excessive Power and Privileges of the Nobility which they soon effected by being Resolute and more in Number But in Poland it is quite otherwise for there the Clergy and Gentry have a common Interest to keep the King and People in Subjection The Clergy have great Privileges and are very Rich. The Bishops for the most part are Princes or Dukes they are all Senators and sit in the Diet before all the Temporal Lords so that by the great Authority and Veneration which they have procur'd to themselves from the slavish People they can hinder them from making any Insurrection and by the Arbitrary and Free Power which they and the Gentry have hitherto maintain'd to Elect whom they pleas'd for King they will always keep him in such a Dependence for the sake of his Children that he shall hardly ever be able to effect any Design upon their Prerogatives Nay providing he had found any Opportunity to compass such a dangerous Enterprize yet would it not consist with Prudence either to declare or Attempt it for fear of Incurring the Hatred and Displeasure of the People which would not only tend to his own Ruin but likewise Obstruct the Election of any of his Family to the Throne after his Death so that the surest way for a King of Poland to continue the Crown in his Family is never to attempt any Innovation I would not however think the Kings of Poland Unfortunate in not being able to assure the Succession of the Throne to their Children since they are thereby compell'd as it were by a lucky Necessity to breed them up to all Royal Virtues and this to the end that it may render them more Accomplish'd and Worthy to be Elected For where they are satisfied that the Crown is not due to their Blood but to their Merits what will either the Father or Sons omit to obtain it by the most Glorious Means My LORD I have hitherto presented Your GRACE with what relates to the Form of Government in Poland and to the King's Power and Revenues I would now give a particular Account of the King's Court were it not like to that of other Princes as to Splendor and Number of Officers For besides the Great Crown-Officers as the two Great and Little Marshals as many Chancellors and Vice-Chancellors two Generals and two Great and Little Treasurers The King has his Lord-Chamberlain his Court-Marshal or Lord Steward his Master of the Horse his Secretaries of State his Standard-Bearer Chief Huntsman his Gentlemen of the Body answerable to our Lords of the Bed-Chamber his Physicians Chaplains Pensioners Cup-Bearers Sewers Carvers Musicians and Guards The Gentlemen Pensioners always attend the King on Horseback this Body of Gentry consists of the Noblest Youth of the Kingdom whereof many have Court and State-Employments and are all subject to the Jurisdiction of the Court-Marshal There are some of these that attend his Majesty on Foot but in long Journeys they are always carried in Waggons A set number of these keep Guard Day and Night about the King Whenever the King goes in Public these last March every way about him with long Battle-Axes on their Shoulders and Sabres by their Sides but still admitting the Senators and Chief Courtiers to March next him yet when the Queen goes with the King the Senators and other Persons of Quality are to walk before The King's Horse-Guards ought by the Constitutions to be either Poles Lithuanians or Natives of some of the Incorporated Provinces but however this Law has been dispens'd with for the late King admitted both Germans and Hungarians amongst them Their Number by the Law is not to exceed 1200 and their Chief Commander is to be subject to all the Four Marshals The King has the same Number of Court Officers in Lithuania as he has in Poland the Lithuanians being as Ambitious to keep up the ancient Grandeur of their Great Duke as the Poles are for that of their King The King has likewise the Nomination of some Court-Officers in several Provinces as in Prussia Masovia and Russia which had formerly distinct Princes of their own and were afterwards United to the Kingdom of Poland so that the King has the Nomination of as many Court-Officers as any Prince in Europe but most of them are rather Honorary than Beneficial yet the Gentry always make great Interest to get into them Precedence of which they are Ambitious being Regulated according to the Nature and Dignity of the Employment As for the Queen's Court it consists of about Thirty Officers the Chief whereof are her Marshal and Chancellor Their Business is to Preside over Domestic Affairs in the Queen's Court. Her Marshal or Steward is to carry the Staff before her and her Chancellor or Secretary to Write Sign Receive and Answer all her Letters There is her Treasurer who Manages her Revenue her Master of the Horse Cup-Bearers Carvers Sewers Clerk of the Kitchen c. For Women Servants she has her Ladies Maids of Honour Dressers c. When she goes in Public she is always attended by a great number of her own Sex It may not be here amiss to add something of the Court of the Inter-Rex or Primate and so I will conclude While the Archbishop of Gnesna has the Administration of the Government he has much the same Officers with the King but when he has laid down that Authority his Officers are his Marshal spoken of before his Chancellor who Presides in his Courts of Justice his Almoner Master of Requests Cross-Bearer Steward Treasurer Chaplains Library-Keeper Clerk of the Kitchin c. This Archbishop alone as he is the Chief Senator of Poland has Drums beating and Trumpets sounding both within and without Doors before he sits down to Table He also by his Prerogative is not to wait for the King's Commands when he should Visit him but may go when and as often as he pleases Before My Lord I put an end to this Letter permit me to take notice to Your GRACE that the King of Poland does not Name his Privy-Counsellors but all Senators are Counsellors of Course for all of that Dignity that are about the Place where the King Resides have a Right to sit at the Council-Board For fear notwithstanding that there should not be always Senators sufficient for that purpose at Court the Senate always depute four of their Members to attend the King's Person by turns and that not only to give him Advice but likewise to Inspect into his Conduct and to prevent him from Acting contrary to the Laws For the King and Council are accountable to the Diet for any Mismanagement in the Government In short the Genius of the Polish Nation and the whole Frame of their Constitution is entirely bent to Curb the King's Power and to secure their Laws and Prerogatives against the Incroaching Factions of Foreign Princes or of their own Court-Party I might here My Lord add a great many
the Little and Poorer Sort think it no Disgrace to serve them that can maintain them 'T is true the Gentleman they serve is commonly very civil to them for the eldest of them generally eats with him at Table with his Cap off and every one of them has a Peasant-Boy to wait on him which the Master maintains yet if any one of these Gentlemen-Servants neglects his Duty his Master punishes him severely tho' he has no Power to take away his Life because he is a Gentleman but he may get him whipt naked with a certain Formality which I have mention'd before It may not be here amiss to observe to your Lordship some few Maxims whereby the Republick of Poland might always subsist and the Gentry retain their ancient Privileges First By reducing all the Gentry of the Kingdom to an equal Authority in the Election of a King and other publick Deliberations by which the King or Senate would be depriv'd of a Power of raising any considerable Factions and the Grandees be discourag'd from affecting and hunting after Foreign Titles which commonly ensnare them to the Prejudice of their Country Secondly By keeping up the free Choice of their Nuncios which would disable the Court and Senate from getting their Creatures elected to the utter abrogating of the Privileges of the Gentry wherein the Poles now follows the prudent Example of the Roman Common-wealth Thirdly By preserving the Custom of the Gentries appearing in great Numbers at the Diet which animates both the Senate and Deputies in the Prosecution of Affairs for the Good of the Kingdom and deters them from being biass'd by any sinister Means Fourthly By obliging both Senators and Deputies to give an Account of their Proceedings which must needs encline them to act with a great deal of Precaution Fifthly By prohibiting the Army to come near the great Assembly of the States for Rome never enjoy'd so great Happiness as when the Gown had Preference of the Sword Sixthly To maintain the Law of Equality in Matters of Descent whereby the Gentry would be kept at an even Lay and hinder'd from disturbing the Government by too great a Power Seventhly Never to prefer any Native to the Crown because of the great Disorders it might in all Likelyhood occasion Eighthly To maintaim the Authority of their Democracy establish'd for so many Ages by the Prudence of their Ancestors and all along continu'd with no small Hazards and Trouble And Ninthly Never to permit any Foreign Princes to intermeddle with their Affairs There is no Country where Embassadors are oblig'd to make so great a Figure as in Poland especially if they have any Interest of the Prince their Master to maintain or carry on in the Diet or among the Gentry for the Great Men there generally despise all such as either do not or cannot make the same Figure with themselves which is so excessive that an Embassador must have three remarkable Qualities to keep up with it For first he must have a great Train of Coaches and Servants proportionable next keep a plentiful and open House continually to Treat and Fuddle the Gentry and where he must be very humble and familiar with them they being generally very civil and easie in their Conversation And lastly which is the surest way to gain their Affection and Suffrages he must give 'em ever now and then a little Money and he still promising them more for Reasons I have mention'd before When the Great Men of Poland have any Suit at Law or other Difference to be determin'd the Justice of the Kingdom is commonly too weak for them for tho' the Diet or other Tribunals had decided the Matter in Favour of one of the two Parties yet the Execution of their Judgment must be left to the Power of the strongest Sword for these Grandees generally think it beneath them to submit to the Sentence of a Company of Judges without a Field-Battle Sometimes they will raise five or six Thousand of a Side plunder and burn one anothers Towns and Cities and besiege each others Castles and Forts and after a great deal of Blood-shed Fatigue and Expence the unjuster Cause shall commonly get the upper Hand Dr. Connor says When he was in Poland there was a Quarrel between Duke Raazivil and Prince Sapieha about whether of the two should be Guardian to the young Princess of Newbourg Neece to the present Empress for her Mother was Dutchess Radzivil of Lithuania and Heiress of the greatest Estate in the Kingdom Both Parties had their Troops in the Field and had some Skirmishes but it was thought that Prince Sapieha being Great General of the Forces of Lithuania would get the better tho' it seems Duke Radzivil as being her Mother's Relation had more Right to the Guardianship of her All this while the King never concern'd himself in the Quarrel nor declar'd for either Party As to Matters of Descent The Father's Estate is always equally divided among his Children in like manner as in Italy Germany and most Foreign Countries but when the Father is dead the Mother can enjoy all his Estate for Life and it is absolutely in her Breast to allot every one of the Children their Quota or to keep all the Estate to her own Use during her Life Some Mothers Marry after the Husbands Deaths and so spend their first Childrens Fortunes with their second Husbands This makes the Children more than ordinary obedient to their Mothers especially during their Widdowhood Altho Estates in Poland are equally divided among the Children which one would think should absolutely weaken or ruin their Families yet do they generally find Means to support and keep them up for most commonly some of the Brothers turn Monks and so get to be made Abbots or Bishops whose Revenues are here sufficient to enrich any Family and the rest look after State-Employments which are likewise considerable Some of the Daughters also many times become Nuns so that being in the Church Service they are oblig'd to live in Celibacy and consequently leaving no Heirs all their Goods or Estates fall to their Marry'd Brothers or Sisters or to their Children In this Country the Daughters always walk before their Mothers as in Italy and the unmarry'd Sisters before the marry'd I cannot but admire at the honest and good Temper of the Polish Gentry for tho' their Liberty is extraordinary tho' they have Power of Life and Death over their Subjects tho' they are in a manner above their own Laws and tho' Justice is administer'd in Poland more slightly than in any other Country yet Dr. Connor says that all the while that he was in that Kingdom he neither saw nor heard of any Murther or Slaughter or of any Barbarity or Cruelty committed by the Gentry on their Subjects nor what is a greater Wonder of any High-way Robbers but always observ'd the Poles in general to be good humour'd harmless and generous When it is certain had
City has always above 2000 Soldiers in Service and they can easily maintain 12000 but in Cases of Necessity they have been known to have rais'd 60000. For Ships they have no Men of War but abundance of Merchant-men of 3 or 400 Tuns each and 30 or 40 Guns apiece They never Trade so far as the East or West-Indies but into the Streights and all over Europe they do Here it may not be improper to give Your Excellency some short Account of their present Coin in Dantzick But first by way of Digression I may observe that the Coin which the Teutonic Order brought into Prussia not proving sufficient to furnish that Country with Money those Knights soon began to set up Mints and to coin Money of their own there which they perform'd with so much accuracy that most Nations have allow'd that where-ever invented the Art of Coining was there first brought to Perfection This has been confirm'd by the great Antiquary Spelman who was of Opinion that our English Word Sterling came from the Easterlings a People of Prussia and who coming from thence into England first taught us the Art of Refining and Coining purer Silver than we had before made use of The Species of Money now Current in Prussia or rather in Dantzic are these Gold Ducats Ourts Choustacks and Chelons A Ducat is worth two Rix-Dollars or 9 Shillings English An Ourt is a Silver Coin equal to the French Piece of 15 Sous and worth 18 Grosses of Dantzic and 30 of Poland A Choustack is of the value of 6 Dantzic-Grosses or 10 Polish And as for their Chelons three of them make one of their Grosses The farther Difference between the Polish Money and theirs stands thus The Tinfe that is worth 30 Grosses of Polish Chelons is worth but 18 of those of Dantzic The Ducat which is of the value of 12 Franks of Polish Chelons is worth but 7 of the Current Money here Five Choustacks or an Ourt and two Choustacks make a Livre of Dantzic-Money because 5 Choustacks make 30 Grosses and 30 Grosses make 20 Pence This City of Dantzic was taken from the Danes by Sabislaus Grandson to Swentorohus about the Year 1186 and was seiz'd by the Poles some short time after The Knights of the Teutonic Order made themselves Masters of it in 1305 and Wall'd it round in 1314. Casimir III. King of Poland surnam'd The Great regain'd it in 1454 and granted very great Privileges to the Citizens who afterwards declaring for the Auspurg-Confession sided with Maximilian of Austria against Stephen Batori insomuch that the latter proscrib'd and even besieg'd them in 1577. but however by the Mediation of other Princes they were restor'd to their Religion and Liberties in 1597. In 1656. they vigorously repuls'd the Suedes and adher'd to the Interest of John Casimir King of Poland And at present they make one of the Members of this State having been admitted to a Suffrage in the Election of the Polish Monarchs in the Year 1632. This my Lord is what I have been able to gather from Dr. Connor's Memoirs and the best Authors that have writ any thing of the Trade of Poland and of the famous City of Dantzic and wherein if I may not be so happy as to correspond every where with your Excellency's greater Knowledge of those matters I hope at least I may be excus'd upon account of my good will to entertain you and the publick as far as my assistance went which if granted will abundantly recompence the Endeavours of My LORD Your Excellency's Most Humble Servant J. S. LETTER VIII To the Right Honourable CHARLES Earl of Burlington Of the Origin of the Teutonic Order and the Succession of all its Great Masters in the Holy-Land Prussia and Germany together with its present State in the Empire MY LORD DR Connor having design'd this Letter for your Lordship's Entertainment and not having had leisure to accomplish it himself by reason of the urgency of his Profession desired of me to Address it for him but upon a just Reflection on the meanness of my Abilities and an awful Regard to your Lordship's Grandeur I found I had more than ordinary reason to decline it Yet however upon balancing your goodness with your great Quality and considering my well meaning at the same time with my attempt I hop'd I might not be so unfortunate as to Offend if I undertook it and the rather because of the great conformity which the subject I were to write of had with the hopes which the Nation has in you My LORD Your Lordship will here find that this Order was first founded to reward and encourage Great Actions and that particularly in the German Nation whence it came to have the Title of Teutonic for when the Emperour Frederic Barberossa had engaged in the Crusade for recovery of the Holy-Land a great number of German Nobility and Gentry joyn'd his Army as Volunteers Of this Crusade were several other great Princes of Europe such as Philip King of France Richard I. King of England Frederic Duke of Suabia the Dukes of Austria and Bavaria Philip Earl of Flanders Plorant Earl of Holland c. After this Emperor's Death the Germans being before Acon or Ptolemais which they then besieged chose for their Leaders Frederick Duke of Suabia second Son to the aforesaid Emperour and Henry Duke of Brabant Under these Generals they behav'd themselves so well both at the taking of Acon Jerusalem and other places of the Holy-Land that Henry King of Jerusalem the Patriarch and several other Princes thought themselves oblig'd to do something extraordinary in honour of the German Nation Hereupon they immediately resolv'd to erect an Order of Knights of that Nation under the protection of St. George but afterwards they chang'd that Saint for the Virgin Mary by reason that she had an Hospital already founded on Mount Sion at Jerusalem for the relief of German Pilgrims of the manner of building which Ashmole in his Order of the Garter gives this following account He says that in the time of the Holy-War a wealthy Gentleman of Germany who dwelt at Jerusalem commiserating the condition of his Countrymen coming thither on Devotion and neither understanding the language of that place nor knowing where to lodge receiv'd them hospitably into his House and gave them all manner of suitable Entertainment Afterwards obtaining leave of the Patriarch he erected a Chappel for them and Dedicated it to the Virgin Mary whence the Knights that were established there afterwards came to have the Title of Equites Mariani Other German Gentlemen contributed largely to the maintaining and encreasing this Charitable Work insomuch that in a short time these Knights became very numerous and wealthy and gave themselves to Military Employments and to acts of Piety and Charity In the Year 1190 they elected their first Great Master Henry Walpot and in the Year following had their Order confirm'd upon the request of
England and Curland or the Ports of the City of Dantzic Moreover for the acknowledgment that the said Duke of Curland doth hold and enjoy the said Island of Tobago from and under his said Majesty it is further Provided and Agreed that when and as often as the said Lord the King his Heirs or Successors shall so require it or when he or they are engag'd in a War against another King Prince or State except only the King of Poland the Duke of Curland his Heirs and Successors at their own proper Costs and Charges from time to time shall bring or cause to be brought one good Man of War furnished with 40 great Iron Guns to such Ports Station or Place which his said Majesty his Heirs and Successors shall Name into which Ship his Majesty his Heirs and Successors shall put Commanders and Seamen and supply them with Food and Wages under the Conduct and at the Expences of the said King so long as the said Ship shall abide in his or their Service which at one time shall never exceed the limits of a Year For the Testimony and undoubted Confirmation whereof the abovesaid Parties namely the most Serene and most Potent King of Great Britain and the most Illustrious Duke of Curland have set their Hands interchangeably to the mutual Agreement contained and explained in these Presents and moreover have applyed their Great Seals for the Establishment thereof Hereupon at the Instance of the Duke of Curland's Minister His Majesty King Charles II. sent a Letter to the States-General to acquaint them with this his Grant and to recommend to their considerations the just Pretentions of the said Duke to this Island but notwithstanding the States enclining to favour the Lambson's Interest who had the Impudence to call this a sham-Grant affirming that his Majesty could not give that which was none of his to dispose of the said Royal Letter had little or no Effect till it happen'd that Count d' Etree the French Admiral took the Island and made there a miserable slaughter and Extirpation of the Dutch but who thought fit to quit the Possession of it soon after Notwithstanding several of the French Gentry and Merchants having a Prospect of Benefit before their Eyes afterwards Sollicited their King to Grant the said Conquer'd Island to them but which he generously refus'd declaring that it belong'd to a Neutral Prince who did no body any harm Hereupon the Duke without further loss of time prepar'd to send Ships to take possession of his Right and upon his Request King Charles was pleas'd to favour him with his second Royal Letter to the Government of Barbadoes directed to the then Governor Sir Jonathan Atkins and dated the 19th of January 1680 whereby that Governor was ordered not only to permit and suffer the Commanders and Officers of the said Ships to provide and furnish themselves with what they might stand in need of but likewise to be aiding and assisting to them with his Authority wherever there should be found occasion The like Letter was some time before dispatch'd from King Charles to the said Government by one of the Duke's Ships call'd the Flower-Pot but which together with the Ship was betray'd to the Pyrates of Algiers by one Captain Nagel the Commander Upon the Governor of Berbadoes's Receipt of the aforesaid Royal Letter the Duke was encourag'd to send a Governor to Tobago and soon after several others from time to time to keep possession thereof till by assistance of the English he might be able to establish a Colony there In 1681 the Duke enter'd into a Contract with Captain Pointz granting 120000 Acres of the said Island to him and Company upon very advantageous terms This Island lies very commodiously among the Caribbees or Antilles having many excellent Havens and Rivers and affording divers good Products and would be of very dangerous consequence to the English either in French or Dutch Hands for First when in the Years 1664 1665 and 1666 it was in the possession of the Dutch they took in the Wars several hundred Sail of Ships belonging to the Subjects of England either going or coming from the Plantations and brought them to Tobago but on the contrary were it in the English Hands under the Duke of Curland their Allegiance would prevent for the future the like Damages Secondly in the said Wars both French and Dutch made up their Fleets at the said Island and took and plunder'd St. Christopher's Mountserat Antegoa Berbudas c. to the great Damage of the English Thirdly King Charles was at excessive Charge in fitting out a Fleet to preserve Mevis from being taken by the Dutch in the said Wars And Fourthly the said Island being accommodated with Harbours and Roads beyond any other of the Caribbees might probably shelter Enemies to the English Crown when if it were in their Hands that inconveniency would be prevented Much more might be added concerning this Island but for brevity sake it is omitted only I may take notice that a French Geographer supposes that either Tobacco has taken its Name from this Island or this Island has been so called from that Weed This Duke James upon his succeeding his Father in the Dutchy of Curland was Married to Chariotte the Daughter of George William Elector of Brandenburg the last Elector Frederic William's Sister who died in 1676 by whom he had the late Duke Frederic Casimir Prince Ferdinand Lieutenant-General in the Elector of Brandenburgh's Army and Prince Alexander who was wounded by a Cannon-Ball at the Siege of Buda and who died in his way to Vienna and three Princesses whereof Louis Elizabeth Marry'd Frederic Landtgrave of Hesse of the Line of Hambourg Mary Amalia Marry'd May 21 1673 Charles Landtgrave of Hesse of the Line of Cassel And the third Charlotte lives still unmarry'd in the King of Sueden's Court. Duke James was succeeded by his Eldest Son Frederic Casimir but now lately deceas'd who while he was Prince serv'd under our present King in Holland in the first French War bringing several Regiments of Horse and Dragoons along with him and there Marry'd Princess Sophia Amalia of Nassau-Siegen who died in Child-bed on the 25th of December 1688 By this Dutchess he hath three Princesses alive He was a second time Marry'd at Berlin in the Year 1691 to the Princess Elizabeth Sophia the present Elector of Brandenburgh's Sister by whom he had two or more Sons This Duke died at Mittaw about the beginning of February 1698 and is succeeded by his Eldest Son Frederic Casimir II. the present Duke being a Child not above six years of Age. The Duke of Curland is Vassal to the Crown of Poland in like manner as the Electors are to the Emperor for when any new King is Elected there this Duke is oblig'd to send his Envoy to receive investiture by having a Standard deliver'd with the Arms of Poland on one side
and those of Curland on the other After this the Envoy is permitted to sit down to cover his Head and has great civilities paid him This Duke has all the Regalia that the German Soveraign Princes have He Coins Money in his own Name and has high and low Justice over the Noblemen of his Country only in some extraordinary cases Appeals may be made to the Court of Poland He has great Demesns of which his Revenue chiefly consists and keeps a very pretty Court having all his great Officers as other Princes have The chiefest of which are The Landhoff-Meister or chief Minister The High Chancellor The Supreme Marshal and The Supreme Burgrave These are the Four great State Officers The more inferiour are The Councellors of State which are the Supreme Starostas whereof two are for Curland viz. The Supreme Starostas of Goldingen and Tuczkon And two for Semigallia viz. The Supreme Starostas of Mittaw and Selburg These Staâ—ostas ought all to be Noble Natives and Landed-Men Next follow the Governors of Places Military-Officers c. The Gentry of this Country are very Antient and very free being exceedingly Jealous of suffering any Upstart Nobleman to come among them esteeming nothing so much as Ancient Families and Creations Before I proceed to give a farther account of this Country I must add a word or two more concerning the Livonian Order and which I could not have done before unless I had broke the Chain of the Connection The Provincial Master of this Order was wont to be chosen by the Great Chapter of Prussia whereupon when in the Year 1439. the Livonian Knights had Elected one Henry a Bukenode for their Master they were forc'd to give a reason for their having so done and notwithstanding were afterwards oblig'd to submit to a new Election in Prussia Next the Provincial Master of the Livonian Order was the Marshal of the Order After whom came the several Commendadors and the Advocates The Commendadors were in number Eleven whereof the two first were in Curland and the third in Semigallia The Advocates were Nine two having been of Curland and one of Semigallia These Knights had the Title of the Order of Sword-Bearers and their Habits Arms were a White Mantle with a Sword on the Breast in Pale and a Star Gules in Chief but after their joining with the Teutonick Order they had likewise their Habit and Cross For a Geographical Description of this Country I must acquaint you Sir that the two Dutchies of Curland and Semigallia have these several principal Cities and Towns for I cannot meet with any sub-division into Jalatinates or Districts as I have perform'd in Poland In the Dutchy of Curland are the several Cities and Towns of Goldingen Cap. Vinda Bish Pilten Liba Erdwalen Angermund Grubin Tuczkon Frawenburg Vschwend Talsen Candaw Durben Hasenpot and Oendange Of all which the chief City is Goldingen in Latin Goldinga a City that stands on the Banks of the River Wete about seven German Miles from Vinda or Windaw to the West and near fifteen from Mittaw in Semigallia to the East This City has a large Jurisdiction Vinda or Windaw call'd by the Poles Kiescz is a City and Palatinate It has a Castle built on the Sea-shoar and which was formerly Residence to the Livonian Knights as likewise the place where they conven'd their Parliament or General Assemblies Now it has usually a Garrison of Poles but which are nevertheless under command of the Duke of Curland This City is one of the Sea-ports of Curland the other being Liba Pilten is a Town and Palatinate of this Dutchy whose Gentry being Protestants and offering themselves to the King of Poland's Protection he endeavoured to re-establish a Popish Bishop there this having formerly been a Catholick Bishoprick whose Lands they then possess'd whereupon they alter'd their Resolutions and forthwith submitted to the Duke of Curland These are the richest Gentry in this Prince's Dominions whereof the principal Families are those of Maydel Beher Sacken Mandevil c. In the Dutchy of Semigallia are the Cities and Towns of Mittaw Metropolis of these Dominions Bauske Doblin Selburg Radziwiliski Nithaw Birze Pozwole Lunka Dalen Schudding Pilkall Beher Nersten and Salatt Of all which the Capital of this Dutchy and Metropolis of the Duke of Curland's Dominions is Mittaw in Latine Mittavia or Mittovia the usual place of Residence of the Dukes of Curland This City is built on the River Musza and is a pretty large place containing about Twelve Thousand Inhabitants It has a weak Wall tho' nevertheless a well Fortifi'd and stately Castle with two Bastions which are surrounded by Marshes and defended by a strong and numerous Garrison The streets of this City are not Pav'd for want of Stone and the Citizens Houses are either of Brick or Timber as in Poland This place lies about seven Polish Miles from Riga in Regal Livonia and only four from the Prontiers of Samogitia It has been twice taken of late by the Swedes but has been since regain'd and is at present wholly subject to its Duke Bauske another strong City in this Dutchy which has a well Fortifi'd Castle and a numerous Garrison The Religion of this Country is generally Lutheran tho' there are some few Roman Catholicks and Calvinists there In favour of the first the late Duke at the King of Poland's request gave leave for the building of two Roman Catholick Churches one at Mittaw and the other at Goldingen The Jesuits pretend to have bought this Cureteship of Mittaw and upon that account to have settled there but nevertheless they are frequently oppressed and their College was broke down not long since yet notwithstanding they still subsist The Dutchesses of Curland having been all hitherto Calvinists have always had one Church at Mittaw set a part for them and their Religion where the Calvinists and Protestants of Livonia as likewise the English Merchants of Riga come to Exercise their Devotion there being no liberty of Conscience allowed throughout the King of Sweden's Dominions except at Stockholm only where the French Huguenots have been permitted to build a Church As to the Government of Curland there is first The Parliament or General Assembly of the States of this Duteby which is conven'd after this manner The Duke as often as any Urgencies of State so require it sends out his Letters of Summons to all the Starostas of his Dominions together with a Schedule of the Points propos'd to be debated on requiring them and every of them to cause Deputies or Representatives of the Gentry to be forth with Elected in their respective Jurisdictions whereupon they are soon Elected accordingly and furnished with Instructions from their Electors how they shall behave themselves in like manner as in Poland These afterwards meeting at Mittaw together with the four Supreme Counsellors consult
over his Pretâ—nsions 208. c. Cujavia Territory Division into Palatinates 234. Chief Cities and Towns ibid. Cracovia Palatinate It s division into Districts 237. Cities and Towns ibid. Their several Descriptions 238 c. Castellan's Power 248. Czentochova a Town Famous for a Convent 244. Cruswick City It s Description 235. Culm Pal. Join'd by the Territory of Michalovia 260. Chief Cities and Towns ibid. Their several Descriptions ibid. c. Culm City It s Description 260. Caminiec City It s description 275. Built 320. Chelm Pal. Division into Districts 282. Chief Cities and Towns ibid. Their descriptions ibid. c. Chelm City It s description 282. Crasnistaw Town It s description 282. D. Denmark It s King taken Prisoner II. Dantzic Made a City 39. Dantzickers reduc'd 89 c. First allow'd a Vote 120. Deputies first admitted to the Diet 65. Diet. Conven'd 85 101 119 124 140 154 205. Dobrina Pal. In what abounds 289. Division into Districts ibid. Chief Cities and Towns 290. Their Descriptions ibid. c. Dobrina City It s description 290. E. Election By Horse-race 15. Peaceable 118. Of Sigisimund de Vasa 106. Of Uladislaus VII 119. Of John Casimir 124. Of Michael Wiesnowiski 144. Of John Sobieski 155. Embassadors Admitted to Audience 105 120 141 159. Elbing Town It s description 263. F. Family of Lechus 11 c. Cracus from 12 to 14. Leschus II. from 15 to 17. Piastus from 21 to 57. Jagello from 58 to 82. Factions Lutheran and Catholick 102. Not to be United 103. The former Mutiny ibid. Suppressed ibid. Three Factions 103. Lutheran's Policy 105. Frederic August King Elected 207. Takes possession of Cracow ibid. Crown d ibid. Reasons why he is likely to restore Poland 209. First German Prince that has been King ibid. G. Great Poland Province It s Division 220. Palatinates 221. Their several Cities and Towns ibid. c. Their Arms 226 c. Gnesna City It s description 223. Great Dukes of Lithuania Their several Lives from 310 to 324. Grodno City It s description 329. H. Henry I. Elected and Dethron'd 48. Appoints a Successor in vain ibid. Hedwigis Queen comes into Poland 58 Is Crown'd and how long Reign'd ibid. Has several Suitors ibid. Marries Jagello 59. Dies ibid. Henry of Valois King Sent for by the Diet 85. Agrees to Articles and takes an Oath ibid. c. Is Crown'd 86. Abdicates Poland 87. Embassies sent after him in vain ibid. House of Austria Jealous of Sigismund I's greatness 71. Raises Enemies against him ibid. How came by Hungary Bohemia and Silesia ibid. Habit of the Poles 177. Heilsberg City It s description 263. Halicz Town It s description 271. I. Jagello Great Duke of Lithuania Becomes Christian 59. Crown'd King of Poland and how long Reign'd ibid. Converts the Lithuanians ibid. Founds the University of Cracow ibid. His Wars ibid. Death and Issue 60. John Albert King His Character 66. Policy and Army defeated ibid Makes Peace with the Valachians and Turks 67. His Death ibid. John Casimir King Led a Religious Life and made Cardinal 124. His Character and Travels 126. Like to be excluded ibid. c. Elected 128. His Marriage ibid. His Wars ibid. c. Suedish King invades Poland 139. Wherefore 131. Motives and means of Casimir's Abdication 134. His Death 135. His Epitaph 136. John Basilowitz Czar of Muscovy Is a great Tyrant and his variety of Tortures 78. John III. Sobieski Elected in the Year 1674 163. His Father and Mother ibid His Travels 164. His Marriage ibid. His Generosity 165. Zeal to Arms discourag'd 166. War with the Turks and Tartars 167 c. A Battle 169. His Coronation 172. He relieves Vienna 173. Defeats the Turks 174. His entry thro' the Breach 175. Pursues the Enemy ibid Takes Zytehin in Hungary 176. Enters into a League against the Turks 177. Is immoderately covetous ibid. His Person and Dress ibid. His Character 179. Engages Dr. Connor in a Dispute ibid. His Buildings 184. Care of his Children 185. His great Riches ibid. Fortune formerly and gradual Promotion 150 His Sister 198 What Issue she left 200. Account of the King's Distemper from the Bishop of Plosko 201 c. The King's Death 204. Reflections on his Disease ibid. Inter Regnum before the present King's Election 205. Inowlocz Pal. Division into Districts 235. Chief Cities and Towns ibid. K. King Of Poland his Policy 8. The first 9 25. Four classes of Kings 10. Title ceases 30. Restor'd 48. King of Sueden enters into a League with the Elector of Brandenburg 132. Koningsberg in Regal Prussia built 45. It s description 264. Kalisch City It s description 226. Kalisch Pal. Its Arms 227. Kiovia Pal. How bounded 277. Chief Cities and Towns 278. Their descriptions ib. c. Kiow City It s Description 278. L. Laws What formerly in Poland 5. Lechus I. 10. Founds Poland 5. Builds Posnan and Gnesna 6. Occasions Poland the Name of Lechia ib. His Posterity how long Reign'd 11 12. II. His Banishment and Death 13. Lescus I. 14. Elected by a Stratagem ib. Reign and Death uncertain 15. II. How Elected 14. His Death 15. III. His death uncertain 16. IV. His Character and Death 23. V. Surnam'd the White 39. Under Guardians ib. His Wars 40. Is dethron'd ib. Restor'd ib. Dethron'd again 41 Put by an Election ib. c. Re-establish'd 42. Murther'd in a Bath ib. VI. When Elected and how long Reign'd 46. His Wars ib. Insurrection against him ib. Retires into Hungary 47. Returns with success ib. His death ib. Leaves his Kingdom in distraction ib. Lasconâ—gus Vide Uladislaus III. Locticus vide Uladislaus IV. Lewis King of Hungary When Crown'd and how long Reign'd 56. Oblig'd to take an Oath ib Returns into Hungary ib. His Wars Death and Issue 57. Commendable Example of his ib. Leopol City whence so call'd 46. It s description 267. Luther's Doctrine when first known here 70. Very much propagated 78. The occasion ib. First Person of Note that embrac'd it ib. Lutherans Contend for share in the Government 101. Obtain perpetual Liberty of Conscience ib c. Lutheran party Dissents 107. Elects and Proclaims Maximilian of Austria 〈◊〉 2 Pronounc'd Traytors by the Diet 108. Lithuanid Tends towards a Civil War 160. How call'd by the Inhabitants 302. Present Bounds ib. Antient Extent ib. Soil and Products ib. c Union with Poland and Privileges 303. Division ib. Its Arms ib. Different Opinions about its Name 304. Its Dukes from 305 to 310. Division into Palatinates 324. Lithuanid Proper Province 325. Lesser-Poland Province Its Bounds 236. It s Division into Pal. ib. c. Their several Arms 249 254 257. Lowitz City It s description 231. Lanschet Pal. It s division into Districts 232 Chief Cities and Towns ib. Lanschet City It s Description 232. Lublin Pal. Join'd by the Territory of Lukovia 254. Chief Cities and Towns 255. Their several Descriptions ib. c. Lublin City It s Description 255. Lutzk City It s Description 295. M.
of the Cosacks and the last Troubles in Bohemia To these also may be added the Revolutions of our own Nation in the Time of Charles I. when the Fury of the People extended their Rage even to the dipping their Hands in this Prince's Blood Politicians do generally own that the People are a wild Beast which ought rather to be led than left at Liberty and by consequence have pronounced it most Perilous to acquiesce under their Subjection An Anarchy would undoubtedly do more harm in a day than a Tyrant could in all his Reign If he Punishes 't is with some pretence of Justice when nothing can abate the Peoples Rage but an utter Extinction of whatever is placed over their Heâ—ds A mixt Government therefore made out of all these Three is that which has proved most Agreeable to the Polish Nation being a just Medium between the dangerous Extremities of an Absolute Monarchy and those of Aristocracy and Democracy It is this the Poles have pitch'd upon as most proper to preserve the public Liberty and to perpetuate the Happiness of their State being it seems perswaded that a Body Politic resembles a Humane in this that as the one borrows all its Vigour and Health from a Just Temperament of the different Humours that compose it so the other depends absolutely on that of the Three before-mention'd Forms of Government And moreover as the former subsists by the mutual Opposition of contrary Qualities so the King Senate and Gentry of Poland having in some measure different Interests and Inclinations are not only hinder'd from deviating into vicious Extremities but also through a Noble Emulation are excited to labour carefully for the Good of the Public The Republic is divided into Two States the Kingdom of Poland and the Great Dutchy of Lithuania yet both which are but as one Body having the same King the same Parliament the same Laws the same Privileges the same Religion and as the natural result of all these the same Interest These Two States are so very well United that a King cannot be Elected a Law made nor any State-Business done without the mutual Consent of both But My Lord as the King is the Prime and Chief Member of this Republic I will give Your GRACE an Account of his present Power and Prerogatives The Poles are too proud a Nation to agree with those Politicians that measure the Grandeur of a Prince and Happiness of a State by the Despotic Power of him that Governs it and therefore those pernicious Maxims of Tyrants Si Lubet Licet Oderint dum Metuant and the like would be but ill receiv'd among a People that have all along secured their Liberties by their Prudence and Valour This Vassalage would suit well enough with the Slaves of Asia and Africk or with the Moscovites and Turks who all suffer themselves to be govern'd like Beasts and led by the Nose according to the different Caprice or Pleasure of their Prince As for the Kings of Poland they may rest in security in the Bosom of their Country even amidst the Noise of Arms either without or within their Dominions since they have always their Subjects to crowd about them for their Guards thro' indispensable Inclinations For what contributes chiefly to the Happiness of these Princes is the Loyal Observance and voluntary Obedience paid them even by those that are at Liberty to do the contrary I have often heard Monsieur de Polignac the French Ambassador say at Warsaw That he thought a King of Poland more Happy in his Person and Condition than a King of France Nevertheless this Authority of the King of Poland is so alloy'd by the Laws of the Land that it does not exact more Veneration from the Nobles or Gentry than they think he deserves For tho' their Behaviour be generally extraordinary Observant yet do they tacitly seem to call in question the Power they have limited and often refuse that Duty which they have deem'd him worthy of by his Election The Polish Nobility make no Difference between their King 's Right and those of the Senate and Deputies affirming That since these three Members compose but one Body they ought equally to share in the same Benefits and Injuries and consequently ought all either to Reward the one or Revenge the other The small Authority therefore of their Kings and the Impossibility of their Acting by themselves has at all times exposed Poland to the Insults of their Neighbours and the Rage of their own People as may be seen in the Civil Wars of the Cosacks and the Treachery and Sedition of the Confederates which could never have arriv'd at so great height if the King had had but sufficient Power to have suppress'd them Also the Great Marshal of the Crown Lubomirski would never have had the Boldness to have oppos'd King Casimir's Designs openly and to have form'd so many Factions against the Court had he not had some Assurances of remaining Unpunish'd This makes the King of Poland to be stiled a King of Kings and Lord of Lords since he has no better than Companions and Equals for his Subjects We have divers Instances of the Poles love for their Kings and particularly by their once enforcing the Right of Sigismund III. to the Kingdom of Sweden in an obstinate War which they began several times as likewise in supporting afterwards the Pretences of Vladislaus VII to Moscovy To omit divers others of a more ancient Date This Respect of their obliges them frequently to come and spend their Estates at Court thinking to augment their Princes Grandeur by their Prodigality and Magnificence This appears by the mistake made by Gregory King of Bohemia at the Interview between him and Casimir the Great at Glogan which Place the former had demanded to bound the Limits of Silesia when he saluted a Private Gentleman splendidly Cloath'd for the King of Poland The Custom and Inclination of the Poles runs so strong towards Honouring their Prince that all they have or are able to do even to the Destruction of their Lives and Fortunes they are willing to lavish in his Service without expecting any greater Recompence than the Glory of Waiting on His Majesty's Person Insomuch that a King of Poland who is Couragious and Prudent Just and Sober Liberal and Religious one that observes the Laws and Constitutions of his Kingdom and in a word who has no other Interest but the Common Good and Safety of his Subjects is as much Respected and Honour'd and as faithfully Obey'd both in time of Peace and War nay as formidable to all his Enemies as most Princes in Europe As to what relates to War no Monarch has greater Advantages than himself for he is neither at the trouble of raising Forces nor Expence in Maintaining them his Business being only to convene the Diet and they do all these things to his Hand After War is once declar'd he can continue the
Starostaships after the Death of those that Enjoy them If the King chance to die before the Queen has this Reformation assign'd her then the Republic gives her a Yearly Pension out of the Crown-Revenues but this no longer than she continues unmarried or stays in the Realm for otherwise in both those Cases the Queen Regent gets it or else it reverts to the State It may be observ'd that the Queen Regent never comes by it without the Consent of the Diet and that is no ordinary Expence to her to procure by Purchasing almost all the Votes of that Mercenary Assembly This may be seen in the Case of the present Queen-Dowager for when the Queen her Predecessor Marry'd the Duke of Lorrain she observing that the Settlement of her Pension was like to be put off to the succeeding Diet which is conven'd only once in three Years thought it better to be at the Charge of gaining their Votes at that Session than to lose three Years Income This Revenue is generally computed at half a Million Polish which amounts to about Thirty Thousand English Pounds As long as the Queen-Dowager enjoys this Pension the Queen-Regent can have none for the Poles say that it would be too much to Pension two Queens at once Tho' the King of Poland has many important Employments to distribute yet his Power is always limited in the Distribution of them for he cannot Name any of his Children no nor so much as the Queen to any Charge either Ecclesiastical or Temporal Sigismund III. having a mind to give his Queen Constantia two Starostaships vacant by the Death of Queen Anne who died in the Year 1625. all the Gentry oppos'd it by a great Uproar in the Diet and maintain'd vigorously That a King of Poland ought not to part with any Office without their Consent Neither can he Purchase any Lands for them in any part of the Kingdom without Consent of the Diet Although the late King bought several vast Territories in other Peoples Names both in Russia Prussia and almost all over the Kingdom and besides purchas'd a Principality of the Emperor in Silesia for Prince James his Eldest Son But the Poles having long since discovered the Secret pretended when I was at Warsaw that all those Lands must come to the Crown after the King's Death Some of the Kings of Poland also have been so kind as to part with their Prerogatives in Ecclesiastical Matters so that now they retain only the Collation of Benefices As for the Foundation of Monasteries whatever Power the King may have left to Erect them they must always be confirm'd by the Three Orders of the States The King of Poland is likewise limited in divers other respects for he can neither encrease nor diminish the Number of Officers either of his Court or the Kingdom nor Name any Stranger that is not Naturaliz'd to any Charge or Government only in the Foot Army and there too such a Person can pretend to no more than to be a Captain or at most a Colonel This may appear by the Example of Stephen Batori who having had considerable Services done him by the Hungarians in the War against the Moscovites he thought it but reasonable to Prefer some of them for Recompence which extreamly incens'd the Poles and particularly the Grand General so much that he immediately thereupon resign'd his Staff 'T is also out of the Kings Power to advance some Natives for all Citizens Merchants Tradesmen and their Sons Country-Men Labourers and generally all Artificers are not only by the Constitutions of the Kingdom excluded from Preferments which the King has the Nomination of but also have not Liberty either of Buying or Enjoying Lands or Estates 'T is then the Nobility alone or Freeborn of the Kingdom of Poland the Great Dutchy of Lithuania or of the other Provinces Incorporated into that Monarchy that can pretend to any Preferment in the Republic Wherefore the aforesaid King Batori thinking to Advance his Nephews by reason he had no Children design'd to get them Naturalized in the Diet held the Thirteenth of December 1586 but was prevented by Death It must withal be understood that 't is not every one of these that can Aspire or lay Claim to every Preferment but only such as have Lands or Estates in the Kingdom the Great Dutchy or any other Incorporated Province where the Preferment lies For a Free-born Native of the Kingdom though he has an Estate in it yet cannot be a Governor of a City in Lithuania nor have any kind of Employment there without a setled Estate in that Country But the Advantage that all Freeborn Natives have is that they can Buy an Estate throughout the whole Extent of the Dominions of Poland There is another Inconvenience which very much Prejudices and Limits the King's Power and the public Interest of the whole Commonwealth for where-ever a Noble Pole is once named to a Preferment and is in actual possession of it let him commit never so many Crimes against the Crown or State he can never be depriv'd of his Employ or turn'd out of it without the Unanimous Consent of the Diet but shall continue in the same for Life even against a the Will of the Diet if he has but one Member on his Side who will protest against the Proceedings For the Negative Voice of a Member of the Diet of Poland has the same Force with a Negative of a King of England in Parliament This pernicious Constitution occasions many Troubles and Animosities for it encourages Unruly and Mutinous People to disturb the Commonwealth Officers never serve the Republic faithfully Treasurers arè thereby emboldened to give no Account of the Public Revenues the Generals of the Army and Governors of Provinces and Towns do as they think fit and most commonly mind their own private Affairs more than the Interest of the Republic In a word though the Poles term this Constitution the greatest Mark of their Liberty it inevitably Ruins the Foundation of the whole State and every one sees what bad Consequences must and do necessarily follow from this excessive Liberty or rather Libertinism of every Private Officer of the Kingdom My Lord This great Privilege of the Ofcers makes them pay more than ordinary Respect to the King before they are Dignify'd and court him to give them a Charge which he can never afterwards take away Moreover this Power of the King 's to Name such of the qualify'd Nobility as best pleases him to these important Employments keeps all the Gentry in a great Dependance on him for the design of the Republic in lodging the Nomination of Officers in the King's Hands was that he should take care to confer them on those that had best deserv'd them by their Services either in Peace or War and exclude such from them as had been Stubborn Mutinous and Unserviceable to the State Another Reason that makes the King respected is the natural Ambition
the Poles have to Aspire to the Honours of the Kingdom for by their Constitutions all the Nobles as they call them or Free-born of the Land are equal as to their Birth and none though never so Poor ows precedence unless through a Compliment to any ever so Rich Insomuch that Preferments and Honours are the only Means by which they attain to Precedence which is annex'd thereto and ascertain'd by the Statutes and Laws Now one would think that this mighty Power which the King of Poland has to dispose of so many Places of Profit and Trust so many Lands by Royal Tenure and so many Benefices must needs gain him the Love and Affection of those on whom they are conferr'd But on the contrary the Poles being none of the most grateful and knowing too well that the King cannot dispose of those Preferments but to themselves they believe that when he Grants them he only gives back what of Right belongs to them and that it is not so much an Act of Grace in him as a piece of Justice When a King of Poland comes to any City the Inhabitants are oblig'd immediately to present him with the Keys and he can send his Regiment of Guards to take possession of the Gates The Citizens of Dantzick only have a Privilege to keep their own Keys and to hinder all but a few Troops from following the King into the City It is certain that Dantzick has more Immunities and Privileges than any other City of Poland insomuch that it may be rather look'd upon to be a small Republic of it self under Protection of that Kingdom than a City subject to it Nay it has in a manner all the Marks of a Sovereign Power for it can Condemn to Death without Appeal even the Polish Gentry if they commit any Crime within its Territories and Jurisdiction The King can raise no Troops at his own Charges without Consent of the Diet and this for fear that he should strengthen himself and Intrench upon their Liberties Nevertheless Vladislaus VII Levied some with the Portion of his Queen Mary Ludovica but the Senate so Murmur'd that he was soon oblig'd to Disband them The King cannot on any Account whatever go out of the Kingdom without Consent of the Diet for Your GRACE may observe that King Henry of Valois was fain to steal out of the Kingdom when he went into France Sigismund III. after the Death of his Father John King of Sueden was forc'd to call a Diet at Warsaw in the Month of May 1592. to obtain Consent to return into Sueden to take Possession of his Hereditary Kingdom and that Lewis King of Hungary who was chosen King of Poland in the Year 1370 having a mind to return to his Native Kingdom desired leave of the Senate and was oblig'd to Augment their Privileges to obtain it The King's Children are more than ordinarily respected though at the same time every private Gentleman thinks himself as great as they by the Law and to have as lawful a Right to the Crown yet are they nevertheless always treated as Princes of the Blood Royal. His Eldest Son has the Title of Prince of Poland and the others barely that of Princes adding withal their Christian Names as Prince Alexander and Prince Constantin of Poland The Kings Eldest Daughter is call'd the Princess of Poland and the others only Princesses adding thereto their Names as Princess Mary of Poland But it must be understood that when the King their Father dies and a new King of another or the same Family succeeds and has Children then do they lose the Titles of Princes and Princesses of Poland and take only the Names of their Families or Estates such as Prince Sobieski Princess Czartoriski yet however the Senate always look upon themselves oblig'd to provide for them to give them Pensions and to Match them equal to their Dignity and Birth which has ever hitherto been duly observ'd Nay the Poles have all along shew'd such Esteem and Affection to the Royal Family that although they have not allow'd them any Hereditary Right to the Crown by Law yet have they always Elected one of them King where there was any surviving For I find from the time of their Prince Piastus even down to that of the Election of the late King John Sobieski which is from the Year 830. to the Year 1674 the Crown has always continued in the same Family in a direct Line as your GRACE may observe in the First Volume of my Account of Poland They have also not confin'd this Affection of theirs to the Kings Sons only but have likewise extended it towards their Daughters and even their Widows as may be seen at large in their Histories where Your GRACE will find what strict Regard the Poles had to the Royal Race in the Election of the Princess Hedwigis whom they waited for with great Patience though all the while they suffer'd extreamly by the Insults of the Duke of Masovia who pretended a Right to the Crown as being a Relation to Casimir the Great The King 's Natural Sons are extreamly undervalu'd and are hardly look'd upon to be Common Gentlemen for none of the Gentry care to keep Company with them Nay one of the Late King's is a Clerk in the Salt Custom-House at Thorn a City in Prussia where his Place is not worth him above Thirty Pounds per Annum All over the Kingdom they usually have a very mean Opinion of Illegitimate Children though Nature endows them generally with as many Perfections and with as good Qualities as she does the Lawfully Begotten The only way for a King of Poland to continue the Crown in his Family is to be Warlike to enlarge his Dominions to gain the Love and Affections of his People by his own Merits and by the Favour of the Clergy to send his Children early to the Wars to get Credit and Reputation in the Army to spend Liberally all his Revenues and to die in Debt to the end that the Poles may be enclin'd to Elect his Son to enable him to pay what his Father ow'd But all this while he must never think to encroach on the Privileges of the Nation nor endeavour by any means to render the Crown Hereditary for whenever the Poles begin to smell out any such private Design they are presently apt to stir up Seditious Tumults which would prove very Pernicious to all the Posterity of that King as the ill Success the Late King's Sons have had sufficiently demonstrates It is altogether impossible for a King of Poland in Imitation of the King of Denmark to reduce his Subjects under an Arbitrary Power for the State of Denmark was quite different then from what that of Poland is now In Denmark the King Clergy and Commonalty were under the Rule and Government of the Gentry so that it was the Interest of the Clergy and Commonalty to side with the King to abate and depress the
more Particulars relating to the King of Poland but this is what I thought most material to be mention'd and what I cou'd only learn in so small a Time as I have lived in that Country I beg your GRACE's Pardon for tiring your Patience with so long and imperfect an Account and desire my Lord you wou'd receive this at least as a Testimony of my good Will of satisfying your Curiosity and of owning your many Favours to My LORD Your GRACE's Most Obedient Servant BERNARD CONNOR The following Letters intended at first to be Written by Dr. Connor were Compiled by Mr. Savage the Doctor not having Leisure to attend them from his Practice LETTER II. To His Grace HENRY Duke of Norfolk Earl Marshal of England Of the Senate and Senators of Poland both Ecclesiastical and Temporal With an Account of the Present Religion in Poland and Lithuania As also of the State-Officers and Officers of Districts belonging as well to the Kingdom as the Great Dutchy My LORD YOUR Grace's High Birth and Station in our Government together with Your Primary Right of Suffrage in our House of Lords entitle you in a Superlative manner to the Patronage of this Letter Wherefore I was glad to meet with an occasion so favourable to pay my Duty to Your GRACE and I could heartily wish it had been on a Subject that I were more Master of than in an Account of a Country which I never saw yet that you may give some Credit to the Truth of my Relation I dare humbly assure you that I have mention'd nothing therein but what I either had out of Dr. Connor's Memoirs learn'd from his own Mouth or drew from such Books as both the Doctor and Other Persons of Credit have own'd to be Authentic and most Correct My LORD The Senate of Poland is an Order of Nobles between the King and common Gentry establish'd to rule and govern according to Law and to observe the Conduct of the King And moreover they are to apply themselves to study the publick Good and the Preservation of the Privileges of the People It consists at present of a far greater Number of Persons than formerly It is the King that makes every Senator but who being once so made is to continue his Office for Life At the Time of his Creation he is oblig'd to take a solemn Oath to conserve inviolable the Rights and Liberties of the Republic so that if the King himself had a mind to extend his Power and Authority beyond the Limits prescrib'd him by the Laws every Senator's Oath alone would oblige him to acquaint his Majesty with due Respect of his Duty and Obligation Nay every Nuncio in the grand Diet assumes this Liberty For in that Place dicunt quae sentiunt sentiunt quae velint as may appear by an insolent Affront put upon the late King John Sobieski who having been call'd Tyrant Nero and many other opprobrious Names by some of the Deputies and not being able to bear it he started up and threatned them laying his Hand on his Sword That had he been the great General still he would have done something whereat one of them rising likewise and clapping his Hand to his Sword reply'd and that Sword would have done something too Another Passage I have read of Lewis King of Hungary and Poland who having been basely abus'd in the Diet stood up and cry'd Si non essem Rex whereto the Orator briskly reply'd Si non fuisses Rex These Senators are likewise bound to see that nothing be done against their Privileges and therefore four of them are always deputed to attend the King with their Advice Besides these four who are ever actually the King's Counsel any of the others in like manner have a Right to assist at the Council-Board if they think fit The Presence of these Senators is look'd upon to be so absolutely necessary for the Good of the Kingdom that not one of 'em can travel upon whatsoever Account without Leave of the Republic This Custom is taken from the Romans who not only forbid the Senators but also their Sons to go beyond the Verge of Italy This Title of Senator the King cannot bestow by it self but it is always annex'd to one of the four Dignitys of Bishops Castellans or Palatins The Ten Crown-Officers all which the King names whereof Palatins are Lord-Lieutenants of Provinces Castellans are Governours who have not their Names from Castles as the Word might reasonably import but from commanding a Portion of a Province in Time of War The ten Crown-Officers are the Marshals Chancellors and Treasurers of the Kingdom and Bishops preside over their several Diocesses with an Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction When any one is nam'd a Bishop Palatin Castellan or any of the ten Officers of the Crown he is immediately a Senator without more ado Their Business is to serve faithfully the King and Republick in the Senate at home to administer Justice by Commission or otherwise and abroad with Consent of the Diet to exercise foreign Ministrys c. These Senators of Poland value their Dignities so highly that they despise almost all other Titles of Honour whatever and therefore when Sigismund I. went to Vienna and the Emperour offer'd the Title of Princes of the Empire to the several Senators that came along with him they absolutely refus'd 'em giving for Reason That being born Gentlemen of Poland and thereby having a Right to treat either of Peace or War with their King they believ'd it an Injury to their Dignity to have a Prince of the Empire thought superiour This Senate consists either of Ecclesiastical or Secular Members The Ecclesiastical are either Archbishops or Bishops and are the chief Members of the Senate Their Number at present is but sixteen Three of these Bishopricks are now in the Enemies Hands though they nevertheless have titular Bishops viz. Smolensko and Kiovia possess'd by the Moscovites and Caminiec enjoy'd by the Turks So that there remain but thirteen Bishopricks actually in the King's Dominions of which but two are Archbishopricks viz. those of Gnesna and Leopol When any of the aforesaid three Bishopricks are vacant there are always those ready that will beg their Titles meerly to have the Honour to sit as Senators The several Diocesses belonging to all these Bishopricks are Archiepiscopal of Gnesna and Leopol Episcopal of Cracow Cujavia and Pomerania Vilna Posnan Plocksko or Plosko Varmia Luceoria or Lucko Premislia or Premislaw Samegitia Culm Chelm Kiovia Caminiec and Smolensko Subject to the two Archbishops are the other Bishops and first to the Archbishop of Gnesna are the several Bishops of Cracow Vladislaw Posnan Plosko Vilna Varmia Samogitia and Culm And next to the Archbishop of Leopol are the Bishops of Chelm Caminiec Luceoria Premislia and Kiovia The Archbishop of Gnesna is not only Chief of the Bishops but also of all the other Senators of Poland He is
Then they proceed to institute the Court call'd Kaptur treated of before This Diet consists of the Archbishop of Gnesna who represents the King's Person and the other Senators together with the Deputies of the Provinces In Case there is no Archbishop of Gnesna when the King dies the Office of Inter-Rex comes to the Bishop of Cujavia and next to the Bishop of Posnan and so to the rest of the Bishops of Lower Poland which in this Respect is preferr'd to the Higher tho' in nothing else Yet however they may grant away their Power as they did in the Inter-Regnum before the Election of the late King when the Bishop of Cracow officiated during the whole Interregnum by a common Consent of those Bishops Some of the Senators and Deputies are dispatch'd to the Generals of the Army to remain with them and to be assisting to them with their Counsel in the Affairs of the War Some Senators and Deputies likewise are appointed to inspect the Crown-Treasure deposited in the Castle of Cracow and to take an Inventory thereof which they are afterwards to report to the Diet. This Treasure is commonly committed to the Custody of eight Senators who are the Castellan of Cracow the Palatins of Cracovia Posnania Vilna Sendomir Kalisch and Troki together with the Treasurer of the Kingdom each having his particular Seal and Key and therefore none to act without the unanimous Consent of all Also Commissioners are sent to inform themselves of the King's Crown-Revenue which they are likewise to make their Report of during this Session and till a new King be proclaim'd the Republick claims the Title of Most Serene from all Sovereign Princes and Crown'd Heads altho' Hautaville says he has observ'd that the King of France writing to this Diet of Election has not faluted them with that Title but only express'd himself in these Terms To our dearest and well beloved Friends and Allies the States of the Kingdom of Poland and Great Dutchy of Lithuania Whilst this Diet sits which by the Laws is not to be above a Fortnight without Prorogation and from the Time of the Circular Letters to the Conclusion of the Diet of Election all Courts of Justice cease except only that of the Marshal's which continues as before and a Court establish'd to prevent Disorders in the Diet. As for all private Affairs and Suits of Law they are delay'd till after the new King's Coronation The Proceedings in this Diet are much of the same Nature with those in other Diets Most Crown'd Heads and other Christian Princes send Ambassadours to this Election and more especially the Emperour and King of France The Pope also always sends his Nuncio to take care that the Election should fall upon a profess'd Catholick and one that is in the Interest of the See of Rome The Emperour and French King always raise great Factions to promote their several Interests Before any Ambassadours arrive they are to send Notice of their coming to the Archbishop of Gnesna who is to appoint them Lodgings at a Distance from the City and to assign them a Polish Gentleman whose Business is rather to observe their Conduct and to acquaint the Diet therewith than to do them either any Service or Honour But however these Rules are but seldom observ'd for Princes Ambassadours now generally live publickly at Warsaw A Gentleman 't is true is still appointed to be always with them whose chiefest Business is to prevent their corrupting any with Money but this Precaution is notwithstanding now become useless since Avarice bears so great a Sway in Poland that even the Fidelity which a Polish Gentleman ows his Country cannot withstand the Charms of a Thousand Crowns Embassadors are not only receiv'd from Foreign Princes and their Masters Letters publickly read but also Polish Ministers are sent at this Time from the Republick to all Neighbouring States to answer their Embassies and to request their Amity Here it may be observ'd that all Embassadours or Envoys who have had Audience of Leave before the late King's Death are desir'd to depart within eight Days Embassadors from foreign Courts must take especial Care to secure the Diet in general since the bare disobliging of one particular Member may render them for ever incapable of bringing their Designs about as it hapned in the Election of Michael Wiesnowiski where the true Reason of the Duke of Newburg's being excluded was the Quarrel with the Chancellor Patz Nevertheless it must be acknowledg'd that that Election was tumultuary the Nobility had not their free Votes and that they were in a manner hurried away by the Violence of the Multitude which was so great that Prasmowski then Primate was forc'd to proclaim him tho' he knew that the Republick at that Juncture had need of both a rich and valiant King neither of which that Prince could in the least pretend to be He was no sooner proclaim'd but the Chancellor began to insinuate that he ow'd his Crown to him nor was it a difficult Task for him to impose on a Prince who was easily govern'd and who had always shewn more good Nature than Judgment After the Diet of Convocation ended the Nuncios and Deputies retire to their several Countries where they acquaint the Gentry being a second Time assembled in their Little Diets of the Proceedings in this general Convocation and particularly of the Day assign'd for the Election Whereupon the Gentry immediately begin to consult about what is proper to be propos'd in the Diet of Election and they proceed to choose new Deputies In Prussia the Bishop of Varmia being sole Lord Lieutenant summons all these little Diets by his Mandates The general Diet for the Election of a King was formerly held at Petricovia but since the joining of the Kingdom with the Great Dutchy is always held in an open Field half a League from Warsaw and near the Village of Vola and is not to continue by the Laws above six Weeks The Crown-Treasurer at the Charges of the Republick builds there a large Booth or Hall with Boards not unlike Booths in our Bartholomew Fair The Name the Poles give to this Place is Szopa signifying a cover'd Room against the Injuries of Weather It has but three Doors to go in at and they fortifie it round with a broad and deep Ditch When this Place is thus finish'd by the Care of the aforesaid Officer and the Day fix'd for the Diets convening is arriv'd the Senators and Nobility go in great Order to St. John's Church at Warsaw where they pray God to assist them in the Election of a King who may have all the Qualities necessary to defend the Church and protect the Republick Then they go to wait on the Queen Dowager to condole the Death of the deceas'd King her Husband the Primate speaking for the Senate and the last Nuncio-Marshal for the Deputies who are then answer'd in the Queen's
the King always bore to his Queen in Conjunction with her own Intrigues among the Senators soon broke this Design They have also sometimes elected absolute and neighbouring Princes as the King of Sweden the King of Hungary the King of Bohemia and the Prince of Transilvania but then this Constitution was not in Force being only made of latter Days for they are now resolv'd to admit of no such Election hereafter So that at present a Prince must be very rich to purchase the Votes of so many Hundreds that compose the Diet and to treat the Gentry in general And besides must have many Heroick and Warlike Qualities and a great Reputation in the World to obtain the Crown of Poland Insomuch that before he can be elected and crown'd it must necessarily cost him several Hundreds of Thousand Pounds Sterling And moreover the vast Sums that all the Competitors spend liberally at this Election far exceeds what the elected Prince has spent so that the Members of the Diet must needs get well by their Election which I take to be one of the chiefest Reasons why they maintain their Kingdom elective The others are first That they take that Government to be easiest which is executed by a Person whom they have unanimously chosen to obey being not thereby oblig'd to be subject to a Prince that Nature only has set over their Heads Secondly That they esteem an elective Kingdom free from those Hazzards which one that is successive most commonly incurs during the Minority of its Princes for that then either its Neigbours take an Occasion to invade it or its Great Men to embroil it the better to secure the greater Share in the Government to themselves under so weak a Head If this be pretended to be remedy'd by assigning fit Tutors and Counsellors to the young Prince They say that the Government will be miserably mistaken for that we do not want in History several Examples of young Kings who have been driven out of their Thrones by their assign'd Governours And moreover that seldom any Kingdom has been known to continue long in Peace during the Minority of its King The third Reason they give is that in an elective State rarely any Blood is shed about the Succession as has frequently happen'd in other Countries without fetching any Examples from Antiquity Fourthly They say that a King chosen by the free Consent of the People will be likely in common Gratitude to retaliate the Obligation by the Clemency and Justice of his Reign The fifth Advantage which the Poles pretend by an Election of their Kings is that in no other State Princes take so great Care to educate their Children as in theirs And the sixth is That by Means of electing their King the Gentry who are only consider'd in Poland have the greater Power of conserving their Liberties and Privileges in which their greatest Happiness consists And the seventh is by limiting the Actions of their Kings to the unanimous Consent of the Diet. I might here mention many more Reasons but for Fear of tiring your Lordship by too long a Digression I return to my Subject As for those that have Suffrages in this Election it must be observ'd that the Diet have in general as likewise the Deputies of some particular Cities especially the greater ones of Prussia which formerly had not only Place among the Nuncios but also in the Senate As for the lesser the Bishop of Varmia generally subscribes in their Names There are others who have pretended to but have been deny'd a Vote in the Election as the Dukes of Prussia and the Dukes of Curland when they were only tributary to Poland The King's Sons also are excluded from a Vote tho' they should be dignify'd with Consent of the Republick Soldiers likewise are refus'd a Suffrage tho' it is no wonder that they laid Claim to such a Privilege being for the most part chosen out of the Gentry when the Cosacks once pretended to it but who were rejected with Contempt being look'd upon to be no better than the Scum or Dregs of the Populace At the Time of this Election the Diet apply themselves to the Conservation of their Rights and Liberties for this is the best Time to secure their Constitutions and Privileges and to prevent any Abuse of or Breach in their Laws for which Purpose they are always then very busie in making new Laws not only to preserve but likewise enlarge their Prerogatives As soon therefore as their King is elected they propose to him certain Articles or Capitulations to be agreed to before he can be proclaim'd These Articles they call Pacta Conventa being properly a Contract between the King and People which he swears afterwards to keep inviolable before the Altar in the Church of St. John at Warsaw Providing the elected King be a foreign Prince then must his Embassador who represents him sign these Articles and take this Oath for him Thus at the Election of Henry of Valois his Embassador John de Monluc Bishop of Valence was oblig'd to come to the Diet where after the Conditions to be observ'd by the new King his Master were read to him he sign'd them in the Name of the said Henry and of Charles IX his Brother King of France Then was he conducted to St. John's Church where after taking the abovesaid Oath his Master Henry of Valois was proclaim'd King of Poland by the Great Marshal the eighteent of May in the Year 1573. Afterwards according to Custom in these Cases Embassadors were sent by the Republick to take the Oath from that King in Person at Paris which they did on the tenth of September following This is the Method prescrib'd by the Laws for swearing to observe the Pacta Conventa yet which is not always punctually observ'd for King Michael and John Sobieski took that Oath several Days after their Election The Form of this Agreement or Capitulation is drawn up and methodiz'd by Order of the Senators and Deputies at the same time that they make the Decree of Election after which the three Orders viz. the King elect or his Embassador the Senate and Deputies go to the Church where the Chancellor or Grand Marshal reads distinctly with an audible Voice the whole Contract as follows 1. That the King shall not assume to himself the Quality of Heir of Poland nor will appoint any to be his Successor but on the contrary will preserve and maintain inviolable the Laws and Constitutions made for the free Election of a King 2. That he will pretend to no Right of Coining Money but will entirely leave that Power and the Profit thereof in the Hands of the Republick 3. That he will ratifie and confirm all the former Articles of Peace made with foreign Princes 4. That he will make it his principal Care to preserve and maintain the Quiet and Tranquility of the Publick 5. That without the Consent of the Diet he will not
there should be no Successor nam'd for the future while the Predecessor surviv'd This Constitution Stephen Bateri would have invaded but the Republick oppos'd him so vigorously that he was forc'd to let fall his Design All Christian Princes having a feasible Right to the Crown of Poland it is the Interest of each of them to oppose the Election of a Successor since they would thereby absolutely be excluded from it This occasion'd the present Emperour Leopold to send Francis de Lisola to the Diet held at Warsaw in the Year 1661 where John Casimir had a Mind to propose a Prince to succeed him Wherefore in Conjunction with John Owerbeck Envoy to the Elector of Brandenbourg Lisola rais'd Factions in the Diet which were seconded by Marshal Lubomirski insomuch that they quickly overthrew King Casimir's Design and caus'd the Diet to confirm the former Constitution against electing of a Successor Several of the Lithuanian Gentry had the same Intentions with John Casimir but however with these following Precautions First That such a Successor should be elected a new after the King's Death Secondly That he should be a Roman Catholick Thirdly That he should not be a Piasto or Native Fourthly That he should neither be an Emperour King nor Sovereign Prince of another Country Fifthly That he should not be any Neighbour of Poland Sixthly That he should neither be too young nor too old And Seventhly That he should not be marry'd No doubt the Designs of King Casimir and of all those that were for the Election of a Successor were good for they had thereby a Mind to secure the Government from those Divisions and Intestine Jarrs which commonly happen in Interregnums But those who oppos'd them affirm'd that the Election of a Successor would undoubtedly soon introduce an Hereditary Monarchy and be the ruin of their Liberties and Privileges whatever care they could take to prevent it That it would be likewise against the Constitutions of the Realm to Elect a Soccessor in the King's Life time and that if the Republic consented to it they would be no longer at Liberty to oppose it That it would moreover be an Injury done to several Princes who all had a kind of Right to the Kingdom of Poland which would therefore infallibly embroil it in new Troubles when it was the Interest of that Crown to be at Peace with all the World These were the several reasons offer'd by the two Parties the last whereof as I said before got the better Till a King of Poland be Crown'd he has really no Regal Authority for he can bestow no Benefice give no Office nor Pardon any Offence Neither can he make use of the Great Seal of the Chancery nor set the Courts of Justice a going which are always silenced during an Interregnum till he has taken his Coronation Oath It belongs to the King-Elect to appoint a Day for his Coronation which formerly was wont to be at Gnesna till the Coronation of Vladislaus Locticus was solemniz'd at Cracow in the year 1320. where it was fix'd by the Constitutions of the Kingdom nevertheless Vladislaus VII would needs Crown his Queen Caecilia Renata at Warsaw but which was not perform'd without excessive Murmurings of the Gentry The Day of Coronation being arriv'd the King makes his solemn Entry into Cracow with great Pomp and Acclamations The Scabins of the City carry the Dais over him preceded by all the Horse and Foot-Guards with their Officers Immediately after the King follow the Bishops Palatins and foreign Embassadors on Horseback Just before the King Rides an Officer who throws some Coronation Medals among the People but which seldom amounts to any great Sum. Thus Attended his Majesty is conducted thro' the City to the Castle having first receiv'd the Keys of the City from the Magistrates in the first Gate thereof and pass'd under several Triumphal Arches with Motto's of various Invention At the Castle-gate he has the Keys of that Important Place also presented him with a solemn Harangue by the Starosta of Cracow The rest of the Day is spent in Banqueting and Feasts The Day following being that which precedes the Coronation the Obsequies of the deceas'd King are to be celebrated when they carry his Body to Schalka to the Church of St. Stanislaus The Order of Procession is this First the new King marches on foot then follow all the Officers of the Crown and Great Dutchy together with the Deputies the Ensigns with the Standards of every Palatinate and lastly the Crown Scepter Globe Sword and other Regalia being carry'd before the Corps pointed towards the Ground After these come a great Number of other Gentry and next after them march the several Companies of Trades barefooted belonging both to the City and Court each having an empty Coffin and Pall born before them on the Shoulders of two Men. It is to be observ'd that all that assist at this Procession must be in Mourning At the Place of Interment the Marshals break their Staffs against the King's Tomb and all the other Officers are discharg'd of their Authorities several Ways After which the Body is interr'd in the Cathedral Church among the rest of the Kings of Poland who for the most part lie all buryed there I should have remember'd that the Myter'd Clergy generally march about the Corps The Day after the Funeral is assign'd for the Coronation the Ceremony whereof is to be perform'd by the Archbishop of Gnesna as Primate of the Kingdom altho' that Office was once disputed with him by Sâ—igneius Olesnicius as being both Bishop of Cracow and Cardinal at the same time yet nevertheless Casimir IV. decided that Difference in Favour of the Archbishop and which was afterwards confirm'd by Alexander Notwithstanding if the Primate be either dead or refractory that Right devolves to the Bishop of Cracow and upon his Obstinacy Absence or Death to the Bishop of Cujavia The two Bishops that assist at the Coronation are the Bishops of Cracow and Cujavia The Ceremony of the Procession when the King goes to be crown'd is order'd by the Master of the Ceremonies but before his Majesty stirs out he is habited after a very splendid Manner by the Great Marshal of the Kingdom The King is conducted from the Castle to the Cathedral by the Senators foreign Embassadors and a great Number of the Gentry Before he enters the Church the Great Master of the Horse brings the Crown Scepter and naked Sword to the Archbishop who places them all upon the Altar After which the Bishops of Cracow and Cujavia having receiv'd the King they hold him under each Arm and present him to the Archbishop to whom he makes a Bow I imagine a more particular Account of this Ceremony may neither be unacceptable to your Lordship nor the Publick and therefore I shall for the future describe all the most remarkable Circumstances thereof as
the Livonian Order and to his Heirs for ever This happening not long after Luthers Reformation influenc'd Duke Gothotred to become a Protestant and to Marry which none of his Order had ever done before him This Duke had two Sons Ferderic and William whereof the eldest Frederic succeeded him in the Year 1587 but at length dying without issue these Dukedoms came to his Brother William who returning from banishment was receiv'd by the Curlanders with a great deal of Applause This Duke had but one only Son who was Godson to our King James I. After his Death his Son Duke James came to inherit the two Dutchies of Curland and Semigallia This Prince was much given to building of Ships having every thing in his Country proper for that purpose By means of Shipping he discover'd the River Semigal in Guinea and the Island of Tobago one of the Caribbee Islands in America which then was altogether uninhabited Here he built a Fort calling it by his own Name James-Fort and moreover was at vast expences in Cultivating and Fortifying this Island and which he enjoy'd without any interruption for many Years together At length one Lambson a Zealander and a very rich Man as likewise one of the States of Holland getting into a corner of this Island and after much dispute being suffered to Plant there upon paying a yearly Tribute to the Duke he at last took advantage of the War between the Suedes and Poles and of the Duke's Imprisonment by the former to dispossess him of the said Island which he effected after this manner He appear'd with some Forces before the aforesaid James-Fort and perswading the Garrison that the Duke their Protector being carried away Prisoner by the Suedes could not possibly relieve them and that therefore they must necessarily perish unless they forthwith deliver'd up the Fort and Island to him the Soldiers began immediately to Mutiny chain'd their Governor and forc'd him to capitulate and comply with the said Lambson who at the same time engag'd himself as soon as the Duke was set at liberty to restore the Island and what was left there according to an Inventory then taken The Dutch being thus got into possession of this Island the Duke after many long and fruitless endeavours with the Lambsons first and afterwards with the States sinding that neither of them were enclinable to Restitution appli'd himself to our King Charles II. for assistance in recovery of his Right submitting the Island altogether to the King's Protection as being willing to hold it Subtitulo Concessionis or by a Grant from the Crown of England whereupon the ensuing Treaty was formally concluded which for a greater eclaircisement of the matter I have thought not improper to insert The Agreement was in these Words BE it known unto all and singular Person and Persons to whom these Presents shall come That on the 17th of the Month of November in the Year of Our Lord 1664. by a double Writing of the same Tenure and Language it was Agreed between the most Serene and most Potent Prince Charles II. by the Grace of God King of Great Britain France and Ireland Defender of the Faith c. of the one part And the most Illustrious Prince James Duke in Livonia of Curland and Semigallia on the other part That the said Lord the King by these Presents doth give and grant to the said Lord the Duke of Curland his Heirs and Successors full liberty of Trade and Commerce for such Ships as do properly belong to him or them but not such Ships as belong to any of his Subjects in any Rivers or Havens within the Dominions of His Majesty on the Coast of Africa which is call'd by the Name of Guinea as also in any Merchandize not exceeding the value of Twelve thousand Pounds Sterling yearly according to the Prices the said Merchandizes first were bought for on those Coasts and Places from whence they were exported together with full liberty to build one or more Ware-houses or Storehouses fit for laying up Merchandizes under the Castles and Forts which shall belong to his said Majesty or his Subjects on those Coasts to hold and enjoy the said Liberties as long as there doth continue Friendship Amity and good Understanding between the said King and the said Duke and upon due consideration of the Concession or Grant thus made by His Majesty the said Duke of Curland Grants and makes over unto His said Majesty his Heirs and Successors the Fort of St. Andrews in Guinea and all other Forts Fortifications and Sconces there belonging to the said Duke together with all Guns Bullets and Powder and other Instruments of War belonging to the same or any of those Forts And the said Duke of Curland doth Agree and Promise for himself his Heirs and Successors that they shall respectively pay to the said Lord the King his Heirs and Successors three in the hundred for Customs of all Goods and Merchandises in Specie as well into the Ports of His said Majesty in Guinea or thence exported as aforesaid and that unto such Officer or Officers whom or which his Majesty his Heirs or Successors shall establish or depute for the recovering or receiving of the said Customs or Duties And moreover his said Majesty by these Presents doth give and grant to the said Duke of Curland his Heirs and Successors all and every that Island call'd Tobago scituate about 12 Degrees North-Latitude and 316 Degrees of Longitude being one of those commonly call'd the Caribbee Islands together with all the Lands Havens Creeks Rivers and Profits to the same belonging to be held and enjoyed under the King's Protection Provided always and under the Condition that the said Duke of Curland his Heirs and Successors shall not suffer or permit any others whatsoever besides his own Subjects and the Subjects of the said Lord the King his Heirs and Successors to abide in the said Island to settle Plantations or build Houses but the Subjects of the said Lord the King his Heirs and Successors shall be always freely permitted to abide in the said Island and to have Plantations and Houses and to enjoy all such Privileges Liberties Immunities and Benefits as any of the Subjects of the said Duke his Heirs and Successors shall or may have hold use or enjoy without any Contradiction or Opposition whatsoever neither shall they be compell'd to pay any other Contributions or Impositions whatsoever saving such as are necessarily requir'd for the defence of the said Island and equally in the same proportion paid by the Subjects of the said Duke Moreover the said Lord Duke Agreeth and Promiseth that neither himself his Heirs and Successors nor any other for the use of him them or his Subjects shall Export or Import or suffer to be Exported or Imported any Merchandises Goods or Provisions of the said Island of Tobago otherwise then out of or into some Ports belonging to
about the good of the Publick Next the four Supreme Counsellors or Ministers of State meet twice every Year that is on the Epipbany and Trinity Monday at Mittaw and sit at least five Weeks to exercise and do Justice The First Week is usually spent in State-Counsels where the Princes Presence and Authority is likewise requir'd The second is taken up in judging Appeals from inferiour Courts The Third in determining Criminals Cases The Fourth in settling Ecclesiastical Affairs And the Fifth in hearing Complaints of and receiving Petitions from the Subjects The degrees of demanding Justice in Cities in all extraordinay matters are these First The Gentry apply themselves to the Supreme Starosta for it must be observ'd that the inferiour Starostas have little jurisdiction but in small matters Secondly In Case of Appeals they have recourse to the supreme Councellors Court In Criminal Cases where the life of any Nobleman is concerned immediate Application is made to this Court and the four Supreme Starostas are oblig'd to assist there If any of these Starostas happen to be absent one that is inferiour may be deputed in his room Thirdly Appeals may be made both in Criminal and Civil Cases to the Court of Poland which the Curlanders term Judicia Post-Curialia Ecclesiastical Courts are held by the four Supreme Councellors before mention'd in conjunction with a Sur-intendant and four Provosts The Inferiour City Courts belong to the City Magistracy or to the Neighbouring Starostas within whose Jurisdiction the Offender lives Appeals in these trivial Courts can be made no farther than to the Supreme Starostas whose Sentence is Final The Executors of Justice in Curland are term'd die Man-Richters who in Civil Cases after a third Summons to satisfy the Plantiff and upon Non-performance or Non-Plea levy the Debt or Demand by way of Distress The Trade of Curland consists in much the same Commodities as in Poland The Corn of Curland and Livonia is fought after by the Dutch more than that of Poland by reason that it is better prepar'd and cur'd here than in other Countries for they are accustom'd to dry their Corn in the Straw as we do Malt and afterwards to thrash both together But this consumes a great deal of Wood and therefore the King of Sweden has forbid it to be practis'd any where within his Dominions I had almost forgot to acquaint you Sir that this Dutchy of Curland in case the Duke thereof wants Heirs-Males is to revert to the Crown of Poland in like manner as Ducal-Prussia is to do from the Elector of Branden burg Thus Sir I have endeavour'd to make what use I could of my short time and imperfect helps to entertain you but which I have a great deal of reason to despair of accomplishing unless I could have produc'd something more Accurate in its kind nevertheless I hope you will dispense with my Inabilities and accept the Good Will of SIR Your very Humble and Obedient Servant J. S. FINIS THE TABLE VOL. I. A ALexander King When Crown'd and how long Reigned Page 67. His Wars and Death 68. His Character Ibid. Alexander Prince His Character 189. Affected by the Queen ibid. B BOleslaus I. His Wars 26. Institutes XII Senators his Assistants Ibid. His Character and Death ibid. II. How long Reign'd 29. His Wars Marriages and Vices ibid. Flight out of the Kingdom and Death 30. III. His Sir-name and Wars 31. c. His Marriage 32. Valour and Success 33. Death Issue and Character ibid. IV. When Elected and how long Reign'd 35. His Wars ibid. His Death 36. V. His Sir-name and Guardians 43. When Elected and how long Reign'd ibid. His Marriage ibid. His Troubles 44. Retires into Hungary ibid. Returns 45. Farther Troubles and Wars ibid. His Death ibid. Batori vide Stephen Bishop Of Cracow Lord over 13 Cities 223. His Chapter ibid. Bresty City It s Description 234. Braclaw Pal. Chief Cities and Towns 277. Descriptions ibid. Braclaw City It s Description 277. Belsko Pal. Description 280. Division into Districts ibid. Chief Cities and Towns 281. Their Descriptions ibid. Belsko City It s Description 281. Byelsko Cap. of Podlachia It s Description 297. Broscia Pal. One district 330. Chief Cities and Towns ibid. Descriptions 331. Its Arms 332. Brescia City It s Description 331. Bears Nourish Children 342. Story of one ibid. Assertion confirm'd by the King 343. Another account from the Dutch Embassador ibid c. A third Account from Hartknock 348. C. City The First 6. The Second ibid. Cracus His Death 13. His Issue ibid. Cracow When and by whom built 12. University by whom Founded 59. Taken by Stratagem 132. Where Situate and how distant from other Places 238. Whence its Name ibid. Its Division Castle and Cathedral 238 c. When first made a Metropolitan See 240. How many Churches ibid. Its University and Professors ibid. c. Its Colleges 241. Vice-Chancellor ibid. Monasteries and Mendicants 242. Its Houses ib. Mayor of Cracow 248. Government of the Castle 249. Chrobry vi Boleslaus I. Casimir I. Queen Regent during Minority ibid. He becomes Monk ibid. Recall'd upon Agreement with the Pope ibid. His Marriage Wars Death and Issue 28. II. When Elected and how long Reign'd 37. Surnam'd the Just and an Example ibid. c. Eases his Subjects of Taxes 38. Conspiracy against him ibid. Disappointed 39. His Wars ibid. Death and Issue ibid. III. Surnam'd the Great 50. When Elected and how long Reign'd ibid. Makes Peace with Teutonic Knights ibid. His Conquests ibid. Good Deeds ibid. Character other Wars and Death 55. IV. When Elected and how long Reign'd 63. His Marriage ibid. Assists the Prussians 64. Routs Teutonic Order ibid. Obtains advantageous Peace ibid. His Issue 65. His Death and Age. Curland and Semigallia First Duke 77. Enjoy'd by his Posterity ever since ibid. Common Wealth Jocular of Babina 79. Candidates for the Crown After the death of Sigismundus Augustus 85. After the Abdication of Henry of Valois 87. After the death of Stephen Batori 104. Two of these come into Poland 108. After Uladislaus VII 125. After John Casimir 140. After Michael Wiesnowiski 155. After John Sobieski 235. Courts of Justice none 90. Batori erects two call'd Tribunals ibid. Were to determine Civil Causes without Appeal ibid. Cosacks How so term'd 94. Us'd to make Inroads ibid. To whom compar'd ibid. Reduc'd to a Discipline ibid. Whence their Name ibid. Extent of their first Dominions 95. A Conjecture about this Country ibid. It s present Extent 96. Their Buildings ibid. Character ibid. Religion 97. Fasts ibid. Language 98. Customs and Manners ibid. Abundance of Flies and Locusts ibid. Their Customs and Manners in Peace and War 99. Their Rebellion 146. Are favour'd by the Turks ibid. Produces a bad Peace ibid. Conti Prince of Pretends to the Crown of Poland 205. Proclaim'd King by the Primate 206. Sent for into Poland 207. Favour'd by Prince Sapieha ibid. Comes to Dantzic ibid. Gives
to be in English Hands ibid. * Whence had its Name 114 * U. Vilna Bishop of His Diocess 43. Vilna Castellan of Preferr'd wherefore 55. Varmia Bishop of His Jurisdiction and See 44. Votes Intended Limitation like to produce a bad Effect 104. Who have them in Election of a King 144. Volunteers What in Poland 17 * Examples ib. c. * Selected out of the Gentry 18 * Universities Two in Poland and Lithuania 75 * Chief Studies there ibid. * Have no solid Learning 78 * W. Women Polish Their former and late Fashions 197. Very modest 200. Exception 201. Their Liberty restrain'd ibid. War Two Qualities necessary there 26 * Z. Zuppars What 80. Vide Mines FINIS From the Year 550 to the Year 1698. Former Power of the Kings of Poland A. D. 1574. Advantage thereby Why European Princes Court the Polish Gentry Nobilities Resolves thereupon Abridge the Antient Power of their Princes And Constitute a Republic Division of the People of Poland The Diet. It s Power Motives for a mixt Government A Motive II. Motive III. Motive Advantage of a mixt Government Division of the Republic Kings present Power and Prerogatives His Happiness Unhappiness A great Inconvenience to the State Instances of Poles Affections to their Kings Modern Kings Power Abroad and at Home The great Respect paid him His Titles and other Prerogatives His Pension Houshold-Officers and Guards Queen Consorts Court how maintain'd Kings Patrimonial Estate and Perquisites Late King 's great Riches The Crown Revenues Queens Revenues The King's Power limited in several respects Nobility only capable of Preferment Other Limitations of the Kings Power Inconveniences thereby Why he is paid so great Respect Cities present their Keys upon his Approach Why he can raise no Forces without Consent of the Diet. His Legitimate Issue greatly Respected His Illegitimate as much slighted Means to continue the Crown in one Family Why the K. of Poland can't imitate him of Denmark Not Unhappy because he cannot secure the Succession to his Family Crown and Court Officers Gentlemen Pensioners Horse-Guards Court Officers in Lithuania And in several Provinces Chief Officers of Queen's Court. Principal Officers of Primate's Court. What peculiar to him The Senate and its Office Senators by whom made and their Oath Four to attend the King and wherefore Senators not suffer'd to travel * Vide Sueton. Cap. 42. in vita Jul. Caesar Tacit lib 12. Annal. cap. 23. This Title not bestow'd by its self Senator's Office Extreamly prize their Dignities Their Division and Subdivision Diocesses of Poland Peculiar Jurisdictions of the two Archbishops Ecclesiastical Senator his Power and State His Power as Inter. Rex Why entrusted so much His See Two other Bishops in Leopol Those of the Greek Perswasion Their Tenets Ceremonies and Ornoments His Bishoprick and Power His Residence and Precedence His See Precedence and Authority Several Places of Residence His Diocess His Diocess His Jurisdiction and See His Jurisdiction and See His Diocess Here is a Greek Bishop Likewise Bishop of Curland yet has no See His Precedence and See His See translated and wherefore Honorary A Greek Bishop formerly Primate of Moscovy Honorary Honorary Each Bishop has a Kind of little Court Their Precedence in the Diet and large Revenues Religion in Poland and Lithuania Conversion and several Perswasions of the Poles Socinians expell'd 1658. 1673. Lutherans and Calvinists and other Religions in Poland The Roman Catholick prevails and always prefer'd Privileges of Regular Clergy Their dissolute Lives Fasts how observ'd in Poland Manners of the Secular Clergy The Poles Behaviour at Church Their Churches Division and Subdivision of Lay Senators Palatins c. with their Precedence 1. Lay-Senator Preferr'd and wherefore 1130. * Duglossus lib. 4. Annal. Polon p. 369. Preferr'd for what Reasons †Lib. 2 Cap. 3. p. 504. Preferr'd and why Wherefore preferr'd and how chosen Honorary Palatinate Why he has the Title of the Province Honorary Palatinate Honorary Palatinate Formerly Seat of Teutonic Knights Honorary Palatinate Greatest Part Honorary Honorary Palatinate Duty and Office of Palatins * Hartknoch lib. 2. cap. 3. p. 506. c. Vice Palatins and how qualify'd Duty of Castellans Their Division Qualifications Office and Titles Greater Castellans and their Precedence Lay-Senator Honorary Honorary Honorary Honorary Lesser Castellans No enjoying Plurality of Offices Castellans how call'd in Polish The ten Crown-Officers Those of the Kingdom precede Lay-Senator His Office Power and Authority Duty and Privilege His Perquisites Deputy and who officiates in Cases of Absence Qualifications of these of the Kingdom * Lib. 2. Cap. 3. p. 528. Both have Seals and equal Authority Their Office and Power Succeed each other How ought to be Qualified Their Office and Authority A remarkable Breach of Trust Contend for Precedence but refus'd it Extra-Senatorial Officers Great Generals Have equal Authority Their Power and Duty King's Interest to head his Army Present great Generals Dignity successive Lieutenant-Generals and their Office Chief Commander of the Guards Other great Officers in the Army Camp-Notaries Captain of Guards against Incursions Great Secretaries and their Authority Referendaries and their Office Cup-Bearers Carvers Sword-Bearers Court-Treasurers and their Office Treasurer of Prussia Associates to Judges Chief Notaries Registers inChancery Escheator Commissioners of Custom House Governours of Mines Governours of the Mint Court-Officers Civil Officers of Districts Vice-Chamberlain and his Office Chamberlains Judge and Assistant Prothonotary Head Collector Other Officers and why so call'd Military Officers of Districts Starostas with Jurisdiction Vice-Starostas c. Jurisdiction of Starostas Starostas without Jurisdiction Burgraves and their Office Revenue of Starostaships Zuppars what What the Diet is By whom call'd and where and how often meet Manner of calling it and Proceedings thereupon Where the little Diets meet I. In Great Poland * Vide Herburt Voce Comitia p. 92. and in Edit Polon p. 257. Podlachia and Masovia II. In Little-Poland III. In Lithuania IV. In Prussia V. In Russia VI. In Volhynia VII In Samogitia Qualifications for and Manner of voting in little Diets Who and how many chosen Deputies With their Instructions Proceedings in little Diets * Hartknoch lib. 2. cap. 6. p. 682. c. Deputies how chosen †Hartknoch lib. 2. Cap. 6. p. 689. Cannot be Senators Their Salaries When first sent Vide Constitut An. 1581. p. 375. Their general Meetings Diet divides into three Nations Speaker how chosen and Heats thereupon How occasion'd Next Proceeding Further Proceedings Reflection of Hauteville Speakers Request for the Deputies His Authority Proceedings in the lower House Conference s with the Upper and Nuncios Power Confirm'd and encourag'd Their Privilege * Constitut An. 1649. Committees How long sit Upper House how employ'd Manner of breaking up Session in the lower Two Houses join'd Speakers Power devolves to great Marshal Where the King suspends his Opinion What requir'd to establish a Law Where it cannot be printed Session of the Diet limited Wherefore Affairs treated of in the Grand
any Conditions to become Master of so considerable a Kingdom to which he had no Right either by Birth or other Claim and more especially since these Conditions are neither Rigorous nor Dishonourable but such as are decently consistent with the Regal Character he is to be Invested with Thus the Polish Gentry of a kind of Monarchical Government have in time made a perfect Republic consisting of three Orders The King Senate and Gentry which they call the Nobility Here My Lord I must take notice to Your GRACE that the Polish Nation is divided into two sorts of People the Gentry or Freeborn Subjects who are hardly a Tenth Part of the Kingdom and the Vassals who are no better than Slaves to the Gentry for they have no Benefit of the Laws can Buy no Estates nor Enjoy any Property no more than our Negroes in the West-Indies can and this because some Ages since the Common People Revolting against their Lords and having driven them out of the Nation the Gentry came with a Foreign Power and reduced them to a greater Subjection than before in which they have been kept ever since So that the Government of Poland at present comprehends only the King and Gentry By a Gentleman or Nobleman of Poland is understood a Person who either himself or his Family has a Possession in Land For they never Intermarry with the Common People All the Gentry from the King's Sons to those that are but only Masters of an Acre of Land are equally Noble both by their Birth and the Constitution of the Kingdom for no Body is Born either a Palatine Senator or Lord but those Titles are always annexed to certain Employments which the King only gives to Persons advanced in Age and recommended by their Merits The Diet of Poland in some respects resembles our Parliament being made up of two Houses the House of Senators answerable to our House of Lords and the House of Nuncio's not unlike our House of Commons The Senators are the Bishops Palatines Castellans and the Ten Great Officers of the Crown in all about 142. In the Upper-House the Senators sit not by any Writ of Summons or Letters Patents as in England but only by Virtue of the Great Preferments in the King's Gift which they Enjoy for Life So that the King wholly Constitutes the Upper House but the Lower are the Representatives of the Gentry Elected by them alone in their respective Provinces without the Concurrence of the Common People who have no Priviledge to Vote in their Election Insomuch that at least Nine Parts in Ten of the People of Poland are excluded from having any Share in the Government The Grand Diet of Poland is nothing else but the King Senators and Deputies assembled together in any Part of the Kingdom that his Majesty Commands Without this great Assembly of the States the King can neither Make nor Repeal Laws Declare War nor Conclude a Peace make no Alliance with any Foreign Princes raise neither Troops nor Taxes Coin no Money and in a word can Determine no Matter of State of any Importance without the Universal Consent and Concurrence of this Parliament which they term the Free States of Poland Several powerful Motives have enclin'd the Poles to Establish this kind of mixt Government which they take to be a just Temperament of whatever is to be found most Excellent in the several Monarchies Aristocracies and Democracies that have been in the World The most considerable of which Motives as I have met with them in their Histories or learn'd them from the most knowing among their Natives are as follows First They think by this Judicious Choice of a Government to preserve their Kingdom from those Disorders which most commonly attend Absolute Monarchies Agreeing herein with that Prince of Philosophers Aristotle who though he preferr'd this kind of Government to all Others yet was he nevertheless obliged to own that when ever it degenerated it was the most pernicious of all Thus the Poles have temper'd the Exorbitant Power of their Kings with the mixture of two other Governments whereby they thought to secure their Liberty a Thing always most Dear to them from the Arbitrary Will of a Prince who by Imagining himself above the Laws might Fancy whatever his Passions prompted him to allowable and his truest Interest to be the Entire Subjection of his People The miserable Examples of their Neighbours the Turks and Moscovites have sufficiently convinced them of this Truth wherefore the Polish Nation thought it but convenient to limit the excessive Power of their Kings and confine them to Rule with more Moderation and Justice Secondly The Poles have observ'd as well from their own Government as from that of their Neighbours that no small disadvantage has flow'd from an Aristocracy They could not be perswaded but that the Authority of one Person was infinitely more easie to be Tolerated than that of many for that either the Ambition or Jealousy of such would often disturb the Repose and Tranquility of the Public Poland also began to Reflect upon its former Miseries under its Woievods when it was deplorably rent and torn by the Factions among those Palatines Insomuch that even while it became a Conqueror from without it was vanquish'd within and that by its own Force This gave the Poles no small dislike to an Aristocracy which they have resolved never more to admit among them The Third Reason of State which has obliged the Poles to reject a Democracy is that they look upon that sort of Government to be the most dangerous of all being the easiest enflam'd and the greatest Enemy to true Nobility Its first Maxim is To procure a Vniversal Levelling or making all alike whereby under the Notion of a common Liberty they weaken and enervate those great Genius's which were design'd to Govern and Protect them How then could it be expected that the Descendents of those mighty Warriers who Founded the Polish Nation and have so long maintain'd the Honour of it by their Valour should submit to have their Blood debased by mixing it with the Ignoble Vulgar The Tyranny of Laws which the Nobles are subjected to in an Absolute Common-wealth would be too rude a Check to this Ambition which the Poles have always had to Command over their Vassals and therefore they have always entertain'd a secret Odium for those Grecian Republics that Banish'd their greatest Statesmen meerly because they would not have them gain too fast upon the Affections of the People If any should perhaps doubt of the pernicious Consequences of a popular Government where Reason does not so much reign as an Unruly violence of a People who know no other Laws than those of their Passions let them cast their Eyes on the Heats of the Roman Empire who were often ready to Overturn the State had not the Senate speedily applied a prudent Remedy But there are other Examples more Modern as the Revolt
of the great Dutchy's Army and receives no manner of Orders from the Crown-General except where both are jointly engag'd in a Battle These great Generals in the King's Absence have the greatest Power in the Kingdom for they have then a supreme Command in the Army They give Battle and besiege Towns without the King's Participation and settle Winter-Quarters where and upon what Lands they think fit This Power of theirs is so extraordinary considerable that a great General is formidable to all the Nobility Their Duty is to keep good Order and Discipline in the Army to punish mutinous and seditious Officers and Soldiers to settle the Prizes of all Commodities and Provisions brought into the Camp to give Command or necessary Orders for a Charge or Retreat and in fine to do any thing that his Majesty could were he present It is therefore the Interest of a King of Poland always to head his Army himself to have his Sons with him in the Field and to give them Opportunity to gain Reputation and Credit by their Valour and Conduct for the more the King encreases his own Fame or that of his Sons the more he diminishes the Credit and Power of his Generals who are the only Persons in the Kingdom that are most to be fear'd and who have the greatest Power and Influence over the Gentry in the Election of a King The present great General of Poland is the Count Jablonowski of the French Faction and of Lithuania Prince Sapieha suppos'd to be of the Austrian Faction When the Office of great General is vacant the little or Lieutenant-General has a Right to succeed him The two Lieutenant-Generals of Poland and Lithuania are to preside in all Court-Marshals and to take care that Guard be strictly kept throughout the Camp Also they are to observe that all Spies and Scouts be sent out as often as Occasion requires and lastly to see that foreign Soldiers be duly paid The Business of the chief Commander of the King's Guards in the Camp is to command solely those Soldiers who are assign'd to guard his Majesty's Person in the Camp but upon the Kings Departure this Officer's Power ceases There are several other Officers of Note in the Army the most considerable of which are the great Ensign or Standard-Bearer the great Master of the Artillery the Camp Notaries and Commander of the Guards against Incursions of which two last I shall only speak here Camp-Notaries are Pay-Masters General for the Army both of the Kingdom and great Dutchy The chief Commander of the Guards against the Incursions of the Tartars c. This Officer is posted on the Confines of the Kingdom towards Crim-Tartary c. and is to give Notice of all the Motions of the Enemy For the civil State-Officers there are the two great Secretaries of the Kingdom and Dutchy They have a Power to enter into the Privy-Council and to take Cognizance of what the Chancellors and Vice Chancellors do They must both be Ecclesiasticks and their Office is a great Step to the Chancellor's Dignity They have the keeping of the King's Signet and are qualify'd for the highest Episcopal Honours and have Precedence before most Officers of the Court or Kingdom The Masters of Requests or Referendaries of the Kingdom and the great Dutchy Their Business is to receive Petitions made to the King and to give his Majesty's Answer They have a Place in any of the King's Courts of Justice These are in all four one Ecclesiastical and one Civil for the Kingdom and the like for the great Dutchy Two Cup-Bearers for each Nation for the same Two Carvers and Two Sword-Bearers The Treasurers of the Court in the Kingdom and the great Dutchy These supply either the Absence or Vacancy of the Office of the great Treasurers The Treasurer of Prussia whose Business is to take all Accounts of the Collectors of Revenue in that Province and to transmit them to the great Treasurers Associates to Judges which are generally such as reside in the King's Court viz. the Masters of Requests Vice-Chancellors c. Two chief Notaries of the Courts of Justice for civil Causes either of the Kingdom or the great Dutchy Two Registers in the Chancery of both Nations An Officer that looks after the Escheats call'd by us Escheator He can either sue for or seize any such Lands or Goods as fall to the Crown The Commissioners of the Custom-Houses who give in their Accounts as often as the great Treasurers require them The Governours of the Silver Lead and Salt Mines They exercise Jurisdiction over the Workmen there but must nevertheless admit of Appeals to Court The Governours or Wardens of the Mint which are for the most part the Treasurers of the Kingdom Their Business is to take care that the Mony there coin'd be of Weight and Value The chief Officers of the King's Court are treated of before in the Letter to his Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury The Officers of Districts may be divided into two Sorts Civil and Military The civil are The Vice-Chamberlain whose Office is to decide all Differences within his District about the Bounds of Land c. to which he is sworn He has several Deputies under him call'd Chamberlains whom he chooses out of the Gentry of his Jurisdiction and to whom he gives an Oath to be true and faithful in the Execution of their Office It is at his Pleasure to displace these as often as he thinks fit The Judge who together with his Assistant determines all civil Causes and Controversies The Prothonotary who in those Courts has likewise a Power of giving his Opinion The head Collector of the publick Revenue who is accountable above The other Officers are less considerable being Sewers Carvers Cup-Bearers Sword-Bearers c. The Reason of there being such Officers in every Palatinate is because formerly each Province of Poland was a Sovereignty and had its peculiar Princes who had all their Court-Officers But now tho these Offices remain yet it is only with Honorary Titles and some few Privileges the chiefest of which are that when the King comes into their Palatinate his Court-Officers must leave to them the Honour of serving him at Table bearing the Sword before him c. The Military Officers of a District are Starostas with and without Jurisdiction Starostas with Jurisdiction are Governours of Castles and Royal Cities who sit and hear private Causes of small Moment once a Fortnight and those of greater concern every six Weeks if nothing intervene to prevent them These have Vice Starostas Judges Clerks and Servants in the Nature of Sheriffs Officers to enforce Justice in Cases of Resistance The Jurisdiction of these Starostas extends not only over the Commonalty but likewise over the Gentry They have also a Care of the
to give any Reason for his said Refusal but is only to say after their usual Manner Nie pos Volam It is not my Pleasure that it shall be so Whereupon he immediately withdraws from out of the Diet and most commonly retires into the Country for Fear of being either kill'd or abus'd as it often happens such People are by some desperate Member of the Diet. Thns SIR you may plainly perceive how easie a Matter it is for any Foreign Prince to interrupt all the Projects of this Diet if they seem in any wise to move against his Interest If Poland be in Peace and has a mind to declare War against any Nation contrary to the French Interest the French Pistoles can easily find some Senator or Deputy to oppose this Design Or if by the Heat and Resolution of some great Men War be denounc'd the French King can never fail of somebody to break their Ways and Means of raising Money to carry it on as he effectually did in the War the late King had against the Turks and Tartars Then on the other side if the Poles are actually in War with the Turks and Tartars which is for the Emperours Interest the Court of Vienna will never want some Christianly dispos'd Bishop or some other Member to perswade or oblige the Diet to continue the War as long as it agrees with the Affairs of the House of Austria and this under Pretence of serving God and the Apostolick See This appears sufficiently in this present War for the Poles having been extreamly fatigu'd and impoverish'd by the continu'd and fatal Interruptions of the Tartars for near these fifteen Years do all no doubt wish for a Peace and have propos'd it in every Diet for several Years ever since the Siege of Vienna But notwithstanding either thro their own Disorders or the Austrian Faction they could never yet accomplish their Design Thus the Austrian Party keeps them in a tedious War and the French prevents them from carrying it on with Vigour insomuch that between these two that Nation is almost ruin'd since on one Side they are hinder'd from making Peace to remedy the prodigious Desolations made upon them and on the other prevented from raising Money sufficient to carry the War into the Country of their Invaders Every Member of the Diet after having obtain'd Leave of their Marshal who can only stop their Mouths has a Right to speak and harangue there as long as he pleases Nay can say what he will for they often abuse one another and affront their King to his Face branding him with the infamous Titles of Perjur'd Vnjust and the like They often likewise threaten both him and his Children when perhaps they have the least Reason The Occasion of this is generally in that they come drunk into the Diet and consequently talk only as the Spirit moves either good or bad Nay you shall have some of these Fuddle-caps talk Nonsense for two or three Hours together trespassing on the Patience of the soberer Sort with a railing carping injurious and ill digested Discourse without any bodies ever daring to interrupt them tho' they spin it out never so long for if the Marshal himself should then presume to bid 'em hold their Tongues they would infallibly dissolve the Diet by protesting against the Proceedings thereof so that the prudenter Way is always to hear them out and moreover to shew no Dislike to the impertinent Speeches they have made No body but sees the unhappy State of the Government of Poland that their Constitutions and Privileges are most pernicious that the unlimited and absolute Liberty of each Member makes all the Republick Slaves either to the Whimsy or factious Obstinacy of one particular Man for can there be any thing more unreasonable than that after all the Senators and Deputies have come from most remote Provinces with excessive Expence to the Diet and labour'd jointly with the King to conclude Matters for the common Benefit of the Nation it should be in the Power of one disaffected or corrupted Person without giving any farther Reason than his own Pleasure to annul the Proceedings of the rest and to dissolve the Diet at a Juncture especially when there is the greatest Occasion for their Concurrence Thus SIR you may perceive that Affairs of the greatest Consequence depend not only on the prudent Deliberations of sober Men but also on the whimsical Humours of the senseless or deprav'd This excessive Liberty of every private Man shews that both the Nation and the Diet have none at all This Constitution of concluding Matters in the Diet rather by universal Consent than Plurality of Voices was establish'd to deprive their Kings of all Means and Opportunities of ever becoming absolute for they imagin'd it was morally impossible as it really is that whatever Interest or Authority the King might get in the Country that he should ever so far prevail as to bring all the Members of the Diet for he might have the Majority to consent to any Article or Bill which might any wise be injurious to the Nation But on the other hand observing the many bad Consequences that usually attend and must still necessarily follow such Constitutions they once propos'd to decide their Affairs by the two Thirds of the Voices yet which they could never agree in by reason that the greatest Part of them being over-fond of their Liberties were loath by these means to consent to part with them and so that Proposal had no Effect SIR you may have just Reason to admire how the Polish Nation could for above a Thousand Years subsist with such bad Constitutions and still possess not only a vast Kingdom but also hitherto enjoy their Freedom and Liberties in their utmost Force and Extent 'T is wonderful also that far from losing or limiting any of their Prerogatives they rather enlarge and encrease 'em as often as they elect their Kings Nay considering the Power of their King the absolute Prerogative every Gentleman has in his own Lands in a manner above the Laws the Turbulency of their Diets and the small Obligation the Officers think they lie under to perform their several Duties the Poles themselves have own'd it to be no less than a Miriacle that they should have subsisted so long and Dr. Connor says he has often heard them say that their Preservation was to be attributed to God alone that protected 'em to be the invincible Bulwark of Europe against the Progress of the common Enemies of Christendom the Turks and Tartars Here we need not have Recourse to any peculiar Providence bestow'd by God on the Poles since by his own ordinary Concourse to all natural Causes we may easily collect that the Polish Nation could not but subsist hitherto only but likewise must in all Probability last as long as any Kingdom in Europe and this for several Reasons First Because tho' the King's Power is limited by the Law his
Credit and Authority nevertheless is so great that he can dispose the Affairs in the Diet as he pleases especially where they tend to the publick Good of the Kingdom for very few if any at all will venture to protest against any Proceedings there that are for the Interest of the Nation unless they be supported by a good Party of Senators and Deputies and this because it is not only infamous and scandalous to his Person but also prejudicial to his Posterity that breaks up a Diet as also not a little dangerous to his Life to irritate and disobey so powerful a Body for they are commonly very liberal in their Passion of bestowing several Slashes of a Scymitar on any ill-natur'd corrupted Member that opposes the Interest of his Country tho' in Reality he has the Law on his Side It is certain therefore that where any Person withstands the rest in the Diet it is either because the King has not sufficiently employ'd his Authority to pacifie him or Policy to win him with a small Present or else by reason that he does not care they should agree or lastly because there is a considerable Party of Senators and Deputies that support or rather employ him to protest against an Act that they do not think for their Interest to let pass It is a common Practice where any of the Members of the Senate have any particular Advantage by opposing the Diets Proceedings not to expose themselves either to the Hatred or Anger of that numerous Body but rather to sacrifice some private Deputy to their Fury who for a small Summ of Money will come into the Diet and declare in plain Terms without any manner of Reason that it is not his Pleasure that such a Matter then in Agitation should pass Whereupon he immediately withdraws if he can into the Country for Security But generally these Oppositions are never practis'd where the publick Interest of the Nation is concern'd as appears in the raising the last Siege of Vienna by the Turks where the Poles finding that the Loss of that City would turn be very much to their Prejudice march'd directly under their then reigning King John III. to the Relief of it which they soon effected to their immortal Honour and Glory 'T is true that it is not an easie Matter to bring the Poles into the Field but when once they are got together into a considerable Body their Courage and undaunted Resolutions render them invincible Secondly The Order of their Government and their Courage and Resolution does not so much contribute towards their Preservation as the Envy and Jealousies of their Neighbours among themselves for when the late King of Sueden and Elector of Brandenbourg made War with Poland the Tartars came to assist the Poles and at the same Time the King of Denmark made a considerable Diversion in Suedeland When the Tartars likewise declare War against Poland most commonly either the Emperour or Moscovite come to its Relief or else make great Diversions on their Sides for as it is the Interest of the Princes their Neighbours not to let them grow to that exorbitant Power which they had formerly so it is not at all for their Benefit to let them perish for whoever could be able to conquer Poland and unite it to his own Dominions would quickly be too powerful for all the rest Thirdly The Poles besides this can the easier conserve their Dominions by reason that they have no strong Forts or Castles to shelter their Enemies where they happen to make any Progress in their Country yet I verily believe that an Army of fifty Thousand well-disciplin'd Men would at present conquer the whole Kingdom of Poland tho' at the same Time I am of Opinion that an Hundred Thousand could not be able to keep it Carolus Custavus King of Sueden with about Forty Thousand Men entirely subdu'd Poland in less than two Years Time yet when he began to encroach too much upon their Constitutions and Liberties the Polish Gentry join'd unanimously together and soon drove the Suedes out of the Kingdom The Tartars in numerous Bodies make frequent Incursions into this open Country but still as soon as they have loaded themselves with their Booty they make all possible Haste away The Loss of Caminiec makes the Poles admire at their own Policy in having no strong Towns for they say had not that been so well fortify'd it had not serv'd for Shelter to a strong Garrison of Turks and Tartars at their Doors Insomuch that it may be observ'd that Forts and Castles which we count our greatest Security would inevitably be the Ruine of the Poles they being not skill'd in besieging Towns and moreover having no good Artillery Ingeniers Ammunition or other Necessaries since they never were nor ever will be able to retake Caminiec tho it is a Place of no extraordinary Strength and for my Part I verily believe that if it should be surrender'd to them they would quickly rase and demolish it SIR Having thus far treated only of the Diet or Parliament of Poland I will now proceed to present you with a cursory Account of its other Assemblies and Courts of Justice and therefore must acquaint you that besides the Grand Diet and Senate the Clergy there have both a general Convocation and two Provincial Synods but which are wholly regulated and aw'd by the Pontifical Chair I may take notice that the Archbishop of Leopol tho he can call and hold his Synod a-part yet is he altogether subject in Spirituals to the Archbishop of Gnesna or Primate of Poland The general Convocation is for the most part conven'd every third Year at Petricovia Lanschet or Lowitz whereof the minor Clergy as in England are admitted by their Deputies or Representatives As for Cours of Justice the Poles have one that is wholly peculiar to the Interregnum which they call the Kaptur This is twofold either general which sits during the Interregnum to prevent Disorders and which has Power over Life and Death Or particular in the several Palatinates of the Kingdom The Judges of the former are chosen out of the Prime Nobility and those of the latter out of the Nobility in general of every Palatinate at the several particular Conventions and in the Beginning of every Interregnum All these Courts cease three Weeks before the Assembly for Election meets and after the Election they sit again to the very Day of the Coronation The other Courts of Justice in Poland are either Ecclesiastical Civil or Military The Ecclesiastical as in other Nations are altogether in the hands of the Bishops who have Each their Chancellor Register c. from whom Appeals may be made to the Archbishops and even from the Archbishop of Leopol to him of Gnesna who is the Popes Legat Born and Primate and Metropolitan of all Poland Nevertheless from him Appeals lye to the See of Rome These Judge according to the Canons and Customs of
declare War against any Prince bring any foreign Troops into the Kingdom suffer no Soldiers to go out of it nor levy any new Troops 6. That all the Field-Officers shall be either Poles or Lithuanians or at least Natives of such Provinces as depend upon the Crown of Poland 7. That all the Officers of his Regiment of Guards shall be likewise either Poles or Lithuanians That their Colonel or chief Commander shall be a Polish Nobleman and who shall take an Oath of Fidelity to the Republick and that all the Officers in general shall be subject to the Jurisdiction of the Grand Marshal 8. That as to Affairs which concern the Republick he shall not make use of his Privy-Seal 9. That in six Weeks after any Charge or Office vacant he shall take Care to bestow it on some worthy and well qualified Polish Gentleman and on no other 10. That he will not confer on any one Person the Offices Benefices or Dignities which the Laws of the Kingdom prescribe to be enjoy'd by more 11. That he will not marry but according to the Laws and with the Consent and Approbation of the Senate who shall assign his Queen that Retinue only which they think fit and convenient This Article King Michael broke when he married Eleonora the Emperour's Sister without Approbation of the Senate but which nevertheless he afterwards repented of for they murmur'd heavily against him and did not scruple to tell him to his Face that he had violated his Coronation-Oath Likewise when Prince James the late King's Son marry'd the Princess of Newbourg the Senate procur'd the King to send his own Guards that no German Guards might come into the Kingdom 12. That together with his Council he will regulate the Number of Horse and Foot which is necessary to the End that the Republick may have no need of foreign Troops nor be put to an unusual Expence and that he will take care to preserve such good Discipline among the Soldiers that they shall commit no Disorders either in their Quarters or their March 13. That if it be necessary for the Interest of the State to have a Fleet that he shall build none without the Consent of the Gentry and Advice of the Senate 14. That he will no ways diminish the Treasure reposited in the Castle of Cracow but will rather study to encrease and augment it 15. That he will borrow no Money nor consent that any shall be borrow'd for his Vse without the Knowledge and Approbation of the Diet 16. That he will always administer Justice by the Advice of the Senators and Counsellors which attend him 17. That for the Expences of his Table he shall be contented with those Revenues that have been granted by the Republick to the Kings his Predecessors and moreover that he shall enjoy them only for Life 18. That he shall not introduce any Strangers of what Rank or Quality soever into his Council and that he will bestow no Offices Dignities or Governments upon them 19. That for the Preservation of his Power and Dignity he will not diminish or abrogate any of the Offices at his Disposal either in the Republick or Court 20. And lastly That he will inviolably keep maintain and defend and confirm by his Letters Patents all the Rights Liberties Immunites and Privileges lawfully granted by former Kings either to the Poles or Lithuanians or to any of the Provinces which depend upon either of those two Nations To these Articles they commonly add several others which vary according to the Circumstances of Time or Quality of the Person elected King Dr. Connor says when he was in Poland he heard the Poles say that at the next Election they would make a Law by which the King should be oblig'd to reside always at Warsaw which in a manner seems to be the Center of the Kingdom The Reason that made them think of this was because the late King almost always had an ambulatory Court having no certain or fix'd Residence or Abode For sometimes he liv'd on his own Estate in Prussia and sometimes in Russia at Zolkiew and so rambled about from one Country Palace to another where oftentimes the Courtiers Ambassadors or several Gentlemen of the Kingdom that were forc'd to follow him about Business found but very indifferent Lodgings and Entertainment It may here be observ'd that at new Elections they always make some new Constitution or other for the Benefit of the Nation and to abridge the Power of their Kings The Formalities which they use when they make the King swear to the Pacta Conventa are as follow The Archbishop of Gnesna and the Nuncio-Marshal carry these Articles before the King after Mass and when they are come to the Great Altar his Majesty repeats after the Chancellor these Words We Frederick Augustus duly elected King of Poland and Great Duke of Lithuania Duke of Russia Prussia Masovia Samogitia Kiovia Volhynia Podolia Podlachia Livonia Smolensko Severia and Czernicovia do promise to Almighty God and swear upon the Holy Evangelists that we will observe maintain and fulfill all the Conditions agreed upon at our Election between our Embassadors and the Senators and Deputies of the Kingdom of Poland and the Great Dutchy of Lithuania which were confirm'd by the Oath of our said Embassadors and that we will moreover perform the same in all Rigour Vigour Points Articles Clauses and Conditions therein contain'd All which we promise to ratifie and confirm by Oath on the Day of our Coronation When the King has thus sworn to observe the Pacta Conventa the Chancellor presents him with the Decree of his Election written in Parchment and sign'd by all the Senators and Deputies The Poles make use of these Precautions in the Election of their Kings by reason that if they at any Time act contrary to what they had promis'd they might have a Right to remonstrate to them and put them in mind of their Duty It is observable that from the Time of the King's Election to that of his Coronation the great or petty Marshal does not carry the Staff erected before him that when he issues out any Orders or Proclamations he assumes only the Character of King-elect and that nothing can then be seal'd but by the Signet Before I proceed to describe the Coronation of a King of Poland I may here reasonably insert something concerning the Election of a Successor which tho' it be contrary to the Laws and Constitutions of the Kingdom and repugnant to the Privileges of an elective Monarchy yet a Father will have always that Respect for his Child that he will endeavour to get him to succeed him even while he lives So Sigismund II. was nam'd King in the Life-time of his Father Sigismund I. but still on Condition that he should not meddle with the Government so long as his Father liv'd But Sigismund II. being dead the Diet after having inspected the Laws of the Realm Decreed that
have one very great Grievance which is that they are oblig'd to serve in the Pospolite Ruszanie or General Muster of the Militia at their own Charges How the Polish Gentry came by all these Privileges it may not be here improper to enquire since it is certain that formerly they were not much better than Slaves For to pass by many other Examples Cromerus says they were once oblig'd to keep the King's Dogs The first Glimpse of their Liberty may reasonably be ascrib'd to the Privileges granted the Clergy by Boleslaus the Chast but afterwards when Poland began to be harrass'd by Civil Wars the Gentry obtain'd many larger Privileges from their Kings and which they have since always taken Care to get augmented at every new Election All the Gentry of Poland are equal by Birth notwithstanding some of the meaner Sort send their Children to serve the Great Men as other Servants and this principally to learn Breeding and to be kept in Awe yet may that very same Servant have as good a Vote in the Diet as his Master They neither value nor care for Titles of Honour for they think the greatest they can have is to be a Noble Pole or Gentleman of Poland Neither the King nor Republick gives any Title of Prince Duke Marquess Count Vicount Baron or Knight to any of the free-born of the Nation thinking I suppose that none can be any ways rais'd above another by a bare exteriour Denomination which argues more the Favour of the Prince than Merit of the Person preferr'd but rather by their Services in the Offices and Employments which they enjoy There are no Princes of the Kingdom but those which are of the Royal Family for altho some of the Poles have been made Princes of the Empire by the Emperour as Prince Lubomirski c. Yet it gives them no Precedence in Poland but rather renders them odious and despis'd by the rest of the Gentry who cannot endure that any should pretend to any Superiority among them especially by a Title which is not annex'd to some Employment in the Nation King Sigismund III. thought of establishing an Order of Knighthood of the Immaculate Conception in Poland and had effectually created several Knights thereof allowing them certain Privileges and a Superiority above others but these were so despis'd and undervalu'd by the rest of the Gentry that scarce any one afterwards car'd for that up-start Honour whereupon that Order soon dwindled into nothing The Poles have a Proverb to prove their Equality which is That they are measur'd like a Bushel of Corn that is whenever any one pretends to rise but a Grain above the Level he is immediately struck off and ridicul'd There are some Gentlemen in Poland that have had Dutchies time out of mind annex'd to their Estates as Duke Radzivil in Lithuania c. But there are no Dutchies or Counties created by the King Tho the Poles in their own Country have no Honorary Titles above a Gentleman yet several have been known to have usurp'd them when they have travell'd into France Italy and Germany for they there frequently assume those of Counts to themselves in like manner as the Germans in foreign Countries do those of Barons for nothing is more common than Monsieur le Conte Malakowski Il Signior Conde Potoski Mynheer Graff Jablonowski c. And this they do to be the more easily admitted into Company especially in Germany where 't is scarce thought that any body can be a Gentleman under a Baron and consequently not fit for Conversation Dr. Connor likewise says he has known some of our English Gentry in these Countries that have not scrupul'd to call themselves Lords to procure them the greater Respect since they saw that the Title of Gentleman alone was not regarded there The Gentry of Poland make and defend their own Laws and Liberties elect their King with all manner of Freedom give him the Crown and Scepter appoint Ministers to counsel and instruct him and their Number far exceeding that of the Senate they easily keep the King and Senators in their Duty and threaten both very often especially in the Diet where each Member has a Liberty to speak what he thinks and to think what he pleases 'T is they that despute the Nuncios out of themselves for every Province to meet and sit in the General Diet with full Instructions and absolute Power not to consent to any Proceedings which should in the least entrench on their Privileges or if such Deputies should happen to be brib'd to act contrary to their Instructions then have the Gentry of the Province whence they were sent a free Authority to punish them for so doing Not only these excessive Privileges make the Polish Gentry Powerful and Great but likewise the vast Territories which a great Number of them enjoy with a Despotick Power over their Subjects for some possess Five some Ten some Fifteen some Twenty nay some Thirty Leagues of Land out right whereon they have always their several Pod-Starostas or Gentlemen-Stewards residing who are to take Account of their Revenues to sell some things and to send the rest to their Masters Houses to defray the Exigencies of the Family Some also are Hereditary Sovereigns of Cities which the King has nothing to do with and one of the Princes Lubomirski possesses above Four Thousand Cities Towns and Villages Moreover some can raise an Army of Five Six Eight and Ten Thousand Men and maintain them at their own Charges when they have done Dr. Connor says Prince Lubomirski had actually Seven Thousand Horse Foot and Dragoons in Pay when he was in Poland All the Gentry of Note live most splendidly They have all their Horse and Foot Guards which keep Centry Night and Day at the Gates of their Houses they call them Courts and in their Anti-Chambers These Guards go before and after their Masters Coaches in the Streets But above all these Noblemen make an extraordinary Figure at the General Diets where some have Three Hundred some Five and some a Thousand Guards always attending them Nay Hauteville says that formerly some Great Persons have been known to come to the Diet with above Ten Thousand Men. They esteem themselves not only equal but also above the Princes of Germany especially such among them as are Senators 'T is certain they want nothing to be as so many Sovereign Princes except the Liberty of coining Money which the Republick has reserv'd wholly to it self The Doctor says he has no where seen Subjects live with such excessive Grandeur and Splendour for these Great Men when they go to Dinner or Supper have always their Trumpets sounding and a great Number of Gentry to wait on them at Table some whereof carve some give to drink others reach Plates and all serve with extraordinary Respect and Submission for tho all the Gentry in Poland are equal and have all their free Votes in the Diet yet
Commonwealth After a great many Debates Pro and Con these last got the better and prevail'd to have the Army continue in the same Disorder as before Notwithstanding all these Inconveniences that the Polish Government lies under as to Military Affairs yet in time of Action their Cavalry especially have effected Wonders a few Examples of which it may not be improper to entertain Your GRACE with out of Starovolscius He begins with the Reign of Sigismund I. and says That the General Lesniovius with not above 1500 Spear-men routed above 40000 Moscovites killing upwards of 9000 on the Spot In like manner another General Boratinius with 2000 Horse defeated 30000 Moscovites killing 7000 of them and bringing away all their Cannon In the same Reign likewise Camenecius with only 6000 Horse overthrew above 25000 Tartars And about the same time Tarnovius with 4000 beat 22000 Turks and Valachians taking from them above 52 Field-Pieces In Sigismund II's Reign Duke Radzivil with 7000 only routed 30000 Moscovites and took from them the Castle of Ula And Prince Sapieba with 5000 both defended the Fortress of Venda and defeated the Besiegers which were upwards of 24000 Moscovites and Livonians Under King Stephen General Zborowski with scarce 2000 Horse discomfited the whole Army of Dantzic-Rebels made up out of several Nations and left above 8000 dead upon the Spot Also in Sigismund III's Time General Zamoski with scarce 6000 Horse beat the Arch-Duke Maximilian who had with him about 18000 Men He likewise repuls'd the Tartars with only 3000 Men who were coming to invade Poland with 70000. About the same time also Chodkievicz with no more than 3000 routed the Suedes in Livonia killing 9000 and taking 4000 Prisoners Starovolscius has some few other Instances of the Polish Valour but whether what I have already mention'd will be credited by your GRACE and the Publick I am not able to determine However I may affirm that this Author hath never hitherto been esteem'd for Fabulous What I have remaining to say as to the Poles Force is That however great it has hitherto been yet is it rather to be attributed to their good Fortune than Conduct for two principal Qualities to make a Warlike Enterprise especially successful have ever been Strangers to them These are The Power to keep a Secret and an exact Intelligence of their Enemy's Advances and Condition As to a Secret which is the Soul of all great Proceedings that is so little observ'd in Poland that scarce the meanest Officer in the Army but knows what the General intends to do almost as soon as himself And for Intelligence of the Posture and Capacity of the Enemy by reason they make use of no Spies they never know any thing of the matter till they happen to meet a Party and take them Prisoners from whom they are accustom'd to extort Confessions in Cases of Obstinacy As to the Pay of the Polish Army I have shew'd before how it is executed now I must give some short Account from what it arises and the manner of Raising it It arises either from Occasional Impositions or Perpetual Customs and Yearly Taxes Of the former Kind are a General Poll or Capitation and Voluntary Gifts of the Clergy for they cannot be Tax'd by the State Of the latter Sort are All fix'd Duties upon the Jews Tartars Land Merchandize Art c. From Yearly Taxes all Scholars and such as busie themselves in Study are excepted The Fourth Part of the King's Revenue set apart for maintaining a Guard on the Frontiers may likewise be rank'd under this Denomination of Fix'd Duties The manner of Raising these Taxes and Duties is for the most part left to the King's Discretion tho' sometimes the Diet assumes that Authority as likewise to supervise the Distribution of the Money rais'd It may be observ'd that a Collector's Office is to last no longer than the Imposition he is to collect As to Provisions there are no Sutlers in the Polish Army for two Reasons First Because they would never be paid for what they sold and then tho' they durst venture yet they would run no ordinary risque to be plunder'd before they reach'd the Camp and this especially by the Lithuanians who are generally more given that way than the Poles There are likewise no Magazins as in other Countries so that the Officers especially are oblig'd to have great Equipages and many Carriages to convey their Necessaries along with them where-ever they march Among these their Tents are extraordinary fine tho' very heavy Also neither the King nor Republick of Poland has any publick Armories or Arsenals tho' it be true that Uladislaus Jagello instituted some few Repositories for Great Cannon yet which are now of no great Consequence and those which are in far greater Numbers and much more useful are chiefly in the Hands of the Gentry or in the great Cities whence as often as the King has Occasion he either takes them at Pleasure or at Sufferance Poland likewise being not wanting in Metal several new Cannon are founded whenever the Old become unserviceable the which for the most part is perform'd by the Germans the Poles not being so skilful in that Art The Arms the Polanders generally use I have spoken of before yet it may not be improper to add what Hartknoch says of the Antient Polish Historians which is That they affirm that formerly the Poles made use of a very heavy sort of Arms insomuch that when Boleslaus II. in his Expedition against the Prussians waded with his Army through the River Ossa many of his Soldiers were drown'd meerly by the Weight of their Arms. For Castles Poland has a great Number scarce any considerable City or Town being without one yet which are now of little or no Use except some few which are still kept up the rest being suffer'd to decay by the Nobles that have got Possession of them The Cause of the first Fortifications in Poland was on Account of the frequent Incursions of its Neighbours tho' Now says Starovolscius speaking of himself and his Country men being not desirous of invading others we find that we are sufficiently capable to defend our selves with our Bodies tho were we otherwise inclin'd we might raise as strong Fortifications as any in Europe yet which we look upon to be not so consistent with true Courage and Valour It is certain that Unfortify'd Countries lie most expos'd to sudden Irruptions as this Kingdom of Poland has often experienc'd But then this Mischief continues but a little while for as soon as the Nobility can be got together the Invaders are generally forced to retire as may appear by several Examples in our Modern Histories alone These Maxims of the Poles to have few or no Fortify'd Places are founded upon several potent Reasons for they thereby promote the Personal Valour of their own Men and weaken that of their Enemies by not leaving either a Place of Retreat If we
the Emperour Henry VI. by the Rull of Pope Celestine III. under the Title of Teutonic or Dutch Knights of the Hospital of St. Mary the Virgin vowing Poverty Obedience and Chastity and obliging themselves to receive none but Germans into their Order After they had thus receiv'd Confirmation from the Papal See some rich Citizens of Breme and Lubeck joyning with them and making large Contributions another Hospital was erected for them in the City of Acon or Ptolemais in Syria But after that City together with Jerusalem and all the Holy-Land had been taken by the Sarazens under the Command of Saladin having been in the possession of the Christians for more than 87 Years before One Hermannus then Great Master with the remaining Knights removed into Germany on whom the Emperor Frederic XI and Pope Honorius III. or as some will have it Conrade Duke of Masovia in 1226 in the Year 1229 bestow'd the Province of Prussia where having Conquer'd that Nation and reduc'd it from Paganism to Christianity they built the City of Marienburg or Mary-Town and in the Year 1340 fix'd the Residence of their Great Masters there This Country they enjoy'd till about the Year 1525 when Albert Marquess of Brandenburg the last Great Master of this Order by a Solemn Renunciation became Feudatory to Sigismund King of Poland who rais'd Prussia to a Dukedom and made this Marquess first Duke thereof but however some of the Knights disliking this Action proceeded to Elect another Great Master which was Walter de Cronberg and forthwith leaving Prussia seated themselves in Germany where they continue at this day tho' in no great Reputation except that the younger Sons of the German Princes are commonly admitted of their Order Their Statutes were compos'd after the Model of those of the Knights Hospitallers and Knights Templars at this day the Knights of Malta but nevertheless to distinguish them from these Orders their Habit was ordain'd to be a white Mantle with a plain black Cross on the Breast tho' others will have it to have been a black Cross Voided with a Cross Potence This Cross they were also to have upon white Banners as likewise upon their Shields and in their Coats of Arms They were moreover enjoyn'd to live conformable to the Order and Rules of St. Austin Their first number was 24 Lay-Brothers and 7 Priests yet Heysse in his History of the Empire Tome I. says they were at first 40. They both were allow'd to wear Armour and Swords and might Celebrate Mass in that Habit. None of them shav'd their Beards but by their Order were oblig'd to let them grow and to sleep upon sacks of Straw But however this with their other primitive Injunctions soon vanish'd This order being establish'd after the manner as we have shew'd before all Christian Princes endeavour'd to give them encouragement and among the rest the Pope and Emperor gave them particular proofs of their Favour and Liberality Philip King of France also being willing to do the like on his part made them great presents and moreover granted their Great Master a liberty to wear the Flower deluccs on the 4 extremities of their Cross Their Power and Force in War will appear in the following succinct account and Series of their several Great Masters Their first Great Master as I observ'd before was Henry Walpot a Native of Germany Elected in the Year 1190 who died and was buried at Acon or Ptolemais The Second Great Master of this Order was Otho de Kerpen a Nobleman of Germany who after having enjoy'd this Office but 6 Years died and was buried at Acon The Third Great Master was Herman Barth of Alsace who was Elected under Pope Innocent III. and the Emperour Philip II. he presided over these Knights only 4 Years then died and was buried at Acon Under these two Great Masters this Order first began to encrease and flourish The fourth Great Master was Herman a Salzen a Nobleman of Misnia under the several Pontificates of Pope Innocent III. Honorius and Gregory IX and in the Reigns of the Emperor 's Otho and Frederic II. This Master obtain'd great Privileges for his Order both from the aforesaid Popes and Emperors And John King of Jerusalem for their having protected him against Conrade King of Syria added to the Arms of this Order a Cross Potence Or which were the proper Ensigns of that Kingdom In his time Conrade Marquess of Thuringen was admitted of the Order He had above 2000 German Noblemen and Knights in his Order at once all which he govern'd for about 30 Years During his Administration his Order having been driven out of the Holy-Land by the Sarazens setled in Prussia to the number of 20000 and by help of the Poles soon expell'd the Pagan Prussians out of the Province of Culmigeria He lies buried at Marienburg which he built The Fifth Great Master was Conrade Marquess of Thuringen who was Elected under the Pontificat of Celestine IV. and the Reign of the Emperour Frederic II. He very much augmented the Conquests of his Order and restor'd many ruinous Fabricks He built Koningsberg in Ducal Prussia and lies buried at Marienburg The Sixth Great Master was Poppo ab Osternaw in the time of Pope Innocent IV. and of the Emperour Conrade IV. He had several glorious Conquests over the Prussians Livonians and Swentopelus Duke of Pomerania but at length before the City of Lignitz was kill'd and routed by the Tartars who had almost over-run all Sarmatia Poland and was afterwards buried at Uladislaw It is said that the aforesaid Swentopelus had been so extreamly beaten by these Knights that he was forc'd to clap up a Peace with them and afterwards on his Death-bed earnestly recommended to his Children to preserve the Friendship he had Contracted But however Mestowin his eldest Son forgetting his Father's Orders declar'd War anew against them but being likewise beaten the Knights over-run all Pomerania and at length forc'd this Duke to a Peace And moreover 3 of his Brothers whereof the Eldest was nam'd Sambor became Knights of this Order The Seventh Great Master of the Teutonic Order was Johannes Sangerhusensis who took upon him that Office under the Pontificat of Alexander IV. He very much allay'd the Insolence of the Pagan Prussians and in great measure regain'd the credit of his Order forfeited to the Tartars He Rul'd 12 Years and lies buried at Treves In his time the City of Brandenburg was built The Eighth Great Master was Hartman Count of Heidelberg who was Elected in the time of Pope Clement IV. and of the Emperour Rodolfe I. He was a very industrious Person and got great ground of the Prussians In his time the Castle of Marienburg was built in the Year 1281. He dy'd and was buried at Venice The Ninth Great Master of this Order was Buchardus à Swenden Elected in the time of Pope John and the Emperour Rodolfe I.
Under his Administration of Affairs the Prussians were totally reduc'd After 7 Years enjoyment of his Office he Abdicated it and liv'd afterwards at Rhodes where he lies buried The Tenth Great Master was Conrade de Feuchtwangen who was Elected in the time of the Emperour Rodolfe I. and Pope Nicholas IV. Altho' this Order made considerable progress under his Administration yet at length it receiv'd a great check in Syria where the City of Acon which had been the chief Seat of this Order for some time was taken by the Souldan of Aegypt He died at Prague and was buried at Trebnicz The Eleventh Great Master was Godfrey Count of Hohenloh who was Elected Adolphus being Emperour and Celestine V. Pope He was a Venetian born and govern'd this Order 10 Years he retook Riga in Livonia from the Russians and caus'd its Fortifications to be demolished but not long after he restor'd the Inhabitants to their antient Privileges having built a Castle there to awe them He at length resign'd his Office and dy'd in Germany The Twelfth Great Master was Sigfridus de Feuchtwangen in the time of Albert Duke of Austria's being Emperour and Clement Pope He remov'd his Seat from Marpurg to the Castle of Marienburg for this Order had resided there ever since their being oblig'd to leave Syria This Master rul'd only 2 Years and died and was buried at Marienburg The Thirteenth Great Master was Charles Beffart Elected in the Reign of the Emperour Henry and the Pontificate of Pope Clement V. He was a very Wise and Warlike Person and in the Year 1312 founded the Castle of Memula in Courland to hinder the Incursions of the Lithuanians Upon his return from Rome whither he had been cited for and cleared of Male-Administration he died at Vienna where he lies buried The Fourteenth Great Master was Vernerus Urselensis Elected in the time of the Emperour Lewis V. and Pope John He executed his Trust with a great deal of Fidelity and Bravery and was afterwards Murther'd by a Brother of the Order one John Bunsdorfius while he was going out of the Church from Vespers The Fifteenth Great Master was Lewis D. of Brunswick He was a very Prudent and Pious Man but rul'd only four Years The Sixteenth Great Master was Districhus Count Algemburg Elected when he was 80 Years old He was a Person of Great Eloquence Authority and Justice After having built St. Mary's Church at Marienburg he died at Thorn and was buried at St. Anns in Marienburg The Seventeenth Great Master was Rodolfe Duke of Saxony Elected in the time of the Emperour Lewis V. and Pope Benedict XI He gather'd great Forces together and Besieg'd and took Neumarcovia In the Interim the Lithuanians invaded Prussia over-running all with Fire and Sword which this good Master took so much to heart that he first became Mad then was deposed from his Office and afterwards died of Grief at Marienwerder where he was buried The Eighteentth Great Master was Henry de Desmer or Tuchmer Elected in the Pontificate of Clement VI. He had a Famous Battle with the Lithuanians and Russians wherein he kill'd above 10000 of the Enemy He died and was buried at Marienburg The Nineteenth Great Master was Henry de Kniprodien Elected in the time of Pope Clement VI and of the Emperor Charles III. The foregoing War with the Lithuanians and Russians broke out a fresh in his time wherein the Great Duke of Lithuania Keystutus was taken Prisoner and carried to Marienburg whence he afterwards escap'd by means of a Servant In this Great Master's time one of the Sons of the aforesaid Great Duke became a Christian at Koningsberg and afterwards was made a Prince of the Empire by the Emperour Charles IV. During his Administration which was about 31 Years this Order abounded in Learned Men. He died at Marienburg and was there buried The Twentieth Great Master was Conrade Zolner Elected in the time of the Emperour Wenceslaus and of Pope Urban VI. He had several contests with the Lithuanians and Samogitians during the several Reigns of Keystutus Jagello Votoldus and Suidrigielo Great Dukes of Lithuania He died and was buried at Marienburg after 8 Years Administration of the Government of this Order The Twenty first Great Master was Conrade de Valenroden Elected during the Papacy of Pope Boniface He was a Person of a very Warlike Disposition but withal of an odd Temper He hated and refus'd his Ecclesiastical Brothers access to him at the hour of his Death In his time this Order made a Descent upon Lithuania by way of the River Niemen and built three Magazines near the Castle of Cowno by help of which they made great devastations in that Country for a considerable time The Twenty second Great Master was Conrade de Jungingen He was of a very peaceable Temper and therefore not much belov'd by his Order However he rul'd 12 Years and afterwards died at Marienburg and was there buried The Twenty third Great Master was Ulric de Jungingen Brother to the aforesaid Conrade He was Elected in the time of the Emperour Rupert and of Pope Gregory XII He was of a Warlike Temper and to that degree that he deviated not a little from his Order He Persecuted his Brothers and took several of their Possessions from them After several Wars had with the Poles and Lithuanians Jagello King of Poland and Vitoldus Great Duke of Lithuania gave him a total overthrow wherein this Great Master with about 200 Commendadors and 5000 other Knights was kill'd and his General taken Prisoner altho' at the first onset the Lithuanians lost about 7000 Men. The Twenty fourth Great Master was Henry Count of Plaven Elected in the time of the Emperour Sigismund and Pope John This Person was resolv'd to revenge the late overthrow on the Poles but before he could effect any thing considerable he was depos'd thrown into Prison at Engelsburg and thence remov'd to Lecksteg where after 7 years confinement he died in Chains and was buried at Marienburg The Twenty fifth Great Master was Michael de Sterbergen Steward of the Houshold to the Emperour Sigismund In the very first year of his Government Jagello and Vitoldus took from him and destroy'd several Cities but were at length forc'd to retire He govern'd this Order 9 years but afterwards desiring his Quietus he obtain'd it died at Dantzic and was buried at Marienburg The Twenty sixth Great Master was Paul de Rusdorfien Elected in the time of Pope Martin During his Administration several of the Provinces and Cities of Prussia shook off the Teutonic Yoak and revolted to Casimir IV. King of Poland He enjoy'd this Office nine Years also but dying was buried at Marienburg The Twenty seventh Great Master was Conrade ab Herlingshausen Elected in the time of the Emperour Albert III. This Great Master treated Casimir King of Poland at Thorn where at that time there was an inviolable
Miâ—ceslaus I. 24. His Christian Wife ib. His Wars 25. II. His Wars 26. Character and Death 27. III. When Elected and how long Reign'd 36. Whence surnam'd the Old ibid. Is Dethron'd 37. Endeavours to get restor'd 38. Is restor'd 40. Dethron'd again ibid. Reinthron'd 41. His Death ibid. Michael Wiesnowiski Refuses the Crown 144. Accepts it ibid. Proclaim'd Crown'd and how long Reign'd 145. His Marriage ibid. His Death 149. Leaves no Issue ibid. Buried 171. Marienburg City built 51. It s Description 262. Maximilian the Emperor King Elect Acquainted that he was chosen 87. Prevented invading Poland by Death 88. Maximilian of Austria Routed by the Polish General 109. Beaten again and made Prisoner 110. Offer'd Liberty on honourable terms 111. Dissents ib. Consents ib. Mines 245. Of Cracaw 246. Description of them ib. c. Manna Particular sort and eaten for Sauce 248. Michalevia Territory It s Description 262. Marienburg Pal. It s chief Cities and Towns 262. Their several Descriptions ib. c. Masovia Province Its Bounds 283. Inhabitants 284. Division into Palatinates ib. Their several Arms 288. 289. 290. Masovia Pal. Division into Districts 284. Chief Cities and Towns 285. Their Descriptions ib. c. Mindog Duke of Lithuania Acknowledg'd King 308. Murther'd 309. Mscislaw Pal. Description 333 Division into Districts ib. c. Chief Cities and Towns 334. Descriptions ib. c. Its Arms 335. Mscislaw City It s Description 334. Minski Pal. Division into Districts 337. Chief Cities and Towns ib. Descriptions ib. c. Its Arms 338. Minski City It s description 337. N. Number of Polish Princes 9. Of Towns and Villages in Poland 217 c. Novogrodec Pal. Division into Districts 332. Chief Cities and Towns ib. Their descriptions ib. c. Its Arms 333. Novogrodec City It s description 332. O. Oliva Treaty there 133. P. Poland Its Origin 3. Whence so call'd 5. What by the Inhabitants ib. By whom Founded ib. Its Policy 7. Made a Figure in the IXth Century 20. It s Antient Extent 213. Encrease by Conquests ib. By Policy 214. Present Extent 225. Its Bounds and Soil 216. Its Products 217. Cilmate 218. Rivers ib. Their several Courses ib. c. Its Lakes 220. Poles when first Christians 24. March to recover Podolia 148. Conquer but fail in their design ib. c. Popiel I. 16. His Vices and Death ib. II. ib. Judgment upon him 17. Piastus 21. Cause of his Election ib. His Vertues and Death 22. How long his Family Reign'd ib. Gives the Name of Piasto 23. Patron of Poland 30. Premislus when Crown'd 48. Murther'd ib. Prophecy Comical 108. Posts when first setled in Poland 123. Peace concluded with the Turks 173. How long lasted ib. Prince James his Character 188. Intended Marriage disappointed ib. Marry'd to another 189. Weak and Sickly ib. Officiates as Embassador 192. Resigns his Interests to the Elector of Saxony 206. Princess John III's Daughter Her Character 190. Her Marriage ib. Portion 191. Ceremony of her Marriage ib. Equipage for her Journy to Brussels 193. Reception at Berlin 195. Is met by the Elector 196. Proceeds on her Journey 197. Arrival at Brussels 198. Physicians A Consultation of them 199. Posnan City It s Description 221. Posnania Palatinate Its Arms 226. Prussia Province Its Bounds 257. Products ib. Rivers 258. Lakes ib. Division 259. Officers that belong to the Great Council ib. Its Arms 265. Prussia Royal Division into Palatinates 259. Prussia Dueal It s Chief Cities and Towns 264. Pomerania Pal. 260. Premislaw City It s Description 269. Podolia Pal Wherefore famous 274. Division into Districts ib. Chief Cities and Towns ib. Their several Descriptions 175 c. Plosko Pal. Division into Districts 288. Chief Cities and Towns ib. Their Descriptions ib. c. Plosko City It s Description 288. Podlachia Province Its Bounds 296. Division into Districts ib. Chief Cities and Towns 〈◊〉 Their Descriptions 297 c. Arms of the Proâ—ovince 298. Pinsko City It s Description 331. Polocz Pal. Division into Districts 338. Chief Cities and Towns ib. Descriptions ib. c. Its Arms 339. Polocz City It s Description 338. Q. Queen-Dowager's Zeal 156. King Michael Assign'd a Jointure 166. Queen's John III's first Coming into Poland 186. Her first Marriage ib. Age and Qualifications ib. c. Her Address in disposing of Employments 187. R. Rochester Lord His Embassy into Poland 172. Had Audience of the Queen at Dantzick ib. Made a Present to the Princess ib. Receiv'd by the King in his Camp 173. Had Publick Audience at Zolkiew ib. Manner thereof ib. His Return home ib. Respect Little paid to the King's Children 189. Rava Pal. Division into Districts 230. Its Cities and Towns ib. c. Rava City It s Description 230 c. Russia Province Division and Description 266. Division into Palatinates ib. Arms 276 280 281 283. Russia Pal. Division into Districts 267. Their several Arms 269 271. Chief Cities and Towns ib. Rosienia Capital of Samogitia It s Description 293. Religion Antient and Present of Lithuania 339 c. S Stratagem Succeeds 14. Defeated 15. Sigismund I. When Elected and how long Reign'd 69. Defeats a Conspiracy and Army ib. Other Wars ib. c. His Marriage 70. War with the Teutonic Order ib. Grants Liberty of Conscience to Dantzickers ib. War with Knights ended by Mediation 71. Forces other Invaders to retire ib. His Death and Age 72. His Character Marriages and Issue ib. II. Surnam'd Augustus When Crown'd and how long Reign'd 75. His Marriage displeases the Diet 76. Unites Livonia to Poland 77. His Wars with the Moscovites ib. Forces the Czar to a Peace 78. Sends an Army to support Bogdan in Valachia ib. Oblig'd to return home ib. Rather favour'd than disturb'd the Lutherans 79. Hears several of their Preachers ib. Enclines most Bishops to that Perswasion ib. A great Escape he had ib. His Death and Issue ib. Stephen Batori King Receiv'd and Crown'd 88. Primate submits ib. Who greatly Assisting to him in his Election ib. His Rise 89. His Marriage ib. More severe in Punishments than Laws allow'd 90. Encourag'd Speaking Latin 91. A Wonder to the French ib. His Wars ib. Is refus'd to name a Successor 100. His Character ib. His Death and Epitaph ib. c. Sigismund de Vasa King Ambassadors sent to acquaint him 107. Is Crown'd in Poland 109. His Marriage 111. Crown'd King of Sweden 112. Depos'd there ib. Cause of his War with the Moscovites 113. His War with the Turks 115. Invasion by Gustavus Adolthus 116. Sigismund's Death ib. His Character ib. Speech of the Bishop of Premislaw 119. Another Appeases Heats 143. Another by the Palatin of Russia 160. Byasses Poland and part of Lithuania 161. Senators of Great Poland 225 227 229 232 233 236. Of Lesser Poland 248 254 256. Of Prussia 265. Of Russia 274 276 277 280 281 283. Of Masovia 287 289 290. Of Samogitia 294. Of Volhynia 296. Of Podlachia 298. Of Lithuania-Proper 328 330 331. Of Lithuanic-Russia 333 335 336 338 339.
Diet Who not to be present at Tryals for Treason Naturalization and Manner of making Noble in Poland Restrain'd in some Respects notwith standing Great Concourse at the Diet. Provisions indifferent Planty notwithstanding Dangerous to walk a Nights Visits at this Time unacceptable Great Guards of some Gentry Order of Session in the Diet. Members wear no distinguishing Habits * Hartnoch lib. 2. cap. 3. p. 512. What proves Equality among Polish Gentry Intended Limitation of Votes like to produce a bad Effect Deputies awe the King and Senate Causes of Disunion in the Diet. Fomented by the Empire and France What promotes foreign Factions Members not to give Reason for Dissent to any Bill Easie Matter to annul the Projects of the Diet. Great Freedom of Speech there Unhappy State of the Polish Government Policy of concluding Matters by unanimous Consent Wonderful how the Polish Government can subsist Must always flourish for several Reasons I. Reason II. Reason III. Reason Assemblys of the Convocation and Synods in Poland The Kaptur Court Ecclesiastical Courts and their Jurisdiction Court of Nunciature Gentry's Civil Courts High Tribunals The Senate and Green-Cloth Exchequer Courts Gentry-Courts not free from Appeal Of Land-Judicature with its Judges Vice-Chamberlains Court Commissioners to take Appeals Gentries Criminal Courts Starostas Power and Office Courts of Commonalty in Cities In Villages Officers and Magistrates of Plebeian Courts 〈◊〉 Profits Military Jurisdiction Origin Progress and present State of Laws Punishments in Poland Manner of chastising Servants No Disgrace to the Genty to be thus beat Crown vacant has many ways Diet summon'd Proceedings in little Diets before Grand Session Who officiates where no Interregnum * Lib. 2. cap. 1. p. 275. First Proceedings * Hartnoch lib. 2. cap. 1. p. 291. †Ibid. lib. cap. eodem p. 306. Courts of Justice cease except two Foreign Ministers on this Occasion Notifie their Arrival and how receiv'd Embassadors from the Republick Caution to foreign Ministers Deputies Business after this Diet Diet of Election * Hartknoch lib. 2. cap. 1. p. 295. †Ibid. lib. 2. cap. 1. p. eadem First Proceedings therein * Piasecius ad An. 1632. p. 530. Exorbitancies examin'd and Embassadors receiv'd Manner of Receiving them What requisite in forreign Ministers Diet proceeds to Election Further Particulars thereof Great Concours at the Election and Policy to byass them Qualifications requir'd in a Candidate * Lib. 2. Cap. 1. p. 309. to 312. †Ibid. p. 431. Rules observ'd by the Poles in Elections Why preserve their Kingdom elective Who have Votes and who not The Pacta Conventa When taken by Embassadors By whom drawn and after what manner Administred The Form and several Articles An Article Violated Occasional Articles Ceremony of the Kings swearing The Oath Presented with the Decree of Election Concerning the Election of a Successor Interest of foreign Princes to oppose it Reasons for and against such an Election The King has no Regal Authority till Crown'd * Hartknoch lib. 2. cap. 1. p. 331. Appoints the Day of Coronation †Neugebaver Hist Polon lib. 3. p. 185. Manner of his entring Cracow with other Ceremonies Obsequies of Deceas'd King and order of Procession * Piasetius in Chron. Anno 1632. p. 525. †Hart knoch lib. 2. cap. 1. p. 336. Ceremonies at the Interment Day of Corenation and by whom perform'd * Herbert Tit. Cardinalatus p. 63. †Heidenstein lib. 2. Rerum Polon p. 95. Procession in order to Coronation Ceremony at the Coronation Further Particulars of the Ceremony of Coronation King exhorted and sworn His Coronation Oath Words at kissing the Book Unction with other Ceremonys Manner of Crowning him Is Enthron'd And prenounc'd King Feasts thereupon Procession to receive Homage and Citizens Knighted Inter-Rex resigns and King Proclaim'd Queens where Crown'd and where not Place of their Coronation And what requir'd to confirm it Gentry only capable of Preferment Commonalty Incapable except some few Gentrys Power and Privileges Cannot be Apprehended till convicted Exception Cannot be Executed without the Kings Consent Need not Quarter Soldiers Other Privileges of the Gentry Need not pay Taxes unless oblig'd by the Diet. Privilege of Preemption Have one Grievance notwithstanding How they came by these Privileges All equal and consesequently value no Honour Title of Prince despis'd An Order Instituted but undervalu'd What Dutchies in Poland Polish Gentry assume Titles when they Travel Farther Power of Polish Gentry What makes them so Great Their Excessive Grandeur and Magnificence Means to support for ever the Polish Republic What foreign Embassadors are oblig'd to Law Differences decided by the Sword An Example Nature of Descents in Poland Children however support their Families Good Temper of the Poles and its Effect How Occasion'd Polish Peasants how first Enslav'd Live satisfy'd notwithstanding Their present Condition Enrich their Lords How establish'd in a Farm Their Service annex'd thereto Meet to reap their Lords Corn. Their Manners at Bed and Board Children how taught to go Habits of both the Men and Women Nobility how acquir'd in Poland Creation of a Gentleman A third way of becoming Noble Three ways of forfeiting it In what Case restor'd Chracter of the Poles Their Complexion Constitution c. Manners of the Polish Men. Their further Character Education and Learning To what generaly apply themselves Worst part of their Character Genius how enclin'd Enur'd to Hardship Greedy of Money Manner of Lending and Borowing Love to make a Figure Their present Fashions What Furrs us'd Rusticks Habit in Lithuania A few follow the French Mode The Womens former and late Fashions Poles great Extravagance Description of their Houses Furniture No Gardens nor Orchards Private and publick Baths with their Effects Poles great admirers of Shows Their Atendants Women very Modest Exception Women's Liberty restrain'd Indifferences in the Polish Temper What Exercises Practis'd Polish Families and Names formerly and now Marriages and their duration Court-Marriages Customs thereat Presents made the Bride Espousals and Ceremonies Who not Married without Dispensation Burials and order of Procession Other Proceedings Particulars relating to the King and Queens Enterment Cause of J. Casimir's Queens Death Manner of Mourning in Poland Edibles among the Poles Way of Hunting wild Oxen. Odd Dainties Manner of taking Bears Other sorts of Fowl What Fish they have Way of ordering Cabbage Their Potables Beer of what Quality Sorts of Mead. And of Wine What strong Waters Customs in Eating and Drinking Potage and Sauces Poles eat little Bread Crachat how made Customs at Feasts Banquetting Hall Particulars of Servants Manners at Table Poles way of taking Tobacco Feasts made by turns Brimmers much practis'd Customs in Traveling Description of Inns. Have few Conveniencies Travellers oblig'd to carry Provisions c. Travelling cheap in other respects Poles manner of Travelling Incommodities in Travel how remedy'd Disturb'd a Winter Nights by Boors Danger of losing Noses Manners of peculiar Countries Concerning Lithuania What relates to Courts of Justice there Former Judges Of
the Gentry and Citizens Rusticks and their Condition Work on Sundays Pay rigid Duties c. Their Edibles and Custom at grinding Corn. Their Habits Carriages and how made Houses Employments within and without Doors Why little Horses here Qualifications for Marriage Character of these Rusticks Samogitia differs from Lithuania Sturdy Drinkers rewarded Proof of great Age. People more robust here Manners in Husbandry Strange way of Pruning Trees Peculiar manner of Sowing Ways of ordering Corn. Peculiar Customs in Prusia Habitations and Furniture Meat and Drink The Pospolite or Polish Militia Who obliged to serve in the Horse Who in the Foot and Penalty for neglect in both Who are excused from serving The great numbers of the Pospolife formerly and now The manner of their being Raised and Mustered Things required in vain of the Polish Cavalry Meet at the General Rendezvous A Division of the Army and first of the Horse Heavy Armed Light Horse A Division of the Foot A further account of the Cosacks Proceedings in their Counsells of War Way of fortifying their Camps and Boats Their Power What the Polish Foot are and how employed Hired Foot and their Condition Why so much used and their Arms and Liveries Gentry how far obliged to March with other particulars Hungarian Foot when first hired Auxiliaries what Example Quartarians what and whence so called Volunteers what in Poland Examples Selected out of the Gentry Causes that weaken the Polish Force Four things required to defend a State Manner of paying the Army The Rokosz and its manner of proceeding Example Other inconveniencies which suppress the Pole's Power Means propos'd to avoid these Inconveniences but ever-ruâ—'d â—reat Force of Cavalry notwithstanding with Examples Two Qualities necessary in War Soldiers Pay from what it arises and how raised Provisions and Ammunition what Gun-Founders Foreign For Fortifications Pretended Advantages thereby Generals their Power and Duration Lieutenant Generals their Power Other Generals Officers Other Officers of the Army Some few particulars of the Poles Jus Belli Poles not much enclined to Trade and why Commidities Exported and Imported But little Money and why Coin most current in Poland Contributes to Poverty Other Coins Poles not very rich and why Particulars of Trade Concerning Salt No Fulling or Paper-Mills Concerning Leather and Fish Manner of Fishing Honey and its Produce Former Trade of Prussia â—antzic here Siâ—ate By whom built and whence so called How distant from other places It s Division and Strength One of the Hanse Towns Parishes Buildings Streets and Gardens Inhabitants their Number and Religion Churches Town-House Three Magazines A College Exchange c. Jurisdiction and Government Senators and their Division The Twelve Scabins and Syndic Burgrave to represent the King Centumviri their Power Manner of Electing and Ordaining Priests Four Roman Catholick Churches King's Power and Revenues here City-Power and Privileges Force by Land and Sea First Coin in Prussia Present Coin in Dantzic How often taken and regain'd Admitted to Vote in Election of Polish Kings Origin of Teutonic Order Who built their Hospital of Jerusalem Their Order confirm'd and by what Title Another Hospital with their removal into Germany and Prussia Marienburg built For sake Prussia and wherefore Their Statutes Habit Number and Manners Are much favour'd by several Princes Great Masters in Prussia I Great Master 1190. II Great Master 1200. III Great Master 1206. IV Great Master 1210. V Great Master 1240. VI Great Master 1252. VII Great Master 1263. VIII Great Master 1275. IX Great Master 1283. X Great Master 1290. XI Great Master 1297. XII Great Master 1307. XIII Great Master 1309. XIV Great Master 1322. XV Great Master 1325. XVI Great Master 1329. XVII Great Master 1339. XVIII Great Master 1342. XIX Great Master 1348. XX Great Master 1379. XXI Great Master 1388. XXII Great Master 1394. XXIII Great Master 1404. XXIV Great Master 1406. XXV Great Master 1414. XXVI Great Master 1323. XXVII Great Master 1432. XXVIII Great Master 1450. XXIX Great Master 1467. XXX Great Master 1468. XXXI Great Master 1480. XXXII Great Master 1489. XXXIII Great Master 1498. XXXIV Great Master 1512. Dantzic B sieg'd by Albert. Siege rais'd by the Poles Albert submits to Sigismund Great Masters in Germany XXXV Great Master 1531. XXXVI Great Master 1543. XXXVII Great Master 1566. XXXVIII Great Master 1572. XXXIX Great Master 1587. XL Great Master 1619. XLI Great Master 1624. XLII Great Master 1627. XLIII Great Master 1644. XLIV Great Master 1664. A Prince of Neubourg Elected of the Order Ceremony of Creation Elected likewise Coadjutor Present State of Teutonic Order in Germany Two Universities Chief Study there Learning formerly Oriental Languages dis-regarded Present Languages in Poland Polish hard to Pronounce Reasons why the Poles affect Latin Have no solid Learning How far that of Divines extends Their Divinity Lawyers their number and study Who seldom go to Law A suppos'd Judgment on a Lawyer Physicians and their Abilities Not allowed to study till qualified Discourges Learning Natural Observables and Rarities Of Wood and Earth Strange Waters and their Effects Monstrous Fish Fowls of odd Qualities Beasts of strange kinds Rarities communicated to Dr. Connor Argentum Fulminans made by chance Other Experiments Dr. Bernitz's Chsâ—t of Rarities Manner of making Glass Odd Method of Curing Wounds Practise of Physick What Medicines us'd Diseases what Venereal how Cur'd by a Quack Surprizing particulars Diseases peculiar to the Poles and first the Plica It s Description Unaccountableness Symptoms Neither Bleeds nor is painful Said to be Contagious and Hereditary Common to Men and Beasts Superstition concerning it and other cases Where most common It s Cure by a Jew Causes Asserted but Question'd Another account of the Plica Hairs Canular The Rose and its Cure Present bounds and extent of Curland It s Soil and former State When wholly Conquered Converted to Christianity by degrees I Bishop in Livonia 1180. II Bp ABp of Riga 1194. III ABp of Riga 1194. I Absolute Master of Livonian Order 1205. II Absolute Master 1223. III Master 1238. IV Master 1240. V Master 1248. VI Master 1250. VII Master VIII Master IX Master X Master XI Master XII Master XIII Master XIV Master XV Mast r XVI Master XVII Master XVIII Master XIX Master 1488. III. Absclute Master 1513. IV. Abso-Master V. Absolute Master VI. Absolute Master 1560. Residence of this Order I. Duke of Curland 1561. II. Duke 1587. III. Duke 1602. IV. Duke 1639. Discovers Tobago and enjoys it Is depriv'd of it Proposes means to recover it Agreement between the K. of England and D. of Curland Grant of Trade in Africa Upon what Conditions Grant of the Island Tabago Under what Considerations Duke obliged to Aid the King in War A Letter sent hereupon but with little Effect French beg the Island of their King A second Letter from K. Charles A Letter Intercepted The Duke sends Governours Makes a Contract with a Captain Description of Tobago Why necessary to be English Hands Tobacco whence so call'd Duke James's Marriage and Issue VI Duke His Marriage and Issue 1683. VII Duke 1698. D. of Curland Vassal to Poland His Privilege and Power Revenue and Court Chief Officers Qualifications of Supreme Stagostas Conditions of Gentry Addition concerning Livonian Order Principal Master how and where chosen Marshal of the Order Number of Comendadors Number of Advocates Title Habit and Arms of this Order Geographical Description of Curland Cities and Towns of Goldingen Vinda Residence of Knights Pilten Richest Gentry in Curland Mittaw It s Castle Streets and Houses How distant from other places How often Conquer'd Bauske Religions in Curland Two Roman Catholick Churches Calvinâ—â— Church at Mittaw Government of Curland The Parliament Court of Supreme Councellors Degrees of demanding Justice Ecclesiastical Courts City Courts Ministerial Officers Trade of Curland Corn in great request and wherefore Where Curland is to revers to Poland