Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	king_n	pope_n	rome_n	6,182	5	6.7588	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A69788	The history of Poland. vol. 1 in several letters to persons of quality, giving an account of the antient and present state of that kingdom, historical, geographical, physical, political and ecclesiastical ... : with sculptures, and a new map after the best geographers : with several letters relating to physick / by Bern. Connor ... who, in his travels in that country, collected these memoirs from the best authors and his own observations ; publish'd by the care and assistance of Mr. Savage.	Connor, Bernard, 1666?-1698.; Savage, John, 1673-1747.	1698 (1698)	Wing C5888; ESTC R8630	202,052	410

successively for above eight hundred Years But hereafter it is likely to prove otherwise for the Gentry of Poland are so jealous of their own Kings and so covetous to be enrich'd by foreign Princes that probably henceforward they will choose no Native Besides the Pope will undoubtedly always use his utmost Authority and Interest in that Kingdom to get Protestant Princes elected For when I was formerly at Rome I heard the Politicians say that the best method to make the Protestant Princes of the North Roman Catholicks was to elect them successively to the Crown of Poland So that if the Pope sees that the present King of Poland's Children are confirm'd in the Doctrines of the Church of Rome he will doubtless after his Death make the same Endeavours to advance to that Throne either the King of Sweden the Elector of Brandenburg or the Elector of Hanover as he has done in favour of the Elector of Saxony who has been elected to the Crown of Poland not so much by the Power of his Wealth and Credit in the Kingdom as by the Influence of the Clergy privately instigated by the Authority of the Pope This I gather from a Letter sent me last Summer from Warsaw by my Friend Baron Scarlati Envoy Extraordinary at that Court from the Elector of Bavaria Thus my Lord I have given you as large an Account of John the IIId's Life and of what pass'd remarkable at Warsaw in my time as we need perhaps know of so remote a Country or I could my self learn in so short a time as I had the honour to reside at that Prince's Court where I was so much taken up in the Practice of Physick that I had neither Opportunity nor Time to make all the Political Remarks which another perhaps that had nothing else to do but to converse with Courtiers and Ladies might have leisurely done I cannot therefore pretend to give as is usual a Character of the King's Favourites nor of other Great Men about him nor to acquaint your Lordship with the different Cabals and private Intrigues of that numerous Court That were a Subject fitter for a Statesman than for me to write of my Genius and Profession prompting me only to make Observations in Physick and not in State-Affairs I hope therefore your Lordship will excuse the deficiency of this Letter when you consider it was writ by a Physician and one who values himself only upon it in being with all Respect My LORD Your Lordship 's most obedient humble Servant B. C. LETTER V. To the Right Honourable CHARLES Lord Townsend Of the Extent and Products of Poland together with a Description of the chief Towns and Provinces of the Kingdom My LORD I Know your natural Sagacity improv'd so much by your Travels and constant Application to Sciences and Politicks is no less inquisitive after the Extent and Products of Countries than after their Maxims of State and Forms of Government And this I discover'd in your Lordship as well when I met you some years ago in Holland as since your return to England and because you then discours'd me often about my Travels into Poland I thought a Geographical Description of that Country might not be unacceptable to you I must confess I were not long enough in that Kingdom to survey it exactly therefore have taken pains to learn not only from the Natives themselves but also from their correctest Authors an Account of such Parts of that Kingdom which I could not visit my self I must first take notice to your Lordship that the King of Poland's Dominions are divided into two different States which are the Kingdom of Poland and the Great Dutchy of Lithuania The Constitutions Language Customs and Genius of both which Nations are as different as those of England and Scotland except that one Parliament or Diet serves both which must nevertheless have one Session in Lithuania to two in Poland and the Senators and Deputies of each Nation must meet together as well in the Great Dutchy as in the Kingdom for no Law can be legally made without the mutual Consent of both Poland therefore being a distinct Nation of it self I will here as I have promis'd present your Lordship with a short Description of it alone My Lord POLAND when first founded by Lechus in the Year 550 like all other Nations in their minority was but a small Tract of Land in respect of what it afterwards grew to be for at first it contain'd only High and Low Poland with Silesia but in process of time either through Marriages or Conquests it became the largest and most powerful Kingdom in Europe and rais'd as well the Envy as Jealousy of its Neighbours The first Acquisition to this Crown was the Province of Pomerania conquer'd by Lechus by his having kill'd Regulus its Prince Boleslaus Chrobry likewise made Bohemia Russia Moravia and Prussia Tributary But Casimir II. entirely conquer'd all Prussia in the Year 1183 and Casimir the Great subdu'd all Russia in the Year 1338 when Maslaus the Duke of Masovia also submitted to the Polish Crown Some time after Valachia and Moldavia were united to Poland by Conquest and the Great Dutchy of Lithuania added by Jagello's Marriage with Hedwigis Queen of Poland The large and fertile Province of Livonia was conquer'd about the Year 1500 and afterwards the Poles extended their Conquests towards Moscovy when they took the Great Dutchies of Smolensko Severia and Czernicovia and in Vladislaus the VIIth's time conquer'd all that Country They in like manner enlarg'd their Dominions towards the Black Sea for they made themselves Masters of all Vkraina Over and above these vast Conquests the Poles likewise grew very considerable by electing several potent Neighbours for their Kings whereby they added to their own Strength that of Bohemia Hungary Sweden and Transylvania as they have likewise at this juncture that of the Electorate of Saxony In short the Poles in process of time grew so exorbitantly Powerful from the XIIIth to the middle of the XVIIth Century having in their possession all the Lands between Austria Moscovy and the Baltic and Euxine Seas that they gave their Neighbours the Turks Tartars Muscovites Swedes and Germans just reason to grow jealous of them Whereupon these several Potentates at different times made most bloody Wars upon them till by degrees they had brought their Territories to a narrower Compass and made themselves Masters of the greater part of them For the Emperour got from them the several Countries of Hungary Bohemia Transylvania Silesia and Moravia Valachia and Moldavia now chuse Hospodars or Governours of their own tho they are nevertheless Tributary to the Turk The Turks and Tartars are Masters of Podolia and the best part of Vkraina which they over-run in King Michael Korybuth's time and the Muscovites conquer'd the other part of it Kiovia as likewise all the vast Dutchies of Severia Smolensko and Czernicovia The King of Sweden also is now in possession of

about 100000 Captives of which the greatest Part were Russians The Moldavians and Valachians quickly return'd home but the Turks out of covetousness of Plunder stay'd till the great Frosts and Snow surpriz'd 'em when not being us'd to such excessive Cold as this Country is subject to above 40000 of them were frozen to death Some among 'em that escap'd were forc'd to cut open their Horses bellies and thrust themselves into them to preserve their natural Heat After this John Albert made peace with the Valachians and Bajazet Emperour of the Turks Next he went in Person into Prussia to oblige Frederic Duke of Saxony then Great Master of the Teutonic Order to take Oath of Fidelity to him which he had for some time refus'd but dy'd suddenly at Thorn before he could effect his design Albert leaving no Children the Diet thought fit to elect his Brother ALEXANDER Great Duke of Lithuania the better to renew their Alliance with that Country This Prince being proclaim'd King comes to Cracow where by his Brother Frederic Cardinal and Archbishop of Gnesna he was crown'd in the Year 1501 and reign'd only five Years but the Archbishop refus'd to do the like Office for his Queen Helena because she was of the Greek Church being Daughter to John Great Duke of Muscovy which Country are all of that Persuasion Soon after that he was crown'd his Father-in-Law the Great Duke made War upon him and besieg'd the City of Smolensko Capital of a large Province of the same Name but Alexander coming in time to relieve it oblig'd the Muscovite to make Peace for six Years In his time also the Moldavians and Tartars made Irruptions into Poland but were beaten back with great Loss insomuch that 't is said there were kill'd only of the Tartars in that Action near 20000. The King was not in Person at this Victory he then lying sick at Vilna Capital of Lithuania where he dy'd soon after and was buried in that City He was of a middle Stature had a long Visage and black Hair was very strong built but exceeding dull-witted and consequently but a little Talker He exceeded all his Brothers in Generosity and was wont to delight much in Musicians and such trifling Artists Nevertheless this his Liberality was generally esteem'd but Prodigality insomuch that some were so hold as to say That he dy'd in time or else both Poland and Lithuania might have been lavish'd away To prevent the like pernicious Generosity for the future the Diet made a Law calling it Statutum Alexandrinum by which they revok'd all this King 's profuse Gifts Alexander leaving no Children and but two Brothers the Archbishop of Gnesna dying before him SIGISMUND was preferr'd to Vladislaus King of Hungary and Bohemia either because the Gentry were more affected to him being bred among 'em or by reason they were afraid of Vladislaus's great Power He was elected at Petricovia in the Year 1507 and reign'd forty one Years When Sigismund left his Government of Lithuania to come into Poland he substituted one Glinski a great ●●avourite of the late King 's in his room This Palatin having great Authority among the Lithuanians became so ambitious as to think of making himself Absolute which concealing for a good while at length he agreed with Basilius Great Duke of Muscovy to allow him his share of that Province in case he would afford him his Assistance which Proposal the Great Duke being pleas'd with readily consented to and with all Expedition dispatch'd away an Army to Glinski but as such great Designs are not to be carried on without great Noise and Suspicions Sigismund came soon to hear of this treacherous Enterprize whereupon drawing up all his Forces to oppose the intended Invasion he meets and defeats their Army ravages and destroys their Country and at last obliges them to sue for Peace which he not without some difficulty granted Afterwards the Valachians and Tartars making Incursions into Russia and Poland he forces them to return home with great Loss The Muscovites likewise making War upon him a second time and taking the City of Smolensko with all the Country about it he beat their Armies in several Engagements and having kill'd in all above 30000 of their Men retook Smolensko and made 'em accept of a Peace the second time for five Years He soon after married Buona Sforza Daughter to John Galeatio Duke of Milan Afterwards he made War with the Knights of the Teutonic Order the reason of which was because Albert Marquess of Brandenburgh his Sister's Son and then Great Master refus'd to take an Oath as it was agreed in the late Wars Hereupon Sigismund took from him some Towns and had great Advantages over him in several Engagements but however Albert having considerable Succors sent him from Germany prolong'd the War for a good while in Prussia About this time Martin Luther's Doctrine came to be known in these Parts and most of the Citizens of Dantzic embrac'd it for which at first the King was very severe with them but at length fearing that to preserve their Religion they might side with the Teutonic Order against him he granted them Liberty of Conscience All this while that Order made vigorous Resistance and with equal Loss on both sides fatigu'd the Polish Army till at last it was agreed by both Parties to make the Emperor Charles V. and Lewis King of Hungary Arbitrators who determin'd that Sigismund should relinquish to the Marquess of Brandenburg all the Eastern part of Prussia which is above half of that great Province and that he and his Heirs should for ever enjoy it as they have actually done ever since without any disturbance from Sigismund but the Marquess of Brandenburg as Duke of Prussia for himself and his Heirs was to take an Oath of Fidelity to the Kings of Poland and to send to their Service every Year in time of War a hundred Horse ready equipt which those Kings were to maintain at their own Charges from the time they went out of Prussia At this time the House of Austria was not a little jealous of the exorbitant Power and vast Dominions of the Family of Jagello for not only Sigismund possess'd Poland the great Dutchies of Lithuania Smolensko and Severia and likewise all the Countries between the Euxine and Baltic Seas but also his Nephew Lewis Son of Vladislaus was King of Hungary Bohemia and Silesia insomuch that they secretly rais'd several Enemies against them whereupon the Muscovites Moldavians and Tartars came a third time to molest Poland but were forc'd to withdraw after having done some Mischief About this time Solyman the Great Emperor of the Turks made War with Hungary and gain'd the famous Battel of Mobac where King Lewis and the flower of his Army were slain and the better part of Hungary subjected to the Turk This King Lewis left only one Daughter which was

Parts of the Body desir'd to know what was properly Death The School Divinity maintains that Death was a Separation of the rational Soul from the Body I own'd indeed that in Death the Soul was actually separated from the Body but I could not allow that that Separation was the cause of Death but that the Death of the Body was the Cessation of the Motion of the Heart of the Blood and of the Spirits which Cessation could not proceed from the Separation of the Soul since these don't at all depend upon it as I proved before but it was occasion'd by some Defects in the Organs and Fluids of the Body which losing their due Disposition and their mutual Correspondence with one another all their Actions cease which Cessation is properly called Death so that the Soul finding them incapable of receiving its Influence and of obeying its Commands quits the Body after it is dead by which it appears that the Separation of the Soul is not properly the Cause of Death but that the Death of the Body is the cause of the Separation The King himself illustrated this Opinion with a familiar Example of an Organ and an Organist While the Organs were in their due order and symetry the Organist play'd upon them but when by length of time they were either broke used too much or any other way quite put out of Tune he leaves off playing on them This Discourse my Lord held from three of the Clock till seven and the Divines were extreamly warm in it and some of them had the boldness to tell the King that his Majesty should not suffer such Heretical Opinions as they called them to be introduc'd before such a great Assembly contrary to the receiv'd Doctrine of the Church This Discourse caused a great many other Matters to be talk'd on of which it would be too long to inform your Lordship By this you may plainly see how fond the Divines are of their old Opinions relying upon the Doctrine of Aristotle whom we can't suppose to be so throughly acquainted with the Structure Springs and Motions of the Humane Body nor indeed with all other Natural Causes as the Modern Physicians are yet it is the Policy of the Divines not only in Poland but in Spain Italy and in most other Countries where their Power is very great not to let any Opinions creep in among them that would seem to contradict those of Aristotle for having built their Systems of Divinity upon the Principles of this Pagan Philosopher they are justly afraid that if Experience and Reason should shake the Foundation the Superstructure would fall to the Ground as doubtless it would for the most part This King built several fine Houses both in Russia and other parts of the Kingdom particularly three Miles from Warsaw a neat Country House call'd Villa Nova very richly furnished He has had several Natural Children but took no care of any of them for it is not customary in Poland to have that Consideration for them as there is in other Countries but he left vast Riches to his Lawful Children and made a Motion in the Diet five or six Years before he died to settle the Succession on one of them He told the Assembly of the Disorders that usually happened in Elections after the King's Death that the Turks and the Tartars took then Opportunities to make Inroads into the Country and ravage all before them that the Nobility of the Kingdom were generally divided headed by Factions and biass'd by Self-interest against the publick Good of their Country and that he himself would be glad to prevent all those dangerous Broils before he died out of the Love he bore to his Country and Subjects But the Diet finding that his private Design was to get one of his Sons elected answered That they hoped that his Majesty would live yet a long while that it was necessary to take a long time to consider of a Matter of that great moment which the King seeing it was a civil way of refusing to enter upon that Subject never after intimated any thing to them like it but took all possible care to enrich his Children in case none of them should be elected after his Death It was exactly computed to me that he laid up every Year for above twenty Years 100000 l. Sterl which he left partly in Bankers Hands at Dantzick Hamburgh and Amsterdam and put the rest into the hands of the Jews who are very numerous in that Kingdom to trade with it besides he bought great Territories in the Kingdom tho it is against the Constitution so that his three Sons James Alexander and Constantino if they manage their Affairs right may be worth each above 50000 l. Sterling per Annum for it is the Law in Poland to divide equally the Estate among the Children The Queen was but ten or twelve Years of Age when she together with the present Duke of Gordon's Aunt afterwards married to Count Morstin great Treasurer of Poland came from France into this Kingdom with Ladislaus King of Poland's Queen who made them both her Maids of Honour and took great care of Madamoiselle d' Arquien being very ingenious and beautiful She got her married first to Prince Zamoiski who soon left her a Widow with a Jointure of about 2000 l. a Year she was afterwards married in Casimir's Reign to John Sobieski then Captain of the Guards who was not very willing to marry her until the King promis'd that he would give him considerable Places which he accordingly did by the Instigation of the Queen for he made him Great Marshal and Great General of Poland which gave him Authority and Interest enough to make himself afterwards King and her Queen so that this Marriage was the occasion of his Rise in the World which he was so sensible of that he refus'd to be divorced from her as the Diet would have perswaded him to do after his Election The Queen is now about fifty four Years of Age tho she appears not to be forty she goes in the French Dress as all the Polish Ladies do she speaks almost naturally the Polish Tongue which with lier sweet Temper refin'd Sense and majestick Air gain'd her such Affection with the Poles such Influence over the King and such Interest always in the Diet that she manag'd all with a great deal of Prudence and that to the advantage of her native Country France whose Interest she generally espous'd upon most occasions during the King's Life which was believ'd to be the Cause that he did not carry on the War with vigour these late years against the Turks and Tartars She maintain'd at her Court her Father Cardinal D' Arquien and her Brother Count Maligny who had but a very small Estate of their own She has two Sisters one is the Widow of the late Count Bethune who was Ambassador from France in Poland and afterwards dy'd in his Embassy in

thinks and think what he pleases without any Fear of the King After the King's Death Cardinal Radziouski Archbishop of Gnesna and Primate of the Kingdom took the Administration of the Government as is usual upon him and notify'd the King's Death to foreign Princes and to all the Governours of the Provinces and advis'd with the Senators that were then at Warsaw of the proper Method and fit Time to ohoose a new King They fix'd upon the 29th of August 1696 for the Convocation of the Grand Diet but there appearing several Competitors which made powerful Factions it was thought necessary to take more time to appease the Dissensions of the Nobility Wherefore the Overture of the Diet was deferr'd to the 15th of May 1697. They chose the Sieur Belinski for their Speaker whom they call their Marshal The chief Competitors were at first Prince James of Poland and his Brother Prince Alexander the Prince of Conti Don Livio Odeschalchi and Prince Lewis of Baden but at last the Elector of Saxony unexpectedly came to the Frontiers of Poland with 8000 Men and declar'd himself Candidate having a twelve-month before privately abjur'd his Religion to qualify himself for this Crown which procur'd him the Interest of the Pope and Clergy So that at length no considerable Party appear'd but for him the Prince of Conti and Prince James The Cardinal Primate with a great Number of the Palatins supported with all their Interest the Prince of Conti the French having for several years before as I observ'd when I was in that Kingdom given a great Character of his Merit and Valour which made the King of France believe that he would undoubtedly carry that Crown against all Opposers as it is probable he would have done had he been in Person as near the Place of Election as the Elector of Saxony was For on the 26th of June being the day of Election the Diet drew out into the Field and he had that day more Votes than either the Elector of Saxony or Prince James which the Primate observing went with his Party and immediately proclaim'd him King but the two other Parties knowing this could not be legally done without the universal Consent of the Diet protested against it as Illegal and Prince James perceiving his Party to be the weakest and having always been in the Interest of the House of Austria as being marry'd to the Empress and Queen of Spain's Sister resign'd all his Interest to the Elector of Saxony who was likewise supported by the Emperour These two Parties being thus united into one were more numerous than that of the Prince of Conti Wherefore coming next day into the field they got the Bishop of Cujavia after the Primate had refus'd it to proclaim FREDERIC AUGUSTUS Elector of Saxony King of Poland and sent Embassadors to acquaint him therewith and to desire him to accept of the Crown All this while the Primate and Prince of Conti's Party stood firm to the first Election and dispatch'd Couriers into France to desire that Prince to come with all speed into Poland The Generals of the Army were divided Count Jablonowski Great General of the Kingdom declar'd for the Elector of Saxony Prince Sapieha Great General of Lithuania seem'd to favour the Prince of Conti but the Governour of Cracow being for the Elector of Saxony invited him and his Army to take possession of that capital City where he was crown'd the 15th of September following which did extreamly facilitate the good Success he has since had in that Kingdom For tho the Primate and many other considerable Persons did insist on the pretended Legality of their Election tho the Prince of Conti himself came in Person to Dantzic with a Fleet vast Sums of Money and some disciplin'd Troops tho the French Embassador Monsieur de Polignac had manag'd a good part of the Army and a great many of the Senators with great Art and Policy tho the Turks and Tartars threatned an Invasion to support his Election and tho the Hungarians made an Insurrection in their Country to divert the Saxon Forces yet the Poles seeing the Elector of Saxony was actually Crown'd that he was in possession of the Metropolis Cracow the strongest Town in Poland that 8000 of his disciplin'd Troops were in the Kingdom that the major part of the Army had declar'd for him and that the Czar of Muscovy threatned an Invasion if they persisted to support the Prince of Conti they thought it more advisable to quit his Interest than to give occasion for a Civil War for I have often heard them say That Kings were easy enough to be had without shedding Blood for any and that they were easily depos'd if they usurp'd any greater Authority than the Laws allow'd And therefore they think it more prudent after having sufficiently empty'd the Candidates Pockets to declare for the first of them that joins his Party and appears in Arms since he is deem'd qualify'd than to expose their Country to ruin and devastation by adhering to an illegal Election of which the success is always doubtful for by their Constitution no Election can be really lawful nor any Law can be legally made without the universal Consent of the Lords and Commons of both States Poland and Lithuania assembl'd in Parliament The Prince of Conti having full Intelligence of the Posture of Affairs in Poland did not think it politick to conside any longer in the Promises of the Great Men who in that Country are naturally sickle and biass'd more to their own Interest than any Inclination they have to serve any Prince for they have no other Notion of Princes than of Tools to raise their own Fortune by Wherefore this Prince foreseeing no probability of success the Town of Dantzic having declar'd for the Elector of Saxony he thought it more prudent timely to quit his Pretensions by sailing back into France than to expose his Reputation by being forc'd to retire when the New King's Authority was more confirm'd as it is look'd upon to be at present King Frederick Augustus the IId being thus left in sole Possession of the Kingdom is likely to restore the decaying State thereof for having large hereditary Dominions of his own out of which he can have both Men and Money and being likewise naturally animated with a martial Spirit and moreover King over a most Warlike Nation which is at present in league against the Infidels with the Emperour Muscovites Pope and Venetians He has opportunity sufficient to enlarge that Kingdom and extend it to its antient Bounds the Euxine Sea by retaking Caminiec and the Vkrain I may here take notice that this is the first time the Poles have elected a German Prince and likewise the first that they have excluded their King's Son for from the Year 550 when this Monarchy began to this present Election the King's Children have been always chosen and the Crown tho elective has been in the same Family