shall subscribe for ten compleat Books shall for the same price have eleven compleat Books in Quires deliver'd to him IX Because several Gentlemen do complain that they have been deceived by several Proposers in this nature therefore for the punctual performance of what is here undertaken the Bookseller Moses Pitt has already given sufficient Security to Sir Joseph Williamson one of his Majesties Principal Secretaries of State and President of the Royal Society for performance of his Engagement and Proposals X. It is requested that every Subscriber to this great Undertaking would be pleased to set down the County and place of his Habitation together with directions how to send to him to the end that notice may be given him according as the Work goes forwaad WHereas his most Sacred Majesty has been Graciously pleased for the promoting of this Design to permit that his Collections of Maps and Descriptions of Countries may be perused that such of them as have not yet been published and are thought proper for this work may be taken into it and whereas his Royal Highness and his Highness Prince Rupert have been also pleased to promise the same favour and the like has been done by the Right Honorable Sir Joseph Williamson one of his Majesties Principal Secretaries of State and President of the Royal Society and also by the most learned Dr. Isaac Vossius who is pleased to communicate his most copious and exquisite Collections and it is hoped that the same will be done by several other persons of Honour and Quality therefore it is humbly desired that all Gentlemen who have any particular Maps or Relations of new Discoveries or any more perfect descriptions of places already known would be pleased to send the same to the said Moses Pitt who will give sufficient security for the safe return of the same unprejudiced and if they shall be thought proper by the persons hereafter mentioned to be inserted he will take care that it shall be done and that the obligation shall be thankfully acknowledged in such manner as shall be to their own best satisfaction May 3 1678. WE whose names are here subscribed not doubting but that this Work will be of great Use and for the Honour of the Nation and being desired by Moses Pitt to give him our Assistance that he may be the better enabled to perform it do promise that we will from time to time at spare hours both give our Advice for the carrying on of the Work and further since he offers to refer himself to us in divers of his Proposals we will observe how he makes them good and give an account thereof to Sir Joseph Williamson President of the Royal Society or to the President of the said Society for the time being Chr. Wren Isaac Vossius John Pell W. Lloyd Tho. Gale Rob. Hook UPon perusing these preceding Proposals we whose Names are underwritten well approving and highly commending this Design of the said Moses Pitt do for his encouragement not only subscribe our selves for one or more Copies of the said Book but also do recommend so Noble and Useful a Design to the rest of the Nobility and Gentry throughout his Majesties Dominions The KING' 's most Excellent Majesty The QUEEN'S Majesty His Royal Highness the Duke of YORK Her Royal Highness the Dutchess of YORK Her Highness the Lady ANN. His Highness CHARLES-LEWIS Elector Palatine of the RHINE His Highness Prince RUPERT JAMES late Lord Archbishop of St. Andrews ALEXANDER Ld. Archbishop of St. Andrews ARTHUR Earl of Anglesey Lord Privy Seal CHARLES Duke of Albemarlc Captain of the King's Guards HENRY Earl of Arlington Lord Chamberlain of His Majesty's Houshold HENRY HOWARD Earl of Arundel ROBERT Earl of Ailesbury ARCH Earl of Argyll HENRY Lord Arundel Baron of Warder Count of the Sacred Empire Robert Abbot John Adams of the Inner Temple Richard Adams M. A. William Addams Esq of Logdon in Shropsh Henry Aldrich Student of Ch. Ch. Oxon. William Aldworrh Esq Will. Allen of Much-Hadham in Hertfordsh Richard Allestree D. D. Provost of Eaton William Allestree Esq of Walton in Darbysh Jo. Alport Esq Alexander Andersone Esq Tho. Andrew Esq of Harlestone in North. Sir Peter Apsley Thomas Archer Esq Thomas Arundel Merchant of London Elias Ashmole Esq Sir Ralph Ashton Bar. of Middleton in Lanc. William Ashurst Esq London Sir Jac. Astley Bar. of Melton Norfolk John Ayde Esq Philip Ayres Esq JOHN Earl of Bridgwater High Steward of the University of Oxon. JOHN Earl of Bath Grome of the Stole to His Majesty RICHARD Earl of Burlington CHARLES Beauclair Earl of Burford GEORGE Earl of Berkley COLIN Earl of Balcares VVILLIAM Viconnt Brouncker PETER Lord Bishop of Bath and Wells JOHN Lord Bellasyse Baron of Worlaby CHARLES Lord Berkley of Straton JOHN Lord Brackley ROBERT Boyle Esq Francis Baber Esq Edward Backwell Esq of London Robert Baird Esq Henry Baker Esq Henry Ball Esq William Ball Esq of Grays-Inn Robert Band Esq Caleb Banks Esq of Aylesford in Kent Thomas Barrow Citizen of London Edward Bartlet Jun. of Oxford Sir William Basset of Somersetshire Ralph Bathurst M. D. Dean of Wells and President of Trinity Coll. Oxon. Benjamin Bathurst Esq Deputy-Governor of the African Company under his R. Highness Edw. Bathurst Fellow of Trinity Coll. Camb. Bartholomew Beal Esq of Buckinghamshire Richard Beal Merchant in Hamburg John Bende Esq John Bennet Esq George Benson D. D. Dean of Hereford Francis Bernard M. D. of London Sir Tho. Berney Bar. of Bark-Hall in Norf. Hen. Beeston L. L. D. VVarden of New C. Ox. Sir John Berry Capt. of the Leopard Thomas Beverly Esq Stewart Bickerstaff Esq of Wilderness in Kent Leon. Bilson Esq of Mapledurham in Hansh Sir John Blande Bar. of Yorkshire William Blathwait Esq John Bleau of Amsterdam whose Father published a Latin Atlas Thomas Blofeld of Norfolk Thomas Blomer D. D. Charles Blount Esq Christopher Boon Merchant John Boon Esq of Mount Boon in Devonsh Sir Wil. Boreman Clerk of the Green Cloth Sir Oliver Boteler Bar. of Kent Tho. Boteler Fellow of Trinity Col. Camb. Edward Bouuerie Merchant in Durham Will. Bowes Esq of Stratelam Robert Brady M. D. Master of Gonvil and Caius Coll. Cambridg John Breedon Esq of Pangbourn in Barksh William Bridgman Esq Robert Briscoe Citizen of London Edward Browne M. D. London Peter Brown of Langley Kent Thomas Brown Bookseller of Edinborough in Scotland Rich. Bulkeley Esq of Old Bawne in the County of Dublin in Ireland John Bullingham of Ketton in Rutland Gilb. Burnet P. D. of the Rolles in London William Burnet M. D. Nath. Burr Merchant of Amsterdam Arthur Bury D. D. Rector of Exeter Coll. Oxon. WILLIAM Lord Archbishop of Canterbury HENRY Earl of Clarendon JOHN Earl of Caithness ROGER Earl of Castlemain ROBERT Lord Vicount Cholmondely JOHN Lord Bishop of Chester GEORGE Lord Coventry CHARLES Lord Cornwallis Sir HENRY Capell Knight of the Bath Sir GEORGE Carteret late Vice-Chamberlain of His Majesty's Houshold Sir ROBERT Clayton Lord
Rubbles per ann And for these and the like reasons many of them at first secretly favoured afterwards openly join'd themselves and their power to Demetri Particularly Peter Basmaneuf entrusted with an Army by Boris to fight against him went and carryed with him all his Army to Demetri and brought him to Moskow in a manner without any bloodshed At which time Boris first on April 13 1605 and shortly after his wife and son died either by poison as most say or murther'd by some sent from Demetri to that purpose and left the Throne void to that Impostor which he enjoyed not nine months before he was suspected as not sleeping after dinner nor using stoves and in divers other matters not conforming to the custom of the Muscovites And when the Russes saw moreover that he had engaged to marry the daughter of the Palatine of Sandomiria and to bring in the Roman Religion they formed a conspiracy against him chiefly by the practice of Vasilie Zuisky They chose for the execution of their design the seventeenth day of May 1606 nine days after his marriage when Zuisky with other Boiars and the people after dinner finding the Guards asleep forc'd their way into his chamber he affrighted with the noise leapt out of a window and broke his leg the Boiars follow'd and there slew him and hurried his carcass into the market-place where they also laid by him his great fautor Basmaneuf exposing them three days Afterwards they chose Vasilie Ivanowich Zuisky Grand Tzar in his stead who was crown'd June 1 1606. He had not reigned long before another Demetri appear'd in Poland and being by them assisted raised very great troubles in Muscovy After him also started up another Demetri in Moskow it self who also found followers and abettors people who in the times of trouble and licentiousness take even a sorry pretence to rob and plunder Mean-while divers of the Nobility bandied together against their Lord Zuisky pretending that he was unfortunate that victory seem'd to shun and troubles to follow him that as long as he govern'd there could be no hopes of peace c. Which silly stories prevail'd so much upon an amazed people that they seized upon Zuisky and shaving him put him into a Monastery Mean-while the Poles were not idle in defending and asserting their Demetri but came with their army before Moskow The Russes to heal all their wounds and soder up their differences chose Vladislaus son to the King of Poland to be their Grand Duke upon certain conditions whereof one was that Zuisky and his family should be put into the hands of the King of Poland which was accordingly done and he imprisoned till death and buried in the high-way The Polish army before Moskow understanding the election of their Prince behaved themselves very peaceably for a while and the General with part of his army was admitted into the Castle the rest of the army was quarter'd in the Villages without but they by little and little got into the City where they had not long continued e're there happen'd a quarrel which amongst men used to drunkenness is not hard to find of the Poles against the Russes whereupon they fell upon the City and in despight of their General plunder'd and burnt it They say that at that time perished two hundred thousand persons The treasury also was pillaged and all the wealth of the Emperor scatter'd amongst the Polish soldiers some of whom are said to have charg'd their pistols with pearl The Russes being in this almost desperate condition and upon the very brink of ruine at length a Butcher whose name seems to have been Zachary Listpenow began not to despair and to give out amongst the people that if there could be found an honest Treasurer there would not want good officers and soldiers of the Russ Nation to deliver them from their miseries and settle peace and glory again in their country The people destitute of other hopes catch'd hold upon this straw and bid him name whom he thought fit to be General which he did and proposed to them a very worthy but poor and neglected Gentleman called Pozarskey The people approved his choice took him for Commander and the Butcher they made Treasurer bringing readily unto him all the money they ow'd unto the Emperor and what they could spare of their own Wherewith he presently raised an army and joining it with a body of Cossacks then in service of the Muscovites They marched to Moskow besieged the Poles in the Castle and forc'd them to surrender and to march out of the Empire which they immediately performed Hereupon the Russ Nobility convened at Moskow and seeing their country free from strangers and an obedient army of their own they resolved upon electing of a new Emperor which they put in execution ann 1613 and made choice of a young man called Michael Federowitz and sware allegiance unto him His father had forsaken his wife for Gods sake as they say i. e. quitted her and betaken himself to his devotions in a Monastery he was of the house of Romanove and when his son was chosen Tzar he also was elected Patriarch and being a very wise and moderate person he put his son who was always obedient unto him upon secure and prudent counsels His name was changed to Philaretes Nikiditz and he died ann 1633. The first thing he did was to recover Smolensko and by the mediation of Christian Princes especially King James he made peace with the Poles He also made a peace with the Swedes who had been the sorest and heaviest enemy to the Russes And by the assistance also of King James an accord was made and all differences reconciled The Swede was to render Novogrod Stara Russa Porkow Lagda Aydow with all their Territories to the Muscovites And the Muscovites surrendred Ivanogrod Jama Coporia Noteburg with their precincts to the Swede and renounce all title to Livonia which was no small prejudice to the Russ who thereby lost the salt trade which had brought in no small revenue He died July 12 1645 in the forty-seventh year of his age and thirty-third of his reign He was a prudent pious and valiant person endeavouring by all means to banish the memory of former tyrannies and to make up the breaches of his own people which he did very successfully To him succeeded his son Alexes Michaelowitz a more martial but yet as mild a Governor whose actions are so fresh in all mens memories that I think it superfluous to write them but such have been these of the house Romanove that if their successors continue to tread in the steps of these their ancestors they need not doubt of both a lasting reign and glory to all posterity He died about the year 1676 and left his son a young Prince of about sixteen years of age to succeed him The Lakes and Rivers of Muscovy COncerning the Lakes and Rivers of Muscovy 't is to be observed 1. That almost all
riches 1370 Lodowick King of Hungary and Nephew of Casimir the Great Hitherto the Crown of Poland was successive except when the King dyed without issue In the third Class it began to be elective Vladislaus Jagello being obliged to swear as Hartknoch acquaints us that he received it by election and not succession This Class contains the Kings of the Jagellonian family in the following order 1386 Vladislaus Jagello chosen Husband to Heduiges second daughter to Lodowic and therewith King of Poland upon condition that he should unite to the Crown his dominions of Litvania Samogitia and part of Prussia become Christian himself and endeavour the conversion of those Nations and lastly pay two hundred thousand Florens to William Duke of Austria forfeited by Heduiges who was before contracted to the said Duke He was a pious Prince and founder of the University at Cracow 1434 Vladislaus III. 1447 Casimirus IV. 'T is very memorable what Loccenius reports of this King how that meeting with Charles King of Swedeland at Dantzick he was forced to get a Monk to talk Latin with the said King who understood no Polish but talked Latin accurately Hereupon Casimir being ashamed of the ignorance of himself and his followers returning home caused publick proclamations to be made That from thence-forward no man should be advanced to any dignity except he were able to speak Latin Whence saith the same Author it came to pass that the Polanders have ever since excelled in the Latin tongue 1492 Johannes Albertus In whose reign the Tartars laid waste Rusia Podolia and several other parts of the Kingdom 1501 Alexander This King is reported to have been such a prodigal that had he ruled long he would have begger'd the Nation His Queen Helena was not suffer'd to be crowned because being a Greek she refused to conform to the Roman Church 1507 Sigismund I. Reckon'd by Paulus Jovius one of the three Worthies Charles V. Emperor and Francis I. King of France being the other who had they not been contemporary Princes deserv'd singly to have ruled the whole world Besides the large endowments of his mind he was a person of such vast strength of body that 't was ordinary for him in his youth to break asunder horse-shoes and strong ropes 1548 Sigismundus Augustus In his time the Lutheran Religion began first to take footing in Poland The fourth and last Class contains a Register of Kings elected out of divers families which occasioned several Interregna The order of these Princes is as follows 1574 Henry Valois Duke of Anjou He fled from Poland into France upon news of his brother Charles's death and was thereupon deposed by the Estates He reigned five months 1576 Stephen Bathor Palatine of Transylvania 1587 Sigismund III. Prince of Sweden who after the death of his father John III. was crown'd also King of Sweden but deposed again by his subjects chiefly for attempting to introduce the Roman Religion amongst them in which he had been educated by his mother His Uncle Charles IX Duke of Sudermannia was chose in his place 1632 Vladislaus IV. Famous for his many conquests over the Turks and subduing Muscovy of which he was elected Tzar in his Fathers life-time 1648 John Casimir designed for a Religious and had lived two years of probation amongst the Jesuits but as Hartknoch writes nominated Cardinal by Innocent X. before he took the vow of that order Being elected King he married his brother Sigismund's widow He laid down his Diadem and retired into France 1669 Michael Koributh Duke of Wisniowiec An unfortunate Prince who lost Caminiec to the Turks 1674 John Sobieski formerly General against the Turks now reigning A. D. 1679. The Queen of Poland except she be a Roman Catholick is never crown'd nor then unless the King himself request it who is always present at her Coronation During his life the charges of her Court are defrayed out of his Exchequer but after his death she maintains her self out of the revenues of such lands as the King with the consent of the Estates made over to her upon marriage The Senate of Poland is famous as well for the Nobility as number of persons Among whom he that precedes all the rest both in dignity and place is The Archbishop of Gnesna who always sits next the King upon his right hand He has belonging to his Court a Marshal who is also a Senator of the Kingdom in the rank of the Castellanes This Marshal rides before the Archbishops Coach and when he goes to Court carries a staff before him upright till he comes into the Kings Chamber where he turns it downwards His authority is so great that in the absence of other Marshals he bears the staff of authority before the King when he goes to the General Assemblies The Archbishop has also a Cross born before him which the bearer holds upright behind his chair whilst he sits in the Senate Next to the Marshal is the Chancellor for the dispatch of publick affairs both in Church and State The other Officers of the Archbishops Court are the Chamberlain Master of Requests Steward of his Table Treasurer Chaplain Library-keeper Master of the Horse and Clerk of the Kitchin As he is a Prince while his meat is going up to table whether at home or abroad the drums beat When he comes to Court he goes directly to the King never waiting his Majesties leisure or any prefixt time And upon notice of his coming he is met at the bottom of the stairs by the sub-Chamberlain at the top by the Marshal of the Court. When he approaches the Royal presence the King himself goes some paces to meet him The title which the King gives him is To the most Reverend Father in Christ By others he is styled Most High and most Reverend Lord Lord N. by the grace of God and the Apostolick See Archbishop of Gnesna Legate born Primate and chief Prince of the Polonian Nobility His prerogatives are so great that he gives not place to any Cardinal for which reason no Cardinal is ambitious of being sent into Poland Next to him the Archbishop of Leopol takes place After these two Archbishops the Bishops are seated in the Senate according to their dignity in the following order 1. Cracow 2. Cujavia who is also Bishop of Vladislow and Pomerania 3. Vilna and 4. Posnania by turns 5. Polockzo 6. Varmia and 7. Luceorea by turns 8. Praemislia 9. Samogitia or Mednic 10. Culmo 11. Chelmo 12. Kiovia and Zernichovia 13. Kamienieck 14. Smolensko These Bishops sit on the right and left hand of the King next the two Archbishops Concerning the revenues and splendor of the Bishops of Poland see Cromer l. 2. descript Pol. pag. 177. and Stanislaus Lubienski in vita Angelotti fol. 310. Bishops by the Law are forbidden to hold Abbeys in commendam with their Bishopricks only the Bishops of Kiovia and Kamienieck having lost their revenues are now permitted that liberty for their subsistence Next to the Bishops sit
the Palatines or Woiwodes and Castellanes The Palatines are Governors of Dutchies or Counties Commanders of their Militia in the general Expeditions of the Kingdom appoint Conventions of the Nobles within their own Palatinate and preside in them and in Courts of Judicature and have the patronage of the Jews who are very numerous in Poland They are the first order of the secular Senators The Castellanes are as it were the Lieutenants of the Palatines commanding in time of war the Nobility under them there are divers of them belonging to one Palatine each of them having his District or Castellanate and from hence his title and generally some revenue but no jurisdiction in time of peace only as he is a Senator The Castellane of Cracow was preferr'd before the Palatine upon the rebellion of Scarbimirus the Palatine against Boleslaus III. The Castellanes of Vilna and Troco together with the Captain of Samogitia the only Captain in the Senate had pre-eminence in consideration of their antiquity The Palatines are seated thus 1. The Castellane of Cracow The Palatines of 2. Cracow and 3. Posnania by turns 4. Vilna 5. Sandomiria 6. Castellane of Vilna The Palatines of 7. Calistia 8. Troco 9. Sirad 10. Castellane of Troco 11. Palatine of Lenschet 11. Captain of Samogitia Palatines of 13. Bressic 14. Kiovia 15. Inouladislow 16. Russia formerly of Leopol 17. Volhinia 18. Podolia formerly Caminiecz 19 Smolensko 20. Lublin 21. Plockzow 22. Belze 23. Novogrod 24. Ploco 25. Vitepz 26. Masovia formerly Culmo 27. Podlachia 28. Rava 29. Brzecienski 30. Culmo 31. Mscislauia 32. Mariaeburgh 33. Breslow 34. Pomerania 35. Minsco 36. Czernichow After these Palatines sit the Castellanes distinguished into Greater and Lesser The Greater are these 1. Posnania 2. Sendomir 3. Calissia 4. Voynicz 5. Gnesna 6. Sirad 7. Lenschet 8. Samogitia 9. Brestie 10. Kiovia 11. Inouladislow 12. Leopol 13. Volhinia 14. Camieniecz 15. Smolensko 16. Lublin 17. Belze 18. Novogrod 19. Ploco 20. Witepz 21. Czetne 22. Podlachia 23. Rava 24. Brzescia 25. Culmo 26. Mscilow 27. Elbing 28. Breslow 29. Dantzic 30. Mirisco 31. Czernichow The Lesser Castellanes are 1. Sandecia 2. Medirec 3. Wislick 4. Biecie 5. Rogosnow 6. Radan 7. Zawichost 8. Lenden 9. Srim 10. Tarnow 11. Malagost 12. Vielun 13. Praemissia 14. Halicie 15. Senoc 16. Chelmo 17. Dobrzin 18. Polaniecz 19. Premetenski 20. Krivin 21. Czechow 22. Nackle 23. Rospir 24. Biechow 25. Bidgost 26. Briesin 27. Kruswic 28. Oswiecz 29. Camienecz 30. Spicimiria 31. Inoulad 32. Kowale 33. Santoc 34. Sochaczow 35. Warsow 36. Gostinin 37. Visna 38. Raciecz 39. Sierpz 40. Wysogrogende 41. Ripin 42. Zacochim 43. Ciechanon 44. Live 45. Slonsco 46. Lubaczow 47. Konar in Sirad 48. Konar in Lenschot 49. Konar in Cujavia These are called the Lesser as being more lately admitted into the Senate To greater Castellanes they give the title of Wielmozni or Magnifici to the Lesser that of Vrodzeni or Generosi but by private persons all Castellanes are called Jasnie Wielmozni or Illustrissimi It is established by Law that none may be either Palatine or Castellane in that Province in which he hath no lands The lowest in degree among the Senators are the Officers of the Kingdom and Great Dukedom of Lithvania in the following order 1. The supreme Marshal of the Kingdom 2. The Marshal of the Great Dukedom of Lithvania 3. The high Chancellor of the Kingdom 4. The Chancellor of Lithvania 5. The Pro-Chancellor of the Kingdom 6. The Pro-Chancellor of Lithvania 7. The Treasurer of the Kingdom 8. The Treasurer of Lithvania 9. The Marshal of the Court for the Kingdom 10. The Marshal of the Court of the Great Duke of Lithvania The office of the supreme Marshal is to call the Senate upon command of the King or Interrex to command silence and give leave of speaking therein to promulgate their acts to the people and to pronounce and put in execution the Kings decrees in all causes of infamy and death He prepares the place of the Diets and hath the chief management of matters in those Assemblies receives foreign Princes and Ambassadors at their arrival providing them with lodgings performs also most of the functions belonging to the Lord Steward of the Kings Houshold In the publick assemblies or when he goes before the King he carries a staff upright While the King resides in Lithvania the Marshal of Lithvania has the same power there The Chancellors are both secular persons and the office of Chancellor and Pro-Chancellor is the same only the Chancellor keeps the great and the Pro-Chancellor the lesser Seal In short these two are the mouth and hands of the King in the dispatch of all business The Treasurers are the Stewards of the publick Treasury and masters of the Mint When the King bestows this office upon any one four Senators are appointed to deliver the Treasury to him by an inventory of which there are three copies one with the King another with the Treasurer and the third they keep themselves This by the way take notice of in reference to all the Senators that none of them are permitted to stir out of the Kingdom without particular licence of the Grand Estates and upon some pressing occasion The rest of the Officers about the Court which are not of the Senatorian Order as the Principal Secretary Master of Requests Captain General c. I spare to mention being much-what the same as in other Nations only it is to be observed that there are two of every sort one for the Kingdom of Poland the other for the Great Dukedom of Lithvania The Masters of Requests are always present when the King sits to determine controversies and differences among his Subjects at which time it is their duty to lay open the nature and grounds of the controversie to the King They stand fair upon a vacancy to be admitted Senators The Magistrates for the several Districts are of two sorts that is Land or Camp-Magistrates The Land Magistrates are 1. The Vice-Chamberlain or Judg of bounds and limits 2. The Standard-bearer 3. The Land-Judg 4. The Tribune 5. The Land-Register 6. The Keeper of the Treasury Besides some other inferior Officers The Camp or Military Officers are 1. The Captain with Jurisdiction who is Governor of some Town or Castle 2. The Captain without Jurisdiction 3. The Burggrave who is Governor of some Castle and takes care of the out-guards 4. The Vice-Captain 5. The Judg-Advocate 6. The Field-Register The Councils Councils or Parliaments of Poland are of two sorts 1. Civil to which the Counsellors come in their Gowns 2. Military to which they come in Military habit The latter are only held in the time of an Interregnum The former are frequently called and are 1. Ordinary which by the Laws are summon'd once in two years 2. Extraordinary which are assembled as the necessity of affairs requires When either Ordinary or Extraordinary Councils are to be convened the King by his Letters summons
way beyond the Nieper or Boristhenes taking within its precincts the territories of Kiow and Braclaw which go under the general name of the Vkrain spoken of before yet since the treaty ratifyed between the Grand Seignior and the King of Poland in the year 1677 the whole Country of the Cosacks was delivered into the hands of the Turks and the hither Volhinia is at this day the outmost bounds of the Kingdom of Poland Walachia too and Moldavia were by Vladislaus Jagello annexed to the Crown of Poland but soon after his death his son Casimir lost them both back again to the Turks For when by reason of the continual trouble he had in defending Prussia against the Teutonic Order he could not possibly succour those parts the Palatine of Walachia struck up a peace with Mahomet upon condition of paying a yearly tribute of 2000 Crowns Since that time the Palatines of Walachia have sometimes sworn fealty to the Turks sometimes to the Polanders but kept their word with neither Several of the Kings of Poland have been in a condition of repossessing themselves of these parts but fearing to engage in a war with so potent an Enemy as the Grand Seignior for so mean a stake they have rather chose to resign them quietly and suffer him still to enjoy them upon condition That the Turk should constitute no Vicegerent in these their neighbouring Provinces but such as was lineally descended from the Dukes of Moldavia and consequently of a Polish stock nor should demand any arbitrary but a certain fix'd and determin'd tribute But these priviledges the Poles have now lost insomuch that the Turk is grown absolute Lord of the Country and governs it by whom and how he pleases But these two Countryes could not satisfy the the Great Turk who found an occasion to pick a quarrel with the King of Poland whom he knew himself able to conquer Wherefore in the year 1672 advancing further into this Kings dominions with a vast army he took Camienec the best fortress in the Kingdom and had marched further into the very heart of the Nation had he not been stopt with proposals of peace from King Michael upon these terms That the Polanders should quit all title to Podolia and resign it wholly to the Turk That with Podolia they should also surrender all pretensions to the Vkrain That they should pay yearly to the Grand Seignior a tribute of 22000 ducates c. These conditions proposed and ratifyed by the King alone without the approbation of the Parliament were looked upon by the whole Nation as too dishonourable to be observed Wherefore 't was resolved they should endeavour to the outmost to recover bravely what their King had so cowardly parted with Accordingly towards the latter end of the year 1673 they proclaimed war against the Turk which was carried on with good success under the conduct of John Sobieski the present King of Poland their then valorous General who on the 11 of November discomfited the Turkish army and retook the Castle of Chotim After many more bloody engagements in a war of several years continuance the peace was at last concluded in November 1676 upon these and some other conditions That the Lipec-Tartars should be permitted to remove their goods and families into Podolia and there live subject to the Turk That the Vkrain should remain in the hands of the Grand Seignior That Polish Garrisons should be put into Niemierow and Kallik and the Bassaw of Camieniec have nothing to do there till matters were adjusted at the convention of Ambassadours at Porte That Pawolocz and Bialocerkiew should remain entire in the possession of the Polander That the resignation of Podolia should be debated by the Ambassadours at Porte That in all places taken by the Turks the Christians should enjoy the free exercise of their religion c. These articles were read and ratifyed in the Parliament of Poland the 22 day of February A.D. 1677. Since which time the Great Turk has not answered the expectation of the King of Poland in resigning the Countries he had taken Podolia is doubtless worth seeking after and too good to be parted with upon sleight terms by those who having made themselves Masters of it by a fair conquest are able to keep their hold if what Maginus reports of it be true That 't is so fruitful that in one night the grass will hide a rod and in a few days a plough Volhinia is as well worth defending as Podolia regaining being a fruitful and plenteous Country exceedingly well stock'd with corn sheep Timber fish Hony c. Places of greatest note in it are 1. Luceoria or Lusuc a Bishop's See first founded by Ludowic King of Poland and Hungary about the year 1374. 2. Olyka a seat of some of the Lithvanian Dukes among whom John formerly Duke of this place and Nieswiesc with his brother Nicolas Radziwil Marshal of the great Dukedom of Lithvania was made a Prince of the Empire of Germany in the Diet at Augspurg A.D. 1547. 3. Ostrog once the seat of Dukes to whom a great part of this Country was immediately subject but that line is of late utterly extinct The Lesser Poland THe Lesser Poland lyes on the south of the Greater from some part of which it is separated by the Warta from others by the Pilcza It is divided in the middle by the Vistula upon which are seated most of its great Towns and contains in it three Palatinates of Cracow Sendomir and Lublin This Province as all Poland has formerly been is very woody 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 which heretofore occasioned so many barbarous robberies as were usually committed under the shelter of their Forests Insomuch that in the year 1450 Casimir called an assembly of the Nobles of the Lesser Poland only to consult of some means to suppress the intolerable thieveries practised among the generality of them the Nobility not excepted But because many of the Grandees of Poland were not at that time satisfyed with this King's title to the Crown nothing could be effectually enacted by his Authority so that for a long time Rapines and Murders were encreased rather then diminished For by these delays of justice the Robbers were come to that strength at last that under the conduct of two Noblemen Cauca Sweborowski and John his brother they had fortifyed the mountain Zebrace near Oswenskim and several other places whither such armies of Ruffians continually flocked as could not afterwards be suppressed without a deal of bloodshed and hazard of the whole Country Cracow the Metropolis of this Province and the whole Kingdom of Poland is seated on a rocky bank of the Vistula 'T is said to have had its name from one Cracus Gracus or Gracchus whom the Polanders so they themselves say though the Bohemian writers will needs make him one of their Princes set over them as soon as they grew weary of the twelve Palatines who took the government into their hands upon the death
Villages and Forts Of the late Accessions in Pomeren and the Empire HOw far the victorious Arms of Gustavus Adolphus spred themselves in the Empire of Germany passing over the Elb the Rhine and the Danow in one year and thereby becoming as well the terror as wonder of Europe is sufficiently known to all the world and how after his death the Swedish Conquests in those parts began to lessen and several places of importance to be either forcibly regain'd by the Emperor or by the succeeding Kings of Sweden freely yielded up to him is no less manifest What Cities Towns Forts Titles Territories c. were by a Ratification of Peace concluded between the Imperial Ministers and the Swedish Agents in lieu of those many and large Dominions which Gustavus Adolphus had possess'd himself of given up into the hands of the Swedes either absolutely and for ever or under some conditions to be by the Swedes observ'd we shall in this place only mention remitting the more large description of them to Pomeren Germany c. whereunto they did formerly belong and where an account of them may be expected By a Treaty of Peace between the Imperial Plenipotentiaries and Swedish Ministers held at Osnabrug and Munster A. D. 1649 it was concluded That because Christina Queen of Sweden had required of the Emperor and the Electoral Princes that satisfaction should be made her for delivering up to them several places which had been by her Father in the late Wars brought under the Swedish power and likewise upon account that she earnestly desired as much as in her lay to restore and promote the publick peace of the Empire which the Emperor and their Electoral Highnesses on the other part were very ready by all means to advance and take care of His Imperial Majesty with the consent of the Electoral Princes and States of the Empire should give up to the Queen of Sweden and to her Heirs and Successors these following Dominions to be held by them in full right of possession as a perpetual and immediate Feud of the Empire viz. 1. All Nether-Pomeren commonly call'd Nor-Pomern with the Isle of Rugen in the Baltic Sea in the same manner and extent as the late Dukes of Pomeren had possess'd and enjoy'd the same And also in Further-Pomeren Stetin Gartz Dam Golnau the Isle Wollin with part of the River Oder that encompasseth it the Sea commonly call'd das Frische Haff with its three Bays Peine Swine and Divenow and so much land on each side as shall be agreed on by the Commissioners to be appointed for assigning the just limits for both Parties Which said Kingdom of Pomeren and principality of Rugen with all Dominions belonging or places annex'd to either of them and also all Territories Prefectures Cities Forts Towns Villages Feuds Rivers Isles c. with all Tributes Revenues Titles Dignities Preeminences Immunities and Praerogatives Ecclesiastical or Civil with all other Rights and Priviledges should from that day 27 of July A. 1648 for ever belong to and be freely used and inviolably possess'd by the then Queen of Sweden her heirs and Successors in as full and ample manner as the former Dukes of Pomeren had had enjoy'd or govern'd the same Moreover That the King of Sweden and the Duke of Brandenburg should both of them use the Titles and Arms of Pomeren after the manner that the former Dukes of Pomeren used them The King of Sweden for ever and the Dukes of Brandenburgh so long as any of the Issue Male of that Family remain'd but that upon defect of the masculine Line of the house of Brandenburg none should lay claim to those Titles and Arms of Pomeren but the Kings of Sweden solely to retain them without any Competitor and not only so but then to have all Further Pomeren with the Bishoprick and Chapter of Camminen yielded up to them and their successors for ever 2. That the Emperor with the consent of the Electors should give up to the said Queen and her successors for ever the City and Port of Wismar with the Fort Walfisch and the Prefectures of Poel the Towns Sehedorff Wietendorff Brandenhusen and Wangern which belong to the Hospital of the Holy Ghost in Lubeck excepted and Newen Closter with all Rights and Priviledges belonging to them in as full and ample manner as the Dukes of Meklenburg had before enjoy'd and possess'd them 3. That the Emperor with c. should give up to the Queen of Sweden and her successors for ever the Arch-Bishoprick of Breme and the Bishoprick of Verden with the Town and Prefecture of Wilshausen and also all the Right the Arch-Bishops of Breme had to the Chapter and Dioeces of Hamburg provided that the house of Holsatia and the City and Chapter of Hamburg retain'd their respective liberties possessions c. with all and singular Rights Priviledges c. Ecclesiastical or Civil to the said Arch-Bishoprick Bishoprick and Prefecture in any-wise belonging yet to retain them for ever as an immediate Fee of the Empire using the ancient Arms which belong'd to them but changing the Ecclefiastical Title into a secular one viz. that of Arch-Bishop and Bishops into Duke of Breme and Verden And likewise the Kings of Sweden by vertue of this Grant to have priviledge to be present at all Diets of the Empire under the Titles of Dukes of Breme Verden and Pomeren Princes of Rugen and Lords of Wismar and to take place amongst the secular Princes on the fifth seat in the said Diets and in all Controversies arising concerning these Territories to appeal to some of his Imperial Majestie 's Courts of Judicature there to have them determin'd 4. That the Queen of Sweden or her successors might have power to erect an Vniversity where they thought most convenient in any part of these new Dominions Lastly that her Majesty of Sweden and her successors should acknowledge all these Possessions as Feudiatary to the Emperor and receive all Investitures from and as their Predecessors and other Vassals of the Empire formerly used to do to take an Oath of Fidelity and Allegiance to him and his Imperial successors for ever By these additional Dominions in Pomeren and Germany which at present by reason of the wars between the two Northern Crowns are very much disturb'd and in great confusion the Kings of Sweden had as was said several new Titles conferr'd upon them which with others that are taken from their late conquests in Livonia Carelia c. make up the greatest part of the whole Catalogue The present King styling himself thus The most Serene and most c. Prince Charles XI King of the Swedes Goths and Vandals and Hereditary Prince Great Prince of Finland Duke of Schonen Esthonia Livonia Carelia Breme Verde Stetin Pomeren Cassubie and Wenden Prince of Rugen Lord of Ingria and Wismar Count Palatine of the Rhine Duke of Bavaria Juliers Cleves Bergen c. Of the new Accessions in Denmark within the Baltic Sea viz. Scania Hallandia
took Sleswic destroyed the Church rooting out Christianity and replanting Paganism This relapse is sufficiently confirm'd by the many Runic monuments found daily in and about this City whose inscriptions shew them to be Heathenish reliques tho of too late a date to have been erected before the first appearance of Christianity in these parts But the Slavonians kept not long footing here For within a short while the Danes weary of the tyranny and Idolaty of strangers forced them to quit their Conquets and retire Whereupon paganism was once more rooted out Christianity reestablisht and the Cathedral rebuilt Soon after this the Angles that maintain'd a trade in Sleswic built the Church of the Holy Ghost near the market-place with the adjoyning Hospital The Dukedome of Sleswic was first given by Christopher King of Denmark about the year 1253 by way of pension to the children of King Abel upon condition the Duke of Pomeren and some other petit Princes of Vandalia would engage they should always acknowledg a dependance upon and never pretend any title to the Danish Crown After a revolution of some years it became the inheritance of Christiern of Oldenburg King of Denmark who annexed it to the Danish Realm a part of which it has continued ever since Assign'd indeed it hath been often as a portion to some of the younger Princes of the blood but never quitted its dependance upon the Crown This City as appears by their records was first made a Bishops See by the Emperor Otho the first who upon his conquest of Jutland first sent ministers hither to instruct the ignorant Heathens in the principles of the Christian religion and afterwards set a Bishop over the new Converts whom the records call Mark. Upon the South of Sleswic lies Ekelfort 〈◊〉 called so from the abundance of Squirrels in the adjoyning woods as the Arms of the Town still show It is a Town of good Trade and one of the safest parts in the Baltic shore Flensburch takes its name from Flen a small bay of the Baltic Sea upon which it is seated Mhier in his accurate History of the affairs of Flanders speaking of Henry Duke of Sleswic who died at the siege of this City A. D. 1427 says it ought to be called Vlensburg not Flensburg from Vlens which in the language of the Inhabitants signifies the flux and reflux of the Sea Some fetch its name from one Fleno a Danish Nobleman who had the Custom of the fishing trade in this place and was Lord of the Mannor It is situated in a low and pleasant valley begirt with several hills of great height It consists chiefly of one continued street of magnificent and noble buildings the length of which is said to be near two English miles All along this street the Ships are brought up in a port so commodious that the Citizens can lade and unlade their Vessels at their doors On the top of an hill in the Suburbs stands the Castle which easily commands the Town and Haven Betwixt this City and Sleswic is the undoubted seat of the antient Angles the ancestours and first Founders of our English Nation in Britain Which is not only proved by the assertion of our famous Historian Ethelwerd quoted before but from a small village in this tract which to this day is called Anglen Ptolomey indeed and Tacitus place the antient Angli furrher southward as far as the banks of the Elb and they were doubtless a more populous nation then can reasonably be imagined to be confin'd to so narrow a piece of ground as at this day goes under the name of Anglen in the maps of our modern Geographers For we cannot otherwise conceive they should so far overpower the Saxons and Jutes who came with them into Britain as to call so great a part of our Land after their own names without any notice taken of their Allyes Hadersleve seven German miles distant from Flensburg Northward Hadersleve was first made a City and had its Charter confirm'd by Waldemar Duke of Jutland about the year 1292. It was formerly defended by a strong Castle built on the top of an hill which overlooks the Town This John Earl of Holstein pull'd down and instead thereof begun to build a new one call'd from him Hansburg or John's-Castle for Hans in the High Dutch and Danish tongues is the same with John which was finished by King Frideric the Second The most of the streets in Hadersleve are of a good breadth and very uniform In the Great Church is to be seen a stately monument erected by King Eric the Eighth to the memory of Rombold Duke of Silesia who was sent Ambassador hither from the Emperor Sigismund to compose the differences between the King of Denmark and the Earls of Holstein about the claim laid by both parties to the Dukedom of Sleswic and died before the work was finished On the Western Coasts of South-Jutland live the Srond-Frisians Srond-Frisians mention'd often by Saxo Grammaticus as men of great strength and agility of body This Historian reckons Eyderstede a part of his Frisia minor but now a days there are none go under the name of Strand-Frisians except a small remnant of people who inhabit the Strant an inconsiderable Island in the German Ocean and a little narrow tract of land between Husem and Langenhorn In the middle of this petit Province they have a market-place where they maintain a small traffick and commerce amongst themselves Their country is defended from the rage of the Sea like Holland and other parts of the Netherlands by great Earthen banks which preserve their meadows and corn fields lying all on one level from the waves They have a great art of making the whitest and best salt in Europe of earth soked in the Sea-water dried and boil'd Saxo says these people are a Colony of Frislanders in the low Countries who being a laborious nation and destitute of habitations in their own Country came hither to seek their fortunes and by draining the fenns made this piece of marshy ground habitable What time this transplantation hapned is not mention'd in the Danish Chronicles but that it was so will be manifest to any one that will compare the language habit and manners of this people with those of the Frisians in the Netherlands The rest of the Towns of note in the Southern Jutland are 1. Husem a rich and neat port-Town on the Western Shore 2. The two Tunderens Greater and Less both places of considerable traffick upon the same coast 3. Gottorp the ancient seat of the Earls and Dukes of Holstein It is seated on the top of the Slie exceedingly well fortifyed and very remarkable for the Tol-booth or Custom-house which one year with another brings in Toll for at least 50000 Oxen which are brought out of Jutland into Germany 4. Appenrade seated on a small bay of the Baltic Sea and much frequented by the Danish Fishermen Of the ancient wall of Partition which
top of an hill commanding the Town and haven was first built by Adolph of Schaumburg the first Earl of Holstein Earl Adolph IV. founded a monastery of Franciscan Minorites in this City which upon the bringing in of the Augsburg confession into this Country with the rest of the Danish Territories was changed into an Hospital 2. Rensborg or Reinholsburg founded by one Reinold of whom we have no further account then that he was either a Prince of the Blood or some Great Nobleman This is the best fortifyed Town in the Dukedom environed with the Byder and defended by a strong Castle built by Earl Gerhard the Great 3. Wilster a neat and well built City seated on a River of the same name which soon after empties it self into the Stor 4. Nieumunster seated on the North-West of the Stor not far from the head of it The Earldom of Holstein was only a Province of the Great Dukedom of Saxony until Lotharius Great Duke of Saxony afterwards Emperor of Germany bestowed it upon Adolph Earl of Schaumburg or Schouwanburg about the year 1114. Since which time we have the following account of the Earls of Holstein 1. Adolph of Schouwenburg the first absolute prince of Holstein On whom the Earldom was bestowed as a recompence for the services he had done the Duke of Saxony in his German and Danish wars 2. Adolph II. son to Adolph the I. having obtained his fathers Earldom cast out the Slavonians who a little before his time had overrun all this part of Saxony and planted in their rooms Colonies of Germans Frisians and Nether Saxons In the quarrel among the three pretenders to the Crown of Denmark Sueno Canutus and Waldemar he sided with Canutus and had setled him in the throne had not King Sueno by fair means and promises prevailed with him to lay down his Arms. He left the Earldom to his son 3. Adolph III. who after many skirmishes and battles with Waldemar II. King of Denmark was at last vanquished and kept close prisoner by that King who by the intercession of Andrew Bishop of Lunden and some others granted him his liberty upon condition That he should disclaim all right and Title which he and his predecessors had hitherto pretended to the Earldom of Holstein or any other place formerly subject to Henry surnamed the Lion Duke of Saxony and quietly retire to the inheritance of his Ancestors at Schouwenburg But these Articles tho at the first secured by Hostages were not long observed by his son 4. Adolph IV. who associating to himself Henry Earl of Zurin Gerhard Bishop of Bremen and some other petit Princes begun a rebellion against King Waldemar and succeeded so well in the undertaking that within a very short time he made himself master of all the Territories his father had been beaten out of and renounced His son 5. Gerhard enjoy'd peaceably the dominions left him by his Father He was for some time kept prisoner at Imsburg by the Folchungs a noble family in Sweden for being in company with one Ingemar an upstart Gentleman but great favourite of their King Magnus whom they slew in a rage and cast his companions into prison 6. Henry Gerhards son was the first that set up a Custom-house in Hamburg which brought in no small portion of the revenue of his successors 7. Gerhard the second son of Henry upon the death of Christopher the second King of Denmark was made Protector of the Danish Kingdom and Tutor to the young King Waldemar the third By these advantages his power grew so great that he ventur'd to stile himself Duke of Jutland and by degrees would in all probability have aspired to the Crown of Denmark if not timely taken off by one Ebbo a Danish Nobleman who murdered him in his bed at Randerhusen 8. Henry the second son to Gerhard II. refused the Crown of Sweden when it was offered him by Ambassadors sent from that Court A. D. 1363. He is said to have been a Prince of great courage and candor courteous in his behaviour and exceedingly chast and temperate in the whole course of his life In short a man that had in him all the Royal vertues that might deserve a Kingdom and the modesty to refuse one when offer'd 9. Gerhard the third Henry the second 's son after he had got the Dukedom of Sleswic annexed to the Earldom of Holstein by Margaret Queen of Denmark was slain by the men of Dithmarss whom he had required to do him homage His son 10. Henry the third being denied that right to the Dukedom of Sleswic which his father had enjoy'd made war against Eric the Eighth King of Denmark in which at the siege of Flensburg he was slain 11. Adolph V. commonly called the twelfth by those that reckon all the Earls of younger houses succeeded his brother Henry and was the last Earl of this house In the year 1440 he received the Dukedom of Sleswic at the hands of Christopher the third King of Denmark swearing fealty to that Crown Christian Earl of Oldenburg son of Hedvigis sister to Henry and Adolph the two last Earls of Holstein succeeded his Uncle Adolph in the Earldom of Holstein Which in his time was enlarged by the addition of Dithmarss and changed into a Dukedom by the Emperor Frideric the third A. D. 1474. When this Christian was advanced to the throne of Denmark the Dukedom of Holstein became a part of that Kingdom Yet so that the Kings of Denmark as the Kings of Sweden upon the late accessions in Germany to their Crown were reckoned Princes of the Empire as Dukes of Holstein tho not obliged to repair to any Diet. Afterwards the title of Duke of Holstein together with a considerable part of the Country was given to Adolph Christian the Third's brother created Knight of the Garter by our Queen Elizabeth A. D. 1562 who governed it interchangeably with the King his brother by turns Upon the decease of this Duke and his issue male the title was conferr'd on Vlric King Christian the fourth's brother Since his days there have been several houses of the Dukes of Holstein as Sunderburg Norburg Gluckburg Arnsbeck Gottorp and Ottingen Amongst whom the Duke of Holstein Gottorp is chief and challenges the same power in governing and administration of justice which was at first conferred upon Duke Adolph King Christian the third's brother In the late wars between the two Northern Crowns the King of Denmark jealous of the great power of the present Duke of Gottorp forced this Prince to quit his Dukedom and leave his Majesty in full possession of the whole Country of Holstein But at the signing of the Treaty between the Kings of France Sweden and Denmark at Fountenblaeu on the second of September 1679 the Danish Ministers promised their Master should at the desire of his most Christian Majesty restore to the said Duke all his Countries Towns and places in the state they were and the soveraignty thereof all which he
present religious Emperor into a compliance with whatever they buz into his ears How the Emperors lost the power of Investiture c. we shall shew more at large when we come to treat of the Ecclesiastical Estate of the Empire In all Proclamations Patents Decrees c. the Titles of their present Emperor run as follows Leopold I. by the Grace of God Emperor Kayser of the Romans always Augustus Mehrer des Reichs c. King of Germany Hungary Bohemia Dalmatia Croatia Slavonia Bulgaria Bosnia Servia and Rescia Arch-Duke of Austria Duke of Burgundy Brabant Styria Carinthia Carniola Luxemburg Wittenberg together with the higher and lower Silesia Marquess of the Holy Empire Burgaw Moravia with the higher and farther Lusace Earl of Habsburg Tyrole Ferrete Kiburg Goritia c. Landtgrave of Alsace Lord of Windischamrck Portnaw and Salins For what more peculiarly relates to the Emperor as Arch-Duke of Austria we refer the Reader to the Description of that Country where he may also expect an account of the grandeur of the Emperors Court Retinue Servants c. Of the Election and Coronation of the GERMAN EMPERORS THE principal Members of the German Empire next to the Emperor himself are the Eight Electors viz. the Archbishops of Mentz Triers Colen who are also Arch-Chancellors of the Empire the first in Germany the second in France and the Kingdom of Arles and the third in Italy the King of Bohemia Cup-bearer to the Emperor the Duke of Bavaria Great Steward of the Empire the Duke of Saxony Grand Marshal or Constable the Marquess of Brandenburgh Great Chamberlain and lasty the Prince Palatine of the Rhine Cheif Treasurer of the Empire These Eight for so many they have been since the Westphalian Treaty tho heretofore only Seven have Right and Authority to Elect the Emperor and also to Depose him when by his enormous crimes or unmanly idleness he neglects the Honour of the Empire the public good and the duty of his place Thus they serv'd Wenceslaus tho advanc'd to the Imperial Throne at the request of his Father Charles the Fourth who had deserv'd far better things at their hands for composing the Aurea Bulla of which more hereaster The Archbishop of Mentz has several times taken upon him to remind such Emperors as have not suited with his humour of this grand power of the Electors and to threaten them with the execution of it if they should not alter their courses At what time the power of chusing the Emperors was first committed to those Princes who to this day bear the Title of Electors is not easily determin'd It is certain that Charles the Great transmitted the Imperial Dignity to his posterity by way of Succession And the same Right continued for some ages in his Family until some of his Successors falling far short of this incomparable Emperor were thought unfit to Govern Whereupon the Empire was offer'd to Otho Duke of Saxony and upon his refusal given to Conrad Duke of Franconia After his death Henry Duke Otho's Son was Elected Emperor by a general consent of all the Princes and Estates of the Empire and was succeeded afterwards by his Son Otho I. who obtain'd the Crown by the same means This way of Succession from Father to Son was observ'd till Henry IV. who coming to the Crown when he was a Child and managing it very ill when he was of years to have govern'd better was contemn'd and sleighted by the Lords of the Empire And Pope Gregory VII taking this opportunity of magnifying his own Authority in the German Empire excommunicated him and declaring him unfit to sway the Imperial Scepter order'd him to be deposed which was a thing before that time never heard of in the Empire Whereupon the Rebel Princes thinking themselves absolv'd from their Allegiance Elected Rudolph Duke of Schwaben into the Emperor Henry's place and made a Law That the Right of Succession should be therein abolished and the Power of chusing Emperors committed to the people What Anarchy and confusion follow'd upon this Decree the German Histories will sufficiently inform us But in process of time the less considerable part of the Rabble of Electors were depriv'd of their late gain'd right and priviledge of chusing Emperors the whole power being usurp'd by a few of the chief Officers in the Imperial Court From the year 1250 till 1500 it was the general opinion of all Historians that the Emperor Otho III. and Pope Gregory V. reduc'd the number of Electors to Seven only in this the Authors of those times cannot agree Whether the Emperor or Pope had the greater Authority in settling the Affair But this opinion has of later years been strongly oppos'd by most learned writers and 't is highly probable that more then Seven had voices in the Election of Emperors until the time of Frideric II. For Otho Frisingensis assures us that Henry II. was chosen by all the Lords of the Empire and after his death Conrad Duke of Franconia was advanced into his place by the consent of the same Electors Henry III. Conrad's Son was likewise Elected tho we are not told by whom The Abbot of Vrsperg tells us that Henry IV. was raised to the Imperial Dignity by the Bishops of Germany that Henry V. was chosen by an unanimous consent of all the members of the German Empire that Lotharius II. was made Emperor by two Archbishops eight Bishops with several Abbots and Lords of the Imperial Court that Conrad III. was admitted into the Throne the Duke of Saxony not being call'd to the Election and the See of Mentz being then vacant that Frideric Barbarossa was chosen by all the German Princes that Philip was Elected Emperor by the Suevians Bavarians and Saxons that Otho IV. had the Scepter from the Citizens of Colen Strasburg and some other Imperial Cities This Otho was afterwards excommunicated by the Pope of Rome and Frideric King of Sicily Elected into his room by the voices of the King of Bohemia the Dukes of Austria and Bohemia the Landtgrave of Thuringen and several other Princes of the Empire Hitherto we see the Emperors were not chosen by any set number of Electors tho it is likely that those Princes who have now got the sole power into their hands had even in those times the greatest share of authority in all Elections as being the most potent members of the Empire But when after the death of Frideric II. no man for many years took care of the supreme Government in this deplorable condition of the German Empire Seven of the chief Princes by taking upon them as is probable the management of all public affairs laid the first foundation of the Electoral dignity which was afterwards confirm'd to them by the Emperor Charles the Fourth's Aurea Bulla The reasons why the number of Electors was reduced to Seven was this because that if in any Election six of the voices chanc'd to be equally divided the seventh Elector might cast the ballance to that side where
he could rationally suppose there was the most merit And 't was prudently order'd that three of the Electors should be Churchmen that they having no prospect of being themselves Elected into the Imperial Throne might curb the ambition of any secular Elector who without desert should pretend to the Crown Amongst the many acts of absolute Soveraignty whereby the Emperor Ferdinand II. disobliged a great part of the States of the Empire the transferring the Electoral Dignity from Frideric V. Count Palatine of the Rhine to Maximilian Duke of Bavaria was the highliest resented And at the Westphalian Treaty the Ambassadors found it no small difficulty to reconcile the differences which hereby were occasion'd between the two Princes The Duke of Bavaria utterly refus'd to consent to the Peace except he might be suffer'd quietly to enjoy the Electorate which he fancied his deserts might justly challenge and the Emperor as lawfully confer on him On the other side the Prince Palatine as obstinately demanded a restitution of the Dignity taken from him alledging the just Title his Ancestors always had to this Honour Both their pretensions were thought plausible and both of them met with resolute Assertors in the Treaty At last it was agreed that the Duke of Bavaria should have an Electorship confirm'd to him and his posterity and an Eighth should be new Erected for Charles Ludowic Prince Palatine of the Rhine provided that if the Wilhelmine branch happen'd to fail before the Rodolphine the Princes Palatine should re-enter upon their ancient Electorate and the Title of the Dukes of Bavaria to any such Dignity be wholly abolished The Right of Electing is not conferr'd on the person of any of the Electors but annex'd to their Electoral Principalities and Estates insomuch that if the King of Bohemia can make out his Title to that Kingdom the Prince Palatine to the Palatinate the Duke of Saxony to his Dukedom and the Marquess of Brandenburgh to his Marquisate they may all justly lay claim to the Title and Dignity of Electors So that as long as there is any male issue in any of the Electoral Families the power of giving a voice in the Election of an Emperor cannot be taken away from that House The Electoral Dignity is so great that some have thought it equal to Regal Authority and in this indeed the Electors excel Kings in that they have power to create Emperors which no other Potentates in Christendom can pretend to The King of Bohemia except when in a Diet for the Election of an Emperor used to give place to several of them And there were hot disputes heretofore between the Elector of Brandenburgh and Rodolph II. King of Hungary about precedency But certainly there is little reason that any Elector excepting the King of Bohemia should pretend to stand upon equal terms with a Monarch The last Duke of Burgundy of the Blood Royal of France demanded and obtain'd precedence of all the Electors at the Council of Basil And 't is observable that so long as the Elector of Bohemia was only a Duke he had the lowest place in every Election but having once obtain'd the Title of King he took place of all his Collegues because it was not thought fit that a Royal person Crown'd and Anointed should give place to those that were but barely Electors The order of precedency which the Electoral Princes observe amongst themselves is as follows 1. The Archbishop of Mentz Arch-Chancellor of Germany takes place of all the rest As soon as the Imperial Throne is vacant 't is his Office to warn his Collegues to repair either in their own persons or by their Deputies within three months after the date of his Letters Patents to Francfurt upon the Mein in order to the Election of a new Emperor 2. The Archbishop of Triers Arch-Chancellor of the Kingdoms of France and Arles where by France we are not to understand all the Territories subject at this day to the French King but such only as were formerly parts of the Kingdom of Burgundy and came into the hands of the Germans in the Eleventh Century He has the first vote in the Election 3. The Archbishop of Colen Arch-Chancellor of Italy that is of the Kingdom of the Lombards and the small remains of the ancient Roman Empire He has the second vote and usually puts the first or German Crown upon the head of the new chosen Emperor 4. The King of Bohemia to whom the Sachsenspiegel or Body of the old Saxon Laws denies a vote in any Election tho the Aurea Bulla says expresly he has the third vote in the Diet. Whence it appears that the manner of Elections was alter'd in Charles the Fourth's time from what it was in the Thirteenth Century when the Sachsenspiegel was first published 5. The Count Palatine of the Rhine who has the fourth vote at Elections 'T is his peculiar prerogative to sit Judge at the Imperial Court when any Suit is commenc'd against the Emperor 6. The Duke of Saxony Arch-Marshal of the Empire He is Sword-bearer to the Emperor and has the fifth voice at an Election 7. The Marquess of Brandenburgh Lord Chamberlain of the Empire who in any solemn procession bears the Scepter before the Emperor and has the sixth vote at his Election Note This account is to be understood of the State of the Electors before the quarrel between the Prince Palatine and the Duke of Bavaria upon the Emperor Ferdinand's suspension of the former in the year 1623. Tho the case be now alter'd upon the Duke of Bavaria's Right confirm'd to him by the Westphalian Treaty before-mention'd yet since the Elector of Bavaria pretends to no other Title then what anciently belong'd to the Princes Palatine and the Dignity may possibly return again to that House these rules of precedency may still hold good Notwithstanding the account already given of the Order and Rank of the Electors the Duke of Saxony and Prince Palatine may seem to have the preeminence before any others For these two the former in all parts of the Empire govern'd by the Saxon Law the latter in Schwaben and all places where the Francic Laws are observ'd rule the Empire in time of an Interregnum Many late writers of the Roman Church have been zealous in attributing this Prerogative to the Pope whom they would have to be the Emperor's Vicar as well as Christ's But this assertion is contrary to the fundamental Laws of the German Empire and we cannot hear of any Record of Antiquity which will testifie for them that ever any such power was granted by the Emperor The said Electors have power during the vacancy of the Imperial Throne to determine all manner of Law-suits to gather the revenues and incomes of the Crown and in the name of the whole Empire to tender and require an Oath of Allegiance Only they may not dispose of the Lands of any Prince of the Empire or others of the Nobility that have their Lands confirm'd to
Teutonici or the Dutch Knights tho in all likelihood the Order had this name before it was brought into these parts consisting at its first institution chiefly of Germans Being call'd into Prussia say some by the Muscovite or as others sent thither by the Emperor Frideric II. they seated themselves at Marienberg about the year 1340 after a long engagement in a bloody war against the Natives under the thirteenth Great Master of their Order Sigefrid de Feuchtwangen In the year 1450 they were forc'd to submit to Casimir IV. King of Poland and at last the Order was surrender'd by Albert Marquise of Brandenburg the thirty-fifth and last Great Master of the Order to Sigismund King of Poland who thereupon created him Duke of Prussia Such of the Knights as disrelished this action of their Master Albert retir'd into Germany where they chose one Walter Croneberg Master of their Order Afterwards the Title was conferr'd upon Maximilian one of the younger Sons of the Emperor Maximilian II. But the Order never flourish'd but decay'd daily since the days of Albert before-mention'd and is at this day an obscure honour of little or no repute in the world The only Order of Knighthood at this day known in Germany or taken notice of for Knights of the Empire are the geschlagenen Rittern or dubb'd Knights on whom the Emperor confers that honour by touching them lightly upon the shoulder with a naked Sword and saying to each of them Esto Miles Dei Sancti Stephani The Title of Armiger Esquires or Esquire as we and the French use the word is wholly out of use in the Empire Yet in ancient Dutch Records we read of Skiltknaben and Wapeneren both which words have one and the same signification and are properly render'd Armigeri And these had their Title and Dignity conferr'd on them by delivery of a Sword only without girding it on with a blow on the cheek or ear which gave them the liberty of bearing a Sword or other Arms in attendance on a Knight or Ritter geschlagen but not of wearing it girded on as the Knight himself did For it was not lawful formerly for any subject whatever in the Empire to bear Arms excepting such as had the Emperors more especial licence so to do The Gentry in the Empire are express'd by the general name of Edel-lute Gentlemen which as our Gentleman is an universal name for all such as either from the blood of their Ancestors the favour of their Soveraign or their own virtue are raised to an eminency above the multitude Hence Edel-dom and Edel-heit are used to signifie Nobility and Veredelen and Edel-machen to Enoble Some singularly eminent Gentlemen in Francken Schwaben and Rhein-land who are free from Taxes and subject to no other Court but the Emperor's have the Title of die freye vom Adel or die freye Adeliche Reichs Ritterschaft i. e. the free Gentlemen or Ordo Equestris of the Empire Our English Saxons used the word Aedel in the same signification whence in Aelfric's Glossary Generositas is interpreted AEdelborynnesse Noble Birth and generosa is render'd by þ AEðele or a Noble Woman Indeed Aetheling Etheling or Adeling was commonly used by our Saxon Ancestors to denote the Kings eldest Son or Heir apparent to the Crown who afterwards got the Title of Prince of Wales Hence Edgar Etheling so often nam'd in our English Historians had his Surname which Robert of Glocester in his Poem upon King Harold a manuscript Copy of which may be seen in Sir John Cotton's Library explains thus The Gode tryewemen of the Lond wolde aabbe ymade King The kind Eir the young child Edgar Atheling Wo so were next King by kunde me cluped him Atheling Thervore me cluped him so vor by kunde he was King But if we search into the Etymology of the word we shall find that AEðeling is only a patronymic from the primitive AEðel and signifies no more then Nobilis ortu or Generosus i. e. one descended from him that was AEðel or a Nobleman Thus in King Aelfred's Saxon Version of Bede's Ecclesiastical History we read mid eallum AEðelingum his ðeode that is with all the Ethelings of his Nation instead of the Latin Cum cunctis Gentis suae Nobilibus Of the Present State of the German Church with a view of the Power and Dignity of the Archbishops Bishops Abbots and other Ecclesiastical Orders therein contain'd HOW much several of the Provinces and Principalities of the German Empire differ among themselves in points of Religion since the first beginning of the Reformation by Martin Luther we have shew'n before and it cannot be expected that where the Doctrines are so dissonant there should be an Uniformity in Church Discipline The intolerable greatness which the Roman Church had usurp'd in all parts of the Emperor's Dominions was the first thing which render'd it uneasie and therefore 't was no unexpected change when Luther's opinions had prevail'd with so many of the great Princes of the Empire to see Bishoprics converted into secular Principalities and a new form of Church-Government set up instead of Episcopal Dignity which had been so much abused The Archbishops and Bishops of the Roman Church Prelates of the Roman Church who to this day bear rule in such parts of Germany as have not embraced either Luther or Calvin's Doctrine have more power and exercise a greater authority in their several Bishoprics then any other Prelates in Christendom Most of them are great Princes and challenge as absolute a dominion over the Temporality of their Diocesses as any Secular Elector can pretend to over his own Lands and Inheritance Heretofore besides the three Ecclesiastical Electors there were five Archbishops and thirty Bishops that had Seats and Voices in the Assemblies and Diets of the Empire But their number has exceedingly decreased of late since the Archbishoprics of Magdeburg Bremen and Riga together with the Bishoprics of Halberstadt Minden and Werden have been chang'd into Secular Principalities those also of Besanson Verdun Mets and Toul cut off from the Empire and inseparably united to the Territories of Spain and France and lastly those of Valesia Losanna and Chur abolished by the Suisses Insomuch that at present in the Colledge of Princes of the Empire only the Archbishop of Saltzburg besides the Ecclesiastical Electors and about twenty Bishops have Votes By this secularizing three Archbishoprics and six Bishoprics the Protestant Princes some of them at least have lost the opportunities of providing for their younger Brethren in as plentiful a manner as they could have done before the Treaty of Munster For whilst the Archbishopric of Magdeburg was in the hands of the Elector of Saxony that of Bremen in the possession of the King of Denmark and the rest of the Spiritual Dignities which are now cut off from the Church were in the gift of other Princes of the Empire considerable maintenance was provided for many young Dukes and Counts who at this time can
the miseries were which their own dissentions brought upon them but also learn in what condition the Empire was after the Ratification of the said Westphalian Treaty First then it was agreed That the Imperialists should pay to the Crown of Sweden five millions of Gold to defray the charges of the War one third part whereof was afterwards laid out in paying off and disbanding some of the Swedish Forces another was given away in rewards to such Officers as had shew'n their gallantry in the Wars and the third was disposed of in liberalities by the Queen Besides this money the Empire quitted and annex'd to the Kingdom of Sweden all the hither Pomeren with the Island and Principality of Rugen the Cities of Stetin Garts Dam Holnau the Isle of Wollin the River Oder and the part of Frischehaff the Collation of all the Ecclesiastical Benefices which the Dukes of Pomeren challeng'd before the Treaty in the Bishopric of Camin with the Reversion of that Bishopric nay of the rest of Pomerania and the new Marquisate of Brandenburgh in case the Heirs male of that Family should happen to fail Add to these Wismar a strong Port-Town on the Baltic Sea the Fortress of Walfisch the Bailiwic of Poel and Neucloster and lastly the Archbishopric of Bremen and Bishopric of Werden both converted into Dukedoms together with the City and Bailiwic of Wilshausen So that by that Treaty the King of Sweden got the Titles of Duke of Bremen Werden and Pomeren Prince of Rugen and Lord of Wismar And in all these Lands and Territories had supreme power and authority to Erect Universities set Imposts upon all Commodities either exported or imported and the like paying only to the Emperor a small homage as is done by other great Princes of the Empire II. To the King of France and his Successors for ever were given by the same Treaty the Cities and Bishoprics of Metz Toul and Verdun with Moyenvic Pignerol Brisac the Landtgravedom of Alsatia the Bailiwic of Haguenau and the Fortress of Philipsburg By this bargain the French were great gainers and the Emperor lost not much The former besides the considerable enlargement of their Territories cut off all possibility of the Spaniards uniting his Italian Forces with those in the Low Countries which might easily be done as long as Alsace and Lorain were in the hands of the Arch-Dukes of Austria The later by giving up his right in Alsace made the Kingdom of Bohemia hereditary to his House and therefore catcht as much with one hand as he lost on the other What the acquisitions or losses of particular Princes were we shall take occasion to shew in the Descriptions of the several Principalities which they now possess We see into what condition the Emperor of Germany was brought by engaging himself in a Civil war with the Princes of his Empire Present Estate how much of his Dominions were snatcht away by the Swedes on the one hand and the French on the other This was the posture of the German affairs till the late wars with France and Sweden alter'd the scene for the French enlarg'd their conquests in the German Territories and the Swedes lost a great part of the Dominions which the Westphalian Treaty had made them Masters of and more they had parted with if the overgrown power and authority of the French King had not forc'd the Elector of Brandenburgh to resign a great many places which he had bravely won How matters will at last be adjusted between France and the Empire is hard to determine since the French King lays claim daily to some new Rights or Priviledges in the Emperor's Dominions However Strasburg is still reckon'd the Imperial Bulwark against the French fury as it has always been esteem'd notwithstanding the pretensions of their King to several Rights of this City And as the Empire seems secured from any sudden incursion of the French by Strasburgh so it is from all invasions of the Turk by Vienna of the Polander by Vvratislaw of the Dane by Hamburgh and Lubeck and of the Hollanders by Colln So that there is no great fear of being injur'd by a foreign enemy if all the German Princes would unanimously join hands in defending the strong Holds and securing the bounds of that Empire whereof they pretend to be Members But as long as each petty Prince is only solicitous about the enlargement of his own small Demesne and the strongest permitted to annex as much of their neighbour's Territories to their own as they can lay their hands on the German Empire is in great danger of being destroy'd by its own Members The Electors indeed and all the other great Princes of the Empire pay some small Homage and Acknowledgment to the Emperor but all the while exercise as absolute a Monarchical Dominion in their several Principalities as the Emperor himself does in Austria or Bohemia So that Germany is not really a Nation subject to one supreme Head and Governor but a combination of several little Commonwealths and Kingdoms whose general inteterest consists in maintaining an inviolable confefederacy amongst themselves and an unanimous desire to secure rather then enlarge their Dominions In a word The Foreign Interests of the Empire to speak in the language of the incomparable Sir William Temple are the defence of the Eastern parts against the Turk and the preservation of the Western Circles against the growth of France the Domestic are the limited Constitution of the Imperial power and the balance of the several free Princes and States of the Empire Of the HANS-Towns BEfore we come to a particular Description of Hamburgh and other great Cities on the Northern and Western parts of the Empire 't will be convenient to premise something of the Hans-Towns in general that the Reader may the better understand what we mean by that word when he shall meet with it in the following sheets By Hans-Towns then the German writers understand a certain number of great Cities all along the Sea-shore from the Finnic Bay down as far as the mouth of the Rhine which several ages ago enter'd into a solemn confederacy for the advancement of Trade and the better security of their Territories against the incursions of any foreign Enemy In what year this League was made When foâ—â— Confederate is not certainly known and Chytreus who was as diligent and curious in enquiring after these kind of Antiquities as any Historian of the German Nation tells us that very few of the old Records he had met with in any of the Hans-Towns could give him the least hint of the year when they were admitted into that number However he guesses the Society was first instituted a little before the reign of the Emperor Ferdinand II. about the year 1200. And the noble Historian Thuanus embraces his opinion in this as well as most other particulars of the German History which he meddles with John Angelius Werdenhagen an impertinent Author who has scribled four
for some time inhabited that part of it which bordereth on the Euxin Sea at last they pass'd thro the Hercynian woods into Germany and gave the name of Sacasena afterwards turn'd into Saxonia to the Country that here by their Conquests they had made themselves Masters of Strabo indeed says and we may believe him that the Sacae did leave their ancient Scythian Seats and Mr. Cambden observes well that Ptolomy places his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 near that part of Scythia whence these men are said to have sallied out But that they ever pass'd the Hercynean woods is one of Goropius's Forgeries and a story not to be met with in Strabo or any other Author of credit I wonder most that Mr. Cambden who was so great a Master of our old English-Saxon tongue should not discern the absurdity of this etymology For in that language saex in the singular number signifies a Saxon as well as Sachs to this day in the High Dutch dialect and seax seaxna and seaxena as also the modern Dutch words Sachsen and Sassen are plurals Now if seax and seaxen be only broken remnants of sacson and sacsones we should in all probability meet with the entire words in some of our ancient Saxon Monuments which could never yet be produced by the best of Antiquaries Wherefore to omit other impertinences of this kind the most probable opinion is that the Saxons had their name from a short kind of weapon call'd in their language Seax different from what any other Germans wore and peculiar only to their own Nation In confirmation of this conjecture some of our English Historians give us a relation of a treacherous parly betwixt Hengist the first Saxon that landed in Britain and King Vortigern It was agreed that both parties should meet on Salisbury-Plain unarm'd but the Saxons intending nothing but treachery carried privately under their Coats short Daggers which upon the watch-word nem eowr Seaxes or take your Seaxes they immediately drew out these weapons and slew no less then three hundred of the British Nobility The like story and as equally true some of the German writers relate of a treacherous massacre committed by the ancient Saxons in Thuringen Pontanus urges the reasonableness of this Etymology more home when he tells us that Saxony in its ancient Arms bears two Seaxes or Hangers cross-ways which says he is an undoubted proof of their first denomination And 't is said that Erkenwyn King of the East Saxons gave for his Arms three short Daggers Argent in a Field Gules A Sythe is still call'd Saisen in the Netherlands and Scher-Sax in the High Dutch signifies as much as ein messer damit man scheret a Razor Wormius tells us that Sags or Saks in the Runic Dialect signifies a Sword or Dagger whose Hilt and Blade were almost of equal length Nor is it at all extraordinary for people to take their names from the several sorts of weapons used by them in battel Thus most learned men agree that the Scythians had their name from the Teutonic word Scytan to shoot because they were excellent Bow-men The Picards are thought to have been first called by that name from Pikes a sort of weapon they best understood We may therefore venture to conclude with the Latin Rythm of the Learned Engelhus Quippe brevis gladius apud illos Saxa vocatur Inde sibi Saxo nomen traxisse putatur From the account which is given us of this people by Zosimus Marcellinus Diaconus Manned and other ancient writers we may learn that they were men of a vast bulk of body and proportionable strength the most renown'd Warriors in Germany and the most terrible enemies which the Romans ever encounter'd Mr. Cambden says they were such notorious Pyrats and most of them so accustom'd to live at Sea that they were afraid to appear on dry land Which agrees with the relation which Isidorus gives of them Gens Saxonum says he Myoparonibus non viribus nituntur fugae potius quam bello parati Hence it was that all along the coasts of Britain and France as far as the borders of Spain the Romans maintain'd continual standing Regiments under the command of several Generals who from their Commission and Office which was to secure the Inhabitants from the sudden and frequent incursions of the Saxon Pyrats were stiled Comites litoris Saxonici per Britanniam Galliam Sidonius in one of his Epistles gives this character of a Saxon Pyrat That he is an enemy formidable beyond comparison one whom frequent Shipwracks recreate rather then terrifie as being not only acquainted but grown familiar with the perils of the Ocean c. Their whole Nation was govern'd by Twelve of the chief Nobles in the Land Government who were Elected to that Dignity by the Commonalty In time of war they chuse a King out of these Twelve chief Commanders who executed Regal authority over the rest as long as the war lasted but as soon as peace was concluded was degraded into his former quality This custom continued amongst them until the conclusion of their wars with the Emperor Charles the Great at which time Wittikind a Nobleman of Angria in Westphalia and one of their Twelve Rulers had the name and authority of a King conferr'd on him But when he was afterwards conquer'd and converted to Christianity by that Emperor this fading Title was turn'd into the more durable one of Duke and his Eleven Companions were advanc'd to the Honourable Titles and Dignities of Earls and Lords from whom the greatest Princes at this day in the German Empire derive their pedigrees Some have imagined that from this Duodecemviral Government of the ancient Saxons our modern way of Judicature by the Verdict of Twelve Jury-men had its first original Whether this opinion be wholly allowable I shall not stand to dispute having said something of this matter in the Description of Island But 't is certain that under the Reigns of some of our English-Saxon Kings this way of proceeding was practis'd in the decision of most Causes both Civil and Criminal For proof hereof I shall only quote an old Law made in King Ethelred's time wherein cap. 3. de Pignore ablato 't is enacted that tÆ¿elf lahmen scylon rehte taecean Ç·ealan and AEnglan syx England syx Ç·ylisce þlien calles þaes hy agon gif hi Æ¿oh taecen oþþe geladian hi ê§ hi bet ne cuþon i. e. All controversies betwixt the English and Welch should be determin'd by Twelve men skill'd in the Law six of each Nation who if they pass'd sentence contrary to the Law should forfeit their whole Estates except they should excuse themselves by acknowledging their error and bewailing their want of judgment in the case proposed Which penalty is near akin to the attainder to which our modern Juries are liable when they bring in a false and corrupt Verdict Tho we have spoken before of the Heathenish Gods worshipped in all parts of Germany Irmenseul and amongst the
that great Conqueror From his Loins after several generations descended Billiengus a potent King of the Vandals whose Mother say some was Charles the Great 's Sister He was the first that after his own conversion brought in the profession of Christianity into Mecklenburg tho afterwards at the instigation of his Son Micislaus both himself and all his Subjects turn'd Apostates The next famous Prince of Mecklenburg was Gottschalck surnam'd the Godly who would often himself take the pains to preach Christianity to his Subjects by whom he was at last for his Religion murder'd in the year 1066. From him descended amongst many others Henry II. who dying in the year 1228 left behind him two Sons Nicolot and John From the former of these sprang all the succeeding Princes of the Vandals until William the last Prince of that Line who died in the year 1430. From the later surnam'd Knese Janko or John the Divine because he had taken a Doctor of Divinity 's degree in the University at Paris are descended the present Dukes of Mecklenburg This John left behind him Henry who was six and twenty years kept prisoner by the Turks Father to Henry surnam'd the Lion whose two Sons Albert and John Dukes of Mecklenburg were by the Emperor Charles IV. created Princes of the Empire in the year 1349. Which is not to be understood tho I find this construction put upon it by several of the modern German Historians as if these two Princes before Charles's creation had been only ordinary Lords or Barons of Mecklenburg and by the Emperor advanc'd to the dignity of Princes or Dukes For from him they receiv'd no more than an admission into the number of the Estates of the Empire under whose protection they were brougth by making themselves members thereof upon condition they should be subject to its Laws and contribute to its necessities Albert's eldest Son Albert II. was chosen King of Sweden and not long after taken prisoner by Margaret Queen of Denmark by whom after several years imprisonment he was at last releas'd upon the payment of a vast ransom So that the management of the Dukedom of Mecklenburg was committed to his Brother Magnus a Prince that if we believe Chytraeus who in his first Book of the Saxon Chronicle has given him a noble character was nomine re Magnus endow'd with all the excellent qualities that are requisite to make a brave Prince His Son John who succeeded his Father in the Dukedom founded the University at Rostock in the year 1419. This Duke's Successors Henry the Fat and Magnus II. Founder of the Cathedral Church at Rostock upon the death of William the last Prince of the Vandals made themselves Masters of the whole Land of Mecklenburg After the death of this Magnus and his Son Albert II. the Dukedom came to his Grandchild John Albert in the year 1547 who first brought in the Lutheran Confession into his Dominions by demolishing Popish Abbeys and converting their Revenues to the use of the University at Rostock His Son John III. who died in the year 1592 left two Sons the eldest was Adolph Frideric who married Ann-Mary Countess of East Frisland by whom amongst other children he had Christian-Ludowic the present Duke of Mecklenburg-Swerin His youngest Son was Gustavus Adolphus who seated himself at Gustrow In the late Civil Wars in Germany the whole Land of Mecklenburg was overrun by the Imperial Army and the Dukedom conferr'd upon their ambitious and at last unfortunate General Albrecht Duke of Friedland However within a little while after the two Dukes Adolph Frideric and John Albrecht were reinstated in their Dominions by Gustavus Adolphus the victorious King of Sweden their Kinsman For a character of the present Dukes of Mecklenburg the Reader may have recourse to the following descriptions of Swerin and Gustrow the places of their residence The strength of these Princes would be considerable enough Militâ—â—â— strength sufficient to secure their own Territories and keep their neighbours in awe if firmly united Their equal pretensions to the sole government of the City and University at Rostock did formerly occasion some animosities between the two Houses but this quarrel has for some years last past been quite laid aside and now a difference in Religion the Duke of Swerin being a Romanist and he of Gustrow a Lutheran is the greatest cause of their mutual fears and jealousies Heretofore they thought it their chief interest to adhere to the Swedes and secure themselves under the wings of the potent Kings of that Nations but when after the many conquests of the brave Gustavus Adolphus the power of those Princes grew so formidable as to threaten an universal slavery to their neighbours round about them rather then the defence of any of their Liberties the Dukes of Mecklenburg thought it high time to relinquish that party and join with the Dane and Branburger in opposing their common enemy the King of Sweden They saw Wismar rent out of their hands without any probability of being ever recover'd and they had reason to fear that a great part of the adjoining Country would follow it if their ruin were not timely prevented by the strength of their new Allies The whole Land of Mecklenburg so much I mean as is now subject to the two Dukes which bear that Title is usually divided into these six parts Territries The Dukedomes of Mecklenburg strictly so call'd and Vandalia the Earldom of Swerin the Baronies of Rostock and Stargard and the Bishopric of Butzow In the Dukedom of Mecklenburg are reckon'd the Cities of Wismar to which is the neighbouring Island Poel Tempsin Gades Rhena and Bucow In the Dukedom of Vandalia Gustrow Sterneberg Malchin Stavenhagen Ivenack Neu-Calven Warin Pentzlin Rebell Wredenhagen Malchau Tetrou Goltberg Parchum Plage Lupsian Grabou Domitz Neu-Statt Eldenau and Gorlosen In the Barony of Rostock the City of Rostock Ribnitz Gnoien Tessin Laga Schwan Salines and Morlou In the Barony of Stargard Brandeburg Stargard Furstenburg Strelitz Mirow Fredland and Wesenberg And lastly in the Bishopric of Butzow the City of Butzow and the Peninsula of Swerin The most considerable Cities in the Dukedom of MECKLENBURG I. LUBEC Lubec This City is indeed situate in Wagerland and for that reason we have already given the Reader some short account of it in the Description of Denmark but because it is of it self an Imperial City wholly independant upon the Crown of Denmark and immediately subject to the Emperor of Germany we have reserv'd a more particular survey of it for this place And it cannot so properly be referr'd to any particular Province of the Empire as the Dukedom of Mecklenburg For altho the Citizens of Lubec do not pay any manner of tribute or homage to the Princes of Mecklenburg yet it may perhaps as justly be reckon'd part of that Dukedom as Bremen which never yet acknowledg'd any subjection to the Kings of Sweden may be esteem'd part of that Principality which now bears
hardly recover'd any of its ancient riches and grandeur and is now moulder'd into a Sea-Port Town of less note if possible then Wollin Cities and great Towns of Note in the Lower POMEREN FIrst 〈◊〉 STRALSUND When this City now the largest and wealthiest in Pomeren was first built is not certainly known The most credible Historians tell us it owes its first original to Sunno II. King of the Franks who laid the first foundation of this Town in the year 145 or 146 calling it from his own name Sunnonia which was afterwards corrupted into Sunda and by the addition of Strala an Island situate no man knows where turn'd at last into Stralsund But I had rather believe it had the name Sund as 't is still sometimes call'd from the narrow Sea upon which it stands since this as well as the Baltic Straits betwixt Helsingore and Helsingborg would be properly nam'd in the Danish or Gottish tongue de Sund. The other part of its modern name seems afterwards added von den Stralen oder flussen from the interchangable portions of Sea and Land in this place The first undoubted truth we find related of this City is that after some great spoiling or utter destruction it was magnificently rebuilt enlarged and peopled with Germans by Jaromar Prince of Rugen about the year 1209. By this Prince's Son its fortifications were first begun in the year 1230 and the City removed a little out of the place where its first foundations had been laid by his Father For before Jaromar had quite encompass'd his new built Town with a slender Wall which he fancied would have been sufficient to have defended it against the incursions of the Danes on the one hand and the Pomeranians on the other the Dukes of Pomeren broke in upon him and overpowering his small Garrison burnt up the greatest part of the intended City So that the Stralsunders have good reason to reckon the Age of their City no farther then from the year 1230 as they intimate from the following distich engraven in several places of the Town in Golden Letters Annis Ducentis ter denis mille retentis Fit Stralsundensis Civitas cui nomen ab undis Since that time it has had almost as many fair priviledges and immunities conferr'd upon it as any City in the Empire of its age As 1. The Magistrates of the Town have power to determine all controversies as well in Criminal as Civil causes within their own Courts from whence lies no appeal to any superior Judge or Prince whatever 2. They have power to coin money and raise forces either for Sea or Land 3. In case of an engagement of the whole German Empire with some foreign Nation in a Sea-Fight the Stralsunders are not obliged to venture any further abroad then is convenient for the defence of their own City 4. They have had power to make Leagues and Confederacies for the advancement of their own trade and to chuse their own Patrons and Protectors out of all the Princes of the Empire At this day the City is in a flourishing and splendid condition the Houses generally stone and very uniform This last year 1680 some part of the Town was burnt down by an unhappy accident but the plentiful purses of the inhabitants will be able quickly to repair the damages of that fire The Sea betwixt this Town and the Isle of Rugen is about an English mile in breadth down to which from the Walls there are six great Gates and as many Bridges leading thither To these Bridges the Merchantships of 150 or 200 Tun which ride in the Harbour are fasten'd Towards the Land it is fortified with regular Bulwarks and Fish-ponds of twice a Musket's shot in bredth over which there are four Dams and Bridges leading from the four Land-Gates of the Town The chief Commodity of the Town is Corn which the Merchants transport in great quantities into the Low-Countries Scotland Norway and many other parts of Europe In some of the Northern Nations the Stralsund beer is reckoned a choise Commodity and for that reason many tun of that Liquor is here yearly ship'd off Stralsund has always so bravely maintain'd its priviledges and Liberties that it would be a voluminous History to give an account of the many several Proofs its Inhabitants have given of their valour in this kind Historians will acquaint us that at once it withstood the United Forces of two Kings of Denmark and Sweden and ten Princes against the assaults of all which it bravely defended it self and in the engagement took Eric Duke of Saxony Prisoner After this exploit the City began to be as terrible as before it had been impregnable and none of the Neighbouring Princes durst offer either violence or any affront to the Citizens of Stralsund In the Civil Wars of Germany Count Walstein trusting to Fortune that had always favour'd his former enterprises lay close siege to the Town but after a furious onset and a long but vain expectance of success was at last forced shamefully to retire Within a while after the Stralsunders put themselves under the protection of Gustavus Adolphus the triumphant King of Sweden who though at first designed only for a titular Patron prov'd in the end their real Lord and Master However the present Elector of Brandenburg is the only Prince that can justly brag of having fairly conquered the City of Stralsund which after he had taken Stetin and the greatest part of the upper Pomeren was by him besieged and taken in the year 1678 though afterwards as he stood obliged by the Fifth Article of the Treaty of peace signed by the Ministers of the Kings of France and Sweden and the said Elector at St. Germain's en Laye the 29th of July in the year 1679 he resign'd it back into the hands of the Swedish King II. Bardt BARTH or BARDT This Town not many ages agoe was the Metropolis of the upper Pomeren and gave name to all that part of the Countrey wherein are now situate Stralsund Grimmen Tribsees with many other Cities and great Towns of good note Some fancy it derived its name from the Longobardi whom they make the undoubtedly antient Inhabitants of these parts and in confirmation of this their conjecture produce the old Arms of the Town wherein it bears a mans head with a long beard But the more probable opinion is That 't is so called from the River Barte or Bartze on the mouth of which it is seated The Fields about this City are exceeding fruitful and abound with all manner of grain whence were the Haven here as deep and fit to harbour Ships of a considerable burthen as that at Stralsund Bardt would be capable of being as much advanced by Merchandise as any of its Neighbouring Cities But that small Arm of the Sea upon which this City stands is so shallow that neither Merchantmen nor almost any other Vessels save only such as serve to convey Passengers from hence into Denmark or Sweden
to the Court who were easily won over to the Elector's opinions they could not but observe a continual advancement of Calvinism and as constant decay of the Lutheran party Whereupon they resolved the foremention'd Decree for the establishment of the Augsburg confession should be renew'd and confirm'd if possible beyond all fear of a future violation In pursuance of this resolution they procur'd the said Decree to be inserted as the seventh Article into the Westphalian Treaty which they look'd upon as an eternal and immutable Law to the whole German Empire Yet notwithstanding these assurances the present Elector of Brandenburg a zealous assertor of his Fathers Tenents has in many parts of his Dominions especially his two Universities of Francfurt upon the Oder and Koningsberg discouraged the Lutherans and countenanc'd Calvinism The hot-spur Professors at Wittemberg Abraham Calovius and his Brethren first provok'd him with daily Curses and Anathema's vented against Calvin and his followers to publish an Edict commanding all his Subjects to withdraw their Sons from that University within the space of three months after the publishing of the said Edict Upon the death of his first Marchioness Louis-Henrietta Daughter to the Prince of Orange and a zealous Calvinist the Brandenburgers had some hopes their Elector would have been brought over to their party or at least upon his second marriage with Dorothy Daughter to Philip Duke of Holstein and Relict of Christian-Lewis Duke of Brunswic and Lunenburg as resolute an assertor of Luther's Doctrine as the former of Calvin's have a little abated his rigorous persecution But hitherto their hopes have been blasted without the Elector's care to redress their grievances any further then to wink at the ordinary exercise of the Lutheran Religion And indeed 't is almost impossible for him to be truly reconciled as long as Strauchius at present a noted Preacher in Dantzic not long since committed to the Goal for railery with some other hot-headed Lutheran Pulpiters take upon them to represent not only Calvinists in general but the Elector himself as one of the Devil 's chief instruments for perverting the true Christian Religion Mutavit Dominos Marchia saepe suos Goverment is a saying we often meet with in the Historians that treat of this Marquisate But the first time that we hear of any Marquise of Brandenburg is after the year 927. For Henry I. Emperor of Germany having overcome this part of the Country bestow'd it on Sigefride Earl of Rengelheim on condition that he should defend these Marches or outmost limits of the Empire against the Sclaves thereupon giving him the Title of Marckgraf or Marquise From this time we may reckon up three several Catalogues or Classes of the Marquises of Brandenburg beginning first with such as were not Hereditary Marquises but had that Title confer'd on them by the Emperor and enjoy'd it during his pleasure These were 1. Sigefride Earl of Rengelheim who was as we have said created the first Marquis of Brandenburg by the Emperor Henry the first in the year 927. Besides his exploits in several expeditions against the Slavonians he might justly lay claim to some more then ordinary preferment as being Brother to the Empress After his death 2. Gero Count of Altenburg and Mersburg was made Marquis by Otho the first He built the Monastery of Gerenrood which still retains his name Having govern'd a few years he left the Marquisate to 3. Bruno or Brumito Earl of Within and Burgraf of Zorbeck created Marquise by the same Emperor And by the permission of Otho the third his Son 4. Hugh succeeded who having been the Founder of Seven stately Monasteries in Italy died in the year 1001 and was succeeded by his Brother 5. Sigebart whom Otho the third made the first Marquise Elector His Son 6. Theodoric proved a great persecutor of the Heneti two of whose Princes he perswaded the Emperor Henry II. to hang up and all other Tribes of the neighbouring Slaves and Vandals But was at last overpower'd by them and being beaten out of all his Territories by Mistivoius Prince of the Obotriti was forced to end his days miserably in a Monastery at Magdeburg 7. Vdo Earl of Soltwedel within some years after encouraged with the assistance of the Emperor Conrad II. and the Archbishop of Magdeburg gave battel to the Slaves and having forc'd them out of their new Conquests was himself made Marquise of Brandenburg 8. Vdo II. succeeded his Father But joining afterwards wards with Rodolph Duke of Schwaben in a Rebellion against the Emperor Henry IV. he was by the same Emperor proscribed and his Marquisate given to 9. Primislaus King of the Obotriti and Ancestor to the Dukes of Mecklenburg After whose death the Marquisate was made Hereditary by the Emperor Frideric Barbarossa who conferr'd it upon Albert surnam'd Vrsus Prince of Anhalt and Marquise of Soltwedel From whom we may reckon the second Catalogue of Marquises in the order following 1. Albert created Elector and Duke of Saxony Brunswic c. in the place of Henry surnam'd the Lion 2. Otho Albert's Son succeeded by his Son 3. Otho II. who died without issue in the Holy War leaving the Marquisate to his Brother 4. Albert II. He died in the year 1221 and left his Dominions to his Son 5. John a great Benefactor to Francfurt upon the Oder His Son 6. Otho III. built Brandenburg in Prussia and liv'd all his reign which lasted about fifteen years in a continual warfare with the Archbishop of Magdeburg and Bishop of Halberstadt This man's Brother 7. John II. has left nothing memorable recorded of him save that he kept possession for some years of the Dukedom of Crossen which was pawn'd to him by Henry Duke of Vratislaw John the First 's third Son 8. Conrad obtain'd the Marquisate after the death of his two eldest Brothers and died very old and decrepit in the year 1303. His Son 9. John III. did not long outlive his Father but dying in the year 1305 left the Marquisate to his Brother 10. Waldemar who annex'd a good part of Lusatia which he won from the Marquise of Misnia to the Marquisate of Brandenburg His Nephew 11. Waldemar II. died within four years of his Uncle in the year 1323 having acted nothing worth the relating And yet shorter was the Government of his Brother 12. John IV. the last Marquise of the House of Anhalt After whose death which hapned within forty days after he was advanc'd to the Government the Marquisate escheating to the Empire for want of Heirs was given to 13. Lewis of Bavaria by his Father Lewis the Emperor He resigned to his Brother 14. Lewis II. surnamed the Roman because born at Rome who was succeeded by the Emperor's third Son 15. Otho Count Palatine of the Rhine He afterwards sold the Marquisate to the Emperor Charles IV. who gave it to his Son 16. Winceslaus But he had not enjoy'd it quite five years before he was upon his Father's
death Elected Emperor Whereupon he conferr'd the Marquisate of Brandenburg upon his Brother 17. Sigismund King of Hungary and Bohemia who succeeding his Brother in the Empire sold the Marquisate to Jodocus Duke of Moravia but afterwards having redeem'd it out of the hand of William Marquise of Misnia to whom Jodicus had mortgaged it conferr'd it upon Frideric Burggraf of Noremberg at the Council of Constance in the year 1417. From which time we may begin to reckon up the third and last Catalogue of the Marquises of Brandenburg as follows 1. Frideric Burggraf of Noremberg was in consideration of his good services done against the Rebels in Hungary and Bohemia created as before said Marquise of Brandenburg paying only for his Investiture 400000 Crowns His Son 2. Frideric II. succeeded his Father Surnamed for his peevish and cruel temper the Marquise with the Iron teeth He was made Duke of Pomeren by the Emperor Frideric III. but his Brother 3. Albert relinquished all but the bare Title in Pomeren leaving nothing to his Successors but the name which they have hitherto kept of Dukes of Pomeren However he is said to have been so remarkable at some acts of Chivalry that the usual Titles conferr'd on him by Pope Pius II. were Achilles Germanicus and Vlisses Teutonicus He died at Francfurt at the Election of the Emperor Maximilian in the year 1494. His Son 4. John is reported to have been a Prince as eloquent as his Father was valiant and therefore he is commonly stiled Cicero Germanicus He left the Marquisate in the year 1499 to his Son 5. Joachim As great a Lover as his Father was a Master of Eloquence Founder of the University at Francfurt and first authorizer of the Reform'd Religion in Brandenburg 6. Joachim II. succeeded his Father and in the year 1534 got himself and his followers no small credit in a brave Expedition against the Turks at that time the common Enemy of the German Empire His Son and Successor 7. John George govern'd a long time in peace and prosperity During his life his Son 8. Joachim Frideric was Administrator of the Archbishopric of Magdeburg and after his Father's death govern'd the Marquisate of Brandenburg with the same peaceable meekness and piety He had the usual blessing of good and religious men the happiness to be a Father of many Children whereof the eldest 9. John Sigismund succeeded him He married Ann Daughter of Albert-Frideric Duke of Prussia and Mary Eleanor his Wife Daughter of William I. Duke of Cleve who married his Daughter to the said Duke as he did all the rest to other Princes with promise that upon the decease of her Brethren without issue she and her Heirs should succeed to all his Territories Upon this Title the present Elector of Brandenburg lays claim to the Dukedoms of Cleve Juliers and Bergen or the Mountains with the County of Ravensburg 10. George-William Son to John Sigismund and the Lady Ann beforemention'd claim'd in his Mother's right the Dukedoms aforesaid together with the Barony of Ravenstein All which were parted betwixt him and his Cousin-German Wolfgangus Palatine of Newburg and Son of Magdalen younger Sister to Mary-Eleanor But falling out at last about the division of their Territories they engaged their Friends and Allies in the broil the Palatine having call'd in to his assistance the Forces of Spain and the Elector John Sigismund in behalf of his Son the Confederate States of the Netherlands After the death of Bugislaus Duke of Pomeren 't was hoped he might succeed into that Dukedom also but how the Swede balk'd those expectations in the Treaty of Munster we have already inform'd the Reader This Marquise's Son 11. Frideric William is at present Elector of Brandenburg a Prince wise valiant religious temperate chast and in a word master of all the noble virtues without the least mixture of vices of his Countryand Family He was born in the year 1620 and upon his Father's death declared Elector in the year 1656. He has several Children by both his Wives before mention'd whereof the eldest Son or Electoral Prince Charles Emile was born the sixth of February in the year 1655. Tho the Elector of Saxony was formerly look'd upon as a much more potent Prince then the Marquise of Brandenburg Strength and for that reason has always taken place of him at the Elections of the Emperors yet certainly the case is much alter'd at present and the many accessions to the Elector of Brandenburg's Dominions whereof the present Marquise and his predecessors have made themselves Masters in these last ages have render'd him the most powerful and formidable Prince next to the Austrian Family in the German Empire Besides the Marquisate of Brandenburg he challenges the Dukedoms of Magdeburg Preussen Juliers Cleves Bergen Stetin Pomeren Casubia Vandalia Silesia Crossen and Jagerndorff Again he writes himself Duke of Rugen Prince of Halberstadt and Minden Earl of the Marck and Ravensberg and lastly Baron of Ravenstein The Marquise of Brandenburg's chief interest seems to consist in a firm adherence to the King of Denmark Interest who possibly is the only Prince can secure him from the encroachments of his neighbour the Swede Next to the Swedes he is most jealous of the Dukes of Saxony as having observed them more favoured by the House of Austria in the controversie about the Dukedoms of Juliers and Cleves then himself This obliged him to compose the differences betwixt himself and the Duke of Newburg upon easier terms then otherwise he would have been willing to have done The King of Poland is another terrible neighbour on the coasts of Prussia and therefore the Elector not daring to repose too great a confidence in a Prince who pretends a right to the Ducal as well as Regal Prussia is obliged to keep a constant and strong Army upon those coasts In the year 1657 this question was moved Whether the Elector of Brandenburg might lawfully be deprived of all the Territories which he held in Prussia as Dependances on the Crown of Poland upon his having enter'd into a League with the King of Sweden at that time declared Enemy to Poland The Polish Lawyers urged in the affirmative that the Elector was the King of Poland's Vassal and therefore forfeited his Lands by entering into a Confederacy with his Master's Enemies But certainly when we consider in what a miserable condition poor King Casimir was and how unable to defend either himself or his Subjects and again how probable 't was that in this conjuncture the Swedish Army would have swallow'd up the whole Dukedom of Prussia as it had already the greatest part of the Kingdom of Poland without being obliged to quit the field by such a Treaty the Poles had greater reason to thank the Elector for preserving by this expedient some part of their King's Dominions from the common destruction then to condemn him for wisely shunning the ruin which King Casimir had brought upon this Kingdom There are
Hludovicus Rex missis quibusdam fidelibus suis sine bello compressit acceptisque obsidibus nonnullis muneribus non paucis eos sub pristinum redegit servitium I have been the more punctual in alledging these Authorities because I find the Polish writers obstinately deny that the Silesians had in these days any other Lords then the Princes of Poland Only Vincentius Kadlubko in the second Book of his Polish Chronicle seems to allow of the foremention'd German Relations when he says that Boleslaus I. annex'd Seleucia Prussia Russia Moravia and Bohemia to the Territories of his predecessors which intimates thus much that formerly Seleucia or Silesia was under the dominion of some other Prince In the year 1042 the Emperor Henry III. gave a grant of Silesia to Bretislaus Duke of Bohemia who resign'd it up to the Polanders on condition they should for ever pay out of it a yearly tribute to the Princes of Bohemia Afterterwards Henry IV. at a Diet held at Mentz A. D. 1086 gave power to Vrati-slaus King of Bohemia to invade Silesia Lusatia and the whole Kingdom of Poland and to subject them to his own Government as is testified by Cosmas Pragensis who was himself present at the Diet. This Cromer cannot deny but only in the height of his passion asserts that neither the Emperor Henry nor King Vratislaus had ever any thing to do with a foot of Land in any of these Territories This Assignment of Silesia occasion'd wars betwixt the Bohemians and Polanders the later whereof we have reason to believe were Conquerors since we read that the Silesians remain'd still subject to Boleslaus III. King of Poland This King's Son Vladislaus II. being banish'd by his Brothers whom his Father had left Coheirs with him of the Kingdom out of Poland fled to the Emperor Conrad III. whose Successor Frideric I. forced King Boleslaus IV. to resign all Silesia to this exil'd Brother and his Heirs for ever Vladislaus left behind him three Sons Boleslaus Mieczislaus and Conrad who were joint-Dukes of Silesia but paid some small homage and acknowledgment to the Kings of Poland The flocking in of the Germans into Silesia with Vladislaus and his Sons and their setling themselves in this Dukedom bred a great deal of bad blood betwixt this Nation and the Polanders Insomuch that the Kings of Poland would seldom call any of the Dukes of Silesia to the General Assemblies or the Princes and Nobility of that Kingdom nor were they ever admitted to succeed to the Crown tho before the Kingdom came to be Elective they had often the justest Title to it John King of Bohemia and Son to the Emperor Henry VII was a zealous promoter of these dissentions managing them so well to his own advantage that at last he became Lord of Silesia by an agreement made with Casimir the Great King of Poland However by this Treaty the whole Dukedom was not made over to him for Bernhard Duke of Sweidnitz still acknowledg'd the Supremacy of the Polish Kings as Stanislaus Lubienski proves out of several ancient Records of that Nation Afterwards Casimir the Great recover'd by force of Arms the Town and Territories of Wschovia contrary says Curaeus to the Articles of the Treaty sign'd by him and the foremention'd John King of Bohemia and by vertue of this Conquest or rather outrage committed by the said Casimir's Soldiers in the year 1343 the Kings of Poland have kept actual possession of Wschovia to this day In the reign of Casimir Jagellonides IV. John Duke of Oswiecieme ventur'd upon an affront given him to invade Poland and to lay waste several Towns and Villages in that Kingdom The Polanders to make themselves satisfaction for this injury march'd into this Duke's Territories and laid in ashes the whole Country before them until Duke John was forc'd to compound the business upon condition that he should for a certain sum of money resign to the King of Poland his whole Right and Title to the Town and Fort of Oswieciem By which means that City was cut off from the King of Bohemia's Dominions in the year 1454. About the same time the Dukes of Ratibor and Sessine made over the Dukedom of Sever to the Bishop of Cracow whose Successors are Lords of it to this day Some other small Tracts of Land in the Dukedom of Silesia do still belong to certain Abbies and other Religious Houses in the Kingdom of Poland but all the most noted Provinces except the Dukedom of Crossen of which in its place are reckon'd Dependances on the Crown of Bohemia upon which score the Emperor of Germany stiles himself Duke of Silesia This Great Dukedom is commonly divided into the Upper and Lower Silesia Diviâ—â— in the former whereof are contain'd the Cities and Territories of Jagerndorf Troppau Teschen Ratibor and Oppelen and in the later the Towns and Dukedoms of Grotkau and Neisse Brieg Bresslau Oelss Munsterberg Schweidnitz Javer Lignitz Glogau Sagan and Crossen Another division of it is into the Polish and German Silesia whereof the first contains all the Tract of Land beyond the Northern banks of the Oder and the later that on the Southern All along the Coasts of Bohemia there are vastly high Mountains which separate that Kingdom from the Dukedom of Bohemia Soil the most remarkable of which are the Montes Sudetes or Risen-bergen whereof the Reader may expect a larger account in the description of Bohemia Within the limits of Silesia the four chief Mountains are 1. Zottenberg or Zobtenberg call'd by Latin Authors Mons Zotensis Zabothus and sometimes Silensis or Silentius 'T is usually by the neighbourhood being about two German miles distant from Schweidnitz call'd the Silesian Wethercock for by the top of this Mountain they pretend to guess what weather they are to expect the next morning On the top are still to be seen the ruins of an old Castle storm'd and demolish'd by the Citizens of Breslaw in the year 1471 because it had been for several years the Harbour and Refuge of a great company of Robbers who here kept their Rendezvous and daily infested the Vicenage Out of this hill the Silesians dig a delicate dark-green Marble 2. Gratsberg or Grodisberg in the Dukedom of Lignitz on the top whereof Duke Frideric the first built a fair Castle which is since turn'd into a Watch-Tower 3. Spitsberg another Beacon-hill not far from the former 4. Georgenberg in the Dukedom of Schweidnitz famous for the Strigische Erde or Terra Sigillata which is a sort of hard Earth with several white yellow and red strokes or veins in it 'T was first discover'd by an excellent Chymist John Montanus Physitian at Strigaw and by him made use of as an antidote against all manner of poison and a soveraign medicine for a great many diseases which he cured with a great deal of facility The secret he kept for some years to himself but at last for the benefit of his Country and all mankind publish'd a
Carolus II. D. G. Mag Brit Fran Hiber Rex ct R. White Sculpsit THE ENGLISH ATLAS Volume I. CONTAINING A DESCRIPTION OF THE Places next the North-Pole AS ALSO OF Muscovy Poland Sweden Denmark And their several Dependances WITH A General Introduction to Geography and a Large Index containing the Longitudes and Latitudes of all the particular Places thereby directing the Reader to find them readily in the several Maps OXFORD Printed at the THEATER for MOSES PITT at the Angel in St. Pauls-Church-Yard London MDCLXXX TO THE KING THE Reasons why I presume to prefix Your Majesty's Name to this Work tho perhaps not sufficient to justifie my boldness yet I hope may be so considerable as to obtain my pardon This seems in many respects to be a new Undertaking and the greatest for Charge and Hazard that hath ever in this nature been adventur'd upon by any of Your Subjects and therefore stands in need of more then ordinary Patronage and Encouragement which I cannot rationally hope from any other For Your Majesty doth not only understand and delight in these Knowledges but have been also at great Expences to promote direct and assist further Discoveries And except care be taken to preserve what is already found out all the Advantage that should arise from the Dangers of the Seaman and the Bounty of the Prince will determine with the Expedition and the next Age is to begin again as if no advance had bin acquir'd I add also That if other Princes had bin as industrious as Your Majesty and Your Subjects who to omit smaller particulars first Discover'd the greatest part of all the Northern Regions of Europe Asia and America and first Compass'd the World this Atlas would have bin more satisfactory and the Science better completed The reproch also of the sloth negligence or what worse of Mankind that in so many thousand years know not as yet the few Leagues of their own habitation would have bin avoided However as there is in this Work care taken to reduce into one body all that is hitherto known of the habitable Earth and secure it from Oblivion So I hope it may perpetuate the memory of Your Majesty's Patronage and testifie the Duty of Your Majesty's most Obedient and Loyal Subject MOSES PITT THE PROPOSALS FOR Printing the English Atlas THAT whereas Moses Pitt of London Bookseller being Encouraged by His Most Sacred Majesty his Royal Highness the Duke of York his Higness Prince Rupert both the Universities the Royal Society and divers others the Nobility Gentry and Learned men of this Nation to undertake the Printing of an Accurate Description of the World and resolving to proceed with all convenient diligence for the more effectual carrying on thereof makes these following Offers I. He the said Moses Pitt having the advantage of making use of divers Plates already Grav'd but more especially of those of Janssons Atlas doth design by renewing and regulating divers of them and by adding many new Plates together with new Descriptions throughout to Print a compleat Collection of Maps Tables or Delineations of the Heavens Earth and Seas with their several parts divisions and names ancient and modern in such manner that all the Maps shall have the same situation of North and South and all things shall be as exactly and particularly describ'd as can be done by the help of all the Maps and Delineations already extant in Print and of as many others as can be procured of several things and places formerly but imperfectly described as also of divers late and new discoveries of parts heretofore unknown or not taken notice of as yet in any Maps II. To every Map shall be adjoined an explanation of the most observable matters and histories of the places therein contained wherein is intended that this Work shall exceed all that have preceded as also an Alphabetical Index to be added at the end of each Volume with directions for the speedy finding them in their respective Maps III. He will Print the whole Work in as good Paper and Character as any of those already Printed by Bleau Jansson Sanson or any other IV. Whereas the Atlas's of Bleau and Jansson are usually comprehended in Eleven Volumes in Folio in all the Languages hitherto It is intended that this Atlas in the English Tongue shall be printed in Eleven Volumes likewise each Volume to be sold to the Subscribers at the rate of Forty shillings in Quires But if those Gentlemen that are concerned in the management of it shall think fit to contrive it in fewer Volumes it shall still be at the rate of Forty shillings a Volume and each Volume both in number of Maps and Descriptions shall not consist of less then fifty-five sheet Maps and fifty-five printed sheets of Tables and Descriptions one with the other according to the judgment of the Directors V. He doth also promise to deliver to the Subscribers the several Volumes as they shall be compleated and finished they paying their Forty shillings at the time of their subscribing which is to be before the four and twentieth day of July 1678 Forty shillings more at the delivery of the First Volume Forty shillings at the delivery of the Second Volume and the same sum to be paid upon delivery of each of the other Volumes successively only the two last to be deliver'd at twenty shillings a Volume for which several sums aforesaid the said Moses Pitt will give his Receipt under his own Hand and Seal with two Witnesses thereunto with an engagement to deliver to the Subscribers or their Assigns at his Shop in St. Pauls Church-yard they making good their Subscriptions the several Volumes as they shall be printed according to the plain meaning of these Proposals VI. No Volume shall be sold singly to any Gentleman whatever except the Subscribers by the Bookseller Moses Pitt under Five and fifty shillings in Quires neither shall any Volume be deliver'd to any person whatsoever before all the Subscribers have theirs provided they send for them within one month after notice given in the Gazette of the finishing of every Volume VII The first Volume begins with the North-Pole and the places and Countries next unto it before which is to be added an Introduction to Geography such as shall be advised by the persons after-named together with a Map of the Terrestrial Globe and Maps of the greater Divisions or Parts of the Earth This Volume is intended to be compleated before the four and twentieth day of the next ensuing March. The next Volume designed is that which contains the Low Countries and West part of Germany where hath lately been and still is the scene of the greatest actions now on foot intended to be compleated within six months after the said four and twentieth day of March The said time proportionably allow'd for the compleating of all the rest unless it be judged necessary by the Directors that a longer time be allow'd for some of the Volumes VIII Whosoever
Suedes At the Treaty 1616 of Stolbow the Grand Tzar quitted the title of this Country to the King of Sweden Vodska or Votska thirty leagues North of Novogorod Vodska upon its left hand is the strong Castle of Ivanogorod surrender'd to the Swedes by the same Treaty as well as the Towns Jamagrod and Augdow and the Castles Coporia Noteburg and Kexholm They say that all the beasts that are brought into this Province turn white The inhabitants have a language proper to themselves Woskopitin is by some Authors placed between Kexholm and Noteburg Woskopitin a large and fruitful Province both for Corn and Cattle but so pester'd with Lakes and Marshes that it is very little frequented and the name scarce known Bieleiezioro Bieleiozioro situated upon a Lake of the same name and signification i.e. the White Lake which Lake is thirteen Leagues long and as many broad and furnishes only one River call'd Sosna which falls into the Wolga In this Lake is a Castle both for natural and artisicial strength accounted impregnable whither in times of danger the Princes have sent their treasure and themselves also retired The whole Province is full of Woods and Lakes that except when they are hard frozen it is not easily passable Near this Lake is another small Lake that produceth Sulphur I rather suppose Naphtha or Petroleum swimming like froth or oyl upon the water This is said to be first possessed by Sinaus Varegus whose brother Truvor setled in Pskouvia and Runiz in Novogardia These three are by the Russes look'd upon as the Founders of their Nation Vologda is the only City in all the Grand Tzars dominions that is fortified with a stone-wall Vologda and for its strength the Emperor is wont in times of danger to secure here part of his treasure It is as the rest of those Westerly and Northerly Provinces much encumbred with Woods and Marshes many of which are except in Winter utterly unpassable It is situated upon the River Waga which falls into the Dwina and it together with all the Provinces mention'd since Dwina belonged to the Dutchy of Novogorod Novogorod call'd Weliki or the Great Novogorod to distinguish it from others of that name The Dutch call it Nieugarten in 58 deg 23 min. situated upon the River Volgda not Volga or Volchou famous for its Bremes a little below the Lake Ilmin Whilst it was governed by its own Prince it was in so great power fame and wealth by reason of the vast commerce of several Nations there established that it was proverbially spoken Who can do any thing against God and Great Novogorod The reason of this trading was the convenience of the River which being navigable from the very Spring and the Country abounding in Wheat Flax Hemp Honey Wax and Leather which is better dressed here than in any other place invited hither so many Merchants from all the Northern Countries and those upon the Baltick Sea that it was the greatest City of all the North for trade and wealth The first diminution of it was from Vitold Duke of Lithvania who 1427 obliged the City to compound for their peace at a great rate But Ivan Vasili Grotsdin 1477 forced them to receive a Governour from him but that not satisfying of him he went thither in person pretending I know not what devotion and by the help of the Bishop being admitted into the City with his Army he pillag'd it carrying away three hundred Carts loaden with Jewels Gold and Silver besides many more filled with rich stuffs and sumptuous moveables all which he sent to Moscow and transported many of the inhabitants into other places and sent Muscovites to inhabit in their steads But their greatest calamity was from Ivan Vasilowich in 1569 who upon a suspition of their endeavouring to revolt came hither with his army slew drowned and trampled to death a vast number of people presently after this follow'd a great plague which brought so great a famine that they eat one another the Tzar on this occasion pretending to punish their inhumanity cut to pieces the greatest part of the remaining inhabitants His barbarous cruelties here acted are not sitting to be repeated It was in 1611 taken by the Swedes by storm but at the great Treaty between the two Crowns of Russia and Sweden it was agreed to be redeliver'd to the Russes and in their hands it hath continued ever since On the other side the water is a strong Castle built of stone join'd to the City by a large Bridge wherein lives the Weywod or Governor and the Metropolitan by which two all the affairs Ecclesiastical Civil and Military in all that Province are governed The Town is encompass'd with a Rampart of timber and earth and hath a Castle in the midst reasonably well fortified There are about an hundred Monasteries whereof that of St. Antony is the chiefest Churches and Chappels which have their Steeples and Towers cover'd with Copper gilded the Cathedral Church is that of St. Sophia In the territory belonging to this City Brunitza Sedrowa and Stara-Russa are Brunitza Sedrowa and Stara-Russa which the Baron of Herberstein calls Russ and saith it gave name to all the Russes Near that Town is a salt River which the inhabitants have formed into a Lake and with Conduits draw the salt-water to their houses where they boil the Salt with which and other commodities they drive a great trade into Polotskow a Province of Poland The Russes say that near to Novogorod was the famous battel of Whips mention'd by Justin l. 2. and many other Authors wherewith the Masters returning victorious after some years wars conquer'd their Slaves who in the long time of their absence had seized upon their estates and wives which is the reason why the Novogorod-money had formerly on one side an Horse-man shaking his whip Bielski is a Province between Novogorod and Smolensko Bielski having its principal City and Castle called Biela Bielha or Bielow situated on the River Osca This had heretofore a Prince of its own subject to the descendents of Jagellan Duke of Litvania till Basilius Prince of Bielski fell off to the Grand Tzar and agreed to pay him tribute it now augments the number of his Titles As doth also that of Rischow Rischow which hath also a Castle and City of that name it had also formerly a Prince of its own but now is a member of the Russ-Empire The Country is full of Forrests and Lakes particularly here is that great Forrest of Wolchonisky wherein arise the Volga the Dnieper the Dwina and the Lowat all great Rivers Near to this are Woloizk famous for its white Hares and the Princes frequent hunting there Wyelikyeluki a large City with a good Castle And Toropyecz a large Town also and a Castle all which came to the Crown of Russia by surrender of their proper Lords T wer is near to the foresaid 〈…〉 North-West from Moskow The capital Town
always ready to defend themselves for they fight not willingly if the enemy should charge them To prevent their mischief the inhabitants have always either their own dwellings fortified or have a Town or the Landlords Mannor-house or a thick wood to which they retire in such hazards The Cossacks where they live fill their grounds full of trenches and hedges to hinder their march They also keep very diligent watches both beyond and upon the river that they may have timely notice of their invasion Then if they cannot overtake them they repair to the known passages of which there are not many thro the Nieper and there as well as they can ambush themselves to surprize them at their return as they do many times and recover much of the prey After they are return'd into a safe place of their own deserts they put themselves in order and divide the prey And first consideration is had of them who have lost their horses in the service as also of the kinred of them who are slain next the Cham after him the Officers take their share the rest is divided amongst the soldiers The richest of their prey are the persons they take and of all them the most esteem'd are the Polish women especially virgins who are sold at very great rates even into Persia and India to be put into their Seraglio's But the Tartars of Budziack have another maneer of stealing The Tartars of Budziack They are less civil but more valiant then other Tartars The country betwixt Danubius and Boristhenes was sometimes under the Crim-Tartar till the Turk planted Towns upon the convenient places of the Sea-coast and along the rivers Yet is the country still possessed by Tartars yet not subjects either to the Turk or Crim but as the Cossacks amongst the Christians a Nation of theeves and banditi libertines that in their lives acknowledg no superior either God or man These many times invade their neighbours in summer but with lesser numbers twenty thousand at most lest they should be discovered because the Cosacks are continually upon the guard even in these places they march to their rendezvous which they appoint in some valley or obscure places upon the confines in very small parties lest they should be descried by treading down the grass They observe the the same manner in the enemies country appointing certain places for their meetings and separating again presently So that it is very difficult to meet with a track but if the Cosacks do happen upon such a one as will lead them to the place of rendezvous yet except they surprize them eating or sleeping which is very difficult because they keep such diligent sentinels they know not afterwards which track to follow to overtake them again The Tartars first divide into four bodies which march east west north and south After they have gone a little way each troop subdivides again into three and after that each troop into three again so that at length they have not above ten or twelve together and tho some take further compass then others yet all know the time and place of meeting which according to the occasion is after three four or more days If they chance to be rencountred with the enemy except they have very great advantage they fight him not but divide after their manner and run away full-speed yet shooting still if pursued nor are the horses of Poland or any other able to overtake them After they have thus dispersed for some leagues they join again and follow their design All Authors take notice also of a great advantage they have over other Nations that they can see better and farther insomuch that a Tartar will discern a single Russ further then a Russ can a troop of Tartars which they attribute partly to their natural constitutions that they have little hollow eyes partly to their custom that they use continually to half-close their eye-lids When they would swim a river each gets him a bundle of reeds sedges bulrushes or the like about three foot long upon which they tye three or four sticks across and two or three long-ways upon these they make fast their saddle clothes arms and such baggage as they have the bundle they make fast to their horses tail so that from a convenient low bank they go into the river holding in one hand the bridle of their horse with the other swimming themselves Sometimes the Cosacks seek them in their own country and then they march always in their Tabor that is in the middle of their chariots and send out sentinels on every side at a good distance If they first espy the Tartars they leave their Tabor and fall upon them and commonly have the advantage but if the Tartars first see the Cosacks they assault them in their Tabor but at a distance with their arrows which tho they reach further then the Cosacks guns yet is their Tabor so good a defence that fifty Cosacks will not fly from five hundred Tartars Typus Generalis UKRAINAE sive PALATINATUUM PODOLIAE KIOVIENSIS et Braczlaviensis terras nova declinatione exhibens Vrbs Antiquâ—m Christianâ—m Oppidum Turcae Pagus Ruinae Fons Fl … ia Signum quo Fl … ia decurrit Pagi Tartarum Homaijbiorum G. Mons Mâ—lendiâ—â—â— â— Transitus OF THE BORISTHENES AND THE Cosacks of Ukrain WE have spoken before in general of the Boristhenes as far as it continues in the Grand Tzars dominions wherein is nothing observable but what Cities and Towns are upon it which appear sufficiently by the Map But now we come to speak of the remainder which is betwixt the dominions of Poland and the Tartars which affordeth us greater variety of matter We have also treated in general of the Cosacks and of those who live upon the Tanais and are under the Muscovite but we now come to the great body of them who first assumed that name and inhabit upon or near the Boristhenes and are or were lately under the Polanders We begin with Kiow the place of the original of these valiant people the Cosacks Kiow Kisovia of Kijovia was an ancient beautiful and strong City even before it was the Metropolis of the Russes Mieceslaus their Duke having married the daughter of the Prince of the Polowtzi and assisting them was himself slain in the battel and the Town afterwards quite ruin'd which was the reason why Volodomir deeply engaged in that war but escaping made Volodomir the seat of the Russ-Empire Kiow was situated upon an hill near the Nieper where still remain the ruines of many Arcades high walls Churches and Sepultures of divers Kings ancienter then those of the Russ-Princes with Greek inscriptions There remain in reasonable good condition two Churches S. Sophia whose walls are lined with excellent Mosaick work and the vault is earthen pots cemented and filled with good plaister And S. Michael most conspicuous for its guilded roof Betwixt this and the Nieper is New Kiow along the bank of the river
The Town is governed by a Court of Schipins or Aldermen who themselves are subject to a Burgo-master chosen yearly as a Mayor in our Cities out of them who during his government has the title of General of Great Poland conferred on him The Bishop and Clergy are in the Province of the Archbishop of Gnesna Seven miles from this city you have Gnesna called by the Dutch Gnisen formerly the Metropolis of Poland Gnesna built by Lechus the first Duke of Poland by whom it had its name given from the Polish word Gniasao which signifies a nest because in this place Lechus found an Eagles nest Whence to this day the Princes of Poland bear a spread Eagle for their Arms. This is the seat of the chief Metropolitan Archbishop in the whole Kingdome of whose state and grandeur we have given you a relation before In the Cathedrall is kept an inestimable treasure of Gold Silver and curious enamel'd vessels left by several Princes of Poland and Archbishops of this See which was much encreased by the legacies of Henry Firley late Archbishop who besides many vessels and vestments of great worth gave them his own mitre valued at 24000 Polish guilders which being reduced to our English money will amount to about 2300 pounds sterling The gates leading into the Cathedral are of Corinthian brass and rarely wrought These at first were taken out of the Monastery of Corsuna in the Tauric Chersonese whence they were removed to Kiow and from thence brought hither by Boleslaus the second In the year 1613 this city was miserably laid wast by fire and does yet daily loose something of its antient glory The rest of the Towns of Posnania are meanly built and without any considerable fortifications Their buildings excepting onely the Churches Monasteries and other religious houses are most commonly of wood The County of Calissia has its name from the chief City in it Calissia by the Polanders called Kalisk seated on Przoen and fortifyed with a strong brick wall Stanislaus Karncow Archbishop of Gnesna founded here a stately Colledge of Jesuits and endowed it with a considerable revenue The countrey round this City is generally like the rest of the greater Poland pleasant fruitfull and very well cultivated and inhabited every where abounding with great Towns and villages Among which Borek and Goluchow are the most considerable the former for a famous picture of the Virgin Mary resorted to with a great opinion of devotion by most of the zealous Romanists in these parts the latter for an extraordinary peice of modern Architecture in the Palace of the Counts of Lesno The City of Sirad Sirad which gives name to the Palatinate of Siradia is seated on the south of Calissia upon the river Warta 'T is fortifyed with a strong brick wall Most of the houses are of wood and very mean and low This City and the territories about it made formerly a Dukedome usually given to the second son of the Polish King Seven German Petricow or twenty nine English miles from Sirad lyes Petricow a neat and well built City where sits yearly the Parliament of Poland Vielun Vielun or Wielun is somewhat differing in beauty from the rest of the Cities of these parts most of its houses being brick Rava is as populous a City as Vielun Rava but short of it in the splendor of its buildings which are commonly wood except the castle which is brick In this is reposited a fourth part of the revenues of the Crown and all captives if persons of any considerable quality are here kept prisoners Instances whereof we have in the natural son of Charles King of Sweden who with other officers of the Swedish army was taken prisoner in the Lifland wars and Baldise General of Gustaphus Adolphus's forces who with Streffe Taiste and other Colonels was taken in the wars of Prussia Five German Lowicz or twenty English miles from Rava lies Lowicz the residence of the Archbishop of Gnesna 'T is a place much more populous then Rava and yearly in the Fair-time throng'd with great numbers of merchants who flock thither from all quarters The Archbishop's Palace is seated in a low and marshy ground nevertheless its fabrick is magnificent and well becoming the state of so great a Prince Lancicia or Lanschet giving denomination to a Palatinate of the same name Lancicia is situate in a low and fenny ground encompassed with a ditch and brick wall Not far from the City is a Monastery which might easily if as well provided for by art as nature be made impregnable There is besides little in the City worth taking notice of except the great fairs kept once a year and the sessions of the Deputies of this Palatinate which are here holden Cujavia is bounded on the East with Masovia and the Palatinate of Rava Cujavia on the south with the Palatinates of Lanschet and Calissia on the north with Prussia It contains in it two Baronies Breste which lies to the east and south and Juniuladislavia This Countrey is rich in corn and cattel and well stored with Fish In the Palatinate of Bresty lies the City of Vladislaw Bresty the seat of the Bishop of Cujavia and Pomeren The Cathedral here is a pitiful old-fashioned peice of building but well furnished with plate and rich ornaments and reliques within The houses are generally of brick Matthias Golanciew who was forty two years Bishop of this See beautifyed this City very much by building that stately Palace which is seen at this day in Vladislaw instead of an old ruinous castle and founding the Church of St. Vital the Martyr The next considerable place is Bresty built of brick and wood interlayd The other Towns of note are Nisaw a wall'd Town Rasienski guarded with a fair Castle Radschow seated on the lake Goplo and Kowale upon the Vistula Cruswick belongs properly to the Palatinate of Bresty though situated upon the confines of Inouladislavia Cruswick In the suburbs of this City stands a Church dedicated to St. Peter built of square stone with a Colledge of twenty four Canons In the adjoyning Island stands a Brick Castle built by Popielus the elder who chose this place to live in rather then Cracow or Gnesna whither he had once removed his Court as being of too timorous a nature to trust himself in the confines of the Russians or Hungarians Here as the Polonian Chronicles report Papielus son of Papielus the elder was devoured by mice heaven by this punishment revenging the blood of several of his relations whom his greedy ambition of swaying the scepter had prompted him to poyson at a banquet Cromer advances the story by telling us That his father in his ordinary revels used to wish himself and his children this kind of death and That the mice were miraculously generated out of the carcases of his poyson'd kindred PRUSSIA ACCURATE INSCRIPTA a Gasparo Henneberg Erlichensi Nobiliss o tam prosapia
and many other superstitions they seem to have borrowed from the Romans who came into this country under the conduct of Palaemon Hence they used to burn their dead expecting saith Cajalowicz part I. Hist Lithv lib. 5. p. 140. a resurrection out of the ashes at the coming of a strange God to judge the whole earth from the top of one of their mountains From these Idolatrous practises they were first converted to Christianity by Vladislaus Jagello their Great Duke who A. D. 1386 upon his marriage with Hedvig Queen of Poland turned Christian and was baptized at Cracow by John Bishop of that See He is said to have been a very pious and zealous Prince and exceeding diligent in bringing over the whole Dukedom of Lithvania to the Christian religion At the first he met with no small opposition but when the King had cut down their tall trees the Temples of their Heathenish Gods and no mischief befell him the people begun to think their Idols would never take this affront if able to revenge themselves and therefore they were resolved to listen to their Princes advice Whereupon the King immediately built a Cathedral and founded a Bishoprick at Vilna and the Queen furnished seven parish Churches in the neighbourhood with Chalices vestments and all other necessaries for divine service The Russians at that time as most of them are still were members of the Greek Church so that the King thought good to forbid marriage with a Russ that would not conform to the Church of Rome At this day many Lithvanians are of the Greek Church tho more of the Roman In Vilna and several other great Towns vast numbers of the Inhabitants are Lutherans The whole Dukedom is divided into ten Palatinates the Metropolis and chief of which is Vilna The next is the Palatinate of Troki 3. Minsko 4. Novogrod 5. Breste 6. Volhinia 7. Kiow 8. Miecislaw 9. Vitebsk 10. Poloxko Vilna called by the Inhabitants Vilensski by the Germans die Wilde has its name from the river upon which 't is seated The houses are generally low and mean all of wood excepting only in some streets where Merchants of other nations that resort hither for trade have built themselves more then ordinary gentile ones of stone Most of the Churches are of stone some of wood The suburbs are not built here as at other Cities in Europe but round the walls in a confused and disorderly manner every man placing his house which is nothing else but a wooden booth where he pleases The citizens are exceeding poor and idle slaves to their Nobles and their belly They are taken notice of for great lovers of onions and garlick which kind of diet help'd by their smoaky houses blinds half of them before they arrive at any considerable age Their excessive intemperance in drinking breeds continual quarrels among them If a stranger be kill'd in any such broil the murderer pays only sixteen dollars as a mulct If a Lithvanian be slain and the murderer fly 't is usual to preserve the dead corps embalmed till they can apprehend the fugitive whom they cannot condemn without shewing him the carcase of him he slew There is not one public hospital in the whole City though it stands in more need of such a provision then any place in Europe if we might judge by the swarms of beggars every street affords The only peice of neat building is the Monastery of Bernardine Monks all of hewn stone The Moscovian company of Merchants have also a considerably handsome structure built for a repository of Furrs Ermines and other rich merchandise brought from Mosco The great Dukes Palace has nothing of note in it but the armory which is admirably furnished with all sorts of arms and armour considering that Lithvania it self affords no mines of brass or iron About two English miles from Vilna the great Duke has another Palace called from its situation Wersupa that is near the water built by Sigismund King of Poland all of wood and beautifyed with a Park and pleasant orchards and gardens The rest of the Cities of Lithvania have little in them observable save that they give titles to Palatines and Dukes What numbers there are of these last may be easily guess'd by what is reported of Vitoldus once Great Duke That he had no less then fifty Dukes at once in his army Samogitia THis country has its name from its situation which is low and wet Samogitz in the language of the inhabitants signifying a marshy ground Whence the Moscovite calls it Samotzkasemla It is bounded on the North with Liefland on the East and South with the great Dukedom of Lithvania on the West with the Baltic sea and some parts of Prussia A great part of the country is continually overflown with rivers and Lakes unpassable but in a frost The rest of it is full of woods which afford good store of hony purer and better then any in Lithvania or Liefland The inhabitants differ little from the Lithvanians either in manners habit or language They are sottishly ignorant grosly superstitious and easy to be imposed upon They use no plough in tilling their ground but dig it up with spades or sticks as it is usual in some parts of Moscovy When one of their governours having observed how far his countrymen were outdone in their husbandry by other nations endeavoured to teach them the art of plowing it chanced that for two years after their crop was not so rich as formerly it had been whereupon the people attributing the miscarriage to the new device grew so enraged that the governour was glad to decry the experiment for fear of an insurrection When Vladislaus Jagello had converted the greatest part of Lithvania he endeavoured to bring the Samogitians to the Christian faith In pursuance of this resolution he goes himself into this country and burning up their hallowed groves and destroying the serpents and other creatures they worshipped with threats and promises made them vow to abandon their former Idolatry and worship the true God And for fear that when his back was turn'd they might relapse into their former heathenism he founded a Bishoprick at Mzdniki endowing it with a revenue sufficient for the maintenance of a Bishop and twelve Prebends who were to officiate at so many parish Churches in and about the City Howbeit the good King was not so successful in his undertaking nor his successours so vigilant in the prosecution of his designs but that to this day many poor ignorant Idolaters may be found in the desart parts of this country These like the Lithvanians spoken of before worship a four footed serpent about three hands long called in their tongue Givosit Without one of these houshold gods you shall scarce find a family If any mischief befalls them they think 't is because the little deity has not been well attended Another piece of heathenish superstition is still retain'd by the Rusticks in the following manner About the latter end of
still pay homage to the Princes of Poland From that time the Polanders begun to sleight and hate the Silesians seldom calling any of the Silesian Nobility to Councils of Parliament and balking the right succession if any of this Province had a just title to the Crown These jealousies and quarrels were fomented and increased by John King of Bohemia son to the Emperor Henry the seventh who by this means whedled the Dukes of Silesia into his yoke and afterwards forced Casimir the Great to resign the supreme government of that Province into his hands After this the Poles though they had frequent skirmishes with the Bohemians yet never regain'd any considerable footing in Silesia For excepting the small territory of Wschovia retaken by Casimir the Great A.D. 1343 and some other parcels of ground annexed to the estates of several Bishopricks and Abbeys in Poland Silesia is at present wholly subject to the King of Bohemia Lusatia was once conquer'd by Boleslaus Chrobri but soon after lost again Lusâ—â—â—â— For though when John King of Bohemia subdued Silesia Lusatia was reckoned a part of that Country and has ever since so continued yet the Polanders claim'd no more of it as Lords of Silesia then a few frontier Towns the rest was under the Marquesses of Misnia and Lusatia Princes of the Empire as Goldastus proves 'T is without all authority of Annals what some of the Polish writers have endeavoured to make out by Etymologies Neâ— Maâ—â—â— that the greatest part of the Marquisate of Brandenburgh was formerly subject to the Princes of Poland That New Marck indeed or at least a good share of it was theirs is beyond all controversy since as the best Historians witness Miecislaus or Miscio the first Christian Duke of Poland towards the latter end of the tenth Century first founded the Bishoprick of Lubuss This City was taken from the Polanders by the Emperour Henry the second but recovered by Boleslaus the first King of Poland His successours kept it till the year 1109 when it was again taken by the Emperour Henry V who gave it to Adelgot Archbishop of Magdeburg But soon after it return'd into the hands of the Poles When Silesia was as we have said divided among the sons of Vladislaus the second the territories of Lubuss devolved into the hands of the Silesian Dukes whence it happened within a short while after to be made a part of the Marquisate of Brandenburgh Cromer says 't was mortgaged by Boleslaus the bald and never redeemed But Dlugossus ad ann 1198. tells us 't was sold by Boleslaus son to Henry Duke of Vratislavia From that time the Kings of Poland have had very little to do in New Marck and at present have not one foot of land in it Vladislaus Jagello brought it wholly under his power but his son found it too hot service for him to keep it and was therefore fain to resign it up to the Marquess John Casimir their late King parted with the last stake by delivering up the Town and Castle of Drahim to the present Elector of Brandenburgh in the treaty at Bydgost in the year 1657. That the Slavonians were antient inhabitants of Pomeren is undeniably true Pom … Pomorska in the Slavonian language signifies near the sea whence Vincentius Kadlubko an antient and judicious Polish writer uses frequently the word Maritima for Pomeren and speaking of this Country these phrases are ordinary with him Maritimae Praeses Maritimae Dux Ingressus est Maritimam c. But whether or no the Polanders were masters of Pomeren immediately upon the entrance of the Slavoniaus is a grand question which the Poles affirm but the Pomeranians deny and 't is hard to decide the controversy between them Helmoldus agreeing as it should seem with the latter places Pomeren amongst the free Slavonian Provinces lying without the bounds of the Polish dominions And before his days Adam Bremensis gives us the same account Micraelius an Historian of good credit lib. 2. Chron. Pomer num 46. p. 191. is of opinion that the first entrance which the Polanders made upon Pomeren was in the tenth Century when the Emperor Otto III. authorized Boleslaus Chrobri King of Poland to make war upon and bring into his subjection the Prussians Pomeranians Wendi and Russians Which done the Emperor at a visit given King Boleslaus made the Bishop of Colberg a Suffragan to the Archbishop of Gnesna In the beginning of the eleventh Century Miecislaus II. spread his dominions all over Casubia and the Eastern Pomeren putting Garrisons into all the Forts and Castles between the Persandt and the Vistula and committed the government of them to Bela the King of Hungary's brother But upon Bela's return into Hungary Pomeren shook off the Polish yoke and only was subject to Dukes of its own till Svantibor surrendred it again to Boleslaus III. Duke of Poland upon condition he would free him from prison to which his own subjects had committed him After Svantibors death the Dukedom of Pomeren was divided amongst his four sons whereof two who were Dukes of the Western Pomeren from Colberg as far as the Marck and the Dukedom of Mecklenburgh were admitted Princes of the Empire by Frederick Barbarossa the other two were forced to yeild themselves subjects to the Crown of Poland But the Pomeranians soon weary of bondage revolted once more from the King of Poland and perhaps had for ever rejected his government had not Mestwin their Duke wanting issue endeavour'd to subject them to the Dukes of West Pomeren For looking upon the people of that Country as meer strangers being indeed three parts of them Germans they chose rather to give themselves up into the hands of their acquaintance then to be slaves to an upstart and foreign Nation Whereupon they unanimously swore fealty to Praemislaus II. King of Poland who took upon him the title of Duke of Pomeren and quarter'd his Coat with the Arms of Pomeren the Gryphins By this means the Kings of Poland became sole Lords of the Eastern Pomeren In the year 1460 Casimir Jagellonides straitned in the wars he was engaged in against the Teutonick Order in Prussia committed the Cities and Castles of Lavenburgh and Bouta to the trust of Eric II. Duke of West Pomeren whose successor George son of Bugislaus X. and Nephew to Sigismund I. King of Poland had these Cities confirmed to him and his posterity upon condition of paying some sleight acknowledgment to the Crown of Poland Upon these terms the present Elector of Brandenburgh renewed his title to these places after the usual fashion by his Ambassador in the year 1670. What right the Polanders have at this day in Prussia we have shew'd before but formerly their pretensions were much greater then now Sometimes the Duke of Masovia Lorded it over the Prussians and made the Master of the Teutonick Order his Vicegerent But in the treaty made between Sigismund I. King of Poland and Albert Marquess of Brandenburgh whom the
34. Christian I. son of Theodoric Count of Oldenburgh was elected King of Denmark upon the death of King Christopher He was a generous pious and valiant Prince but wholly ignorant of all manner of learning He reduc'd the Swedes to their Allegiance who in the beginning of his reign had revolted from the Crown of Denmark annex'd Holstein to his Dominions made himself Duke of Dithmars and Stormar and having ruled three and thirty years dyed in peace in the year 1481 and was buryed in a Chappel which he himself had built at Roschild leaving his Crown to his son 35. John who was a Prince endued with all the Royal qualities of his father He was devout in exercises of Religion temperate in diet grave in apparel and valiant in exploits of war which excepting only the overthrow he receiv'd from the Dithmarsians in the year 1500 proved exceeding successful He dyed of the plague at Olburgh in the year 1513. 35. Christian II. King John's son who was the bloodiest cruellest and most dissolute Prince that Denmark or perhaps any other Kingdom ever saw Lindenbruch gives this character of him That Nero Phalaris and Sylla put in the scales against him would signifie no more then half an ounce to a pound weight Meursius reports that he was born with one hand grasp'd which when the Midwife opened she found full of blood This was look'd upon by his father as a certain prognostic of a bloody mind of which his subjects had afterwards a lamentable experience The only good he ever did his Country was the founding a Fair and establishing a more then ordinary trade at Copenhagen At last after he had by his wickedness thrown himself out of three Kingdoms and for six and thirty years undergone the miseries of banishment or imprisonment he dyed in the Castle of Kallenborg in Zeeland in the year 1559. 36. Frideric I. King John's brother succeeded his Nephew Christian As soon as he was Crown'd in the year 1524 he begun to bring the Augspur Confession into all the Churches of Denmark He ruled almost ten year in quietness and dyed at Sleswig in the year 1533. 37. Christian III. Frideric's son He perfected the reformation which his father had begun in the Church He lived and dyed in the year 1559 a Prince of singular piety wisdom temperance justice and all Royal virtues And left behind a fair pattern of a happy King and good Christian to his son 37. Frederic II. Who having exactly imitated his fathers example after a happy reign of twenty-nine years dyed in his Palace of Anderscow in the year 1587. Immediately after his Coronation he was engag'd in a war against the rebels of Dithmars whom he quell'd with small trouble Afterwards he waged war with Eric XIV King of Sweden which lasted seven years The rest of his days were spent in peace and quietness 39. Christian IV. before his fathers burial was elected and soon after crown'd King of Denmark In his reign the Emperor of Germany Ferdinand II. overrun the greatest part of the Cimbrian Chersonese and had once well nigh brought the whole Kingdom of Denmark under his subjection But King Christian contracting as it were all the exspiring Spirits of his Realm made the Imperialists at last give ground and brought them to a Treaty upon honourable terms He dyed in the year 1648 and was succeeded by his son 40. Frederic III. Who receiv'd as great a blow from the Swedes as his father had done from the Germans Charles Gustave the victorious King of Sweden had brought him to that extremity as to lay close siege to Copenhagen which City and consequently the whole Kingdom of Denmark would doubtless have faln into the hands of the Swedes had not the Emperor of Germany the King of Poland and most of the Northern Princes jealous of the growing power of the Swedish King concern'd themselves in the defence of it He that desires a further account of the beginning continuance and end of these Northern wars may have recourse to the accurate history of them written by R. Manley and printed in the year 1670. King Frideric got his Nobles perswaded to consent that the Kingdom of Denmark as well as that of Norway should be Hereditary and was himself proclaim'd hereditary King the twenty-third day of October in the year 1660. He dyed of a Fever the twenty-fifth day of February 16 69 70. and that night as is before said the Nobility swore Allegiance to the new King 41. Christian V. now reigning A valiant and active Prince The Royal Family of Denmark consists of the Children of the King 〈…〉 and his near Relations together with the Princes of Sunderburg Norburg Gluckburg Arnsbeck Gottorp and Ottingen or Oytin who are all descended from King Christian the third excepting the Houses of Oytin and Gottorp who are the issue of his brother Adolph Duke of Sleswic The Nobles who never pretend to nor accept of the Titles of Dukes Earls or Barons are such as have for many ages had a single Coat of Arms belonging to their Family which they never alter nor quarter with any other There are to this day some Families of the Nobility in Denmark as Wren and others who are said to have been at the signing of a Treaty of Peace between Charles the Great and King Hemming on the Eidor Upon the death of any Nobleman all his goods moveable and immoveable are divided amongst his Children so as a son has two moieties and a daughter only one By the Laws of Denmark the King is prohibited to purchase any part of a Nobleman's Estate nor can any of the Nobility buy any of the Crown Lands A Catalogue of the names of the chief Noblemen at this day in Denmark is given us by the Author of L'Estat des Royaumes de l'Europe in the following Alphabetical order Achsel Appelgard Alefeld Andersem Bielke Banner Brache Bilig Below Bild Brokenhusem Biorn Beck Blick Bassi Bax Baselich Bockowlt Budde Baggen Bammelberg Brune Blom Blocktorp Breiden Daac Dresselberch Dune Duram Dam Freze Fassi Falster Falcke Guldenstern Grubbe Goce Green Gelschut Galle Gram Gris Goss Gadendorp Grabow Hardenberg Holke Hoken Hiderstorper Hube Hesten Hager Holer Hoeken Hoier Hacken Harberger Jul Juensen Juenan Jensen Johensen Korwitz Krabbe Kaas Krusen Kragge Krumpen Krumdick Kercberg Karssenbrock Koelet Knutzen Lange Lindeman Lunge Lutkem Laxman Lancken Leven Lindow Munck Matiessen Marizer Must Matre Meinstorf Moeten Magnussen Negel Narbu Norman Ofren Otten Pasberg Podessen Podebussen Papenheimb Podwisch Plessen Pensen Paisen Petersen Qualem Quittow Ranzaw Rosenkrantz Rastorp Ruthede Reuter Ruten Rosenspart Rosengard Ronnow Reventlow Ratlow Ritzerow Schram Schefeldt Schelen Seestedt Stuege Swron Stantbeke Split Solle Swaben Santbarch Spar Spegel Sturen Suinem Staken Stove Siversen Trolle Totten Vhrup Vonsflet Vantinnen Vken Voien Vlstandt Vren Wlefeld Walkendorp Wipfert Witfelt Wogersen Wenfsterman Wolde Worm Walstorp Wenfin Wittorp Though none of these are ever made Dukes Knights Marquises Earls or Barons yet 't is usual
insomuch that every man who had any thing to dispose of made his Will before he went to fight as never expecting to return out of the field alive And we do not find that Germany was ever yet subdued by any foreign enemy Nor can it be imagin'd but those that from their Cradles if ever they had any such thing were accustom'd to lye on the ground and go naked should at last make good Soldiers And accordingly we find they spent the greatest part of their lives in Martial exercises In time of any general invasion every man except infirm persons and such as attended their Sacrifices that exceeded the age of twenty years was press'd to take up Arms. Otherwise in case of a more inconsiderable quarrel in which some few particular Provinces were only concern'd every Gow or Village sent out an hundred fighting men with a Centurion to command them The greatest mischief was they understood but little Martial discipline and therefore their chief confidence lay in the number and resolute humours of their Soldiers Their armies used commonly to encamp in some large Wood or Forrest and there ly skulking till they had an opportunity of making an advantageous Sally upon the enemy Many of them fought naked others wore some slender Armour over their Head and Shoulders made of the Hide of a Wolf or some other wild Beast Every man carried a Club on his Shoulder such as Hercules is ordinarily pictur'd with and most of them had Spears in their hands When the Romans came amongst them they learned to be more methodical and orderly in their engagements By degrees they came to wear good substantial Helmets of Iron which they adorn'd on the top with a tufft of Horse-hair or sometimes a bunch of red Feathers Whence to this day the Germans reckon that an ancient Coat of Arms which shews such a tufft in the Crest As 't is likewise accounted no small token of Nobility to bear in their Coat Pallets of several colours since the old Germans used to wear Shields on their left sides streaked with red blew white and several other colours for distinction's sake Some of their Commanders and other great men in the Army wore a long and broad Sword on their right side which they used to manage with both hands These are reported to have been so weighty that when well guided with the whole force of a lusty German they would cut off both the Head and Arm of a Roman at a blow Their Horsemen never used any Saddles but instead thereof rid upon painted Clothes He that had slain an enemy hand to hand used to bring home his Head in triumph which if 't was the Head of an Officer could not be redeem'd at any rate but was kept as the richest piece of furniture in the house and shown at publick Entertainments Among the ancient Princes of Germany Inheritance the eldest Son or other Heir apparent of the Family always inherited the whole and entire jurisdiction of his deceased Father and the younger children had certain Villages and Lordships assign'd them for portions The Hermunduri are said to have been all of one Family which had encreas'd so largely in the revolution of some years as to over-spread all that vast Province which they inhabited Out of the Nobility the Peasants chose themselves a King or Captain Government who had supreme dominion over all the Province in which he presided Cluverius likens this Governor to him whom the Lacedemonians and Spartans were used to set over their Commonwealth who was bound by his place to be their General in time of war I am of opinion that this great Leader of any Province had the same name which their Dukes retain to this day each of them being even in those days call'd ein Hertzog which as our word Duke signifies no more then A Captain or General of an Army M. Luther makes this title as ancient as will serve my purpose when he derives the word Vercingentorix which was the name of a German Prince encountred by Julius Cesar and Florus fancies the repeating of it enough to frighten an Army from Hertzog Hinric i. e. Duke Henry Tho the Germans Religion before Charles the Great took care to have them converted to Christianity were Idolatrous Heathens yet we do not read that they were guilty of such horrid impieties and profaneness as their neighbours They liv'd up to the rules of Morality as much as any Nation that never heard of God and the true Religion What a great respect they had for Divine Service as they ignorantly call'd their Idolatrous practices is manifest from their chusing of Priests out of their Nobility who besides the knowledge of their profession were commonly tolerably well vers'd in Moral Philosophy and Physicks and ordinarily call'd to Council upon debate of any weighty State affair They had Females too amongst them who were sometimes admitted to the Priestly Office and had as great respect paid them as the men History makes mention of one of these She Druids who prophesied of the Emperor Severus's death and another who foretold the coming of Diocletian to the Empire They all believ'd the immortality of the Soul and rewards and punishments after this life They were great worshippers of the Sun whom Cluverius says they look'd upon as the only true God Some in confirmation of this opinion have made Sonn in the old Teutonic language to signifie as much as the modern Sonders Sonderlich i. e. Only Thus probably the Latin word Sol is only a corruption of Solus And for the same reason both the Romans and Dutch together with all other Nations who speak nothing but different Dialects of the Latin or German tongue dedicate the first day of the week to the Sun Another God they had to whom they used to offer man's flesh who is sometimes call'd Woden elsewhere Godan by some Codan by others Dan whence probably the name of Danes and Danish as well as from Teut Teutisch and from Got Gottish From him we have our Wednesday which the Westphalians call Godensdach or Goensdach the Netherlanders write it Woensdach the Danes Onsdag and the Swedes Odensdagk But of this and their God Teut we have spoken before and shall only add that the word Godan was after some time contracted into God or Gott Another God they worshipp'd who is stiled by Latin writers Taranes the same doubtless with the Danish Thor mention'd in the Description of Denmark and answers to the Roman Jupiter as Woden to Mercurius They worshipp'd this Taranes as the God of Thunder which in our old British or Welsh language is still called Taran but in the Danish tongue Torden Whence it appears that Thor and Taranes as well as the Dutch Donnersdag and our Thursday signifie the same thing 'T is very probable that this same God was by the ancient Celts named Pen or Pin which in their language signified High and Chief And hence 't is that the Austrians
Their Lodgings are open to all comers who are welcome to such entertainment as the House affords Tacitus and others give the same account of them Nor have the German Noblemen to this day degenerated from the good nature and hospitality of their forefathers The relation which a modern Italian writer gives of Sweden is as applicable to Germany Per le strade non sono assassini si che si va molto sicuramente Pochissimo si spendi da viandanti non usando di dimandar cosa alcuna per conto dell ' Albergo o del cibo i. e. There are here no murders nor robberies committed on the High-ways but you may travel with all imaginable security Besides you travel cheaper in this Country because you pay nothing or very little for your victuals and lodging The only inconvenience you meet with on the Road is the being condemn'd to ride night and day in a Post-Waggon so they call it which will carry you little faster then a foot-pace If you chance to have the priviledge of resting two or three hours in the middle of a winter-night the best bedding you are to expect is clean straw upon which all that meet together men and women Nobles and Peasants promiscuously tumble That the Germans were anciently men of courage â—alour and took that name from their prowess we have already shew'n Willichius gives this high character of the present Germans Vincuntur quidem Germani sed non nisi a Germanis i. e. 'T is indeed possible the Germans may be conquer'd but it must be done by Germans We have a good proof of this in their late wars wherein the King of Sweden Gustavus Adolphus vanquish'd the Emperor with his own Subjects That great Prince's Army had been quickly overthrown and swallow'd up by the Imperialists had not the Saxons and Brandenburgers helpt him out The only instance of want of courage in a German Army which we meet with in History is that which we find recorded of the Count of Mansfield's Army consisting of fifty thousand men who suffer'd a small body of ten thousand Turks to pass by their Trenches without disturbance and to relieve Gran a great Town in Hungary before their faces But we are not to argue from this one passage that the High Dutch Soldiers want valour We may be sufficiently convinc'd of the contrary when we consider that the Imperial Crown never yet fell from their heads notwithstanding the many vigorous assaults made by some of their potent neighbours Donatus Gianottus a late Italian Historian confesses that Non e dubio che se le forze dell ' Alemagna fusseno unite habberebbe l' Italia a temer di loro molto piu che di quelle del Turco i. e. 'T is no question but if the Princes of Germany would amicably compose differences among themselves and unite their forces Italy would have reason to fear them much more then the Turks And any man will find reason to believe him that shall consider what vast numbers of fighting men most of their Electors and some of their less potent Princes can raise upon occasion but of this more hereafter Besides the German Soldiers are generally tough hardy fellows who can scarce meet with harsher entertainment and worse lodging in any foreign Camp then they have been bred up to at home 'T is a known Adage Germani duros possunt sufferre labores They are a people used to hardship and therefore can easily undergo the inconveniences of war The Croats and Switzers the former for Horsemen and the later for Foot are famous all Europe over The only blot in the Scutcheon of a German Soldier is that he is too mercenary We have a remarkable instance of this in the Army commanded by Frideric Elector Palatine of the Rhine at the battel of Prague where the greatest part of that brave General 's Army threw down their weapons crying out Gelt Gelt i. e. Money Money intimating that without better pay they were resolved to fight no longer And the King of France has found the truth of this in his late victories many of which even in Germany were obtained by the assistance of German Forces which deserted their Country and fought under his Banner in hopes of better pay then they could expect from the Confederates The High Dutch Commanders have been branded with ignorance of Martial Discipline Martial Discipline and want of conduct But the many famous Generals which their Country has bred up within the compass of little more then this last Century have taken off that scandal Such were 1. Frideric the Second Count Palatine of the Rhine who bravely defended Vienna against the Turks and first introduced the Reformed Religion into the Palatinate 2. Albert Elector of Brandenburg who in some of the Dutch Histories is stiled the Achilles of Germany 3. Albert Wallenstein Duke of Frideland who equall'd Gustavus Adolphus in valour and prudent conduct and wanted nothing but success to make him as renown'd a General To these we may add the present Elector of Brandenburg of which excellent Prince we shall have occasion to give a character hereafter with many others The great recreation amongst the Nobility Recreations in Summer is hunting the Deer and wild Boars with both which kinds of Venison the Woods and Forests in Germany abound 'T is the fashion in many of the Princes Courts to hang up the pictures of such huge Boars as have been taken by them which is near a-kin to the custom practis'd by some of our English Gentry of hanging up the skins of Foxes and Badgers and Antlers of Stags in their Halls In the winter when the Snow lies thick on the ground they have a custom in Cities and great Towns to ride round the streets in Sledges which are shaped much like the Sella Curulis or Triumphal Chariot among the Romans if the writers of the Latin Antiquities have described it right and drawn by a Horse richly trapped with a great number of little Bells and Feathers of divers colours Tacitus reports of the ancient Germans Games that they were immoderate players at Dice insomuch that they would game away their Money Clothes Estates and last of all their Liberty the loser being bound to resign himself up into perpetual slavery to the Conqueror This unreasonable kind of gaming is long since laid aside but they still retain among them a great respect for the play at Chess at which they are generally expert Gamesters This game in their tongue is call'd Schachspiel which signifies exactly the same thing with the Latin Latrunculorum ludus For in the old German Laws collected by Lindenbrogius and others Schacher or Schachman signifies a Robber and Schach Latrocinium Theft The Learned Prince Augustus late Duke of Brunswic-Wulfenbuttel who published an accurate Explication of Trithemius's Cryptography under the feigned name of Gustavus Selenus wrote an incomparable Treatise concerning Chess-play in the German tongue wherein he gives a learned
for promotion Which says Wimpheling was a saying that became so great an Emperor He Reign'd nineteen years and ten months 875. Charles the Bald a base mean-spirited man Ludowic the First 's Son succeeded his Nephew Pope John IX perswaded him with fair words and money to come to Rome for his Coronation and there to receive the Imperial Scepter from his hands He Reign'd only two years being poyson'd as was supposed by one Sedechias a Jewish Physitian 878. Ludowic surnam'd Balbus succeeded his Father Charles but never enjoy'd the Crown if it was which many question ever set upon his head When he had linger'd out a year and an half he dyed leaving his Throne to 879. Charles III. surnam'd the Gross from his bulk and fatness He might have been stiled a second Charles the Great if he had been as successful in managing as obtaining of Kingdoms For by the death of his two Brothers all Germany France and Italy came into his hands He was the first that added the year of our Lord to the year of his Reign in the dating of any public Proclamations Grants c. At last when by several base actions especially in concluding a dishonourable peace betwixt himself and the Normans in which he gave them that part of France which is still called Normandy he had contracted the hatred of the whole Empire he was deposed by his Nobles and dyed miserably in a poor beggarly Village in Schwaben 888. Arnolph Natural Son of Caroloman Duke of Carinthia and King of Bavaria was elected into the room of Charles thus deposed and rul'd the Empire with a strong arm for twelve years He quell'd the Rebels in Moravia and Normandy and defeated Guido and Berengarius who had made head against him in Italy He storm'd Rome and took it but soon after was poyson'd there by the procurement of Guido's wife and dyed in great misery being eaten up of Lice which the poyson bred in his body 900. Ludowic IV. Arnolph's Son was elected by the Nobles into his Father's stead The Hungarians were continually at war with this Emperor who had seldom the good fortune to come off the field a Conqueror In these skirmishes a great part of the German Nobility was cut off which shortned his life and brought him to his grave before he had got a Son to inherit his Throne He dyed an unfortunate Prince and with him the Family of Charles the Great was wholly extinct During his Reign there was another Ludowic set up for Emperor by the Pope in Italy who was taken prisoner and had his eyes put out by Berengarius King of Lombardy 912. After the death of the Emperor Ludowic the Princes of Germany proffer'd the Imperial Crown to Otto Duke of Saxony who had the name of the wisest man and best Soldier of his time But old Age had render'd him at least in his own conceit unfit for Government Whereupon he made over the proffer'd Empire to Conrad Duke of Franconia who upon Otto's recommendation was immediately declared Emperor He was no sooner stept into the Throne but his carriage disobliged a great many of the Princes of the Empire who made war upon him and put him hard to 't to keep the reins in his hand Henry Duke of Saxony Duke Otto's Son engag'd him the oftest and with greatest courage and success However Conrad by his last Will and Testament notwithstanding the frequent quarrels between him and that Duke bequeathed his Empire to Henry whom he had experienced to be a Prince that for his valour and conduct deserv'd an Empire 919. Henry surnamed Auceps from the great delight he took in Hawking was by the German Princes according to the tenour of the Emperor Conrad's Will proclaim'd King of the Romans at Fritzlar Soon after the Pope fent to proffer his service in consecrating and anointing him Emperor but it was not accepted For Henry return'd his Holiness this answer that 't was enough for him that Gods providence and the voices of his Nobility had made him King of the Romans They that fancied this Title too mean might in Gods name go to Rome for Consecration and Vnction but for his own part he was satisfied with the honour already conferr'd on him He was a valiant and prudent Prince one that composed most of the animosities and quarrels of his own people and bravely defended them from the incursions of the Hungarians and other foreign Enemies He was the first that instituted the sports of Tilts and Turnaments and fortified the great Towns in Germany Ordering that every ninth Bore should remove his Family into a City and that the Citizens should be maintain'd by a Contribution of the third part of the Corn and Hay round about the Country Having overthrown the Hungarians at a memorable Battel near Mersburg he had the title of Pater Patriae rerum Dominus Imperator conferr'd upon him Afterwards going into Italy he was taken with an Apoplexy of which to the great grief of the whole German Nation he dyed after he had reign'd seven years and six months 936. Otto the Emperor Henry's Son succeeded his Father in the Empire and equall'd him in all his acts of piety wisdom and prowess whence he was surnamed the Great He compell'd Harald King of Denmark to acknowledg the Emperor of Germany's Supremacy and embrace Christianity subdued the Bohemians and forc'd their Prince Boleslaus to turn Christian deposed Pope John XII and put Leo VIII in his place making a Decree that for the future the power of chusing Popes should be in the Emperor alone The fashion of Christening of Bells was first brought up in his Reign 973. Otho II. succeeded his Father Otho the Great He found the Empire in peace and excepting some small skirmishes betwixt him and his Cousin Henry Duke of Bavaria whom some malecontent Bishops had proclaimed Emperor never met with any opposition in his own Dominions He overthrew the Turks in Apulia and was thence stiled Pallida Saracenorum mors He reign'd eleven years and at his death left the Empire as he found it in perfect peace 984. Otho III. surnamed the Child was advanc'd to his Father's Throne at ten years of age but quickly grew up to be a Prince of wonderful sagacity and prudence Some say he was the first that instituted the manner of Electing an Emperor by the majority of the Voices of Seven Electors of which more hereafter He reign'd eighteen years and dyed in Italy being poyson'd with a pair of Gloves presented to him by the wife of Crescentius a Rebel whom he had caus'd to be hang'd The woman had been his Concubine for some time after her husbands death and was in hopes of being married to him and so made an Empress But when she saw him ready to leave Italy without taking notice of any former contract betwixt them and preparing for a return to Germany she was resolv'd by this expedient to satisfie her revenge tho she could not provide for her
lust and ambition 1002. Upon Otto's death Henry Duke of Bavaria was chosen Emperor by the Electors His piety got him the Title of Holy and a mischance in his Childhood surnam'd him the Lame Willegise Archbishop of Mentz a Wagoner's Son whence that City got a Wheel for its Arms Crown'd him He fought many great Battels and from most of them came off Conqueror The Saracens were by him driven out of Apulia and Calabria and the Wendish Armies which had over-run a great part of Germany he utterly vanquish'd He is by some Historians stiled the Apostle of Hungary because he was the first that thorowly converted that Nation Upon his death-bed after he had reigned twenty and three years he is said to have return'd his Empress Cunigunda to her friends for a pure Virgin in which state by mutual consent they both had continued from the first day of their marriage Tho we read that once he so far question'd his Wife's chastity and the performance of her Vow as to make her purge her self by a fiery Ordeal Which she perform'd by going barefoot over a red-hot iron grate without the least shrink or sense of pain 1024. Conrad a Prince descended from Charles the Great succeeded Henry and was Crown'd Emperor at Aix la Chappel by the Archbishop of Colen Amongst Historians we find this high character of him that he was Acer consilio manuque strenuus charus Principibus Populo acceptior Reipublicae salutaris i. e. Quick at Council-board and valiant in the field one on whom the Princes of the Empire doted the People's Darling the strength of the Empire One of the good Laws which he established was That it should be death for any Prince to offer to disturb the peace of the Empire by making an offensive war upon any particular Province in it He died suddenly in his return from an expedition against the Hungarians and was buried at Spire after he had reigned fifteen years 1039. Henry surnam'd the Black Conrad's Son succeeded his Father in the Empire He reign'd seventeen years and seven months The first war he engag'd himself in was against the Bohemians upon their refusal to pay tribute to the Emperor Afterwards he turn'd his Forces against the Hungarians and restored their King Peter who had been deposed by his own Subjects for Tyranny In the year 1046 he march'd into Italy to compose differences among the three Popes who were set up by contrary factions But he depos'd them all and made a fourth viz. Clement II. renewing the old Law wherein it was enacted That no Pope should be created without the consent of the Emperor 1056. Henry IV. succeeded his Father at six years of age He is said during his reign which lasted fifty years to have fought sixty-two great battels which are more then either Marcus Marcellus Julius Caesar or any other Roman General could ever brag of Pope Hildebrand who went under the name of Gregory VII cast off this Emperors yoke and after some skirmishes got Rudolph Duke of Schwaben proclaim'd Emperor in his stead to whom the Pope presented an Imperial Crown with this Inscription Petra dedit Petro Petrus diadema Rudolpho But this Emperor of the Pope's making was soon vanquish'd and slain However within a while the Empire was taken from him in good earnest and that by his own Subjects who deposed him and elected his Son into his room This Emperor is reported to have been brought to those extremities before his death as to be forc'd to beg a Prebendary of the Bishop of Spire some say Wormes in the Church which he himself had built which was nevertheless denied him 1106. Henry V. was admitted into his Father's Throne by his rebellious Subjects and crown'd Emperor at Goslar At his Coronation part of his Sword was melted with Lightning but the Scabbard was untouch'd and himself escap'd without harm He was forc'd to acknowledg the Pope's Supremacy and to quit all pretensions to the power of Investiture which his Ancestors challeng'd as their right He reigned nineteen years dyed without issue and was buried at Spire 1125. Lotharius Duke of Saxony was elected to succeed Henry V. and receiv'd his Crown from the Pope at Rome in the year 1133. The greatest thing this Emperor did was the reviving the practice of the Civil Law in the German Empire after it had been banish'd thence for the space of five hundred years 1138. Conrad Duke of Schwaben and Lotharius's Sister's Son succeeded his Uncle carrying the Empire against Henry Duke of Bavaria who for some time opposed him In his days a Body of the Canon Laws was first set forth by Gratian a Benedictine Monk and publicly taught in the Universities of Germany He reign'd fourteen years 1152. Frideric Duke of Schwaben surnam'd Barbarossa from his red beard was elected Emperor upon the death of Conrad and was Crown'd at Rome by Pope Adrian IV. He was a wise valiant and pious Prince and commonly fortunate in all his undertakings Pope Alexander the third excommunicated him for his obstinacy but afterwards was reconciled when the Emperor threw himself at the Pope's feet and suffer'd him to tread on his neck In the year 1187 accompanied with our King Richard I. and Philip II. King of France he went to fight against the Saracens in the Holy Land Here he was drown'd in a river wherein he intended only to have bathed himself and was buried at Tyre after he had reign'd thirty-eight years 1190. Henry Frideric Barbarossa's Son tho short of his Father in deserts was-elected into his place He took Tancred prisoner in Sicily who thought to have supplanted him in that Kingdom and having put out his eyes sent him bound into Germany Pope Celestine who Crown'd him Emperor perswaded him to engage himself in the Holy-war but he never reach'd Palestine dying upon his journey thither when he had reigned almost eight years 1198. Upon the death of the Emperor Henry his Brother Philip was at first elected But because he refused to submit himself to the Pope as his Ancestors had done he was shortly after excommunicated and Otto Duke of Brunswic by the Electors and the Pope's authority declared Emperor Whereupon the two Emperors engaged the whole Empire in a long and bloody war each asserting a legal title and refusing to quit his pretensions to the Crown At last Philip was treacherously slain in his bed after he had ruled the Empire at least the greatest part of it ten years 1208. Otto Son of Henry surnam'd the Lion Duke of Brunswic got possession of the Empire as soon as Philip was taken of He had not reign'd four years e're he met with his Predecessor's fate having the Imperial Crown taken from his head by the Pope of Rome and the Electors and given to Frideric King of Sicily Otto got some succours from the Kings of England and Poland but was never able to make any considerable resistance One battel decided the controversie establishing Frideric in the Imperial Throne
Marquisses Earls Lords c. on whom they please and to grant the priviledges of the most ancient Families of what Ordersoever within the bounds of their own Kingdoms to any who they fancy deserves their favour But in this the Emperor surpasses them all in that he challenges a power of creating Kings which is a piece of Authority never pretended to by any other Potentate Thus the Emperor Otho III. made Poland a Kingdom in the year 1001 which before that time was govern'd by a Duke Henry IV. did the like for Bohemia in the year 1086 and Charles the Brave Duke of Burgundy desired the same kindness of the Emperor Frideric III. but could not obtain it The Popes of Rome have for a long time laid claim to this Prerogative as appears from their frequent excommunicating and deposing of Kings in every Country in Christendom Nay they go further and challenge a power of deposing the Emperor himself at their pleasure and creating a new one in his place as has been sufficiently shew'n in the foregoing Chapter But how empty and vain these pretensions are may be learned from the single example of Pope Pius V. who endeavoured to create Cosmo di Medices Great Duke of Tuscany For the Emperor Maximilian II. opposed the design and first made Cosmo receive the Title from him and afterwards forced the Pope to confess that he had exceeded and transgress'd the bounds of his power If any Prince in Germany chance to be a notorious delinquent and disturber of the common peace of the Empire it is not in the power of the Emperor alone to divest such an offendor of his Honour and Dignity or to banish him the Empire Such punishments cannot be inflicted without the consent of the Electors who are to judge of the nature of the misdemeanor and give in their opinions to the Imperial Chamber Where the States of the Empire view the determination and take care the sentence be executed according to Law The Emperor at his Coronation is sworn not to infringe or violate the Priviledges and Properties of any free State in the Empire and therefore cannot mitigate or augment any Tax or Subsidy which either a Prince Regent of the Empire or an Imperial City thinks fit to levy amongst their own Subjects Besides he has no authority to punish a malefactor or raise money in the Territories of these Free States Nor is it lawful for him to advance a Subject of any of these States to any Honour but what shall be consistent with the Allegiance he owes to that particular Prince or City whose more immediate Subject he is In time of War he cannot command any Free State or Prince to assist him with men or money but must be forc'd to undergo the whole burthen thereof himself except it be the private interest of some peculiar Prince to stand by him However tho they are not very ready to take his part in every offensive quarrel he engages himself in yet most of them stick close to him when invaded by a foreign enemy and the common interest of the Empire lies at stake And indeed it nearly concerns the Free States of the Empire to be cautious of assisting and encourageing the Emperor's engaging himself in any other then a Defensive war For if he should by conquest enlarge his Dominions they were in danger of being curb'd and brought under but if on the contrary the victory should go on the enemies side they would all certainly suffer as his Accomplices The overgrown Authority of the Popes of Rome has amongst other encroachments upon the Imperial Prerogative rob'd the Emperor of his ancient Right of conferring Ecclesiastical Benefices and Bishoprics on whom he pleases 'T is well known in what subjection the Bishops of Rome liv'd under the Government of their ancient Emperors however they have Lorded it for these late years As soon as the Emperor Constantine the Great removed the Empire from Rome to Constantinople the Popes began to have more elbow-room and taking hold of the opportunity laid the first foundation of their own greatness upon the ruins of the decaying power of the Emperor in Italy Another advantage they made of the blind zeal of the neighbouring Princes who were exceeding fervent in carrying on the Catholic cause till they had enabled the Popes to arrogate to themselves the Title of Vniversal Bishops But still the Lombards who had overrun the greatest part of Italy kept these Usurpers under until Pepin and his Son Charlemaigne undertook their protection and added to their Riches the Revenue of several Towns and Provinces taken from the Lombards These good offices obliged the Roman Bishops to a return of gratitude which they express'd by doing homage to the said Princes for the Territories of Ravenna and Pentapolis or Romagnia which Pepin had liberally bestowed on them and making over to Charles the Great for ever the Right and Prerogative of chusing Popes After this Emperor's death some of the ambitious Clergy who found they had not interest enough in the Emperor's Court to compass their ends went to Rome where they got themselves chosen Popes and prevail'd with the easie Emperors of Germany to confirm the Election From these beginnings they arose by degrees to that height as to take upon them the power of electing and degrading of Emperors at their pleasure nay of trampling the Majesty of the Emperors under their feet as Pope Alexander III. serv'd Frideric Barbarossa And we cannot imagine that they who had thus magnified themselves above all Temporal Monarchs as they were pleased to distinguish should stick to the old Decree of accepting the Popedom at the Emperors hands Accordingly Leo IX having receiv'd the Bishopric of Rome from the hands of Henry IV. repented of his so doing and divesting himself of his Papal Robes march'd to Rome as a private person where he was elected anew by the Clergy After which time the Popes begun to invert Charles the Great 's Statute ordering that none should be honour'd and obey'd as lawful Emperor of Germany but those who receiv'd the Imperial Crown at their hands And some of them were so insolent as to affirm that there was as much difference between Popes and Emperors as betwixt the Sun and Moon intending from thence to infer that as the Moon has no light but what she borrows from the Sun so the Emperor has no power or Majesty but what the Pope bestows on him But they did on t always meet with such tame Emperors as would undergo their yoke and since Charles the Fifth's time who took the Pope of Rome prisoner there has not been one Emperor that has fetch'd his Crown from Rome The house of Austria have in a great measure recover'd the ancient power and priviledges of the German Emperors and probably the Pope's Authority would have decayed a great deal more in this time had not the Jesuites who swarm in the Court of Vienna been diligent in working the mild temper of their
them by the Ceremony of the Banner fahnenlehnen nor alienate any parcel of the Crown-lands or revenue of the Empire In short whatever they do is to undergo the censure and approbation of the next Emperor In the late Interregnum upon the death of the Emperor Ferdinand III. there was no small quarrel between the Duke of Bavaria and the Prince Palatine about the Right of Protectorship the former pretending that this Dignity was annex'd to the Office of Chief Sewer which had been transferr'd from the Prince Palatine to himself Whereupon as soon as the Emperor was dead he immediately gives notice to all the neighbouring Princes and States of the Empire of his assuming the Title of Vicar On the contrary the Prince Palatine laid claim to the same Authority and complain'd of Bavaria's encroachment upon his priviledges Each asserted his right in public Remonstrances and printed Pamphlets flew thick on either hand In this juncture most unprejudic'd persons were of opinion that the Palatinate writers had the greatest share of reason on their side and very many were loath to approve of the Duke of Bavaria's proceedings tho unwilling or afraid to appear in public against him At last the quarrel was stop'd tho not finally determin'd by the present Emperor Leopold's succession to his Fathers Throne The Aurea Bulla orders that the Election should be had at Francfurt which is commonly observ'd But however the Ceremony has not been confin'd to any particular place For Henry II. was chosen at Mentz Henry III. at Aix la Chappel Henry V. at Colen Lotharius II. at Mentz and after him Maximilian Rodolph II. and Ferdinand III. receiv'd that honour at Ratisbon But afterwards the Elector of Saxony question'd the Election of Ferdinand I. because 't was at Colen in the year 1530. The whole Ceremony of the Election is perform'd in this method The Elector of Mentz within a month after he has notice given him of the Emperors death signifies the same to his Collegues and summons them to a new Election Immediately upon warning receiv'd or at the day appointed in the Archbishops Letters the Electors repair to Francfurt or send their Ambassadors who have full power to act as their DeputiesFormerly it was a custom for the City to send out a Body of two hundred Horse to meet the Electors and conduct them in at the Gates but this fashion has not of late years been so punctually observ'd During the Election all strangers and foreigners are commanded to withdraw and leave the City That done the Electors proceed to Election which is always had in the Quire of St. Bartholomew's Church After Mass is said they come up to the Altar where they severally take an Oath to Elect the fittest man that stands to be Emperor The Elector of Mentz takes the votes in the order before-mention'd and last of all gives his own voice Every Elector gives his vote under his Hand and Seal and the majority of voices creates the new Emperor If the number of votes should be equal which may easily happen now there are Eight Electors the controversie would be hard to determine since no provision has been made for any such occurrences As soon as the votes are examin'd the Electors return to the High Altar where the Archbishop of Mentz pronounces the Election and tells the Congregation whom they have made choice of for their Emperor The Temporal Electors have power to name themselves tho the Ecclesiastics have no such passive or reflexive voice Yet none of them have so absolute a power of giving any secular man their voices without some restraint For it is necessary that he who is by their votes rais'd to the Imperial Dignity be 1. Of an Illustrious Family because it cannot reasonably be supposed that so many great Princes as are his Subjects would willingly pay homage and yeild obedience to a person of low and mean extraction 2. A Prince of good Estate and large Revenue that his incomes may maintain him without oppressing his Subjects in that splendor which becoes his Imperial Majesty 3. A German lest being a stranger he should transfer the Seat of the Empire to some other place and either wholly deprive Germany of that Prerogative or put it upon a necessity of defending it by force of Arms. Indeed before the Emperor Charles IV. had published the Aurea Bulla it was not necessary that the Emperor should be a natural German and we know many of the ancient Emperors were foreigners but since that time it has become a Law That whoever is admitted into the Imperial Throne be a German at lest by extraction And no other plea could be pretended by Charles and Ferdinand I. since the former was born in the County of Flanders and the later at Medina in Castile And when Francis I. King of France alledg'd that he was a German he did not intend the Electors should believe that Angoulesme was in Germany but that his predecessors were originally Germans Immediately after the Election is over the new chosen Emperor takes upon him the Titles of Cesar and Augustus and if he pleases confers Honours and Priviledges and executes all other acts of Soveraignty If he be prefent he Dines in public and then the Ecclesiastical Electors say Grace and hold the Seals the Elector of Brandenburg gives him water to wash the Elector of Saxony executes the office of Marshal the Prince Palatine presents him the first Dish of Meat and the King of Bohemia the first Glass of Wine If any of the Electors be absent his office is perform'd by his Lieutenant and not by his Ambassador who is only his Deputy in the Election The three Ecclesiastical Electors are suppos'd always to be personally present and therefore have no Lieutenants But the Vicars of the four ancient Secular Electors are the Lords and Counts of Limburg Walpurg Papenheim and Hohenzolleren After the Reign of Charles the Great none of the German Kings would for many ages take upon them the Title of Emperor till they had receiv'd the Crown of the Roman Empire at the Pope's hands and of later years several of them have been very critical in distinguishing between the Titles of Kayser and King of Germany Whence immediately after the ceremony of the Election was finish'd they would stile themselves only Emperors of Rome Elect but actual Kings of Germany Whereupon some Authors tell us that every one of them used to be Crown'd at Aix la Chappel with an iron Crown as King of Germany at Milan with a Silver one as King of Lombardy and at Rome with a Golden one as Emperor What grounds there might be for any such tradition I know not but 't is certain that Charlemagne's Crown which is now a days set on the Emperors head at Aix la Chappel is of pure Gold and the Emperors do not use to seek a Crown at Rome or Milan The Aurea Bulla calls the Crown used at the Emperors Coronation Infula and anciently all the Diadem
parts of Germany So that these still retain'd their ancient forms until the Franks having made themselves Masters of all introduc'd new modes and establish'd a new sort of Government every-where For these Conquerors imitating the Romans reduc'd all Germany into Provinces over which they appointed so many Dukes who had authority to govern and to administer justice according to the tenure of their respective Commissions To these Dukes they sometimes added Assistants who were from their office which was to aid the Dukes in the management of great and weighty affairs call'd Counts or Comites The Dukes were always elected by the King and Nobility out of some illustrious Family yet so that if the deceased Duke's Son were capable and worthy of his Father's honour he was seldom rejected At last the power of these Dukes grew exceedingly great and terrible insomuch that 't was ordinary for several of them to deny to pay homage to the Emperors Which when Charles the Great observ'd he destroy'd the two great Dukedoms of the Francic Kingdom Aquitane and Bavaria by dividing them into several smaller Counties But not long after Charles's death the Emperors created new Dukes in most places where he had chang'd them into Counts Whereupon the Empire was quickly reduc'd to the former straits every Duke pretending to and exercising Regal authority in his own Province The first of these that grew formidably potent was Otho Duke of Saxony afterwards elected Emperor who tho he refus'd the Imperial Diadem and got it conferr'd on Conrad Duke of Franconia was always look'd upon as the most powerful Prince of the German Empire in his time After Otho's death the Emperor Conrad used all means possible to reduce the overgrown power of the Duke of Saxony to some tolerable mediocrity but his endeavours prov'd unsuccessful and Duke Henry stoutly maintain'd the Honours and Priviledges which his Father Otho had enjoy'd without disturbance From that time forward the Emperors lay under an obligation of creating new Dukes who getting into their hands the government of several potent Cities set up for almost absolute Princes Our Learned Antiquary Mr. Selden reckons up six several sorts of Graves or Counts which are these 1. Schlecht-Graven or simple Counts 2. Counts Palatine which as will be shew'n anon are subdivided into several other branches 3. Counts of the Empire 4. Marck-Graves or Counts of the Frontiers 5. Landt-Graves or Counts of Provinces 6. Burg-Graves or Counts of Cities and great Towns There was anciently a seventh sort Here-Graven who answer'd exactly to the primitive Dukes or Her-tzogen for as the office of these was to conduct and govern the Soldiers so the others were to determine all controversies as Field-Judges The Gefurstete Graven do not make a distinct species being nothing else then such Counts as besides their ordinary Title may challenge that of Furst or Prince In the old Laws and Constitutions of the Empire we meet with almost an innumerable company of inferior Officers who have the title of Graven bestow'd on them Such are 1. Cent-Grave he that had the government of an Hundred We may English the word High-Constable 2. Holtz-Grave or Wald-Grave Overseers of the Woods and Forests 3. Gograf of which before 4. Spiel-Grave the Master of the Revels 5. Hans-Grave a Title formerly given to the Chief Judg in all matters relating to Trade debated in the Diet at Ratisbon But we shall not weary the Reader with insisting upon these obsolete Titles of Honour contenting our selves with a short account of the six first kinds which are all our famous Antiquary beforemention'd has thought worthy his taking notice of The first are such as are stiled barely Counts Schlechtgraven without the addition of any more then the place which gives them that Title As Der Graf von Eissenburg Der Graf von Ortenberg c. There were formerly only four of this kind in the whole Empire who were ordinarily called Die vier Graven dess Heiligen Romischen Reichs i. e. The four Graves or Counts of the Holy Roman Empire These were the Counts of Cleve Schwartzenburg Ciley and Savoy But since the Counts of Cleve and Savoy were advanced to Dukes and the Family of the ancient Counts of Ciley was extinct which happen'd about two hundred years ago the Count of Schwartzenburg in Thuringen is the only Prince that bears that Title stiling himself usually to this day der vier Graven dess Reichs Grave zu Schwartzenburg i. e. of the four Counts of the Empire Count of Schwartzenburg Besides him there are now-a-days several other German Counts who may justly be referr'd to this head tho they have no Investiture into any Graffschaft or County but are only stiled Counts of some small Castle or inconsiderable Territories of which they are Lords Such are the Counts of Ottingen and Zollern who are supposed to be of the posterity of some of the ancient Counts of the Empire and thence retain the title tho not the grandeur and power of their Ancestors Counts Palatine call'd by the Germans Pfaltz-Graven Counts Palatine or Dess Heiligen Romischen Reichs Hoffe-Graven are such as have in their Title a certain eminence of their Dignity from a relation as their name denotes to the Emperors Court or Palace For Palatinus is but the possessive of Palatium and signifies no more then an Officer of the Houshold with us in England But this Title is twofold 1. Originally Feudal and annex'd to the name of some Territory or Grafschaft with such jura Imperii Majestatis as other ordinary Princes of the Empire have not as we see in the Title of the Counts Palatine of the Rhine 2. Meerly Personal without the addition of any particular Territory proper to him that hath the Dignity Both the Title and Nature of this later kind are originally to be fetcht from the Examples of the old Roman Empire but the former tho the Nature of it may be found in the ancient Constitutions of the Roman Empire under the name of Praefectus Praetorio yet was in ordinary use as to the Name and Title only in the Francic Kingdom For there was in the Court of the Francic Kings long before their Kingdom was chang'd into an Empire a chief Officer known by the name of Comes Palatii or Count Palatine who had a Vice-Regency under the King in like sort as the Praefecti Praetorio in the elder Empire or the old Chief Justice of England under our ancient Kings that is he had the exercise of supreme Jurisdiction in the name of the King in all causes that came to the Kings immediate audience I suppose the Office of Hofmeister used to this day in every German Prince's Court is a relique of this Palatinate And that Comes Palatii might easily signifie the same thing with Praefectus Praetorio or Hofmeister will not be difficult for any man to imagine that shall consider the signification which the word Comes had amongst the ancient Romans in the usual compellation of
Comites and Amici used by their Emperors to the greatest Officers in the Court and State whence afterwards in the Eastern Empire we meet with Comites sacrarum largitionum Comites metallorum Comites rerum privatarum Comites Patrimonii c. in all which expressions Comes manifestly signifies the same thing as Praefectus or Magister The reason why the name of Palatine which as we have said denotes only such as are members of the King 's or Emperor's Houshold should afterwards be join'd with a Province remote from the Court seems plain enough For whereas other ordinary Counts had only a power subordinate to that of the Counts Palatine who exercis'd supreme Jurisdiction in the Emperors name these had all the Royalties and Jura Imperii in their respective Provinces which the Counts Palatine enjoy'd at Court And the like forms of speaking we meet with among the old Romans in the Officiary Dignities of Praefectus Praetorio Orientis Praefectus Praetorio Illyrici Praefectus Praetorio Italiae and Praefectus Praetorio Galliarum Where we see the Title of the Houshold or Emperors Palace transferr'd to these several Provinces to denote that they who bore those Offices being as so many Vice-Roys in their peculiar Territories should enjoy like Power Jurisdiction and Dignity in their respective Dominions as if by the name of Praefecti Praetorio they had always liv'd with the Emperor in his Court The additional Title of Palatine hath been conferr'd upon the Counts of Habspurg Tubing Witelenspach Schiern Ortenberg and several other Princes of the Empire In some old lists of the German Princes we find mention made of four Ertz-Pfaltz-Graven or Archi-Palatini viz. Rheni Saxoniae Franciae or Franconiae Hungariae But at this day the Counts Palatine of the Rhine are so singularly eminent Princes by this Title that commonly no other place is understood by the general name of the Palatinate but only their Territories However Saxony is still a Pfaltzgraffschaft or Palatinate and the Duke thereof hath the Soveraignty of a Count Palatine tho he be not so stiled because the Title of Duke is rarely join'd with Palatinus Of the Authority and Power of the Counts Palatine of the Rhine we shall speak more at large hereafter when we come to a particular Description of their Territories What the Dignity of a Count of the Empire is â—â—nts of 〈◊〉 Emâ— may be learn'd from the Patent granted by the Emperor Rudolph II. to Thomas Arundel of Wardour in Wiltshire afterwards made Lord Arundel of Wardour by King James for the creating of him a Count of the Empire which Title his Heirs have kept to this day That the Title is hereditary appears from this passage in the Patent Te supradictum Thomam Arundelium qui jam ante Comitum consanguinitatem a majoribus acceptam in Anglia obtines omnesque singulos liberos haeredes posteros descendentes tuos legitimos utriusque Sexus natos aeternaque serie nascituros etiam veros sacros Romani Imperii Comites Comitissas creavimus fecimus nominavimus c. The learned Mr. Cambden in his History of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth speaking of this Patent tells us that whoever hath the Title of Count of the Empire conferr'd on him has withall a Seat assign'd him and may give his voice in the Imperial Diets he may purchase an Estate in any part of the Emperor's Dominions may list Volunteers and cannot be su'd in any Court of Judicature save only the Imperial Chamber By vertue of the aforesaid Patent the Title of Count of the Sacred Empire is at present enjoy'd by the Right Honourable Henry Lord Arundell of Warder Those of the Nobility whom the ancient Francic Kings made Governors of such Provinces as were of the Frontiers of the Empire Mark-graven were stiled Mark-Graven from the old word Marken which signifies the outmost Marks or Limits of the Empire in the same sence as we use the word Marshes speaking of the bounds betwixt England and Scotland or Wales From the High Dutch Mark-Grave the Latins borrow'd their Marchio and Marggravius the Italians Marchese and the later Greeks their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 instead of our French Marquis and Marchioness Some Etymologists have endeavour'd to bring the Title of Mark-Grave from the old Francic word Mare sometimes written March signifying an Horse and these fancy there was no great difference formerly between the Titles and Offices of Marschal and Mark-Grave or Mar-Grave as they write it In the Feuds we read Qui de Marchia investitur Marchio dicitur Dicitur autem Marchia quia Marcha ut plurimum juxta mare sit posita Where what is said of the derivation of the word Marchio from Marcha is true but if by ut plurimum juxta Mare the Author means that the word Mare bears a part in the original of Mark-Grave or Marquise he is manifestly mistaken For altho the Marca Anconitana and Trevigiana in Italy as also the Marquisate of the Holy Empire in Brabant and the Marca Normanica and Britannica in France be adjoining to the Sea yet the Marquisates of Misnia Lusatia Brandenburg Moravia Austria Mountferrat and Susa in Savoy are inland Countries but had the name of Margrafchaften fixt on them because they were such Provinces as were the Limits or Frontiers of the German Kingdom When Marquises as well as Dukes and Counts began to multiply in the German Empire there were four of them who had the Title of Die vier hohen Mark-Graffen i. e. The four High or Chief Marquises These were they of Brandenburg Merhern or Moravia Meissen and Baden whose Territories are thence call'd die vier hohen Markgrafchaften i. e. The four Chief Marquisates In the Titles of Landtgrave and Burggrave the termination grave signifies the same thing as in Markgrave Landtgraven Landt in the German tongue signifies no more then a Province or Territory so that the word Landtgrave if literally translated must be render'd Comes Provincialis a Count that has supreme Government in some particular Province Landtherr was anciently a Title of the same signification and conferr'd upon the Lords of Verona who were of the Family de la Scala or the Scaligers of Mirandula Padua and Millain who were lookt upon as Princes equal in power and dignity to as many Counts Palatine The Germans usually reckon up four Landtgraves as well as four Dukes four Counts four Marquises and four of most other Dignities as most eminent in the Empire these are the Landtgraves of Thuringen Hessen Alsace and Luchtenburg of which the Landtgrave of Hessen is at this day a Prince of the greatest note The most ancient Creation of a Landtgrave which we meet with in History is that of Ludowic III. Count of Thuringen who by the Emperor Lotharius his Father-in-Law had his Title alter'd into Landtgrave of the same place in the year 1126. Sometimes we meet with the word Landtgrave made use of to signifie
of the German Empire But because there ought to be had a respect to the convenience of the several Princes and Estates as well as the Emperor himself therefore in the Capitulation sworn to by the present Emperor Leopold 't is expresly said Vnd sunderlich keinen Reichstag ausserhalb des Reichs Teutscher Nation auch ehe und bevor wir darzu umb der sieben Churfursten consens und verwilligung durch sonderbahre schickung angehalten und uns mit denselben so wohl der zeit al 's mahlstat vergleichen oder sie von selbsten des Reichs anliegen halber uns darumb unterthanig angelanget und erinnert vornehmen oder ausschreiben i. e. And especially no Diet without the bounds of the German Empire nor before by an express Ambassador we have obtain'd the consents of the seven Electors and consulted with them about the time as well as place of the Diet 's sitting or they themselves taking the public good of the Empire into consideration shall humbly desire Us to call such an Assembly At present the Diet is usually held at Ratisbon as a place of a convenient distance from the Courts of most of the Princes and other Estates of the Emprie As soon as any of the Estates â—â—ing Emâ—â—â— or their Ambassadors are come to the place appointed the first thing they do is to beg audience of the Emperor to whom they shew their Summons thank his Imperial Majesty for his gracious calling a Diet and promise their utmost endeavours in promoting the general good of the Empire in the following Assembly The Ambassadors are bound to give the Emperor an account of the reasons of their Masters absence according to an Order of the Diet to that purpose as appears from the Reichs Ascheide zu Trier und Colln A. D. 1621. § Es sollen auch die Churfursten c. This done they are to acquaint the Marshal of the Empire Count Papenheim with their arrival that he may be the better able to execute his Office which is to provide each man a lodging sutable to his Quality and to write down the names of every particular member Lastly they are to give in their names to the Chancellor's or Archbishop of Mentz's Office and there to shew their Credentials The proposal of every thing to be discussed in the Assembly belongs to the Emperor alone â—â—osals and not to the Estates or Members of the Diet. And altho in his Summons a particular day be always nominated for their Session yet 't is in the power of his Imperial Majesty to defer the proposal of any business for some time longer Insomuch that oftentimes the Estates to save charges have made a later appearance then was appointed in their Summons When the late Emperor Ferdinand III. had call'd a Diet at Ratisbon in the year 1654 three months were almost slipt over after the day appointed before any thing was proposed to the Assembled Members When at last the Emperor is pleased to make the States acquainted with their business the Vice-Marshal gives warning to every particular Member to attend his Imperial Majesty at such a set time At which time appointed the Electors and the rest give their attendance and wait on the Emperor to Church where public prayers are had for the happy success of all their consultations in settling the Affairs of the Empire Which done they all return to the grand Council Chamber where the Emperor in his Robes declares to the Estates the reasons why they are assembled and proposes to them the heads they are to treat of in the following Diet. The controversie about taking place in the Diets has been long since determined amongst the Electors by the Golden Bull â—â—ecedenâ—â— but the other Princes and Deputies for the Imperial Cities have continual quarrels at every meeting insomuch that sometimes the Diet is ready to break up in confusion and would doubtless often do it if some milder spirits then the rest did not compose the strife by yeilding their places to their Antagonists with a reserved protestation against making use of this single instance as a president for the future The order observed by the Electors in the Assembly is somewhat different from what it was before the Treaty of Munster upon the account of the Duke of Bavaria's being made one of the number At this day they seat themselves thus First the Elector of Mentz challenges the chief place and sits always in the middle On his right hand are placed the Electors of Treves and Colen by turns and after one of them the Bavarian and Brandenburgher On the left after one of the abovenamed Spiritual Electors the Duke of Saxony and Prince Palatine of the Rhine The Ambassadors of the Electors take the same place among themselves as if their Masters were personally present but if any one Elector appear in his own person the Ambassadors of all the rest yeild him the place tho perhaps he should have sat below all their Masters The Princes of the Empire divide themselves into two Benches Princes of the Empire Die Geistliche und Weltliche as they call them or the Spiritual and Secular In the Diets of the old Francic Kingdom the Bishops or Prelates and Secular Princes made two distinct and separate Bodies as they do to this day in Provincial Courts And the reason was the same because the Prelates used not to intermeddle with matters of State but concern'd themselves only in setling the affairs of the Church with which the Secular Princes were never concern'd But afterwards when the Bishops of Rome had removed the debate of all Ecclesiastical affairs from the German Assemblies to their own Courts the Prelates of the Empire appear'd no more in the public Diets as Bishops but as Temporal Princes such as had no Secular Jurisdiction being shut out of the Court. On the Spiritual Bench sit the Arch-Dukes of Austria and the Dukes of Burgundy who were permitted this honour because Princes tho Secular yet of a more then ordinary eminence in the Empire the Archbishops and Bishops that are not Electors several Abbots some of which had Princely Dignities conferr'd on them by Charles the Great and lastly the Master of the Teutonic Order The Lutheran Prelates were formerly wholly excluded from all appearance at any General Assembly of the Estates of the Empire against which hard usage their often repeated Protestations prov'd unsuccessful At last matters were so order'd in the Westphalian Treaty of Peace that they obtain'd a Seat in the Diets but not amongst the Roman Prelates nor the Secular Princes but on a Bench by themselves betwixt both the other But because the Archbishopric of Magdeburg by vertue of the said Treaty is turn'd into a Dukedom and the Bishoprics of Lubeck and Osnabrug into Secular Principalities by turns therefore at this day all the Reformed Princes excepting those that are Electors sit on the Secular Bench which is appointed for all Princes Counts and Barons of the Empire who
tell us of them contain as many incredible things as the most Romantic Popish Legends However the Saxon Commonalty have still their memories and names in great veneration and would as soon part with Christmas-day as St. Ansgar's which is the eighth of February out of their Almanacks St. Wilhad's day is kept on the eighth of November and St. Rembert's on the fourth of February 6. Rembert was succeeded by one Adelgar a Monk of Corbey of whom nothing is recorded worth the taking notice of 7. Hoyer who was elected into the Archbishop's See in the year 909 and dyed the year following The Bremen Chronicle reports that about an hundred and twenty years after his death his Grave was open'd where nothing was found but a Pillow which had been laid under his head and a Cross both fresh and uncorrupted Whereupon the Monks of Bremen concluded that his body was immediately after his death snatch'd up into Heaven 8. Reginward 9. Vnni who going to convert the Infidels in Sweden died at Birca in Gothland 10. Adaldag 11. Libentius an Italian 12. Vnwan call'd by some Wimar 13. Libentius II. 14. Hermannus 15. Bezeline 16. Albert Son of one of the Dukes of Bavaria 17. Liemar or Leimar a Bavarian Nobleman the fourteenth and last Arch-Bishop of Hamburg For when at the request of Eric King of Denmark the Pope had erected an Archbishops See at Lunden in Schonen the Bishops of Denmark Sweden and Norway were subjected to the Archbishop of Lunden and only Lubec Schwerin Lebus and Ratzenburg remain'd Suffragans to the Archbishop of Bremen who thereupon for ever quitted the Title of Archbishop of Hamburg 18. Humbert the first that ever stiled himself barely Archbishop of Bremen 19. Frideric 20. Adalbar 21. Hartwic 22. Baldwin whose successor some have made one Barthold but without any good authority 23. Sifrid Son to Albrecht Marquise of Brandenburg 24. Hartwic II. 25. Woldemar Duke and Bishop of Sleswic 26. Gerhard formerly Bishop of Osnabrug 27. Gerhard II. Earl of Lippe 28. Hildebold or Hildebrand Earl of Broch-hausen 29. Giselbert 30. Henry I. 31. Florentius de Brunchorst against whom appear'd Bernherd Earl of Wolpe whom some Historians make Archbishop instead of Florentius â—at lost the day 32. John Bishop of Lunden and Provost of Roschild in Denmark 33. Burchard 34. Otto Earl of Oldenburg and Delmenhorst 35. Gotfrid Earl of Arnsberg He had great quarrels with Maurice Earl of Oldenburg for the See which when he could not peaceably enjoy he resign'd to 36. Albrecht Duke of Brunswic chosen Archbishop in the life-time of his predecessor in the year 1359. 37. Otto II. 38. John II. 39. Nicolas Earl of Delmenhorst 40. Baldwin 41. Gerhard III. Earl of Hoga 42. Henry III. Earl of Schwartzburg 43. John III. 44. Christopher Duke of Brunswic and Lunenburg 45. Henry IV. Duke of Saxony Engeren Westphalia c. 46. John Adolph Duke of Holstein c. who after the death of his Father was Regent Duke of Holstein and thereupon quitted the See of Bremen in the year 1596 leaving the place to his Brother 47. John Frideric who was at the same time Bishop of Lubec and having enjoy'd the Archbishopric of Bremen for the space of thirty-eight years died in the Monastery near Buxtehude in the year 1634 and was buried in the Cathedral at Sleswic 48. The last Archbishop of Bremen was Frideric Duke of Holstein Son to Christian IV. King of Denmark and Father to the present Danish King Christian V. But before this Frideric came to the Crown of Denmark he had nothing left but the bare Title of an Archbishop For in the year 1644 the prevailing Forces of the Swedish King overran the Archbishopric of Bremen and Bishopric of Vehrden as they had before many other Provinces of the German Empire Afterwards in the Treaty of Munster it was agreed upon that ut satis fieret Serenissimae Reginae Sueciae pro locorum hoc bello captorum restitutione Pacique Publicae in Imperio restanrandae condignè prospiceretur as 't is worded in the Tenth Article of that Treaty amongst other places there mention'd the Archbishopric of Bremen and Bishopric of Vehrden should be for ever subject to the Kings of Sweden and annex'd to their own Territories and Dominions sub solitis quidem Insigniis sed titulo Ducatus And thus the Archbishopric was turn'd into a Dukedom which Title it still retains Whence the City of Bremen which gives name to the whole Dukedom is so call'd City of Bremen there are several different opinions amongst the Germans Writers some of which for the Reader 's diversion I shall hear repeat leaving it to himself to embrace any one or reject all as he shall see cause One tells us there was formerly a Ferry cross the Weser in the place where the great Bridg at Bremen now stands and therefore will have the City so call'd from the flat bottom'd Boats in the tongue of the Neder-Saxons nam'd Pramen wherewith they us'd to ferry over passengers Another fancies Bremen may be fetch'd from the abundance of Broom in their tongue Brame which grows in this Country M. Martinius a man of no contemptible parts and learning guesses that because the Land of Bremen is the outmost bounds of the German Empire towards the Ocean therefore the City was call'd ein Brame which word signifies properly the outmost seam or selvidge of a Garment To omit the impertinences of other Etymologists all agree in this that Ptolomy's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whence ever that word had its original is the same with Bremen Cluverius allowing of this opinion adds further Nec nomen omnino abhorret nam dempta priore syllaba reliquum BIRANVM satis aperta vestigia gerit vocabuli BREMEN Et quid scio annon apud Ptolomaeum M corruptum sit in N integrumque vocabulum fuerit FABIRAMVM Amongst the old rubbish of ancient German writers Antiquity and the small fragments of Antiquity which are at this day to be met with in that Country 't will be a difficult task to find out the first original of this City 'T is certain one great part of it which is known by the name of S. Stephani Statt is of a later foundation then the main body of the Town and another grand accession call'd Die New Statt or the New City has been added within these hundred years What time this City was first fortified we have no other account then in the general that the Cities of Saxony and in all probability Bremen amongst the rest were first wall'd round by the orders of Henry Duke of Saxony surnam'd Auceps or the Fowler about the year 1000. For this Prince had found by experience that his naked Towns were not able to withstand the fury and outrages of the Vandals who in those days miserably infested the Northern parts of the Empire All the modern Historians will inform us that the Suburbs of St. Nicolas which at this day make up a considerable part of the
Julius Cesar who questionless if we believe the more credible Roman Historians never saw this Country However that the story in the main is true and that the inhabitants of these parts did indeed worship an Image of the Moon is agreed on by all the Dutch Antiquaries altho they are at a loss to find out how their Ancestors came came by the Latin names of Lunus or Luna There are to this day several Rivers and Towns in this Dukedom and the Marquisate of Brandenburg which still retain the name of Lune The old Annals of the Cathedral Church at Vehrden say that this Idol which stood on the top of a mountain far from Luneburg call'd at this day Kalk-Berg from the abundance of Lime found there was first destroy'd by Egistus one of the seventy Disciples that first planted Christianity in the German Empire Yet afterwards when the inhabitants of these as well as many other parts of the Empire relaps'd into their ancient Idolatry the Image was again set up and worship'd until at last it was finally remov'd by Suibert not Wibert as some of their Historians write the word the first Bishop of Vehrden who in the same place where this Goddess's Temple stood built a splendid Monastery about the year 780 which was by him dedicated to St. Mary Cluverius tells us that the whole Country about Luneburg and Vltzen which is a City about twenty English miles distant from Luneburg towards the South was first inhabited by the Cathulci whom he guesses to have been a Province of the Cherusci whose Territories reach'd much farther up into the Empire The Dukedom of Luneburg is every-where full of large Woods and Forests many of which are noted in the Map abounding with all sorts of Deer wild Swine and other kinds of Venison Nature of the Sâ—il The most noted Forests wherein the Duke of Zell usually spends the hunting season of the year accompanied with several of the neighbouring Princes Counts and other Nobles of the Empire are Raarbroock die Roffkammer Grode Bergerwald Kralingerbroeck im Ringelow im Lewen and im Dromeling Another great part of the Country is taken up with vast Heaths and Wasts the largest of which known by the name of Die Lunenburgurgische Heyde lies on the West of the City Luneburg being a great share of the Dukedom for several German miles together wholly desart and uninhabited DVCATVS LVNEBVRGENIS Adiacentiumque regionum delineatio Apud Janssonio-Waesbergios Mosem Pitt et Stephanum Swart What kind of Government the ancient Saxons of which great Nation the present inhabitants of the Dukedoms of Brunswic and Luneburg are only two small branches were subject to 〈…〉 we have already given the Reader an account And in the same state of Anarchy and confusion they had probably to this day continued if the Emperor Charles the Great had not new modell'd their Government and made them sensible of the convenience of being constantly subject and obedient to some supreme Rulers and Magistrates But this he could never effect by Conquest or the Sword only Religion by degrees reduc'd them into a formal Commonwealth and the precepts of Christianity first taught them how to obey the Laws of Temporal as well as Spiritual Princes For the foremention'd Emperor having won over the greatest part of the Nation to the profession of the Christian Faith got several Bishoprics erected in many parts of the Land and perswaded the neighbourhood to pay Tithes and other Church duties to the Prelates he had set over these new Diocesses And this was the only Government known for some ages after in the Territories which now are known by the names of the Dukedoms of Brunswic and Luneburg For altho we read that the Emperor Lotharius made Ludolf great Grandchild to the famous Wittikind that encountred Charles the Great Duke of Saxony yet Crantzius is of opinion that neither this Ludolf nor his Successor Otho had any thing to do with the Lower Saxony but were only made Princes of Thuringen Meissen and some other Provinces of the Upper Saxony Indeed Wittikind an Author of great credit seems to assert the contrary telling us in the first Book of his History that Otho the first German Emperor of that name being advanced to the Imperial Throne left behind him one Herman a Baron's Son so the learned Meibomius proves him to have been tho most of the Dutch Historians say he was descended from much meaner Parentage whom he made his Lieutenant in these parts and to encourage him faithfully to discharge his Office settled several Lands and Tenements upon him and his Heirs for ever Soon after the said Emperor returning out of Italy where for some considerable time he had for weighty reasons been forc'd to keep his Residence was so well pleas'd with Herman's acquitting himself bravely of the Trust reposed in him that immediately he made him Duke of North Saxony containing all the Territories now subject to the Dukes of Luneburg and Lawenburg together with a great part of the Duke of Holstein's Dominions This hap'ned in the year of our Lord 966. By this means the great Dukedom came to be divided â—â—kedoms and a new Dukedom the Princes whereof however stiled themselves Dukes of Saxony erected out of it which was governed by Herman and his Successors Bruno Bernhard Artolf and Magnus The last of these died without any Heirs male tho not in the Emperor's Prison as some Historians have confidently reported but at home in his own House in the year 1106. Whereupon the Dukedom of the Lower Saxony was given by the Emperor Henry V. to Lotharius Baron of Querfurt After Lotharius's death Henry Duke of Bavaria surnam'd the Proud got possession of this Dukedom which he challeng'd upon a double account as having married Lotharius's Daughter and being himself the son of Wolfbilde Daughter to Duke Magnus Lotharius's predecessor But Albert surnam'd Vrsus Marquise of Brandenburg oppos'd him with so good success at first that he was forc'd to quit the City of Lunenburg and a great part of the adjoining Territories out of which nevertheless he made a shift to beat back Albert at last and so made himself Master of the whole Dukedom The pretensions which Albert had to this Dukedom were grounded upon his being Son to Duke Magnus's eldest Daughter Elicke whereas Henry was only descended from the younger and therefore had the worse Title if his Father-in-Law Lotharius's Right had prov'd insignificant This Henry left behind him one only Son Henry surnam'd the Lion a Prince of so great and fortunate undertakings in war that the German Chronicles are full of his exploits Some of the Dutch Historians tell us he extended his Dominions from the Rhine to the Elb others say from the Adriatic to the Baltic Sea a third sort go yet further and make him Lord of Holstein and a great part of Denmark Certain it is he was a victorious Prince and Ruler over more Provinces then any of his Successors could lay claim to
But his large Dukedom was broken in pieces by the Emperor as we had occasion to tell the Reader before and himself reduc'd from a great Duke of Saxony and Lord of all the neighbouring Territories to a mean and inconsiderable Duke of Brunswic and Luneburg Hitherto we have found the Dukedoms of Brunswic and Luneburg united and subject to one Prince Dukes of Lunenburg But upon the death of this Henry which hapned in the year 1195 they were divided For Henry the Lion had three Sons viz. Duke Henry who was afterwards made Prince Palatine of the Rhine Duke Otho who was advanced to the Imperial Throne and Duke William who succeeded his Father in the Territories of Luneburg but only stiled himself Dominus de Luneburg And indeed he had but little reason to take upon him any greater Title since his two Brothers were sharers with him in the Estate of his deceased Father For Otho took possession of the City and Country of Brunswic and Duke Henry seized upon Zell Bremen and Stade About the year 1213 Duke William dy'd and was succeeded by his only Son Otho who afterwards in the year 1235 was made Duke of Brunswic by the Emperor Frideric the Second's Diploma which is at this day to be seen in the Duke of Zell's Archives Duke William dying in the year 1252 left behind him two Sons Albert and John Albert kept all his Fathers Dominions in his own hands but at last resign'd the Dukedom of Luneburg to his Brother John Since that time the Dukedoms of Brunswic and Luneburg have been always reckon'd two distinct Principalities and usually subject to two different Princes After this division of the two Dukedoms Duke John governed the Dukedom of Luneburg about eight years and then dying in the year 1276 left his Estate to his Son Otho By the way we may take notice of a notorious Parachronism in Dr. Heylin's Cosmography wherein reckoning only the eight years Government of Duke John without mentioning any power enjoy'd by his Brother Albert in the Dukedom of Luneburg he brings Otho II. to the Dukedom in the year 1261 which is fifteen years exactly the time that Duke Albert kept possession of both his Father's Dukedoms before his Father's death Otho having reign'd 53 years and dying in the year 1330 left behind him two Sons Otho and William who were joint-Governors of the Dukedom of Luneburg for the space of four and twenty years After which upon the death of Duke Otho without any Heirs male William was the sole Governor for some small term of years But considering that upon the failure of issue from himself and his Brother the Line of Luneburg was like to be extinct he resolv'd during his life-time to chose himself a Successor Whereupon at first he pitcht upon Albert Duke of Saxony his Brother's Daughter's Son but afterwards changing his resolution he resign'd the Dukedom to Ludowic Duke of Brunswic who had married his eldest Daughter Mechtild Duke Ludowic having govern'd three years and dying without issue in the year 1358 was succeeded by Magnus surnam'd mit der ketten or Torquatus to whom the Luneburgers submitted themselves upon condition that he should protect them against all injuries offer'd them either by the Emperor Charles IV. or any of the Dukes of Saxony Soon after Torquatus upon his Father's death got possession of the Territories of Brunswic and so both Dukedoms were once more united But notwithstanding the great confidence they repos'd in their new Prince and the vast pormises he made them Albert Duke of Saxony assisted by the foremention'd Emperor Charles the fourth in pursuance of his Right as being descended from the elder Brother's Daughter by force recover'd the Dukedom of Luneburg in the year 1372 and enjoy'd it fourteen years After his death there were great wars betwixt the Houses of Brunswic and Saxony each of them laying claim to and contending for this Dukedom At last in the year 1388 Bernhard Duke Magnus's Son obtain'd the Government But soon after Frideric Duke of Brunswic being slain in his return from Francfurt where he was newly chosen Emperor Bernhard was remov'd to Brunswic and the Dukedom of Luneburg given to his Nephew Henry who before had some share with him in the Government Henry having been sole Duke of Luneburg for the space of sixteen years dyed A. D. 1416. and was succeeded by his Son William who within a while after falling out with his Cousin Otho Duke Bernhard's Son made several incursions into the Dukedom of Brunswic many of the most considerable Cities whereof he laid siege to and took Some while after the quarrels betwixt the two Dukes were composed upon this condition that they should change Dukedoms which was accordingly done in the year 1428 and so Otho was made Duke of Luneburg and William removed to Brunswic Otho's Brother Duke Frideric succeeded him tho Dr. Heylin makes him his Predecessor in the Dukedom of Luneburg and having govern'd about fourteen years quitted the Dukedom and shut himself up in a Monastery at Zell in the year 1459. Hereupon the Government was committed to his two Sons Bernhard and Otho the former of which dyed within five years and the latter surving about seven years left behind him only one young Son about three years old This forced the old Duke Frideric in his extreme dotage to reassume the Government till his Grandchild should come to maturity he mannaged the Affairs of his Dukedom for seven years longer dying in the year 1478. The young Duke Henry being not above ten years of age at his Grandfather's death was assisted in the Government by his mother for some years Ten years before his death which hapned in the year 1532 he setled the Dukedom upon his three Sons Otho Ernest and Francis The first of these preferring a retired life to the state and grandeur of a Dukedom resign'd his Right to his Brother Ernestus during his Father's life demanding only a certain annual stipend sufficient for the maintenance of himself and a small family This Ernest together with his Brother Francis who shared with him in the Government till the year 1539 but was afterwards put off with the Lordship of Giffhorn and Monastery of Isenhagen brought in the Reform'd Religion in the year 1530. He died in the year 1546 and was succeeded by his Son Francis Otho who having govern'd about thirteen years dyed without Issue male and left the Dukedom to his two Brothers Henry and William These two rul'd peaceably together for the space of ten years but afterwards they separated themselves and agreed that William should have the sole government of the Dukedom of Luneburg and Duke Henry be content with the Revenues of the Lordship of Dannenberg and Monastery of Scharnebeck to which were afterwards added the Lordships of Hitzaker Luchau and Warbke In the year 1592 Duke William died and was succeeded by his Son Ernest who kept the Dukedom of Luneburg till the year 1611. In which he left it to
his Brother Christian Elect Bishop of the Diocess of Minden This brave Prince govern'd the Dukedom in great peace and prosperity two and twenty years and enlarg'd it with the Principality of Grubenhagen After his decease in the year 1633 the Dukedome of Luneburg fell to his Brother Augustus Elect Bishop of Ratzeburg upon which incomparable Prince of whom the Reader may expect a larger account in the description of the Dukedom of Brunswic descended not long after by the death of Frideric Vlric the Dukedom of Brunswic Whereupon the Dukedom of Luneburg was given to Duke George Lieutenant General of all the forces of the Lower Saxony in the year 1636. He left four Sons whereof the eldest Christian Ludowic for some years govern'd the Luneburgers paying each of his younger Brethren an annual stipend of 12000 Ric-dollars Upon his death the second Brother George William succeeded in the Government and kept as he doth to this day his Residence in his Brothers Palace at Zell By the Treaty of Hildesheim the Dukedoms of Calenberg and Grubenhage were assign'd over to the third Brother John Frideric who kept his Residence at Hannover in much greater state then his Brother at Zell These and all other Territories subject to the late Duke of Hannover are now in the possession of the youngest Brother Ernest Augustus who by the Treaty of Munster was made Bishop of Osnabrug and is now upon the death of his Brother John Frideric this last year 1680 Duke of Hannover He married the Lady Sophia youngest Sister to our Prince Rupert of whom this character is usually given that she is the most accomplish'd Princess in Europe by whom he hath three Sons and a Daughter Chief Cities and other places of greatest note in this Dukedom are FIrst Luneburg LUNEBURG We have already given the Reader an account of the most probable opinion about the original of the name of this City and but little more can be sai concerning its first Founders and those that fortified it The story of Julius Cesar's laying the first foundation of a City in this place is at best incredible and groundless There 's hardly an ancient City in Europe which does not pretend to some venerable piece or other of Julius's Architecture which tho ordinarily admir'd by the vulgar yet is contemn'd and laugh'd at by men of sence and knowing Antiquaries The best testimony of its age I can meet with is Dithmarus Mersburgensis's mentioning Luinberg by the name of Civitas in speaking of an Earthquake which hapned in the days of the Emperor Henry II. But 't is easie to observe how the Historians of those times were wont to compliment any mean Village with the title of Civitas Yet Lambertus Schafnaburgensis an Author of almost as great antiquity as the former in his account of the transactions of the year 1073. gives this character of Luneburg that 't was then Oppidum maximum Ottonis Ducis Saxoniae situm in confinio Saxonum Luticiorum At present the Town contains about two English miles in circumference being not built in exact square but rather an oblong figure The Streets are broad and most of the Houses tolerably well built Over against the Town-hall which is a neat and compact piece of building stands the Duke's Palace where the Duke of Zell and his Family are lodg'd when he has a mind to reside at Luneburg The chief Trade of the Town is in Salt which the Citizens make in great abundance out of certain pits of salt water which spring within the walls Their Salt-houses are fenc'd round and continually guarded as being the main support of the City These bring in the Duke a considerable yearly Revenue and besides provision is hereby made for a great number of poor labouring men who might otherwise starve for want of employment II. Bardewic BARDEWICK At this day a Village within a mile of Luneburg but anciently a strong and populous City Some Authors fancy it to have been the first City in Saxony And so questionless it was if it be true as they pretend to be able to demonstrate that it was built 990 years before Christ Over the door of the Cathedral which is now the only Church left of nine are wrote in an old Gothic character these hobling verses Abram dum natus mox Treveris incipit ortus Hinc annis Barduic mille sex X quoque quinque Post Barduic Roma duo C cum quinque triginta M C post Nat. junctis octaginta novemque Dum Brunsvicensis Henricus Leo dictus Simonis in festo Barduic subvertit ab alto Meibomius a learned Antiquary whom we have already had occasion often to mention has taken great pains to pick up out of these Rithms and all other Monuments of note about this Town a large account of the Antiquity of the place The name he imagines contrary to the humour of some other Historians who speak of Bardo a Knight Errant of old and Founder of Bardewic derived from the Bardi a Northern people who wandring a great many years up and down Saxony and the neighbouring Countries at last fix'd themselves in this place Whether these Bardi may not have been a Tribe of such Poets as Mr. Cambden and some other of our Antiquaries says gave name to Bardsey one of our British Islands I shall leave to the Reader 's judgment since every Historian that mentions the Bards will tell us that they were the Genealogists amongst the Gauls an undoubted branch of the German Nation as well as the Britains The Verses before-mention'd will inform us that this great City was destroy'd by Duke Henry surnam'd the Lion on St. Simon and Jude's day in the year 1189. Since that time it has never been able to recover its glory and is now remarkable for nothing but a College of Eight Residentiary Canons and some few Vicars III. ULTZEN A neat uniform little Town Vltren about the middle way betwixt Lunenburg and Zell 'T was anciently call'd Lawenwald i. e. Lion-Forest as appears from several of its old Records and an inscription to this day legible on the North-side of the Town-hall And from this its old name the Arms or Rebus rather of the Town are still a Lion Passant Azure in a Field Verd betwixt Three Trees of the Second The modern name Vltzen it had from the neighbouring Monastery of Olden-Stadt which as is evident from several ancient Writings bearing date A. D. 1255 and 1338 was formerly call'd Old-Vlssen On the twentieth of September in the year 1646 this City was miserably destroy'd by a fire which in a very short time burnt down the fairest and richest part of it This blow it has hardly yet so well recover'd as to be entirely rebuilt but however the most considerable streets and places of consequence are very much advanc'd by it and the new buildings are every-where more regular and splendid then the former The Citizens have a Tradition among them that the first English Saxons
that came over into Britain were sent from hence and they tell us farther that in remembrance of the good success they had met with in our Island some of them returning hung up a gilt Ship of Tin in the Market-place which was to be seen here before the fire above mention'd IV. ZELL Zell This City famous for the usual Residence of the Dukes of Luneburg on a sandy level at the confluence of two small Rivers the Aller and Fuhse about ten German miles distant from Luneburg six from Brunswic ten from Bremen and thirteen from Hamburg The word Zell in the language of some of the Lower Saxons signifies the same with the High Dutch Kellar or our English word Cellar but for what reason the Town should have this name given it I cannot determine In an old Parchment Deed bearing date A. D. 1236 which to this day may be seen in the Duke of Zell's Archives whereby Sigefride Count of Osterburg makes over a great part of this Country to Otho Duke of Brunswic and Luneburg we read ministeriales suos Tselle usque Breman And another Indenture made between Henry's surnam'd the Lion Sons dated A. D. 1203 and still to be seen in the same place mentions this Town by the aforesaid name Higher then these times its Antiquity cannot be traced and whether 't was in those days a City wall'd Town or only a bare Castle we know not The Duke's Palace as it now stands being a square piece of building moted round and beautified with a great many pleasant Gardens Orchards Grotto's c. was first built by Henry Duke of Brunswic and Lunenburg and Ann born Countess of Nassaw his mother in the year 1485. In this Palace are held the chief Courts of Judicature for the Dukedom of Luneburg V. Walstrode WALSTRODE or Walo's-Cross At first only a Monastery built by one Walo a Prince of Anhalt in the year 986 but afterwards advanc'd into a considerable Town Walo's Statue is still to be seen in the Church with this inscription on its pedestal Illustris Princeps Walo de Anholt Comes in Aschania c Dominus in Berneborch est fundator hujus Monasterii It is situate in a very pleasant Valley encompass'd on every side with Mountains and Woods The chief trade of of the inhabitants consists in Honey Wax Wool and Beer Harborch Winsen Gifhorn notable for a strong Palace belonging to the Duke of Lunenburg with some other places of the like value are only just considerable enough to merit a distinct character in the Map from poor Villages but have nothing in them so remarkable as to deserve a a particular description The truth is the greatest part of the Dukedom of Luneburg is a poor and barren Country and its inhabitants are scarce any where so rich as that they need to wall in their Towns or be afraid of the invasion of an Enemy The most notable places in the Counties of Diepholt Hoye and Schawenburg subject to the Dukes of Luneburg the Reader will find describ'd in the next Volume when we come to treat of all the little Provinces which are usually comprehended under the general name of Westphalia MEKLENBVRG DVCATVS Auctore Ioanne Laurenbergio Sumptiê° Janssonio-Waesbergiorum Mosis Pitt et Stephan Swart THE DUKEDOM OF MECKLENBURG ALTHO at this day Geographers can hardly meet with any such place as Mecklenburg from whence this Dukedom should have its name yet the German Historians will inform us that the small Village not far from Wismar which still bears that name was anciently a large and populous City And some of their Antiquaries pretend to be able to shew us its Rudera near this place for some miles in compass J. Peters in his Chronicle of the Dukes of Holstein tells us that this Village is the ruins of a very ancient City which says he was built above three hundred years before Christ by Anthyrius the first Duke of the Heruli or Mecklenburgers But we know what kind of credit to give to such Romantic Chronologers as this who impertinently pretends to trace the Annals of his Country thro those dark days of ignorance wherein he must necessarily lose himself and truth Cluverius and Bertius are exceedingly displeas'd with that universal humour of Latin who mention this Country of rendring Mecklenburg by Megalopolis or Megapolis and the Mecklenburgers by Megapolitani Such Etymologists as these says Cluver are but Novices in the German tongue For the word Mecklenburg is not as they imagin deriv'd from the old Saxon word Micle or Mickel ordinarily met with in our ancient English-Saxon Monuments and still used in some parts of England but from the Dutch Verb Mecklen whence Meckler which in the language of all the Northern Germans that inhabit the Sea-Coasts signifies as much as Proxineta Pararius a Broker so that Mecklenburg had not its name as Megalopolis in Arcadia from the vastness of its extent altho Lindebergius reports it to have been above eight English miles in length and twenty in circumference but from the great resort of Merchants to this place For being the Metropolis of these parts and the Seat as 't is suppos'd of Bilunaus Misilaus Mistevus Pribislaus and several other Kings and Princes of the Vandals we may reasonably conclude that all foreign Merchants who probably were not very numerous that traded in this part of Germany kept their Factors and Brokers at this City The whole Dukedom of Mecklenburg subject to the two Dukes of Gustrow and Swerin is bounded on the East with the Dukedom of Pomeren on the North with the Baltic Sea Bounds on the West with some part of the Dukedoms of Holstein and Saxon-Lauwenburg and on the South with the Marquisate of Brandenburg The Country has more in it of profit then pleasure Commodities being plentifully stock'd with all sorts of Corn and Fruits especially Apples and well stor'd with Fowl and Fish but situate in an air very unwholsom in the Summer and intolerably sharp and cold in the Winter Besides the advantage of the Baltic Sea and a great number of Rivers every-where to be met with in this Dukedom their Lakes many of which are very large afford them good store of all manner of fresh Fish Insomuch that at the Marriage-feast of Henry Duke of Mecklenburg-Swerin with Helen Daughter to the Elector Palatine were serv'd up to the Table five thousand Breams all of which were fresh and newly taken out of the great Lake near Swerin Some Romantic Genealogists have endeavour'd to bring down the Line of the Dukes of Mecklenburg from some of Alexander the Great 's Generals Government The first original of which fancy sprung from the Duke of Mecklenburg's bearing an Horse's Head which these Heralds are pleas'd to call the Head of Bucephalus in their Eschutceons And indeed the generality of German Antiquaries fetth their pedigree from Anthyrius the foremention'd Founder of the City of Mecklenburg whom they unanimously report to have liv'd in the days of
the name of the Dukedom of Bremen The name of this City is fetcht by some from one Luba a famous Fisherman that heretofore pitcht his Tents upon the Sea-shore in the same place where afterwards the great City of Lubec was built But this fiction is of the same stamp with the frivolous Etymologies with which some of our English Historians have furnish'd us of Britain from Brutus and London from King Lud. Others tell us that Lubec in the old Wendish tongue signifies a Crown and therefore would perswade us that this Town had its name from the preeminence which immediately after its first foundation it might justly challenge amongst the other Cities of Germany Whence Lindebergius alluding to this Etymology concludes his Elogium in the praise of Lubec with this Distich Et decus Europae lumen sit totius Ansae Et sit Vandalici pulchra Corona soli But the most probable opinion is what we have before mention'd that the name is truly High-Dutch and signifies no more than Lob-eck or ein eck des lobes a corner of Land for upon such a plot of ground 't is situate commendable for something or other in it extraordinary and notable The Polish Historians particularly J. Ludowic Decius in his History of Sigismund II. King of Poland are very zealous in asserting that this great City owes its birth to the Princes of their Country who having made themselves Masters of all this part of Germany built a Fort and in some short time after a wall'd Town in that neck of land upon which Lubec stands But the Germans as vigorously oppose this assertion affirming that Godschalck a certain King of the Vandals laid the first foundation of the Town A. D. 1040 which small beginnings were enlarg'd into the bulk of a considerable City by Crito a Prince of Rugen in the year 1104 or as others 1087. But however this is certain that it was never a City nor had any Charter confirm'd to it before it had been once utterly ruin'd and laid desolate by Ratzo Prince of Rugen in the year 1134 and rebuilt by Adolph II. Earl of Holstein A. D. 1140 who being unable to defend any part of his Territories against the victorious Duke of Saxony and Bavaria Henry II. surnam'd the Lion was forc'd to yeild up to him Lubec amongst the other conquer'd parts of his Dominions Afterwards when success and pride had swell'd Henry to that height as to make him neglect his duty and allegiance to the Emperor Frideric Barbarossa and to side with the Pope in a quarrel against him he was by the said Emperor publicly proscrib'd and devour'd by the joint forces of his neighbour Princes every one laying hold of that part of his Estates which lay next him In this confusion Lubec was besieg'd and taken by the Emperor himself but after his death restor'd to the foremention'd Duke Henry Afterwards it was conquer'd by Waldemar Duke of Sleswic and Brother to Canutus King of Denmark But not long after the Citizens finding themselves too severely treated by their Danish Lords put their City under the protection of the Emperor Frideric II. who granted them several priviledges and immunities and restor'd them to the ancient Liberties which they had enjoy'd under their first Masters Since that time Lubec has continued an Imperial City being always reckon'd one of the chief in the Empire and the Metropolis of the Hans-Towns The Bishopric of Lubec which since John Adolph Duke of Holstein was elected Bishop of that See in the year 1596 has always been in the possession of some of the younger Brothers of that House was first founded by the Emperor Otho I. at Oldenburg in Wagerland and afterwards removed hither with the permission of the Emperor Frideric I. by Henry the Lion Duke of Saxony in the year 1163. There is not any City in the Northern parts of the German Empire which at this day excels or perhaps can equalize Lubec either in beauty or uniformity of its Buildings or pleasantness of its Gardens and Groves The Streets are generally strait and even the Houses being all built with Brick and cover'd with Tyles In the year 1238 a great fire hap'ning in the City burnt down many of their Streets which at that time consisted of Houses made of Timber and cover'd with Thatch whereupon the Senators of the City made an Order that thenceforward no such Houses should be built within the walls of the Town From the public Conduit they have water convey'd by pipes into every Citizen's private House according to which pattern the Conduits in London and other great Cities in Europe were first contrived The Streets are in several places graced with rows of Linden Trees planted on each side The Churches about twenty in number are generally well built and adorn'd with high Steeples or Spires especially the Cathedral dedicate to St. Mary which is a piece of as curious Architecture as most in Germany The River Trave on which Lubec is seated about eight or ten English miles from the Sea is large and deep enough to carry the largest Vessels that sail upon the Baltic So that daily Merchant-men of the greatest bulk as well as flat bottom'd Barges are brought up to the Walls of the City which with its neighbour Hamburg is thought to maintain near six hundred Vessels in continual traffick The City is govern'd by twelve Burgo-masters who are all of them either Doctors of Civil Law or some of the grave and experienc'd Nobility of the City The Common Council is made up of half Lawyers and Nobles and the other half Merchants Their Laws will not permit any Handicrafts-man two Brothers nor Father and Son to be of this great Council of the City supposing that illiterate Mechanics can hardly have so much skill in State-affairs as will render them fit for Government and that near Relations will be apt to side with one another and not act with such unbyass'd judgments as others that are nothing akin II. WISMAR Wismar Seated in the way betwixt Lubec and Rostoc at an equal distance namely seven German or one and twenty English miles from both those Cities Cromer and Vapovius zealous assertors of the honour of their Country derive the name of this City from one Wissimir its founder who they tell us was a Polish Prince descended from their Great Duke Lechus The grounds of their story they borrow from Saxo Grammaticus and Crantzius who report that Wissimirus a Prince of the Vandals march'd with a good Army into Denmark and there slew Siward King of the Danes and at his return built Wismar Now these men imagining that Princeps Vandalicus and Vendicus signifie the same thing conclude presently that this Wissimir must certainly have been a Pole and then the greatest honour they can do him is to bring him from the Loins of Lechus Whereas granting the main part of Crantzius's story which nevertheless is undoubtedly false that Wismar was indeed built by such a Prince as
D. 1066 was martyred by the Wendish Apostates in these parts After his cruel and inhumane death for his murderers are reported to have cut of his hands and feet and in that miserable condition to have left him alive for some days the Seat was vacant for 83 or 84 years until Eberhard was sent hither by the Emperour Conrad III in the year 1260. This mans successour Bruno Berno or Benno was removed from Mecklenburg to Swerin when Henry the Lion by the permission of the Emperor Frederick the First had built a new Cathedral and endowed it with considerable revenues Some of the Mecklenburgish Historians report that much about the time of the foundation of this new Cathedral the said Duke Henry caused the Infidel Mecklenburgers to be driven by thousands into the Swerin-Sea at a place not far from Fichel which from so remarkable a passage to this day retains the name of Die Dope or the Font where they were all baptized by Bishop Benno From this Benno there continued an uninterrupted succession of Bishops of Swerin who nevertheless kept their usual residence at Butzow a Fort and considerable Town not far from Gustrow until in the Treaty of Munster the Bishoprick was converted into a Temporal Principality and given up to Adolph Frideric Duke of Mecklenburg as before hath been said In this City is kept the Residence of Christian-Lewis Duke of Mecklenburg Swerin who was born the first of December 1623 and by being educated in France and under the protection of Romanists was brought up in the faith of the Church of Rome which he still professes He married at first his Cousin German Christina-Margaret daughter of John Albert Duke of Mecklenburg and widow of Francis Albert Duke of Saxen-Lawenburg But having upon some discontent got himself divorced from her he was the second time married in France A. D. 1653 to Elizabeth de Montmorency widow of Gaspard de Coligny Duke of Chastillon and Sister to Francis-Henry de Montmorency Duke of Luxemburg Piney V. GUSTROW A well fortified Town Gustrow about eighteen or twenty English miles distant from Rostock but remarkable for little or nothing save the residence of Gustave-Adolph Duke of Mecklenburg-Gustrow only son of John Albert Duke of Mecklenburg and Eleonor-Mary Princess of Anhalt He was born the six and twentieth of February A. D. 1633 and bred up a Lutheran of which perswasion he still continues a zealous assertor being a Prince of as great Learning as Gallantry and equally able to maintain his Religion in the Schools and Field THE DUKEDOM OF POMEREN IT matters not much whether we fetch the word Pomeren out of the High-Dutch or Slavonian Language since Pomeer in the former signifies the same thing as Pomercze in the latter i. e. A Country situate upon the Sea-shore such as the Dukedom of Pomeren is known to be That the Slavonian tongue was once commonly spoken in this Country appears from the termination of several names of great Towns in this Dukedom as Bugslaw Wratislaw Witslaw c. And Historians will inform us that the whole land was many years subject to the Princes of Poland and first annexed to the Empire of Germany by the Emperor Frideric Barbarossa The whole Tract of Land which was antiently comprised under the general name of Pomeren or Pomerland was of a much larger extent then the present Dukedom 〈◊〉 taking in Eastward all Casubia and Pomerellia But afterwards this vast Countrey was by the Princes of Back-Pomerland for by this name 't was antiently distinguished from the present Dukedom of Pomeren which in those days was called Fore-Pomerland was given up into the hands of the Princes of Poland in whose possession it has ever since continued Towards the South a great part of the Marquisate of Brandenburg was formerly subject to the Dukes of Pomeren For first in the Vcker Marck not only Prentzlow Angermund Aderberg Schweet and Vierraden but also Stargard and Friedland were both subject to that Duke until the whole Vcker-Marck was given to John I Elector of Brandenburg by Barminus I Duke of Pomeren for a portion with his Daughter And tho Prentzlow with the adjoyning Territories was afterwards wrested out of the hands of the Brandenburgers yet they could not long keep their hold but were forced to resign back their Conquests The Mecklenburgers made themselves masters of Friedland and having once taken possession could never be beaten out Again on the other side of the Oder the greatest share of the New-Marck was under the Duke of Pomeren's Dominion as part of the Dukedom of Stetin Westward Pomeren reached as far as the Warna and Rostock was almost the outmost bounds of the Dukedom of Mecklenburg Lastly the Territories of the Dukes of Pomeren reached much farther Northwards into the Baltic Sea which by degrees swallowed up a good part of their Dominions The Isle of Rugen as we shall have occasion to shew anon is thought to be scarce half so large as it was formerly and some whole Islands in the Baltic are at this day covered with the Waves which antient Historians mention as habitable Countreys So that Pomeren though at this day only a small Dukedom nay indeed no more then an inconsiderable part of the Marquisate of Brandenburg yet might antiently have passed for a Kingdom and its Dukes have vyed Territories with most of the great Monarchs of Europe At present the Countrey which bears the name of the Dukedom of Pomeren is a long and narrow tract of Land Division extending it self from East to West along the Baltic Shore which is usually divided into the Provinces of Stetin and Wolgast and the Bishopric of Cosslin In the Province of Stetin are reckoned the Cities of Old Stetin Stargard Stolpe Greiffenberg Treptow upon the Rega Rugenwald Pyritz Schlawe Golnow Gartz Wollin Camin Belgarten New Stetin Sam Zanew and Pohlitz together with the forts of Sazigk Zachan Jacobs-hagen Fridrichwald c. To which were fomerly added the Lordships of Lauenburg and Butou both which upon the death of Bugislaus the last Duke of Pomeren were annexed to the Crown of Poland The Province of Wolgast contains in it the Cities of Stralsund Gripswald Anklam Demin Pasewalk Greiffenhagen Wolgast Barth Trubsees Grimmon Damgarten Vckermvnd Loytz Gutzkow Franckenburg Richtenberg Lassen and New Warp with the forts of Weissen Klempenau Lindenberg and Torgelou Within the compass of the same Province are usually comprised the Isles of Rugen Vsedom and some others upon these Coasts There are every where almost large and navigable Rivers in Pomeren Rivers and Lakes by the advantage of which the Inhabitants are not only enabled to export the Commodities of their own Countrey and furnish themselves with the fruits and good things of their Neighbours but also have a great convenience of fortifying their Cities and securing them against the Incursions of any foreign Enemy Such as these are 1. The Rekenitz which separates this Countrey from the Dukedom of Mecklenburg making a kind
Wartislaus The former seated himself in Pomerellia and retain'd the language and manners of his Countrymen the Slavonians the later was made Lord of the Lower Pomeren bordering upon the Dukedom of Mecklenburg and shortly after conform'd himself to the Laws and Language of the Saxons his neighbours Whereupon this part of his Father's Territories began to be reckon'd a part of the German Empire and Bugislaus and Casimir Wartislaus's Sons receiv'd the Title of Dukes of Pomeren and Princes of the Roman Empire from the Emperor Frideric Barbarossa This Dukedom was afterwards in the year 1217 parted betwixt Bugislaus and Otho two Brothers from whom sprang the two Houses of Wolgast and Stetin which continued near two hundred years But the House of Stetin failing A.D. 1464 upon the death of Otho the third that part of the Estate was conferr'd upon Frideric the second Marquise and Elector of Brandenburg by the Emperor Frideric the third This the Dukes of Pomeren-Wolgast look'd upon as a notorious piece of injustice to their Family and therefore were resolv'd to oppose with all imaginable vigor the Elector's pretensions At last the Quarrel was composed between the two Houses of Pomeren and Brandenburg upon these conditions That both of them should retain the Arms and Title of Dukes of Pomeren But the Possession and Revenues of all Territories comprised under that name should be yeilded up to the Dukes of Wolgast And that upon the failing of their Issue male it should descend upon the Heirs of the House of Brandenburg Accordingly upon the death of Bugislaus the fourteenth who dyed without issue in the year 1637 the late Elector of Brandenburg George-William put in his claim to the Estate But the Swedes having under pretence of assisting Duke Bugislaus against the Imperialists in the Civil Wars of Germany made themselves Masters of all the strong places in the Country could not be perswaded to part with a Maritime Province which lay so convenient for them And therefore as Conquerors use to prescribe Laws with far less regard to justice then their own interests they would not yeild to the conclusion of any Peace at the Treaty of Munster before it was agreed That all the Lower Pomeren with the Isles of Rugen and Wollin and the Town of Stetin should from thenceforward be annex'd to the Crown of Sweden and the Upper Pomeren only be enjoy'd by the House of Brandenburg and that no longer then the male issue of that Family lasted upon the failure whereof it also was to be added to the King of Sweden's Dominions and in the mean time both Princes were to enjoy the Titles and bear the Arms of the Dukes of Pomeren But because for the common peace of the Empire and in compliance to the peremptory demands of the Queen of Sweden's Ministers the Elector had in this Agreement quitted the Title to a good part of his Inheritance 't was further concluded That his losses should be recompenc'd by the addition of the Bishopricks of Halberstadt and Minden converted into Temporal Principalities to the Marquisate of Brandenburg to which was also added the Reversion of the Archbishopric of Magdeburg which after the death of the then Incumbent Administrator Augustus Duke of Saxony was to descend upon him and his Heirs Now altho the Elector may seem to have gain'd by this bargain since the Lower Pomeren which he has quitted to the Swedes will not doubtless yeild so good a Revenue as the Principalities of Magdeburg Halberstadt and Minden yet there is no question but upon examination we shall find reason to believe that he had rather have the entire Dukedom of Pomeren restored then three more such inland Provinces bestow'd on him Since by this means he would have the opportunity of making himself considerable at Sea and be freed from the inconveniences of having a potent neighbour who keeps him in perpetual Jealousies Upon these considerations the States of the Empire have thought fit to make a further reparation of his damages by allowing him Voices in their Assemblies as Duke of Pomeren and Magdeburg and as Prince of Halberstadt and Minden And because formerly the Archbishops of Magdeburg and Bremen took their turns in the Direction of the Circle of the Lower Saxony they have agreed that the Elector of Brandenburg should alternate with the King of Sweden who enjoys the ancient Archbishoprick of Bremen under the same Title as the said Duke does that of Magdeburg in the same quality After the Ratification of this Treaty at Munster the Swedes quietly enjoy'd the Lower Pomeren according to the tenure of the Articles aforesaid until in these late wars the united forces of the Danes and Brandenburgers not without great difficulty and much bloodshed over-powred them and siezed on all the Lower Pomeren together with the Isle of Rugen and the City of Stetin But of this we shall have occasion to say more in the following Descriptions of particular Cities Chief Cities in the Vpper POMEREN I. Stetin STETIN This has ever been reckon'd the Metropolis of all Pomeren and Stralsund only the chief Town in the Principality of Rugen By whom or when it was first built cannot easily be determin'd and 't is to no purpose to trouble the Reader with the idle conjectures of illiterate Historians who pretend to fetch its genealogy from a warlike Nation whom they call Sidini that before the building of Towns or Houses came in fashion in these parts of the world kept their usual Rendezvous in the place where Stetin now stands However 't is more commendable for the improvements it has receiv'd in the beauty of its buildings and number of inhabitants within the memory of its own Records then any Antiquity it can boast of altho as we have said it is beyond the skill of the ablest Antiquary to find out its original About four hundred years ago Stetin was built of a quite different figure from what it has at this day the Church of St. Peter which now stands without the walls being plac'd in the very middle of the Town The convenient and pleasant situation it now has on the rising of a small hill its regular fortifications beauty and strength it owes to the Saxons who by permission of some of the Dukes of Stetin came hither to reform the barbarous manners and language of their then Wendish Subjects By this means trading was advanc'd and the number of the inhabitants multiplied so exceedingly that some Writers who give us a description of this City in its modern condition represent it as a place where more people inhabit under ground then above it intimating that the Town is so populous that a great number of its Citizens are forc'd to live in Cellars and Vaults The Castle formerly the Palace of the Dukes of Stetin and now the usual Residence of the Swedish Governor is a Pile of building which excels perhaps any piece of Architecture in these parts of Europe and may vy with most of its kind in
Pomeren with which Dukedom after the failure of that Line it should have been annex'd to the Marquisate of Brandenburg but as hath been before noted in consideration of the signal favours the King of Sweden had done the Protestant party in the Civil Wars of Germany the Princes concern'd in the Westphalian Treaty thought fit to annex the Lower Pomeren to the Dominions of that King and as a part of this Dukedom the Isle of Rugen was thrown into the bargain Afterwards the King of Denmark Frideric III. began to revive some ancient pretensions of some of his Ancestors to the Principality of Rugen but the ensuing wars betwixt him and the Crown of Sweden of which we have given the Reader some account in the Description of Denmark put an end as 't was thought to these pretensions For the said Frideric in the Treaty of Roschild made between the two Northern Crowns in the year 1658 disclaim'd all right and title to the Isle of Rugen However notwithstanding the promises and protestations made in that Treaty the present King of Denmark shew'd that Contracts made between great Princes and Commonwealths are no longer obligatory then consistent with the intrigues of State For hearing that the Elector of Brandenburg had besieged Stetin and that Count Koningsmarck the valiant Swedish Governor of Rugen had thereupon drawn the greatest part of his forces into Pomeren leaving the Island of Rugen to be defended by a small company of about fifty Horse he immediately ship'd six thousand Soldiers intending with them to surprize the deserted Island and regain it into his own possession But the weather not favouring this design the Danish Forces were kept off at Sea by contrary winds till that small Garrison which kept the Isle was alarm'd and had time to give notice to the General who nevertheless could not arrive with the rest of his Army before the enemy had made themselves Masters of Jasmund However after one brisk engagement with the Count 's left Wing the Danes were forc'd to fly in great disorder leaving six hundred of their Companions dead in the field and two thousand five hundred more taken prisoners The rest retreated confused into Wittow where they were beset with the Swedes who slew took prisoners and plunder'd as many of them as they pleased In this Victory the Swedes are said to have taken from the Danes besides an incredible number of prisoners six and twenty Standards sixteen Field-pieces five Mortar-pieces and thirty thousand Rixdollars in money Yet this unhappy overthrow was not sufficient to discourage the brave King Christian from a second adventure and the drawing back his Arm after this defeat seem'd only intended to fetch the greater blow For having doubled his Forces in the year following 1678 he fell upon the Rugians with that irresistable strength and courage which obliged them to resign up the whole Island upon his own terms And it might to this day have been at his devotion had not the French King struck in as Mediator betwixt the Northern Crowns in the alte Treaty signed by the Danish and Swedish Ministers at Lunden in Schonen Sept. 26. A. D. 1679 by the seventh Article of which Treaty 't was agreed because Lewis the Great was pleas'd to have it so that Rugen should be deliver'd up to the Swede on or before the sixth of December following Accordingly the King of Sweden is now repossess'd of that Island and has sent in new Garrisons to fortifie and defend it against all future assaults of its formidable neighbours the Danes and Brandenburgers The only Town of note in the whole Isle of Rugen is Bergen Towns situate about the middle of the Island It had the name of a City given it in the year 1190 but so little deserv'd that title that it had not the advantage of being fortified or wall'd round All the account which modern Travellers give of it is that 't is one of the better sort of Villages consisting of about four hundred Houses Stralsund indeed seems the Metropolis of Rugen and as it was formerly may still be so accounted if we consider the many and great priviledges which the Burgers of that City still pretend to in that Island For 1. The High Court of Admiralty in Stralsund determines all causes and contests arising in any of the Port-Towns in Rugen and therefore because the Stralsunders will not assign over this Jurisdiction to any Delegates residing in the Island the Rugians are obliged upon debate of all such quarrels to repair to Stralsund for judgment 2. Without the consent of the Senate and Citizens of Stralsund no definitive sentence can be given nor no Court of Equity or Judicature whatever erected in any part of the Isle 3. The Rugians may not without leave first obtain'd from the Common Council of Stralsund export any manner of Grain or other Commodities or brew Beer for sale In short this City is the Key of the Island and the only Fortress upon which depends its security or ruine So that had Rugen been kept by the King of Denmark and Stralsund by the Elector of Brandenburg according to the Rights of Conquest in the late Wars 't is probable that those new accessions would in a short time have occasion'd quarrels and animosities between the two Princes The Elector would questionless have been loth to have disclaim'd all Right and Title to the Priviledges which the City of Stralsund now challenges in Rugen and on the other hand His Majesty of Denmark would in all probability have been as unwilling to have suffered any Prince of the Empire to Lord it in his Dominions 'T is almost necessary considering the present State of Stralsund and the Isle of Rugen that both these places should be subject to the same Master though not impossible to make the Island at least independant upon if not a Terror to that City For since all the Merchant Ships which come from the Danish Sund to the City of Stralsund are obliged to sail round the Isle of Rugen 't would not possibly be so expensive as profitable to build three or four good Port-Towns in Wittow Jasmumd and other parts of the Island and thereby not only command all Ships that sailed this road but also divert the grand current of trade from Stralsund to Rugen the Store-house of that City But as long as the City of Stralsund wants Provision for its Inhabitants and the Isle of Rugen vent for its great abundance of Corn and other Commodities there seems to be such a mutual dependance between the two places that to subject them to different Masters manifestly threatens the destruction of their Common Interest Tho never poor Island has been more miserably mangled and afflicted with war witness the Civil wars in Germany and the late Northern Broils Nobility in both which Rugen was several times taken and retaken yet you shall meet with a great many noble Families that pretend to derive their pedigree from the true antient Rugii
or Runi Helmondus I think first taught them to call themselves by this latter name fancying that the antient Insula Runorum whom Adam Bremensis calls fortissimam slavorum gentem must needs be Rugen Whereas 't is more probable that the Runi as the Learned Ol. Wormius conjectures liv'd further Eastward near the Coasts of Liefland where to this day there is a small Island called by the Neighbourhood Die Rune However let the Ancestours of the modern Rugian Noblemen be what they will they have this good mark of Antiquity that they pay Tithes duelier of all manner of Grain Fruits Wool c. then any people in Germany and give larger allowances and more respect to their Clergy Men. The Rusticks pay easier Rents then is usual in other places and therefore have reason to give as they commonly do that respect and honour to their Landlords which all the antiquity they brag of can challenge MARCHIONATUS BRANDENBURGICUS Authore Olao Iohannis Gotho Gustaui Mag. R. S. Cosmographo To the HONORABLE S. r LYONEL JENKINS Judge of the Admiralty this Mapp is Humbly Dedicated THE MARQUISATE OF BRANDENBURG DIE Marck which is now a word commonly used in Germany to express all the Territories subject to the Elector of Brandenburg as he is only Marquise of the Empire signifies no more then the outmost Borders or Limits of a Country So that Markgraf instead of which we use the French word Marquis is properly Judex or Comes Limitaneus which we may English Lord Lieutenant of the Marches And this Title seems reasonably enough appropriated to the Marquises of Brandenburg who being seated on the outmost bounds of the Empire might possibly heretofore supply the places of the Emperor's Delegates in hearing and determining Causes as well as opposing all violent incursions of foreigners The City of Brandenburg which lends the Marquis his Title and was once the Metropolis of these parts is now decay'd into a despicable Village of which the Reader may expect a larger account anon when we come to the Description of the Middle Marck The whole Marquisate which Dresser tells us is seven great days journey either in length or breadth is bounded on the North with the Dukedomes of Mecklenburg and Pomeren 〈◊〉 on the North-West with Lunenburg on the West with Brunswic on the South-West with Magdeburg on the South with Anhalt the Upper Saxony and Lusatia on the South-East with Silesia on the East with Poland and lastly on the North-East with Prussia The Country is generally Sandy and full of Woods and Forests affording good store of Corn but small quantities of any other provisions In some parts of the Marquisate you may meet with good Flocks of Sheep but rarely find any considerable Herds of Kine The Bores near Francfurt Brandenburg and Berlin brag of their Vineyards and think the Vintage they have yearly worth the toil of planting and looking after their Vines but their neighbours have not so good an opinion of the mean Liquor which these poor men boast of for in the Upper Saxony 't is usual to frighten young children to School by threatning to make them drink Brandenburg Wine And this Proverb is ordinary among them Vinum auss den Alten Marck Calefacit ut Quarck Now the word Quarck in their Dialect properly signifies a squeez'd handful of new Cheese but is commonly used in a metaphorical sense to denote any sort of insipid stuff whatever Their Salt is brought to them up the Elb Havel and Spree from other Countries to whom they return Corn and Fish the two chief Commodities of this Province The Elector of Brandenburg's Territories do not afford such Mines of Silver as several Countries subject to the Duke of Saxony Mines and some other Princes of the Empire Which is one main reason why the money coin'd in this Marquisate is much baser mettal then what we find currant in Saxony and the Dukedoms of Brunswic and Lunenburg In some places they make a shift to dig up small parcels of Brass Iron and Copper but scarce any-where enough to supply the necessary occasions of the neighbourhood The ancient inhabitants of this Country were the Varini and Naithones Inhabitants two branches of the vast Nation of the Suevians who were succeeded by the Helvoldi Wilini Beirani and some other Tribes of the Slavonians But the Emperor Henry I. having in the year 620 conquer'd and thrown out the greatest part of these people bestow'd these Territories upon Sigefride Earl of Rengelheim who with some of his successors new peopled the desolate Country with Golonies out of Holland Zealand Westphalia Saxony and Franconid So that the present Brandenburgers are a mixt medly of several different German Nations as may easily be observ'd from the confusion of Dialects which make up the Language of this people The generality of them are so lamentably poor and miserable that to ly on a Bed of clean Straw is esteem'd the character of one of better fashion then his neighbours Soon after the Emperor Henry the First 's conquest of Brandenburg Religion the inhabitants were converted to Christianity and under the government of the Elector Joachim the First embrac'd the tenents of M. Luther In this state they continued undisturbed until the breach betwixt George William Father of the present Elector and the Duke of Neuburg For the latter having married a Daughter of the Duke of Bavaria at that time the most potent Prince of the Popish party embraced the tenents of the Church of Rome fancying as 't is conjectur'd that this expedient might be a means to secure the aid and assistance of the King of Spain if his occasions should require it on the other hand the Elector marrying a Sister of Frideric the Fifth Prince Elector Palatine of the Rhine and grand Protector of the Calvinists adhered to the opinions of Calvin hoping thereby to engage the Netherlands to befriend him upon occasion But when afterwards he was perswaded by his Wife to put out an Edict for suppressing the Lutheran Discipline and Doctrine and authorizing the Calvinian throughout his Dominions which was done in the year 1615 all the inhabitants of the Marquisate unanimously rebell'd against him and had probably put an end to his Line and Government if they had not met with a speedy redress of their grievances Hereupon the Elector was forc'd to compose the business by revoking this Edict and setting forth a new one in its place whereby 't was order'd that the Forms of Divine Service should be used in all public Churches within the Marquisat of Brandenburg according to the Institution of Luther only and that the Elector with his Marchioness and those few more that were of their opinion should not be permitted to hear a Calvinist Preacher in any other place then a private Chappel However these means were found insufficient to secure the people from all innovations in Church-Discipline For upon the increase of the Electors Family and daily conflux of new Favourites
immediately suspecting by their number the whole matter confess'd her design and was pardon'd by her Husband From the eldest of these Whelps or Guelps for so the old Count order'd them to be nam'd in remembrance of the Midwife's answer was descended that Henry Guelph Earl of Altorf whom the Emperor Conrad II. made afterwards Duke of Bavaria How this Family came afterwards to encrease their Dominions by the accession of the Lower Saxony is already shew'n in the Catalogue of the Dukes of Luneburg and needs not here be repeated The Reform'd Religion Religion according to the Doctrine of Luther and the Augsburg Confession was first brought into this Country by Duke Julius who died in the year 1589. Since which time the greatest part of the Duke of Brunswic's Subjects have been rigid assertors of Lutheranism and as vehement opposers of Popery and Calvinism Indeed of late years the great authority and respect which the Calixti and other Latitudinarians have got at Helmstadt has won over some multitudes to their perswasion but the generality are of their Prince's Religion and zealously pursue the footsteps of their Megalander as they are pleas'd to call him Martin Luther Each particular Dukedom has its distinct supremacy in Ecclesiastical as well as Civil affairs Churchgovernment which are administred in this Manner Under each Dukedom there is one Superintendens Generalissimus who has supreme inspection over all the Church and resembles one of our Archbishops To him are subject the several Superintendentes Generales or Bishops and to these the Superintendentes Speciales which are the same thing in effect with our Arch-deacons In some Provinces they have no other distinction of Superintendents then into Generales and Speciales to wit where the whole Province is of so small extent as not to require more then one single Bishop So that we see how willing the Lutherans are to admit of the Office and Dignity of Archbishops and Bishops in their Church altho they have got a trick of bawling out against their names as Popish and Anti-Christian Cities and Great Towns in the Dukedom of BRUNSWIC BRUNSWIC Brunswic I. In the Cathedral at Brunswic among many other Monuments there is an old Parchment writen in Plat-Dutch containing a short account of the most considerable persons which ly buried in that Church which begins thus Alse man Schreff na Goddes gebordt 861 hefft Hertogg Danckquarth tho Sassen erstlik dusse Borch bemuhret unde Danckquarderode geheten unde nomen laten i. e. In the year of Christ 861 Danckquarth Duke of Saxony first walled in this Castle and called it Danckquarderode or Tanquard's-Cross Which agrees with the story we find in most German Chronologers of note who treat of the Antiquities of this place For they tell us that Bruno and Tanquard Sons of Ludolph Duke of Saxony were the first Founders of this Town which from the former was called Brunswic the latter only giving name to the Castle Since that time this City has been continually augmented by the succeeding Dukes of Saxony and Brunswic and is now become one of the most considerable Hans-Towns in the Empire Insomuch that the Citizens divide themselves into five distinct Corporations who are govern'd by several Magistrates of their own and have so many different Courts of Judicature These Companies never unite but upon some extraordinary occasion wherein the common interest of the whole Town seems concern'd Whether Brunswic be a free Imperial City or subject to the Dukes of Brunswic and Luneburg has been a question often controverted betwixt both parties concern'd each of whom have endeavour'd to assert their pretensions by dint of Sword and have come off with various success witness the Sieges in the years 1492 1550 1553 1605 1606 1614 1616 c. 'T was last of all besieged by the present Duke Rudolphus Augustus who took it in the year 1671. Since which time he has taken care to be very often resident in the Town and always at his departure to leave behind him a strong Guard The chief Trade of this City is in Hides and Mum. Trade The Tanners have Skins out of England Denmark and other Nations which they return dress'd Their Mum is of two sorts one whereof is of a thin and weak body the ordinary drink of the Citizens and neighbouring Rustics the other which they call Ship-Mum is a much clammier and grosser liquor brew'd on purpose to be transported into foreign Nations This kind of drink which is scarce potable before it has been putrified by working at Sea is made of Barley and Hops with a small mixture of Wheat There are a set number of Brewers who have the sole power of making it and their appointed time of brewing is from the beginning of October to the latter end of March Here by the way I cannot but wonder that Meibomius writing a Commentary de Cerevisiis potibusque ebriaminibus extra vinum aliis should omit the two most famous liquors of his own Nation Mum and Breuhane II. WOLFENBUTTEL Wolfenbuttel This is the ancient Seat of the Dukes of Brunswic Famous for its strong and impregnable fortifications It confists of two parts 1. Arx Guelpica or the Duke's Palace which is properly call'd Wolfenbuttel Which name it has from its first Founder Duke Ekbert who was of the Guelphian Family The termination of the word in this as many other names of Cities and great Towns in Germany denotes a moist and watery situation such as this Town has and which contributes very much to its strength and security 2. The City or Henrich-Stadt so called from Duke Henry the younger its founder The only remarkable thing in this part of the Town is the new Church which some Italians and many other Foreigners if we believe the Citizens have look'd upon as a most admirable piece of Architecture In a vault under the Quire lie buried one and twenty Dukes and Dutchesses of Brunswic wrapt up in Coffins of Lead with Inscriptions In the Duke's Palace the most remarkable thing is BRAVNSWICK MEYDBVRG com ceteris adiacentibus Apud Janssonio Waesbergios Mosem Pitt et Stephanum Swart DUCATUS BRUNSVICENSIS Accuratissime discriptio Apud Janssonio-Waesbergios Mosem Pitt et Stephanum Swart His Son and Successor Duke Rudolphus Augustus keeps now his residence at Wulfenbuttel a mild learned and religious Prince following the steps of his Father rather in his Study then in Acts of Chivalry He has no male issue but is like to be succeeded by some of the Sons of his Brother Antony Vlric the eldest whereof was slain at the late siege of Maestricht III. HELMSTADT Which City is reckon'd the oldest in Saxony next Bardewic It was built by the Emperor Charles the Great about A. D. 782 and so nam'd from the abundance of Elm-trees that encompass it Here St. Ludger who was sent into these parts by the foremention'd Emperor to convert the Infidel Saxons preach'd and the Citizens pretend to show Travellers the
very Church now almost nine hundred years old wherein his first Sermons were deliver'd But the great ornament of this Town is the Academia Julia or University founded by Julius Duke of Brunswic-Wolfenbuttel in the year 1576. Amongst other grand priviledges granted to this University by the Emperor Maximilian II. 't was order'd that its Rectors should for ever be honour'd with the Title and Dignity of Counts Palatine Whereupon Henry Julius Duke Julius's eldest Son and Bishop of Halberstadt was by his Father made the first Rector and before his succession to the Dukedom of Brunswic upon his Father's death founded the fair College which is still call'd Juleum novum These two Dukes procured for the use of the Professors and Students in this University a considerable Library of Books which since has been well augmented but comes far short of that at Wolfenbuttel Amongst some hundreds of Hebrew Greek Latin and Dutch Manuscripts of little value they have two old Volumes containing the Pentateuch in Hebrew written on Vellam in a fair and legible character For these two Books they tell us several Jewish Rabbies who pretend to more then ordinary skill in discerning the true Antiquity of such kind of Monuments in their own language have offer'd some hundred of Rix-dollars After the death of Duke Frideric Vlric the last Prince of the ancient House of Wolfenbuttel the Dukes of Lunenburg divided the Rectory of this University amongst them agreeing that each of the Dukes Regent should in his course supply that Office for one year and no more And in state it has ever since continued There is not any University in the German Empire that has bred up more eminent and learned men within the compass of one Century then Helmstadt Witness Joh. Caselius Jac. Horstius Val. Forsterius Reinerus Reineccius Hen. Meibomius Joh. Stukius Jac. Lampadius Conr. Hornejus c. and of late years the ingenious Calixti and incomparable Conringius IV. 〈◊〉 HANNOVER The Metropolis of the Dukedom of Calenberg whence the Duke's Palace was removed hither by George Duke of Brunswic-Calenberg upon the decease of the above-mention'd Frideric Vlric The Town was anciently call'd Lawenroda from the neighbouring Castle which was subject to Counts of that name About Henry the Lion's time it got the name of Hanover from a Ferry at this place over the River Leina as some imagine Han over in the old Dialect of the Lower Saxons signifying the same as the more modern High-Dutch haben uber i.e. to have or carry over There are yearly kept in this Town four Fairs during which there is always a vast concourse of Foreigners as well as Germans from all parts of the Empire These contribute exceedingly to the enriching of the Citizens but however a more considerable share of their wealth arises from their Breuhane a sweet and muddy sort of Beer which is hence exported in great quantities into the neighbouring Towns and Villages V. HAMELEN Hamelen An ancient City on the outmost confines of the Dukedom of Brunswic-Calenberg seated on the mouth of the River Hamel whence it has its name and the banks of the Weser This place is look'd upon as the Key to the whole Dukedom and is therefore better fortified and garrison'd then almost any other City in the Duke of Brunsic's Dominions The Records of this City relate a notable accident which hapned amongst the Burgers on the 26th day of June in the year 1284. The story is as follows The Citizens being strangely infested with Rats and having tried all imaginable expedients but in vain to rid themselves of these troublesom guests at last met with a stranger who undertook for a certain reward to do the feat The Burgers agreed to his proposals and the strange Gentleman immediately with his Tabret and Pipe draws after him all the Rats in the Town like so many Maurice-dancers to the River and there drowned them Returning for his reward it was denied him as being judg'd to great a recompense for so small a performance However less he could not be perswaded to take but left the Town in a rage threatning in a short time to be reveng'd Accordingly about a year after he came again and play'd the second part of the same Tune but with another Train after him For now he went attended with a great number of Children who follow'd him in at the mouth of a great Cave on the top of a neighbouring Hill call'd by the Burgers Koppel-berg and were never after heard of In remembrance of this sad accident the Citizens were wont for many year after as appears by several old Deeds and other Records in that City to date all their Indentures and Contracts such a year von unser kinder aussgang i.e. since the departure of our Children The street thro which they pass'd is to this day call'd Bungloese Strass or Tabret-street and on the top of the Mountain near the Cave's mouth is still to be seen a mounment of stone with this inscription Post duo CC mille post octoginta quaterque Annus hic est ille quo languet annus uterque Orbantur pueros centum etque triginta Johannis Et Pauli caros Hamelenses non sine damnis Fatur ut omnes eos vivos calvaria sorpsit Christe tuere reos ne tam mala res quibus obsit Which sorry piece of dogg'rel is there translated into two Distichs in the Nether Saxon Dialect much of the same strain The Principality of GRVBENHAGEN GRUBENHAGEN Name in the Dutch language signifies properly a Grove or Forest belonging to the ancient Family of the Grubes tho afterwards that word was appropriated to a Castle built by some of the said Family which in process of time communicated its name to the whole Principality Thus the Hague in Holland called by the Low Dutch s'Gravenhaghe which is ordinarily render'd in Latin by Haga Comitis had its name from the neighbouring Forest where it seems the Earls of that Province were anciently used to hunt And indeed this whole Principality is nothing else but a large Forest Hercynian Wood. most of it being a part of the Hartz or Sylva Hercynia mention'd by Roman Writers Julius Cesar in his Commentaries says that this Wood is at least nine days journey in bredth and of an unaccountable length Several men he tells us have travell'd forty days together strait forward in it but that no man durst ever yet boast that he had seen both ends of it The German word Hartz out of which without all question the Latins form'd their Hercynia signifies properly Rosin or Pitch which is nothing else but the liquor distill'd out of the Pine and Fir-trees the only Timber wherewith this Forest abounds Since the Empire began to be cultivated and the inhabitants understood the advantage of uniting themselves into Cities and Corporations the Hercynian Wood has in many places been converted into great Towns and large Corn-fields but yet passing over these 't is still easie to track it
the great Trade of its inhabitants in Salt Copper Kettles Pots Wire c. considerably enriched and augmented Tho the Imperial City Goslar be wholly independant upon the Dukes of Brunswic 〈◊〉 and therefore cannot properly be reckon'd amongst the Cities and great Towns subject to those Princes yet because 't is situate in this Country and wholly environ'd with the Territories of the said Dukes 't will not be amiss in this place to give the Reader some short account of it This City is said to have been founded by the Emperor Henry I. and to have had its name from the River Gose upon which 't is seated Here the Emperor built himself a Palace in which he was wont to keep his usual residence This Palace say the High Dutch Antiquaries was properly nam'd Goslar which name afterwards communicated to the Town built round about it For the termination lar laer lager signifies no more say they then a dwelling House and consequently Goslar must denote such a single apartment on the banks of the River Gose The Citizens of Goslar enjoy as many and large priviledges almost as any other immediate Subjects of the Emperor In all Imperial Writs and Letters directed to them they are stiled Nobile Membrum Imperii and they are exempt from paying Toll in any Market in the Empire except three All the Houses in this City are cover'd with a glittering kind of Slat which is a great ornament to the Town but enough on a clear day to dazle the eyes of a Traveller at a great distance The inhabitants are all Miners and the only Trade of the Town is in digging cleansing tempering and vending all manner of mettals except Gold and a great many sorts of choice Minerals of the Country such as Vitriol Brimtone Quicksilver Copperas c. EPISCOPATVS HILDESIENSIS DESCRIPTIO NOVISSIMA Authore Ioanne Gigante D. Med. et Math. Apud Janssonio-Waesbergios Mosem Pitt et Stephanū Swart AVITA FIDE THE BISHOPRIC OF HILDESHEIM WHENCE the City of Hildesheim which gives name to this Bishopric came to be so called is not unanimously agreed on by their own Etymologists Some of them read the word Bildesheim and fetch its original from the Virgin Mary's Picture in their language bilde with some other reliques which they tell us the Emperor Ludowic the Godly at the first foundation of this Diocess had hung upon a tree near this place and returning could not pull them off again Others would have us believe that the ancient name of this Town was Hildeschnee i.e. the Lord's Snow and that it was so call'd from a great Snow which fell the night that the foremention'd Emperor lodged in this place covering all the Earth for some miles round a foot deep excepting only the place where the Cathedral now stands which remain'd dry and untouch'd But these and the like stories are only to be look'd on as scraps of old Legends and the ridiculous and idle fancies of illiterate Monks 'T is much more likely what some Historians of note have recorded that the said Emperor nam'd this City after his Mother Hildegard For Hilda or Hille in the dialect of the Lower Saxons is no more then an abbreviation of Hildegard as well as Sander of Alexander Fritze of Frideric Metta of Mechtildis Ilse of Elizabeth c. And instead of Hildesheim in the language of the neighbouring Gentry the Rustics say Hillsem When Gunther a poor Priest of Eltze was first advanc'd to the Bishopric of Hildesheim which hapned in the year 822 this Diocese was but of a small extent But in after ages the Counties of Wintzenburg Schladen Poppenburg Peine Woldenberg Hundsrucken and Lewenstein were annex'd to it The last is now in the possession of the Dukes of Brunswic as the whole Bishopric may probably be in a short time For altho the Citixens at present as well as the Dean and Chapter of their Church pay Homage to Maximilian-Henry Government Elector of Collen as their Bishop yet the last Duke of Hannover quarter'd his great Army during the late broils betwixt the King of France and the Empire in this Diocess without the leave and doubtless against the will of the said Elector And 't is easie for the present Duke to enter upon this whole Diocess when he shall see occasion nor needs he be at a loss for such a pretence in so doing We know into what straits Eric Duke of Brunswic brought John IV. and forty-sixth Bishop of Hildesheim in the year 1523 when he left him only the bare City of Hildesheim with the three inconsiderable Forts of Peyne Steurwald and Marienborg and that for several years after these Territories which are surrounded with the Dominions of the Dukes of Brunswic and Luneburg were subject to Duke Eric's Successor So that all that hinders the potent Duke Ernestus from re-entring upon these rich possessions of some of his Ancestors is either his exemplary fidelity in a strict observance of the Treaty of Brunswic in the year 1653 wherein 't was agreed that this Diocess should be restored to the Elector of Collen as Administrator of Hildesheim or else we must ascribe the reasons of his delay to his generous temper in scorning to take advantage of the present calamitous estate of the said Elector The Town of Hildesheim tho usually divided into the Old and New City looks all of it very ancient and venerable Hildesheim but otherwise has nothing in it that 's great or splendid In the Cathedral may be seen the reliques of the famous Saxon Idol Irmensewl of which we have already given the Reader a large account The great Corn-trade of this Country was the first thing that rais'd the Burgers of Hildesheim to that pitch as to obtain so honourable a place in the Catalogue of Hans-Towns and 't is the same sort of traffic which still maintains their grandeur The greatest part of the Burgers of this and the neighbouring Towns and indeed almost all the inhabitants of this Diocess are Lutherans The Reformation was first begun upon a quarrel betwixt the Citizens and Canons of the Church in the year 1552 whereupon the former call'd in John Bugenhagen Ant. Corvin and Henry Winkel three Lutheran Preachers who in a short time drew after them the most considerable part of the Town At the Treaty of Brunswic above-mention'd it was agreed that the Augsburg Confession should not be openly taught or profess'd in this Bishopric beyond such a set number of years but that Article was repealed and made invalid by a clause in the general Treaty of Westphalia 648. The best Catalogue of the Bishops of Hildesheim which can be pick'd out of the many different some imperfect and most false accounts given of them by the German Historians is as follows Elshops 1. Gunther Founder of the Cathedral and St. Cecil's Church He died A. D. 835. 2. Frembert who liv'd but a few months after his instalment 3. Ebc a Frenchman who having been suspended from the
Soldiers before William Archbishop of Mentz wall'd it in the year 964. The whole trade of the Citizens is in sowing gathering and dressing Woad They have three sorts of this herb the first of which they sow about Christmas the next call'd Summer Woad is sown in the Spring Summer or Harvest and of this they have usually three crops the third is not sow'n at all but grows wild Besides the good quality of this Herb it is reckon'd a very Soveraign Balsamic and cures wounds if taken in time almost with a touch It something resembles Plantain but shoots out a longer leaf The roots of it exceedingly fatten and improve barren ground and for that reason it has been of late years brought over into England with Clover-grass Cinque-foil and other herbs of the like nature and in many parts of this Kingdom particularly in Northamptonshire is now sow'n with good success Towns of less note are 1. Eysennach or Isenach on the borders of Hessen the Seat of a great branch of the House of Saxony 2. Mulhausen an Imperial City but of no great consequence 3. Hahn 4. Arnstadt c. COMITATVS MANSFELDIAE DESCRIPTIO Auctore Tilemanno Stella Sig. Apud Janssonio-Wassbergios Mosem Pitt et Stephanum Swart THE COUNTY OF MANSFELD SOME of the German Historians tell us that Heger Count of Mansfeld was one of the Commoners at our British King Arthur's round Table and hence they endeavor to prove the Antiquity of this County For King Arthur is suppos'd to have reign'd about the year of Christ 540 and Mansfeld in Notinghamshire which these men say was built by the foremention'd Heger is thought of age enough to justifie this story But others trace its Antiquities much higher and derive the name of Mansfeld from Mannus Tuisco's Son and Father of the Germans And this fancy is back'd with the name of Ascania a neighbouring Town in the Principality of Anhalt which say they must needs have been so call'd from Ascenas the Father of Tuisco and the German Nation This is one of the four Hercynian Counties the other three being those of Stolberg Hohenstein and Regenstein It is bounded on the East with the River Sala which separates it from the Bishopric of Mersburg and other parts of the Elector of Saxony's Dominions on the North with some part of the Principality of Anhalt on the West with the Counties of Schwartzburg Stolberg and some other lesser Principalities on the South with Thuringen In this County there are great store of Mines which afford several sorts of Metals and Minerals to the no small profit of the Inhabitants Amongst the rest the Scheiffersteyn a kind of Mineral peculiar to this and the neighbouring Provinces is here found in great abundance 'T is a blackish glistering sort of Slat which being bray'd and melted down yeilds a vast quantity of Copper and a considerable deal of Silver John Hubensak a German Commentator on some part of Munster's Cosmography gives the following account of this Mineral The Counts of Mansfeld says he have in their Dominions several Mines of Scheifferstein the like whereof the whole world can scarce pretend to For out of this stone the inhabitants melt a Copper each hundred weight whereof contains betwixt ten and twelve ounces of pure silver Nor are the Mines like to fail in hast since in what part soever of the whole County you dig for this Mineral you are sure to speed I my self have been an eye-witness of a strangely extravagant curiosity of Nature in the composure of this stone There is in the neighbourhood not far from Eisleben a Lake of several miles in length and breadth abounding with several sorts of Fish and other living Creatures as Frogs Water-Rats c. all which are lively represented in many of these Scheifferstones by fair Copper-strokes thro the very body of the Slat So far Hubensak Now what credit may be given to the later part of his story I shall not determine but leave it to the Reader 's discretion to believe or reject it Many of Hubensak's Countrymen are forward enough to second him in the assertion and Petrus Albinus in his Chronicle of the Mines of Misnia not questioning the truth of the story endeavours to lay down the true and natural reasons of these appearances And possibly Nature has wrought no greater miracles in these then in other stones daily found in many parts of our own Island We may here in one County meet with lively pourtraictures of Plants Insects Fishes Birds Beasts nay and several parts of man's body delineated by Nature her self in the bodies of hard and flinty stones For a testimony of this truth I shall only refet the Reader to the fifth Chapter of our ingenious Dr. Plot 's Natural History of Oxfordshire where he may find a faithful register of almost innumerable Instances in this kind together with a learned conjecture at the reasons of such variety of shapes They that attempt the running up the pedigree of the Counts of Mansfeld as high as Heger or Mannus are too Romantic to be credited Counts or taken notice of in this place The more sober Genealogists are content to fetch the original of this Family from Burchard the fifth Count of Quernfort on whom the Emperor Frideric Barbarossa bestow'd this County in requital of the many signal services done by him both in the wars against the foremention'd Duke Henry and in the Holy Land His grandchild Burchard by a Son of the same name was the first that assum'd the Title of Count of Mansfeld about the year 1250. Since which time that Honour has been continued down to several Princes of the same Line who have nevertheless always paid some small acknowledgment of Homage to the Electors of Saxony Amongst these Counts the most eminent have been 1. Walerad Privy-Counsellor to the Emperor Sigismund a faithful Servant to the Empire and a notable Improver of his own Estate 2. John George for some time Deputy-Governor of Saxony under Duke Augustus 3. Peter Ernest Governor of Luxemburg under the Emperors Charles the Fifth and Philip the Second by both of whom he was employ'd in their wars with France and against the Rebels in the Netherlands 4. Albert a constant Friend to Martin Luther and a faithful follower of John Frideric the deposed Elector in whose quarrel he lost his Estate and was forc'd to retire to Magdeburg which City was afterwards by him bravely defended against the Emperor's forces 5. Ernest Grandchild to the foremention'd Albert by his Son John famous for his couragious and gallant behaviour in managing and carrying on the war against the Emperor Ferdinand the second in behalf of Frideric Prince Elector Palatine of the Rhine and the States of Bohemia At this day the Family of the Counts of Mansfeld is branch'd out into four or five distinct Houses which division has render'd them much more inconsiderable then formerly they have been The Metropolis of this County Eisleben and chief place
were forc'd at last to relinquish the trade as an employment which would by no means quit labour and cost The whole Land is sufficiently furnish'd with Wood and in most places the Forests afford good store of Venison tho only the Woods near Tschopau shelter Bears The chief Rivers in this Province are the Elb Rivers Mulda Pleiss white and black Elster The lesser are Moglitz Weiseritz Flohe Meisse c. All which afford plenty of all manner of fresh water fish especially Carp which are as numerous and large here as in any part of Europe 'T is agreed by most Historians that the Misnians had their original from the Mysi Inhabitants a people of Asia of whom Cicero in his Oration pro Flacco gives this character that they were a people so contemptibly mean that to call a man Mysorum ultimus was the most opprobious language you could give him However the modern Mysi or Mysnii have no part in this character being a people of a singularly courteous and affable behaviour Nor are they less commendable for their delicate shape and neatness in clothes whence the Germans have a proverb Meissner Gleissner intimating that a Misnian makes the greatest shew of any German Albinus commends them highly for chastity and probably the severity of their Saxon Law which punishes Adultery with death may be one grand inducement to the practise of this vertue Chief Cities in MISNIA DRESDEN Dresden The usual Seat of the Elector a neat and well fortified City on the River Elb which runs thro the midst of it dividing the old Town from the the new A Town which as 't is probably guess'd had its name from the three Lakes von den dreyen Seen not far from it which etymology of the word seems the more rational for that as its ancient Records testifie the name of this City was formerly written Dresen The new City in which stands the Elector's Palace is the much more beautiful of the two and better fortified a place perhaps as well worth a curious Traveller's view as any Town in Germany Not to mention the Stone-bridge Rarities which unites the two Towns and for its largeness and length consisting of seventeen fair Arches is reckon'd one of the wonders of Germany nor other notable pieces of Architecture in and about the Duke's Palace that which most delights a strangers eye is the Elector's Kunst-Kamer or Chamber of rarities in which are to be seen a vast company of the wonders of Art and Nature I had presented me by one of the late Elector's Courtiers a perfect Catalogue of all the rarities in this admirable Repository but that being too large to insert in this place I shall only at present give the Reader a short view of the choicest of them in the words of the ingenuous and learned Dr. Edw. Brown in the account he has publish'd of his Travels in Germany A. D. 1668. In the first partition are to be seen all manner of well made Instruments belonging to most Trades as Joiners Turners Barbers Smiths Chirurgeons and other Artificers instruments to force open doors chests c. In the other Chambers these and the like are observable A Tube Glass four Ells long A large blew Turkish Glass Variety of Coral and artificial works of it Fowls made of mother of Pearl Drinking Cups in the shape of Dragons Elephants c. Castles of Gold and mother of Pearl Several Fowls and Cups made out of Nautili and other shells A fine Oestrich made out of its Egg with feathers of Gold A Cup made of the Ball taken out of an Oxe's stomach richly set about a foot long A stone as big as a man's fist like a Bezoar's stone taken out of an Horse A Purse made out of the Linum Incumbustibile Silver Ore from the Mines of Freyberg almost pure in strings and shoots A natural Cross of Silver Ore One hundred and twenty one heads carv'd on the outside of a Cherry-stone A religious man or Friar of Japan carv'd in Box. A Crystal Cabinet sold by Oliver Cromwell wherein is kept a Ring with stones in it of the shape of a Castle His present Majesty of England King Charles the Second on Horseback carv'd in Iron An Head of King Charles the first A Glass Organ Topazes unpolish'd ten inches in diameter A Cup out of a Topaze Emeraulds an inch in diameter as they grow in the rock resembling the vitriolum nativum Thunder-stones smelling of fire Rocks made out of all sorts of Ore and the names of the places where they were digg'd written upon them The figures of Fishes in stones out of Mansfeld the stones are dark colour'd but the Fishes of a Gold or Copper colour see more of these stones in the description we have given the Reader of the County of Mansfeld All sorts of stones which are to be found in Saxony and Misnia polish'd Two large pieces of pure Virgin Gold out of the Mine A Hart with a Cabinet in his side containing all medicines taken from a Hart. A white Hart as big as the life made out of the shavings and filings of Harts-Horn looking like Plaister Figures printed in Trees A Spur in part of a tree Horns in trees Besides these Duâ—â—â— and some other rarities of less note the foremention'd Author takes particular notice of the pictures of all the Dukes and Electors of Saxony both in their Military and Electoral Habits Amongst whom he might have observ'd the lively portraictures of Hengist and Horsus drawn questionless according to the descriptions given of them by some of our Romantic English Historians I shall not trouble the Reader with an historical account of the life and death of each particular Elector We have already given a Catalogue of the Dukes of Saxony down as far as Henry the Lion in the description of those Territories which are now subject to the Dukes of Brunswic and Luneburg Upon the deposing of that Prince by the Emperor Frideric Barbarossa Bernhard Prince of Anhalt Son of Albert Marquise of Brandenburg was made Elector and was succeeded by 2. Albert his Son from whom the Dukes of Lawenburg derive their pedigree After him came 3. Albert the second Son of his predecessor 4. Rodolph I. Albert the second 's Son 5. Rodolph II. Son of Rodolph the first 6. Winceslaus Son of Rodolph the second 7. Rodolph III. Son of Winceslaus 8. Albert III. Son of Rodolph the third the last Duke and Elector of Saxony of that Family Upon the failure of this Line and the neglect of the Princes of Lawenburg to lay claim to the Electorate Frideric Landgrave of Thuringen and Marquise of Misnia was created Duke of Saxony and Elector by the Emperor Sigismund By which means the Title return'd again to the Family of Wittikind King of the ancient Saxons from which it had been alienated for the space of two hundred years From this Frideric is derived the succession of the present Electors down to this day in
the following order 2. Frideric II. Son to the First 3. Ernest Frideric the second 's Son 4. Frideric III. Ernest's Son 5. John Frideric the third's Brother 6. John-Frideric the Son of John a great promoter of the Reform'd Religion 7. Maurice Cousin-German to his predecessor John who drove Charles the fifth out of Germany and was slain in the Battel of Siffridhuse against Albert Marquise of Brandenburg 8. Augustus Maurice's Brother 9. Christian Augustus's Son 10. Christian II. Son of Christian the first 11. John George Christian the second 's Son who first sided with the Emperor Ferdinand against the Elector Palatine and afterwards with the King of Sweden against the Emperor 12. John George II. Son to John George the first He spent the greatest part of his time in ease and quiet and dying this last year 1680 in a good old age left the Electorate to his Son 13. John George III. This Elector is a Prince of low stature but great Spirit something fat and corpulent but withall active and brisk He was born the 20th day of June A. D. 1647 and in the year 1663 married Ann Sophia Princess of Denmark and Sister to the present King Christian By her he has several children the eldest of whom John George is the Electoral Prince The Revenues of this Elector are thought to be as great at least as any other Prince's in Germany Reveâ—â—â—â— excepting only the Imperial Family altho the circuit of his Dominions and number of his Subjects fall far short of what his neighbour the Elector of Brandenburg is master of They that reckon his yearly Revenue to amount to 400000 pound sterling speak modestly enough and he that shall carefully compute all the incomes of his Treasury from the Imposition upon Beer and all other Commidities from Taxes Mines c. will I presume find it rise to a much larger sum The profit which arises to him out of the silver Mines at Freyberg and some other places in his Territories has been long since computed to amount yearly to 130000 pound and certainly the daily encrease of labourers will rather augment that sum The Excise or Impost upon Beer in Leipsick only a City consisting of no more then two Parishes is usually farm'd at the rate of 20000 pound per annum Besides this and the like Customs he has Tenths of all the Corn Fruit Wine c. in his Country Add to these the great standing Tax laid upon his Subjects towards the maintenance of a war against the Turk granted at first in times of danger and hostility but gather'd since in days of peace at least as to that Enemy under pretence of being in a readiness to receive him whensoever he shall attack this Country Answerable to these vast revenues is the pomp and splendour of his Court his Attendants being usually more numerous then the Trains of any of his neighbour-Princes 'T is reported that in the Elector Christian the second 's Court at the same time three Dukes as many Earls and five Barons of foreign Nations besides a great number of the Nobility of his own Country were Pensioners to that Prince Nor have the two late Electors abated much of this state and grandeur Witness the Funeral of John George the First in the year 1657 at which were twenty-four Horses of State cover'd with black and the Electoral Eschutcheon wrought thereon each of them being led by two Gentlemen after which follow'd three thousand five hundred persons in mourning The Court of Saxony has been always more bronded with excessive intemperance in drinking then any other Prince's Palace in Germany Nor have the Electors themselves been able to shun the imputation a red nose being as is reported by some of their own Historians the inseparable badg of that Family II. Leipzig LEIPZIG This City is supposed to have been built by the Vandals who were ancient inhabitants of these parts about the year of Christ 700 and to have had its name from the Slavonian or Wendish word Lipzk which signifies a Linden-tree from the multitude of this sort of Timber which formerly grew in this place Whence in Latin Authors we sometimes meet with Phylurea instead of Lipsia from the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tilia 'T is seated at the concourse of three small Rivers the Elster Pleissa and Parda in a pleasant and fruitful plain abounding with all manner of necessaries and pleasures as large and rich meadows which are mowed twice constantly sometimes thrice a year pleasant Woods and an infinite number of fine Orchards plentifully stock'd with all sorts of fruit Within the walls there is no such thing as Orchard or Garden but the whole plot of ground is cover'd with stately Fabricks Pleissenburg or the Castle seated on the Pleissa which defends the Town is a strong Fort and strictly guarded and St. Nicolas's Church is thought to be the fairest on the inside of any Lutheran Church in Germany The Citizens have generally well-built houses many whereof especially near the market-place are seven some nine stories high Near this place was the chief seat of the late civil wars of Germany insomuch that this Town was five several times besieged and taken in the space of two years At the last 't was taken by the Imperialists on the 12th of August 1633. but restored upon the ratification of the Treaty of peace betwixt the Emperour and Elector of Saxony sign'd at Prague A. D. 1635. At this day 't is famous for besides the purity of the high Dutch tongue which is thought to flourish here in a more refin'd strain then in any other part of Misnia and consequently of Germany the three things following 1. The great Traffic and concourse of Merchants from all places of note in Europe especially dureing the three fairs which are here kept yearly at Christmas Easter and Michaelmas 2. The high Court of Judicature before which the Elector himself is bound to appear upon summons The manner of proceding in this Court is at large deliver'd by Zobelius in his book entituled Differentiae Juris Saxonici Civilis and by the Author of the Chronicon Lipsiense written not many years since in High Dutch 3. The University which was founded here A. D. 1408 upon the quarrel betwixt the Hussites and Papists at Prague whereby the former were forced to leave the town and to settle themselves at Leipsig to which City two thousand of them are said to have flock'd in one day There are in it at this day four Colleges and twenty four public professors amongst whom the chief professor of Divinity is Dr. John Adam Schertzer a person of wonderful humanity and as great learning The several books he has publish'd especially his Collegium Anti-socinianum wherein he has bravely confuted those knotty arguments of the Cracovian party which few of his Countreymen before him were able to understand sufficiently demonstrate to the world the quickness of his parts and foundness of his judgement His
Scholar J. Carpzovius son to the famous lawyer of that name who was formerly professor in this University has got himself great credit by his skill in the Eastern languages and his apprehensive quickness in unfolding the mysteries of the antient and modern Jewish Rabbies the greatest part of which accomplishment he had as himself confesses from the good Instructions of his Master Schertzer Besides these old Mr. Thomasius Schoolmaster near St. Nicholas's is look'd upon as a man singularly well skill'd in all manner of philological writings Amongst the old Manuscripts in their Library which amount to some thousands but are only the despicable plunder of a few demolish'd Monaseries the onely rarity is Tzetzes's Greek Commentary upon Homer's Iliads a book perhaps hardly to be met with elswhere and written in a fair and legible character III. FREYBERG Freyberg A famous and pleasant Mine-Town not far from the bank of the River Mulda The Citizens have so grand a conceit of the delicacy of this Town 's situation that this is an ordinary proverb amongst them Were I Lord of Leipsic I would spend my Income at Freyberg It derives its name from the rich hills upon which 't is seated Fribergam Indigenae claro de nomine dicunt Libera de fossis quasi ferres munera terris In St. Peter's Church at Freyberg is the usual burying place of the Electors many whereof ly here entomb'd in fair Monuments especially Elector Maurice whose Monument of black Marble is rais'd three piles high and adorn'd with many rich statues in Alabaster and white Marble This is reckoned one of the noblest and perhaps may pass for the very best of its kind in Germany When this City was surrendred into the hands of the Duke of Friedland's Soldiers in the year 1632 the Elector of Saxony paid 80000 Ricx-dollars to save these Sepulchers of his Fathers from being ransack'd and defac'd And this large sum was the more willingly given because 't is the fashion to bury the German Princes in their Robes and Ensigns of Honour Rings Jewels c. which would have been rich plunder for the Soldiers if not compounded for The Mines are said to have been found out accidentally in the year 1180 Mines by a fellow carrying Salt who in a Cart-road first discover'd a piece of Ore which was found to be as rich in Silver as the best in Germany Since that time the multitudes of Miners who have swarm'd hither have made so great progress in their work as to undermine the whole Town which stands at least the greatest part of it upon Vaults and Caverns Besides these Mines within the walls there are a great many more within a mile or two of the City the most remarkable of which is that on the top of the high hill Auff dem hohem berg which is above seventy seven of their fathoms in depth Now each of these fathoms contains twelve of their Ells three of which make an English fathom so that this Mine is in all probability the deepest in Europe The Miners have a peculiar habit of their own which cannot so well be describ'd as represented in a figure to the eye They dig several sorts of Metals and Minerals out of these Mines Metals and Minerals tho the only thing they labour for is Silver One of the Overseers of these Mines gave me thirty-two several kinds of Ore all of which would yeild some Silver but in a proportion different from the rest The most ordinary sorts of Ore contain either Silver and Copper Silver and Lead or all three but the Lead and Copper are not much regarded They have here great quantity of Sulpher or Brimstone Ore which is hard and stony and usually speckled which the Miners look upon as a sign of the richest Ore with red spots Some of this Ore contains Silver some Copper and some both but in a small and inconsiderable proportion An hundred weight of Ore yeilds commonly three pounds and an half of Sulphur which runs out of a Furnace made for that purpose into water and is afterwards melted over again and purified The reliques of the Ore out of which the Silver is already melted serves for two uses first to melt down Silver which when too hard it makes fluid But the more consideral use of it is in the making of Vitriol or Copperas after this manner They burn the Brimstone-Ore again and then putting it into a large Fat pour water thereon which having stood a competent while is boil'd to a considerable height and then let out into Coolers In these there are a great many sticks set up as in the making of Sugar Candy to which the purest Vitriol cleaves as the worse sort does to the sides and bottoms of the Vessels They have several ways of discovering Mines Virgula divina the chief of which is with the virgula divina the use whereof some of them look upon as a piece of Conjuration rather then an experiment drawn from the principles of Natural Philosophy 'T is a forked piece of Hazel the two horns of which the discoverer holds in his hands with the forks upright In this posture he traverses the ground muttering a set form of unintelligible words to himself When the fork'd stick mov'd by an occult impulse turns in his hand and points to the ground 't is taken for an infallible argument of some rich veins of Silver in the place it points at Upon this sign given they immediately fall a digging and seldom miss of the expected success Sometimes they meet with damps in the deep Mines which are always dangerous 〈◊〉 and often prove mortal to the labourers But the greatest inconvenience and which constantly attends their labour is the dust which grates upon and frets their Skins Lungs and Stomachs and too often shortens their days by bringing them into irrecoverable Consumptions To secure themselves against these two evils they sometimes use large Vizards with glass-eyes under which they have room enough to breath for some considerable while At Freyberg there is a yearly Coinage of Ricx-dollars 〈◊〉 and other money which is most commonly true sterling and look'd upon generally as the best Cash in Germany For whereas the Emperor's Coin is usually a base and mixt mertal the Elector's is pure and true Silver currant in all parts of the Empire IV. MEISSEN Once the Metropolis and chief City in this Marquisate 〈◊〉 but at this time so inconsiderable as that it hardly merits the fourth place in this Catalogue It has its name from the River Meisse on the banks of which 't is seated Before the Civil Wars of Germany 't was famous for a great wooden Bridge cross the Elb near this place which Dresser is pleas'd to call the bravest sight of its kind in Germany and Bertius ventures to name it the wonder of Europe But some of the unruly Soldiers rob'd the Town of this piece of credit and it has now nothing to brag of
of a piece of Cloth an apt name for a City which being seated on the frontiers of the Marquisate of Brandenburg is the furthest Boundary and Bulwark of the Dukedom of Silesia 'T is a comly old City seated in a pleasant plain and in a good air The Duke's Palace Town-Hall and some Citizens Houses are built with a neat and well polish'd stone The neighbouring Hills are cover'd with Apples Pears and other sorts of Fruit. Some Wine they have growing but exactly such trash as Altmarck and some other parts of the Elector's Dominions are wont to produce II. The City and Dukedom of GLOGAW THIS City is usually known by name of Great Glogau City to distinguish it from a much more inconsiderable Town of the same name in the Dukedom of Oppelen Cureus fancies it to be the same place with Ptolomy's Lugidunum which as he probably enough conjectures had its name from the Lugii the ancient inhabitants of this part of the Country It s present name is of Wendish extraction and signifies properly a Thorn-bush so call'd from its situation amongst Thickets or in a Copse Glogaw was made a true City by Conrad Duke of the place about the year 1260 at which time the City and Cathedral the only strength and ornament of the Town were built and the City stock'd with Germans who establish'd here the Laws and Customs of their own Country The Palsie is an epidemical disease in this Town which is thought to proceed from the extraordinary intemperance of the Burgers in drinking a sort of bitter and muddy but withal wonderful strong and heady Beer They are also commonly tormented with the Stone and Gravel in the Kidneys a distemper partly ascribed by their Physitians to the same cause with the former and partly to their feeding chiefly on Pork Cheese c. To this Dukedom belong the petty Towns of Guhrau Dukedom Sprottau Grunberg Schwibussen Beuthen Pulkwitz Koben Newstatt Warienberg and Primnikaw The people of this Province have this peculiar Anti-Salic Law amongst them that upon failure of Issue male a Daughter inherits the Estate of her Father before any of the nearest of his male Relations III. The City and Dukedom of SAGAN SAGAN once one of the best and most populous City and still one of the largest Cities in Silesia 'T was in the Civil Wars of Germany several times taken by the Swedish forces and retaken by the Imperialists There is now little remarkable to be seen upon that large spot of ground whereon this City is placed except only the Castle St. Mary's Church and two Monasteries and these are rather venerable for age then commendable for any thing of rarity that 's in them The Dukedom called by the Polish writers Ducatus Zeganensis is of no large extent in length or bredth Duâ—â— 'T is bounded on the West with Lusatia and the Barony of Sora which is reckon'd a part of rhe Marquisate of Brandenburg on the South with the Dukedom of Javer on the East with the Dukedom of the greater Glogaw and on the North with Crossen 'T was once a part of the Dukedom of Glogaw but afterwards it was subjected to Princes of its own sometimes three or four at once whence we read of the Dukedoms of Sagan in the plural number There are some large and rich Corn-fields in this Province which are well water'd with the Rivers Bober Queiss Tschirn and Neisse Pribus Naumburg and Freywald three small Cities are all subject to the Dukes of Sagan IV. The Town and Dukedom of WOLAW NOtwithstanding that Wolaw was anciently accounted a part of the Dukedom of Lignitz Duâ—â— and has always been subject to the same Laws and Government yet the petty Princes of Silesia whether it be to multiply their Titles or for what other reason I shall not determine have of late years made it a Dukedom of it self And because thus separated from Lignitz 't is still too large to be guided and govern'd by one man being near as big as either of our English Counties of Huntingdon or Rutland they have subdivided it into six larger Circles or Hundreds which have their names from the chief Towns in them viz. Wolau Hernstadt Winzing Ruten Raude and Steinaw none of which are worth the describing To these they add two more Enclosures no bigger then one of our small Parishes in England whereof the one goes by the name of Koben and the other Breubawischer hald both which the Reader may see in the Map and thence be able to take an estimate of their true bulk and value Wolau it self which in this Country makes a shift to give Title to a Duke City might pass for a Market-Town in England but would never merit as here it does the name of a City 'T is every way mean and inconsiderable The buildings in it are contemptible and the Citizens for so they will needs stile themselves hardly able to provide bread for their Families out of the little or no trade of the place The neighbouring Lake der Gross Teich furnishes them indeed with Fish enough for the support both of themselves and their children or otherwise they would not I think have any possibility of subsisting And yet this mean place was for some time the seat of the German Civil Wars nay the Swedish Lieutenant Gortzke thought it no small piece of honour that he bravely maintain'd himself and a Garrison in the Town for some months when God knows no Commander of note would so far undervalue himself as to attack it DVCATVS SILESIAE GLOGANI Vera Delineatio Notarum Explicatio Vrbs. Oppidum Pagus cum templis Pagus cum Sede nobile Pagus Arx. Monasterium Vinetorum Colles Fedina et Officina Ferri Lacus sive Stâ—â—â—um Paludes Ducatus SILESIAE WOLANUS Notularum explicatio Urbs Oppidum Pagus cum templo Pagus Arx Molindinum Vinetum Mons notabilis Bona Ecclesiastica DUCATUS BRESLANUS sive WRATISLAVIENSIS Sumptibus Janssonio-Waâ—sbergiorum Mosis Pitt et Stephaâ—â—â— Swart Notularum explicatio Vrbs. Oppidum Pagus cum templo Pagus Molendinum Arx. W â—â—YAL DEVOIR To the … be Honourable Sr GEORGE CARTWRIGHT Bar. vice Câ—â—â—berline of the kings househould 〈◊〉 Mapp is humbly â—â—â—dicated BRESLAW totius SILESIAE METROPOLIS Ducatus SILESIAE LIGNICIENSIS Ex Officina Janssonio-Waesbergiana Mosis Pitt et Stephani Swart Notularum explicatio Vrbs. Pagus cum templo Pagus Arx. Molendinum Mons notabilis Locus vbi dimicatum FV̈RSTLICHE STADT LIGNITZ Schloss Closter Zu Vaser liebeÌ„ Frawen S. Iohans S. Peter vnd Paul V. The Dukedom and City of OELSE OELSSE is seated in the Lower Silesia about sixteen miles distant from Breslaw first made a City out of a poor Village by the Emperor Henry I. in the year 936. The Country round this Town is pleasant enough and the air wholesom The Gates Walls Turrets and other Fortifications of the City were handsom and noble before the late Wars but the Swedish General Wittenberg's Troops demolish'd the greatest part of
them in the year 1648 which have not since been rebuilt However the place is still beautified with a fair Church College and Town-Hall and the Streets especially the Market-place which is in an exact square are generally neat and uniform Oelsse had anciently its own Duke who kept his residence in that City but upon the death of Duke Conrad the Eighth in the year 1492. the Dukedom was given to the Dukes of Munsterberg who have ever since been Lords of it In this Principality are reckon'd the small Cities of Bernstatt Festenberg Kunstatt Stroppen Mosebahr Hundsfeld and Trebnitz VI. The City and Dukedom of BRESLAW BRESLAW or Wratislavia the Metropolis of Silesia has its name from Wratislaus a Bohemian Prince its first Founder whence the Citizens bear a great W in their Coat of Arms to this day 'T is seated at the confluence of the two Rivers Oder and Ohla in a rich and pleasant Country Towards the North indeed there are some Marshes and moist fields whence are now and then some unwholesome gales sent into the Town and the whole City is reported to have been built in the place of a great Pond dried up The Citizens who are exceedingly numerous by reason of their great Traffick with the Hungarians Bohemians Polanders and other foreign Merchants who resort hither are said to be as neat and gentile in their Clothes and Cookery as any other of the Emperor's Subjects whatever Breslawers love to be esteem'd immediate members of the German Empire and cannot endure to be reckon'd a part of the Kingdom of Bohemia Hence 't is that they have obtain'd leave of the Emperors to bear the spred Eagle in their Escutcheon and that they petitioned Charles V. to confirm their priviledges For this reason M. Boregius a Breslawer who wrote a Chronicle of the Kings of Bohemia ranks Breslaw among the Imperial Cities but ne're mention it with the King of Bohemia's Towns altho it be certain that 't was formerly subject to that Prince This Goldastus in his learned Treatise of the Kingdom of Bchemia evidently proves notwithstanding what is usually alledg'd as an argument to the contrary by some ignorant and silly Historians that it was once one of the Hans-Towns The generality of the buildings in this City are fair and stately only on the banks of the Oder stand four old fashion'd Fabricks with Turrets on the top which the Antiquaries of this place fancy to have been the ancient Palaces of so many Schwabish Princes who in former days were Lords of this City Besides the vast traffick of the Citizens the Town is famous for a Bishop's See and an University wherein have been bred many learn'd men and some great Writers The Bishops of this Diocese who had anciently the Epiphet or Title of Golden given them from their vast revenues are put in by the King of Bohemia whom they acknowledg their supreme Head at least in Temporals 'T is a receiv'd Tradition in these parts that the Kings of Bohemia have no power to promote a stranger to any Bishopric in Silesia so that a Bohemian is no more capable of being advanced to one of their Dioceses then a Silesian is of being preferr'd to the Archbishopric of Prague But how false this report is Historians will sufficiently inform us Boleslaus Dukedom surnam'd the Long a Polish Prince was created the first Duke of Breslaw and Lignitz by the Emperor Frideric in the year 1163. But these kind of petty Princes not being able to secure their Territories and especially this large and rich City which was a bait sufficient to tempt the most potent Prince of the neighbourhood from the incursions of the Tartars Polanders and other foreign Enemies the Citizens of Breslaw were forced to put themselves under the protection of the Kings of Bohemia or as they will have it Emperors of Germany to whom they are now immediately subject VII The Town and Dukedom of LIGNITZ LIGNITZ a fair City on the banks of a small Rivulet call'd Katsbach is thought to have its name from the Lygii City a German people the ancient inhabitants of this part of Silesia About the year of Christ 1170 this Town was much enlarg'd beautified and fortified by Boleslaus the Long the first Duke of Lignitz After him Duke Frideric the second so far improv'd his predecessor Boleslaus's undertakings that in the year 1532 it became one of the best fortified Cities next to Breslaw in all Silesia Things best worth seeing in the Town are the Hospital the Town-Hall and Castle The Dukedom of Lignitz is reckon'd one of the best Corn-Countries in Silesia Dukedom and affords near as great plenty of the Terra Sigillata as the Dukedom of Schweidnitz especially the white sort which is here more plentiful then in any other Province The whole is commonly subdivided into seven Circles whereof four have names from the four Cities of Luben Parchwitz Hayn and Goldberg and the other three are the division of the barren or desert part of the Dukedom VIII The Ducal Cities of JAWER SCHWEIDNITZ BRIEG MONSTERBERG and OPPELEN THE City of Jawer is seated in a pleasant Valley Jawer tho not far distant from the rugged Crags and Mountains which separate Silesia from the Kingdom of Bohemia It has not the advantage of any River near it so that all the fortifications it has are high Rampires and deep Ditches There is little of note in the Town but the Church burnt down in the late Civil Wars A. D. 1648. but rebuilt more stately then before and the Castle wherein resides the Lieutenant of the two Dukedoms of Jawer and Schweidnitz The Emperor Charles IV. King of Bohemia married Ann Daughter of Henry II. Duke of Javer who with his Brother Bolco Duke of Schweidnitz died without issue whereupon these two Dukedoms were more immediately subjected to the Kings of Bohemia in whose hands they still remain To the Dukedom of Javer belong the Towns of Buntzlau Lemberg Schonau Greiffenberg Lahn Fridberg Lubenthal Schmideberg Naumburg upon the Queiss Kupfferberg and Hirschberg 2. SCHWEIDNITZ or Schweinnitz Schweidnitz has its name from the great Herds of wild Swine which were harbour'd in this place before the Forest was cut down in the year 1070. Whence the Arms of the Town are a wild Boar. It was afterwards much enlarged by Boleslaus I. who fortified it with Walls and Rampires and beautified it with several fair buildings so that 't is now one of the finest Cities in Silesia The most remarkable sight in the Town next to the Churches and other publick buildings is the great Gun in the Armory which carries a Bullet of three hundred and twenty pound weight This is by Schickfusius in his Preface to Curaeus's Chronicle of Silesia very improperly reckon'd amongst the great and extraordinary blessings which the Almighty has been pleased to bestow on some of the Cities in Silesia In the Dukedom of Schweidnitz are the Towns of Strigau memorable as we have already acquainted
the Reader for the Terra Sigillata found here in great quantities Reichenbach Polckenhahn Landeshut Freyberg Friedberg Fridland Zobten Waldberg and Gottesberg 3. Brieg BRIEG or Brig has its name from the Polish word Berega which signifies an exceeding high bank of a River such as this City is seated on The streets here are uniform enough and the houses generally built of stone St. Nicholas's Church is an high and stately old Fabrick beautified with two Towers and built after the ancient Franckish mode This whole City excepting only some few publick buildings was laid in ashes by the Hussites who overran a great part of Bohemia and Silesia in the year 1428. In the Dukedom of Brieg are reckon'd the Towns of Strelen Olau Nimptsch Pitschen Creutzburg Loben Michelau and little Oelsse The two Mine-Towns of Reichenstein and Silberberg are jointly subject to the Dukes of Brieg and Lignitz who are both of the same Family and descended from the ancient Hereditary Kings of Poland 4. Monsterberg MONSTERBERG or Munsterberg so called from the Monastery built in this place by the Emperor Henry the first the Founder of this City is seated not far from the head of the River Ola in a pleasant and fruitful plain The Town is neither large nor strong and has nothing in it of note but the School an old Castle and a fair Town-Hall In this Dukedom are the Towns of Franckenstein and Warta to which some Historians and Geographers are pleased to add Hainrichau Tepliwoda and Kamentz 5. OPPELEN is seated in a sandy and dry Oppelen but fruitful Country 'T is subject to the King of Poland who prevail'd with the Emperor to withdraw all his Forces and Subjects hence in the year 1647. Since which time the Citizens of Oppelen and all the Rusticks in the Villages near it speak the Polish language If strong Gates and thick Walls were proof against modern sieges this Town were sufficiently provided against the assaults of an Enemy but otherwise its fortifications are very mean and inconsiderable Among the many Towns and Villages in this Dukedom the most remarkable are little Glogaw Neustat Kosel Beudten Gleibitz Tost Strehlitz Falckenberg Zultz Rosenberg Lublinitz and Schurgast IX The Cities and Dukedoms of GROTKAW JEGERNDORF TROPPAU RATIBOR and TESCHEN CROTKAW is a City of no great 〈◊〉 bulk as its name seems to intimate but so well seated that 't is a proverb in this Country 'T is as impossible as for a Grotkawer to starve or freeze The reason of which expression is grounded upon each Burger's having a plentiful share in the adjacent Corn-fields and neighbouring Woods Most of the Houses in the Town are Wood-buildings only the Church Bishop's Palace and the Town-Hall are of stone The Dukedom of Grotkaw is subject to the King of Bohemia tho sometimes its Lieutenant is a Polander and contains in it the Cities of Neisse a place of great traffick Otmachau Wansen Ziegenhals Freywald Hozenplotz Jawernick Kaltenstein Patschkau Oyest Weidau and Zackmantel The great trade of this Country especially the Citizens of Neisse is in making and selling to the Merchants of Bohemia and Poland a sort of strong and durable Linnen-Cloth for Beds and Bolsters 2. JAGERNDORF Jagerndorf Which signifies in the German language a Village inhabited by Huntsmen and had its name probably from the abundance of all manner of Game in the neighbouring Woods The Moravians call this Town Carnowf whence the Dukedom is ordinarily by Latin Authors nam'd Ducatus Carnoviensis and a Citizen of this place Carnowfsky from the ancient Arms of the City which are a pair of Horns between two great Stones This City with the small Dukedom which bears its name was given by Ludowic King of Hungary and Bohemia to George Marquise of Brandenburg who was at the charges of building the Castle and erecting the other little fortifications that defend the Town DUCATUS SILESIAE GROTGANUS cum Districtu Episcopali NISSENSI To John Nicholls Esq of Trewane in Cornwall this Mapp is Humbly Dedicated by Moses Pitt Notularum Explicatio Vrbs Arx Pagus cum Templo Pagus nobilis Pagus Episcopalis Commenda COMITATUS GLATZ Notae Vrbs Oppidum Pagus cum templo Vicus Arx Auri et argenti fordinae Mons Notabilis Kohloruben Holtz fluesse The inhabitants of these and all other Towns and Villages in the Dukedom observe the same Laws with the Moravians For which reason the greatest part of them have often endeavour'd to associate themselves to the Marquisate of Moravia and renounce all dependance upon the great Dukedom of Silesia but have always been opposed by the Citizens of Troppau who have still been zealous to continue members of their ancient Body 4. RATIBOR is seated in a pleasant plain about six German miles from Oppelen We have no account of it before the year of Christ 1164 so that most Geographers venture to say that 't was built about that time The private dwelling Houses of the Citizens are as in most parts of Silesia generally wooden buildings but the Duke's Palace Cathedral and some other publick buildings are of stone There is still in the City one Popish Monastery and formerly the Jesuits had a great footing in it but since the Reformation that sort of Cattel were driven out of their Harbors The Dukedom of Ratibor which contains the Towns of Oderberg Sora Ribenick Pilzowitz and Mieslowitz was formerly governed by a Duke of its own but upon the death of Duke Valentinus its last Prince who died without issue in the year 1516 it became more immediately subject to the King of Bohemia 5. 〈◊〉 TESCHEN or Tessin is one of the oldest Cities in Silesia said to have been built by Cessimir or Gessimir Son of Lescus III. Duke of Poland A. D. 810 and from him to have had its first name which has since been corrupted into Tessin It is seated on the confines of Silesia Moravia Poland and Hungary whence it comes to pass that its Citizens speak a medly of languages hardly intelligible to any but themselves They have here great store of all sorts of Venison and wild Fowl the Vistula and Elsa afford them plenty of Fish and the Hungarian Merchants bring them in daily vast quantities of Wine Fruit and other Commodities of that Country At one of their Churches they have weekly Divine Service and a Sermon in the Bohemian language and at another the like in High Dutch for of these two Nations the Burgers chiefly consist Here is brew'd Beer of two sorts the one with Wheat and the other with ordinary Barly Malt the latter of these they call Matznotz a sort of drink pleasant enough but mighty strong and heady which too often on their Market-days makes the poor Rusticks commit several outrages and disorders in the height of their jollity In this Dukedom there are several high mountains whereof two Rows are more especially remarkable and taken notice of by Geographers and Historians The first of these are those on the
the Eastern banks of the Rhine is a Province of no large extent but exceedingly fruitful in Corn Wine and Hemp. The Country is every-where very populous and the Villages so thick that the whole Marquisate has been by some compared to one continued City with fair Gardens interlac'd among the buildings Entz 〈◊〉 Wirmb Phintz and the other Rivers afford plenty of Fish And the Chases and Parks are so well stock'd with Venison and Fowl that what the Nobility in other parts of the German Empire covet as a delicacy the Rustics of Baden have for their ordinary food The Merchants of Amsterdam Antwerp and other great trading Towns in the Netherlands furnish themselves hence with those vast quantities of Flax and Hemp which they transport into foreign Nations so that what passes for Holland Flax here in England grows for the most part in the Marquisate of Baden and is brought thence down the Rhine There are in this Country whole Woods of Chesnut Trees which feed their great Herds of Swine at a cheaper rate then the Hog-Merchants of Whestphalia who buy their Chesnuts at Bremen can afford to do The Quarries give the inhabitants an advantage of building fair Houses with a small cost 〈◊〉 providing them with a good Free-stone and Marble of all colours Amongst these especially in the County of Sponheim they sometimes find Agat which is here rarely polish'd and sent into foreign Countries 〈◊〉 But this Marquisate is most peculiarly happy in the multitude and goodness of its hot Baths and Mineral-waters especially at Baden of which more anon 〈◊〉 From the vast conflux of the Nobility from all parts of the Empire to these Baths we may reasonably imagine that the complaisant carriage towards strangers which we find every-where practis'd by the inhabitants of this Country has in a great measure proceeded from their conversation with strangers who flock hither upon the strong conceit they have of the more then ordinary virtues of these waters They are generally a stout and hardy people inur'd to labour and toil or the severities of a Camp from their their Cradle Hence they come to be reckon'd as good Soldiers as any in the Emperor's Dominions And 't is not a little Honour the Country has got this last year 1681 in having their Marquise Herman made choice of to succeed the late famous Commander Montecuculi in the place of General of all the Imperial Forces No question the Marquises of this Country are descended of an ancient stock of Princes Marquises but of what old Family they are to be reputed a branch the German Heraulds can scarce determine Some fetch them from the Vrsins and others from the House of Della Scala or the Scaligers Some again labour to prove that Baden and Hochberg are different Families and others that they are but one Other Genealogists tell us that the Emperor Frideric Barbaressa brought Herman Marquise of Verona out of Italy and made him the first Marquise of Hochberg and Baden A. D. 1155. Which will very ill agree with what the best High Dutch Historians report of a Monastery being founded by Herman Marquise of Baden in his Village of Backenau A. D. 1116 which was confirm'd by Bruno Bishop of Spire in the year 1122. The most probable opinion is that they are descended from the ancient Counts of Vindonissa and Altemburg in Switzerland from whom also the Dukes of Zeringuen and Tek the Counts of Habspurg and the Arch-Dukes of Austria derive their original At present there are two Families of the Marquises of Baden whereof one is a profess'd Lutheran and the other a zealous Papist For this reason their interests seem different the Marquise of Durlach associating himself with the Count Palatine the Marquise of Brandenburg the Duke of Wirtenberg and the Count of Solms and the Marquise of Baden with the Dukes of Bavaria Savoy and Lorrain and the Princes of Hohernzollern Each of these Princes stiles himself Marquise of Baden and Hochberg Landgrave of Sausenberg Earl of Sponheim and Eberstein Lord of Rotel Badenweiler Lohr and Mahlberg The Chief Cities in the Marquisate of BADEN BADEN is the Metropolis of this Marquisate Baden and has its name from the vast number of Hot Baths in this place which are said to be above three hundred The Town stands amongst Hills on a craggy and uneven spot of ground so that there 's hardly a strait and plain street in it Some of the Baths are scalding hot and all of them running out of Rocks of Brimstone Salt and Allum have the same tast One of them is call'd the Kettle out of which the water boils at a wonderful rate reeking as if set over a Furnace These waters are reckon'd soveraign medicines for several diseases especially the Cramp and Gout both which distempers have been admirably cur'd by them For this reason there is a continual resort of the German Nobility and Gentry who flock hither in as great companies during the whole Summer as our English Gentry are wont to do to Bath in Somersetshire See Joh. Keiffer's description of the Baths of this Country 2. Durlach DURLACH is seated on the bank of the River Psintz at the bottom of a high hill on the top whereof stands a Tower wherein contintial watch is kept for the security of the City The streets in this Town are generally fair and strait and the buildings stately and uniform The Marquise's Palace far excells that at Baden and is large enough to receive the Court and Attendants of the greatest Monarch in Europe There is a Gymnasium kept up by some few Professors who read public Lectures in the several Faculties But that which is most worthy a Scholar's sight is the rare Collection of ancient Coins and Meddals in the Marquise's Cabinet and the Library adjoining wherein are some pieces of good note 3. PFORTZHEIM says Rhenanus Pfortzheim was anciently call'd Orcynheim and by Latin Authors Porta Hercyniae because 't is seated at the entrance into the Schwartzwald a part of the Hercynian Forest as you travel from Spire On one side of the Town you have fair Meadows Pasture-grounds and Corn-fields but the other side is nothing but Mountains and Woods This Town was formerly subject to the Dukes of Schwaben but fell afterwards upon the death of Conradine the last Duke of that Country into the hands of the Marquises of Baden who are now Lords of it 4. GERSBACH is a Town of no great extent Gersbach having in it only two Churches whereof one is frequented by Lutherans and the other by Papists The Marquises of Baden as Counts of Eberstein a Castle not far from this Town have here a Palace and Court of Judicature for the determining all Controversies and Law-suits arising within the bounds of this small County 5. BADENWEILER a City betwixt Freyburg and Basil Badenweiler is a part of the Marquisate of Baden tho seated in the Territories of Brisach The hot Baths of this
quarter is struck by a Child with an Apple the second by a Youth with an Arrow the third by a full aged man with a Tip-staff and the fourth by an old man with his Cane On the outside of the Church are shew'n the true increase and decrease of the Moon with the motion of the Sun through all the Signs of the Zodiack For a larger Description of this master-piece of Art I refer the Reader to the Treatises writ on this Subject by Dasypodius Schadaeus Frischlin c. The Bishopric of Strasburg was founded by King Dagobert who made St. Amandus the first Bishop of this Diocess Of late years there have been several quarrels betwixt the Bishop and Citizens who to this day are unwilling to allow their Prelate the Jurisdiction that he lays claim to The Armory of this Town is well worth the seeing But their University makes more noise in the world then it ought to do The Reader may expect a more accurate account of the present state of some parts of Alsace when we come to treat of the French King's Conquests in the Volume of France THE DUKEDOM OF WIRTEMBERG WIRTEMBERG is a Province of the great Circle of Schwaben a Country sufficiently provided for with all manner of profits and pleasures The Mountains are full of Mines and Vineyards and the Valleys are well stock'd with large Herds of Cattel 'T is of no great extent but so populous that there is in it 't is said 63 Cities 158 great Towns 645 Villages and 14 Abbeys Before the Civil Wars of Germany the Duke of Wirtemberg was able to raise an Army of 24000 men in 24 hours but that calamitous War lessen'd the number of Soldiers in this as well as other Provinces of the Empire The Princes of this Country were anciently no more then Counts but raised to the Dignity of Dukes by the general consent of all the Estates of the Empire in a Diet held at Worms A. D. 1495. The reason of which advancement was the great improvements they had made of their Estates wherein was contain'd only the Castle of Wirtemberg with some few Villages depending thereon When Duke Vlric was driven out of all his Territories in the year 1519 his whole Dukedom was sold to the Emperor Charles V. Afterwards in the year 1534 the Duke was restored to his Dominions by the assistance of Francis I. King of France and Philip Landgrave of Hesse the former whereof aided him with Moneys and the latter with Men and Arms. Whereupon he sent his Son Christopher to Ferdinand King of the Romans who agreed that the House of Wirtemberg should be again restor'd to their Dutchy paying homage to the House of Austria This order was observ'd till the year 1599 wherein by a Covenant made betwixt the Emperor Rodolph II. and Frideric I. Duke of Wirtemberg the Dukedom was reduc'd to its ancient state the House of Austria only reserving to it self the Title and Arms which the Emperor now bears of Wirtemberg and the right of Succession upon failure of Heirs male The Metropolis of this Province and place of the Duke's residence is Stutgard seated not far from the banks of the Neccar about the middle of the Country Stutgard signifies properly a Yard to train young Horses in and such some Antiquaries tell us was formerly the place where this City now stands This story they confirm by the Arms of the Town which is a young Colt let loose But I rather think this only a Rebus taken from the name of the City which may possibly have no more affinity with the true Etymology of the word then the Ox in the Arms of our City of Oxford has with the ancient name of this Town The Duke's Palace is a noble Fabrick adorn'd with most delicate Groves and Gardens of pleasure In these you have as fair rows of Orange-trees as well contriv'd Grottoes and Waterworks and as stately a Pleasure-house as at any Prince's Palace in the Empire But the Houses of private Citizens fall short of this pomp and grandeur Most of them are wooden buildings and of a very despicable height WIRTENBERG DVCATVS Apud Janssonio-Waesbergios Mosem Pitt et Stephanum Swart There is also at Tubingen a supreme Court of Judicature wherein all Controversies in Cases Civil and Criminal are determin'd by five of the Nobility four Doctors in the University and as many Burgers of the Town Besides this there is a Consistory of Divines and Civilians who take cognisance of all Ecclesiastical matters The first Rector of the University in this Town was Joh. Nauclerus whose Historical works Philip Melancthon took great care to publish in the year 1500. A Book highly commended by the learned Camerarius in his life of Melancthon The only famous men I think whom they can brag of for this last age are Martin Crufius and Will. Schickard both singularly well skill'd in the Oriental Languages Besides these I fancy 't will be as difficult to find a Scholar worth the mentioning bred at Tubingen as to meet with one City or great Town among the Hundreds of that name in the Dukedom of Wirtemberg which merits a particular description in this place The End of the Second Volume An Advertisement to the Reader FOR the literal faults which may have escap'd the Press there needs no Apology because these are neither so numerous nor so gross as to interrupt the sense or disturb the Reader And some of the more material Errata may be excused by considering the different times wherein several Paragraphs of the Book seemingly contradictory were pen'd For Example 'T was true in the year 1680 when the sixth sheet was printed that Augustus Duke of Saxony was Administrator of Magdeburg and Halle as is said Pag. 21. Col. 2. And as true that the present Elector of Brandenburg was Duke of both those places at the penning of Pag. 92. Some other considerable mistakes we have taken notice of may be thus Corrected I. Instead of Halberstadt pag. 9. col 2. lin 9. Read Hildesheim as in pag. 51. col 1. II. For Charles IV. Wenceslaus c. pag. 33. col 1. lin 35. Read Wenceslaus Charles the Fifth's Son c. Since as the best German Historians inform us Wence slaus was the first of their Emperour 's that had the Title of King of the Romans conferr'd on him AN ALPHABETICAL INDEX Containing The NAMES of all the COUNTRIES CITIES TOWNS RIVERS ISLES c. IN THE Maps of the Second Volume Places Map Latitude D. M. Longitude D. M. A Â AAb 34 49 30 26 50 Aag 01 47 40 25 20 Aaken 14 51 30 29 00 Aaihusen 17 51 50 26 40 Aâ—â— 01 51 00 20 00 Aâ—â—delost 14 51 35 29 30 Aâ—â— fl 38 46 00 23 40 Aâ—â—berg 01 46 50 23 30 Aâ—â—â—g 01 47 00 24 10 Aâ—â—â—w 38 47 00 24 20 Aâ—â—â— 2 3 05 54 10 25 50 Â Â 53 40 25 50 Aâ—â—h 01 50 40 19 50 Aâ—â—ve fl 05 53 25 26 30 Aâ—â—h 34 48
of Lechus the first Others think it the same with Ptolomey's Carodunum corrupted into Cracow This City as 't is the largest so it is the best built of any one in Poland Cromer sets it in competition with the best built Cities of Germany or Italy but we must allow him to stretch a little more then ordinary in commendation of his own Country The houses are for the most part of free-stone and four or five stories high but covered with boards instead of slat There are in it a considerable company of Italian and German Merchants who bring in such foreign wares as the Country stands in need of It consists like London and Paris of three parts 1. Cracow properly so called or the antient City 2. Cazimiria joyned to the rest by a wooden bridge cross the Vistula 3. Stradomia which lyes between Cracow and the bridge The King's Palace is seated on the top of an high hill whence it overlooks both City and Country 'T was rebuilt in the magnificent posture it now stands by Sigismund the Elder who added the gallery on the north side from whence you have one of the best prospects in Europe The University of Cracow was first begun by Casimir the Great finished by Vladislaus Jagello in performance of the last will and testament of his Queen Hedwig and had its priviledges confirmed to it by Pope Vrban In the year 1549 the scholars of Cracow by a general consent left the University upon an affront put on them by the Magistrates of the City who refused to execute justice upon the servants of Andrew Czarnkowski when in a quarrel they had slain a great number of students and dispersed themselves into several parts of Germany whence returning Lutherans they spread the reform'd opinions all Poland over and got great numbers of proselytes Upon the first planting of Christianity in this Kingdom Miecislaus the first who begun his reign in the year 964 Cracow was made an Archbishoprick But within a hundred years after Lampert Zula refusing to receive his Pall from the Pope of Rome as his predecessors had done before him it degenerated into a Bishoprick Afterwards in the reign of Boleslaus the chast which begun A.D. 1226 a contest arising between Jvo Bishop of this Diocess and the Bishop of Vratislaw about precedency the Bishop of Cracow upon his submissive appeal to the See of Rome was again restored to the dignity of an Archbishop which only lasted during his life At this day the Bishops of Cracow wear an Archbishop's Pall set richly with jewels which is the only relique they have of their antient honour The next Palatinate of the Lesser Poland Sendomir is that of Sendomir The City is seated on the bank of the Vistula and fortifyed with walls and a Castle both built by Casimir the Great who afterwards dyed of a surfet by eating too freely of the fruits of this Country which are reckoned the fairest and best in Poland Here is nothing else worth the taking notice of save the Monastery of Dominican Friars founded by Jvo Archbishop of Cracow The Palatinate of Lublin was taken out of that of Sendomir as being too big for the jurisdiction of one Palatine by Casimir Jagellonides Lublin The City is not very large but well built and much frequented especially in the Fairs kept three times a year by Christian Jewish and Turkish Merchants 'T is much better fortifved by the marshes which environ it then its walls and more beholden to nature for its defence then either Casimir the Great who walled it round or the Russians who built the adjoyning Castle The great Church in it was built by Lescus the black upon a great conquest obtain'd against the Lithvanians near this City and dedicated to St. Michael who in a vision the night before the battel had promised him good success St. Bridgets Monastery among many other magnificent ones was founded by Vladislaus Jagello One of the two chief Courts of Judicature from which no appeal lies save to the Parliament of Poland is kept at Lublin Hither for judgment in controversies of any great moment repair the Palatinates of Cracow Sendomir Russia Podolia Lublin Belze Podlassia Volhinia Braclaw Kiow and Czernichow or at least so many of them as are still subject to the Crown of Poland Of other Countries and Provinces to which the Kings of Poland have formerly pretended a title by conquest contract or otherwise BEsides the places mentioned and at present subject to the Crown of Poland the Kings of that Nation have from time to time lay'd claim to many and large Territories now in the hands of other Princes Omitting Bohemia Moravia Wagria Misnia and the Dukedomes of Rugen Mecklenburg and Lunenburg which whatever some of the Polish writers assert and endeavour to make good were very little or not at all subject to Boleslaus Chrobri who was the only King that ever could plausibly pretend a title to any part of them we shall confine our discourse to those Countries to which the Polonian Princes may seem to have had a more just and legal title That all or most of Silesia was part of the Dukedome of Poland Silesia in the days of Lechus the first and several of his successours is highly probable from the writings of Adam Bremensis and Helmoldus who both of them make the river Oder the bounds of Poland Besides the German Chronologers tell us that Charles the Great Ludovicus Pius and other Emperors conquer'd the Silesians and made them tributary to the Empire But the Polish Historians upon what grounds I know not are generally positive in asserting That Silesia was always without any such intermission or conquest as the Germans strive to make out a part of the Polish dominions Only Vincentius Kadlubko agrees with the Germans affirming That Boleslaus Chrobri amongst his many other conquests regain'd Selucia as he calls it and left it annexed to the Crown of Poland After his time we find that Casimir the first translated the Bishoprick of Bicine to Vratislaw whence 't is manifest that in his days Silesia was part of the Realm of Poland Not long after Henry the IV Emperour of Germany in the Diet at Munster A.D. 1086 made over Silesia Lusatia and indeed all Poland to Vratislaus King of Bohemia though as Cromer says he had no right to a foot of land in any of them Whereupon ensued a bloody war betwixt the Bohemians and Poles wherein it is to be conjectured the latter had the better since all Historians agree that Silesia was under the King of Polands goverment during the whole reign of Boleslaus the third His son Vladislaus the second being deposed by his brethren who were left Co-heirs with him in the Kingdom fled first to the Emperor Frederick the first who brought Boleslaus Crispus Duke of Poland and brother to Vladislaus to such straits that he was forced to resign all Silesia into the hands of his brother's children but upon condition they should
unanimous are sufficient to defend the whole Island against a potent enemy The Language anciently spoken in Rugen was a Dialect of the Slavonian or Wendish tongue Language But after the Dukes of Pomeren assisted by the Citizens of Stralsund as shall be shew'n hereafter had possession of the Island the Wendish manners and language were utterly abolished insomuch that 't is recorded in the Annals of Rugen as a memorable thing that in the year 1404 there was one old woman left in the Isle that understood perfectly and could speak the Slavonian tongue At this day the greatest part of the inhabitants speak the language of the Lower Saxons and some few especially where the King of Sweden's Officers keep their residence speak Swedish The ancient inhabitants of this Isle were the last of all the Northern Nations that were converted from their Idolatry and Paganism Religion and embrac'd the Christian Religion Helmondus seems to point more especially at the Rugians when he says Inter omnes autem Borealium populos sola Slavorum Provincia remansit caeteris durior atque ad credendum tardior However about the year 813 a company of hardy Monks ventur'd to preach up Christianity to these stubborn people and succeeded so well in the undertaking as in a very short time to bring over a great many of them to the true faith But they as quickly abandon'd Christianity and relaps'd into their former Idolatry For as upon the first preaching of the Gospel in Lycaonia the inhabitants of that Country were ready to do sacrifice to St. Barnabas and St. Paul under the names of Jupiter and Mercury so these poor people mistaking God's Ministers for God himself idoliz'd St. Vite a poor Monk that had undertaken their conversion by the name of Swant which name was afterwards given to a monstrous four headed Image which they worshipp'd in a sumptuous Temple To this Idol all the Rugians repair'd as to an Oracle for advice and the foreign Merchants that had made a safe Voyage were obliged to offer up some of their best Merchandises as a tribute of thanksgiving to this grand tutelary God of the Island Three hundred Horses were kept constantly for the service of Swant one whereof was white and never rid but by the chief Priest This Horse was now and then shew'n to the people in a morning all over besmear'd with dirt and sweat the Priest in the mean time protesting to the multitude that Swant himself had brought the beast into that pickle by engaging with and pursuing the Enemies of Rugen the night before The manner of worshipping this Idol which stood in Arcona the famous City in old Rugen before mention'd was thus The chief Priest looking into a Horn which the Image held in its right hand and which had been fill'd the year before with a precious liquor prognosticated from the good quantity or scarcity of the liquor therein contain'd the plenty or dearth of the year following That done with his lips shut for fear of harming the Idol with his breath he very solemnly poured out the remaining liquor at the feet of the Image and having replenish'd it afresh plac'd it again with a great deal of reverence in the God's right hand whence he had taken it down These Ceremonies being ended the rest of that day was spent in anniversary feasting and jollity In this miserable condition the Rugians continued for some ages until by a continual conversation with their neighbours the Pomeranians they were almost insensibly turn'd Christians and about five hundred years ago at last wholly quitted their Idolatrous practices and at this day the inhabitants of Rugen are as zealous assertors and maintainers of the Augsburg Confession as any Germans whatever The Isle was anciently govern'd by Princes of its own Gâ—â—â—mers whose Dominions reach'd beyond the narrow boundaries the Sea had set them a great way into Pomeren taking in all the Territories near Stralsund Gripswald and other places now subject to the King of Sweden Antiquity will afford us a Register of Eleven Princes of Rugen and those in the following order 1. Wislaus who is said to have been Prince of Rugen in the days of the Emperor Otho I. about the year of Christ 938. 2. Grimus Remarkable for nothing but his filling up a space in the Catalogue of these Princes 3. Cruco or Crito At the same time Prince of Rugen and petty King of the Obatriti in the year 1100 who after he had for some years exercis'd Idolatry and Tyranny in his Dominions was deposed and slain by Henry Son of Gothscalc another inconsiderable King of the said Obitriti at the entreaty of his wife Schlavine Daughter to Swantibor I. Prince of Pomeren 4. Raze A great Warriour who besieged Lubec and took it He died in the year 1141. 5. Teslaus A Prince who had continual wars with the Kings of Denmark two whereof Eric VI. and Sueno III. he as often overcame as he was beaten by them but at last was utterly vanquish'd and made tributary by King Waldemar 6. Jarimar Teslaus's Brother The first Prince of Rugen that embraced Christianity 7. Barmita arimar's Son He died in the year 1241. 8. Witzlaus II. Barmita's Brother and Founder of the Monastery at Campen He died in the year 1247. 9. Jarimar II. Witzlaus the second 's Son who immediately after his admittance to the Government rebell'd against the King of Denmark and at last after many Engagements got himself and his successors eas'd from that yoke in the year 1259. 10. Witzlaus III. Jarimar the second 's Son A great promoter of the Christian Religion in Liefland where himself sometimes took upon him the office of a Priest preaching Christianity to the poor Infidels of those parts 11. Witzlaus IV. The last Prince of Rugen of this Family Upon the unruly growth of the great City of Stralsund the Merchants and Burgers finding themselves able enough to grapple with this Prince were resolv'd to be no longer subject to him or any of his Successors if by violence or otherwise they could procure their liberty whereupon they openly proclaim'd themselves a free City declaring that neither the Princes of Rugen nor any of their neighbours could lawfully pretend to exact any Tribute or Homage from the Citizens of Stralsund Upon the noise of this revolt Prince Witzlaus assisted by some of the neighbouring Kings and Princes besieged Stralsund demanding submission together with an humble acknowledgment of their unpardonable crime in daring to make so traiterous a revolt but in vain For the Stralsunders not only persisted in the resolution of asserting their Liberty to the last but bravely withstood the assaults of Witzlaus and his Associates and after many hot disputes slew this Prince in a sally thereby putting an end to the controversie and whole Lineage of the Princes of Rugen in the year 1325. After this the Island of Rugen with other parts of that Principality upon the Continent came into the hands of the Dukes of