Selected quad for the lemma: state_n
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A90698
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The present state of Denmark and reflections upon the ancient state thereof. Together with a particular account of the birth, education, martial atchievements and brave performances of His Royal Highness Prince George, only brother of His present Majesty of Denmark. / By G. Pierreville Gent. Secretary to the King's Minister at the Court of Denmark.
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Pierreville, Gideon.
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1683
(1683)
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Wing P2212A; ESTC R203183
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58,876
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158
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Denmark's Governour Gottorp a strong Castle of the Duke of Slyvicks at the end of a large Inlet of the Baltick remarkable for the Toll-Booth at which Toll is paid one year with another for 50000 Oxen transported out of North Juitland into Germany Seswick the principal Town of this Province an Episcopal See and the Head of a Dukedom When Christian Earl of Oldenburgh was chosen King of Denmark the Dukedom of Holstein became part of that Kingdom Yet so that the Kings of Denmark were reckoned Princes of the Empire as Dukes of Holstein tho not obliged to repair to any Dyet Afterwards the title of Duke of Holstein with a considerable part of the Country was given to Adolph Christian the third brother who Governed it interchangeably with his Brother by turns Upon the decease of this Duke and his Issue-Male the title was conferred on Vlric King Christian the Fourth's Brother Since his daies there have been several Houses of the Dukes of Holstein as has been before shown amongst whom the Duke of Holstein Gottorp is chief and challenges the same power in governing and administring of Justice as was at first conferred upon Duke Adolph King Christian the 3's Brother In the late Wars the King of Denmark forced the present Duke of Gottorp to quit his Dukedom and abandon all Holstein to his Majesties possession But at the signing of the Treaty between the Kings of France Denmark and Sweden at Fontainbleu Sept. 2. 1679. the Danish Ministers promised their Master should at the desire of his most Christian Majesty restore to the said Duke all his Countrys Towns and Places in the same State they were at the signing of the Treaty with all the Soveraignty that belonged to him by vertue of the Treaties of Rosehild Copenhagen and Westphalia The Duke expected besides being restored to his Countries some recompence for the damage his Territories had suffered during the War by the vast sums of Money which the King of Denmark had raised therein as being one of the best Countries in all the North or at least to have had back the Cannon being 100 excellent brass pieces But his expectations in this point were not answered North Juitland hath on the South the Dukedom of Sleswick but surrounded by all other parts by the Sea is divided into 4 Diocesses or Districts that of Rip or Ripen containing 30 Prefectures or Here as they use to call them seven Cities 〈◊〉 walled Towns and ten Castles 2. That of Arhusen lying on the North of Ripen and more towards the Baltick containing 31 Herets or Prefectures 7 Cities or walled Towns 5 Castles and the Islands of Sumsoe Hiolim Tuecen Hiance◠Hilgenes and others 3. That of Wiburg on the North of Arhusen containing 16 Herets the Islands of Jegen 2. Hansholm 3. Ostholm 4. Cisland 5. Egholm 6. Bodum Three Citys or walled Towns and as many Castles the principal whereof is Wiborch an Episcopal See the ordinary seat of Judicature for both the Juitlands 4. That of Alburg or Vandalia which is subdivided into four parts as 1. Thyland whose chief Town is Alborch the Bishop of Vandalia's usual Seat and Residence 2. Morsce containing three Herets the Town of Nicoping the Castle of Lunsted and the Isle of Ageroe 3. Hanheret containing four Herets the Town of Thystad a kind of University the Castle of Orum and the Islands of Oland and Oxholm In this District standeth the Rock called Skaringclint serving for a Sea Mark to prevent Mariners running against the Quick-sands which lye about this Coast 4. Wensyssel Vensilia or Wenslie containeth six Herets or Prefectures The Islands of Grosholm of Hertshorn and Tidesholm one Castle and three Towns the most remarkable of which is Scagen standing at the utmost Promontory or most Northerly Point of all this Chersonese being notorious for the Shipwrack of many Ships of all Nations Zealand the largest fairest and most fertil Island in the Baltick Sea lies East of Juitland from which separated by an arm of the Sea called the Belt and West of Schonen from which it is parted by a fresh River not above a Dutch Mile in breadth commonly called by the name of the Sund or Sound This Island being about twelve German Miles broad and eighteen long It was anciently called Codanonia which signifies the same thing as the modern words Danes or Denmark Many of the Danish Etymologists derive Seeland from Sordland or Seedland from the abundance of Corn which this Country affords Others with greater Probability make the word signifie no more than an Island or parcel of Ground encompassed with the Sea This Island containeth 15 Cities or Walled Towns the principal whereof are Copenhagen the Metropolis of this Island and of the whole Kingdom of Denmark which is seated on the East Part of Zealand upon the Sea shore The Danes call it Kiobenhaun and the Germans Copenharen both which words are corruptions of Kiobm inshaven or the Kaven of Merchants The Town is of an Orbicular form and very well fortified since the War in 1659. with the Swedes having an Arcenal which perhaps excels any thing of that kind in Europe In the Arcenal is kept a Coach with springs by which means it goes as if it were of it self and of its own movement but the Artifice of this Work depends on two men hidden under a covering in the Coach of whom the one turned the Wheels which pushed it on and the other guided it by the means of a Rudder in the Head Its Cathedral Church dedicated to St. Mary is beautified with a noble Copper Spire built at the charges of King Christian the Fourth The Advowsance of this Church belongs to the Professors in the Universitie which was founded by Ericus the Ninth but perfected by King Christian the First by him and the succeeding Princes liberally endowed The City is Governed by four Burgo-masters one whereof is Regent or President for his life This Honour is conferred at present on that deserving and learned Person P. John Resenius Professour of Moral Phylosophy in the University at Copenhagen and Counsellour to the present King of Denmark Amongst the Ornaments of the Town are the Market-place which is exceeding spacious the King's Palace all covered with Copper standing in an Island wherein is kept a Ship of Ivory wholly fitted whereof the Tackling Sails and Cannons were entirely of Ivory being an extraordinary fine piece of Manufacture The Observatory or Runde Toorn which is very remarkable and especially for the fashion of its Stair-case if we may call it so which is nothing but a Pavement which mount singeniously without Steps and it is so very broad a Coach may easily go up to the top and there too it has room enough to turn in This Tower was built on purpose for the use of Astronomers and out of it you go into a fine Library which stands on the side of the Tower There is Marks of the Siege to be seen which the Swedes laid to this City amongst others
the yearly Revenue of the King of Denmark which arises from the Rents of Crown Lands Customes and Custome Money Tiths and other Contingencies some guesse may be made of it from the Customes which are paid by the Merchant-Ships which pass the Sound every day Every Ship that passes by Elseneur must pay a Rose-Noble or Four Rix-Dollars for every Mast And it has been observed that commonly Two hundred Ships often Four hundred nay Six hundred pass in one day Now allowing only 200 to pass daily and each pay two Rose Nobles or eight Rix-Dollars for two Masts the Sum will Amount to about Four hundred Pounds of our Money for every day in the year round and for the whole year to about 134400 Pounds And the Tax which is paid for such Cattel as are Exported does not fall much short of this the Customers Exacting a Rix-Dollar for every Beast that goes out of their Kings Dominions The chief strength of the King of Denmark consists in the Number and goodness of his Ships and Seamen And indeed the Danish Mariners may vye with the best of Europe which formerly Rendred them not only particularly succesful by Sea but also in their Engagements with the Sweeds in the last Wars The Naval Forces of the Crown of Denmark were even formerly so considerable as that Christian the Second fitted out a hundred good Men of War for the Succour of Henry the Second the French King against the English Nevertheless this present King has a much larger Fleet of his own alwaies ready for Action And here I cannot forbear taking Notice of the Bravery and Vigour of our Nation that was able to carry on a War with Glory and Fight with success three such Powers confederated together as his most Christian Majesty the King of Denmark and the States General of the United Provinces nay in so Mortifying a Conjuncture as when the Burning of London and the Desolation of the Plague would have enervated any other than English Courages disconcerted their measures and constrain'd 'em to have complyed with dishonourable Terms But to return I will here insert a List of such Men of War of the King of Denmark as I could get the List off  Guns Men. Sophia Amalia 106. 650. Prince Christian 80. 600. Droning Charlotte 60. 500. Prince Charlotte 60. 500. Prince George 80. 550. Fur. Prince 80. 500. Princess Amalies 60. 500. Three Crowns 80. 500. Northern Lion 60. 400. Three Foldigherds 60. 450. Swan 60. 450. Three Lions 70. 400. Victory 54. 350. Lindworm 48. 300. Nettle Leave 54. 300. Oldenburg 48. 250. Spen. 50. 300. Black Horseman 50. 300. Guldenlieu 54. 300. Hope 48. 250. Delmenhorst 44. 250. Copenhagen 40. 250. Black Bear 36. 200. Feroe 40. 200. Christianus Quartus 54. 300. Frederick 3 d. 54. 300. Venus 36. 200. Lobster 36. 200. Goldenfish 20. 100. The Virgin 28. 100. Wildman 18. 20. Flyin◠Hart. 20. 100. Lubeck   The Hunter 20. 100. With many others whereof I cannot at present call to mind the Names The Danish Men of War now are Built much fitter for Service than they were formerly being neither so Large so Bulky nor so unweildy as they were in the foregoing Ages but readier either to Attack Fly or Pursue No Prince in Christendom is better Furnished with all things necessary for the fitting out a Fleet Norway and his other Territories affording him all the Equipage requisite for that purpose He is also pretty well stored with Sea-men and indeed all his Dominions being Islands or Maritime Provinces the Inhabitants are almost Naturally Mariners Nevertheless this Monarch is sometimes forced to have recourse to strangers for Recruits of Men the Northern Countreys not abounding so in People as they did in former times when they Spawn'd and poured forth such shoales as over ran not only most parts of Europe but continued their Incursions into Asia But whether this be imputed to the Abolishing of Poligamy which the Introducing Christianity did reform or that the prevailing of Luxury has debilitated their pristine Vigour and rendred them the less fit for generation certain it is that no parts of Europe are now so thin of Inhabitants as these Northern Regions and that the King of Denmark has not People enough to Man out so many Ships He would be otherwise capable to fit out For without Exhausting or Impoverishing his Coffers He is able to Build Twelve Men of War every year And considering the Scarcity of Men His Land Forces are much more considerable and better Martialized than they have been under some of His latest Predecessors But before I proceed to particularize them it will be convenient to set down the Names of the Principal Officers of the Fleet. Henery Bielek Lord High Admiral Niels Juel General Admiral Monsieur Vlgerwindt Vice Admiral Monsieur Rodenstein Rere-Admiral Mr. Seastidt also Rere-Admiral and Commissioner General of the Holm The standing Army of the King of Denmark consists of the Guards du Corps of the Kings Queens and Queen Mother and of a Company of reformed Officers all Gentlemen who in Buff-Coats with Embroidered Sleeves attend upon the King at Court and upon all great Solemnities with gilt Partizans Feathers in their Hats resembling much the Band of our Gentlemen Pensioners Of the following Regiments with the Officers and Major-Generals having their Quarters as is here set down Zealand Schack Governour of Copenhagen Collonel of a Regiment of Foot Marsaack of Horse Van Osten Collonel of a Regiment of Foot Funen Van Asken Infantry Juitland Leventzo Cavalry Laland Merherin Cavalry Norway Duncam Cavalry Degenfelt Infantry Leyenhielm Infantry Baron Wallis Collonel of the Kings Regiment Schonburg of the Queens Meldrum Prince Fredericks Fox Prince Christians Major Genereral Schack Prince Georges General Weddell Jutland Petto Zealand Rissel Funen Frizen Holstein With some others whereof we have not the Names there being daily Changes made in reforming some and raising others making up in all a Body of about 30000 Men. The Kingdom of Denmark since the Reformation made in that State in the year 1660 hath a Perogative of as large extent as any Monarch in Christendom having Power without consulting the States or his Senate to Declare War make Peace send and receive Ambassadors make Leagues and Treaties with any Foreign States Issue out Commissions for the Raising of Men both by Sea and Land dispose of all Castles Fortresses Ports Havens Ships of War Magazines Ammunition and publick Moneys appoint the Mettal Weight Purity and Value thereof and by His Order can make any Foreign Coyn to be the currant Money of Denmark He can by his Letters Patent Erect New Districts Bishopricks Vniversities Cities Burroughs Colledges Hospitals Schools Fairs Markets Courts of Justice Forrests Chases Free-Warrens He can Enfranchise an Alien and render him a Denison Enabling him to purchase Houses and Lands and bear Offices He can also lay what Taxes he thinks fitting upon ihs Subjects without the previous consent of the States or Senate Rating it District