the Bastions and the space of Ground between the Wall and the Houses and all the Ground unbuilt from the Utricks-Port to the Wesoper-Port Muyer-Port and 〈◊〉 the Seaside and you will find it to be near 〈◊〉 Morgans of Land There are two Parishes in the Suburbs of London viz. Stepney and St. Martins in the Fields the latter being so big that the Parliament divided it into four Parishes either of them have more Houses than Rotterdam or Haerlem and there are several other great Parishes as St. Margarets Westminster St. Giles in the Fields St. Olaves and St. Mary Saviours the which if they stood apart in the Country would make great Cities we reckon in London and the Suburbs thereof to be at least 130 Parishes which contains 100000 Houses now if you reckon 8 Persons to every House then there are near 800000 Souls in London but there are some that say there is a Million of Souls in it I shall now set down the Cities Alphabetically and their number of Houses as they were given to me not only from the Surveyors and City Carpenters but from the Books of the Hearth-Money and Collectors of the several Taxes in the respective Cities And first I shall begin with the 18 Cities that have Voices in the States of Holland Cities in HOLLAND Cities Houses 1. DOrt 5500 2. Haerlem 7250 3. Delft 2300 4. Leyden 13800 5. Amsterdam 25460 6. Rotterdam 8400 7. Gouda 3540 8. Gorcom 2460 9. Schiedam 1550 10. Briell 1250 11. Schonehoven 2200 12. Alckmaar 1540 13. Horn 3400 14. Enckhuysen 5200 15. Edam 2000 16. Monekendam 1500 17. Medenblick 850 18. Purmerent 709 Total 88909 Cities in GERMANY and in the Seventeen Provinces Cities Houses 1. ANtwerp 18550 2. Aix la Chapelle 2250 3. Arford 8440 4. Berlin 5200 5. Bon 410 6. Brisack 1200 7. Breme 9200 8. Breda 3420 9. Bolduke 6240 10. Bergen op Zome 2120 11. Brussels 19200 12. Cologne 12000 13. Cleave 640 14. Coblentz 420 15. Castels 1520 16. Dresden 6420 17. Disseldorpe 620 18. Dunkirk 2440 19. Emden 2400 20. Francfort 10200 21. Groningen 8400 22. Guant 18200 23. Harford 1420 24. Hanouer 1850 25. Heidelberg 7520 26. Hambourg 12500 27. Lubeck 6500 28. Lovain 8420 29. Lypsick 3242 30. Lunenburg 3100 31. Lewardin 5860 32. Mayence 2420 33. Malin 8000 34. Middelburg 6200 35. Madelburg 1120 36. Mastricht 5600 37. Munster 1240 38. Nurenburg 18240 39. Osenburg 2200 40. Osburg 8420 41. Oldenburg 620 42. Praag 18640 43. Passaw 560 44. Ratisbonne 6540 45. Strasbourg 8560 46. Spire 540 47. Stockholm 6480 48. Salsburg 12460 49. Uytrick 8240 50. Vienna 4520 51. Vean 340 52. Wormes 1200 53. Westburg 2420 Total 314460 Cities in FRANCE Cities Houses 1. AVignion 12400 2. Amiens 5200 3. Bullion 1400 4. Bomont 800 5. Burdeaux 8420 6. Callis 1324 7. Caine 2147 8. Chalons 1850 9. Diepe 1920 10. Lyons 16840 11. Montrevil 820 12. Montpeiller 5240 13. Marselles 9100 14. Nantes 4420 15. Nismes 3120 16. Orleans 10200 17. Orange 354 18. Paris 72400 19. Rochel 4200 20. Roan 11200 21. Tolouze 13200 22. Valence 458 Total 187013 Cities in ITALY Cities Houses 1. BOlonia 12400 2. Florence 8520 3. Genoua 17200 4. Luca 1650 5. Legorne 3560 6. Milan 18500 7. Naples 17840 8. Pisa 2290 9. Padua 8550 10. Rome 31200 11. Sena 1820 12. Venice 24870 13. Veterba 620 14. Valentia 1520 Total 155040 Cities in SAVOY Cities Houses 1. CHambray 852 2. Salé 320 3. Turin 8540 4. Nice 500 5. St. John de Lateran 420 6. Remes 340 7. Moloy 270 Total 11242 Cities in SWITZERLAND Cities Houses 1. BErne 4270 2. Bale 5120 3. Geneva 4540 4. Losana 2100 5. Solure 500 6. Zurick 6200 7. Morge 210 8. Vina 320 9. St. Morrice 300 Total 23560 Cities in DENMARK Cities Houses 1. COpenhagen 8220 2. Elsenore Total Cities in SWEEDLAND Cities Houses 1. NOrthoanen 600 2. Stockholme 7500 3. Upsal 8200 Total 16300 AN EXACT RELATION OF THE ENTERTAINMENT Of His Most Sacred Majesty WILLIAM III. KING of England Scotland France and Ireland Hereditary Stadtholder of the United Netherlands c. At the HAGVE Giving a particular Description of His MAJESTY's Entry there Jan. 26. 169â—-â— And of the several Triumphant Arches Pyramids Pictures c. with the Inscriptions and Devices Illustrated with Copper Plates of the whole Solemnity exactly drawn from the Original By an English Gentleman LONDON Printed in the Year M. DC XCL AN Exact Relation Of the ENTERTAINMENT of His Most Sacred Majesty WILLIAM III. At the HAGVE Kings Voyage to Holland pag 2 'T was expected that the King would have lain here this Night and so have entred the Hague by day light but on the contrary His extraordinary Desire of entring immediately upon Business would not let Him give Himself so much as one Nights ease And His Majesty after a very short Refreshment here departed for the Hague attended with five or six Coaches with six Horses In His own Coach accompanied Him the Earl of Portland and the Lord Overkirk arriving at the Hague about half an hour after five in the Evening where though he was not that Night expected there wanted not the general Acclamations of the People of all sorts who run by His Coach crying out Long Live King William Welcom Welcom c. His Majesty Rode through the Triumphant Arches Erected by the Lords of the Hague and the Honourable the Lords Committee of the Council of Holland of which we shall give an exact Description in their proper Places directly to the Court where being arrived and the Gates shut to keep out the extraordinary press of People thirty peices of Cannon which were planted upon the Vyverberg were thrice discharged Publick Thanksgivings were made in all the Churches and the Bells rung with great Joy and throughout the Town almost all the Houses were Illuminated with great numbers of Candles in their Windows whilst all the People Rich and Poor Old and Young made all Demonstrations of their inexpressible Joy for His Majesties most happy Arrival That Evening the Earl of Berka Envoy Extraordinary from the Emperor waited upon His Majesty and was a long time in private with Him and the next day several Members of the States and divers Persons of Quality came to Compliment His Majesty and Congratulate His Arrival The Ministers of the several Confederate Princes who upon the Kings arrival had sent Expresses to their respective Masters assembling themselves in Congress immediately after their breaking up the Imperial Spanish and Brandenburgh Envoys came to wait upon His Majesty as also the Council of State and the Lords of the General Accounts with all their Members to Congratulate and Complement Him The King immediately applied Himself to the Affairs of State and taking first into His Consideration the Sea Affairs gave the Command of the Dutch Fleet to the Heer Cornelius Van Tromp with the Title of Vice-Admiral of Holland who gratefully accepted the same and immediately beat up his Drums for Seamen who flocked to
To this the King replied That he Thank'd his Electoral Highness That he should always endeavour to promote the common Interest and therefore would joyn with the Elector and that He was Oblig'd to his Highness for this Trouble and lastly that his Person was very acceptable Then the Envoy presented his Gentlemen to the King who kissed his Hand and afterwards the Envoy was carried back in the same manner to his Lodgings as he was brought up Then the Envoys of Mentz Cologne Munster and Hambourg had their publick Audiences after whom came the Elector of Brandenburgh who had a private Audience of near two Hours The Duke Administrator of Wirtenbergh with his Brother who were there incognito were admitted without Ceremonies Also the Deputies of the Cities and Countries who were obliged to go home to give an account of their Affairs had their Audience of Congé of His Majesty And afterwards the Pensionary Secretaries and Deputies of the States of Zealand had their Audiences and Complemented the King The Count of Erbagh came from Prince Waldeck and several Foreign Ministers from the Emperor the King of Spain the Duke of Savoy had their Audiences The 12th in the Evening Count Winditsgratz Ambassador Extraordinary from his Imperial Majesty arrived and had his Audience at Ten a Clock The 14th at Noon the King went into the Council of the States and after some Affairs were dispatched he went with the Lords Commissioners into the Assembly of their High and Mightynesses where the State of the War for the Year 1691. was presented which the Deputies were to send down to their respective Provinces afterwards the King went to Court and gave Audience to several Foreign Ministers and General Officers and among the rest to General Delwich The 15th the King with the Duke of Norfolk the Earls of Portland and Devonshire with several other Noblemen Dined with the Elector of Brandenburgh The Elector received the King without and Conducted him to the Dining-Room The King went away at Four a Clock and gave Audience afterwards to the Elector Palatine's Minister Mr. Berensdorff came hither also from the Duke of Zell and Mr. Klenck from the Duke of Hanouer to Complement His Majesty in their Masters Names Prince Waldeck came also to Court and had Audience of the King immediately And Mr. Chaâ—gagne came from the Elector of Treves The 16th the Elector of Bavaria arriv'd who acquainted the King of his arrival at Ten a Clock by one of his Gentlemen he Lodged in his Envoys House Next Morning my Lord Portland and the Elector of Brandenburgh went to Complement him The Elector was met at the Entrance of the House About five in the Evening he went privately to the King and staid about an Hour and half and the next day the King returned his Visit The 18th in the Evening the Marquis de Gastanaga Governor of the Spanish Netherlands arrived with a very splendid Equipage As soon as he arriv'd he went to Court and was Received with the Honour due to his Character the Swiss Guards being placed in Ranks with their Officer posted at the Head of them He had a particular Audience of the King an Hour long the Elector of Bavaria being by the Swiss Guards appeared then in Arms it being the first time that the Elector of Bavaria had appeared at Court publickly The same day also the Elector of Brandenburgh had his Audience Next Morning the Marquis de Gastanaga was at the Kings Rising and then paid a Visit to the Elector of Brandenburgh the King was that day above two Hours in the Committee of the Council of State and Dined with the Elector of Brandenburgh at my Lord Portlands Mr. Arnauld Preacher and Head of the Vaudois who Commanded them so bravely against the French last Summer came also to the Hague and had an Audience of the King concerning their Affairs The 19th in the Afternoon the King went a Hawking near Sorgvliet with the Elector of Brandenburgh and several other Persons of great Quality Next Morning he went a Hunting with the Elector of Bavaria and the Marquis of Gastanaga near Hounsâ—â—erdyke where they Dined and came back again in the Evening to the Hague The 20th the Prince of Courland with another Prince of the House of Holstein arrived here The 21st the Landtgrave of Hâ—sse came hither with his Envoy and several other Lords He immediately went to Court and staid some time with the King and the next day he paid a Visit to the Electors of Brandenburgh and Bavaria The Duke of Zalâ—sbach came also with General Dautel as it 's believed to Complement the King in the Elector Palatine's Name The Congress was now often kept Colomna the Spanish Envoy had a Conference on the 23d in the Morning with the Deputies of the States General and afterwards assisted in the Congress where was also the Count Winditsgratz the Emperors Plenipotentiary and the Count de Berka and the Chevalier Crampricht the other Imperial Ministers were by when he show'd his Credentials and the States assured him that he should have Audience with the usual Ceremonies in two or three days The Counsellor Mean who was sent by the Prince and Chapter of Liege assisted also in the Congress and the Emperors Minister with most of the other Ministers waited upon his Majesty This extraordinary Concourse has made the Court at the Hague so very Splendid that it has out-done any thing else in any other Court of Christendom Above 30 Sovereign Princes were there besides Marquesses Earls Barons and Gentlemen without Number The Elector of Bavaria and the Marquis de Gastanaga kept publick Tables The 24th about Ten in the Morning the Count de Winditsgratz had publick Audience of the King Conducted by the Master of the Ceremonies with all the usual Solemnities He Congratulated His Majesties happy Successes and assured him that the Emperor his Master esteemed himself very much obliged to His Majesty for that Care and Concern which he show'd for the common Cause and he further added that his Master look'd upon His Britannick Majesty as the principal moving Cause upon whom every thing else depended that might be for the advantage of the Confederacy The Elector of Saxony's Envoy had Audience of the King the same day The 25th in the Morning the King with the Elector of Brandenburgh and the Landtgrave of Hesse went to the great Church where they heard a Sermon Preached by Mr. Ulier who towards the latter end said several moving Things to His Majesty In the Afternoon the King with the Electors of Bavaria and Brandenburgh and the Landtgrave of Hesse all four in a Coach took three or four turns round the Voorhout with the Glasses down upon the Kings side who was received by the thronging Multitudes with all imaginable Demonstrations of Affection and Joy The 26th the Count de Prela Doria Envoy Extraordinary from the Duke of Savoy Count d' Autel with the same Character from the Elector Palatine had Audience of His Majesty
the Indies but let us see what Figure they make in Europe And first to begin with them in Amsterdam where they have two large stately Palaces one being in the old part of the City and the other in the new in that of the old part of the City they keep their Court and there sits the Resident Committee of the Company where also they make the Sales of the Companies Goods There for six years the grand Council or Assembly of the Seventeen do meet and after six years are expired the grand Council of the Seventeen do assemble at Middelburg in Zealand for two years and then again return to Amsterdam the other lesser Chambers of Delft Rotterdam Horne and Eâ—chuysen never having the Assembly of the Seventeen in their Chambers so that only Amsterdam and Zealand have the Honour of that grand Council I will therefore crave leave to describe unto you the Chamber of Amsterdam it being the most considerable of the Chambers belonging to this Famous Company In their House or Palace within the old City are many large Offices or Apartments as first on the lower Floor is their Parliament Chamber where the Seventeen do sit next to this Chamber are several fair Chambers for the Committees to sit in They have also a Chamber of Audience where they do receive Princes or Ambassadors or other great Men as have occasion to speak with them In one of these Chambers are the Arms of several Indian Princes they have Conquered On the same Floor is their Treasury Office where their Receivers sit and receive Money and Pay out the Orders or Assignments of the Company near to that Chamber sits their grand Minister the Heer Peter van Dam who is said to be a second John de Wit for Parts tho' not so in Principle This great Minister is a Man of indefatagable Industry and labours Night and Day in the Companies Service he Reads over twice the great Journal Books which come from the Indies and out of them makes Minutes to prepare matters of Concern necessary to be considered by the grand Council of Seventeen and by the inferiour Committees of the Company and prepares Instructions and Orders to be sent to their Chief Ministers in the Indies I could say many more things of his great Worth and Virtues but shall forbear lest I should be judged a Flatterer Over-against this great Ministers Office sit in a Chamber many Clarks or under Secretaries who receive from this Minister their Orders of Dispatches in the Affairs of the Company and next to this Chamber is a Register Office where are kept the Journal Books of the Indies where you may see the Names of all the Men and Women that have ever served the Company in the Indies with the time of their Death or departing the Companies Service Then next to that is a Council Chamber where the Residing Chamber or Committee of the Company always sits then assending up Stairs there sit their Book-holders who keep the Accounts of all the Transactions of those that buy or sell Actions of the Company and over against this Office sits the Heer Gerbrand Elias who is the second Advocate of the Company On this Floor are several large Rooms in which are great Stores of Pack'd Goods and also a Room with all sorts of Drugs Tea Wax Ambergreace and Musk and on the same Floor is a Chamber where the Commissioners sit who govern the Pack-houses and next to them sit their Clerks who keep the Registers of the Sales of the Companies Goods And on the same Gallery or Floor is a Chamber where are kept the several Books of Divinity Printed in the Indian Language that are sent to the several Colonies of the Company And at the end of this Gallery is a Magazine full of Medicaments and Instruments for Barber Chirurgeons Chests to furnish the Companies Ships and Garisons in the Indies Then assending up another pair of Stairs there are several large Magazines of Nutmegs Cloves Mace and Cinnamon and in a long Gallery are many Men at Work sorting of Spices fit for Sale Then ascending up another pair of Stairs there are many Rooms full of Spices then descending into the Court-yard there is Guard Chamber where every Night the House-keeper hath a Watch and on the other side of the Gate there is a Chymist who with his Men prepares Medicaments for the Indies adjoyning to this Court-yard is their Ware-house and Pack-house for Pepper and Gross Goods but before I leave this House in the old part of the City I must say something of the manner or method used in the Transactions of the Jews and others who make a Trade of Buying and Selling the Actions of the Company the which is a great Mystory of Iniquity and where it inricheth one Man it ruins an hundred The Jews are the chief in that Trade and are said to Negotiate 17 parts of 20 in the Company These Actions are bought and sold four times a day at 8 in the Morning in the Jews-street at a 11 on the Dam at 12 and at one a Clock upon the Exchange and at six in the Evening on the Dam and in the Colleges or Clubs of the Jews until 12 at midnight where many times the crafty Jews and others have contrived to coin bad News to make the Actions fall and good News to raise them the which Craft of doing at Amsterdam is not taken notice of which is much to be wondred at in such a Wise Government as Amsterdam is for it is a certain Truth they many times spread Scandalous Reports touching the Affairs of State which pass amongst the Ignorant for Truth I shall now in the next place say something of their Palace or Magazine in the new part of the City the which may more properly be called an Arsenal It is a Building so superb that it looks more like a Kings Palace than a Magazine for Merchants I have measured the Ground on which this Arsenal stands which I find to be 2000 Foot and square every way reckoning the Motes or Burgals about it I remember the Ingenious Sir Joseph Williamson measured the two Rope-Alleys by telling the Stone-Figures in the Wall and found them to be 1800 Foot long the like whereof is not to be seen in the World On the backside of this Rope-Alley lies a store of Five Hundred large Anchors besides small ones in this Arsenal they build the Ships belonging to this Chamber And here are all sorts of Work-houses for the Artificers that serve the Company And in a Chamber next to the Joyners Office is a model of a Ship they now build their Ships by which cost 6000 Gilders When a Man beholds the great Stores of Timber Cordage and the Provisions of War in their Magazine a Man would think there were enough to furnish a whole Nation In this Arsenal the Ships unload their Goods laid up in several Apartments in the grand Magazine and afterward is removed to the House in the old
their Industry and Art in Trading are become so excessive Rich and Potent that they began to Insult and would needs be Arbitrators to their Neighbouring Princes and States and encroach upon their Territories and Dominions This drew upon them that fatal War before-mentioned by which they were sorely weaken'd and brought so low that except GOD by a more than ordinary Providence had protected and appeared for them they had certainly been ruinated and never able to recover themselves again however their Pride hereby was much abated And as Luxury and Lasciviousness are the sad Effects of Prosperity as well as Pride so such Vices in a Body Politick and Commonwealth as do corrupt the Radical Humours by abating the Vigour of the Vital Parts do insensibly tend to the Consumption and Decay of the whole That this Commonwealth hath much recovered its Strength may clearly appear if we consider what great Things they have effected since the little time they have enjoyed Peace They have in less than 7 Years built about 40 gallant Ships of War They have laid out vast Sums of Treasure in refortifying Narden Maestricht Breda the Grave and many other Places They have paid vast Sums of Money to their Allies for their Auxiliary Troops as also 200000 l. Sterling to the King of England to Enjoy their Peace with him And besides all this their Encrease in Riches and Power may be guessed at by the many stately Houses built within these 5 Years in Amsterdam Rotterdam and other Places to all which we may add to what excessive height the Actions of the East and West-India Company are risen and the Obligations from the States are so esteemed as to Security that they can get as much Mony as they please at 2 per Cent. Not to speak of the exceeding Encrease of their Subjects occasioned by the French King's Tyranny against the distressed Protestants in France Alsace and other parts of his Conquests neither will we speak of other Signs of the Encrease of this Commonwealth as not judging it convenient to commit them to Paper but will now proceed to shew the Method of Living and Travelling in the Dominions and Places of the States which if you do well consider you may see how happy and easy the Government of England is above that of other Nations The Briell in Holland is the usual place where the Pacquet and King's Pleasure-boats bring on such as come to see the United Provinces but of late Helvoet-Sluys is the place the Pacquet comes to as being the more convenient Port Here be sure to furnish your self well with Money From hence you take a Boat to Maesland-Sluys or Rotterdam which if you go in Company with others will only cost you 5 Stivers but if you take one for your self will cost 25 Stivers for Maeseland-Sluce and a Ducatoon to Rotterdam The fifth part of which goes to the States for a Tax they call Passagie Gelt and the other four parts are for the Boat-Men or Schippers who also out of their Gains must pay a Tax to the States so that by Computation you pay a fifth Penny to the States for your Travelling either in Boats by Water or in Wagons by Land As you pass by Maseland-Sluce you will see a very fair Fishing Village to which belong near Two hundred Herring Busses but if you go by the way of Rotterdam you Sail by two old Towns called Flardin and Schiedam Yet let me advise you before you depart from the Briell to take a serious view of it as being the City which in Queen Elizabeth's time was one of the Cautionary Towns Pawned to England The Briell had a Voice among the States but by reason Rotterdam hath got away their Trade by which having lost its former Lustre is now become a Fishing Town only Rotterdam is the Second City for Trade in Holland and by some is called Little London as having vast Traffick with England insomuch that many of the Citizens Speak good English There are in this City two considerable Churches of English and Scotch And how great a Trade they drive with the King of England's Subjects is evident for in the year 1674 at the opening of the Waters after a great Frost there departed out of Rotterdam 300. Sail of English Scotch and Irish Ships at once with an Easterly Wind And if a Reason should be demanded how it comes to pass that so many English Ships should frequently come to that Haven It is easily answered because they can ordinarily Load and Unload and make returns to England from Rotterdam before a Ship can get clear from Amsterdam and the Texel And therefore your English Merchants find it Cheaper and more Commodious for Trade that after their Goods are arrived at Rotterdam to send their Goods in Boats Landward into Amsterdam This City is Famous as being the place where great Erasmus was Born whose Statue of Brass stands erected in the Market-place And although the Buildings here are not so superb as those of Amsterdam Leyden or Haerlem yet the places worth the seeing are first the great Church where several Admirals lie stately Entombed here you see their Admiralty East-India and Stadt-Houses together with that called Het Gemeen Lands Huis From Rotterdam you may for five Stivers have a Boat to bring you to Delft but before you come thither you pass through a fair Village called Overschie where the French and English Youths are trained up in Litterature as to the Latin and Dutch Tongue Book-keeping c. From thence in the same Boat you come to Delft which is Famous for making of Porceline to that degree that it much resembles the China but only it is not Transparent In Delft is the great Magazin of Arms for the whole Province of Holland Their Churches are very large in one of which are Tombs of the Princes of Orange Admiral Tromp and General Morgans Lady and in the Cloister over against the Church you have an Inscription in a Pillar of Brass shewing after what manner William the First that Famous Prince of Orange was shot to Death by a Miscreant Jesuit with his deserved Punishment Delft hath the third Voice in the States of Holland and sends its Deputies unto the College of the States General and to all other Colleges of the Commonwealth They have also a Chamber in the East-India Company as shall be more largely spoken to when we shall come to Treat of the State of the said Company From Delft you may by Boat be brought to the Hague for two Stivers and an half which is accounted the fairest Village in the World both for pompous Buildings and the largeness thereof here the Princes of Orange hold their Residence as also the States General and the Council of State here you have the Courts of Justice Chancery and other Courts of Law Here you see that great Hall in which many Hundreds of Colours are hung up in Trophy taken from the Emperor Spaniard and other Potentates with whom
to go into a Tap-house or Tavern for which at another time he would be counted a Wine-Bibber and the worst of Reprobates At this time while these Ministers and Elders go about the City on their Visitations the People take an occasion to give to the Poor And here I ought not to omit telling you of their great Charity to the distressed French Protestants who are here in great Numbers They maintain no less than 60 French Ministers and unto many Handicraft Tradesmen and makers of Stuffs and Cloth they lend Sums of Money without Interest to buy Working Tools and Materials for their Work but this is no other then they formerly did to the Poor distressed Protestants of Ireland and Piemont and their Charity was not a little that they gave to Geneva towards the Building their Fortifications and here give me leave to tell you what King Charles II. said of the Charity of Amsterdam when the Duke of Lotherdal hearing that the Prince of Orange's Army was not able to oppose the French from advancing so near to Amsterdam the Duke jearingly said That Oranges would be very scarce in Holland after Amsterdam should fall into the French Hands to plunder To which His Majesty said That he was of Opinion that God would preserve Amsterdam from being destroyed if it were only for the great Charity they have for the Poor the which put the Duke out of Countenance I will say no more of their Charity only this that they leave no Stone unturned to bring Monies into the Poors Stock they make the Stage-players pay 80000 Gilders a year to the Poor there is not a Rope-Dancer Poppet-Player or any of that sort of unnecessary Vermin which frequent Fairs but pay the third Penny to the Poor which is carefully looked after by placing an Alms-man at the Door of the Booths to see that they cheat not the Poor of their share I shall now in the next place say something of the Clergy I mean those called The States Clergy for the States are absolutely Head of their Church and when any Synod of Divines meet two of the States are always present to hear that they debate nothing relating or reflecting on the Government or Governors if they do presently the States cry Ho la mijâ— Heeren Predicanten and if their Ministers meddle with any thing relating to the Government in their Pulpits they send them a Brief which some call a pair of Shooes to quit the City and sometimes Imprison them to Boot but if they behave themselves quietly and well as they ought to do they then are respected by the People as Gods upon Earth They have a Form of Prayer sent them how they shall Pray for the States and Stadholder nor must they meddle with any other Religion in the Country because all sorts are Tollerated at least Connived at by the Magistrates All those called the Presbiterian Ministers or States Clergy are obliged under a Forfeiture to have done Preaching and Praying by Eleven of the Clock in the Forenoon on Sundays because then the Scheepens go to the Stadthouse to Marry the Jews Papists and Lutherans and others that may not marry after the Calvinistical Form and the reason why the States thus marry them first according to Law is to render their Children Legitimate but they may marry again afterwards as they please themselves None may marry until they have made their appearance at the Stadthouse before the Lords where if the Parties be agreed the Preachers marry the Calvinists and the Scheepens marry all the rest who differ from the Religion established by Law When one dies the Friends dare not bury the Corps until it hath lain three days open in the Coffin that the Friends and Relations of the deceased may be satisfied that the Party hath not been murdered or reported to be dead when alive after three days the Corps must be brought to the Church before the Bell ceaseth tolling which is at two for if you keep the Body untill half three then the Church Doors are lock'd and for the first half hour must be paid 25 Gilders and for the second 50 and so until six then they may amerse you as much as they please There are many rich people who make that default on purpose that they may have solemn occasion of giving to the Poor as I knew once an English Merchant did The next thing I shall speak of is the method which the States observe in ordering their Maritime Affairs one of the greatest Mysteries in their Government The States General divide their Admiralty into Five Courts which they call Chambers The First is Rotterdam which is the Chamber call'd the Maese and hath the Admirals Flag Then Amsterdam which hath the Vice-Admiral's Flag and Zealand hath the Rear-Admiral's Flag the other Two Chambers are those in North-Holland and Fricsland Each of these Five Chambers have their Admirals Vice-Admirals and Rear-Admirals apart from the States-Generals Flags so that when the States have occasion to set out a Fleet of an Hundred Ships more or less every Chamber knows the number they must provide for their proportion though in regard of its Opulency Amsterdam frequently helps her Neighbours and adds two or more Ships than their share comes to These Chambers have lately built 36 Men of War and now are building of 7 more and all this is done without noise every one building their proportion And they have admirable methods in preserving their Ships when built and their Magazines are in good order every Ship having an Apartment to lay up all its Equipage in and at the top of their Magazines are vast Cisterns which are kept constantly full of Water having Pipes into every Apartment to let it down upon any accident of Fire And there is in their Magazines a Nursery Room where a Woman keeps an Office to feed at certain hours of the day a great number of Cats which afterward hunt among the Stores for Mice and Rats This great Magazine in Amsterdam was built in the time of Cromwell in the space of 9 months and 14 days in which time the Lords of the Admiralty gave the Workmen drinkgelt as they call it to incourage them to work more than at an ordinary rate At this time the biggest Man of War the States had was the Amelia in which the famous Admiral Trump was kill'd she was a Ship of no more than 56 Guns afterward made a Fire-ship But the States quickly discovered their want of great Ships and therefore built the same year 20 Men of War from 50 to 80 Guns But the great Ships built at Amsterdam had like to have proved of no use had not the ingenious Pensionary de Wit found out a device to carry them over the Pampus betwixt those they call Water Ships The Admiralty have an excellent method in setting out their Fleets they neither press Soldiers nor Seamen all go voluntary at the beating of a Drum each Captain providing Men and Provisions for his Ship
the City but at a place called Altena a Village belonging to the King of Denmark a quarter of an hours walk distant from Hambourg This Commonwealth is Lutheran and governed by 4 Burghermasters 24 Radts-heers and a Common-Council of all the Burghers who have above 40 Shillings per Annum Freehold The Symbol or Motto under their Arms is Da Pacem Domine in Diebus nostris and in their Standards are these Letters S. P. Q. H. The People here groan under heavy Taxes and Impositions The State because of continual Alarms they have from the King of Denmark or other Neighbours and the Intestine Broils that frequently happen here as well as at Colâ—gne where the Burghermasters are often in danger of their Lives from the mutinous Mobile being forced to maintain 6 or 7000 Men in Pay besides 2 or 3 Men of War to guard their Havens from Pirats I shall not name all the ways of imposing Taxes which this Commonwealth uses because in most they imitate the Methods of the States-General as to that which have been mentioned before I shall only take notice of some peculiar Customs they have wherein they differ from Holland When a Barber Shoemaker or any other Artizan dies leaving a Widow and Children another of the same Trade is not admitted to set up for himself as a Master unless he compound with the Widow for a piece of Money or else marry her or a Daughter of hers with her consent If any Man cause another to be Arrested for Debt or upon any other Suit the Plaintiff must go along with the Officer who Arrests the Party and stay by him until the Prisoner be examined by the Sheriff so that if the Sheriff be not to be spoken with that night the Plaintiff must tarry with the Prisoner all night until the Sheriff examin the matter and see cause of discharging or committing the Party but this a Plaintiff may do by a Procuration Notarial If a Prisoner be committed for Debt the Plaintiff must maintain him in Prison according to his Quality and if the Party lie in Prison during the space of 6 Years at the expiration of that time the Prisoner is discharged and if during the time of his Imprisonment the Plaintiff do not punctually pay the Prisoner's Allowance at the Months end the Prisoner is set at liberty and nevertheless the Plaintiff must pay the Gaoler the last Month's Allowance This State is severe in the execution of Justice against Thieves Murderers and Cheats There is no Pardon to be expected for Murder and a Burghermaster himself if Guilty cannot escape The Punishment for Murder is here as in Sweden breaking Malefactors on the Wheel pinching their Breasts and Arms with hot Pincers spitting them in at the Fundament and out at the Shoulder They have also cruel ways of Torturing to make Prisoners confess and are very careful not to be cheated in their Publick Revenue their Excise-men and Collectors being Punished as in Holland They take a very good course not to be cheated in their Excise for all the Mills of the Country are in the hands of the State so that no Baker nor Brewer can grind his own Corn but must have it ground at the States Mills where they pay the Excise There is a General Tax upon all Houses and that is the Eighth Penny which nevertheless does not excuse them from Chimney-money The States here as at Genoua in Italy are the Publick Vintners of whom all People must buy their Wine which they buy from the Merchant or otherwise import it in their own Ships In their Ceremonies of Burying and Christening they are ridiculously Prodigal as for Instance If one invite a Burghermaster he must give him a Ducat in Gold if a Radts-heer that is an Alderman a Rixdollar to every Preacher Doctor of Physick Advocate or Secretary half a Rixdollar and to every Schoolmaster the third part of a Rixdollar The Women are the Inviters to Burials Weddings and Christenings who wear an Antick kind of a Dress having Mitred Caps as high again as the Mitre of a Bishop The Churches here are rich in Revenues and Ornaments as Images and stately Organs wherein they much delight They are great Lovers of Musick insomuch that I have told 75 Masters of several sorts of Musick in one Church besides those who were in the Organ-Gallery Their Organs are extraordinary large I measured the great Pipes in the Organs of St. Catherine's and St. James's Churches and found them to be 3 Foot and 3 quarters in circumference and 32 Foot long in each of which Organs there are two Pipes 5 Foot and 8 Inches round The Wealth and Trade of this City encreases daily they send one Year with another 70 Ships to Greenland and have wonderfully Engrossed that Trade from England and Holland and it 's believed that small and great there are belonging to this Commonwealth five thousand Sail of Ships After Amsterdam Genoua and Venice their Bank is reckoned the chief in Credit but in Trade they are accounted the third in Europe and come next to London and Amsterdam Hambourg is now become the Magazine of Germany and of the Baltick and Northern Seas They give great Privileges to the Jews and to all Strangers whatsoever especially the English Company of Merchant Adventurers whom they allow a large Building where they have a Church and where the Deputy-Governour Secretary Minister and the other Officers of the Company live to whom they yearly make Presents of Wine Beer Sheep Salmond and Sturgeon in their seasons And so much of Hambourg FRom Hambourg I went to Lubeck which is also a Commonwealth and Imperial Town It is a large well-built City containing ten Parish-Churches the Cathedral dedicated to St. Peter being in length 500 Foot with two high Spires all covered with Brass as the rest of the Churches of that City are In former times this City was the place where the Deputies of all the Hansiatick Towns assembled and was once so powerful as to make War against Denmark and Sweden and to conquer several places and Islands belonging to those two Crowns nay and to lend Ships to England and other Potentates without any prejudice to their own Trade wherein they vyed in all parts with their Neighbours but it is now exceedingly run into decay not only in Territories but in Wealth and Trade also And the reason of that was chiefly the Inconsiderate Zeal of their Lutheran Ministers who perswaded the Magistrates to banish all Roman Catholicks Calvinists Jews and all that dissented from them in matter of Religion even the English Company too who all went and setled in Hambourg to the great Advantage of that City and almost ruine of Lubeck which hath not now above 200 Ships belonging to it nor more Territories to the State than the City it self and a small part called Termond about eight Miles distant from it The rest of their Territories are now in the possession of the Danes and Swedes by whom the
the People 5. The Preservation of Unity amongst the Neighbouring Princes 6. The clearing of the Sea and the increasing of Trade 7. The Advancement of the Glory of this State 8. The concluding of a firm and lasting Peace While the Fire play'd so finely the Air was full of the crackling Noise and the Buzzes of the several sorts of Fireworks and they continued so very thick that it did in a good measure dispel the Fog which was then very thick At times they lighted Water-Balls Water-Candles Water-Bullets Water-Boats Water-Morters Rats and Dolphins in a Vessel upon the Canal which sputtering and crackling upon the Water gave an Entertainment so great that several Ingenious Men who understood these Matters owned that they had never seen any Thing like it They kindled also some Hundreds of pitch Barrels set round the Scaffold which encreased the light whereby the other Works which play'd all the while were discerned the better It lasted till about Eight and was ended with Twenty five Mortar-shot after which the Cannon were several times discharged The whole was done without any Mischance save only the loss of one Gunner who sweeping a Cannon lost both his Hands and died of his Wounds When His Majesty came to Court the Militia stood in order in the outer Court before the Triumphal Arch viz. Baron Friesem's Regiment of Foot Baron Heyde's Regiment of Horse who having discharged all together went to the Viverbergh to give way to the Train Bands in Arms. Several of the Lords of the States were in the Council Chamber to Countenance this publick Joy The Count de Berka and the Heer Colomma the Imperial and Spanish Ministers testified their Satisfaction by Illuminations before their Lodgings Mijn Heer Schuylenbergh did the same at his own House upon the Viverbergh with Noble Illuminations beautified with several Devices As Regi Gulielmo Reduci To King William returned again Transitque feritque He passes by and strikes Imperat Augustus Augustus Governs Superat Coelestibus alis He mounts with Heavenly Wings Generosus ab Ortu Noble from his Birth These were to be seen some time after Others also gave other instances of their Satisfaction every Man after his own Fancy This was also graced with so vast a resort of People as had never before been seen at the Hague Some coming to see the Solemnity others to see the King once more returned again and Crowned with so much Honour The King well satisfied with all these their Demonstrations of Esteem and Reverence immediately applied himself to Business having first given Audiences of Congratulation to all the Colleges and Deputies of the Cities and to some great Lords and publick Ministers The Elector of Brandenburgh and two Princes of the House of Anspach who came two days before the publick Entry were often with the King and sometimes the Ministers of the other Allies joyned with them It was said That three Ruffians were sent from the French Court to cut off the King and that there were particular Informations given in of their Persons February the 7th in the Afternoon the King went into the Assembly of the States General and took his place as Stadtholder and Captain General and made an Oration to them to this purpose That when His Majesty was last in Council he acquainted their High and Mightynesses with His Intention to go over into England with the Assistance which they were pleased to give Him to deliver that Nation from their Impending Dangers and which in part had befallen them And that God Almighty had so far Blessed Him as that He had brought His Affairs to a Happier Issue then at first He could possibly Wish for for which Reason they offered Him the Crowns of Great Britain and Ireland which He accepted of not out of any Ambition for He was not to be Corrupted with that or Money but only to preserve Religion and Liberty in those Kingdoms and to be able to give the Allies a vigorous Assistance against the Power of France which he had given before in a more particular manner if the Affairs of Ireland had not diverted Him which being now better settled than they were before He was now come over not only to take such Measures with their High and Mighty Lordships as should be most for the advantage of the Confederates but also to perform the Duty of Captain General And that from His tenderest Years He had always a High Regard for that State and should always be ready to give greater Proofs if it were possible how ready He should be to promote their Welfare for which he would joyfully hazard His Life if it might be a means to preserve the Liberty of Europe and to encrease the Felicity of the United Provinces And finally He Recommended Himself to the good Wishes of their High and Mighty Lordships Hereupon the Lord President Thanked His Majesty in their Lordships Name for the Honour which was done unto them by his appearing once more in Person amongst them And he assured him that they were highly sensible of those Obligations which he had Conferred upon them from time to time by engaging in so great dangers so readily for their Sakes And further that they should always Thankfully Acknowledge how much He had done for them wishing Him all Happiness in all His Undertakings promising their Concurrence with His Majesty to the utmost and that they should contribute whatever they were able to advance the common Interest and His Majesties Satisfaction He afterwards made a Speech to the State of Holland and was answered much to the same purpose The Evening before the King visited the Princess of Nassaw Lady to the Hereditary Stadtholder of Friezeland as also the Princess Radzevile and the Princess of Saxe-Eysenach The next day the King Treated the Elector of Brandenburgh the Duke of Norfolk and several other Lords at the House in the Wood and returned in the Evening again to the Hague The Ninth in the Morning the Heer Prielmeyer the Envoy of the Elector of Bavaria had Audience of His Majesty he was Conducted from his Lodgings about Ten a Clock by the Master of the Ceremonies with some Coaches and Six Horses and was received at the Stair-foot by the Swiss Guards placed in Order and received by their Officer at the end of the Guard Room and thence conducted through the Anti-Chamber into the Presence where after he had paid the accoustomed Reverences he made a Harangue in French to this purpose That he was sent by the Elector his Master to Congratulate His Majesties happy Successes and that his Master had begun his Journey as soon as ever he had heard that His Majesty had begun His so that he expected him every Hour to be ready upon the spot to assure His Majesty of his Readiness to serve the common Cause and particularly to second those Glorious Undertakings which His Majesty had so happily begun And for his part he only farther begg'd That his Person might not be unacceptable