of Bresse added that Earldom to his house as Ame or Amadee the ninth did the Town and Territory of Vercelli upon the contract betwixt Philibert his sonne and successor with Blanch the base daughter of Philip Maria Duke of Millain who afterwards was maryed unto Francis Sforza Ame or Amadee the second Earl of Maurienne was by the Emperor Henry the fifth invested with the title of Earl of Savoy and Amadee the eighth created the first Duke by the Emperor Sigismund An o 1397. But the main improvement of the power and patrimony of this House came by the valour and good success of the two Earles Thomas who in the year 1210 and Peter one of his sonnes and successors for his manifold Conquests surnamed Charlemaine the Junior An o 1256 by conquest got a great part of Peidmont to which the Marquisate of Saluzzes containing almost all the rest was united by a Mariage of the daughter of the Marquisate to Charles Duke of Savoy and though he dyed without issue by her An o 1489 yet his successors still kept the possession of it till Francis the first pretending some title to it in the right of his Mother a daughter of the house of Savoy layd it unto the Crown of France from which it was again recovered by the Savoyard during the French Civill Wars An o 1588 and now is peaceably possessed The Countrey of Bresse being given to the French for their pretension to the Marquisate An o 1600. These Dukes of Savoy have a long time been devoted to the faction of Spain especially since the French Kings took in the lesser states bordering on them as Burgundie Bretagne c. Charles the third sided so constantly with the Emperor Charles the fifth that denying Francis the first a passage for his Army thorough the Country into Italy he vvas by the sayd King dispoyled of his Estates An o 1536. The Emperor to recover it left nothing undone but in vain for the French encountring his force in the open field vanquished them vvith the slaughter of fifteen thousand of his men In the year 1558 peace being made between Henry and Philip successors to those great Princes Emanuel â—hilibert sonne to Duke Charles was restored to all his Rights His sonne and successor having maryed Catharine the daughter of King Philip the second depended wholly upon Spain notwithstanding many quarrels vvhich did grovv betwixt them his sonnes receiving thence many great pensions and preferments For at the same time Prince Amadee Victorio the second sonne during the life of Philip his elder brother vvas chief Commander of that Kings Gallies and had in pension a hundred thousand Crowns per annum Philibert the third sonne was Vice-Roy of Sicil Maurice the fourth a Cardinal had a moity of the Revenues of the Archbishoprick of Toledo and Don Thomazo though then young had his pensions also But Amadee Victorio who succeeded him marying Madam Christian a daughter of King Henry the fourth of France changed his dependances and held more close to France than any of his predecessors but whether to the hurt or benefit of his Estates future times will shew For leaving his heir a Minor in the hands of his mother the French upon pretence of preserving the Country for him against the incroachments of the Spaniard have made themselves masters of the greatest parts of it which when they will restore to the proper owner is beyond my cunning to determine But now behold the Catalogue of the Earles and Dukes of Savoy 999 1 Beral of Saxony 1027 2 Humbert the first Earl of Maurienne 1048 3 Ame or Amadee I. 1076 4 Humbert II. 1109 5 Ame or Amadee II. the first Earl of Savoy 1154 6 Humbert III. 1201 7 Thomas sonne of Humbert 1234 8 Ame or Amadee III. 1246 9 Boniface sonne of Ame III. 1256 10 Peter a younger sonne of Earl Thomas called Charlemagne the less won Turin Vaulx c. 1268 11 Philip brother of Peter 1285 12 Ame or Amadee IV. Nephew of Thomas the 7th Earl by a sonne named Thomas 1323 13 Edward sonne of Ame IV. 1329 14 Ame or Amadee V. the brother of Edward 1342 15 Ame or Amadee VI. 1385 16 Ame or Amadee VII 1397 17 Ame or Amadee VIII the first Duke of Savoy 1434 18 Lewis sonne of Ame VIII 1461 19 Ame or Amadee IX 1475 20 Philibert sonne of Ame 9th 1481 21 Charles brother of Philibert 1489 22 Charles II. 1495 23 Philip II. sonne of Lewis the second Duke 1496 24 Philibert II. 1504 25 Charles III. the brother of Philibert outed of his Estate by King Francis the first 1559 26 Emanuel Philibert restored upon his Mariage with Margaret the daughter of King Francis the first made Knight of the Garter by Qu. Mary 1580 27 Charles Emanuel 28 Ame X. called also Amadee Victorio sonne of Charles Emanuel maryed Christiane the daughter of King Henry the fourth 1637 29 Charles Emanuel II. sonne of Amadee Victor or Ame the 10. at the age of three yeares succeeded his Father The Forces of this Duke consist especially in his Forts and Garrisons vvhereof he hath good store in France Savoy and Piemont well fortified and plentifully furnished with all manner of Ammunition And it concerneth him so to have considering what dangerous neighbours he hath near him and that his Country is a continnall thorow-fare for the Armies both of France and Spain upon all occasions Nor doth it less conduce to his preservation that he hath so many retreats of naturall strength as are not easily accessible by a conquering Army of this last sort is amongst many others the valley of â—ost which some reckon for a part of Savoy and some of Piemont so strong by reason of the narrow entries the uneasie passages and the great multitudes of the people which inhabit in it that those who have made themselves masters of the rest of the Country durst never attempt it And of the first besides those formerly described is the Town of Nizze so fortified and flanked upon all accesses that it seems rather to be an assembly of Forts than a single Fortress Out of which Garrisons the Duke is able to draw great Forces for present service besides the readyness of the Piemont ese upon all occasions vvhich are for the most part given to Arms. The ordinary Revenue of this Dukedom taking Piemont in are sayd to be above a Million of Crovvns per Annum But his extraordinary is so great that Duke Charles Emanuel during his Wars with Henry the fourth in a very few years drew out of Piemont onely eleven Millions of Crowns besides the charge which they were put to in quartering of Souldiers By which it may appear that the Dukes are not like to want money to serve their turns when they shall desire it of the Subject and yet not charge them more than they are able to bear The only Order of Knighthood in this Dukes Estate is that of the Annunciada which ordained by Amade the first Duke
by which this new device of Calvin was dispersed and propagated But to return unto Geneva though Calvin for his time did hold the Chair as a perpetuall Moderator and Beza too untill Danaeus set him besides the Cushion yet after that the power of the Presbyterie was shrewdly lessened in Geneva and the good Members so restrained in the exercise of it that they have no power to convent any man before them but by the autority of a Syndick or Civill Magistrate And as for maintaince they hold their Ministers so strictly to a sorry pittance as would be sure to keep them from presuming too much on their power in Consistory Tithes of all sorts were to be taken up for the use of the State and layd up in the publick Treasury and stipends issued out to maintain the Ministerie but those so mean that Bezaes stipend whilst he lived hardly amounted to eighty pound per annum the refidue of the City-Ministers not to sixty pound those of the Villages adjoyning having hardly forty pound enough to keep them always poor and miserably obnoxious to the wealthier Citizen And that they may not steal the Goose and not stick up a feather the Staee doth use to make some poor allowance to the wives and daughters of their deceased Ministers if they dye poor or leave their children unprovided or otherwise have deserved well in the time of their lives In respect hereof though the Ministers are very strict in forbidding Dancing and have writ many Tracts against it yet to give some content to the common people who have not leasure to attend it at other times they allow all Man-like Exercises on the Lords-day as shooting in peeces long-bows cross-bows and the like and that too in the morning both before and after the Sermon so it be no impediment to them from coming to the Church at the times appointed As for the Government of the State it is directed principally by the Civill or Imperiall Laws the Judge whereof is called the Leiutenant-criminall before whom all causes are tryed and from whom there lyeth no Appeal unless it be unto the Counsell of two hundred whom they call the Great Counsell in which the supreme power of the State resideth Out of this Counsell of two hundred there is chosen another lesser Counsell of five and twenty and out of them four principall Officers whom they call the Syndiques who have the sole managing of the Commonwealth except it be in some great matter as making Peace or War offensive or defensive Leagues hearing Appeales and such like generall concernments which the great Counsell of tvvo hundred must determine of They have a custom superadded to the Civill Law that if any Malefactor from another place fly to them for refuge they punish him after the custom of the place in which the crime was committed Otherwise their Town being on the borders of divers Provinces would never be free from Vagabonds Examples hereof I will assign two the first of certain Monks who robbing their Convents of certain plate and hoping for their wicked pranks at home to be the welcomer hither were at their first acquaintance advanced to the Gallows The second is of a Spanish Gentleman who having fled his Country for clipping and counterfeiting the Kings Gold came to this town and had the like reward And when for defence he alleged that he understood their City being free gave admission to all Offenders true said they but with an intent to punish them that offended a distinction which the Spaniard never till then learned but then it was too late As for their ordinary Revenue it is proportionable to their Territory if not above it conceived to amount to sixty thousand pound per annum which they raise upon the demain of the Bishop and the Tithes of the Church and on such impositions as are layd upon flesh and Merchandise But they are able to raise greater sums if there be occasion as appears plainly by the sending of 45000 Crowns to King Henry the third before they had been long setled in their own estates And as for Military forces they are able to impress two thousand men and have Arms of all sorts for so many in the publick Arsenall as also twelve or fourteen peeces of Ordnance with all manner of Ammunition appertaining to them and on the Lake some Gallies in continuall readiness against the dangers threatned them from the Dukes of Savoy And for the greater safety of their Estate and the preservation of their Religion they joyned themselves in a constant and perpetuall League with the Canton of Bern An. 1528 communicating to each other the Freedom of their severall Cities and by that means are reckoned for a member of the Commonwealth of the Switzers which is no small security to their affairs But their chief strength as I conceive is that the neighbor Princes are not willing to have it fall into the hands of that Duke or any other Potentate of more strength than he Insomuch that vvhen that Duke besieged it An. 1589 they were ayded from Venice with four and twenty thousand and from England with thirteen thousand Crowns from Florence with Intelligence of the Enemies purposes Another time when the Pope the French King the Spaniard and Savoyard had designs upon it the Emperor offered them assistance both of Men and Money yea and sometimes the Dukes of Savoy have assisted them against the others as being more desirous that the Town should remain as it doth than fall into any other hands than his own So ordinary a thing it is for such petit States to be more safe by the interess of their jealous neighbors than any forces of their ovvn The Arms of Geneva when under the command of the Earls thereof vvere Or a Crosâ— Azure 4. WALLISLAND EAstward from Savoy in a long and deep bottom of the Alpes Poeninae lyeth the Country of WALLISLAND so called either quasi Wallensland or the land of the Valenses once the Inhabitants of the Country about Martinacht a chief Town hereof or quasi Vallis-land or the Land of Vallies of which it totally consists It reacheth from the Mountain de Furcken to the Town of Saint Maurice where again the hills do close and shut up the valley which is so narrow in that place that a bridge layd from one hill to another under which the River Rhosne doth pass is capable of no more than one Arch onely and that defended with a Castle and two strong Gates On other parts it is environed with a continuall wall of steep and horrid Mountains covered all the year long with a crust of Ice not passable at all by Armies and not without much difficulty by single passengers so that having but that one entrance to it which before we spake of no Citadell can be made so strong by Art as this whole Country is by Nature But in the bottom of those craggy and impassable Rocks lies a pleasant Valley fruitfull in Saffron
a more particular Enemy The English are enemies to the French the Scots to the English the Portugueze have the like inveterate hatred against the Spaniards The Princes of Italy enjoy great possessions without any good title but are continually opposed by the more potent Cities of Venice Florence Genoa and Luca. The Arragonian Kings of Naples have found perpetuall Enemies of the Dukes of Anjou as have the Dukes of Millain of the house of Orleans The Princes of Italy and the Florentines have a stich at Venice as the States of Genoa and Sienna have against the Florentines In Germany the Animosities have been great and of long continuance between the houses of Austria and Bavaria the hatred grown beyond all hopes of reconciliation which is between the Switzers and the Austrian Family The Dukes of Cleve and Gulick are alwaies upon ill terms with their neighbours of Gelderland And in the North the Cities on the Baltick Seas have their continuall quarrels with the Kings of Danemark Nor are the enmities any thing less if they be not greater which are discernable amongst the people of Asia and Africk than those that are above remembred So far and to this purpose saith that notable and judicious Writer The consideration of which points if there were no other were of it self sufficient to shew the necessary use of History and Geography as well for the understanding the affairs of the Ages past as for commerce and correspondency with the Nations present For had no Histories been written in the former times in what a dull ignorance had we lived of all those occurrences which do so much concern the whole state of Mankind and are our principall directors in life and action in which respect the Orator most truly calleth it Magistram vitae For upon the credit of this History the examples of our Ancestors the grounds of civill prudence and the fames of men do most especially depend And certainly to draw back the mind to the contemplation of matters long ago passed to search out with diligence and to deliver with faith freedom and the life of expression such things as are found out on a diligent search to repreâ—â—nt unto our eyes the changes of Times the characters of Persons the uncertainties of Counâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 Pretentions and the secrets of States 〈…〉 of a publicâ—â— use 〈…〉 great both pains and judgement Besides 〈…〉 eternitie to all such men who by their Counsels or Atchievements have de 〈◊〉 〈…〉 those Kingdoms and Common-wealths wherein they lived And thereupon the Orator doth not only call it Magistram vitae but Lucem veritatis Testem temporâ—s Nunciam 〈◊〉 Vitae memoriam According to which character I find these Verses set before a Châ—oniâ—â—â— of some Kings of England more worth than all the Book besides For though in these daies Miracles be fled Yet this shall of good Histories be sed They call back time that 's past and give life to the dead Nor want there other motives to indear unto us the use of History besides the light it give unto all the remarkable Actions of preceding times and the eternitie if I may say so which it conferreth on the Actors themselves by the preservation of their names from the ruins of Time and the pit of Oblivion For First it stirreth men to Vertue and deters them from Vice by shewing forth the glorious memories of vertuous men and the ill savour which is left behind men of ungodly life and especially keeps persons of most eminent place from letting loose the reins unto all licentiousness by representing this to their consideration that all their actions shall be laid open one day to the view of the Vulgar Secondly it hath been a principall Conserver of most Arts and Sciences by keeping on Record the Dictates and Opinions of so many of the old Philosophers out of which a perfect Body of Philosophy and others of the Liberall Arts hath been collected and digested Thirdly it is the best School-master in the Art of War and teacher of Stratagems and in that can practically afford more punctuall directions than can be otherwise obtained and is withall the best Assistant to the Statesman or Politician who from hence draw their Observations and Conclusions and become thereby serviceable to their Prince and Country though never travelled more than amongst their Books So Archimedes in his study and Demosthenes in his Orators gown endangered more the enemies of their severall Countries than the Athenians or Syracusans did by dint of sword And last of all besides these civill benefits and considerations and the great help which it affords in the way of discourse there is no particular branch of knowledge more usefull for the true and perfect understanding of holy Scripture than that of Ecclesiasticall and Profane History or which gives clearer light to many dark passages thereof especially in the Propheticall writings of either Testament This as it shews the necessary use and benefit which redounds from History so doth it serve to usher in that commendation which belongs to the study of Geography also without some knowledge wherein the study of History is neither so pleasant nor so profitable as a judicious Reader would desire to have it 'T is true Geography without History hath life and motion but very unstable and at random but History without Geography like a dead carkass hath neither life nor motion at all or moves at least but slowly on the understanding For what delight or satisfaction can any man receive from the reading of Story without he know somewhat of the places and the conditions of the people which are therein mentioned In which regard Ammianus Marcellinus the Historian hath deserved very well of all his Readers premising to the Actions of every Country some brief description of the place and chief Towns therein For though the greatness of the Action doth ennoble and adorn the place yet it is the knowledge of the place which addes delight and satisfaction unto the reading of the story which conveighs it to us History therefore and Geography like the two Fires or Meteors which Philosophers do Castor and Pollux if joyned together crown our reading with delight and profit if parted threaten both with a certain shipwrack and are like two Sisters dearly loving not without pitie I had almost said impiety to be kept asunder So as that which Sr. Phil. Sidney said of Argalus and Parthenia Her being was in him alone And she not being he was none may be as justly said of History and Geography as of those two Lovers And yet this is not all the benefit which redounds from the study of Geography which is exceeding usefull to the reading of the holy Scriptures as in discovering the situation of Paradise the bounds and borderâ— of those Countries which are therein mentioued especially wâ—th relation to the travels of the Patriarchs Prophets Evangelists and Apostles yea of Christ himself not otherwise to be comprehended and understood but by the help
it by land and that over steep and craggy Rocks The streets are narrow paved with Flint and most of them on the sides of the hill which is the reason that they use Horse-litters here insteed of Coaches and most of the better sort are carried on mens shoulders in Sedans or Chairs which from hence came hither into England But that which they call La Strada Nueva or the New street reaching from the West to North-East is of a very fair bredth each house thereof is built with such Kingly magnificence that it is thought to be the fairest street in the World In all the rest the buildings for the height of two stories are made of Marble curiously wrought but the Laws forbid Marble to be used any higher The Haven of it is very fair and capacious safe from the violence of Tempests and well fortified so that the Spaniards use to say that were the Catholique King absolute Lord of Marseilles in Provence and Genoa in Italie he might command the whole World After the reedifying of it by Charles the Great the people here continued subject to his successors till the Berengarii as Kings of Italic made them free An. 899. in which condition they remained till the year 1318 when being shrewdly weakned in their Estate they were fain to give themselves to Pope John the 22 after the Robert King of Naples But being soon weary of a forein Government the people in a popular tumult made choice of one Simon Boccanegra to be their Duke An. 1339. which Government continued till the French were called in by the Guelfian Faction in the reign of Charles the 7â— under whom they continued thirteen years and then expelling thence the French for their many insolencies they put themselves under the protection of the Dukes of Millain An. 1403. Long time they liâ—ed under the protection of those Princes in great tranquillity who never carryed towards them any rigorous hand save that once D. Lodowick Sforzae exacted of them a great mass of money But as the tale goeth his Agent being invited to the house of a Genoesa and walking in a Garden with him was shewed an herb growing there called Basil which stroaking gently he smelt thence a most pleasing savour but asunsavory a smel when he strained it hard The Genoese hereupon inferred Sir if our Lord Duke Lodowick will gentle stroak the hand of his puissance over this City it will prove pliant to him by obedience but may chance to prove rebellious if he do oppress it But Lodowick being taken prisoner by King Lewis the 12 they first came under the command of the French and then of the Spaniard according as those Nations had possession of the State of Millain and after many changes and alterations obtained again their freedom of King Francis the first which being not able to preserve by their proper strength they finally put themselves under the shelter of the Spaâ—â—ard who is now their Protector and that not for nought he being indebted to them An. 1600 a Million and a half of Gold that being the remainder of 18 Millions cut off by the Popes authority that so the King might be indebted to that See for most of his Lands were formerly engaged to the Mony-masters of this City The same course of non-payment the King took with the rest of his Creditors in Florence Ausburg and the rest insomuch that it was commonly sayd in Italie that the King of Spain had made more ill faces upon the Exchange change in one day than Michael Angelo the famous Painter had ever made good in all his life And thus you see this great City which commanded the Ocean the Lady of so many Ilands and a great Moderator of the Affairs of Italie fain to put her self into the protection of a forein Prince and that too at the charge of a great deal of Treasure which he continually raiseth from them in the way of Loan of which he often proves but a sorry Pay-master And if the Wars he had with England did so drain their Purses for it was that War and the War which he had in the Netherlands that made him so indebted to the Banks of Genoa no question but the revolt of Catalogne and the lasting Wars made against him by the French in so many places have plunged him in as deep as ever Which notwithstanding this people do so thrive under his protection and draw so great commodity from their Trade with Spain that it is thought their private men were never richer the publick Treasurie never fuller than it is at the present CORSICA is an Iland in the Ligustick or Ligurian Sea opposite to the City of Genoa from whence it is distant about sixty miles and lying just North of the Isle of Sardinia from which it is distant seven miles It comprehends in length an hundred and twenty miles seventy in bredth and three hundred twenty five in circuit and lyeth under the fift Climate the longest day being almost fifteen hours The people are stubborn poor unlearned supposed to be more cruell than other Nations and so affirmed to be by Caesar in his Book of Commentaries the Progeny as some say of the 52 daughters of Thespius who being all got with child in one night by Hercules were by their Father put to the mercy of the Sea by which they were brought unto this Iland after peopled by them From one of these sonnes named Cyrnus the Iland had the name of Cyrnos by which it oftentimes occurreth in some old Greek Writers This is the conceit of Fabius Pictor one of Annius his Authors And that of Eustathius a far more credible Writer is not much unlike who will have it called Corsica from a woman so named dwelling in the coast of Liguria who following her Bull hither was the first that discovered it But these Orignalls I look on the first especially as the worst kind of Romances the name of Cyrnos being more like to be derived from the Punick Keranoth which signifies a horn or corner by reason of the many Promontories with which it shoots into the Sea Corsica insula multis Promontoriis angulosa est as it is in Isidore Lib. 14. cap. 6. And for the name of Corsica I should derive it rather from the Corsi by which name the inhabitants hereof are called in most Latin Writers one of the two Nations of most note in the neighbouring Iland of Sardinia Celeberrimi in ea populorum Balari Corsi as we find in Pline Which Corsi or some of them being overborn by some new Invaders which the Iland of Sardinia was seldom free of were fain to shift their seat aud came over hither This Countrey yeeldeth excellent Dogs for game good Horses fierce Mastifs and a beast called Mufoli not found in Europe excepting in this Iland and Sardinia only but there called Mufrones or Musriones for I conceive they are the same under divers names sayd to be horned like Rams and skinned
reason be assigned for Zutphen in regard it is a State more ancient then that of Guelderland it self and not depending anciently on the fortunes of it united to it by the marriage of Othe of Nassaw the first Earl of Guelderland with Sophia daughter and heir of Wickman the last Earl of Nutphen So as this Earldome ended when that first began After this it continued subject to the Earls and Dukes of Gueldres till the revolt of Holland and the other Provinces from the King of Spain at what time it was besieged for the States by the Earl of Leicester at the siege whereof fell that gallant Gentleman Sir Philip Sidney of whom our British Epigrammatist thus verfifieth Digna legi scribis facis dignissima scribi Scripta probant doctum te tua facta probum Thou writ'st things worthy reading and didst doe Things worthy writing too Thy Acts thy valour show And by thy works we do thy learning know And though upon the losse of that gallant man nephew and heir unto that Earl the siege was raised at the present yet was it re-enforced again anno 1190. and the Town then taken continuing ever since in the confederacy of the States united GROINING-LAND hath on the east East-Friseland on the west West-Friseland on the North the main Ocean on the South Over-yssell so wedged in as it were betwixt both Friselands that some hold it to be but a part of the West It containeth under it the Country called the Ommelâ—nds corruptly for the Emmelands as I conjecture because lying along the River Ems and therein 145 Burroughs and Villages the chief whereof are 1. Dam near the Ems bordering on East-Friseland 2 Keykirk 3. Old-Haven standing on the Sea As for the town of Groyning it self it is rich great and very well built situate-amongst divers small streames which run through it and having also divers Channels for conveyance of waters which addes much to the safety and strength thereof A town of great jurisdiction both within and without judging absolutely without appeals in causes both Civill and Criminall in Spirituall subject heretofore to the Bishop of Munster till made one of the new Bishopricks by King Philip the second anno 1559. And though the Prince in Civill causes had his officer or Lieutenant there yet in Criminall the town was Soveraign and granted pardons as Soveraign of the whole estate paying to the Prince for all duties yeerly but 6000 Crowns Both Town and Country anciently belonged to the Bishops of Vtrecht by whose negligence in defending them they submitted their estate to the Dukes of Guelderland But the Dukes of Saxonie laying some claim to it disturbed this agreement for a time during which Ezardus the Earl of East-Friseland possessed himself of it but not able to make good his unjust possession sold his estate therein to Gueldres anno 1514. to whom of right it did belong Afterwards in the yeer 1536. they put themselves under the command of Charles the fift but with the reservation of all their priviledges and ancient Liberties for preservation of the which in danger to be over-born by the power of the Spaniard they consederated with the rest of the united States anno 1594. and so still continue The antient inhabitants of these Countries were the Menapii and Sicambri very valiant people possessing Guelderland and the Majores Frisii which were planted in Groyning and the rest of Friseland Of these the Sicambri were accompted the most valiant people uniting with other nations in the name of French and by that name possessing with the rest of those Nations the mighty Empire of the West In the division whereof by the posterity of Charles the Great these Countries were first part of the Kingdome of Austrasia or East-France afterwards of the Germane Empire governed at the first by Guardians or Protectours created by the people in the reign of Charles the Bald the two first being Wickard and Lupold or Leopold two Brethren who fixing their chief Seat in the Castle of Gueldres occasioned the whole Country to be called Guelderland But they and their successours by what name or title soever called were in effect but Provinciall Officers accomptable to the Emperours for their administration the first free Prince hereof being Otho of Nassaw who having to his first wife the Lady Aleide daughter of Wickard the last Guardian was by the Emperour Henry the third made first Earl of Guelderland adding thereto the State of Zutphen by a second marriage as is said before In Reinold the ninth Earl it was made a Dukedome by the Emperour Lewis of Bavaria anno 1339. sold by Duke Arnold justly incensed at his ungracious son Adolp to Charles Duke of Burgundy for 92000 Florens of ready money and an Annuall pension anno 1472. But notwithstanding this Agreement Adolph upon the death of Charles possessed himself of it and left it unto Charles his son who finally surrendred it unto Charles the fift anno 1547. EARLS and DUKES of GVELDERLAND 1079 1 Otho of Nassaw the first Earl 2 Gerard the son of Oth by his first wife Aleide 1131 3 Henry the son of Gerard. 1162 4 Gerard II. son of Henry 1180 5 Otho II. brother of Gerard. 1202 6 Gerard III. son of Otho the second 1229 7 Otho III. son of Gerard who walled the towes of Ruermond Aruhem Bomel Goch Wageniâ—gen and Harderwick 1271 8 Reinold son of Otho the third taken and imprisoned till his death by 1326 9 Rainold II. his own son created the first Duke of Gueldres by the Emperour Lewis of Bavavaria at Francfort Anno 1339. liberall to the poof and a great Patron of the Muses 1343 10 Rainold III. son of Rainold the 2 d molested with continuall wars with his brother Edward by whom taken and imprisoned till his dying day 1371 11 Edward the son of Rainold the second by Eleanor the daughter of Edward the third of England his second wife dyed the same yeer with his brother the last of the male issue of Otho of Nassaw 1371 12 Mary by some called Joan Sister of Edward by the same venter and wife of William Earl of Gulick 13 William son of William Duke of Gulick and Mary of Gueldres admitted Knight of the Garter by King Richard the second 14 Rainold IV. the brother of William 15 Arnold of Egmond son of John Lord of Egmond and Mary his wife daughter of Joan the sister of Rainold and William the two last Dukes succeeded in the estate of Gueldres taken impriâ—oned and most barbarously handled by his own son Adolph and delivered by Charles the Warlike Duke of Bargâ—ndie he sold to him his estates of Gueldres and Zutphen to be injoyed by him after his decease anno 1472. 1473 16 Adolpâ— the wicked son of Arnold dispossessed of his estate by the said agreement which Duke Charles enjoyed for his life after the death of the said Charles was restored to liberty by the Gauntois anno 1467. and made the Generall of their
in their own language doe call themselves Zechians After his death the State relapsed again into a confused Anarchie till the yeer 670. at what time not respecting the Progeny of Zechius the founder of their Common-wealth and first estate they fastned upon Crocus a man of good esteem amongst them and elected him to be their Duke Crocus vir justus magnae apud Bohemos opinionis Princeps electus est as Bertholdus telleth us Crocus being dead the Bohemians elected Libussa his youngest daughter and of her government soon wearied they made choice of Primislaus for their Prince and made him husband to Libussa A man taken from the Plough as their stories tell us to espouse the Princesse it being ordered and agreâ—â— on by her many Suiters that he whosoever he was before whom an horse purposely let loose did first make a stand should be the Husband of the Lady and have the government of the State The Horse first makes a stand before Primislaus being then at plough having perhaps some Mare in his Teeme and he accordingly is received and admitted their Prince These with the other Dukes from the time of Crocus the first Legislator of the Bohemians take in order thus The DUKES of BOHEMIA 1 Crocus the Law-giver or Lycurgus of Bohemia 2 Libussa youngest daughter to Crocus with Primislaus her husband a second Quinctius Founder of Prague 3 Neramislaus sonne of Primislaus and Libussa 4 Mnoatha one of the sonnes of Neramislaus Cotemporary with Charls the Great 5 Voricius sonne of Mnatha 6 Wenceslaus 7 Bela. 8 Nastricius sonne of Bela. 9 Bozzivoius the first Christian Prince of the Bohemians Contemporarie with the Emperour Arnulph 10 Sbitignaeus sonne to Bozzivoius 11 Vladislaus brother to Sbitignaeus 12 Wenceslaus II. surnamed the Saint slaine by his brother Boleslaus 13 Boleslaus a wicked and ungodly Prince 14 Boleslaus II. sonne of the former a great advancer of Christianty amongst hiâ— people 15 Boleslaus III. one of the sonnes of Boleslaus the second 16 Jaromir sonne to Boleslaus the third 17 Vdalricus brother of Boleslaus the third and Uncle of Jaromir 18 Predislaus sonne to Vdalricus 19 Sbitignaeus II. sonne to Predislaus 1061 20 Vratislaus brother of Sbitignaeus whom for his manifold deferts the Emperour Henry the 4. created the first King of Bohemia anno 1608. whose Successors take thus out of Bertholdus and Dubravius The KINGS and DUKES of BOHEMIA A. Ch. 1086 1 Vratislaus the brother of Spitignaeus Duke of Bohemia was by Henry the 4. at Metz created King 2 Conrade brother to Vratislaus notwithstanding that his brother had 3 sons was elected Duke of Bohemia 3 Brecislaus son to Vratislaus the two sons of Conrade being rejected is by the Bohemians chosen Duke 1100 4 Borivorius the 4. son of Brecislaus is chosen by the Bohemians his eldest brothers then all living 1109 5 Sutopulcus Cousin german to Borivorius by the consent and favour of the people deposed Borivorius and caused himself to be elected in his place 6 Vladislaus II. brother to Borivorius preferred by the people to the throne before Otho the brother and Henry the son of Sutopulcus the last Prince 7 Sobeslaus brother to Vladislaus promoted to the State before the sonne of Vladislaus 1159 8 Vladislaus III. son of Vladislaus the 2. the four sons of Sobeslaus omitted is chosen and crowned the second King of Bohemia by Frederick the Emperour but deposed by the States because he was not by them formerly elected according to their priviledges and customs 9 Vldericus the third son of Sobeslaus his elder brethren yet living was by the people elected in the room of Vladislaus and his son Frederick whom the Emperour Frederick had by force established in the throne 10 Sobeslaus II. second son to Sobeslaus was by Frederick above named expelled and he also by the Bohemians 11 Conrade Grandchild to Otho the brother of Sutopulcus elected by the Bohemiam in place of Frederick between which two Princes there was continuall war 12 Wenceslaus Uncle unto Conrade and son of Otho aforesaid was preferred before many nearer the succession Him Primislaus expelled but fearing his return quitted Prague 13 Henry Bishop of Prague a stranger to the bloud was by a generall consent elected Duke 14 Vladislaus IV. brother to Primislaus the son of Wenceslaus being put by succeeded Henry and soon after resigned 1199 15 Primislaus elected by the Bohemians and by the Emperour Philip crowned the 3. King of Bohemia at Mentz was brother to Vladiâ—laus the 4. 1248 16 Ottocarus notwithstanding that Winceslaus his elder brother had been crowned in his Fathers life time was acknowledged King He was slain in battle by Rodolphus the Emperour 1278 17 Wencesâ—aus II. son to Ottocarus 1284 18 Wenceslaus III. sonne to Wenceslaus the last of the Bohemian Princes of the masculine race 1304 19 Rodolphus son to the Emperour Albertus is by the potencie of his Father and the election of the States seated on the Throne being otherwise a stranger to the bloud-royall of Bohemia 1305 20 Henry Duke of Carinthia husband to Anne the second daughter of Wenceslaus the 2. is chosen by the Bohemians but being weary of his Government they elect John Earl of Luxenbourg Finally Henry was murdered by one of his Nephews 1311 21 John Earl of Luxenbourg sonne to Henry the 7. Emperour and husband to Elizabeth youngest daughter to Wenceslaus the 2. is elected the Lady Anne yet living 1346 22 Charls sonne to John and Emperour of that name the 4. the Author of the Golden Bull. 1362 23 Wenceslaus IV. Emperour also in whose time the troubles of the Hussites and the valour of Zisca was famous 1418 24 Sigismund brother to Wenceslaus maketh himself King by force and at his death commendeth Albertus Duke of Austria the huband of his daughter Elizabeth unto the States of the Kingdom 1437 25 Albertus Duke of Austria elected upon the commendation of Sigismund by the Bohemian Lords 1440 26 Ladislaus son to Albert who being the brother of two sisters commended yet one George Pogibrachius unto the States as fittest to succeed him 1458 27 George Pogibrachius neither by affinity or consanguinity of the bloud succeeded And he though he had three sons yet for the benefit of his Country he advised the Nobles after his death to elect their King from Poland 1471 28 Ladislaus II. son to Casimire King of Polvnd and to Elizabeth the younger daughter of Albert Duke of Austria the issue of Anne the elder sister still living elected King of Bohemia 1516 29 Ludovicus son to Ladislaus elected and crowned by the means of his Father then living King of Hungary also 1526 30 Ferdinand Archduke of Austria brother to Charls the 5. and husband to Anne sister to Ludovicus by his letters reversall acknowledged that he was chosen King of Bohemia not of any right but of meer free-will according to the liberties of that Kingdome 1565 31 Maximilian eldest son of Ferdinand was in his Fathers life time and at his
Imperiall Crown and Scepter with the titles of Caesar and Augustus given at every word would think that the whole action did take life from him Whereas indeed he hath not so much priviledge as a negative voice but is to put in execution such Decrees and Sanctions as these â—states assembled have thought fit to make not able to doe any Act by his own authority which may speak him Emperour But on the other side the Princes take power unto themselves of making laws for and impoâ—ing taxes on their subjects of raising war upon one another or against a third and doing many other Acts of supreme authoritie which in the Emperour would be counted matters of mal-administration Such points as these together with the appointing of Judges and the like chief Magistrates as they relate unto the Empire are not to be concluded of but in generall Diets which may be summoned by or without the Emperour as occasion serveth And to this weakning of the majestie and power Imperiall the neighbouring Princes have afforded their best assistance jealous of their own interesse and decrease of power if that vast body so well limbed 〈◊〉 be strongly jointed and all the severall Members of it united under the command of one Supreâ—â— head Clear proof whereof we have in those solemn leagues and confederations made in their severall times against Charls the 5. and the late Emperour Ferdinand the 2. as soon as they began to be in some possibilitie of setling the Imperiall majestie in its proper splendour and bringing down the Princes to a lower pitch As for the Forces of the Empire for by that name we are to measure the abilities and power of Germanie we may discern them by those Levies which have been raised upon particular occasions or by the joint consent of the Free Estates assembled in the Imperiall Diets First for particular Levies made by private persons we find 12000 Foot and 8000 Horse raised by the Prince Palatine of Zweybruck for aid of the French Hugonots against their King and on the other side no fewer then 7000 Horse under the conduct of the Duke of Aumal and the Earl of Mansfield for the service of that King against the Hugonots And as for Levies made by consent of the States we find that Charls the 5. had under his Ensigns at Vienna 90000 Foot and 35000 Horse Maximilian the 2. at Javerin in Hungarie 34000 Horse and full 100000 Foot and finally that in the war betwixt Charls the 5. and the Protestant Princes there were no lesse then 150000 men on both sides which numbers no one Countrie in Europe is able to equall In a word it is generally conceived that the Empire is able to raise 200000 Horse and Foot with Arms Canon and Ammunition of all sorts proportionable which the instances before brought do most plainly evidence Touching the Revenue of the Empire I find them estimated by Boterus and some others since at seven millions of Crowns yearly Which may be true enough taking the Kingdoms of Hungarie and Bohemia with the hereditary Estates of Austria into the accompt But since they are not so united unto the Empire but they may at some time or other be disjoined again no reason they should come into the reckoning unlesse it be as the Revenue of the Emperour though not of the Empire But as for the Revenue of the Empire it self taken abstractedly from the personall and patrimoniall Estate of the Emperour whosoever he be it can amount to no such sum the tribute paid by the Free or Imperiall Cities at least 60 in number amounting to no more per annum then 15000 Florent or 1500 l. English and what is that but like a Pepper corn for a quit-rent in that mighty Continent By this we may conjecture what the rest may come to And though in the way of saving charges which may be reckoned as a part of his income also the Princes and Free Cities be bound to aid him in the time of war against the Turk with 3842 Horse and 16200 Foot which he may challenge without troubling the Diets for it yet war is such a great devourer that if the Diets doe not grant him greater helps he is like to be but a sorry gainer by the undertaking besides the smalnesse of those forces considered with the numbers they are able to raise and the puissance of the enemie whom they are to encounter Finally for the Arms of the Empire they are Sol an Eagle displayed with two heads Saturn armed and crowned Mars the two heads signifying as some think the Eastern and the Western Empires Cuspinian a learned German conceives rather that these Arms are two Eagles conjoined and not one Eagle with two heads and that they were taken up by the German Nation in memorie of the three Legions of Quintilius Varus discomfited by them at what time they seised on two of the Roman Eagles the Militarie Ensign of that people the third being cast into the Fennes by the Standard bearer But whether it be one or two certain it is that the one head is quite pulled off and the whole bodie quite stripped of all its Feathers the Imperiall dignitie being little more then titular dispoiled and stript of all Authority appertaining to it There are in Germanie Archbishops 6. Bishops 34. Universities 21. Viz. 1 Colen 2 Triers 3 Ments 4 Heidelberg 5 Tubingen 6 Ingolstade 7 Viennae 8 Herborn 9 Hanaw 10 Wirtenberg 11 Friberg 12 Altorf 13 Prague 14 Olmunts 15 Frankford 16 Rostock 17 Gripswald 18 Jene 19 Lipsique 20 Wittenberg 21 Marpurg And so much for GERMANIE OF DENMARK THE Kingdome of DENMARK or DENEMARK reckoning in the additions of the Dukedom of Holstein and the great continent of Norway with the Isles thereof now all united and incorporated into one Estate is bounded on the East with the Baltick Sea and some part of Sweden on the West with the main Western Ocean on the North-east with a part of Sweden full North with the main Frozen Seas and on the South with Germanie from which divided on the South-west by the River Albis and on the South-east by the Trave a little Isthmus or neck of Land uniting it to that Continent It tooke this name from the Danes of long times the Inhabitants and Possessours of it so called quasi Danorum tractus sive Regio as Mercator hath it because the Countrie of that people but rather quasi Danorum limes the bounds or marches of the Danes bordering close upon the Dutch from whom it had the name of Danemarch As for the situation of it in regard of the Heavens it lieth partly in the Northern temperate Zone and partly within the Artick Circle extending from the middle Parallel of the tenth Clime or 55. degree of Latitude where it joineth with Germanie as far as the 71 degree where it hath no other bound but the Frozen Ocean By which accompt the longest day in the most Southern parts hereof is 17 hours and
to Warsaw 6 Viadislaw on the Wixel or Vistulae a Bishops See 7 Bedost a walled Town on the Bard a navigable River conveying the Merchandise of these parts into the Vistula 8 Kruswick in Bresty built of wood standing on a great Lake named Gopla in the Castle whereof Popielus the second Duke of Poland was after a strange manner devoured with Rats swarming out of the Lake 9 Ploczko upon the Vistula a walled Town and a Bishops See with a Castle to it and 10 Mlawa bordering on the Dukedome of Prussia The LESSER Poland lying on the South of the Greater and divided by the River Wixel comprehendeth onely three divisions under the Government of the Palatines of Cracoâ— 2 Sendomir and Lublin Principall Cities of the which are 1 Cracoâ— upon the Wixel called in Latine Cracovia a Bishops See the chief of all the kingdome and the seat of the Prince and the Sepulture of the former Kings By Ptolemie called Carodunum fortified with a double wall of the old fashion a deep ditch the Castle of Vanel situate on the top of an high rock and beautified with an Universityâ— or generall study of good Arts and Sciences The buildings 〈◊〉 more faire then elsewhere in Poland of free stone and foure stories high but for the most part covered with Shingles or tiles of wood in the midst a large market-place of form quadrangular and in the middle of that the Common-councell house about which are many shops of Merchants On one side of it standeth the Cathedrall Church and on the East-side of the City the Palace Royall high seated on an hill over looking both the Town and Countrey fair and well built of form somewhat neere a Quadrangle but lying open to the South without any buildings above the wall affording thereby to the Gallery being on the North side of the Castle the more excellent prospect 2 Lelow a walled towne with a Castle on the River Bialo 3 Sendomir a walled town with a Castle also seated on a hill under which the Vistula or Wixel 4 Wislicza a walled town amongst Marishes encompassed with the River Nid 5 Lublin a walled town but more strongly fortified by the marishes and wates with which environed remarkable for three yearly Marts drawing hither Merchants from most parts adjoining as also Moscovites Armenians Turkes and Grecians the Jews inhabiting the greatest part of the suburbs have here their Synagogue making the Town especially at time of those Marts a medley of all Nations and Religions 6 Casimir on the Wixel so named from the founder of it a King of Poland The old Inhabitants of this countrey were the Arii Helverone Elysii and the Naharvali parts of the Suevi Lygii spoken of by Tacitus all of them lying on the Dutch side of the Wixel by consequence within the bounds of the antient Germanie the people of all the rest of the Provinces before described being of the Sarmatian race next neighbours to the Germans and not much unlike them in persons customes or conditions But these dispersed and scattered Nations of Sarmatia Europaea being united in the common name of Sclaves part of them setled in that part which we now call Poland at that time reckoned and accompted of as a part of Germanie The time of their first comming hither and the manner of their government when first setled here is not very well known But for the first it is most certain that it was some time and that not long after the death of Mauritius the Eastern Emperour and for the next it is as certain that on the coming of Lechus a Croatian who fled his countrey for a murder with his brother Zechius they setled into a more constant form of Government then before they did For Lechus seeing his brothers good successe in Bohemia where the Sclaves received him for their Prince passed into Poland the next Province and was as cheerfully received by the Sclaves thereof who looked upon him as a Prince of their own extraction and without quarrell or competition submitted themselves to his commands anno 650. or thereabouts Of this there is good constat amongst our Authours But neither the names or number of his successours doe occur in story till the time of Crocus the founder of Cracovia the chief City of Poland and the Legislator of this people After this the succession of their Princes and the successe of their affairs becomes more certain the Estate hereof being much improved by the conquest of many Sarmatian countreys all which together constitute and make up the kingdome of Poland so called from this predominating and prevailing Province The summe of their affaires is this The posterity of Croâ—us failing in Popielus the second Piastus is elected Duke the Princes from that time forwards becoming Elective but alwayes with respect to the next of bloud In the time of Miâ—cislaus son of Nemomystus they received the Gospell anno 963. Boleslaus the son of Miecislaus was the first who had the title of King conferred upon him by the Emperour Otho the third about the yeare 1001. relinquished by Vladislaus the first and not resumed againe till the time of Primislaus Duke of Posna anno 1300. after which perpetuall In the person of this Primislaus Pemerella is united to the state of Poland anno 1295. in that of Jagello or Vladislaus the fifth the great Dukedome of Lituania incorporated into this body as a Member of it in the time of Sigismund Augustus By Vladislaus the sixt son of Jagello Podolia and Russia Nigra are also added by Sigismund the first Prussia and Massovia Podlassia by Sigismund Augustus who also tooke Volhinia out of Lituania by Stephen the actuall possession of the greatest part of Livonia by Sigismund the third a title to the Crown of Sweden The Princes follow in this Order DUKES and KINGS of POLAND A. Ch. 649 1 Lechus of Croatia the first Duke whose posterity failing twelve Palatines were chosen to direct affairs and the state became Aristocraticall 2 Crocus the Legislator of Poland 3 Lechus II. son of Crocus 4 Venda the daughter of Crocus and sister of Lectius the second 5 Lescus the first 6 Lescus II. 7 Lescus III. Contemporarie with Charles the great 8 Popielus son of Lescus the third 9 Popielus II. devoured in most horrid manner by rats and mice together with his wife and children the last of the posterity or house of Crocus 800 10 Piastus the first Duke elected 11 Zemovitus son of Piastus 12 Lescus IV. son of Zemovitus 13 Nemomyslus son of Lescus the fourth 14 Miecislaus son of Nemomyslus the first Christian Prince of the Polonians founded the Bishopricks of Cracow and Guesna 1000 15 Boleslaus son of Miecislaus the first who had the title of King conferred on him by Otho the third 1025 16 Miecislaus II. sonne of Boleslaus 1041 17 Casimir son of Miecislaus 1059 18 Boleslaus II. son of Casmir deposed and died an Exile in Hungary 1082 19 Vladislaus brother of Boleslaus the second
out their blood which they receive into Cupe and use it as wine unto their feast Though swift of foot yet generally they love to ride though it be but on Oxen about whose necks as about their horses when they travell they use little bells with which musick they are much delighted Their spearh even in their common talk is a kind of whining and their singing little better than the howlinâ— of wolves They eat commonly with unwashed hands the durt and grease about their fingers serving as a sawce for their meat which they devour greedily and with little chewing and for their ordinary drink use mares milk Homely of habit made of the coursest stuff and reaching no lower than the knee and if they go to the charge of furrs contrary to the custome of other people they wear the hairy side outwards and the skinne next their own bodies onely to shew the richness of their Apparell And yet so proud in this beggery that they account the Christians but as dogs contemn all the rest of the world and think their Cham the onely considerable Prince by whose name they swear as by their Gods In matter of Religion it is hard to say whether Mahometanism or Paganism be of most extent some parts hereof being wholly Pagan some wholly Mathometan and some mix of both But of the two the Pagan is the better Gentleman as being of the elder house and of more Antiquity the Sect of Mahomet not being entertained amongst them till the year 1246. And yet these have not so prevailed as to extinguish the remainders of Christianity of which there are amongst them many severall Churches The Christian faith first planted amongst the Scythians by the preaching of Saint Andrew and Saint Philip two of the Apostles Overgrown in these later Ages by the Sect of Nestorians either by the diligence of their Preachers or for want of others to instruct them in more Orthodox Tenets Before the prevailing of the Tartars besides the Circassian Christians of whom more anon there are in the most remote parts of Tartary whole Kingdomes of that Religion as namely that of Teâ—duc then the chief of all besides some numbers of them in Tangath Cauchinteles Cassar Samarchan Karthim Suchair Ergimul and Caraiam where in the time of Paulus Venetus who surveyed these parts about the year they lived intermingled with the Pagans Not so diminished since the conquest of those Countries by the Tartars but that they are of a considerable number especially in Cathay it self where they are said to have a Metropolitan in the City of Cambalu the principall City of that Empire and he so honoured by the Great Cham that they receive their Crowns successively from no hands but his As for the Tartars they are by the Chronologer Genebrard said to be the off-spring of the Ten Tribes whom Salmanassar led away captive and that especially for three reasons The first is that the word Tatari by which name saith he they ought rather to be called than by that of Tartari signifieth in the Syriack and Hebrew tongues a Remnant But unto this it is answered that the name of this people is derived from the River Tartar as some or from the Region called Tartar where they first dwelt as most think and again that though the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifie a remnant yet can it not properly be applyed to the Tartars who so infinitely exceed the Jews that they cannot be thought to be a remainder of them Secondly he allegeth for proof thereof that this people use circumcision the character of the Jewish Nation And here unto it is replyed that circumcision was common to many people besides the Jews as to the Aegyptians Aethiopians c. and that rather as a national custome than a religious ordinance and again that the Tartars cannot be proved to have received circumcision before they received Mahometanism Thirdly there is brought to confirm this opinion a place of Esdras cap 13. lib. 2. where it is said that the Ten Tribes that they might the better keep Gods Statutes passed over the River Euphrates and after a journey of an year and a half came into a Countrey called Arfâ—reth To refell which those of the contrary opinion find no better course than by shewing the impossibilities of it For the Tartars when their name was first known were meer Idolaters had no remembrance of the Law observed not the Sabbath nor any other point of Jewish religion and so the Ten Tribes retired not hither to keep Gods Statutes Secondly Euphrates lyeth quite West from Assyria and those places to which Salmanassar transplanted the Israelites and so it could not be passed over in a journey towards the North. And Thirdly it is very improbable that the ten Tribes should eitheir be so simple as to leave Assyria where they were peaceably setled or so valiant as to force a passage thorough those Countries of Scythia which neither Persians Greeks or Romans were able to withstand in the best of their fortunes To let pass therefore all imaginations of a forein Pedegree the truth is that they were no other than a Ruder and more Northern brood of Scythians who pressed by want or otherwise oppressed by the King of Tenduch unto whom they were subject armed themselves against him obtained a memorable victory and setled Cingis their chief Captain in the Royall Throne Anno 1162. After which growing of more power and inlarging their dominions further they united in the name of Tartars all the Scythian Nations as Mahomet did those of the three Arabias in the name of Saracens or as in former times the many severall Tribes of the German Nations were united in the names of Franks or Alemans Not known in Europe by this name till their many great and signall victories had made them formidable which was about the year 1212. within very little of which time they had made themselves Masters of a larger Empire than that of Macedon or Rome in their greatest glories But being of a hasty growth it decaied as suddenly the greatest part of their Europaean purchases being conquered from them by the Dukes of Moscovy and the Kings of Poland as their acquests in Asia and Asrick by the Turks and Persians Yet still they are possessed of so large a territory that were they not distracted into severall States or did those severall states depend upon one Supreme that one Supreme might very easily give law unto all his Neighbours and make the Turks and Persians tributaries as in former times But laying aside these speculations of what they might do if united under one command let us now look upon them as they are divided into these five parts that is to say 1. Tartaria Precopensis 2. Asiatica 3 Antiqua 4. Zagathay and 5. Cathay 1. TARTARIA PRECOPENSIS TARTARIA PRECOPENSIS is bounded on the East with the River Tanais now Don on the West with the River Borysthenes now called Nerper by which last parted from Pâ—dolâ—â—
or given by this Emperour and his father almost all the Lands which they possesse at this day though afterwards extorted from them by the following Emperours or under colour of their Title by many severall wayes and means brought again unto them as shall be shewen hereafter in convenient place The Venetians in that little they then had remained sui juris The rest of Italie containing all the other Provinces of the Kingdom of Naples together with Tuscanie Friuli Treviginna and whatsoever is at this day in the possession of the Dukes of Millaine Mantua Modena Parma Montferrat and the Duke of Savoy as Prince of Piemont together with Liguria or the State of Genoa was reserved by Charles unto himself and in his life-time given by him to Pepin his second sonne with the stile or title of King of Italie But long it did not rest in the house of France the Princes of the Lombards wresting it from the line of Charles and after weakning and dividing it by their severall factions till in the end instead of an united Kingdom there rose up many scattered Principalities as shall hereafter be declared But first we must proceed to the Kings of Italie of which we shall endeavour as exact a Catalogue as the confusions of that State can be capable of The Kings of Italie of the French Italian and German Lines 1 Pepyn sonne of Carolus Magnus died before his Father 2 Barnard sonne of Pepyn 3 Ludovicus Pius Emperor and King of France 4 Lotharius Emperor eldest sonne of Ludovicus 15. 5 Ludovicus II. Emperor eldest sonne to Lotharius 20. 6 Carolus Calvus Emperor the youngest sonne of Ludovicus Pius 2. 7 Caroloman nephew to Ludovicus Pius by Ludovicus his second sonne surnamed the Antient 8 Carolus Crassus or the Fat Emperor brother of Coroloman the last King of Italie of the house of Charles he died Ao. 888. 9 Guy Duke of Spoleto contends with Berengarius Duke of Friuly both of the Longobâ—rdian Race for the Kingdom of Italie and in fine carrieth it against him 10 Lambert the sonne of Guy crowned by Pope Formosus 11 Ludovick sonne of Boson of Ardennes King of Arles and Burgundy by some Writers called onely Earl of Provence upon the death of Lambert invadeth Italie and is made King 12 Berengarius Duke of Friuly vanquisheth Ludovicus is made King of Italie and at last overcome by the Hungarians who having wasted the Countrey returned back again 13 Rodolph Duke of Burgundy Trans-urane called into Italie against Berengarius resigned it in exchange for the Kingdom of Arles and Burgundy to his Cousen 14 Hugh D'Arles King of Arles and Burgundy who held the Kingdom of Italy upon this resignation but after many troubles was at last outed of it by Berengarius and returned into France 15 Berengarius II. sonne of the former Berengarius on the retreat of Hugh received by the Italians as Protector to Lotharius the son of Hugh besieging Adelhais the next heir of Italie on the death of Lotharius was taken prisoner by the Emperor Otho 16 Otho called into Italie by Adelhais daughter to Rodolph King of Burgundy and Italie marieth the Lady and in her right is King of Italie 17 Otho II. son of the former Otho marieth Theophania neece to Nicephorus Phocus Emperor of Constantinople and hath Calabria for her Dower 20. 18 Otho III. Emperor and King of Italie in whose minority the Kingdom was usurped by 19 Harduicus a man of great power in Italie who kept it all the time of Otho till being broken with long wars by Henry the succeeding Emperor he was forced to quit it 20 Henry the second Emperor of that name having thrice vanquished Harduicus got the Kingdom of Italie and left the same unto the Emperors his Successors the Title of Italie after this time being drowned in that of the Empire and the Countrey governed as a part and Member of the Empire by such Commanders and other Officers as the Emperors from time to time sent thither But long it staid not in that state For the Popes of Rome knowing how much it did concern them in point of Politie to weaken the Imperiall Power in Italie without which their own Grandour could not be maintained stirred up continuall factions and wars against them and by that means and by the Censures of the Church which they denounced according as they saw occasion did so astonish and distract them that in the end the Emperors began to lay aside the affairs of Italie by which they reaped more trouble than the profit came to Insomuch that Rodolfus Habspurgensis a valiant and a politike Prince finding the ill success which Henry the fourth and fifth and Frederick the first and second Emperors of more puissance than himself had found in their Italian actions and pretensions resolved to rid his hands of that troublesom and fruitless Province and to that end made as much money as he could of that commoditie which he saw he was not like to keep And yet he sold good penny-worths too to them that bought them the Florentines paying for their Liberties but six thousand Crowns the Citizens of Luca ten thousand others as they could make their Markets And being once required the reason why he went not into Italie to look to the affairs thereof as his Predecessors had done hefore him he is said to have returned for answer that conceit of the Fox for his not going to attend as the other beasts did at the Lyons Den. Quia me vestigia terrent Omnia me advorsum spectantia nulla retrorsum That is to say I dare not go because no tract I see Of any beast returning towards me Which faulty and improvident resolution being followed by too many of his Successors not onely gave the Popes the opportunity they looked for of making themselves the great disposers of the affairs of Italie but many petit Princes thereby took occasion of getting all they could lay hold on for themselves and others For by this means the Scaligers made themselves Masters of Veroâ—a the Passâ—â—iâ—es of Mantua the Carrarians of Padua the Baillons of Bononia and by the same the Florentines got Pistoia and Ferrara was possessed by the Venetians And although Heâ—ry the 7 th provoked by these indignities made a journey thither reduced many of the revolted Cities to their former obedience and was crowned King at Millaâ—â— with the Iron Crown as were also Ludovicus Bavarus and Charles the 4 th two of his Successors yet found they in conclusion such small benefit by the enterprize as did not quit the charge and trouble which it put them to So in the end Italie was left wholly in a manner to the Popes disposing who gave away to others what they could not manage or otherwise confirmed those men in their usurpations whom they found already possessed of the Emperors Countreys and bound them by that means the faster to the See of Rome of which they were
from the Eastern parts as his occasions did require These Exarchs having divided Italie into many Governments appointed over each some supreme Commander dignified with the name of Dukes And even the City of Rome it self so far then was it from being subject to the Pope in Temporall matters had a chief Officer of this kinde accomptable to the Exaroâ— and subordinate to him whose Government was called the Roman Dukedom They which they kept unto themselves as their own peculiar contained the Cities of Ravenna Rbegium Mutina Bononia Classi Forli Fâ—â—limpoli Sarcino Parma and Placentia which ten Cities with the Territories belonging to them made up that District which properly was called the Exarchate of Ravenna much mentioned in the Histories of the middle times by reason of the continuall wars which they had with the Lombards but newly entred when this Magistracy had its first beginning The names of these Exarchs are as followeth The Exarchs of Ravenna A. C. 570. 1 Longinus 21. 591. 2 Smaragdus 4. 595. 3 Romanus Patricius 596. 4 Callinicus 13. 609. 5 Smaragdus 3. 612. 6 Joh. Lamigius 4. 616. 7 Elentherius 5. 621. 8 Isaacus Patricius 24. 645. 9 Theod. Calliopa 10. 655. 10 Olympius 2. 657. 11 Theod. Calliopa II. 30. 687. 12 Joh. Plotina 15. 702. 13 Theophilactus 25. 727. 14 Paulus 728. 15 Eutipenus 12. In the days of this Exarch Ravenna was taken from the Empire by Luitprandus King of the Lombards Ano. 740. but regained by Charles the Great and by him given to the Bishops of Ronne together with Anconitana and Spoleto as a requitall for the Kingdom of France confirmed unto King Pepin his Father by the consent and authority of the Popes The donation of this Exarchate to the Popes partly to blot out the memory of the Exarchs and partly to make the people obedient to those Prelates changed the name of the Countrey from Flaminia by which name it was formerly known to Romadâ—diola and now to Romagna Notwithstanding which Donation or Originall Grant the Popes injoyed not long the possession of it the Emperors of Germanie and their Vice-gerents in Italia wresting it by strong hand out of the possession of the Church and giving it to such as deserved well of them and were most likely or most able to uphold their Faction And so it stood till the last Popes conspiring with the French Kings Lewis the twelfth and Francis the first brought them into Italie and by their aids and by the censures of the Church so prevailed in fine that they extorted Ravenna and some other places out of the hands of the Venetians erected many petit Princes out of other Cities which they pretended to belong to S. Peters Patrimony and thereby got possession of all those Territories which lie betwixt the State of Venice and the Marches of Ancona 2. The Territory of FERRAARA lieth in the very skirts of Romandiola towards the Venetian extending one hundred and sixty miles in length and about fifty in breadth the soyl thereof exceeding rich but subject to the overflowings of the River Po which makes the air in many places to be somewhat unwholesome And though as well the former Dukes as the Popes who are now Lords hereof have been at great charge in raising high Banks and Ramparts to keep in the waters yet could not this resist the violence of the River falling from so high a Springs and seconded with so great Land-floods as sometimes it is but that it makes many breaches in them do they what they can The places of most note herein are 1. Graffignan in the borders of Tuscany neer the Apennine 2. Carpi a place of great importance seaâ—ed in the midst of this Dukedom belonging heretofore to the House of the Picâ— but partly by exchange made with Marcus Pieus partly for one hundred thousand Crowns in ready money given unto Lionel Pico once the Lords hereof it was by Charles the 5th incorporated into this estate 3. Commachia seated in the Marshes of the Adriatick from which the Princes of this Family of Este were at first called only Lords of Commachia a place which yeelded great profit to the former Dukes by the fishing of Eels 4. Saxole given by Duke Alphonso in exchange for Carpi Here is also the Territory and Lordship of the Polesine the cause of so many quarrells and contentions between the antient Dukes of Ferrara and the State of Vonice But the chief honor of this Dukedom it in the Capitall City that which denominates the whole Ferrara a City of five miles in compass so called from the Iron Mines which are about it commodiously seated on the River â—o which by reason of its breadth depth and violent swiftness of the current is a sufficient rampart to it on that side the other fides being fortified with a strong wall and a spacious mote In the middle of the City is a fair and spacious Market-place into which do open on all fides about twenty streets all of them half a mile in length and all so strait and evenly built that the furthest end of each of them may be easily seen Neer to this Market-place is a little Iland in which the former Dukes had a stately Palace called Belvedere from the fair prospect which it had or gave to the whole City and on the North side of the City a large Park for pleasure The other houses are for the most part built of fair Free-stone not joyning unto one another as in other Cities but at a pretty distance with neat Gardens between Ariosto the Author of that ingenious Poem called Orlando Furiosâ— and Hierome Savaniarolo the Propheticall Fâ—ier were both of them Natives of this place of which the first lieth here entombed the last for preaching against the Pope was burnt at Florence In the declining of the power and Empire of the Lombards this City together with Favenza was given by Desiderius their last King to the Church of Rome the better to oblige the Popes by so great a benefit But being taken from them by the Emperors of the House of Schwaben it was again recovered by the prowess of the Countess Mathildis Ano. 1107. who took it with many other Towns in Italie from the Emperor Henry the 4th and at her death conferred the same upon the Church The Popes once more possessed hereof and not able to hold it gave it in Fee for ever unto Azo of the House of Este a man of great sway in the affairs of Italie who valiantly had defended it against Ezelinus Vicegerent of Frederick the 2d. This was the first of this Family who had Ferrara in propriety His Ancestors being called before the Marquesses of Este and sometimes Marquesses of Ferrara but in title only as Governors hereof in behalf of the Popes of Rome Obizo the Grand-child of this first Azo obtained of Rodolfus the first who was willing to make what money he could of his lands in Italie the Cities of Regium and Modena
five miles in compass and about 15000 Inhabitants Honoured for a time with the Patriarchall See removed hither from Aquilegia at some siege thereof of which though long ago deprived yet it is still the ordinary seat of the Procurator or Provinciall Governour sent from Venice hither 7 Palma a new Town as being built by the Venetians no longer since than the year 1583 but held to be the best fortified of any in Italie 8 Cividad de Austria first built by Julius Caesar in some of his marches towards Gaule by whom it was called Julium after Forum Julii whence the name of Friulâ— Districtus Foro-Juliensis as the Latins call it came unto the Province But being taken and repaired by some Princes of the Austrian Family on the borders of whose Estate it standeth it got this new name of Cividad de Austria This Province antiently was one of the four Dukedoms founded by the Lombards when they conquered Italie the other three being Turin Benevent and Spoleto The Family of the Berengarii were once Dukes hereof three of which were of speciall fame and two of them Competitors for the Kingdom of Italie But this Family being suppressed by the Emperour Otho he have a great part of the Country to the Church of Aquileia to which almost all the rest was added by the Emperour Conrade yet so that there were divers petit Lords who had good estates in it the name of Duke remaining unto some of the antient race One of which named Luitprandus envying to the Venetians their increase of Dominion made war against them which ended in the loss of his Country An o 1020 or thereabouts ever since subject to that State the Patriarch of Aquileia whose authority in this Country began to decline in the rising of the States of Venice surrendring all his interess also to that powerfull Signeurie as better able to defend it against all Pretenders HISTRIA is environed on the East West and South with the Adriatick in the manner of a Demy-Iland or Peninsula save where it toucheth on Friuli and on the North is parted from Carinthia with the Alpes of Germany The Country very woody and full of Quarries affording materials to Venice both for ships and houses not comparable for fertility to the rest of Italie and of air so sickly and unwholsome that the Venetians were compelled to hire people to dwell there and afterwards to grant them many large immunities It is two hundred miles in compass watered with the Rivers of Formio which they now call Risano 2 Nanportus called at this day Quietus and 3 Arsia which runneth into the Gulf of Quevero called antiently Sinus Flanaticus The chief Towns of it are 1 Cape de Istria called in Plinies time Aegide and being afterwards repaired by the Emperor Justine was called Justinoplis But being taken and destroyed by the Genoese and re-built again it took the name of Caput Histriae or Cape d' Istria because the principall of the Province and a Bishops See Of this See was Vergerius Bishop about the time of Luthers first preaching in Germany who with Antonio de Dominis Arch-Bishop of Spâ—lato were of most note of any of these parts of the world that fell off from the Church of Rome to the Protestant partie and therefore shall be spoken of in more particulars Spalato in his proper place and Vergerius hero Being a man of great industry and eminent parts he was by many of the Popes employed in Germany against Luther In which negotiation he behaved himself with such dexterity and gave such content unto the Pope that Paul the third An. 1541 intended to have made him Cardinal had not some who envyed him that honour accused him of Lutheranism to purge himself he began to write a Book entituled Against the Apostata's oâ— Germany in the pursute whereof pondering Luthers reasons he became of his opinion which being known he was driven from Justinople He submitted himself and his cause to the Fatherâ— at Trent but could not get a hearing Thence he went to the D. of Manâ—ua from him to the State of Venice but no-where finding protection he retired unto the Grisons and there preached till Christopher Duke of Wittenberg An. 1548 placed him in his University of Tubing and there allowed him a sufficiency of maintenance It was built by Justinus as before the Nephew of Justâ—man the Emperor as a fortress against the incursions of the barbarous people 2 Pola built by the Colchians at the first comming hither the name in their language importing as much as the place of banishment It was after made a Roman Colony and called Pictas Julia but being first destroied by Attila after by the Genoese it recovered the old name again and still continueth with the title of a See Episcopall It abutteth upon Sinus Flanaticus or the Golf of Quevero 3 Pazenze 4 Pliun 5 Cita Nova all of them seated in the Midlands and not much observable 7 Rovigno in a little Iland and mounted on an high hill not unfruitfull in Olives beautified with a convenient Port and that defended also by a very strong Castle The Town but poor by reason of the ill neighbourhood of Venice from which distant not above twenty miles inhabited for the most part by Mariners and skilfull Pilots hired by such ships as are bound for Venice to conduct them safely over the Bars of Malamocco The adjoyning mountainous and somewhat wild but those mountains covered on the outside with Physicall Simples and yeelding many Quarries of most excellent Marble which so adorn the Venetian Palaces It is recorded that the Histrians were a people of Colchis who being sent by King Aetas to pursue Jason and the Argonauts were driven up this Gulf and either for fear of the Kings anger or not daring to venture their weak vessel to so long a voyage as from hence to Colchis whence they came stayed in this Country It was after that time called Japidia from Japis an Aetâ—lian who first planted here and took the name of Istria from the Istri a people on the banks of Ister or Danubius who made up a considerable part of this plantation Siding with the Aetolians in their War against the Romans and making many inrodes and excursions on them they were invaded first by Manlius without leave of the Senate and him they charged with such a fury that they beat him out of his Camp Where finding plenty of Wine and all store of Provisions they fell rouudly to it till Manlius having rallied his men again charged them in their Cups and killed 8000 in the place their miserable King being so hotly pursued by the Victors that he was fain to kill himself for fear of Captivity This was in An o V. C. â—75 Cl. Pulcher the next Consul perfected the conquest Sempronius long time after that An o sc V. C. 625. reduced it to the form of a Province So it continued till the time of Augustus Caesar who joyning it to that of Venice
or Venetia made out of both the eleventh and last Region of Italie Under the Romans they continued whilst that Empire stood and after the decay thereof regained their liberties which they enjoyed till by Piracie molesting the Venetians they lost many of their Towns to Duke Petro Candiano An. 938 and the whole Country was made Tributary by the valour of the Duke Henry Dondolâ— about the year 1190. After which many times rebelling they were still re-conquered 4 The fourth member of this estate with respect to Italie are some ILANDS in the Adriatick which being principally under the command of this Commonwealth is commonly called the Gulf of Venice a Golf extending in length 700 miles in bredth 140 miles in some places less so called of Adria once a famous Haven-town as before was sayd at the mouth of Fridanus or Po. Concerning which we are to know that though this Gold or Bay or the Adriatick extended no farther than the Eastern parts of Dalmatia where the sea beginneth to take the name of the Ionian yet Mare Adriaticum or the Adriatick sea was of greater length Extended by the Antients over the Ionian and thence South-West-ward till it meeteth with the Tuscan Seas and South-wards till it come to the coast of Africk insomuch as Mare Lybicum or the sea of Africk is by Orosius made a part of the Adriatick For speaking of the Province of Tripolis a Province of Africk properly and especially so called he boundeth it on the North with the Adriatick as he doth the Isle of Crete on the South side of it with the Libyan Sea quod Adriaticum vocant which they also call the Adriatick as his own words are The likâ— might also be made evident out of other Authors both Greek and Latin Which I note here because Saint â—auls being tossed up and down in the Sea of Adria as is sayd Acts 27. 27. and being after cast on shore in the Isle of Malta occasioned some to think this Melâ—te or Malta to be that Iland of Dalmatia which is now called Melidar because seated in the Bay or Golf of Adria whereas the Text speaks plainly of that Isle of Malta which lyeth in the furthest parts of the Adriatick Sea on the coasts of Africk But to return to this Golf it was accounted heretofore to be very tempestuous and unsafe as appeareth by Improbo iracundior Adria in Horace the Manix Adriaticum in Catullus and the Ventosi tumor Adriae in Seneca's Thyestes But when the Empress Helena had found the Cross on which CHRIST suffered she caused one of the three Nails with which his body was fastened to it to be thrown of purpose into this Sea since which time as Platina hath told us in the life of Pope Silvester and cites Saint Ambrose for his Author it hath been very calm and quiet the second nail being made into a Bridle for her sonne Constantines horse and a Crest for his Helmet of the third But not to trust too much to the truth of this miracle certain it is that the Venetiane are Lords of it by reason of their Navall power and that it is every year espoused to the Duke of Venice by the solemn casting in of a Wedding-Ring and every year Baptised on Epâ—phany day by the Bishop of Zant. When this last ceremony took beginning I am yet to seek But for the first which is performed with a great deal of state every Holy-Thursday the Duke and all the Magnificos being rowed in the Bucentaure which is a rich and stately Gallie made for such solemnities and capable of 200 persons whence it had the name it took beginning from Pope Alexander the third who being hardly put to it by the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa fled unto Venice in the habit of a Cook Sebastian Cyani being then Duke in prosecution of whose quarrell the Venetians encountered Otho the Emperours sonne vanquished him and restored the Pope The Duke returning back in triumph with his Royall prisoner was thus saluted by the Pope Cyani take here this Ring of Gold and by giving it unto the Sea oblige it unto thee a Ceremonie which on this day the Ascension day shall be yearly observed both by thee and thy successors that so posteritie may know that you have purchased the dominion thereof by your valour and made it subject to you as a Wife to her Husband The pcincipall Ilands of this Sea lie on the other side thereof on the coast of Dalmatia Some few there are upon this side but those as well as these under the command of this Signeurie neither great nor famous Of these the chief are 1 MALAMOCCO in Latin Methaucum now only considerable for the Haven which is large and deep made by the inslux of Meduacus before mentioned in which the greater ships do ride till they hire Pilots from Rovigno to cross the Bars It was ennobled heretofore with the Dukes Palace and an Episeopall See but the Dukes Palace being removed to Rialto and the Episcopall See to the Iland of Chioggia it is now inhabited for the most part by none but Sea-men 2 TORCELLAN in which there is a little City of the same name honoured with a Bishops See but by reason of the ill air not very well peopled 3 MURIANUM or MURIANO three miles in compass and but one from Venice of a sound air and very well inhabited the people whereof make the best Venice Glasses so much used in all parts 4 CHIOGGIA called in Latin Fossa Clodia distant from Venice 25 miles to which it serveth instead of a Bulwark There is a town in it of the same name to which the Bishops See was removed from Malamocco An. 1103 and near to which are many Salt-pits which yeeld great gain unto the people and as much unto the Common-wealth Near to this Iland the Genoese so discomfited the Venetians in a fight at sea that they were offered a blank Charter to write what they would But the Genoese being grown too insolent on their good success made the City desperate who putting all to hazard fell again upon them beat them pursued them home and there utterly crushed them as we shall tell you more at large when we come to Genoa Betwixt these Ilands and the main land of Friuli lieth a shoal of little Islets in and amongst which standeth the renowned City of Venice the head City of this Commonwealth and the glory of Italic these Islets 72 in number but joyned together by many Bridges of which here are sayd to be 4000 at least besides 10000 boats for passage from one Isle to the other The compass of the whole aggregate body sayd to be eight miles the buildings fair and generally adorned with glas windows an Ornament not common in Italie where the windows for the most part are made with paper to let in the light and that paper oyled all over to keep out the wet The number of the Inhabitants estimated at 300000 thousand By the situation one would
affirmed that the Christians generally do live in a better condition under the Turk than under the Venetians Without such helps though heavy and burdensom to the Subject they could not possibly have spent twelve millions in the war against Selimus the second and as many a little before that in the enterprize of Ferrara and the war raised against them by the League of Cambray which was that formerly remembred As for the Dukes of Venice though no Soveraign Princes nor such as do succeed each other in the right of inheritance yet being they are always men of most eminent note and that in their names all the business of State is acted and all writings dated I will subjoyn a Catalogue of them to this present time to the end that meeting with their names in the course of Historie we may the better know in what times they lived The Dukes of Venice 697 1 Paulus Anafestus 20 718 2 Marcel Tegalian 10 727 3 Hippateus Ursus 11 An Interregnum of six yeers 742 4 Theodatus Hippateus 755 5 Galla of Malamocco 756 6 Dominico Monegarta 760 7 Maurice Galbata 783 8 John Galbata 799 9 Obelerius 804 10 Angelus Partitiatius 822 11 Justinian Partitiatiâ—s 824 12 John Partitiarius 832 13 Petro Tradonico 859 14 Ursus Partitiarius 876 15 John Partitiarius 881 16 Petro Candiano 17 Dominico Tribuno 18 Petro Tribuno 905 19 Ursus Badoarius 925 20 Petro Candiano II. 932 21 Petro Badoario 935 22 Petro Candiano III. 950 23 Petro Candiano IV. 970 24 Petro Urscola 972 35 Vital Candiano 973 26 Tribuno Meme 985 27 Petro Urscola II. 1003 28 Otho Urscola 1020 29 Petro Barbolani 1021 30 Dominico Flabenico 1031 31 Dominico Contareni 1059 32 Dominico Silvie 1072 33 Vitalis Falerius 1084 34 Vitalis Michaeli 1090 35 Ordelasius Falerius 1105 36 Dominico Michaeli 1118 37 Petrus Polanus 1136 38 Dominico Morosini 1143 39 Vitalis Michaeli II. 1160 40 Sebastian Ziani 1165 41 Auria Maripiere 1179 42 Henrico Dondolo 1193 43 Petro Ziani 1216 44 Jacobo Tepuli 1236 45 Marino Morosini 1240 46 Renieri Zeno 1256 47 Lorenzo Tepuli 1263 48 Jacobo Contareni 1267 49 Dondolo 1276 50 Petro Gradenico 1298 51 Marino Georgio 1299 52 John Sourance 1315 53 Francisco Dandolo 1326 54 Barthol Gradonico 1330 55 Andrea Dandolo 1342 56 Marinus Falerius 57 John Gradonico 1343 58 John Dauphin 1348 59 Lorenzo Celso 1352 60 Marco Cornaro 1355 61 Andrea Contarene 1371 62 Michael Morosini 63 Antonio Venieri 1389 64 Michael Steno 1402 65 Thomazo Mocenico 1412 66 Francisco Foscari 1447 67 Paschal Malipiere 1452 68 Christophoro Moro 1461 69 Nicolao Troni 1463 70 Nicolao Marcelli 1464 71 Petro Mocenico 1465 72 Andrea Vendramine 1467 73 John Moconico 1474 74 Marco Barbadico 75 Augustino Barbadico 1489 76 Leonardo Loredani 1509 77 Antonio Grimani 1511 78 Andrea Gritti 1527 79 Petro Lande 1533 80 Francisco Donati 1540 81 Antonio Trevisani 1541 82 Francisco Vivieri 1543 83 Lorenzo Prioli 1547 84 Hierome Prioli 1555 85 Petro Lorâ—dani 1560 86 Lewis Mocenico 1567 87 Sebastian Venieri 1578 88 Nicola di Pont 1586 89 Paschal Cicogne 1596 90 Marino Grimani 1606 91 Leonardo Donati 1612 92 Antonio Memmo 1615 93 Giovanni Bembo 1618 94 Nicolas Donate 1618 95 Antonio Priulâ— 1623 96 Francisco Contarem 97 Giovanni Correlio 98 Francisco Erizzo now living An. 1648. The principall Orders of Knighthood in this Republick are 1. Of S. Mark who is the Patron of this City instituted in the year 1330. and renewed again being grown somewhat out of use An. 1562. The honor is commonly bestowed on the person present sometimes by Letters Patents on a party absent as lately upon Daniel Heinsius one of great eminence for learning in the Netherlands The person chosen is to be of noble blood at the least a Gentleman the Wrod or Motto of the Order is Pax tibi Marce. 2. Of the glorious Virgin first instituted by Bartholmew of Vincentia Ano. 1222. Their charge is to defend Widows and Orphans and to procure as much as in them is the peace of Italie It was allowed of by Pope Urban the fourth Ano. 1262. The Arms of this Order are a purple Cross between ceratain Stars The habite a white Surcote over a Russet Cloke and seems to be as well a Religious as a Military Institution like to the Spanish Orders and that of Malta The Armes of the Republick are Gules two Keys in Saltire Or stringed Azure which seem to have been given them for some notable service done unto the Church There are in the Provinces of this Common-wealth before described Patriarchs 2. Bishops 16. The Dukedom of FLORENCE OR OF TUSCANIE HAving thus run along the Coast of the Adriatick or upper Sea from the Lands of the Church unto the Alpes which divide Italie from Germany let us next keep along the tract of the Tuscan or Lower Sea from the said Lands of the Church to that part of the Alpes which divide Italie from France And in the first place we meet with the Dukedom of Florence or the Estate of the great Duke of Tuscany divided on the East from S. Peters Patrimony by the River Pisco on the West from the Common-wealth of Genoa by the River Macra and the strong Fort of Sarezana on the North from Romandiola and Marca Anconitana by the Apennine hills and on the South side it is bounded with the Tuscan or Tyrrhenian Seas It taketh up the greatest and goodliest part of all that which antiently was called Tuscany from the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to sacrifise of which act of Religious Worship or rather of some superstitious Ceremonies appertaining to it they are conceived to be the Authors And to say truth they were much given to Sooth-sayings and Divinations and such like vanities of Gentilism Tages that Merlin of the old World first appearing here from whom they learned the greatest part of their Superstitions So that this name was adventitious and accidentall For properly and originally it was called Tyrrheniâ— from Tyrrhenus the sonne of Atys King of Lydia who came and planted in those parts about the time that Gedeon judged the Tribes of Israel But these names signified the same both Country and people though in divers Langues and with respect to different Originations the name of Tyrrheni and Tyrrhenia being most used by the Greeks as that of Tusci and Tuscia by their neighbours of Rome who also called the people Hetrusci and the Country Hetruria from a particular Province of it which was so entituled Antiently it extended as far Eastward as the banks of Tiber the other bounds being then as they are at the present and in that tract gave dwelling to a potent Nation who not content to be restrained within the 〈◊〉 and the Tiber wasted three hundred Towns of the Umbri the next bordering Nation and buiâ—â— twelve Cities on the other side of the Mountains that is to say Adria Verona Viâ—centia Treâ— Bergaâ—â— Mantâ—a Como Vercellae Novara Parma Bonoma
quod Gibellinus es cum Gibellinis morieris Of chief note next unto Sienna are 1 Montalcino Mons Alcinus in Latin a place of great strength both by industry and situation 2 Castro Cartaldo seated upon a lofty Hill most memorable for the Birth and Sepulchre of John Boccace one of the best wits of his time as his Decameron declareth buried here with a sorry and unworthy Epitaph not worth the labour of transcribing 3 Soana an Episcopall City as also are 4 Pienza 5 Crossetto and 6 Chiusi this last the Clusium of the antient Tuscans spoken of befoee Besides these there are 26 walled Towns within this Signeury but of no great observation in the course of business There belonged also unto this Commonwealth when a State distinct some Ports and Peeces on the Sea which when it was consigned over to the Duke of Florence were retained by the Spaniard partly thereby to keep those Princes at his devotion but principally that by holding so many places of importance in his own hands he might carry at his Girdle the Keys of Italie and become Lord Paramont of those Seas Of those the principall if not all 1 Piombino in Latin called Plumbinum from some Mines of Lead adorned with a strong Castle and a plentifull Territorie the Castle in the hands of the Spaniard but the Town and Territory in possession of a Lord of its own who receives the whole rents of the Estate 2 Port Telamon Eastward of Piombino so called of old from Telamon an adjoyning Promontorie and known by this name in Plutarch in the life of Marius 3 Orbitello drawing more towards the East the Cossa of the antient Writers 4 Monte Argentorati a Promontorie or â—eninsula thrusting it self into the Sea over against Orbitello by the Latines called Mons Argentarius and thought by some who have observed the situation strength and extent thereof to be the fittest place for a Royall City to be built in to command those Seas 5 Port Hercule which still retains its antient name imparted to it from some Temple of Hercules which was founded in it situate neer the Eastern Isthmus of the said Peninsula 6 Porto-Longone a peece of speciall consequence for command of the Mediterranean and for that cause of late times gotten by the French then aiming at the conquest of Naples but again recovered by the Spaniard who doth now possess it The fourth and last member of this Estate are the Ilands in the Tuscan or Tyrrhenian Seas The principall whereof is 1 Ilva not above ten miles from Plombino called antiently Aethalia by the vulgar Elba Plinie affirmed it to contain in compass a hundred miles but it proves upon a just ameasurement to be but fifty not very well furnished with Corn and less with fruits but plentifull in Mines of Iron as formerly for Steel and Copper for which especially for Steel of great esteem in the time of Virgil as appeareth by that passage in the 10 th of the Aeneids where it is called Insula inexhaustis Chalybum genero sa metallis A noble Isle and known full well For unexhausted Mines of Steel But for all that the Steel now failing the want thereof is supplyed by Iron which Iron is of so strange a nature that every 25 years it renueth again upon the Mines and will by no means melt whilst it is in the Iland but must be carried somewhere else It affordeth also Sulphur Allom Tin Lead Marble good plenty and in some parts Loadstone also Formerly it belonged to the Lords of Polmbino who not being able to defend it against the Turks if they should at any time invade it resigned it by the Counsell of Charles the fift unto Cosmo di Medices the Duke of Florence reserving to themselves the Revenues of it and the Government of all the Towns and Villages therein except those that were thought fit for Fortification It hath a very fair haven called Porto Ferrario capable to receive any great Fleet that should come thither and therefore if the Turks or Moores had been Masters of it they might easily have commanded all the coasts adjoyuing as well in Provence as Italie For the defence hereof there are two strong Castles situate on two little Mountains on each side one so fortified by Art and Nature that they are held to be impregnable having also good store of Cannon and all sorts of Warlike Ammunition And not far off stands a strong Town built by the same Duke Cosmo and by him called Cosmopolis well fortified and made the seat of his new Order of St. Stephen of which more hereafter The second Iland of note is Giglio called Iglium antiently just oppofite to Monte Argentorato and having some 25 miles in compass neer unto which the Genoese so discomfited the Pisans in a Fight at sea that they were never able to recover their former puissance 3 Capraria not far from Ligorn so called from its abundance of Goats and for the same reason Aegilora by the Greek Geographers as 4 Gallinaria not far off took name from abundance of Hens Of the rest nothing memorable but that some of them do occur in the antient Writers of which sort are Meloria heretofore Lanellum not far from Capraria 2 Lanusi formerly Artemisia in which there is a very good Haven 3 Gorgona 4 Troia and 5 the small Ilands which are called Formicae 6 To these we may adde also the Isle of Planasia more memorable than the rest for the banishment and death of Agrippa Posthumus the Nephew of Augustus Caesar by his daughter Julia here murdered by the command of Tiberius to prevent all future competition to the State Imperiall situate somewhat nearer unto Corsica than the rest of these Ilands As for the MEDICES whose Posterity are now Dukes hereof they were in the free-Free-state as Machiavil informs us in his Florentine History accounted in the chief rank of the Popular Nobility those being such of the antient Nobles as to be capabie of the Magistracie and publick Offices then wholly shared among the Commons had as it were degraded themselves and became part of the Commonalty About the year 1410 John de Medices the first great raiser of this house stoutly maintaining the Liberties of the people against the great ones was by them so honoured and enriched that he not only got a great party but almost a Soveraignty in the City To him succeeded his sonne Cosmo one of the greatest Statesmen of those times who did not only much reform the civill Government but enlarged the Territory of the State by the addition of Casentino Burgo St. Sepulckro and some other peeces Dying in the year 1464 he left the managery of the State to Peter de Medices his sonne whose whole time was consumed in suppressing such Factions as had at home been raised against him and at his death left all his power and the great wealth which he had gotten but with a greater measure of his Fathers vertues to Lawrence and Julian
carried him prisoner into France and took the Dukedom to himself 1513 16 Maximilian Sforze the sonne of Ludowick restored to the Dukedom by the power of the Switzers and Venetians but again outed of it by Francis the first Sonne-in-law and Successor to King Lewis the 12 in the Kingdom of France 1529 17 Francis Sforze brother of Maximilian restored to the Estate and the French expelled by the puissance of Charles the 5th who after the death of this Duke Francis the last of the Sforzes An o 1535 united it for ever to the Crown of Spain This Dukedom is not now of such great extent and power as in former times there being but nine Cities remaining of those 29 which were once under the command of the Dukes hereof the rest being gotten in by the State of Venice the Florentines the Dukes of Mantua and Parma And yet is this accompted the prime Dukedom of Christendom as Flanders was accompted the prime Earldom of it affording the Annuall Revenue of 800000 Ducats to the King of Spain A good Revenue might it come clear unto his Coffers But what with the discharge of his Garrison-Souldiers the defraying of his Vice-Roy the Salaries of Judges and inferior Ministers it is conceived that he spends more on it than he getteth The Armes hereof are Argent a Serpent Azure Crowned Or in his Gorge an Infant Gules Which was the Coat-Armour of a Saracen vanquished by Otho the first of the Visconti in the Holy-land There are in this Dukedom Arch-bishop 1. Bishops 6. The Dukedom of MANTUA THe Dukedom of MANTUA is bounded on the West with Millain on the East with Romandiola on the North with Marca Trevigiana and on the South with the Dukedom of Parma The Country about Mantua is reasonably good and yeeldeth all sorts of Fruits being well manured plentifull in Corn and Pastures the very High-wayes by the fields being planted with Elms to train up the Vines which grow intermingled in every place as generally it is in all parts of Lombardy But the Inhabitants are conceived not to be so civill and well-bred as the rest of Italie childish in their apparrell without manly gravity poor in the entertainment of their friends and exacting all they can from strangers The places in it of most note are 1 Mercaria bordering next to Millain 2 Bozilia a small but pleasant habitation belonging to some Princes of the Ducall family built with fair Cloysters towards the street in which passengers may walk dry in the greatest rain 3 Petula a small Village but as famous as any in regard it was the place wherein Virgil was born generally sayd to be born in Mantua Mantua Virgilio gaudet as the old Verse is because this Village is so near the City of Mantua being but two miles distant that his birth might very well be ascribed unto it 4 Mantua seated on the River Mincius now called Sarca which comming out of Lago di Garda falleth not far off into the Po from whence there is a passage unto Venice By nature strong environed on three sides with a running water half a mile in bredth and on the fourth side with a Wall The Dukes to take their pleasure on the Lakes and Rivers have a Barge called the Bucentaure five storyes high and capable of two hundred persons whence it had the name furnished very richly both for state and pleasure Ocnus the sonne of Manto the Prophetess the daughter of Tiresias is said to have been the founder of it and to have given unto it his Mothers name but I more than doubt it though Virgil a Native of those parts do report it so this City being one of those which the Tuscans built beyond the Apennine as the soundest Antiquaries do affirm Made memorable by whomsoever built at first in the declining times of Christian purity for a Councill holden in it An. 1061 wherein it was decreed that the choosing of the Pope should from thenceforth belong unto the Cardinals A Prerogative which of old belonging to the Emperors was first by Constantine the third surnamed Pogonatus given to the Clergy and people of Rome in the time of Pope Benedict the second An. 684. resumed by Charles the Great when he came to the Empire and now appropriated only to the College of Cardinals But to return unto the Town on the East-side of a bridge of about 500 paces long covered over head and borne up with Arches stands the Dukes Palace for the City and not far thence the Domo or Cathedrall Church of S. Peter The Palace very fair and stately but far short for the pleasures and delights thereof of his Palace at Mirmirollo five miles from the City which though it be of a low roof after the manner of antient buildings yet it is very richly furnished and adorned with very beautifull Gardens able to lodge and give content to the best Prince in Christendom Here are also many other Towns as 5 Capraena and 6 Lucera of which nothing memorable As for the fortunes of this Dukedom it is to be observed that Mantua followed for long time the fortunes of the Western Empire till given by Otho the second to Theobald Earl of Canosse for the many good services he had done him Boniface who succeeded him had to Wife Beatrix the sistet of Henry the second and by her was Father of Mathildis that famous Warriouress who carried so great a stroak in the state of Italie Being dispossessed of her Estate by Henry the third she joyned in faction with the Popes recovered all her own again and dismembred from the Empire many goodly Territorys which at her death having had three husbands but no issue she gave it in fee for ever to the See of Rome An. 1115. After her death Mantua continued under the protection of the Empire But that protection failing then by little and little it was brought under by the family of the Bonncelsi who Lording it over a Free-people with too great severity contracted such a generall hatred that Passavinâ— the last of them was slain in the Market-place by the people under the command and conduct of Lewis de Gonzaga a noble Gentleman who presently with great applause took to himself the Government of the Estate An. 1328 which hath continued in his honse to this very day with a great deal of lustre whose successors take here as followeth under the severall titles of A. Ch. The Lords Marquesses and Dukes of Mantua 1328 1 Lewis Gonzaga the first of this Line Lord of Mantua 1366 2 Guido sonne of Lâ—wis 1369 3 Ludowick or Lewis II. sonne of Guido 1â—82 4 Franois Gonzaga sonne of Lewis 2 d highly extolled by Poggie the Florentine for his Wisdom and Learning who valiantly repulsed the attempts made against his Estate by John Galeaze then first Duke of Millain 1407 5 John Francisco Gonzaga created the first Marquess of Mantua by the Emperor Sigismund 1444 6 Lodowick or Lewis III. sonne of John Francisco who entertained the
Emperor Frederick and the King of Danemark with great magnificence 1478 7 Frederick sonne of Lewis the third 1484 8 Francis II. sonne of Frederick 1519 9 Frederick II. Commander of the Armies of the Pope and Florentines entertained Charles the fift with great solemnity by whom he was made Duke of Mantua 1530 and declared Marquess of Montferrat in right of his wife 1540 10 Francis III. sonne of Frederick the second Duke of Mantua and Marquess of Montferrat 1550 11 William the brother of Francis the third created the first Duke of Montferrat 1587 12 Vincent sonne of William Duke of Mantua and Montferrat 13 Francis IV. sonne of Vincent had to wife Margaret the daughter of Charles Emanuel Duke of Savoy and by her a daughter named Mary in whose behalf the Duke of Savoy undertook the war against her Uncle for Montferrat 1613 14 Ferdinand the brother of Francis the fourth succeeded him in boâ—h Estates notwithstanding the opposition of the Duke of Savoy 15 Vincent the II. the brother of Ferdinand and Francis the 4th 1628 16 Charles Gonzaga Duke of Nevers in France by his Mothers line and of Mantua and Moutferrat by his Father Lewis Gonzaga the third Sonne of Frederick the first Duke of Mantua succeeded not without great opposition of the Spanish Faction who sacked Mantua distressed Casal and much impoverished both Estates But the business was at last composed by the power of the French and the investiture conferred upon him by the hands of the Emperor The chief order of Knighthood in these Dukedoms is of the The blood of our Lord JESUS Christ instituted An. 1608. The Author of it was Duke Vincent Gonzaga when the Mariage was solemnized between his sonne Francis and the Lady Margaret daughter to the Duke of Savoy It consisteth of twenty Knights whereof the Mantuan Dukes are soveraigns and was allowed by Pope Paul the fifth The Collar hath threads of Gold layd on fire and inter-woven with these words Domine probasti To the Collar are pendent two Angels supporting three drops of blood and circumscribed with Nihil isto triste recepto It took this name because in Saint Andrews Church in Mantua are sayd to be kept as a most precious Relique certain drops of our Saviours blood thou canst not O Reader but beleeve it with a peece of the spunge The Territories of this Duke reckoning in that of Montferrat also are in circuit nigh unto those of Florence but his Revenues fall short which amount to about 500000 Ducats only but might be greater if either the Duke would be burdensom to his subjects as Florence is or if he were not on all sides land-locked from navigation and traffick The Arms of Mantua are Argent a Cross Patee Gules between four Eagles Sable membred of the second under an Escocheon in Fesse charged Quarterly with Gules a Lion Or and Or three Barres Sable There are in this Dukedom Arch-Bishops 1. Bishops 4. The Dukedom of MODENA THe Dukedom of MODENA containeth the Cities of Modena and Reggio with the Terâ—ritories adjoyning to them both of them situate in that part of Lombardy which is called Cispadana and consequently partake of the pleasures and commodities of it The people of this Dukedom are sayd to be better-natured than most of Italie those of Modena being quick in their resolutions easie to be pacified when wronged and friendly in their entertainment of Strangers the Reggians being affable of present wits and fit for any thing they can be imployed in the women in both Towns of a mild disposition neither too courtlie nor too froward as in other places The first and principall City is that of Modena antiently better known by the name of Mutina and famous in those times for the first battell betwixt Autonie and Augustus Caesar this latter being then not above eighteen years of age and yet made head of a new League against Antonius whom the Senate and people looked upon as a common Enemy The managing of the war was left to Hirtius and Pansa then Consuls the fortune of the day so equall that Antony left the field and the Consuls their lives leaving Augustus the absolute command of a powerfull Army into whose favours he so cunningly did work himself that he made them the foundation of his future greatness It was at that time a Roman Colony but being ruined by the fury of the Gothes and Lombards was afterwards new built at the charge of the Citizens situate neer the Aponnine in a very good soyl and of indifferent fair buildings In the distractions of Italie betwixt the Emperors and the Popes Guido the Popes Legat and then Bishop thereof consigned it over to Azo of the house of Este Lord of Ferrara An. 1304 the Pope himself consenting to it upon the payment of a yearly tribute of 10000 Crowns since which time it hath been for the most part in the power of that house Borsius the Marquess of Ferrera being by Frederick the third made Duke of Mutina 2 Reggiâ— the second Town of note hath tasted much of the same fortune at first a Roman Colony called Regioâ—â— Lepidâ— afterwards ruined by the Gothes when they came first into Italie repaired and compassed with a Wall by its own inhabitants and for a time under the command of the Earls of Canosse But being wearie of that yoke they recovered their liberty which being unable to maintain in those buftling times they gave themselves unto Obizo the Father of Azo An o 1292 and after that in the year 1326 to the See of Rome Passing through many other hands it was at last sold for 60000 Ducats to the Visconti Lords of Millain An. 1370 and in the end recovered by the house of Este An o 1409 and gave the title of a Duke to the aforesaid Borsius whom Frederick the third made Duke of Modena and Reggio 1452 The successors of this Borsius are before layd down in the succession of Ferrara who held the whole estate together till the death of Alphonso the first Duke He dying without lawfull issue An o 1595 left his estate to Caesar de Este his Nephew by a base sonne called Alphonso also betwixt whom and Pope Clement the 8. a war was threatned for the whole but at last compremised upon these conditions that the Church of Rome should have Ferrara with all the lands and territories appertaining to it as an Estate antiently holden of that See and that Modena and Reggio being Imperiall Feifes should remain to Caesar but to be held in fee of the Papal Throne Duke Caesar to have leave to carry away all his moveable goods to sell such of his lands as were not of the antient domain of the Dukedom and to have one half of the Ordnance and Artillery By which agreement the Cities of Modena and Reggio became a new erected State distinct and independent of any other each City being well fortified and garrisoned and furnished with Ordnance for defence thereof But what
at vvhat time he defended Rhodes from the Turks An. 1409. Their Collar is of fifteen links to shew the fifteen mysteries of the Virgin at the end is the portraiture of our Lady with the history of the Annunciation Instead of a Motto these letters F. E. R. T. id est Fortitudo Ejus Rhodum Tenuit are engraven in every plate or link of the Collar each link being inter-woven one within the other in form of a True-lovers knot The number of the Knights is fourteen besides the Duke who is the Soveraign of the Order the solemnitie is held annually on our Lady-day in the Castle of Saint Peter in Turin So from this victory for every repulse of the besieger is a victory to the besieged there arose a double effect first the institution of this order secondly the assumption of the present Arms of this Dutchy which are G. a Cross A. This being the cross of Saint John of Hierusalem whose Knights at that time vvere owners of the Rhodes Whereas before the Arms vvere Or an Eagle displayed with two heads Sable armed Gules supporting in fesse an escotchion of Saxony that is Barrewise six pieces Sable and Or a Bend flowred Vert. A coat belonging to the Emperors of the house of Saxony from whom the first Earles of Savoy did derive themselves 3. THE SIGNEURIE OF GENEVA GENEVA is a City in the Dukedom of Savoy formerly subject to its own Bishops acknowledging the Dukes of Savoy for the Lord in chief now reckoned as a Free-Estate bordering close upon the Switzers and with them confederate and so more properly within the course and compass of these Alpine Provinces It is situate on the South-side of the Lake Lemane opposite to the City of Lozanne in the Canton of Bern from which it is distant six Dutch miles the River Rhosne having passed thorow the Lake with so clear a colour that it seemeth not at all to mingle with the waters of it running thorow the lower part thereof over which there is a passage by two fair bridges This lower part is seated on a flat or levell the rest on the ascent of an hill the buildings fair and of free-stone well fortified on both sides both by Art and Nature in regard of the pretensions of the Duke of Savoy whom they suffer not to arm any Gallies upon the Lake and other jealousies of State The compass of the whole City is about two miles in which there are supposed to be about sixteen or seventeen thousand soules One of their bridges is more antient and better fortified than the other belonging antiently to the Switzers or Helvetians the old inhabitants of that tract but broken down by Julius Caesar to hinder them from passing that way into France The people of the town are generally of good wits in the managery of publick business but not very courteous towards strangers of whom they exact as much as may be modest and thrifty in apparell and speak for the most part the Savoyard or worst kind of French So that the great resort of young Gentlemen thither is not so much to learn that Language which is no where worse taught as out of an opinion which their parents have that the Reformed Religion is no where so purely practised and professed as there By means whereof the frie or seminarie of our Gentry being seasoned in their youth with Genevan principles have many times proved disaffected to the forms of Government as well Monarchicall as Episcopall which they found established here at home to the great imbroilment of the state in matters of most near concernment The women are sayd to be more chast or at least more reserved than in any other place in the World which possibly may be ascribed to that severity with which they punish all offendors in that kind Dancing by no means tolerated in publick or private Adulterie expiated by no less than death Fornication for the first offence with nine dayes fasting upon bread and water in prison for the second with whipping for the third with banishment But notwithstanding this severity they make love in secret and are as amorous in their daliances as in other places The Territories of it are very small extending not above two Leagues and an half from any part of the Town but the soyl if well manured bringeth Grain of all sorts and great store of Wine There is likewise plenty of pasture and feeding grounds which furnish the City with flesh-meats butter and cheese at very reasonable rates the nearness of the Lake affording them both Fish and Wild-fowl in good measure and amongst others as some say the best Carps in Europe But the main improvement of this State is by the industry of the people and the convenient situation of the City it self the City being situated very well for the trade of Merchandise in regard it is the ordinary passage for transporting Commodities out of Germany to the Marts at Lions and from thence back again to Germany Switzerland and some parts of Italy And for the industry of the people it is discernable in that great store of Armor and Apparell and other necessaries brought from hence yearly by those of Bern and their Mannfactures in Satten Velvet Taffata and some quantities of Cloth fine but not durable transported hence yearly into other places The Soveraignty of this City was antiently in the Earls hereof at first Imperiall Officers only but at last the hereditary Princes of it Betwixt these and the Bishops Suffragans to the Metropolitan of Vienna in Daulphine grew many quarrels for the absolute command hereof In fine the Bishops did obtain of the Emperor Frederick the first that they and their successors should be the sole Princes of Geneva free from all Taxes and not accomptable to any but the Emperor Which notwithstanding the Earls continuing still to molest the Bishops they were fain to call unto their ayd the Earl of Savoy who took upon him first as Protector onely but after by degrees as the Lord in chief For when the rights of the Earls of Geneva by the Mariage of Thomas Earl of Savoy with Beatrix a daughter of these Earls fell into that house then Ame or Amadee the sixt of that name obtained of the Emperor Charles the fourth to be Vicar-generall of the Empire in his own Country and in that right superior to the Bishop in all Temporall matters and Ame or Amadee the first Duke got from Pope Martin to the great prejudice of the Bishops a grant of all the Temporal jurisdiction of it After vvhich time the Bishops were constrained to do homage to the Dukes of Savoy and acknowledge them for their Soveraign Lords the Autority of the Dukes being grown so great notwithstanding that the people were immediately subject to their Bishop onely that the Money in Geneva vvas stamped with the Dukes name and figure Capitall offenders were pardoned by him no sentence of Law executed till his Officers were first made acquainted nor
League contracted by the people of any validity vvithout his privity and allowance and finally the Keyes of the Town presented to him as often as he pleased to lodge there as once for instance to Duke Charles the third comming thither with Beatrix his Wife a daughter of Portugall And in this state it stood till the year 1528 the Bishop being all this vvhile their immediate Lord and having jus gladii alias civilis jurisdictionis partes as Calvin himself confesseth in an Epistle to Cardinal Sadolet But in that year Religion being then altered in the Canton of Bern near adjoyning to them Viret and Farellus did endeavour it in Geneva also But finding that the Bishop and his Clergy did not like their doings they screwed themselves into the people and by their ayd in a popular tumult compelled the Bishop and his Clergy to abandon the Town And though the Bishop made them many fair overtures out of an hope to be restored to his Estate yet would they never hearken to him nor admit of him any more being once thrust out Nor did they only in that tumult alter the Doctrin and Orders of the Church before established but changed the Government of the State also disclaming all allegiance both to Duke and Bishop and standing on their own Liberty as a Free-Commonwealth And though all this was done by Viret and Farellus before Calvins comming to that City which was not till the year 1536 yet being come suffragio meo comprobavi as he saith himself no man was forwarder than he to approve the Action But Calvin being come amongst them made their Divinity Reader and one of the ordinary Preachers he first negotiated with them to abjure the Papacie and never more admit their Bishop to which he found a cheerful and unanimous consent in all the people Then finding that no Ecclesiasticall discipline was in use amongst them he dealt with them to admit of one of his own composing which at last he obtained also but with very great difficulty and got it ratified by the Senate July the 20th 1537. The next year after the people weary of this new yoke and he and his Colleagues Farellut and Coraldus as resolute to hold them to it they were all three banished the Town in a popular humor and with like levitie sued to to return again to which he would by no means yeeld except they would oblige themselves by a solemn Oath to admit of such a form of Discipline as he with the advice of the other Ministers should prescribe unto them This being condescended to by that fickle multitude he returns in triumph to Geneva September the thirteenth 1541 and got his new Discipline established on the twentieth of November following The sum of the device was this All Ministers to be equall amongst themselves two Lay-men to be super-added unto every Minister the Minister to continue for term of life the Lay-Elders to be annually chosen these being met together to be called the Presbyterie and to have power of Ordination Censures Absolution and whatsoever else was acted by the Bishop formerly Hitherto it related to Geneva only which being but one City and a small one too was not capable of more than one Presbyterie The names and notions of Classicall Provinciall and Nationall Assemblies came not in till afterwards as it got ground in Kingdoms and larger Provinces This Platform though of purpose framed to content the people yet since the Lay-officers were to be but annuall and after subject to the lash like other Mortals it gave but sorry satisfaction unto wiser men And being built withall on a false foundation was for a long time hardly able to stand alone and fain at twelve years end to borrow a support from Zurich and others of the Protestant Cantons whom Calvin earnestly sollicited to allow his project against which one Perinus and some principall Citizens had begun to spurn And so we have the true beginning of the Genevian Discipline begotten in Rebellion born in Sedition and nursed up by Faction Being born into the World by the means aforesayd some other helps it had to make it acceptable and approved of in other Churches As first the great content it gave to the common people to see themselves intrusted with the weightiest matters of Religion and thereby an equalitie with if not by reason of their number being two for one a superiority above their Ministers Next the great reputation which Calvin for his diligence in Writing and Preaching had attained unto made all his Dictates as authentick amongst some Divines as ever the Popes Ipse dixit in the Church of Rome Whereby it came to pass in a little time that only those Churches which embraced the Doctrines and Discipline authorised by Calvin were called the Reformed Churches those in high Germany and elswhere which adhered to Luther being generally called by no other name than the Lutherans or the Lutheran Churches as not reformed enough from the dregs of Rome Then comes in his endeavours to promote that Platform in all other Churches which he had calculated for the Meridian of Geneva only commending it to Gasper Olevianus Minister of the Church of Triers as appearby his Letters dated April the twelf 1560 congratulating the reception of it in the Churches of Poland as appeareth by others of his Letters And for the last help comes in Beza who not content to recommend it as convenient for the use of the Church beyond which Calvin did not go imposed it as a matter necessary upon all the Churches so necessary ut ab ea recedere non magis liceat quam ab ipsius Religionis placit is that it was utterly as unlawfull to recede from this as from the most materiall points of the Christian Faith So he Epist 83. By means whereof their followers in most of the Reformed Churches drove on so furiously that rather than their Discipline should not be admitted and the Episcopall Government destroied in all the Churches of CHRIST they were resolved to depose Kings ruin Kingdoms and to subvert the fundamentall constitutions of all civill States And hereunto their own Ambition gave them spur enough affecting the supremacy in their severall Parishes that they themselves might Lord it over Gods inheritance under pretence of setting CHRIST upon his Throne Upon which love to the preheminence they did not only prate against the Bishops with malitious words as Diotrephes for the same reason did against the Apostles but not therewith content neither would they themselves receive them nor permit them that would casting them out of the Church with reproach and infamy Which proud ambition in the ordinary Parochiall Minister was cunningly fomented by some great persons and many Lay-Patrons in all places who underhand aimed at a further end the one to raise themselves great fortunes out of Bishops Lands the other to keep those Tythes themselves to which by the Law they only were to nominate some deserving Person Such were the helps
Rappenswill to Uren Swits Underwald Glaris and Turgow unto the ten first Cantons Belinzano to the three first only and all the rest of the Italian Praefectures to the Cantons generally excepting Apenzell which was entred into the confederacy when these Praefectures were given unto the Switzers by Maximilian Sforza Duke of Millain which was in An. 1513 some moneths before the taking in of Apenzel to the rest of the Cantons Such is the number of the Cantons Praefectures and States confederate amongst all vvhich there are few Towns or Cities of any note there being no City nor walled Town in the Cantons of Swits Uren Underwalden Glaris Apenzel nor in any of the States confederate situate amongst the Switzers but Saint Gall onely nor in any of the Praefectures but that of Baden So that the places worthy of consideration are not like to be many Of those that are the principall are 1 Zurich a large City and a renowned University situate on both sides of the River Limat where it issueth out of the Lake called Zurich-See It had antiently two Monasteries in it in one of which Huldericus Zuinglius was a Canon slain near this Town in the battell spoken of before An. 1531. now giving name to the most honourable of the Cantons to which belongeth the autority of summoning the generall Diets as of those also of the Protestants the Legates thereof presiding in both Assemblies 2 Friburg situate on the River Sana on the declivity of an uneven and rocky hill founded by Bertold the fourth Duke of Zuringen 3 Solothurn the Solothurum of Antoninus on the River of Aar famous for the Martyrdom of S. Ursus and his 66 Theban Souldiers in the time of the Emperour Dioclesian A Town of great Antiquity but not so old by far as the people make it who would have it to be built in the time of Abraham 4 Basil so called either of a Basilisk slain at the building of the City or of the German word Pasel signifying a path or of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying Kingly It was built An. 382 and is famous for an University founded by Pins the second Anno 1459. It was made a Canton An. 1501 and is honoured with the Sepulchers of Oecolampadius Erasmus Pontanus Glarienus and Hottoman the famous Civilian In this City An. 1431. vvas hold that notable Councill wherein though the Papall authority was then at the height it was decreed that a generall Councill was above the Pope What was then enacted was immediately put in practise the Councill deposing Pope Eugenius the fourth and placing in his room Amadeus Duke of Savoy afterward called Felix the fourth who having held the See nine years in a time of Schism did willingly in order to the peace of Christendom resign the Popedom to Nicolas to fift who had before been chosen by the opposite Faction The City is great rich and populous sometimes a Town Imperiall still a Bishops See the Bishop being subject to the Arch-Bishop of Besanson in the County of Burgundie seated upon the River Rhene where it receiveth Weis and Byrsa two lesser brooks by which it is divided into the greater Basil lying towards France and the lesser lying towards Germany 5 Lucern situate on both sides of the Russe where it issueth out of the Lake of Lucern so called from Lucerna i. e. the Lantern which was placed here on an high Tower to give light to Water-men in the night A City well traded and frequented by strangers because the ordinary road from Germany into Italie passing from hence thorow the Country of the Grisons and in regard that the Diets for the Popish Cantons which heretofore were held at Uren are removed hither Not far from this Town is the Mountain called Pilates hill of Pontius Pilate whose ghost as the common people are made to beleeve doth walk once a year on the banks of this Lake in his Judges Robes And to be sure the fiction shall not be confuted they adde that whosoever seeth him shall die that year 6 Bern compassed almost round with the River Aar and taking up the whole extent of a little mountain the houses of free-stone neatly and uniformly built A Town which gives name to the largest and most potent of all the Cantons and one of the first which did embrace the Reformation and the first of all which purged it self of Images those excellent Instruments of Superstition and Idolatry defaced here in a popular tumult An. 1548. 7 Lausanna in the Canton of Bern a Bishops See Suffragan to the Arch-Bishop of Besanson seated on the banks of the Lake of Lemane and compassed with mountains alwaies covered with snow which open themselves on the East side onely which is towards Italie 8 Schaffhausen the only Town of all the Cantons which lyeth on the other side of the Rhene of right belonging unto Suevia or Scawben a Province of Germany and reckoned as a part thereof before it was incorporated into this Confederacy Next for the Praefectures and confederate States they have not many Towns of note excepting Rotwell and Mulhusen two Imperiall Cities which properly belong to another place Of those which be the principall amongst the Confederates lying within the bounds of this Country is the Town of Saint Gall Sengall as they corruptly call it an Imperiall City situate amongst the Mountains near the Boden-Zee A rich populous and well-governed Town taking name from the Monastery of S. Gall a famous Scot and the Apostle of those parts An. 630 or thereabouts the Abbat of which having great possessions in this tract before Apenzell and this Town revolted from him was a Prince of the Empire The Anabaptists were once very prevalent here insomuch that one of them cut off his brothers head in the presence of his Father and Mother and sayd according to the humor of that sect who boast much of dreams visions and Enthusiasms that God commanded him so to doe The principal amongst the Praefectures is the Town of Baden or to difference it from Baden a Marquisate in Germany the Upper Baden seated on a little Mountain near the River Limat almost in the middle of the Countrey and for that cause the place of meeting for the Councell of Estate of all the Confederates It taketh name from the Bathes here being two of which onely are publick the rest in private houses conscious as it is thought to much lasciviousness For whereas it is said of Adrian that Lavacra pro sexibus separavit here men and women promiscuously Bath together and which is worst in private where as Munster telleth us Cernunt viri uxores tractari cernunt cum alienis loqui quidem solam cum solo and yet are not any of them disturbed with jealousie These Bathes are much frequented yet not so much for health as pleasure Their chiefest vertue is the quickning power they have upon barren women But as the Frier use to send men whose wives are fruitless in pilgrimage to Saint
the Abbot and Town of S. Gall four thousand the City of Geneva two thousand besides what Rotwel and Mulhusen two Imperial Cities are able to contribute towards it the Dukes of Savoy being bound by their antient Leagues to ayd them with six hundred Horses at his own charges besides two thousand six hundred Crowns in Annuall pensions But the Revenue of those States is ordered by it self a part and never comes within the computation of the publick unless it be one the repulsing of a common Enemy in which they are equally concerned In which case and others of a generall interesse they communicate both heads and purses the Delegates and Commissioners of all the States of this Confederacy meeting together to consult of the common cause which meeting they entitle the Greatest Counsell But this is very seldom held publick affairs being generally ordered by the Commissioners of the Switzers only though they themselves disclaim that name of Switzers as too mean and narrow and call themselves Eidgenossen that is to say Partakers of the sworn Leagues More of this Common-wealth he that lists to see may satisfie himself in Simler who purposely and punctually hath described the same 6. THE LEAGVES OF THE GRISONS THe Country of the GRISONS comprehendeth all that part of the Alpes which lyeth between the Springs of the Rivers Rhene Inn Adice or Athesis and Adna being bounded on the East with the Country of Tirol on the West with Switzerland on the North vvith Suevia or Schwaben and a part of the Switzers on the South with Lombardy A Country far more mountainous than any of this Alpine tract and having less naturall commodities to boast it self of more than the Fountains of those Rivers before mentioned The people of it by most Latin Writers of these times are called by the name of Rhaeti the Country Rhaetia and so far properly enough as that the antient Rhaeti did inhabit all the lands possessed by the Grisons though the Grisons do not inhabit a fourth part of those lands which were possessed heretofore by the antient Rhaeti For antiently the Rhaeti did extend their dwellings as far as from the Alpes of Italie to the River of Danow comprehending besides this of the Grisons a great part of Suevia or Schwaben Tirol Bavaria and so much also of the Switzers as was not in possession of the old Helvetii Within which tract there were not only many rich vallies and fruitfull fields but a most pleasant race of Wines called Vina Rhaetiea much drank of by Augustus Casar and by him preferred before all others which no man can conceive to grow in this barren Country More properly Ammianus Marcellinus calleth this Tract by the name of Campi Canini mountainous fields which the continuall snow made look of an hoary hew and by allusion thereunto the Dutchmen call this Nation at the present by the name of Graunpuntner that is to say the hoary or gray Confederates As for the Rhaeti take them in the former latitude they were subdued by Drusus and Tiberius the sonnes-in-law and adopted children of Augustus Caesar A. V. C. 739. And in the time of Antoninus made up two Provinces of the Empire viz. Rhaetia prima and Rhaetia secunda both of them appertaining by Constantines new model to the Diocese of Italie A Nation in the first original of Italian race and so more properly to be assigned to that Diocese but had inhabited this tract from the time that Bellovesus the Gall seized on part of Tuscany expelling thence the antient inhabitants thereof who under the conduct of Rhaetus a great man amongst them possessed themselves of these mountains and afterwards of the vales adjoyning which they called Rhaetia by the name of their Captain Generall This hapned in the time of Tarquinius Priscus in the first cradle as it were of the Roman Empire in the declining age whereof during the reign of Valentinian the third and Anastasius those parts which lay nearest unto Germany and were worth the conquering were subdved by the Almains and Boiarians by them incorporated with the rest of their severall States The residue of this mountainous tract as not worth the looking after continued a member of the Empire till given by Charles the Great to the Bishop of Chur whose successors being several waies molested by their potent neighbors confederated with the Switzers for their mutuall ayd and preservation An. 1497. By whose ayd they so valiantly made good their ground against the Austrians that at the last after the loss of 20000 men on both sides the points in difference were accorded and a peace concluded This is the substance of this story as to former times to which there cannot much be added in the way of History little or no alteration hapning in their affairs but a more perfect setling of them in a form of Government Concerning which we must observe that this whole Tract is cast into three Divisions that is to say the Upper League or Liga Grisa 2 Liga Cadi Dio or the League of the house of God 3 The Lower League called also Liga ditture or the League of the ten Commonalties The eight Italian Praefectures will make a fourth Their buildings generally in the three first being cold and mountainous are of free-stone but low and for three parts of the year covered with snow the windovvs thereof glazed and large of which for the said three parts of the year they only open a little quarrie of glass and presently shut it close again the outside of the windows having leaves of wood to keep the heat of their stoves from going out or any cold from comming in And as for travelling the waies are for the most part unsafe and dangerous by reason of the streight passages dreadfull precipices and those almost continuall bridges which hang over the terrible falls and Cataracts of the River Rhene descending with great violence from the highest mountains huge hils of snow tumbling into the vallies with a noise as hideous as if it were a clap of thunder For the particulars the Upper League lyeth in the highest and most mountainous parts of the Alpes of Italie having therein those vast mountains of Locknannier and Der Vogel out of vvhich the two streams of the Rhene have their first originall By the French it is called Liga Grise or the Gray League the word Gris or Grise in that language being Gray in ours in the same sense as the Dutch call it Graunpuntner that is Confederati cani which vve may render properly the Confederate Grisle-pates either because the mountains are continually covered with a perriwig of hoary Isicles or from the heads of this people Gray before their time It consisteth of nineteen Resorts or Commonalties according to the number of their Vales and Villages of which four only speak the Dutch all the rest a corrupt Italian and was the first which did confederate with the Switzers from whence the name of Grisons came unto the rest
this Island being the seat Royall of the French in Gallâ—a gave name to all the residue of it as they made it theirs A Countrey generally so fruitfull and delectable except in Gastinois that the very hills thereof are equall to the vallies in most places of Europe but the Vale of Monâ—morâ—ncie wherein Paris standeth scarce to be fellowed in the Word An Argument whereof may be that when the Dukes of Berry Burgundie and their Confederates besieged that City with an Armie of 100000 men neither the Assailants without nor the Citizens within found any scarcitie of victuals and yet the Citizens besides Souldiers were reckoned at â—â—0000 It was formerly part of the Province of Belgica secunda and Lugdunensis quarta the chief Inhabitants thereof being the 〈◊〉 the Bellovaci and the Silvanectes and is now divided into four parts that is to say the Dukedom of Valois 2 Gastinois 3 Heurepoix and that which is properly called the Isâ—e of France by some the Prevoste or County of Paris 1 The Dukedom or Countie of VALOIS lieth towards Picardie the principall Cities of it called Senlis in Latin Silvanectum a Bishops See 2 Compeigne Compendium seated on the River Oise a retâ—ing plâ—ce of the French Kings for hunting and other Countrey pleasures 3 Beauvois the chief City of the Bâ—llâ—vaci by ` Ptolomic called Caesaromagus a fair large well-traded Town and a See Episcopall the Bishop whereof is one of the twelve Peers of France Philip one of the Bishops here in times foregoing a militarie man and one that had much damnified the English Borders was fortunately taken by King Richard the first The Pope being made acquainted with his Imprisonment but not the cause of it wrote in his behalf unto the King as for an Ecclesiasticall person and one of his beloved Sonnes The King returned unto the Pope the Armour which the Bishop was taken in and these words engraven on the same Vide an haec sit tunica filii tui vel non being the words which Jacobs children spake unto him when they presented him with the Coat of their brother Joseph Which the Pope viewing swore That it was rather the Coat of a Sonne of Mars than a Sonne of the Church and so left him wholly to the Kings pleasure 4 Clermont a Town of good note in the Countie Beauvoisia memorable for giving the title of Earl of Clermont to Râ—bert the fifth Sonne of the King St. Lewis before his mariage with the Daughter and Heir of Bourbon and afterwards to the Eldest Sonnes of that Princely Familie 5 Luzarch a Town belonging to the Count of Soissons 6 Brenonville 7. St. Loup on the Confines of Pirardie so called from a Monastery dedicated to S. Luviu Bishop of Troys in Champagne sent into Britain with Germanus to suppress the Pelagian Heresies which then were beginning But of this part of France nothing more observable than that it gave denomination to the Royall Familie of the French Kings 13 in number from hence entituled de Valois beginning in Philip de Valois Anno 1328. and ending in Henry the third Anno 1589. As for the Earls hereof from whom that Adjunct or denomination had it's first Original the first who had the title of Earl of Valois was Charles the second Sonne of Philip the third in right of his Wife Earl of Anjou also After whose death it descended upon Philip de Valois his Eldest Sonne who carried the Crown of France from our Edward the third On whose assuming of the Crown it fell to Lewis his second Brother and he deceasing without issue Anno 1391. to Lewis Duke of Orleans Sonne of Charles the fifth amongst the titles of which house it lay dormant till the expiring of that Line in King Lewis the twelfth and lately given unto a Sonne of the now Duke of Orleans Vncle to King Lewis the fourteenth at this present reigning I onely adde that Charles the first Earl of this Family as he was the Sonne of Philip the third Brother of Philip the fourth surnamed the Fair and Father of Philip de Valois So was he Vncle to Lewis Hutin Philip the Long and Charles the Fair all in their order Kings of France In which regard it was said of him that he was Sonne Brother Father and Vncle of Kings yet no King himself 2 The second part of this Province is called HEVREPOIX beginning at the little bridge of Paris on the River of Sein and going up along the River as far as the River of Verine which divides it from Gastinois The chief Towns of it are 1. Charenton three miles from Paris where the French Protestants of that City have their Church for Religious exercises it being not permitted them to hold their Assemblies in any walled Cities or Garrison Towns for fear of any sudden surprize which so great a multitude might easily make Which Church or Temple as they call it being burnt down by the hot-headed Parisians on the news of the Duke of Mayennes death slain at the siege of Montalban Anno 1622. was presently reedified by the Command of the Duke of Mom-bazon then Governour of the Isle of France at the charge of the State to let those of the Reformed party understand that it was their disobedience and not their Religion which caused the King to arm against them 2 Corbeil seated on the Confluence of Sein and Essons 3. Moret which gives the Title of an Earl to one of the naturall Sonnes of Henry the fourth begotten on the Daughter and Heir of the former Earl 4. Melun by Caesar called Melodunum the principal of this Heurepoix and the seat of the Baylif for this Tract Here is also in this part the Royall Palace of Fountain-bel-eau so called from the many fair Springs and Fountains amongst which it standeth but otherwise seated in a solitary and woodie Country fit for hunting only and for that cause much visited by the French Kings in their times of leisure and beautified with so much cost by King Henry the fourth that it is absolutely the stateliest and most magnificent pile of building in all France 3 GASTINOYS the most drie and baren part of this Province but rich enough if compared with other places lieth between Paris and the Countrie of Orleanoys The chief places of it are 1. Estampes in the middle way betwixt Paris and Orleans on the very edge of it towards La Beausse a fair large Town having in it five Churches and one of them a College of Chanoins with the ruines of an antient Castle which together with the Walls and demolished Fortifications of it shew it to have been of great importance in the former times Given with the title of an Earl by Charles Duke of Orleans then Lord hereof to Richard the third Sonne of Iohn of Montfort Duke of Bretagne in mariage with his Sister the Lady Margusrite from which mariage issued Francis Earl of Estampes the last Duke of Bretagne 2. Montleherry Famous for the battle
by the Spaniard in the beginning of those wars it was again recovered by some venturous Gentlemen who hiding themselves in a Boat covered over with Turf were conveyed into the Castle which they easily mastered and made the Prince Lord of it again After re-taken by the Spaniard anno 1625. but now in the possession of its naturall owners 6. Diest on the River Dennere a good town and of a large territory and jurisdiction belonging to the Prince of Orange who had it in exchange for some other lands of the Duke of Cleve and in right hereof is Burgrave of the City of Antwerp 7. Grinbergen an ancient Baronie with a large jurisdiction descendible on the youngest sonne onely after the manner of Burgh English as our Lawyers call it 8. Gertrudenberg standing on the Douge not far from the influx of it into the Maes the furthest town in the North of Brabant where it joyns to Holland which makes it a matter of dispute betwixt those Provinces to which of them it doth belong A town of great trade for fishing plenty of Salmons and Sturgeons being taken here but of Shads especially whereof 18000 are sometimes caught in a day salted and sent abroad into forain parts It acknowledgeth the Prince of Orange for the Lord thereof as doth also 9. Grave a good town upon the Maes bought by these Princes of the King of Spain with consent of the States without whose approbation no part of the Domain is to be dismembred 10. Maestreicht in Latine Trajectum ad Mosam so called of a ferry over the Maes in former times supplyed now with a goodly Stone bridge in the place thereof A fair and goodly town beautified with two Collegiate Churches in one of which the Dukes of Brabant were alwayes Canons subject in part to the Bishop of Leige and partly to the Duke of Brabant The children are subject to that Prince to whom the Mother was subject at the tim◠〈◊〉 the Birth without relation to the Father according to that Maxime of the Civill Law 〈◊〉 sequitur ventrem And if a stranger come to live there he must declare to which of the two he will be subject yet is the Duke of Brabant the chief Soveraign of it he only having the power of Coynage and of granting pardon to Offenders and as a town of this Dukedome besieged and taken by the confederate States Anno 1632. Here is also within the limits of this Dukedome the town and Signeurie of Ravesiem situate on the banks of the Maes held by the Dukes of Cleve of the Duke of Brabant but no otherwise subject and on the same River the Town and County of Horn a Fief Imperiall beautified with a strong Castle and a goodly Territory in which is Wiert the residence of the Earls of Horne descended of the ancient house of Montmorencie in France 2. THE MARQVISATE OF THE EMPIRE so called because the farthest bounds and Marches of the German Empire frontizing on Flanders which appertained unto the Soveraignty of the Crown of France comprehendeth four of the best Towns in Brabant with very large and spacious Territories adjoyning to them viz. 1. Lovain on the River Dyle about four English miles in compasse but in that compasse much of the ground is taken up with Vineyards Gardens Meadowes and pleasant Fields which make the situation far more delightfull then if all built and peopled It was the Mother town of Brabant and sometimes gave the title of an Earl to the Dukes hereof afterwards made an University by Duke John the 4. anno 1426 wherein are contained about 20 Colledges such as they be much priviledged and inriched with pensions for publick Readers by King Philip the 2. 2. Brussels Bruxella the seat of the ancient Dukes of Brabant and of the Dukes of Burgundie also after they came to be Lords of these Countries seated upon the Sinne and other sweet springs and Riverets which make it one of the sweetest situations in all Europe having withall a goodly channell made by Art from Brussels to the River Dele and from thence to the Scheld the charge whereof amounted to â—00000 Crowns It is of the same compasse with Lovain the buildings sumptuous and the town very rich not only in regard that it is the ordinary seat of the Prince or his Regent and of the Chancery for all Brabant and the Dutchy of Limbourg but in regard of the rich Manufactures of Armour and Cloth of Arras of Silk Gold and Silver which are there industriously pursued 3. Nivello on the borders of Hainalt in a very rich and fruitfull soil remarkable for the abundance of fine Linnen which is therein made but most of all for a very rich Nunnery or rather Nurserie of noble Ladies of the same nature with those of Mentz and others before described 4. Antwerp situate in a goodly plain on the River Scheld above 17 leagues from the Sea but furnished with eight Channels cut out of the River for the transport of Commodities one of the which is capable of 100 great Ships the private buildings very handsome but the publick sumptuous the chief whereof were weckoned the Church of Nostre Dame the Bourse the Town-house and the house of the Easterlings or Eastern Merchants well peopled and of so great Trade in the former times that it was held to be the richest Empory of the Christian world the commodities here bought and sold amounting to more in time moneth then that of Venice in two years The causes of which sudden growth and increase of Trading are said to be these 1. The two Marts holden here every year either of them during six weeks in which time no mans person could be arrested or his goods distrained 2. The King of Portugall having in the yeer 1503. diverted the course of Merchandise from Alexandria and Venice to the City of Lisbon kept here his Factories and sent hither his Spices and other Indian Commodities for which cause the Merchants in the yeer 1516. forsook Bruges in Flanders and setled here And 3. many of the Nobility and Gentry during the long and bloudy wars betwixt France and Spain forsook their Country houses and repaired hither by means whereof Antwerp in a very little time grew bigger by 3000 houses then it had been formerly But as the growth hereof was sudden so the fall was sensibler occasioned through the yoking of it with a Citadell by the Duke of Alva which made Merchants afraid to resort any longer thither as a place of little freedome and lesse security but chiefly by blocking up the Haven and intercepting the trade at Sea by the more powerfull Hollanders which hath removed this great traffick to Amsterdam and other towns of their Country So that now the chief support of it is the reputation which it hath of being an Imperiall City the place of receipt for the Kings Revenues and a Bishops See founded here in the yeer 1559. which draweth hither some resort of Lawyers and Church-men 3.
descending towards the Banks of the Rhene which not far off divides it self into severall channels An antient town and of great note in former times as appeares by many old foundations and other monuments of Antiquity continually digged up in the fields adjoining but chiefly by an old foresquare Tower built on the highest of the three hils of great height and state founded by Julius Caesar as a bulwork against the Germans inhabiting the further side of the River For proof of which besides the old tradition constantly maintained there is an Inscription on the Gates of the Dukes Palace neer adjoining to it which saith anno ab Vrbe DCXCIIX C. Julius Dictator his partibus subactis hanc Arcem sundavit i. e. that in the yeare 698 from the building of Rome Julius Caesar the Dictator having subdued those parts of the Countrey caused this Tower to be built 2. Santen on the banks of the Rhene a town of great antiquity as the ruines of it doe declare supposed by Pighius to bee the Trajan a Colonia of the Antients 3. VVesel in Latine Vesalia a fair and rich town seated on the confluence of the Rhene with the river of Lippe which rising in VVestphalia doth here lose it selfe of great note for a Colledge of secular Canons built here by Eberard the ninth Earl anno 840 or thereabouts and an hospitall liberally endowed for old impotent persons founded by Henry de Baers the Dukes Chancellour A town not subject to these Dukes though within the Dukedome being reckoned an Imperiall City and one of the Hanse Towns now neither so Imperiall nor so Free as formerly possessed first by the Spaniard with a Garrison of 3000 men at the beginning of the war of Cleve by D. Lewis Velasco and from them taken by the States of the Vnited Provinces anno 1628. 4. Burich on the French side of the Rhene over against Wesel amongst goodly corn fields and pleasant pastures 5 Duisberg or Tuitchberg in Latine called Tento-burgum a town of the antient Germans as the name importeth situate on the Rhene betwixt the Angra and the Ruer two noted Rivers A town formerly of great trading and notably well built Imperiall and one of the Hanâ—e but ceased to be Imperiall when sold by Rodulph of Habspurg to Thecdorick the ninth of that name Earl of Cleve and together with 6 Cravenburg another town of this Dukedome but of lesser nose 7 Emmerick on the Rhone a well frequented town remarkable for a very fair School 8 Rees 9 Griet and 10 Griethusen all upon the Rhene 11 Calcar a town more within the land but not far from the River grown wealthy by the trade of cloathing and the best beere or ale in all these parts sold thence aboundantly into the Countrey round about Not far from whence at a place called Aufde Baern it is supposed that Caesar Germanicus built his bridge over the Rhene when he went from Vetera Castra against the Marsi a nation of Germany 12 Gennep upon the Niers or Nirsi not far from its influx into the Maes which together with Duiffele and Riexwald were bought of Sigismund the Emperour by Adolph the first Duke of Cleve for a great sum of money South of the land of Cleve betwixt it and Colen lyeth the County of MVERS extended all along on the bankes of the RHENE a distinct State the Earle of which is subject to no other Prince but the Emperor only so called from Muers the chief town of it situate on the French side of the Rhene over against Duysburgh Next Towns to which are 2. Orsey 3. Augur of which little memorable A small territory but in a very fruitfull soil The neighbourhood whereof to the land of Colen to which it serveth as an Outwork upon that side preserving it in former times from the Dukes of Cleve who otherwise no doubt either by Arms or marriage had been masters of it as they were of the adjoyning Provinces on both sides of the River 2. GVLICK-LAND or the Dukedome of Gulick hath on the East the County of Muens and the land of Colen on the West Guelderland and Limbourg on the North Cleve and on the South the rest of the land of Colen The Aire and Soil much of the same nature as in Cleve save that here is a greater plenty of Woad for dying and a better breed of Horses then in the other Places of most importance in it are 1 Gulick in Latine Juliacum whence the French call it Juliers known by that name in the Itinerary of Antoninuâ— sufficient proof for the Antiquity thereof but not otherwise famous Seated upon the River Roer the chief seat heretofore of the Dukes of Gulick before the uniting hereof with Cleve and since the dissolution of that Estate possessed sometimes by the States of the Vnited Provinces and sometimes by the Spaniards called in by the Compeâ—itors to asserâ— their Titles 2 Duerin on the same River the Marcodurum of the old writers and of late memorable for the long siege which it held against Charles the fift in his wars against William Duke of Cleve and Gulick for the Dukedom of Guâ—lders 3. Munster Eyphelâ— in Latine Monasterium Eyphalie so called to distinguish it from Munster of Westpbalen pleasantly seated in a valley begiâ—t with mountaines not far from the spring or fountaine of the river Erfat 4 Caster so called of a stately and magnificent Castle built for defence of this part of the Countrey 5 Berken on the river Erp. 6 Merodon beautified with a strong Castle which gives name to an honourable and antient family 7 Enskereh 8 Berklen c. There is also within the limits of this Dukedome the famous town of Aix as the French or Aken as the Germans call it famous of old times for the hot Bathes both within and without the town whence it had the name of Aix or Aquen in Latine Aquisgranum situate on the edge of Limbourg in a fruitfull foil but the buildings nothing answerable to the fame of the place inhabited for the most part by Smiths and Brasiers who drive the greatest trade herein working continually on iron and other metals with which they are supplyed aboundantly out of Lâ—â—ge and Limbourg The town Imperiall but under the protection of the Dukes of Gleve at the expiration of which family under colour of some quarrels about Religion it was seisâ—d on and garrisoned by Marquis Spinola for the King of Spain Of great fame formerly for the death and sepulture of Charles the great by whom made one of the three Seates of the Western Empire and designed by him to be the place in which the King of the Romans should receive his Crowne for the Kingdome of Germany at the hands of the Archbishop of Colen The town supposed to be formerly that wintring Campe of the Romans called in Tacitus Vetera which was taken by Civilis in the beginning of his rebellion against Vespasion during which warres it is often mentioned by the Writers of
the Dukedomâ— of Gueldres but being too weak for so great an Adversary made his submission to him at Venlo and so saved his estates 1584 35 John William son of the former William during the life of Charles Frederick his elder brother was Bishop of Munster on whose death anno 1575. he resigned that dignity and in the end succeeded his Father in his whole estates which he managed with great piety and prudence till the year 1610. and then died issuelesse The last of that ancient and noble family of the Dukes of Cleve After whose death much quarrell and contention grew about the succession betwixt the severall competitors and pretenders to it of which the principall were 1. Leopold Archduke of Austria pretending an investiture from the Emperour Rodolphus to whom for want of heirs males the estate was said to be escheated 2. John George Duke of Saxonie descended from Sibyll daughter of Duke John the third at whose marriage with John Frederick the Electour of Saxonie an 1535 it was said to have been solemnly agreed upon that on the failing of the heirs males of Cleve the issue of that marriage should succeed therein 3. John Sigismund the Electour of Brandenburg in behalf of his son George William Duke of Prussia by the Lady Anne his wife eldest daughter of Albert of Brandenburg Duke of Prussia and of Maria Leonora the eldest sister and next heir of the Duke deceased 4. Wolfgangus Gulielmus Palatine of Newburg son of Magdalen the younger sister of that Mary who claimed the estate as nearest kinsman one degree to the said last Duke And though the right seemed most apparently on the side of Brandenbourg the Estate in tayle pretended by the Duke of Saxonie being formerly cut off by Imperiall authority and that pretended to by the Duke of Newburg not of force in Germanie yet being that Leopold was in Armes and had already forced a possession of most part of the Countrey the two Princes of Brandenbourg and Newburg soon agreed the controversie and by the help of the Protestant Princes their Confederates recovered the greatest part of it from the hands of Leopold But the Palatine of Newburg not content with his partage first married with a daughter of the Duke of Bavaria then reconciled himself to the Church of Rome called in the Spanish Armes under the command of Marquisse Spinola to abet his quarrell which made George William son of the Elector of Brandenbourg and the Lady Anne to call in the Forces of the States under the command of Maurice Earl of Nassaw after Prince of Orange The issue of which war was this that Spinola possessed himself of Wesel Aken Mullheim Pusseldorp and most other places of importance in Berg and Gulick and the States got into their power the Towns of Gulick with Rees and Emmerick in the Dukedome of Cleve and almost the whole County of Mark. And though they both pretend to keep them for the use of those Princes in whose cause they stand yet when such strong parties keep the Stakes it is most easie to determine who will win the game such alterations as have hapned in the chance of war by the reciprocall winning and losing of some Towns on both sides not much conducing to the benefit of the rightfull Princes EARLES of ALTENA and MARCH A. Ch. 834 1 Robert son of Baldwin to whom the County of Teisterbant was given by Eberard 2 Theodorick son of Robert the first Lord of Altena 3 Adolphus I. Earl of Altena 4 Adolphus II. Earl of Altena and Berg. 5 Conrade Earl of Altena and Berg. 4 Adolph III. Earl of Altena and Berg. 5 Eberhard Earl of Altena his younger brother Engelbert succeeding in Berg. 6 Frederick Earl of Altena 7 Adolphus IV. created the first Earl of March 1249 7 Engelbert Earl of March and Altena 8 Adolphus V. son of Engelbert 9 Engelbert II. from whom by a second wife the daughter and heir of Aremberg descended that branch of the house of March which till of late were Soveraigns of Sedan and Dukes of Bovillon 10 Adolph VI. husband of Mary or Margaret daughter and heir of Theodorick the 9. Earl of Cleve 2. The Estates of the three ELECTOR-BISHOPS Adjoyning to the Estates of Cleve are those of the Spirituall Electors of the Empire of Germanie Colen Ments and Triers not so contiguous and conterminous as those of Cleveland and therefore to be laid out severally by their metes and boundaries And first for 1. COLEN-LAND or the Estate of the Archbishop and Elector of Colen is bounded on the East with the Dukedome of Berg from which divided by the Rhene on the West with Gulick on the North with Cleve it self and the County of Muers and on the South extending to the land of Triers The ancient Inhabitants hereof were the Vbii in former times possessed of the Countreys of Berg and March but being warred on by the Germans bordering next upon them they were by the Clemency of Agrippa then Lievtenant of Gaul received into protection and by him placed along the French side of the Rhene as well for defence of the borders of the Roman Empire as for their own security against that Enemy Won from the Romans by the French in the reign and under the conduct of Childerick anno 412. or thereabouts and from the French by the Emperour Otho the first anno 949. Since that time the City of Colen hath remained Imperiall and of late times incorporated amongst the Hanse-towns but the territory near unto it and a great part of Westphalen subject immediately to the Bishop much of the lands which formerly belonged to the Kingdome of Lorrain being conferred upon this See by the Emperour Otho the second at such time as the Dukedome of Lorrain was erected by him The Bishops See first founded here by S. Maternus one of the Disciples of S. Peter as hath been constantly affirmed by old tradition but howsoever an Episcopall See without all question in the time of Constantine Maternus Bishop hereof subscribing amongst others to the Councell of Arles anno 326. And being Colen was in those times the Metropolis of the Province of Germania Secunda the Bishop had the power of a Metropolitan according to the rule and observation so often mentioned Afterwards when the Empire was made Elective these Bishops with their brethren of Mentz and Triers were made three of the seven which were to nominate and elect the succeeding Emperour after which time it is no wonder that they grew both in power and Patrimony Places of most importance within this Electorate are 1. Bonn situate on the banks of the Rhene in the most pleasant and fruitfull place of all the Countrey the ordinary refidence of the Archbishop whose house or Palace here is said to be one of the fairest in all Germanie By Tacitus called Benna and sometimes Castra Bonnensia the wintering Camp in his times of the sixt Legion 2. Nuys by the same writer called Novesium Nivesia by Antoninus
seated on the Erp not far from its fall into the Rhene the break-neck of the glories of Charles Duke of Burgundie who being resolved to get this town into his hands as a convenient passe into Germanie lay so long before it that he lost the opportunity of joyning with King Edward the 4. of England whom he had purposely invited to the war of France and yet was fain to go without it By means whereof he grew so low in reputation that he was undermined by the French defied by the Lorrainer forsook by the English baffled by the Switzers and at last overthrown and slain by that beggerly nation 3. Ernace or Andernach by Marcellinus called Antenacum one of the ten Garrisons erected by the Romans on the banks of the Rhene to secure their Province from the Germans the other nine being Confluenz Bopport Wormes Bing Zabern Altrip Selts Strasburg and Wassenberg 4. Lintz seated on the same River also 5. Sontina a town of good repute 6. Zulp now a village of no esteem but for the Antiquities of it by Tacitus and Antoninus called Tolbiacum most memorable for the great victory which Clovis the first Christian King of the French upon a vow made in the heat of the fight to embrace the Gospell obtained against the whole power of the Almans never presuming after that to invade his territories 7. Rhineburg commonly called Berck the most northern town of all the Bishoprick situate on the Rhene as the name imports there where the lands of this Bishop as also of the Dukes of Cleve and the Earls of Muers meet upon a point A Town which for these 60. years hath been of little use or profit to the right owner possessed sometimes by the Spaniards sometimes by the confederate States for each commodiously seated as opening a passage up the River and receiving great customes on all kinde of Merchandise passing to and fro But having finally been possessed by the Spaniard from the year 1606 till 1633 it was then regained for the States by Henry of Nassaw Prince of Orange with the losse of no more then 60. men there being found in the Town 30. Brasse peeces of Ordnance 70. barrels of powder with victuals and ammunition of all sorts thereunto proportionable 8. Colen situate on the Rhene first built by the Vbii before mentioned and by them called Oppidum Vbiorum afterwards in honour of Agrippina daughter of Germanicus and wife of Claudius who was here born made a Roman Colonie and called Colonia Agrippina and sometimes by way of eminency Colonia only thence the name of Colen A rich large populous and magnificent City containing about five miles in compasse in which are numbred 19 Hospitals 37 Monasteries of both Sexes 30 Chappels of our Lady 9 parishes and 10 Collegiate Churches besides the Cathedrall being a Church of vast greatnesse but of little beauty and not yet finished the Metropolitan whereof is Chancellour of Italy the second of the three Electors and writes himself Duke of Wâ—stphalen and Angrivaria Nigh to this Town did Caesar with incredible expedition make a bridge over the Rhene which more terrified the barbarous enemy then the reports of his valour so powerful is laborious industry that it overcometh all dysasters and maketh the mostunpassable waters yeeld to Heroick resolutions In this Town also are said to lie the bodies of the three wisemen which came from the East to worship our Saviour vulgarly called the three Kings of Colen The whole story is at large written in tables which are fastned unto their Tombes The pith whereof is this The first of them called Melchior an old man with a large beard offered Gold as unto a King the second called Gasper a beardlesse young man offered Frankineense as unto God The third called Balthasar a Blackmoor with a spreading beard offered Myrrhe as unto a Man ready for his Sepulchre That they were of Arabia the tale saith is probable firs because they came from the East and so is Arabia in respect of Hierusalem and 2. because it is said in the 72 Psalme The Kings of Arabia shall bring gifts As for their bodies they are there said to have been translated by Helena the mother of Constantine unto Constantinople from thence by Eustorfius Bishop of Millain removed unto Millain and finally brought hither by Rainoldus Bishop hereof anno 1164. This is the substance of the history which for my part I reckon among the Apocrypha except it be their comming from some part of Arabia but have not leisure in this place to refell the Fable 2 Next to the Bishoprick of Colen lieth the land of TRIERS extended all along the course of the Moselle from the Dukedome of Lorrain on the South to the influx of that River into the Rhene at the City of Confluentz where it bordereth on the Land of Colen and being bounded on the East with Luxembourg as on the West with some part of Franconia The Countrey towards Lorrain and Luxembourg somewhat wilde and barren more fruitfull about Triers it self and the bank of the Rhene in all parts generally more pleasant then profitable the greatest riches of it lying in woods and Minerals The Bishops See here first erected by Eucherius a Disciple and follower of S. Peter The reality whereof not only testified by the Martyrologies but by Methodius a writer of approved credit who addes Valerius and Maternus for his next successours the line Episcopall continuing till the Councell of Arles anno 326 Agritius Bishop of Triers subscribing to the Acts thereof From this time forwards and before the Bishop had the reputation and authority of a Metropolitan the City of Triers being anciently the Metropolis of Belgica prima within which it stands increased exceedingly by being made one of the three Electors of the Spiritualty though the last in order and Chancellour to the Emperour for the Realm of France the fortunes of which Realm it followed till wrested from it with the rest of the Kingdome of Lorrain by the German Emperours Places of most importance in it are 1. Confluents now Cobolentz the Confluentes of Antoninus so called because seated on the confluence or meeting of the Rhene and the Moselle the station anciently of the first Legion A populous and well-built town and seated in a pleasant and fertill Countrey 2. Embretstein over against Cobolentz on the other side of the Rhene beautified with a strong Castle of the Bishops mounted upon a lofty hill which not only gives a gallant prospect to the eye but commands both the Town and River 3. Boppart seated on the Rhene and called so quasi Bonport from the commodiousnesse of the Creek upon which it standeth for the use of shipping one of the forts as Confluents before mentioned was erected by the Romans on the Rhene for defence of Gaul against the Germans occasioning in time both Towns It was once miserably wasted by Richard Earl of Cornwall and King of the Romans because the Bishop of Triers agreed not
designe which was then in hand fortified strongly by the Bishop But this new Fortification being begun in a time of peace gave great occasion of distrust to the neighbouring Princes who interposed with Frederick the fift then Prince Elector of whom held in chief to cause the Bishop to desist from the finishing of it Which when he refused to doe pleading a Placard from the Emperour Matthias to compleat the work the Prince Electour with the rest of the Confederates beat it down by force for this contempt cited to Spires the Imperiall Chamber in which it was also resolved to proceed suddenly and severely to their condemnation One of the chief motives which occasioned that unfortunate Prince to entertain the offer of the Crown of Bohemia and consequently a chief cause of the German wars In managing whereof this town was thought so commodious that Marquis Spinola caused the works to be raised again made it the strongest hold in all those Countries and caused it to be called by the name of Philipsberg 3. Rotenberg originally belonging to the Bishops of Spires but of late times possessed by the Princes Palatine Others of lesser slote I forbear to mention The first Inhabitants of this Country on the French side of the Rhene were the Nemetes and Vangiones spoken of before on the other side the Intuergi First conquered by the Romans and from them conquered by the French of whose Empire it remained a part till dismembred from it at the erection of the Kingdome of Lorrain in the fall whereof it was annexed to the Empire of Germany By little and little got into the hands of the Princes Palatine who being originally Officers of the Emperours houshold such as the Maires of the Palace to the French Kings at the first institution had first the honour of Counts Palatine bestowed upon them and afterwards the place of an Electour in the choice of the Emperour But where their Estate then lay where they fixed their dwelling and what provinces or people they had subject to them a nullo inveni scriptum I could never find any good Record to build on saith the learned Munster their habitation and possession in and of these parts acquired for the most part by Armes and Money not being above 450 years standing at the utmost Likely it is they had their residence for the most part in the Emperours Palace living upon their rents as other great officers of Court in these later times the dignity and authority of so great a place seeming sufficient to content them but called Count Palatines of the Rhene because their Jurisdiction and Authority lay most especially in those parts of the Empire which were towards that River Afterwards on the marriage of Otho the second of that name Duke of Bavaria with Gertrude the daughter of Henry the Elector Palatine this office with the Electorall dignity fell into that house possessed at that time of those parts of 〈◊〉 which not long after on the dividing of that estate betwixt Rodolphus and Ludoâ—â—ous the son of â—udovick the 2. Electour Palatine and Duke of Bavaria made up this Palatinate A State which suddenly received a great augmentation partly by the care and good husbandry of Rupertus Emperour and Electour Palatine partly by the weaknesse and ambition of Wenceslaus Emperour and King of Bohemia and partly by the valour of Frederick the Prince Electour Of these the first bought in the townes of Winheim Ladeberg and Scriessen with the Castle of Stralnberg with their lands and territories The second gave unto the Palatines for their voices in his election three strong towns of the Empire viz. Keisars Lauterne Ingelheim and Openkeim and the last took in battle anno 1452. the Earl of Wirtenberg the Marquesse of Baden the Bishop of Spires and the Archbishop of Mentz and ransomed them on what condition he pleased More particularly the Earl of Wirtenberg for it was not yet erected into a Dukedome payed for his ransome 100000 Florens the Bishop of Mentz redeemed himself for 450000 Florens The Bishop of Spires gave for his liberty the towns of Rottenberg and Wersaw and the Marquesse of Baden yeelded up in lieu of his freedome the Country of Spanheim of which Cruitznack is a part the towns of Besiken and Binheim the right which he pretended to Eppingen a town over against Gemersheim and his royalties between this Gemersheim and Selts a town of Alsatia in fishing and hunting So having brought these Princes unto their Estate let us next take a view of those who have successively enjoyed both the State and Title as far as we can goe by the light of Story ELECTORS Palatine of the RHENE A. Ch. 1. Henry Count of Palatine in the time of Otho the third by whom ordained to be one of the six Electors 2 Sigefride the sonne of Adelheild wife of this Henry the Electour by a former husband 3 Ezeline and Conrade sonnes of Sigefride 4 Ludoifus son to Ezeline 5 Conrade Elector Palatine in the time of Henry the fift 6 Frederick sonne to Frederick Duke of Schawben Nephew to the Emperour Conrade the third 7 Henry II. surnamed the Lyon Duke of Saxonie and Bavaria 1195 8 Henry III. sonne of Henry the Lyon and husband of Clementia daughter of Conrade Duke of Schawben and Elector Palatine 9 Henry IV. sonne of Henry the third in the life of his Father the last Elector Palatine of the nomination and appointment of the Emperour the dignity from hence forwards becoming hereditary 10 Otho Duke of Bavaria of that name the second Electour Palatine of the Rhene in right of Gertrude his wife sister and next heir of Henry the fourth whom he succeeded in the Electorall dignity confirmed therein by the Emperour Frederick the second 1269 11 Ludovicus Electour Palatine and Duke of Bavaria the son of Otho 1294 12 Rodolphus the eldest son of Lewis or Ludovicus succeeded his Father in the Palatinate and Electorall dignity Northgoia or the Palatinate of Bavaria being added to his part to make even the scale his younger brother Ludovicus succeeding in Bavaria 1315 13 Adolphus surnamed the Simple resigned the Electorall dignity to his brother Rodolphus as the fitter man to undertake it 1327 14 Rodolphus II. on the resignation of Adolphus 1337 15 Rupertus the brother of Rodolphus the second founder of the University of Heidelberg anno 1346. 1385 16 Rupertus II. sonne of Adolfus the Simple 1398 17 Rupertus III. elected Emperour in the place of Wenceslaus King of Bohemia anno 1406 made Knight of the Garter by King Henry the fourth 1410 18 Ludovious II. surnamed Caecus and Barbatus married Blanch daughter to King Henry the fourth of England 1439 19 Ludâ—vicus III. son of Lewis the second 1451 20 Frederick brother of Ludovicus during the minority of Philip his said brothers sonne succeeded in the Electorall dignity and added much to that Estate by his personall vertue 1478 21 Philip the sonne of Lewis the third pretended to the Dukedome of Bavaria in
his younger Brother He brought the Suevians to obedience and subdued the Sclaves 656 11 Childebert II. son of Grimoaldus Mayre of the Palace to Sigebert was by the power of his Father made King of Mets Dagobert the son of Sigebert being shorn a Monk and sent into Scotland 12 Clovis the 2. King of the French having vanquished and beheaded Grimoald dispossessed Childebert of the Kingdome which he took himself 662 13 Childerick the 2. son of Clovis after the death of Clotaire his elder Brother succeeding in the Kingdome of France united all the French Dominions into one Estate In which condition it remained but with some inlargement of the bounds till the partition made by and amongst the Children of Lewis the Godly the name of Austrasia or East-France being extended by Charles the Great over all Pannonia and so much of Germanie as was under the command of the French In which division Lewis the 2. sonne surnamed the Ancient being invested in the Kingdome of Germanie or so much of East-France or Austrasia as lay on the East side of the Rhene Lotharius the eldest sonne had for his share the title of Emperour and therewith Italy Provence Burgundie and so much of Austrasia or East-France as lay on the French side of the River Afterwards subdâ—vided into three Estates Italie with the title of Roman Emperour being given to Lewis the eldest son to Charles the youngest Provence with the Kingdome of Burgundie and to Lothaire the second son Austrasia on this side of the Rhene from hence called Lot-reich Lot-regne and Lotharingia as before was said But Lothaire dying without issue the Kingdome of Lorrain containing all the Netherlands except Flanders and Artois and all the parts of Germanie before described became divided betwixt the Kings of France and the German Emperours each taking to themselves the title of Kings of Lorrain the River Meuse or Mosa parting their possessions But in the end after much vicissitude and interchangeablenesse of affairs both Princes laid aside the title of Kings incorporating so much as they held hereof into the rest of their Estates Otho the third of Germanie and Lewis the fift of France being the last that pleased themselves with that broken title In the mean time this Countrey of Lorrain it self together with some part of the Land of Triers Bovillon Gulick Luickland and Brabant being taken out of the rest were by Otho the second made a Dukedome anno 981. and by him given with the title of Duke of Lorrain to Charles of France son of Gerberge his Aunt by Lewis the 4. surnamed Transinarine son of Charles the Simple Charles thus advanced by his Uncle and finding himselfe wholly neglected by Lothairâ— the French King his brother shewed himself so alienated from the French and wedded to the Germans that the French after the death of his Nephew Lewis the fift whose next Heire he was rejected him and chose Hugh Capet for their King Otho the son of this Charles dying without issue left his estate to Geofrey Earl of Ardenne Bovillon and Verdun his near kinsman by the mothers side from whom the Dukes of Lorrain doe derive themselves From Hermingrade the daughter of Charles descended the Lady Isabel of Hainalt wife of Philip the 2. King of France thereby uniting the bloud of Pepin and Hugh Capet to the great content of Lewis the 9. her Nephew of whom it is said that being a man of a tender conscience he never joyed in the Crown of France till it was proved that he was descended by his Grand-mother from Charles of Lorrain whom Hugh Capet had unjustly dispossessed But to return again to the Dukes of Lorrain I find not any great improvement made of the Estate by any of them more then the adding of the Dutchy of Barr in France by Rene Duke of Anjou and titularie King of Naples but on the contrary a great weakning and distraction of it by the Dukes hereof Luickland and the Dukedome of Bovillon being sold unto the Bishop of Leige by Godfrey furnamed of Bovillon after King of Hierusalem Brabant torn from it by Geofrey Earl of Lovain in the time of Baldwin brother of Godfrey and Gulick-land by Eustace the brother of Baldwin the Bishops of Triers not being negligent all this while of the opportunity so that we have no more to do but to present the Reader with the Catalogue of The DUKES of LORRAIN A. Ch. 851 1 Charles of France took prisoner by Hugh Capet in which state he died 1001 2 Otho son of Charles 1004 3 Godfrey Earl of Ardenne cousin of Otho by his mother a daughter of the house of Ardenne confirmed herein by the power of the Emperour Henry the first 1119 4 Gozelo of Bovillon the brother of Godfrey 1044 5 Godfrey II. son of Gozelo 1070 6 Godfrey III. 1078 7 Godfrey IV. of Bovillon sonne of Eustace Earl of Boulogne in Picardie and of Ida the daughter of Godfrey the 2. created King of Hierusalem anno 1099. 1180 8 Baldwin brother of Godfrey Duke of Lorrain and King of Hierusalem 1119 9 Thierrie son of William the brother of Baldwin 1128 10 Simon son of Thierrie 1141 11 Matthew son of Simon 1176 12 Simon II. son of Matthew 1207 13 Frederick brother of Simon 1213 14 Theobald son of Frederick 1219 15 Matthew II. son of Theobald no great friend of the Popes 1259 16 Frederick II. son of Matthew 1303 17 Theobald II. son of Frederick 1311 18 Frederick III. son of Theobald 1329 19 Rodolph son of Frederick 1346 20 John son of Rodolph 1382 21 Charles son of John 1430 22 Rene Duke of Anjou and King of Naples c. in right of Isabel his wife the daughter of Charles 1452 23 John II. son of Rene and Isabel succeeded on the death of his mother 1470 24 Nicolas son of John 1473 25 Rene II. son of Frederick Earl of Vandemont and of Violant or Yoland daughter of Isabel and Rene the first the Vanquisher of Charles of Burgundie at the battell of Nancy 1508 26 Anthony son of Rene the 2. 1544 27 Francis son of Anthony 1545 28 Charles the II. son of Francis 29 Henry son of Charles married Katharine sister to Henry the 4. of France 1624 30 Francis brother of Henry 1630 31 Charles Nephew to Francis by his brother the Earl of Vandemont and son-in-law to him by the marriage of his daughter and heir succeeded by a mixt title of descent and marriage Being resolved to hold it in his own right he put away his wife and daughter of Francis and took another to his bed which he better fansied punished not long after by the losse of his whole estate for immediately he ingaged himself in the wars of Germanie in behalf of Ferdinand the 2. But being beaten by the Swedes at the battell of Psaffenbofen in the County of Hanaw he lost a great part of his Countrey to the Victors who pursued him home And on the other side Lewis the 13. of France
touching this Province are chiefly two First that out of the Mountain Felchtelberg before mentioned arise 4 Rivers running to the four quarters of the world that is to say the Eger towards the East the Mein or Moenus towards the West the Sala or Saltza to the North and the Nab Nabus to the South so that it may be probably thought to be the highest hill in all Germanie 2 That in the Southwest corner of it are two little Rivers the one called Abnul which falleth into the Danow and the other Rednitz which runs into the Mein and finally into the Rhene between the heads whereof being not much distant Charls the Great once began to dig a Channel for making a passage out of the Rhene into the Danow In which work he employed many thousand men but partly by excesse of rain and partly by some strange affrightments all which they did in the day being undone in the night he was fain to desist Some parts of the intended water-course are to be seen near Wassenburg spoken of before which standeth in the middle way betwixt both Rivers Chief places of this Country which belong to the Electorall Familie are 1 Amberg on the River Vils enriched chiefly by the commoditie of iron digged out of the neighbouring hils and here fashioned into all sorts of Vtensils and thence conveyed in great abundance to the parts adjoining but prouder of its mines of silver then those veins of iron affording to the Princes Coffers 60000 Crowns yearly 2 Monheim in the midst of a fruitfull valley near a wood of Juniper 3 Newburg upon the River Swartzach which gives title to the second branch of the Palatine house called the Count Palatines of Newburg competitours with the Marquesse of Brandenbourg for the Dukedom of Cleveland 4 Kelhaim at thee meeting of the Danow with the river Almul 5 Cham on the edge of Bohemia near the river Regen which passing thence falleth into the Danow near the Citie of Regensberg 6 Castell where the Electors for the most part hold their Residence when they are in this Country 7 Awerbach 8 Saltsbach 9 Weiden 10 Newmarcki There are also in this Country some towns belonging to the Lantgraves of Luchtenberg one of the four old Lantgraves of the Empire the other three being Duringen Hassia and Alsatia so called from Luchtenberg an old Castle situate on a loftie hill not far from Pfriemd the chief town and ordinary seat of these Lantgraves seated on the river Nab 2 Gronsfelden 3 Schonhuffen an ordinary passe and baiting-place in the way from Prague to Nurenberg But the chief Citie of this Country and perhaps of Germanie is Nurenberg it self Norimbega in the modern but Noricum in the ancient Latine So called from an ancient Castle called Castrum Noricum the ruines of which are still remaining encompassed with a deep but drie ditch now of no use nor ornament to the Citie at all but reverenced for its antiquity as the mother of Nurenberg The Castle said by some to be built in the time of Claudius Caesar more probably by some of the Norici who terrified with the Invasion of Attila in the decline and waine of the Roman Empire relinquished Bavaria where before they dwelt and passed over the Danow there to provide themselves of a safer dwelling Conquered by the Bavarians it became together with their Conquerours subject to the French in the time of Lewis the 3. it became Imperiall and was walled and fortified during the reign of Charls the 4. From that time it encreased so fast both in wealth and beauty that it is counted the greatest and wealthiest City in all this Continent there being reckoned in it 11 stone bridges for passage over the river Pegnits which runneth through it 12 Conduits of fresh water 13 common Baths 116 publick Wels and 128 Streets Of figure square environed with a triple wall of 8 miles in circuit and plentifully stored with all sorts of Ammunition The Marquesses of Brandenburg in former times were the Burgraves of it an office of great power and jurisdiction but sold for a good sum of mony by Frederick the 3. anno 1414. Albert his son attempting to recover the old office again besieged the town having no lesse then 17 Princes on his side and yet could not force it That for an Argument of its strength A proof and evidence of the wealth of it we have seen before in that great havock made of their Towns and Villages and the great ransome they were put to by another Albert spoken of in Franconia And it adds much unto the commendation of the people that this great wealth is gotten by their indefatigable industrie the town being situate on a barren and sandie soil and destitute of those helps which commonly a navigable River brings into a City those great possessions which belong to the State hereof being gotten out of the fire as the saying is by their continuall working of iron and other manufactures occasioning a resort hither of Merchants from all parts of Germanie Other Towns of chief note within this Palatinate are 1 Altorf where the Nurenbergers Founded an University for the study of all Arts and Sciences anno 1575. 2 Erspruck a great Town and well seated belonging to the State of Nurenberg also 3 Eisted Aichstadium in the Latine an Episcopall See situate on the River Almul 4 Wassenburg an Imperiall City on the borders of Schwaben Here was also in this Province if not still remaining the town of Winsberg memorable for the piety and gallantry of the women of it For the Town being besieged and distressed by the Emperour Conrade the 3. for siding against him with the Guelfs then Dukes of Bavaria no other conditions could be gotten at the surrendrie of it but that the women might have leave to depart in safety and carry all their Jewels with them Which being obtained they took their husbands on their backs and so left the Town and by that noble act so moved the affections and compassion of the angry Prince that he spared the Town and gave them all a generall pardon It is said by some that the odious names of Guelfs and Gibelines with which the peace of Christendome was so long distracted took their beginning at this siege the first so called from Guelfo brother of Henry the Proud Duke of Bavaria in whose cause they fought the other from Veibling the French and Italians speak it Gueibling a Town of Frankenland in which that Emperour was born Another originall hereof we had in our description of the State of Florence but I take this to be the more probable of the two though neither certain The ancient inhabitants here were the Narisci of Tacitus Afterwards some of the Norici fearfull or grown impatient of the Roman yoak came over the Danubius to them and built that famous Castle called Castrum Noricum where now stands Nurenberg Overpowered by the Boji and uniting with them in the name of Bojarians they followed
other reason but because it was the chief seat of the Duke Electors But to proceed a stout and valiant Nation questionless they were the Conquerors of the Isle of Britain the last people of the Germans which yeilded up their Country unto Charles the great by whose means gained unto the Gospell anno 785. Their last King was called Wittichindus from whom descend the Kings of France since the time of Hugh Capet the regent Kings of Denmark of the house of Oldâ—nberg the Dukes of Burgundy and Savoy the Marquesses of Montferrat besides many other noble and illustrious Families though of lesser note The male issue of Wittikinde whom Charles the great created taking the first Duke of Saxony determining in the person of Otho the third Emperour of Germany it was by him conferred on Barnard Lord of Lunenburg but the precise time thereof I finde not and on the forfeiture incurred by his posterity in the person of Duke Henry the Proud bestowed by Frederick Barbarossa upon Barnard of Anhalt anno 1180. whose issue in the right line failing it was finally estated by the Emperour Sigismund on Frederick Landgrave of Turingia and Maâ—quesse of Misnia anno 1423. In his Family it hath since continued but not without a manifest breach in the course of the succession which hapned when John-Frederick being deprived of the Electorall dignity and estate his cousin Duke Maurice was invested in them by Charles the fift And because these translations of States be not ordinary I will briefly relate the Ceremonies thereat used as I have collected them out of Sleiden There were at Wittenberg scaffolds erected on which sate the Emperour and the Princes Electors in their Robes On the back side of the State were placed the Trumpeters right against it sâ—andeth Duke Maurice with two bands of horsmen The first in a full careere run their horses up to the pavilion out of the second issued Henry Duke of Brunswick Wolfang Prince of Bipont and Albert Duke of Bavier These when they had in like manner coursed their horses about alighted ascended to the Throne and humbly requested the Emperour that for the common good he would advance Duke Maurice to the Electorship He consulted with the Electors made answer by the Bishop of Mentz that he was content so Duke Maurice would in person come and desire it Then came forth Duke Maurice with the whole troup before him were born ten ensignes bearing the Armes of as many Regions wherein he desired to be invested When he came before the throne he kneeled down on his knees and humbly desired the Emperor to bestow on him the Electorship of Saxony and all the lands of John-Frederick late Elector His Petition was granted Then the Bishop of Mentz read unto him the Oath by which the Electors are bound unto the Empire which Oath when Duke Maurice had taken the Emperour delivered unto him a Sword which was a signe of his perfect investiture Duke Maurice now the Elector of Saxony arose gave the Emperour thanks promised his fidelity made obeysance and took his place amongst the Electors This solemnity was on the 24 day of Feb. anno 1548. This said it is high time that we should proceed unto the Catalogue of The DVKES of SAXONIE 785 1 Witikind the last King of the Saxons vanquished and created the first Duke by Charles the Great 825 2 Bruno the brother of Witikind 843 3 Luitulphus sonne of Bruno 855 4 Bruno II. sonne of Luitulphus 8â—6 5 Otho brother of Bruno the second 916 6 Henry surnamed the Fowler sonne of Otho Emperour of the Romans and King of Germany 938 7 Otho II. Duke of Saxonie and Emperour called Otho I. 974 8 Otho III. Duke of Saxonie and Emperour called Otho II. 984 9 Otho IV. Duke of Saxonie and Emperour called Otho III. 10 Barnard Lord of Lunenburg created Duke of Saxonie and the first Electour by Otho the third who was the last Duke of the race of Witikind 1021 11 Barnard II sonne of Barnard the first 1063 12 Ordulphus sonne of Barnard the second 1073 13 Magnus sonne of Ordulphus who taking part with Rodulphus of Schwaben against Henry the fourth was taken prisoner and deprived 14 Lotharius Earl of Querdfort created Duke of Saxonie by Henry the fourth He was also Emperour of the Romans 1125 15 Henry Guelph surnamed the Proud Duke of Bavaria the husband of Gertrude daughter of Lotharius by whom created Duke Electour 1139 16 Henry II. surnamed the Lyon Duke of Saxonie and Bavaria son of Henry the Proud by his first wife Walfildis the daughter of Magnus proscribed and outed of his Estates by the Emperour Frederick Barbarossa After which this great Estate being parcelled and divided into many parts the title of the Duke Electour of Saxonie was given by the said Emperour to 1180 17 Barnard of Anhalt sonne of Albert Marquesse of Brandenbourg and grandchilde of Elica the daughter of Duke Magnus to whom for his seat and habitation the Emperour Courade the third gave the City of Wittenberg the head since that time of this Electorate 1212 18 Albert sonne of Barnard from whom the Dukes of Lawenburg doe derive their Pedegree 1273 19 Albert II. sonne of Albert the first 1327 20 Rodolph sonne of Albert the second 1356 21 Rodolph II. sonne of Rodolph the first 1373 22 Wenceslaus sonne of Rodolph the second 1389 23 Rodolph III. sonne of Wenceslaus 1419 24 Albert III. brother of Rodolph the third the last Electour of Saxonie of the house of Anhalt 1423 25 Frederick Lantgrave of Duringen and Marquesse of Misnia on the failing of the house of Anhalt anno 1422 created Duke of Saxonie by the Emperour Sigismund the house of Lawenburg pretermitted for want of putting in their claim 1428 26 Frederick II. sonne of Frederick the first 1464 27 Ernest sonne of Frederick the second 1486 28 Frederick III. sonne of Ernest 1525 29 John brother to Frederick the third 1532 30 John-Frederick sonne of John the first a great advancer of the Reformation of Religion imprisoned and deprived of his Electorship by Charles the fift 1547 31 Maurice descended from Albert the brother of Ernest created Duke Elector by Charles the fift whom after wards he drave out of Germany and was slain in the battell of Siffridhuse against Marquesse Albert of Brandenbourg 1553 32 Augustus brother of Maurice 1586 33 Christian sonne of Augustus 34 Christian II. sonne of Christian the first 35 John-George brother of Christian the second who first sided with the Emperour Ferdinand the second against the Elector Palatine and after with the King of Sweden against the Emperour The Revenues of this Duke are thought to be the greatest of any one Prince of Germanie the Imperial familie excepted amounting at the least to 400000 l. per annum though in multitude of Vassals and greatnesse of territorie he come short of some of them And to make up this sum or perhaps a greater it is conceived that the profit which ariseth to
Swethlanders they became better known in the flourishing times of the French Empire by the name of Normans first called 10 by Egiâ—â—hatus in his History of the life of Charles the Great infesting then the Sea-coasts of France and Belgium Under this name they fell so heavily on the French especially in the times of Charles the Simple that they extorted from him that goodly Country since of them called Normandy conferred on Rollo first Duke thereof anno 912. whose successours much increased their glory by the conquest of England as some private adventurers of them did by the conquest of the Kingdomes of Naples Sicil and Antioch Afterwards setling on their own bottome every one of these northern nations acting by it self they were called Norwegians sometimes as formerly commanding over all three Kingdomes subject successively to each but most an end governed by their own Kings till their finall subjugation by the Danes And as a Nation acting solely and by it self they subdued Ireland under the conduct of Turgesius who tyrannized there for a time as also all the Orcades and the I le of Man sold or surrendred by them upon good conditions to the English and Scots who by those titles still possesse them The Catalogue of their Kings leaving out all those of the darker times parallel to our Brute and the first Scottish Fergus as meerly fabulous we will begin with King Suibdagerus who was King of all the three Kingdomes and at his death divided them again amongst his three sons whose successours Munster thus reckoned The KINGS of NORWAY 1 Suibdagerus 2 Haddingus 3 Hetharius 4 Collerus 5 Frogerus 6 Gotarus 7 Rotherus 8 Helga 9 Hasmunus 10 Reginaldus 11 Gumaraus 12 Osmundus 13 Olaus 14 Osmundus II. not long after whose time anno scil 800. the Normans began their irruptions 15 Aquinus 16 Haraldus 17 Olaus II. 18 Sueno King of Danemark by Birth and of Norway by Conquest 19 Olaus III. son of Swaine or Sueno succeeded in the Realmes of Denmark and Norway Canutus his younger brother being King of England In this Kings time the Norwegians first received the Gospell 20 Canutus King of England succeeded his brother Olaus in the Kingdomes of Denmark and Norway to which he also added the Crown of Sweden 21 Sueno II. by whom the Kingdome was restored to the Norwegians 22 Canutus II. 23 Magnus 24 Harald II. 25 Magnus II. King of Sweden and Norway 1326 26 Magnus III. King of Sweden and Norway intending the Crown of Sweden for Ericus his eldest sonne conferred that of Norway on Haquin or Aquinus his second sonne 1359 27 Aquinus King of Norway younger sonne of Magnus the third married with Margaret eldest daughter of Waldemar the third King of Denmark so uniting the Kingdomes And though Olaus the onely son of this bed died young without any issue yet the Danes having once got footing in Norway so assured themselves of it that they have ever since possessed it as a subject Kingome keeping the Natives so poor and low that they are not able to assert their former liberties and not permitting them to use any shipping so much as for transporting their own commodities for fear they should grow wealthy and strong at Sea Besides the strong Garrisons maintained in most parts of the Country keep it in such an absolute awe that they dare not stir against the Danes if their stomachs served them So that now Norway being made subject to the Crown of Denmark or both made fellow-subjects to the same King we must next look upon these Kings not as Kings of each distinct and separate from the other but as they are in fact and title The KINGS of DENMARK and NORWAY 1376 1 Haquin or Aquinus King of Denmark and Norway of this last by descent of the other by marriage 1380 2 Olaus son of Aquinus and Margaret 1383 3 Margaret wife of Aquinus mother of Olaus and daughter of Waldemar the third after the death of her sonne in whose time she governed as his Guardian took upon her the Kingdome in her own right not onely keeping Norway in the state she found it but adding unto Denmark the Crown of Sweden won by the vanquishment of Albert Duke of Mecklenburg then King thereof A gallant and magnanimous Lady the Semiramis of Germany 1411 4 Ericus Duke of Pomeren and Knight of the Garter sonne of the Lady Mary Dutchesse of Pomeren daughter of Ingelburgis the sister of Margaret by whom adopted for her Heir succeeded after her decease in all the three Kingdomes outed of all before his death by a strong Faction made against him and his estates conferred on 1439 5 Christopher Count Palatine of the Rhene and Duke of Bavaria but in title onely the sonne of Margaret sister of Ericus chosen by the joynt consent of all the States of these Kingdomes After whose death without issue the Danes considering the great advantage they had gotten by the addition of Norway pitched upon Adolphus Duke of Sleswick and Earl of Holst for the next successour that they might get in those Estates to their Kingdome also Who excusing himself by reason of his Age and want of Children commended to them Christiern Earl of Oldenburg his kinsman and next heir who was chose according 1448 6 Christiern Earl of Oldenburg upon the commendation of his Uncle Adolfus chosen King of Danemark and Norway succeeded his said Uncle in the Estates of Holst and Sleswick continuing since united unto that Crown and added also thereunto by conquest the Kingdome of Sweden 1482 7 John son of Christiern succeeded in all three Kingdomes Knight of the Order of the Garter 1514 8 Christiern II. son of John King of Denmark Norway and Sweden which last he held under with great cruelty hated by reason of his Tyranny towards all sorts of people and outed of his Kingdomes by his Uncle Frederick anno 1522. by whom at last taken and kept in prison till he dyed anno 1559. 1523 9 Frederick brother of John and Uncle of Christiern the second chosen King of Denmark and Norway on the abdication of his Nephew reformed Religion in both Kingdomes according to the Confession of Ausbourg 1535 10 Christiern III. suppressed with great trouble the party formed against him in behalf of Christiern the second perfected the Reformation begun in the time of his Father and was a great Benefactour to the University of Copenhagen 1559 11 Frederick II. sonne of Christiern the third subdued Ditmarsh before unconquered by the Danes or the Earls of Holst and added it unto that Dukedome both being united to that Crown though held of the Empire Knight of the Garter 1588 12 Christien IV. sonne of Frederick the second brother of Anne Queen of Great Britain and Knight of the Garter engaging in a warre against the Emperour Ferdinand the second for the liberty of Germany was suddenly beat out of all the Cimbrick Chersonese by the prevailing Imperialists but compounded the businesse upon very good termes and was
situation and position of the rest of the Provinces is set forth unto us in our Authors 1. MVSCOVIE 1 MVSCOVIE specially so called is seated in the very center of this Estate and so more fit to 〈◊〉 the affaires thereof the largest Province of the whole extending from East to West 600 Dutch or 2400 English miles so populous with all that besides 30000 Boiares or Gentlemen bound to serve on Horseback at their owne charges like the Turkes Timariots the Great Duke is able to raise 70000 Foot which is a great matter for a Countrey so little cultivated The sâ—yle hereof is stiffe and clammie but might be made more profitable then it is were it well manured or ploughed and ordered as it is in all other Countries For here and in most parts else of this large Dominion the people are accustomed to sow no more of their land then what they digge with the spade or can break up with a stick very sharply pointed whereof they carry great numbers into the field that when one breaks they may use another Chief places in this Province are 1 Mosco the Imperiall seat and the See of the Patriarch so called of the River Mosco upon which it is situate Exceedingly improved both in state and beauty since the time that Daniel the fourth Lord of Moscovie removed the seat Royall hither from Valodomire where before it was insomuch that it was once growne to nine miles in compasse containing then 41500 families but being fired by the Tartar anno 1571. at what time there were burnt 800000 persons it is reduced to five miles only the houses for the most part of wood and dâ—rt the streets very miry without either Ditch Wall or Rampart to defend it against an Enemy In steed whereof there are two Castles in the out parts of it the one called Kitagorod the other Bolsigerod enviâ—oned with the River Mâ—â—co and another water called Neglinna which here fals into it It containes 16 Churches most of them of the same materials as the houses are and the Palace of the great Duke situate in the midst hereof which for the greatnesse of it may be thought a little City fortified with 17 Towns 3 Bulwarks and a continuall Garrison if the great Duke be there of 25000 men â—or the guard of his person 2 Sloboda a Bishops See North-east to Mosco on the banks of one of the greatest Rivers which fall into the Volga 3 Ruschow the title of a Dukedome fortified with a Castle of wood of which stuffe most of the fortresses of this countrey are made situate 23 leagues from Mosco towards the west on the banks of the Volga which hath its fountain in the territorie and precincts hereof 4 Jaâ—â—slave on the Volga also a town and Castle distant about 46 Dutch miles from Mosco formerly the Estate and patrimony of the second sons of the Great Duke but united to the Royall Domaine by John Wasuiwick and by him added also to the style Imperiall It is also one of the Sees Episcopall 5 Rustow the See of one of the two Metropolitans situate in a fruitfullsoyl well stored with fish and yeelding good plenty of falt One of the antientest Principalities of all this Empire and held accustomably by the second sonne of the Great Duke as a state distinct but conquered by John Vasilwick anno 1565. and added to the style and Patrimony of the Great Duke himselfe the younger sons being from thence forth put off with pensions 6 Vologda a Bishops See situate in a fenny and woodie Countrey very strong by nature and beautified with one of the strongest Castles of all this Estate where the Great Duke cloth sometimes lay a part of his treasure that part especially which is raised of the English and Dutch Merchandise wich being landed at the Port of St. Nicolas is first brought hither where having paid a new toll or custome it goeth on to Mosco Betwixt this City and that of Yaroslave before mentioned for the space of an hundred English miles where stood in former times 50 goodly Villages some of them of a mile in length the Countrey in a manner is left wholly desolate and without Inhabitants abandoned by the people by reason of the insupportable pressures which were laid upon them 2 SMOLENSKO 3 MOSAISKI 4 PLESCOW The Dukedome of SMOLENSKO is situate on the course of the River Nieper or Borysthenes full of many thick Forrests from whence they carry a great number of rich skins yeerly Places of most observation in it are 1 Smolensko situate on the Nieper a Bishops See about 80 Polonian miles from Moâ—co begirt on every side with mountaines and spacious Woods A large town and of great esteem in these parts of the Empire and giving name unto this Province which heretofore was governed in a free condition under the patronage and protection of the Kings of Poland in the time of Alexander a late king thereof by Basilius the Great Duke conquered and added unto this Estate Taken by the â—olarders in the yeare 1610. after a long siege of two yeares with the slaughter of 200000 Muscovites and the losse of many of the besiegers but restored again to Michael Fedrovitius the Great Duke on the making of the peace between them 2 Biela a principality of it selfe having the honour of a Castle and reckoned in the usuall style of the Knez or Emperour 3 MOSAISKI hath in length 350 Italian miles and as much in breadth so called from Mosaithâ—â— the chief town hereof and a Bishops See taken together with the territory or Province appertaining to it from Alexander King of Poland by John the Great Duke father of Basilius before mentioned 4 Pâ—â—SCOW or PSKOW containes in length 350 Italian miles in breadth 230 or thereabouts 〈…〉 from Plescow or Pskow the chief City of it and a Bishops See great powerfull and well walled about the onely walled City of all this Empire So large within the wals that when it was besieged by Stephen king of POLAND there were in it for defence thereof 70000 Foot and 7000 Horse besides the naturall Inhabitants of it which in all ordinary computation must be many more It belonged formerly to the Poles in right of the Dukedome of Lituania taken from them by Basiaus the Great Duke of Muscovie anno 1509 by whom and his successours used in the Royall style 5 NOVOGORD 5 NOVOGORD or NOVOGROD is one of the largest Provinces or Dukedomes in all Russia bordering on Livonia towards Sinus Finnicus or the Gulfe of Finland a colder Countrey and lesse fruitfull then that of Mascovie because situate somewhat further North the longest summer day in Mosco not being above 18 houres whereas in Novogrod the chief City hereof it is very neer 20. By consequence the winter nights being of that length must make the air exceeding cold and the soile as comfortlesse Here is in this Province the great lake Ilinen spoken of before 80 Italian miles in compasse as also that
under the conduct of Sarracon or Shirachoch a right valiant and stout Commander who taking his advantages not only cleared the Country of Almericus but got the whole kingdom to himself dashing out the brains of Elphaiz with his horsemans-mace And though Etzar his son assumed for a while the title of Caliph yet the destruction of himself and the whole Phatimean family rooted out by Sarracon soon put an end to that claim and left the kingdom in the peaceable possession of the Turkish Sultans The fourth Dynastie or the Race of the Turkish Kings or Caliphs of Egypt 1163. 1 Asereddin sirnamed Shirachoch called Sarracon by the Christian writers the first of the Turks which reigned in Egypt of the Noble family of Alub 1186. 2 Zeli-heddin called Saladine by the Christian writers the son or as some say the nephew of Sarracon or Shirachoch confirmed in his estate by the Caliph of Bagdet under whose jurisdiction he reduced the Egyptian Schismaticks He obtained also the kingdom of Damascus conquered Mesopotamia Palestine and in the year 1190 regained the City of Hierusalem A Prince who wanted nothing to commend him to succeeding Ages nor to glorifie him in the kingdom of Heaven but the saving knowledge of CHRIST JESUS 1199. 3 Elaziz the second son of Saladine succeeded in the Realm of Egypt which he exchanged afterwards with his brother Eladel for the kingdom of Damascus 4 Eladel or El-Aphtzel by the Christian writers called Meledine succeeded upon this exchange in the kingdom of Egypt and overcame the Christians without the losse of a man at the siege of Caire by letting loose the Sluces of Nilus which drowned their Army and forced them to covenant with him at his own pleasure 1210. 5 Elchamul 1237. 6 Melech Essalach by the Christian writers called Melechsala the son of Elchamul who overcame Lewis the 9. of France and going with that King towards Damiata was slain by the souldiers of his guard called Mamalucks 1242. 7 Elmutan the son of Melech Essalach succeeded for a time in his Fathers throne But the Mamalucks being resolved to obtain the kingdom for themselves inforced him to flie to a Tower of Wood which they set on fire the poor Prince half burned leaping into a River which ran close by it was there drowned the Mamalucks setled in the kingdom An. 1245. These Mamalucks were the ofspring of a People on the banks of the Euxine Sea vulgarly called the Circassians whom Melechsala either bought of their Parents or at the second hand of the Tartars then newly Masters of those Countries to supply the want of valour in the idle and effeminate People of Egypt and out of them selected a choise Band of men for the guard of his person Knowing their strength and finding their opportunity they treacherously slew Melechsala their Lord and Master appointing one Azeddin Ibek a Turco-man by nation and therefore by most Christian writers called Turquimeneius one of their own number a man of great spirit and valour to succeed in the Throne Unwilling to re-give the Supreme Authority into the hands of the Egyptians and not permitting their own sons to enjoy the name and privilege of Mamalucks they bought yearly certain numbers of Circassian slaves whom they committed to the keeping of the Egyptians by them to be instructed in the Egyptian language and the Law of Mahomet Being thus fitted for imployment they were taught the Discipline of War and by degrees advanced unto the highest Offices of power and trust as now the Janizaries are in the Turkish Empire in choice and ordering of whom as the Ottoman Turks were Precedented by those of Egypt so it is possible enough that the Janizaries may make as great a Change in the Turkish Empire as the Mamalucks did in the Egyptian So unsafe a thing it is for a Prince to commit the sole guard of his person or the defence of his Dominions to the hands of such whom not the sense of natural duty but the hopes of profit or preferment may make useful to him For thus we find that Constantius a King of the Britains was murdered by his Guard of Picts most of the Roman Emperours by the hands of those whom they intrusted either with the guard of their persons or the command of their Armies And I think no man can be ignorant how many times the Princes and Estates of Italy have been brought into the extremest dangers by trusting too much to the honesty of mercenaâ—ie Souldiers and Commanders Take we for instance the proceedings of Giacopo Picinino who with his Followers first took Pay of Ferdinand the first of Naples left him to fight for his vowed Enemy Iohn Duke of Calabria the son of Renè Duke of Anjou whom also he forsook in his greatest need The like we find of Francisco Sforza first entertained by the Duke of Millain from whom he revolted to the Florentines from them to the Venetians and being again received into the Pay of the State of Millain made use of their own Army to subdue that City Nor can I speak better of the Switzers or their dealing in this kind with the French Kings the Sforza's Dukes of Millain and with whom not to say the truth that ever trusted or employed them Now as it is unsafe for a Prince to commit the custody of his person or the defence of his Estates to the faith of Forreiners so is it dangerous to him to call in such aids and to commit his fortunes either wholly or principally unto their fidelity A moderate supply of men money or munition from a confederate King is I confesse in most cases convenient in some necessary as well to save their Natives from the sword as to trie a friend and interest an Allie in the same cause But to invite so great a number of Succours as from Helpers may become Masters and oppresse the people whom they came to defend is that Rock on which many Realms have suffered shipwrack and which a good Pilot of the State should with all care avoid For as in the sickness of the body natural it is hurtful to a mans health and life to take more physick then it may after the effect thereof be wrought either digest or put out again so in the body politick it is a perilous matter to receive more succours then what after they have done the deed they were sent for we may either with conveniencie reward and settle with us or at liberty expell Of all Surfeits this of Forraign supplies is most uncurable and Ne quid nimis if in nothing else true is in this case oracle There is no Kingdom I am verily perswaded under the Sun which hath not been by this means conquered no Common-wealth which hath not been by this means ruined To relate all examples were infinite and tedious to inferre some pleasing to the Reader and to illustrate the point not unnecessary To begin with former times Philip of Macedon called into Greece to assist the
fourteen Leagues from Sevil. 4 De la Vega now a ruine only once a Spanish Colonie and of great fame for giving the title of Dukes to Christopher Columbus and his brother Bartholmew Since whose time nothing hapned prejudicial to the State of this Iland by the hands of any but the Spaniards till conquered but not held by Sir Anthonie Sherley An. 1596. Thus having took a short Survey of the several parts of this great Body we now briefly take a view of the Government and Forces of it The Government committed chiefly to two great Vice-Royes the one of Nova Hispania who resides at Mexico the other of Peru who abideth at Lima the principal Cities of those Kingdoms The first hath jurisdiction over all the Provinces of Nova Gallicia Nova Hispania Guatimala Castella Aurea and the Provinces of the Mexican Ilands the other over those of Peru Chile Rio de la Plata and the new Realm of Granada Such scattered pieces as they hold in Guyana Paria and the Caribes with their Forts in Florida being reduced to some of these Of these the Vice Roy of Peru is of greatest power because he hath the nomination of all the Commanders and Officers within his Government which in the other are reserved to the King himself But that of New Spain counted for the better preferment because of its nearness unto Spain in respect of the other the beauties of the City of Mexico and the Civilities of the People For the administration of Justice and ordering the Affairs of the several Provinces there are ten chief Courts from which there lyeth no Appeal that is to say 1 Guadalaiara for Gallicia Nova 2 Mexico for New Spain 3 S. Domingo for the Province of the Ilands 4 Guatimala for the division so named 5 And Panama for Castella Aurea Then for the other Government Quitos Lima and Charcas in the Realm of Peru. 9 Imperiale for Chile 10 S. Foy for the New Realm of Granada From these though no Appeal doth lie in matter of justice yet both from them and the two Vice-Royes an Appeal may lie in affairs of State or point of Grievance And to this end there is a standing Counsel in the Court of Spain which is called the Counsel of the Indies consisting of a President eight Counsellors two Proctors Fiscal which we call the Sollicitors General and two Secretaries besides other Officers to whom it appertaineth to take care of all matters which concern the Government of these Countries to appoint the Vice-Royes to dispose of all the great offices except those of the Government of Peru and spiritual Dignities to appoint Visiters to go into those Provinces for the examining the actions of all Officers hearing the grievances of the People and to displace or punish as they find occasion but with the Kings privity and consent As for the Estates of private men they which hold Lands or Royalties from the Crown of Spain hold them but for life except it be the Marquess of Valsa in New Spain of the race of Cortez after their deaths returning to the King again who gives them commonly to the eldest son or the next of blood but so that they receive it as a mark of his favour and not from any right of theirs And though they have many times attempted to make these Commanderies and Estates hereditarie and offered great summes of money for it both to Charles the fifth and Philip the second yet they could never get it done the Kings most prudently considering that these great Lords having the command of the Estates and Persons of their several Vassals would either grinde them into powder without any remedy or upon any Inquisition into their proceedings take an occasion to revolt Both dangers of no small importance both by this uncertainty of their present Tenure exceeding happily avoided The Revenue which the King receiveth hence is said to be three Millions of Ducats yeerly most of it rising out of the Fifths of the Mines of Gold and silver the rest by Customes upon Manufactures and all sorts of Merchandise and the Acknowledgments reserved upon Lands and Royalty But out of this there goeth great Exits that is to say to the two Vice-Roys 12000 Ducats to the President and Officers of the Counsel of the Indies in Spain 20000 Ducats to the Judges and Officers of the several Courts of Judicature very liberall Pensions to every Arch-bishop and Bishop of which there are 29. in all 2000 Ducats at the least and to some much more to mend their Benefices Then reckoning in the infinite Charges in maintaining Garrisons and entertaining standing Bands both of Horse and Foot in several parts of this Estate and the continual keeping of a strong Armada to conduct his Plate-Fleets to Spain there must be made a great abatement and the sum will bear it For howsoever at the first his Revenues came from hence without any great charge more then the keeping of a few Souldiers to awe the Savages yet after he fell fowl with England and startled the Hollanders to Rebellion he was compelled to fortifie all his Havens and secure his Ports and to maintain a strong Armada at the Sea to Convoy his Treasures Before which time the English as is instanced in several places did so share in his Harvest that they left him scarce enough to pay his Workmen which if they should attempt again upon any breach they would finde it very difficult if not impossible to effect any thing on the Coasts as in former times or indeed any other way but by making themselves too strong for him at Sea and thereby either intercept his Fleets or hinder them from coming to him to supply his needs And so much of the AMERICAN Ilands A TABLE OF The Longitude and Latitude of the chief Towns and Cities mentioned in this Second Part. A Longit. Latit Acapulco 276. 0. 18. 0. Almeria 272. 15. 20. 0. Ancon 321. 0. 6. 20. Anegadas 296. 0. 50. 0. A. S Anna Equitum 318. 10. 27. 30. A. Antigna 330. 20. 16. 10. Antiochia 300. 50. 6. 40. Arica 300. 30. 20. 0. A. Ascension 353. 20. 18. 50. A. Aravalo 298. 10. 1. 30. Acuzamil 286. 30. 19. 0. S. Augustin 293. 0. 29. 50. B Bahama 296. 30. 27. 0. Barbades 322. 0. 13. 0. Bovincas 296. 50. 15. 50. C Campa 351. 40. 62. 50. Cartagena 300. 0. 20. 10. Carthago 299. 30. 3. 10. Caxamalca 298. 30. 11. 30. A. Chessapiake 308. 0. 38. 0. Chiafmetlan 260. 0. 25. 40. Chile 299. 0. 36. 30. A. Colima 267. 20. 19. 50. Collao 300. 0. 16. 0. A. Coquimbo 301. 20. 20. 40. A. Corduba 316. 20. 33. 0. A. Coano 259. 40. 31. Couliacan 266. 30. 27. 0. Cusco 297. 20. 13. 30. A. D Darien 295. 40. 5. 30. Deseada 320. 0. 15. 20. Dominica 359. 40. 14. 0. EF Estade 305. 10. 47. 40. Fernambuc 351. 40. 9. 20. G Gorgona 295. 10. 3. 20. Granada 318. 20. 11. 0. Guajaquil 294. 30. 2. 30. A. Guadalquahol