lubomirski Palatin of Cracow together
forthwith discharg'd out of his own Revenues since the publick Stock was then hardly able to do it He conferr'd the Command of Grand Marshal on Prince Demetrius Uncle to the late King and that of Lieutenant General of the Crown thereby becoming vacant on the Palatin of Cracovia But as he signify'd his Resolution to prosecute the War against the Turk with the utmost Vigour so he promis'd that at his own particular Charges he would raise one thousand Foot and maintain them during the War and this to encourage the Senators and other Great Men of the Kingdom to do the like proportionably For which reason he desir'd that he might retain the Command of Great General in his own hands till the Campagn was ended for that the present Urgency of Affairs was like to prevent his Coronation To which Propositions the Nobility immediately assented Pursuant to the King's Promise the Queen-Dowager by the Consent of the Diet had a yearly Revenue of two hundred thousand Guilders assign'd her with Liberty to reside in any of the Polish Dominions except Cracow or some other fortify'd Places on the Borders of Silesia whereupon her Majesty made choice of Thorn in Prussia for her Residence Tho the King was most solicitous to carry on the War against the Turk yet the Nobility and Senators were generally as remiss therein for tho they had promis'd him Maintenance for sixty thousand Men yet he now desir'd but forty thousand however such were their Dissensions and Jealousies that they would not afford him so many Notwithstanding to oppose the Turks Muscovites and Tartars in the Vkraine he got together a small Army of about fifteen or sixteen thousand Men with which he march'd from Warsaw the 22d of August towards the Frontiers when at the same time the Muscovite General 's Army consisted of above one hundred thousand but which nevertheless did no damage being diverted by the Turks by a Stratagem insomuch that these with the Tartars quickly got possession of all Vkraina except two or three Places The Troops of Lithuania consisting of about twelve thousand Men came up to the King which made his Army amount to near thirty thousand so that he immediately call'd a Council of War at Slotzow and resolv'd to march directly toward the Vkraine with design to fall upon the Enemy with all the fury imaginable notwithstanding some Overtures of Peace made him by the Vizier But this was look'd upon by the Poles only as a Stratagem to amuse them and foment the Jealousies of the Muscovites by which means the Turks thought to divide them Accordingly upon his Approaches he sends out the Woievod of Russia to learn the Condition of the Enemy who near the Walls of Caminiec surpriz'd and defeated a thousand Turkish Horse and brought a hundred and fifty away Prisoners Whereupon he proceeds vigorously and takes several Towns of great Importance in Podolia But at this time the Lithuanians would needs leave his Majesty and return home alledging that they were not able to bear the rigour of the Winter But nevertheless the King with his Gallant Poles resolv'd to continue the Campagn and push on his good Fortune scarce a Week passing but some considerable Place or other was yielded to him the Turks all this while not daring in the least to oppose him So that now his Majesty had subdu'd all that part of Vkraina which lies Westward of the Nieper except only the City of Czebryn In April 1675 the Turks and Tartars began in numerous Bodies to take the Field notwithstanding the King animated by his natural Courage resolv'd not to stir a foot but forthwith reinforc'd the several Garisons of Mohilow Braclaw Nimirow Kalmick and Bialicierkiew which done he had hardly forces enough left to deserve the Name of an Army The Turks and Tartars after having been baffled at Slotskow march'd directly towards Leopol where the King's Army lay within a Mile of the Town That way the Enemy was to approach there was an Ascent of about three hundred Paces when one was to descend again by a very narrow Way amidst a Wood that had lately been cut down At the foot of this Hill there was a Plain through which the Tartars must necessarily pass to come at the Poles Here the King posted his Brother-in-Law Duke Radzivil with some Troops for Guard of the Pass on the Right-hand of his Camp And General Kariski on the Left caus'd several Cannon to be planted on a Hill whence they might annoy the Enemy in the Plain He also caus'd the Wood on each side the narrow Way to be well lin'd with several Companies of Musketeers After which his Majesty order'd some Troops of Horse to advance into the Plain to oppose the Enemy who about four in the Afternoon appear'd in such Numbers that they almost cover'd the Ground In the mean time the King from a Hill observ'd their Motions After which with his usual Air of Gallantry common to him in time of Action at the Head of the remaining part of his small Army he descended into the Plain encouraging his Souldiers by telling them that he came there with full Resolution either to conquer or die Whereupon repeating thrice the Name of Jesus he briskly advanc'd towards the Enemy The Fight began with great Fury on both sides the King omitting nothing either as to Courage or Conduct but performing both the part of a most prudent General and a valiant Souldier by his Example inspiring all the rest of his Officers insomuch that with this small handful of Men he forc'd Multitudes of the Enemy to fly before Night leaving behind them incredible Numbers slain upon the place The King would gladly have pursu'd the Enemy but that the Night prevented and that he fear'd likewise lest the Cham might come up to their Assistance In this memorable Victory the greatest perhaps that has been known in any Age the King had not actually with him much above five thousand Men the rest having been left to secure the City of Leopol and the Passes With this small Party to defeat by downright Fighting an Army of threescore thousand Men has more of Prodigy than Probability in it yet so great was the Fright and Consternation of these Tartars that they fled in one Night as many Leagues as they had march'd in three Days before But here this Dispute did not end for the Cham and Ismael Bassa to shew they were not dismay'd at this ill Success resolv'd to march against the King and in order thereto commanded a Body of two thousand Janizaries out to attack a Castle near Brzeziani wherein were only sixty Poles who defended themselves so bravely that they repuls'd the Enemy with great Loss Soon after a Body of ten thousand Tartars advancing somewhat near the City of Leopol the King sent out the Lord Harkownisky with a good Squadron of Horse against them who after a brisk Engagement forc'd them to take to their Heels leaving Thousands of their