have one very great Grievance which is that they are oblig'd to serve in the Pospolite Ruszanie or General Muster of the Militia at their own Charges How the Polish Gentry came by all these Privileges it may not be here improper to enquire since it is certain that formerly they were not much better than Slaves For to pass by many other Examples Cromerus says they were once oblig'd to keep the King's Dogs The first Glimpse of their Liberty may reasonably be ascrib'd to the Privileges granted the Clergy by Boleslaus the Chast but afterwards when Poland began to be harrass'd by Civil Wars the Gentry obtain'd many larger Privileges from their Kings and which they have since always taken Care to get augmented at every new Election All the Gentry of Poland are equal by Birth notwithstanding some of the meaner Sort send their Children to serve the Great Men as other Servants and this principally to learn Breeding and to be kept in Awe yet may that very same Servant have as good a Vote in the Diet as his Master They neither value nor care for Titles of Honour for they think the greatest they can have is to be a Noble Pole or Gentleman of Poland Neither the King nor Republick gives any Title of Prince Duke Marquess Count Vicount Baron or Knight to any of the free-born of the Nation thinking I suppose that none can be any ways rais'd above another by a bare exteriour Denomination which argues more the Favour of the Prince than Merit of the Person preferr'd but rather by their Services in the Offices and Employments which they enjoy There are no Princes of the Kingdom but those which are of the Royal Family for altho some of the Poles have been made Princes of the Empire by the Emperour as Prince Lubomirski c. Yet it gives them no Precedence in Poland but rather renders them odious and despis'd by the rest of the Gentry who cannot endure that any should pretend to any Superiority among them especially by a Title which is not annex'd to some Employment in the Nation King Sigismund III. thought of establishing an Order of Knighthood of the Immaculate Conception in Poland and had effectually created several Knights thereof allowing them certain Privileges and a Superiority above others but these were so despis'd and undervalu'd by the rest of the Gentry that scarce any one afterwards car'd for that up-start Honour whereupon that Order soon dwindled into nothing The Poles have a Proverb to prove their Equality which is That they are measur'd like a Bushel of Corn that is whenever any one pretends to rise but a Grain above the Level he is immediately struck off and ridicul'd There are some Gentlemen in Poland that have had Dutchies time out of mind annex'd to their Estates as Duke Radzivil in Lithuania c. But there are no Dutchies or Counties created by the King Tho the Poles in their own Country have no Honorary Titles above a Gentleman yet several have been known to have usurp'd them when they have travell'd into France Italy and Germany for they there frequently assume those of Counts to themselves in like manner as the Germans in foreign Countries do those of Barons for nothing is more common than Monsieur le Conte Malakowski Il Signior Conde Potoski Mynheer Graff Jablonowski c. And this they do to be the more easily admitted into Company especially in Germany where 't is scarce thought that any body can be a Gentleman under a Baron and consequently not fit for Conversation Dr. Connor likewise says he has known some of our English Gentry in these Countries that have not scrupul'd to call themselves Lords to procure them the greater Respect since they saw that the Title of Gentleman alone was not regarded there The Gentry of Poland make and defend their own Laws and Liberties elect their King with all manner of Freedom give him the Crown and Scepter appoint Ministers to counsel and instruct him and their Number far exceeding that of the Senate they easily keep the King and Senators in their Duty and threaten both very often especially in the Diet where each Member has a Liberty to speak what he thinks and to think what he pleases 'T is they that despute the Nuncios out of themselves for every Province to meet and sit in the General Diet with full Instructions and absolute Power not to consent to any Proceedings which should in the least entrench on their Privileges or if such Deputies should happen to be brib'd to act contrary to their Instructions then have the Gentry of the Province whence they were sent a free Authority to punish them for so doing Not only these excessive Privileges make the Polish Gentry Powerful and Great but likewise the vast Territories which a great Number of them enjoy with a Despotick Power over their Subjects for some possess Five some Ten some Fifteen some Twenty nay some Thirty Leagues of Land out right whereon they have always their several Pod-Starostas or Gentlemen-Stewards residing who are to take Account of their Revenues to sell some things and to send the rest to their Masters Houses to defray the Exigencies of the Family Some also are Hereditary Sovereigns of Cities which the King has nothing to do with and one of the Princes Lubomirski possesses above Four Thousand Cities Towns and Villages Moreover some can raise an Army of Five Six Eight and Ten Thousand Men and maintain them at their own Charges when they have done Dr. Connor says Prince Lubomirski had actually Seven Thousand Horse Foot and Dragoons in Pay when he was in Poland All the Gentry of Note live most splendidly They have all their Horse and Foot Guards which keep Centry Night and Day at the Gates of their Houses they call them Courts and in their Anti-Chambers These Guards go before and after their Masters Coaches in the Streets But above all these Noblemen make an extraordinary Figure at the General Diets where some have Three Hundred some Five and some a Thousand Guards always attending them Nay Hauteville says that formerly some Great Persons have been known to come to the Diet with above Ten Thousand Men. They esteem themselves not only equal but also above the Princes of Germany especially such among them as are Senators 'T is certain they want nothing to be as so many Sovereign Princes except the Liberty of coining Money which the Republick has reserv'd wholly to it self The Doctor says he has no where seen Subjects live with such excessive Grandeur and Splendour for these Great Men when they go to Dinner or Supper have always their Trumpets sounding and a great Number of Gentry to wait on them at Table some whereof carve some give to drink others reach Plates and all serve with extraordinary Respect and Submission for tho all the Gentry in Poland are equal and have all their free Votes in the Diet yet
Frederic Augustus the Present King of POLAND The History of POLAND IN Several LETTERS to Persons of Quality Giving an Account of the Present State of that Kingdom VIZ. Historical Political Physical and Ecclesiastical The Form of Government The King's Power Court and Revenues The Senate Senators and other Officers The Religion Diet and little Diets with other Assemblies and Courts of Justice The Inter-regnum Election and Coronation of a King and Queen with all the Ceremonies The present Condition of the Gentry and Commonalty as likewise The Genius Characters Languages Customs Manners Military Affairs Trade and Riches of the Poles Together with an Account of the City of Dantzic The Origin Progress and Present State of the Teutonic Order and the Successions of all its Great Masters Likewise The Present State of Learning Natural Knowledge Practice of Physick and Diseales in Poland And lastly A Succinct Description of the Dutchy of Curland and the Livonian Order with a Series of the several Dukes and Provincial Masters To this is also added A Table for each Volume And a Sculpture of the Diet in Session With some Memoirs from Baron Blomberg VOL. II. By BERNARD CONNOR M. D. Fellow of the Royal Society and Member of the College of Physicians who in his Travels in that Country Collected these Memoirs from the best Authors and his own Observations Compos'd and Publish'd by â—ir SAVAGE LONDON Printed for Daâ— Brown without Templ-Bar ' and A. Roper and T. Leigh both in Il et-street 1698. D R. CONNOR ' S PREFACE IN my PREFACE to the First Volume of this Historical Relation of POLAND I have mention'd my Incapacity for Matters of this Nature both because I was only Twelve Months in that Kingdom and because I have no Talent or Genius for History I thought Writing it by way of LETTERS in Imitation of some of our Neighbours would be more easie to my self and more acceptable to the Publick I am proud to have this happy Occasion of giving the Honourable Persons I write to so publick a Testimony of my Respects I am sorry in the same time I cannot have Leisure to honour my self in writing to the Noble Persons mention'd in the Second Volume as I have had in the First I follow a Profession so remote from HISTORY particularly a Polish one that it neither allows me Time nor leaves me any Inclination to attend any other Business I hope notwithstanding the Persons I promis'd to write to will be pleas'd to excuse me for not being able to keep my Word to them as I flatter'd my self I could since the ingenious Gentleman I desir'd to undertake this Work will give them the same Satisfaction he having already assisted me in my First Volume and having had all my Memoirs for this Second THE Antient and Present STATE OF POLAND PART II. The Present State LETTER I. To His Grace THOMAS Lord Archbishop of Canterbury Of the Form of the Government in Poland and of the King's Power Court and Revenues My LORD THAT high Station wherewith the King has Recompenc'd Your Merits and the great Trust His Majesty has reposed in Your GRACE during his Absence shews his Confidence in Your Ability as well to Govern the State as the Church Since therefore being lately Invested with a share of the Regal Authority you had occasion to know more intimately Our King's Power and Prerogatives I thought my self oblig'd to give Your GRACE an Account of those of the King of Poland to the end that comparing both together you might more sensibly perceive the Excellency of our Own Constitution which makes the Greatness of the King inseparable from the Interest of the People For when the Executive Power is as vigilant to see our Laws obey'd as the Legislative has been provident in making them England can justly boast of a much greater Happiness than either Poland or any other Kingdom of Europe Having My LORD not been a full Twelve Month at the late King of Poland's Court I cannot pretend to be throughly acquainted with that Kingdom yet I find that like most other Countries it has undergone several Changes in its Constitution since the middle of the VIth Century at which time it began to be a distinct Nation during the Reigns of the two great Houses of Piastus and Jagello Ever since the time of Lechus its Founder the Kings thereof have been Elected to the Crown after an Hereditary manner tho' not by an Hereditary Title They have really been Absolute and their Will went for a Law for then they made Peace and War when they pleas'd Levied as many Troops as they thought fit Punish'd or Pardon'd at Pleasure and Rewarded where they saw Convenient And all the Administration either of Public or Private Affairs was so wholly lodg'd in the King's Hands that I have heard the Poles themselves say That Sigismund II. the last King of the Jagellonic Family was to the full as Absolute as either the King of France or Denmark is now Whilst the Kings of Poland thus maintained a Supream Power over their Subjects they exceedingly enlarged their Dominions were both fear'd Abroad and belov'd at Home Commanded Potent and Numerous Armies into the Field Executed most Enterprizes speedily and were almost always sure of Success and this because they did not then as now depend upon the lingering Determination and tedious Conclusions of a Turbulent Diet. But the Family of Jagello being once Extinct by the Death of Sigismund II. who had resign'd his Kingdom to the Senate and Polish Gentry and given them full Power and Authority to dispose thereof as they thought fit the Crown of Poland was anew declared Elective to the end that all the Princes of Christendom who had due Merits and Qualifications might have a Right to Aspire thereunto This gave occasion to most of the Princes of Europe ever since to Court the Polish Nobility after their King's Death And that either to get the succeeding Election determined in their own Favour or else to have some of their Friends Advanced to that great Dignity but this most commonly rather with regard to their own private Interests than out of any Respect to the Person they desired to Promote as the Houses of Austria and Bourbon have always practis'd The Gentry of Poland therefore observing that several Princes at a time always Aspir'd to their Crown and considering that not one of them had more Right than the rest as likewise that it lay altogether in their Power to choose whom they pleased resolved Unanimously to Elect none but such as should Condescend nay Swear to observe the Terms and Conditions they proposed Hereby the Poles by degrees have clip'd and limited the Antient Power of their Kings and have reduc'd them to the Bounds we now find them to have that is barely to a third Part of the Grand Diet For the Poles knew very well that no Prince would be so Imprudent as to scruple Submitting to
the Clergy first by obliging the Bishops because they bear great Sway in the Diet and next the Priests and Fryars they having no less Influence and Authority over the People But however Presents are not to be made them in gross but by little and little lest they fly off when they expect no farther Recompence for the Poles generally think themselves oblig'd to serve you not for what they have already receiv'd but because they are still in Hopes of receiving more They are all likewise apt to neglect your Interest and will sometimes take Money from another Prince or his Embassador to vote against you The late King is accus'd of taking Money of the Emperor the Duke of Lorrain and of the Duke of Newbourg to employ it in their several Interests in the Election but however he did more wisely to make use of it himself to get to be elected in which we find he had good Success After the Embassadors have thus had Audience and that all other Matters are settled in the Republick they proceed to the Election of a King but first they implore the Assistance of the Holy Ghost by singing the Veni Creator Then they proceed to give their Votes and communicate them to each other when if they are unanimous for one Candidate the Archbishop of Gnesna or Bishop that presides in his Place demands thrice if the Grievances and Exorbitancies are redress'd which being answer'd in the Affirmative he immediately proclaims the King Elect which is likewise done at the same Time by the Marshals of the Crown and the Great Dutchy and then they all joyn in the singing of Te Deum Here it may not be amiss to give your Lordship farther Particulars of the manner of Election which is this Assoon as the Anthem is ended the Senators and Deputies remove from their Places and divide themselves into their several Palatinates making so many peculiar Rota's the Archbishop of Gnesna only still keeping his Seat The Orders being thus divided the first Senator of every Palatinate numbers their Votes which afterwards are transmitted into a Roll and delivered under their several Hands to the Nuncio-Marshal All these Suffrages are then reckon'd together by the Senate in the Szopa where if there be a Majority for any one Candidate they labour what they can partly by Perswasion and partly by Promises to bring the Electors to be unanimous for till then no King can be lawfully Proclaim'd yet when there is a Division in the Diet as most commonly it happens the strongest Party still carries it as it appear'd in Stephen Batori's Cafe and that of Sigismund III. which last coming soonest into Poland was Crown'd King at Cracow notwithstanding that Maximilian was proclaim'd at Warsaw by Cardinal Radzvil It may be observ'd that the House of Austria has been put by the Crown of Poland no less than thrice First in the Person of Ernest by the Election of Henry of Valois and Secondly and Thirdly by the Exclusion of this Maximilian And this because the Poles have a Maxim never to Elect any Powerful Neighbouring Prince for fear of being subdu'd and brought under an Arbitrary Power The Day after the Election all the Senators and Deputies meet either in the Rota Equestris or the Castle of Warsaw and draw up the Decree of Election subscribing it with their several Hands which is immediately afterwards sent to the Press to be Printed To the Election of a King of Poland not only all the Gentry of the Kingdom and Great Dutchy but likewise a great Number of Strangers from all adjacent Countries come yet notwithstanding that People come from all Parts of Poland the Senators and Deputies only have a lawful Vote in the Election Nevertheless the other Gentry Interest themselves either in favouring the Senators or the Factions of the Deputies and sometimes fall out among themselves about it so that it is the absolute Interest of the Candidate to treat and present not only the individual Members of the Diet but also these Nobles altho they have no actual Voices in the Election for their great Number can easily favour and carry on a Faction by threatning the Senators and Deputies in Case they do not elect such a Prince as they propose This was confirm'd in the Election of Michael Wiesnowiski where none of the Electors thought of choosing a Piasto and much less such a weak poor unexperienc'd Prince as this Duke was yet the turbulent Mob of Polish Gentry soon forc'd them to elect and proclaim him King notwithstanding this being no free Election they never paid him any great Deference but undervalu'd and were so displeas'd with him that some say after four Years Reign he was poison'd by the Contrivance of the Great Men. Thus it is palpably more safe and creditable for a Candidate to purchase himself a strong Party in the Diet and to support and back them by procuring the Affection and good Will of the rest of the Gentry than to rely barely on the inconstant and tumultuous Suffrage of a senseless turbulent Mob as the late King sufficiently experienc'd before his Election There are several Conditions requir'd in a Candidate that aspires to the Crown of Poland which are now past as Constitutions of the Kingdom for he must not be a Native which Hartknoch says he may and which he proves by a great many Persons nor marry'd nor present at the Election but must be rich and no absolute or neighbouring Prince And as for his Religion he must either actually be or promise to become a Roman Catholick before he can be crown'd All this after the Death of King Michael the late Elector of Brandenburg and Duke Ernest of Brunswick promis'd being not willing it seems to lose a Crown for an exteriour Show of a Piece of Religious Ceremony The Gentry of Poland think themselves so great and so equal in Respect to each other that they do not willingly consent to elect a Piasto or Native to a Crown which their Birth gave them a parallel Right to They besides think it a great Advantage to their Nation to choose a forreign and rich Prince that they may make more Alliances abroad and oblige such Kings to bring all their Effects with them to enrich the Kingdom They are for an unmarry'd Prince that they may have the Opportunity of matching him and so to strengthen their Alliances that Way They care not to elect a neighbouring Prince for fear he should become absolute by his adjoyning Force But however these like their other Constitutions have not been always observ'd for the only Maxim they have hitherto kept inviolable is not to elect any Prince but a Roman Catholick for the late King was both a Piasto and marry'd before he was elected 'T is true they would have had his Queen divorc'd from him that they might have marry'd him to King Michael's Queen Dowager Eleonora at present Dutchess Dowager of Lorrain but the Affection
Peace struck up between them This Person had no Wars during his Regency and at last died of Grief on account of his Brother's perversness He was buried at Marienburg The Twenty eighth Great Master was Lewis ab Herlingshausen Elected in the time of the Emperour Frederic III. During his Administration a farther part of Prussia revolted to the aforesaid Casimir to whom also the Garrison of Marienburg sold that City for 476000 Florens together with several other Cities and Castles Afterwards the King of Poland enters again into a Peace with this Order by which means he obtain'd Pomerania for which the Poles had contested with these Knights for upwards of 150 Years This Great Master died and was buried at Koningsberg The Twenty ninth Great Master of this Order was Henry Rhews Count of Plauen Elected in the time of the Emperor Frederic III. He only govern'd eleven Weeks and then died and was buried at Koningsberg The Thirtieth Great Master was Henry Count of Richtenberg Elected in the time of the Emperor Frederic III. and of Pope Sixtus IV. He was a Man of a very turbulent and inexorable temper for he threw Theodore a Prussian Bishop into Chains and suffer'd him to die with Hunger He govern'd this Order twelve Years and then died at Koningsberg and was buried there The Thirty first Great Master was Martin Truchses of Uveczhausen Elected in the time of the Emperor Frederic III. and of Pope Sixtus IV. He paid Homage and Obedience to Casimir King of Poland died at Koningsberg and was buried there The Thirty second Great Master was John de Tiefen a Swiss Elected when Maximilian I. was Emperor and Julius Pope The first Year he swore Allegiance to Albert King of Poland and in the next assisted that King against the Valachians but by whom he was defeated and killed He was buried at Koningsberg The Thirty third Great Master was Frederic Duke of Saxony and Marquiss of Thuringen This Person refus'd to do Homage to the King of Poland and therefore his Dominions were very much ravag'd by the Poles for 12 Years together and he excluded his Country at what time he died The Thirty fourth and last Great Master of the Teutonic Order in Prussia was Albert Marquess of Brandenburg Nephew to Sigismund I. King of Poland He was Elected in the time of Maximilian the Emperor and Pope Julius The Chapter of this Order chose him in hopes that being so near a Kinsman he might prevail upon the King of Poland his Uncle to restore to them what had been taken from them by the Poles but this Great Master was so far from answering their expectation that he likewise refus'd to Swear Allegiance to the King of Poland and fortify'd all his Cities for his Defence whence it follow'd that he drew a bloody War upon himself wherein great numbers were frequently slain and taken on both sides the particulars of the chiefest of his Actions I thought might not be unacceptable to your Lordship and which are as follows In the Year 1519 the War broke out between him and his Uncle and some few places were lost and taken on both sides but in 1529 Wolfang Duke of Schonemburg General of the Teutonic Army which consisted of about 10000 Foot and 4000 Horse sat down before Dantzick and from the Bishop's Hill vulgarly so call'd threw away near 4000 Bombs into the Town to little or no purpose whilst the Besiegers were not a little incommoded by the Town-Cannon for scarce a Man durst shew his Head but he had 40 shot at him This so discouraged the Besiegers that the major part of them soon discover'd their Inclinations to be gone and for that purpose began to Mutiny against their Officers Whilst they were thus wavering in their Resolutions and scarce doing any Duty but by compulsion the Polish Army appear'd being 12000 Horse sent by the King to raise the Siege It was now high time for the Besiegers to scamper which they immediately set about with such Precipitation that the Poles found it no difficult matter to overtake even their Foot yet however they kill'd some and took others Prisoners After this the King's Army took in Dirschow Stargardie and the strong Castle of Choinicz and afterwards proceeded on with so great Vigor and Diligence that most of the Cities and Castles of the Order Surrender'd themselves By these means the Teutonic Knights were totally expell'd Prussia which their Great Master Albert perceiving as likewise that he was no longer able to contend with so powerful a Monarch as him of Poland tho' his Ancestors had formerly done it for many Years yet then they were in a better condition than he at present was in resolv'd to submit himself and his Order to his Uncle's Mercy which he not long afterwards did in the publick Market-place of Cracow For this Purpose a Throne was erected for the King much after the same nature with that wherein he is wont to take the Homage and Oaths of his Subjects after his Coronation as your Lordship may observe in the Letter to my Lord Marlborough then the Marquess delivering up the Ensigns of his Order to the King and swearing all manner of Allegiance to him his Majesty return'd him the Ensigns of Prussia quarter'd with the Polish and at the same time created him a Duke of part of that Country which from thence forward has had the Name of Ducal Prussia and continu'd all along in his Family to this Day The Teutonic Order being thus expell'd Prussia they transferr'd their Chapter to Mergentheim or as some say to Marienthall in Franconia where they chose Walter de Cronberg for their Thirty fifth Great Master and Administrator of Prussia This Great Master appeal'd to the Emperor concerning the wrong done to his Order by Albert as likewise got Albert Excommunicated by the Pope He afterwards took his Seat in the General Diet of the Empire equal with the Archbishops as being Great Master of the Teutonic Order He died after 18 Years Administration of this Office and was buried at Mergentheim The Thirty sixth Great Master was Wolfang Schutzbar otherwise call'd Milchling Elected in the Chapter at Spire the 16th of April He had been Provincial Commander of the Country of Hesse and was one of the first that went to the assistance of the Emperour Charles V. in his Wars about Religion He recover'd the Seat of this Order at Marpurg which had been usurp'd by the Landtgrave of Hesse After several more famous Actions he dy'd in the Year 1566. The Thirty seventh Great Master was George Hundt de Menckheim Governour of the Circle of Franconia He died after 6 years Regency at Mergentheim and was buried there in the Year 1572. The Thirty eighth Great Master was Henry de Bobenhausen Elected at the General Assembly of the Knights at Ulm upon the Danube This Great Master upon George Frederic Marquests of Brandenburg's possessing himself of
Starostaships after the Death of those that Enjoy them If the King chance to die before the Queen has this Reformation assign'd her then the Republic gives her a Yearly Pension out of the Crown-Revenues but this no longer than she continues unmarried or stays in the Realm for otherwise in both those Cases the Queen Regent gets it or else it reverts to the State It may be observ'd that the Queen Regent never comes by it without the Consent of the Diet and that is no ordinary Expence to her to procure by Purchasing almost all the Votes of that Mercenary Assembly This may be seen in the Case of the present Queen-Dowager for when the Queen her Predecessor Marry'd the Duke of Lorrain she observing that the Settlement of her Pension was like to be put off to the succeeding Diet which is conven'd only once in three Years thought it better to be at the Charge of gaining their Votes at that Session than to lose three Years Income This Revenue is generally computed at half a Million Polish which amounts to about Thirty Thousand English Pounds As long as the Queen-Dowager enjoys this Pension the Queen-Regent can have none for the Poles say that it would be too much to Pension two Queens at once Tho' the King of Poland has many important Employments to distribute yet his Power is always limited in the Distribution of them for he cannot Name any of his Children no nor so much as the Queen to any Charge either Ecclesiastical or Temporal Sigismund III. having a mind to give his Queen Constantia two Starostaships vacant by the Death of Queen Anne who died in the Year 1625. all the Gentry oppos'd it by a great Uproar in the Diet and maintain'd vigorously That a King of Poland ought not to part with any Office without their Consent Neither can he Purchase any Lands for them in any part of the Kingdom without Consent of the Diet Although the late King bought several vast Territories in other Peoples Names both in Russia Prussia and almost all over the Kingdom and besides purchas'd a Principality of the Emperor in Silesia for Prince James his Eldest Son But the Poles having long since discovered the Secret pretended when I was at Warsaw that all those Lands must come to the Crown after the King's Death Some of the Kings of Poland also have been so kind as to part with their Prerogatives in Ecclesiastical Matters so that now they retain only the Collation of Benefices As for the Foundation of Monasteries whatever Power the King may have left to Erect them they must always be confirm'd by the Three Orders of the States The King of Poland is likewise limited in divers other respects for he can neither encrease nor diminish the Number of Officers either of his Court or the Kingdom nor Name any Stranger that is not Naturaliz'd to any Charge or Government only in the Foot Army and there too such a Person can pretend to no more than to be a Captain or at most a Colonel This may appear by the Example of Stephen Batori who having had considerable Services done him by the Hungarians in the War against the Moscovites he thought it but reasonable to Prefer some of them for Recompence which extreamly incens'd the Poles and particularly the Grand General so much that he immediately thereupon resign'd his Staff 'T is also out of the Kings Power to advance some Natives for all Citizens Merchants Tradesmen and their Sons Country-Men Labourers and generally all Artificers are not only by the Constitutions of the Kingdom excluded from Preferments which the King has the Nomination of but also have not Liberty either of Buying or Enjoying Lands or Estates 'T is then the Nobility alone or Freeborn of the Kingdom of Poland the Great Dutchy of Lithuania or of the other Provinces Incorporated into that Monarchy that can pretend to any Preferment in the Republic Wherefore the aforesaid King Batori thinking to Advance his Nephews by reason he had no Children design'd to get them Naturalized in the Diet held the Thirteenth of December 1586 but was prevented by Death It must withal be understood that 't is not every one of these that can Aspire or lay Claim to every Preferment but only such as have Lands or Estates in the Kingdom the Great Dutchy or any other Incorporated Province where the Preferment lies For a Free-born Native of the Kingdom though he has an Estate in it yet cannot be a Governor of a City in Lithuania nor have any kind of Employment there without a setled Estate in that Country But the Advantage that all Freeborn Natives have is that they can Buy an Estate throughout the whole Extent of the Dominions of Poland There is another Inconvenience which very much Prejudices and Limits the King's Power and the public Interest of the whole Commonwealth for where-ever a Noble Pole is once named to a Preferment and is in actual possession of it let him commit never so many Crimes against the Crown or State he can never be depriv'd of his Employ or turn'd out of it without the Unanimous Consent of the Diet but shall continue in the same for Life even against a the Will of the Diet if he has but one Member on his Side who will protest against the Proceedings For the Negative Voice of a Member of the Diet of Poland has the same Force with a Negative of a King of England in Parliament This pernicious Constitution occasions many Troubles and Animosities for it encourages Unruly and Mutinous People to disturb the Commonwealth Officers never serve the Republic faithfully Treasurers arè thereby emboldened to give no Account of the Public Revenues the Generals of the Army and Governors of Provinces and Towns do as they think fit and most commonly mind their own private Affairs more than the Interest of the Republic In a word though the Poles term this Constitution the greatest Mark of their Liberty it inevitably Ruins the Foundation of the whole State and every one sees what bad Consequences must and do necessarily follow from this excessive Liberty or rather Libertinism of every Private Officer of the Kingdom My Lord This great Privilege of the Ofcers makes them pay more than ordinary Respect to the King before they are Dignify'd and court him to give them a Charge which he can never afterwards take away Moreover this Power of the King 's to Name such of the qualify'd Nobility as best pleases him to these important Employments keeps all the Gentry in a great Dependance on him for the design of the Republic in lodging the Nomination of Officers in the King's Hands was that he should take care to confer them on those that had best deserv'd them by their Services either in Peace or War and exclude such from them as had been Stubborn Mutinous and Unserviceable to the State Another Reason that makes the King respected is the natural Ambition
more Particulars relating to the King of Poland but this is what I thought most material to be mention'd and what I cou'd only learn in so small a Time as I have lived in that Country I beg your GRACE's Pardon for tiring your Patience with so long and imperfect an Account and desire my Lord you wou'd receive this at least as a Testimony of my good Will of satisfying your Curiosity and of owning your many Favours to My LORD Your GRACE's Most Obedient Servant BERNARD CONNOR The following Letters intended at first to be Written by Dr. Connor were Compiled by Mr. Savage the Doctor not having Leisure to attend them from his Practice LETTER II. To His Grace HENRY Duke of Norfolk Earl Marshal of England Of the Senate and Senators of Poland both Ecclesiastical and Temporal With an Account of the Present Religion in Poland and Lithuania As also of the State-Officers and Officers of Districts belonging as well to the Kingdom as the Great Dutchy My LORD YOUR Grace's High Birth and Station in our Government together with Your Primary Right of Suffrage in our House of Lords entitle you in a Superlative manner to the Patronage of this Letter Wherefore I was glad to meet with an occasion so favourable to pay my Duty to Your GRACE and I could heartily wish it had been on a Subject that I were more Master of than in an Account of a Country which I never saw yet that you may give some Credit to the Truth of my Relation I dare humbly assure you that I have mention'd nothing therein but what I either had out of Dr. Connor's Memoirs learn'd from his own Mouth or drew from such Books as both the Doctor and Other Persons of Credit have own'd to be Authentic and most Correct My LORD The Senate of Poland is an Order of Nobles between the King and common Gentry establish'd to rule and govern according to Law and to observe the Conduct of the King And moreover they are to apply themselves to study the publick Good and the Preservation of the Privileges of the People It consists at present of a far greater Number of Persons than formerly It is the King that makes every Senator but who being once so made is to continue his Office for Life At the Time of his Creation he is oblig'd to take a solemn Oath to conserve inviolable the Rights and Liberties of the Republic so that if the King himself had a mind to extend his Power and Authority beyond the Limits prescrib'd him by the Laws every Senator's Oath alone would oblige him to acquaint his Majesty with due Respect of his Duty and Obligation Nay every Nuncio in the grand Diet assumes this Liberty For in that Place dicunt quae sentiunt sentiunt quae velint as may appear by an insolent Affront put upon the late King John Sobieski who having been call'd Tyrant Nero and many other opprobrious Names by some of the Deputies and not being able to bear it he started up and threatned them laying his Hand on his Sword That had he been the great General still he would have done something whereat one of them rising likewise and clapping his Hand to his Sword reply'd and that Sword would have done something too Another Passage I have read of Lewis King of Hungary and Poland who having been basely abus'd in the Diet stood up and cry'd Si non essem Rex whereto the Orator briskly reply'd Si non fuisses Rex These Senators are likewise bound to see that nothing be done against their Privileges and therefore four of them are always deputed to attend the King with their Advice Besides these four who are ever actually the King's Counsel any of the others in like manner have a Right to assist at the Council-Board if they think fit The Presence of these Senators is look'd upon to be so absolutely necessary for the Good of the Kingdom that not one of 'em can travel upon whatsoever Account without Leave of the Republic This Custom is taken from the Romans who not only forbid the Senators but also their Sons to go beyond the Verge of Italy This Title of Senator the King cannot bestow by it self but it is always annex'd to one of the four Dignitys of Bishops Castellans or Palatins The Ten Crown-Officers all which the King names whereof Palatins are Lord-Lieutenants of Provinces Castellans are Governours who have not their Names from Castles as the Word might reasonably import but from commanding a Portion of a Province in Time of War The ten Crown-Officers are the Marshals Chancellors and Treasurers of the Kingdom and Bishops preside over their several Diocesses with an Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction When any one is nam'd a Bishop Palatin Castellan or any of the ten Officers of the Crown he is immediately a Senator without more ado Their Business is to serve faithfully the King and Republick in the Senate at home to administer Justice by Commission or otherwise and abroad with Consent of the Diet to exercise foreign Ministrys c. These Senators of Poland value their Dignities so highly that they despise almost all other Titles of Honour whatever and therefore when Sigismund I. went to Vienna and the Emperour offer'd the Title of Princes of the Empire to the several Senators that came along with him they absolutely refus'd 'em giving for Reason That being born Gentlemen of Poland and thereby having a Right to treat either of Peace or War with their King they believ'd it an Injury to their Dignity to have a Prince of the Empire thought superiour This Senate consists either of Ecclesiastical or Secular Members The Ecclesiastical are either Archbishops or Bishops and are the chief Members of the Senate Their Number at present is but sixteen Three of these Bishopricks are now in the Enemies Hands though they nevertheless have titular Bishops viz. Smolensko and Kiovia possess'd by the Moscovites and Caminiec enjoy'd by the Turks So that there remain but thirteen Bishopricks actually in the King's Dominions of which but two are Archbishopricks viz. those of Gnesna and Leopol When any of the aforesaid three Bishopricks are vacant there are always those ready that will beg their Titles meerly to have the Honour to sit as Senators The several Diocesses belonging to all these Bishopricks are Archiepiscopal of Gnesna and Leopol Episcopal of Cracow Cujavia and Pomerania Vilna Posnan Plocksko or Plosko Varmia Luceoria or Lucko Premislia or Premislaw Samegitia Culm Chelm Kiovia Caminiec and Smolensko Subject to the two Archbishops are the other Bishops and first to the Archbishop of Gnesna are the several Bishops of Cracow Vladislaw Posnan Plosko Vilna Varmia Samogitia and Culm And next to the Archbishop of Leopol are the Bishops of Chelm Caminiec Luceoria Premislia and Kiovia The Archbishop of Gnesna is not only Chief of the Bishops but also of all the other Senators of Poland He is
Priest Formerly Poland was over-run with Hussites Picards Anabaptists Arrians Tritheists Photians Ebionites Nestorians and Socinians But the former of these have been some time since extirpated and the Socinians were first ejected by John Casimir obliging them by his Edict to quit the Kingdom immediately and allowing them three Years to dispose of their Effects These three Years were afterwards reduc'd to two by a following Edict But notwithstanding these positive Laws several of this Sect lurking about in the Kingdom from time to time and some being protected by the Favour of the Gentry the late King John Sobieski publish'd a new Edict more severe than either of the former whereby the Socinians were forthwith driven out of the Kingdom I must not omit to acquaint Your GRACE that there are abundance of Lutherans and Calvinists in this Kingdom and that chiefly in the Province of Regal Prussia who have all Liberty of Conscience allow'd them and whom the King is oblig'd to tolerate and protect by his Coronation-Oath The Lutherans are call'd by the Poles Sassowiez Saxons because Luther liv'd and taught in Saxony and the Calvinists Zborocoi Conventiclers from the Polish Word Zbor signifying an Vnlawful Meeting I should have observ'd that the Prussians became Christians after the Poles The reason of the Prussians so readily embracing the Lutheran Doctrin Cromerus attributes to their being chiefly Germans or to their reading the Books of that Nation The first Polish Nobleman converted to Calvinism was Nicholas Radzivil under the Reign of Sigismundus Augustus who receiv'd all that Sect into his Protection at his House at Viena where they had their Service in the Polish Language but this Family is at present extinct the last Person of it being a Daughter and Marry'd to the Elector of Brandenburgh's Son yet nevertheless many of this Sect still remain in Poland There are Besides Armenians Jews and Tartars in this Kingdom who all enjoy their different Perswasions and Ceremonies As for the Armenians they inhabit chiefly in certain Towns of Russia and Podolia and have their peculiar Prelates Abbots and Priests Their Service is always exercis'd in their own Language These as in other Countries acknowledge the Supremacy of the See of Rome The Jews are every where to be found in Poland and enjoy their Religion and other Privileges without Interruption only they are restrain'd from trading within twelve Leagues of Warsaw by the Constitutions Their Number is so great that Mr. Patric Ogleby who has travell'd all over these Countries affirms that there are above two Millions of them in this Kingdom and that they are so privileg'd that all this vast Body pays not above a hundred and twenty thousand Tinfes or Florens a Year to the States which amounts to no more than twenty thousand Dollars In the great Dutchy of Listhuania there are moreover about thirty thousand Tartars with Liberty of the Turkish Religion They have been there near six hundred Years and for the continuance of their Privileges they are oblig'd to send twelve hundred Men Yearly to the Wars against the Turks and Tartars There are likewise a great many Idolaters on the Frontiers of this Kingdom who still retain their ancient Superstitions whereof one is that whenever any one dies and tho it be a Year or more afterwards that another dies likewise they presently go and dig up the first Body and cut off its Head thereby to prevent as they say the Death of any more of their Family Notwithstanding Poland admits of all these Religions yet that which prevails most is the Roman Catholick which the Poles have continued stedfast in for above 700. Years They are so zealous in the maintaining of this Faith that they have a Custom to draw their Swords at the reading of the Gospel at Mass and this to testify their Readiness to defend it Also they are so bigotted to their Perswasion that they formerly would not inter-marry with Hereticks as they call them contract any Alliance with them accept of their Assistance in War nor receive any of their Scepters offer'd them An Example of which last we have in the Person of Jugello or Vladislaus V. who rejected the Crown of Bohemia meerly because the Hussites had then over-run that Kingdom Also in John Casimir's Reign the Swedes were altogether ejected Poland on Account of their being Lutherans The Poles being thus Zealous for the Roman Catholick Religion they will admit none into their Senate Diet or Courts of Judicature except in those of Prussia but of that Perswasion Also Bishops always preside in the Assembly of the States to the end that nothing may be transacted there in Prejudice of that Faith The lesser Clergy likewise selected out of the several Colleges and Chapters of the Kingdom are appointed to have Seats in the Tribunals and other Courts of Justice for the same Reason In like manner the great Officers of the Crown are oftentimes Bishops and the great Secretary of the whole Kingdom has always been an Ecclesiastick The Regular Clergy in Poland are generally more esteem'd than the Secular for they can perform all the Offices of Parish Priests without having Permission from the Bishops And Fryar Mendicants are allow'd to enter the most private Part of any House without so much as knocking at the Door There are all Sorts of Religious Orders in Poland except those of Carthusians and Minims These Regular Clergy are generally very rich but not less dissolute and immodest for they frequently go into the Cellars to drink being the Tipling Places of this Country and sometimes you shall see many of them so drunk in the Streets that they are scarce able to go upon their Legs and this without either their Superiours or the Peoples taking any Notice of them On Fast-Days these Religious Persons and all others of the Poles abstain from Milk-Meats Eggs Flesh and Boyl'd Fish a-Nights only For providing they keep to these Rules at that time they may Eat and Drink what they please all the rest of the Day only Frydays and Saturdays they forbear Butter Cheese Milk and Eggs all the Day long They cannot be enclin'd to eat Butter or Cheese on Fast-Days tho they have Permission from the Church for when Cardinal Radziouski once obtain'd them that Liberty from the See of Rome they absolutely refus'd it saying that his Holiness was a Heretick This rigid Custom they have observ'd ever since the Pope made them once fast for a hundred Years together for some enormous Crime and which it may be they do not think yet sufficiently expiated They also are so obstinate in their abstaining from Flesh that they will not eat any tho they be sick and advis'd thereto by their Doctors and permitted by their Priests As for the Secular Inferiour Clergy they are either Collegiate or Parochial and both are much after the same Nature as with us The Canons are never almost present at the Office for they
can have any Force it must be review'd by the great Marshal and two Deputies or by three Senators and six Deputies Having been thus review'd it is read out in the Diet by the Nuncio Marshal after which the Chancellors demand with a low Voice If the King Senate and Deputies consent to apply the Seal which being answer'd in the affirmative it is presently seal'd and enroll'd among the Acts in the Register of Warsaw and this by the Care of the Deputy's Marshal who is to see it done soon after the Conclusion of the Session After this one of the King's Secretaries is to get it printed and dispers'd among the several little Diets and Tribunals all over the Kingdom It must be observ'd that where the Diet has been dissolv'd thro' the Obstinacy of any particular Member no Laws or Constitutions can be committed to the Press Whereupon in the Year 1665. the Nuncios severely reprov'd their Marshal for but suffering them to be transcrib'd where the Session had been adjourn'd The same Law is to be observ'd in all Decrees of the Diet for immediately after the publishing of them by the Referendary they are to be transcrib'd sign'd seal'd and printed Those Decrees that concern the Treasury are to be sign'd only by a Prothonotary appointed for that Purpose By the Constitution of the Kingdom the Diet ought never to sit above six Weeks and the Gentry are so very exact in observing this Privilege that as soon as ever that Time is expir'd they send their Marshal to take Leave of the King in their Name and moreover to acquaint him that they intend to wait on him to kiss his Hand which they are admitted to do soon after They are so obstinately bent upon defending this Custom that tho' the Urgencies of State require never so short a Continuance of the Diet after the Time prescrib'd yet they always vigorously oppose it as they did in the Year 1649. when the Tartars and Cosacks had almost over-run the Kingdom The Reason I suppose why the Members of the Diet are so punctual in observing this Constitution above any other is because by that Time their Money generally is spent and other Provisions which they bring in Waggons from home as Beer Wine Meat Fowl c. Consum'd by the great Train of Guards and other Domesticks which they have with them The Affairs generally treated of in the grand Diet are either a King's Election or his Marriage sending Ambassadours to Foreign Princes declaring War or making Peace imposing Taxes to carry on a War making Alliances with other Princes and all other State Affairs Likewise all Suits of Law between private Persons have their last Appeal from the Tribunals to the Diet As may appear by the Difference adjusted by them between the Order of Malta and Prince Demetrius Wiesnowiski who with-held Possession of what was given by his Brother-in-Law the Duke of Ostrog to this Order Also in criminal Cases they judge and condemn as they did those who assassinated Gonczeski Lieutenant General of Lithuania who had all their Heads cut off by Proceedings in this Court In Cases of High-Treason the Poles say their King ought not to be present at the Tryal of any Traytor and therefore the Marshal Lubomirski complain'd of John Casimir's condemning him in the Diet for Contumacy Also they do not generally admit the Nuncios at that Time tho Stephen Batori at a Diet held at Warsaw in the Year 1582. caus'd them to be present at the Tryal of Shorowski for Treason to the End that they might all be Witnesses of the Injustice done him 'T is likewise in the Diet that Strangers are naturaliz'd and Natives of the Country who are not free-born are made Gentlemen Formerly no Person was capable of this Honour but such only as had serv'd in the Wars for a considerable Time or else who had done some other good Service to the State but now there needs no other Merit or good Qualities than to be rich enough to purchase the Favour of the Court or the Protection of some great Man They that pretend to the Indigenat that is to be made Noble have no more to do than to apply themselves to the Nuncio-Marshal who has the Power to put their Names into the Roll of those that desire to be made Polish Gentlemen After which they are to give in a Note of their Genealogy Names Sir-names Family and Services and to put their Arms in the Middle When they have been receiv'd and accepted by the Diet and have got their Patent sign'd they are to take an Oath before the same Marshal to be true and faithful to their King and Country and whereof the Marshal afterwards gives them a Certificate Nevertheless tho the Candidate be declar'd Noble by the unanimous Consent of the three Orders yet is he capable only of mean Employments and to have a Vote among the Gentry it not being in the Power of the King to bestow either on him or his Children any important Preferment till the third Generation be past and the Republick is thereby satisfy'd of their Fidelity Loyalty and Affection for their Country Tho' no other Person but the King Senate and Nuncios can have any Business or Vote in the Diet yet vast Numbers of other People still flock thither Also most commonly Foreign Princes choose then to send their Ambassadors according to the Interest they have to maintain in the Diet. At this time likewise the greatest Part of the Nobility that have wherewithal to appear in any Sort of Grandeur meet here together with their Wives and Children tho' they have no other Business than to see and be seen It is then their Sons get acquainted with others of the young Gentry and often are marry'd to some of the young Ladies that come in like manner to be observ'd and to get Husbands In short the Diet is a kind of general Rendevouz of all the People of Quality in the Kingdom as well Men and Women as Children so that what City soever the Diet sits in there are always Thirty Thousand and sometimes Forty thousand Persons more than there us'd to be Nevertheless Provisions are not very scarce by reason that every Gentleman almost brings his Necessaries along with him Nay the greatest Part send their Fuel and Provender for their Horses by the River Vistula to Warsaw when they come from that Side of the Country There are likewise several Gentlemen that always come from Germany Sweden and other adjacent Countries to see this general Meeting which is a fine Sight and the only thing that is worth observing in Poland At this Time there is always such a Crowd of Soldiers Heydukes and Footmen in the Streets that it is not safe to be abroad after Day shut in for Fear of being rob'd or strip'd naked as happens almost every Night for the Polish Gentry give so very short Allowance to their Guards and Servants
Jurisdiction of Poland is wholly in the hands of the King or his Generals although the Palatines and Castellans who generally Accompany his Majesty to the Wars retain their Authority over their respective Inferiours but where those are Refractory a Court-Marshal Adjusts the Debate As for the Laws of Poland it is on all hands agreed that it had none till the time of Casimir the Great and then but very few made by him altho it is certain that the Poles hadlong before been Christians and were well enough vers'd in the Human-Learning yet was there never any Law or Statute of any Prince committed to Writing but that People were contented to be govern'd by the Customs and Manners of their Ancestors handed down to them from Father to Son Casimir III. therefore call'd the Great from his prudent Administration observing the disadvantages his Kingdom labour'd under by the Germans who then frequently came into Poland on account of Trade receiv'd the Saxon Laws now call'd Magdeburg-Laws from the City of Saxony whence they were taken by which Poland is at this day principally govern'd although the Gentry have many peculiar Customs and some Statutes which have been since made And which in the Time of Sigismundus Augustus being compiled into one Volume by Learned Men were entitled the Statutes of the Kingdom and since some having been Approv'd and Augmented and others Chang'd and Alter'd in several Diets have obtain'd the Name of Constitutions of Poland to which nevertheless all that Kingdom is not Subject Lithuania and Volhynia observing its own Laws Prussia likewise both Regal and Ducal has a Municipal Law of its own commonly stil'd the Law of Culm from which notwithstanding Three Cities are Exempt viz. Elbing Bransberg and Fraumberg all which make use of the Laws of Lansberg The Punishments in Poland are various and differ only according to the Quality of the Crimes and not of the Persons for a Thief is to be hang'd of what degree soever he be and Capital Offenders of all other Kinds and Qualities are to be Beheaded except in Notorious Villanies where the Offender is commonly broke on the Wheel or else Tortur'd by cutting off two Thongs or long Pieces out of the Skin of his Back A Nobleman is sometimes punish'd by forfeiting half his Estate to the King and the rest to an Informer and sometimes by Imprisonment only Masters also have a Power of Chastising their Servants which they do after this manner If the Servant they are about to Punish be a Polish Gentleman then they make him lye down on his Belly on a Carpet spread on the Ground or upon a Stool when another Gentleman-Servant lays him on unmercifully on the Back with a Rope or Stick giving him as many Blows and Lashes as the Master who is then present orders After which he that is beaten embraces the Knees of him that had commanded him to be Beat and salutes him with the good-natur'd Title of Benefactor This Discipline seems a little too severe but however the Temper of these People makes it necessary The Peasant-Servants are punish'd after the same manner only with this difference that they have no Carpet spread under them Some of the former sort think it an Honour to be so lash'd which Honour they always receive liberally as often as they deserve it This Custom of the Poles in punishing their Gentlemen-Servants so rigidly ought not much to be wonder'd at if it be consider'd that they may serve in the meanest Offices without derogating from the Nobility of their Birth or incapacitating themselves for the Highest Preferments For says Hauteville I have known some who from being Foot-boys to great Lords and Drummers in a Company of Dragoons have been advanc'd to the Dignity of SENATORS Also in general Nothing debases Nobility in this Country but a Handicraft or Mechanic Employment This SIR is all that I could meet with by various Reading relating to the Legislative and Executive Justice in Poland and which though not capable to pass your Censure with the Name of a Regular Composition I hope may obtain Effects of your Candour under the Regretted Title of a hasty Compilation I am SIR with all Humility Your most Obedient Servant J. S. LETTER IV. To the Right Honourable JOHN Earl of Marlborough Governour to his Highness the Duke of Glocester Of the Election and Coronation of a King of Poland with the Proceedings in the Inter-regnum and all other Ceremonies as likewise a short Account of the Coronation of the Queen My LORD TO whom can this Letter which treats of the Election of a King more properly address it self than to your Lordship who has lately been pitch'd upon by the wisest of Monarchs to be Governour to the presumptive Heir of his Crown No Doubt his Majesty saw those united Qualifications in you which were but to be singly met with in all others and which moreover could not but be requir'd to copy a successor from so great an Original as himself These Considerations My Lord have embolden'd me to present your Lordship with this imperfect Account but which I hope in regard it has been extracted from so many Volumes may favourably pass your discerning Censure tho it must not in the least pretend to deserve your Approbation My LORD The Crown of Poland may be vacant four Ways for either the King abdicates voluntarily and publickly like John Casimir is depos'd for his Vices as Locticus was runs out of the Kingdom as Henry III. of France did or dies which is the ordinary Cause of an Inter-regnum When the Crown is once become vacant the Archbishop of Gnesna being the first Senator of the Kingdom is the Prime Minister and hath the same Authority as the King had most of the Crown Revenues being invested likewise in him during the Interregnum After the King's Death he issues out circular Letters to all the Provinces to acquaint them therewith and to command their several Officers to make Publication of the Inter-regnum as likewise to summon a general Convocation of the Gentry to meet at Warsaw at a Time prefix'd Before this general Meeting they meet at the Little Diets where Care is taken to secure the Roads from Thieves and to set strong Guards every where on the Frontiers to oppose an invading Enemy Next Spies are sent into all Neighbouring Kingdoms to have Intelligence of what they design or do Then all Persons are prohibited either to go out or come into the Kingdom during the Interregnum as likewise to carry any Horses out of it All foreign Letters directed to any Members of the Senate are intercepted All the High-ways are block'd up with Trees fell'd down and Ambuscades are plac'd about them None of the Senate nor no Foreigners are permitted to write to the Army All the Gentry are commanded to have every thing in Readiness for publick Defence The common Use of Guns is forbidden Taverns are shut up and Concerts of Musick silenc'd
Then they proceed to institute the Court call'd Kaptur treated of before This Diet consists of the Archbishop of Gnesna who represents the King's Person and the other Senators together with the Deputies of the Provinces In Case there is no Archbishop of Gnesna when the King dies the Office of Inter-Rex comes to the Bishop of Cujavia and next to the Bishop of Posnan and so to the rest of the Bishops of Lower Poland which in this Respect is preferr'd to the Higher tho' in nothing else Yet however they may grant away their Power as they did in the Inter-Regnum before the Election of the late King when the Bishop of Cracow officiated during the whole Interregnum by a common Consent of those Bishops Some of the Senators and Deputies are dispatch'd to the Generals of the Army to remain with them and to be assisting to them with their Counsel in the Affairs of the War Some Senators and Deputies likewise are appointed to inspect the Crown-Treasure deposited in the Castle of Cracow and to take an Inventory thereof which they are afterwards to report to the Diet. This Treasure is commonly committed to the Custody of eight Senators who are the Castellan of Cracow the Palatins of Cracovia Posnania Vilna Sendomir Kalisch and Troki together with the Treasurer of the Kingdom each having his particular Seal and Key and therefore none to act without the unanimous Consent of all Also Commissioners are sent to inform themselves of the King's Crown-Revenue which they are likewise to make their Report of during this Session and till a new King be proclaim'd the Republick claims the Title of Most Serene from all Sovereign Princes and Crown'd Heads altho' Hautaville says he has observ'd that the King of France writing to this Diet of Election has not faluted them with that Title but only express'd himself in these Terms To our dearest and well beloved Friends and Allies the States of the Kingdom of Poland and Great Dutchy of Lithuania Whilst this Diet sits which by the Laws is not to be above a Fortnight without Prorogation and from the Time of the Circular Letters to the Conclusion of the Diet of Election all Courts of Justice cease except only that of the Marshal's which continues as before and a Court establish'd to prevent Disorders in the Diet. As for all private Affairs and Suits of Law they are delay'd till after the new King's Coronation The Proceedings in this Diet are much of the same Nature with those in other Diets Most Crown'd Heads and other Christian Princes send Ambassadours to this Election and more especially the Emperour and King of France The Pope also always sends his Nuncio to take care that the Election should fall upon a profess'd Catholick and one that is in the Interest of the See of Rome The Emperour and French King always raise great Factions to promote their several Interests Before any Ambassadours arrive they are to send Notice of their coming to the Archbishop of Gnesna who is to appoint them Lodgings at a Distance from the City and to assign them a Polish Gentleman whose Business is rather to observe their Conduct and to acquaint the Diet therewith than to do them either any Service or Honour But however these Rules are but seldom observ'd for Princes Ambassadours now generally live publickly at Warsaw A Gentleman 't is true is still appointed to be always with them whose chiefest Business is to prevent their corrupting any with Money but this Precaution is notwithstanding now become useless since Avarice bears so great a Sway in Poland that even the Fidelity which a Polish Gentleman ows his Country cannot withstand the Charms of a Thousand Crowns Embassadors are not only receiv'd from Foreign Princes and their Masters Letters publickly read but also Polish Ministers are sent at this Time from the Republick to all Neighbouring States to answer their Embassies and to request their Amity Here it may be observ'd that all Embassadours or Envoys who have had Audience of Leave before the late King's Death are desir'd to depart within eight Days Embassadors from foreign Courts must take especial Care to secure the Diet in general since the bare disobliging of one particular Member may render them for ever incapable of bringing their Designs about as it hapned in the Election of Michael Wiesnowiski where the true Reason of the Duke of Newburg's being excluded was the Quarrel with the Chancellor Patz Nevertheless it must be acknowledg'd that that Election was tumultuary the Nobility had not their free Votes and that they were in a manner hurried away by the Violence of the Multitude which was so great that Prasmowski then Primate was forc'd to proclaim him tho' he knew that the Republick at that Juncture had need of both a rich and valiant King neither of which that Prince could in the least pretend to be He was no sooner proclaim'd but the Chancellor began to insinuate that he ow'd his Crown to him nor was it a difficult Task for him to impose on a Prince who was easily govern'd and who had always shewn more good Nature than Judgment After the Diet of Convocation ended the Nuncios and Deputies retire to their several Countries where they acquaint the Gentry being a second Time assembled in their Little Diets of the Proceedings in this general Convocation and particularly of the Day assign'd for the Election Whereupon the Gentry immediately begin to consult about what is proper to be propos'd in the Diet of Election and they proceed to choose new Deputies In Prussia the Bishop of Varmia being sole Lord Lieutenant summons all these little Diets by his Mandates The general Diet for the Election of a King was formerly held at Petricovia but since the joining of the Kingdom with the Great Dutchy is always held in an open Field half a League from Warsaw and near the Village of Vola and is not to continue by the Laws above six Weeks The Crown-Treasurer at the Charges of the Republick builds there a large Booth or Hall with Boards not unlike Booths in our Bartholomew Fair The Name the Poles give to this Place is Szopa signifying a cover'd Room against the Injuries of Weather It has but three Doors to go in at and they fortifie it round with a broad and deep Ditch When this Place is thus finish'd by the Care of the aforesaid Officer and the Day fix'd for the Diets convening is arriv'd the Senators and Nobility go in great Order to St. John's Church at Warsaw where they pray God to assist them in the Election of a King who may have all the Qualities necessary to defend the Church and protect the Republick Then they go to wait on the Queen Dowager to condole the Death of the deceas'd King her Husband the Primate speaking for the Senate and the last Nuncio-Marshal for the Deputies who are then answer'd in the Queen's
Hearths have no Chimneys and the Smoak has only a little Hole to get out at the Top of the House In Poland it is impossible to subsist a Nights without these Hearths and therefore not only the Peasants but Gentry likewise are oblig'd to have them though the last are of different Make and Materials from the former The Peasants Children especially in Russia go Naked till they are four or five years Old They are not taught to go till they are indifferent Strong and then their Mother sets them against the Threshold of the Door where they first begin to Essay their Strength After they have roll'd about till they are sufficiently Dirty she takes them and washes them in Cold Water as I observ'd before so that this being first considered it need not be wonder'd that they afterwards become so exceeding hardy I have seen some of these Children says Hauterille that would slide along upon the Ice for a good way together stark Naked For the Habits which these Peasants use in Winter they are a Sheep Skin with the Wool on and in Summer a Close-body'd Coat of Course Stuff of a Colour much like our Chimney-Sweepers They also wear ordinary Caps on their Heads Sometimes they have Boots for their Legs but most commonly the Rind of Trees only wrapp'd round them with the thicker part to guard the Soles of their Feet against Stones The same Custom is us'd in Lithuania as may be seen hereafter The Women-Peasants are habited in like manner as in other Countries except that their Smocks and Petticoats are exceeding Short Those in Russia go generally in Summer in their Smocks with an Apron before them that reaches lower than ordinary Now I shall proceed to inform your Lordship how Nobility is acquir'd in Poland which is first by Birth where both the Parents were Noble Nevertheless now a-days by a long Tract of Custom not only such are reputed Noble but likewise those whose Mothers were Plebeians for nothing is at present more practis'd in Poland than for the Gentry to match with the Commonalty especially with those that are rich Secondly Nobility is acquir'd by Creation which formerly was wholly at the King 's Pleasure but of latter Days is only at the Disposal of the Senate or Diet. The Manner of making a Gentleman is this The King not being sole sufficient for that Purpose he is oblig'd to send to all the little Diets of the Kingdom for their Consent which afterwards also must be approv'd by the Great Diet and then a Gentleman may have his Diploma and be enroll'd All this Ceremony and a great deal more goes to the making of a Gentleman in Poland A Jew is made a Gentleman first by becoming a Christian and then by signalizing himself in the Wars when he is propos'd by the King to the little Diets and afterwards confirm'd by the great one It may be here observ'd that 't is better to be born than created Noble for these last call'd by the Poles Scartabelli are subject to several Impositions and Inconveniencies which the others are exempt from There is a third way of becoming Noble which is by serving as Magistrate in some privileg'd City particularly in Cracow and Vilna where the Consuls or Senators are qualify'd to transmit their Privileges to their Posterity Also as Nobility is to be gain'd so likewise it may be forfeited three Ways First by some heinous Crime For Example where a Nobleman permits one that is Ignoble to usurp his Coat of Arms. Secondly by exercising any Trade or Merchandizing or any sordid Calling in any City or Town whereby he immediately forfeits his Privileges and Quality And thirdly by being a Magistrate in any City not Privileg'd However tho' Nobility may by these Means be lost and forfeited yet many have been known to be restor'd where their Parents had quitted their Quality thro' Poverty the Poles justly considering the Force of that Condition which is able to drive Men to the most Ignoble Actions To give your Lordship a Character of the Poles I may affirm that they exceed all the Nations of Europe in Vivacity of Spirit Strength of Body and living long which cannot be occasion'd by their Climate because the Swedes Moscovites and Germans live all under the same Parallel and yet enjoy not the like Vigour and Health and therefore must proceed First From their Diet which as to Meat is generally fresh roasted Flesh for they scarce ever eat any boyl'd or salt and Fowl which encreases the volatile and fix'd Salts and thence comes their Vigour and Vivacity Secondly From their Drink which is spirituous and strong being chiefly Hungarian Wine burnt or Aniseed Water both which they guzzle down in great Quantities almost all the Day long The poorer Sort have a Liquor distill'd from Wheat Oats or Barley which the Gentry rectifie with Anniseeds or Aromaticks Thirdly From their living hardily for they hate Effeminacy and a poor Country Cottage pleases them as well as a Palace and they frequently weave Tapistry and Arras as they travel along upon the Roads Nay many of them will sleep in Time of Frost and Snow without any Bed or other Conveniency and the little Children two Months after they are born have been seen carry'd about stark naked Fourthly from hunting which is very much in Use among them and particularly of a wild Beast which they call Zubra having no cloven Feet They eat these Animals which they find only in Lithuania The Poles are extreamly addicted to and expert in Horsemanship which might probably occasion the Arms of Lithuania Fifthly From other Exercises for the Poles are very much enclin'd to Dancing Leaping Vaulting Jumping c. as likewise exceedingly given to Talking and Conversation wherein they agree with the French Sixthly Their Beds Fasting and Temperance in Eating very much contribute towards their living long for hard Beds knit their Bones and Temperance refines their Spirits The Slaves among them have no Beds and the Masters seldom use any but Quilts and the like And seventhly Their Health Vigour and Vivacity may reasonably be augmented by their great Freedom and Privileges for where Slavery hebetates and blunts the Mind and consequently enervates the Body Liberty exhilerates the one and by that means strengthens the other The Complexion of the Poles is generally enclining to fair as likewise their Hair to a pale Yellowish Colour Their Stature is commonly of the middle Sort tho' a little tending to the tallest Their Constitutions are generally good and their Bodies gross yet the Women of Quality make it their chief Study to make themselves lean and slim But Painting and Washes to meliorate their Complexions they abhor neither have they any Occasion for them The Polish Men cut their Hair about their Ears like Monks as I observ'd in the first Volume of this History They raze away all the Hair from their Faces leaving only one large Whisker They walk gravely
with a Poll-Ax in their Hands and a Sabre by their Sides which they never put off but when they go to Bed This Sabre hangs by a Strap of Leather to which is also fastened a Hankercheif a Knife and Sheath and a small Stone set in Silver to whet their Knife upon They wash their Faces and Necks every Morning in cold-Water and the Fathers are accustom'd to make their Children to wash themselves as soon as they are stirring even in the sharpest Weather The Poles are generally open-hearted and honest as Boterus observes in his Relations more apt to be deceiv'd than to deceive and not so easily provok'd as appeas'd They are likewise for the most part very dutiful to their Magistrates and courteous and hospitable to Strangers which last they will not only invite to their Houses and freely converse with but also endeavour to imitate I have known some says Hauteville that have entertain'd French Men Italians and Germans whom they did not know meerly because they were out of Employment From their greenest Years they apply themselves to Letters yet which generally speaking seldom extends much beyond a perfect Knowledge of the Latin and their own Language altho they have not however all along wanted for famous Mathematicians Historians Orators Philosophers and Poets as likewise for learned Physicians Lawyers and Divines some of which have illustrated both the Church and their Native Country with their Writings And doubtless the Learned would have been oblig'd to more of their Nation had not their Works perish'd for Want of Printing which Art has been but lately receiv'd among them Your Lordship will find no People with whom you may more generally converse in Latin and where all Records are written in that Language The Women also learn Latin in the Nunneries The Adult among the Plebeians generally addict themselves the Men to Trade or Agriculture and the Women to good Housewifry The Gentry also apply themselves to serve the Church or State Yet both Gentry and Commonalty are often given to Travel and easily imbibe the Idioms of foreign Nations Their Parts are sprightly and active yet nevertheless more apt for Imitation than Invention Formerly the Poles were not much given to Trafick but now by the Example of their Neighbours who came to trade among them they strive to outvy each other in Riches and Covetousness yet for the most part they love to make a Show and will appear very splendid upon the least Occasions For the worst Part of their Character we must observe with Barclay that they run mad after Liberty and rather drive than invite their Kings to observe their Laws They not only hate the Name of Slavery but likewise abhor a just and hereditary Monarchy The Gentry claim prerogatives that will scarce give them Leave to be guilty of any Crime and whenever they happen to acknowledge any such the Prince has seldom a Power to punish it They are not only licentious in their Morals and a civil Life but likewise in Religion and sacred Observances for without Fear of Ecclesiastical Censures they will both talk and act as they please against that Function affirming themselves self-sufficient to be their own Guides in those Matters Their Genius enclines them generally to Arms tho' they fall far short of their ancient Glory by reason there are now so few publick spirited Persons among them each having greater Regard to his own private Interest and Gain than either the Honour or Safety of his Country Nevertheless not all have been of this Character for several of latter Days have approv'd themselves worthy Patriots and couragious Defenders of the Republick and for the most part they are still good Soldiers providing there appears any Money or other Reward to push them on It is probable they would be almost invincible were they but well Disciplin'd for they are so inur'd to Hardship that they look upon even the Germans to be an Effeminate Sort of People not fitting to support the Fatigues of War and the Rigour of Weather The Polish Army has been known to lie encamp'd in the Snow which it did in the Year 1663. for King Casimir set forth from Leopol in the Beginning of September and did not return from the Frontiers of Moscovy till the Spring of the Year following The Poles are so very greedy of Money that there is scarce any thing they will refuse to obtain it but when they have once got it tho they borrow it they never think of Payment or Restitution nay they will laugh at such as demand it of them bidding them go use the same Means as they did to get it This one would think should altogether interrupt Commerce and Trade therefore it would not be here amiss to inform your Lordship how they Lend and Borrow in Poland It must first be observ'd that Bonds and Obligations are of no Use there for when the Gentlemen borrow of one another they mortgage their Lands or Villages and when they borrow of the Tradesmen or Merchants they always leave Pledges and besides pay 14 per Cent. which is allow'd by the Laws of the Land But providing the Summ so borrow'd be not paid within a Time prescrib'd then is the Creditor at Liberty to dispose of the Pledge without any Account to be given As I observ'd before the Poles love to make a Show keeping a Multitude of Servants and great Store of Horses and Arms for that Purpose But more especially they affect to go splendidly cloath'd yet still rather according to their several Conditions than Qualities They have formerly delighted much in foreign Modes and their Soldiers have been the first Introducers of their Fashions for Example when they had Wars with the Moscovites according to the Mode of that Country they wore large long Gowns lin'd throughout with rich Furrs as likewise very broad-brim'd and high-crown'd Hats Afterwards when they were engag'd against the Turks in Valachia they chang'd their Fashions to the Turkish and Tartarian Habits And after that to the Suedish and German Modes when they were in War with the Suedes in Prussia Their present Fashion is A Vest that reaches down to the middle of their Legs with a long Robe not unlike our Morning Gowns lin'd with Furr and ty'd about their Wastes with a Sash Little Boots with Iron Heels on their Legs and Furr'd Caps upon their Heads with a Sabre or Cutlace girt about their Loins When they appear on Horseback which is one of their chief Delights they wear besides all that has been mention'd a short Cloak that hangs over their Shoulders much like an Irish Mantle which is most commonly Furr'd within and without The better that is the Richer sort make use of the Furrs of Sables which are brought from Moscovy when the others content themselves with the Skins of Tygers Leopards Panthers and a kind of Grey Furrs Some of the finest of these Furrs cost above a Thousand
large black Velvet Pall thrown over it with a Cross of red Satin in the Middle and six long black Silk Tassels hanging down from it which are born up by as many of the deceas'd Person 's Domesticks all in close Mourning Before the Chariot march several Priests Monks and a great Number of People each of which carries a white Wax Torch lighted in his Hand next to whom and immediately before the Herse come three Men on Horseback who carry the Arms of the deceased one his Sword another his Lance and the third his Dart. The Procession thus set out marches very slowly in a manner that they usually come late to the Church After the Burial-Service is over those that carry'd the Armour enter the Church on Horse-back and furiously riding up to the Coffin break the Arms of the deceas'd thereupon after which the Body is Inter'd Then they return to the House where there is always a great Feast prepar'd when the Lay-Guests will not only drink to Excess but likewise force the Clergy to follow their Example Here it may not be amiss to observe something relating to the Interment of the King and Queen of Poland As soon as the King dies he is laid upon a Bed of State and a certain Number of the Senators both Ecclesiastical and Temporal are appointed to attend about his Corps The Republick also orders all necessary Expences relating hereunto to be levied out of the Crown Revenues A deceas'd Queen likewise has the same Ceremonies and Honours as a King for Queen Mary Ludovica Wife to John Casimir was carry'd from the Suburbs of Warsaw where she dy'd to the Castle where she lay in State till she was carry'd to Cracow to be buried It may not be improper to entertain your Lordship with the Manner of her Death there being something observable in it She dy'd of a Defluxion upon her Lungs or of a Consumption occasion'd by Excess of Passion on Account of a Contest she had had with the Chancellour Patz about something she had propos'd to him which he would not consent to This Princess lov'd so dearly to intermeddle with and to govern the State solely according to her Fancy that she was not a little jealous when the King her Husband spake to any other Women and that chiefly for fear he might enâ—line to be govern'd by another more than her self This your Lordship may imagine gave him no great Cause to be concern'd at her Death for at the very Instant of her expiring he posted away to a Mistriss he had formerly lov'd but whom he durst not have spoke to during his Queen's Life As Mourning is not only a necessary Circumstance but also the Sequel of a Funeral so I think my self oblig'd here to give some short Account of it The Mourning of the Men is much like ours only differing according to the Habits of the Country but the Women of Quality are generally apparell'd in a Sort of coarse black Stuff and their Linnen is not much finer than Canvass and the greater the Quality always the coarser the Linnen and Stuff This Habit does not misbecome Widows that are both young and handsome It may here be observ'd that the Senators Deputies and all others that have a Mind to appear at the Diet of Election must be in Black tho' the Fashions of the several Countries of Foreigners are not requir'd in like manner to be alter'd For the other Customs of eating and drinking among the Poles both at Feasts and elsewhere they are various but first I must give some Account of the Edibles and Potables Their ordinary Meat is Beef and Veal for Mutton they do not value and generally give it to their Servants They have great Store of grey but no red Partridges a great many Hares but no Rabits for they would sooner eat a Cat than these last They have 't is true some white Rabbets which they breed tame for the Sake of their Furrs In Poland there are a great many Roe-bucks but few Stags Abundance of wild Boars Hogs Poultry Pigeons and the like But as for wild-Foul they have great Store indeed in Summer but none in Winter as in other Countries when they are best They have a great many wild Oxen which when moderately salted are great Dainties with them The Manner of hunting these wild Oxen it may not be improper here to give some short Account of when they have surrounded the Beast with a great Number of Horsemen each of them rides up to him and darts him with an Arrow when the Beast feeling himselfwounded eagerly pursues its Enemy while another Person darting him from behind he turns in great Rage after that Person and then another darting him as likewise many others successively at length the poor Beast is so tir'd with pursuing so many Assailants that he falls down and is easily taken or kill'd They have another way of taking them in the Woods which is by causing the Rusticks to enclose a great Number of them with Trees feil'd down who also immediately raise up a Stage for Spectators when the Hunters assigning themselves every one a Post and the Beasts being frighted into the Middle by Dogs and the great Vociferation of the Assailants as they move towards each Person they are wounded with Darts which making them to run with great Force against their Enemy and finding an Opposition by the Trees they endeavour to force their Way whilst the Hunter from behind most commonly gives them their Deaths Wound but if they happen to break thro' then the next Hunter holds out a Piece of red Cloath which it seems this Beast having an Antipathy against forthwith leaves that Person and runs at the other who being provided for him most commonly kills him or in Case of Danger his Neighbour has Recourse to the aforesaid Stratagem which never fails of diverting the Fury of this wild Beast It may be also observ'd that this Beast has a Power of drawing a Man to him with his Tongue it being rough if he can but reach any Part of his Coat or the like Near the Mountains of Hungary there are also wild Goats which they admire mightily for Meat They likewise make a fine Dish as they think it of Beavers Tails but throw away the Body They likewise eat Bears Paws when pickled for Dainties When they take or kill Elks they do not gut them for fourteen or fifteen Days afterwards and sometimes in Winter not in a whole Month. When the Great Men come to the Diet they commonly bring these with their Skins and Guts and hang them at their Windows some five or six at a Time until they turn rank like Venison then they roast some and dress others like Beef a la mode This is esteem'd delicious Meat and none but Great Mens Tables have it The Manner of taking Bears also I presume may not be unacceptable to your Lordship They are generally taken with Nets even
tho' they be of the largest Size When they have hamper'd one all the Hunters ride in great Numbers about him and having pinn'd down his Head and Feet with great wooden Forks they bind him every way about with strong hempen Cords that he is not able to stir then they roul him into a great wooden Cage but it must be understood that the Knots of the Cords are so contriv'd that with one artful Pull they may be unloos'd after which the Bear is kept so shut up till they have a mind to let him forth by lifting up a Trap Door to be hunted In Poland likewise they have a great many Heath-Cocks most of which are of the Bigness of a Capon There are also abundance of Pheasants in Lithuania and of Bustards in Prussia They have moreover about Lowitz a little Bird not unlike a large Sparrow which comes and disappears with the Snow and thence is call'd a Snow-Bird These are very agreeable to the Taste As for tame-Fowl the Poles never eat any but such as is brought alive into their Kitchins in the Morning and kill'd for Dinner For Fish the Baltick being the only Sea that borders upon Poland has scarce any but that Defect is abundantly supply'd by the great Plenty of fresh Water Fish both in their Lakes and Rivers some Sorts whereof are not to be found in other Countries It may be observ'd that those which are taken out of Rivers are more palatable than those bred in Lakes and the Sea The Poles have a peculiar way of ordering Cabbage They chop it small and put it into a Tub between Lays of Salt then they press it very hard and after pour warm Water upon it which makes it ferment and serves for Pickle Thus they preserve it all Winter and sometimes for a whole Twelve-month Tho' this Dainty of theirs smells very strong at a Distance yet do they nevertheless think it good Meat Their Potables are of different Kinds but their usual Drink is Beer which in Prussia is made only of Malt but in the rest of Poland with Wheat ground small and boyl'd with Hops sometimes they mixt Spelt a Kind of Wheat in Italy and Flanders and Oats along with it Their Beer is generally of an Amber Colour and of a brisk and poignant Sweetness especially that of Varka or that which the Gentry make for their private Use which is stronger and better than the Brewers fell In Lithuania Russia and Vkrania they have two Sorts of Liquor made with Honey which are red and white both which they call Mead tho'we give that Name only to the latter the former with us being Metheglin Prussia and Masovia also has some Honey tho' at Warsaw it is made after a peculiar Manner by mixing Juice of Cherries and Blackberries as likewise Aromaticks along with it and thence has the several differing Names of Kerstrang Malinicz and Troinicz Besides Beer and Mead both the Poles and Lithuanians have several Sorts of Wine brought from Hungary Italy France and Germany That of Hungary excels the Spanish in Strength and is brought to Cracow over the Carpathian Mountains in large Casks drawn by Oxen. The best is sold at twenty Shillings a Polish Pot which amounts to no more than three of our Quarts so that we may reasonably believe that the poorer Sort are oblig'd to obstain from so costly a Liquor The Italian Wine is brought likewise over-Land but not drank so much as the other by reason of its Lushiousness and Price being brought much farther The French and Rhenish Wines come by way of the Baltic to Dantzic These as they are naturally weaker than the former so they lose much of their Strength by coming by Sea As to the Rhenish Wine that seldom goes much beyond Dantzic altho' some be sold in other Parts of Prussia yet which they always drink with Sugar by Reason of its Sharpness Strong Waters in Poland are generally Spirits drawn from Wheat Barley Oats Sider c. and mixt with Water but these are only drank by the common People unless in Winter when the Gentry likewise drink them but they then are rectify'd with Aniseeds and other Aromaticks For their Customs in eating and drinking it must be observ'd that they seldom or never eat any Breakfasts and do not care for cold Meat In the Mornings both Men and Women generally drink Ginger Yolks of Eggs and Sugar boyl'd in Beer They are immoderate Lovers of Pig roasted tho' their Sauces have commonly an odd Taste The Great Men seldom dine without a Dish of Peas and yellow rusty Bacon slic'd which it seems they prefer They eat all manner of Mushrooms not excepting those that cleave to the Trees which they gather and dry to preserve them Those of above a Nights Growth we commonly esteem Poyson and which perhaps may be so here and not there no more than Poppy Seeds which they likewise eat in great Quantities for they drink the Milk of them as also make it into several Sauces or Dishes by it self They also make abundance of Oyl of this Seed as likewise of Hemp and Flax Seeds c. which they eat on fasting Days They seldom eat any Potage unless what the French Cooks make which they will feast on with a great deal of Pleasure They do not boil their Meat over much and that gives it the better Relish Their Sauces also differ extreamly from ours some whereof are yellow and made with Saffron others white consisting chiefly of Cream a third Sort grey being of Onyons and a fourth black being made with the Juice of Plums Into these Sauces they put a great Quantity of Sugar or sometimes Pepper Cynamon and sometimes Ginger Cloves Nutmeg Olives Capers Kernels of Pine Apples and Prunes Their Fish Sauces excel both ours and the French The Poles use Spices to that Degree that some Great Men have been found to spend above fifty thousand Livres a-Year in that single Commodity They do not want for all Sorts of choice Potherbs and some that are not to be found elsewhere They have also Sweet-Meats of various Kinds and all Manner of Deserts especially Pistacho Nuts The Poles generally eat a great deal of Meat to a very little Bread altho they have such Plenty of Corn in Poland especially Rye which is much better than in other Countries They are great Admirers of Roots which they dress different Ways and very palatably They have a Sort of Dish which they call Crachat and which is made of the coarse Meal of Wheat Barley Millet or Oats or sometimes of a small Grain call'd by them Manna This Crachat is very good when well dress'd On Flesh Days they eat it with Milk and Butter and on Fasting Days only with Oyl But notwithstanding there are some who dispense with this Rule especially on Saturdays The common People for want of Wheat or the like are accustom'd to make Bread of Acorns dry'd and ground
When the Poles make a Feast they never serve at Table either Spoons Knives or Forks but the Guests are to bring those along with them or their Servants for them They also have a broad Piece of starch'd Linnen to serve for Napkins sow'd round the Table Cloath for fear it should be stollen away The Guests being set down at Table immediately the Gates of the House are shut and are not open'd till all the Company are risen and the Plate taken Account of and lock'd up for should it be otherwise the Footmen are generally so light-finger'd that they would infallibly Nim some of it and this is the Reason also why they do not lay Spoons Knives and Forks on the Table Every Person of any Fashion has his Banquetting Hall in his House peculiarly set a part for Feasts and Entertainments Here there is a Place made up with Ballasters for the Side-board Table from which the Cloath is never taken till it is very dirty being always loaded with a great Quantity of Plate Over this Place there is a Gallery for Musick usually consisting of Violins and Organs Those that are invited always bring their Footmen along with them to whom as soon as they are seated they cut half their Bread and as much Meat and give it over their Shoulders This Servant being thus provided stands and eats what is given him behind his Master If the Master asks twice for Wine the Servant brings him as much again and after his Master drinks out of the same Glass without rincing Altho' there are great Quantities of Victuals brought from the Kitchin yet do they rarely carry any back for the Servants immediately seize on what is left and their Ladies make them carry each of them a Napkin to prog for dry'd Sweet-meats or Fruit. After the Cloath is taken away the Poles are accustom'd to sit a good while drinking The Genteelest Part of them at least have a very decent way of eating They never once touch the Meat with their Hands but carve with so great Address that they dexterously cut a Partridge into six Parts in a Trice holding it on the End of a Fork While they are eating they mind nothing else and tho' any body sends in for them they never stir from Table till they have done After their Meals they generally take a Pipe of Tobacco as the Custom is with us and other Countries the Manner whereof may not be unpleasant to be related They generally smoak Tobacco without injuring either their Heads or Stomachs and that by these Means They have a Pipe stuck thro' a little round Box into which they have before put Sponge that had been soak'd in distill'd Vineger this Sponge by means of a few little Holes thro' the Pipe communicates its Mildness to the Smoak and besides sucks away all the Oyl of the Tobacco whereby the Heat is exceedingly lenify'd and the Pleasure of smoaking consequently improv'd When they would render smoaking Tobacco yet more agreeable over and above this lenifying the Heat they have a way of persuming the Smoak by placing another Box of a lesser Size than the former nearer to the Bowl of the Pipe wherein they are wont to put Cotton dipt into some Sort of Essence which by means of the like Holes made as before within that Box and thro' the Pipe transmits its odoriferous Quality to the Smoak They generally place this Box five Inches from the Bowl of the Pipe and the other as many more These Feasts are made alternatively by every Friend and Relation that are Neighbours whether Men or Women for it must be understood that the Poles converse freely with the Female Sex without occasioning them any Scandal and especially where the Women are young if they have but their Parents or nearest Relations along with them By these Means Matches are frequently promoted and Friendships propagated or continu'd Nevertheless sometimes by immoderate tipling intestine Jars arise and bloody Broils ensue yet that Master of a Feast will always be esteem'd an unreasonable Niggard that does not allow his Guests wherewithal to work them up to such a Pitch Those we call Brimmers are very much in Request among the Poles for they will scarce ever excuse a Man unless he pledges them Super-naculum This Vice reigns equally in Feasts and Taverns and Saints Days are not excepted out of their Drunkards-Calendar which is notwithstanding wink'd at and tolerated on Account of the great Revenues and Excise it brings to the State However now a-days this Custom is not so much in Practice among the better Sort of Gentry as formerly yet they all still retain their ancient Luxuries of other Kinds The Customs and Manners of travelling in Poland with other Circumstances come next to be inspected It must first be understood that there are scarce any Inns in this Country except those the Natives call Karczma's where Travellers are oblig'd to lodge with the Cattle Those Inns or rather long Stables are all built up with Boards and cover'd with Straw Within there is no Furniture neither are there any Windows but all the Light comes in either at Holes made by the Weather or the Crevices of ill join'd Boards 'T is true at the further End they have a little Chamber with a Fire-Hearth but then there is no lodging in it because of the Flyes Fleas Bugs and especially the noisom Smells that incommode it for if they happen to have a little Window there yet do they never open it tho' the Weather be never so hot so that Strangers choose rather to lye in the aforesaid Stable where the Gospodarz or Inn-Keeper lodges himself with his whole Family than to be suffocated by the Stink and Smell of so close and small a Room In the long Room likewise there is an intolerable Smell occasion'd by a Parcel of rotten Cabbages which those People always keep by them And this tho' it may be agreeable enough to the Natives who are us'd to it yet to Strangers it must needs be very offensive In these Inns or Stables there are no Tables or Beds except one of the last in the little Room before mention'd but however scarce any body cares to lye in it because they can have no Sheets but what are very coarse and have been often lain in before neither is the Straw in the Stable much better because even of that every Company can't have fresh for the Gospodar after his Guests are gone generally gathers it up and preserves it for New-Comers yet it is still preferable to the Bed by Reason that he most commonly Airs it after it has been us'd All along this Karczma or Inn there are great Numbers of wooden Pins fixt for Travellers to hang up their Cloaths Portmantues c. This Sort of bad Accomodation many avoid by lying in Barns where they get fresh Straw By Reason of this ill Entertainment on the Roads all Travellers in this Country are
oblig'd to have a Calash with two Horses wherein they must carry all their Necessaries and Provisions Their Beds Quilts Bolsters Sheets and the like are generally put into a large Serge Bag which afterward serves them instead of a Seat in the Calash Also they must provide a Case for Bottles of what Drink they please and a Basket with a Lid for their Meat Bread c. They must moreover furnish themselves with every individual thing that they may have occasion for and take care to renew what they have exhausted whenever they have the first Opportunity for there is scarce any thing to be had in these Karczma's but that indifferent Lodging I mention'd Thus your Lordship may perceive that one that travels in Poland must as it were carry his whole House along with him and besides undergo not a few Incommodities to boot However when a Man is thus provided he may travel at a very inconsiderable Expence for Lodging as indeed it ought not costs but very little and there is nothing to pay for any thing else because it can't be got the Reason I suppose being that the Gentry of the Country never offer to pay for what they call for and there is no way to force them to it so that where they ask for any thing the Gospodar always puts them off with a Nie Masz that is I have nothing Yet nevertheless when they have any thing to spare they will freely give Part of it to Strangers tho' generally there being but few Travellers in that Country they provide only for their own Families When Foreigners happen to want for Provisions they usually apply themselves to the Dvour or Lord of the Village who forthwith supplies them gratis Poland being for the most part a Champagne Country a Galash and two Horses will rid a great deal of Ground there in a Day Some of the Poles are so provident as to drive their own Calashes themselves but of these there are but few When they come to the Inn they commonly put their Horses to Grass because the Gospodarz will not be easily induc'd to trust them for Hay There are some likewise that travel on Horseback with a Quilt for their Bed about a Foot and half broad laid under their Saddle They commonly employ the Gospodarz to fetch them in Beer Bread and whatever else they have Occasion for and which Service they must not refuse to do for them at their Peril Travelling is here so easie to the Gentry that it costs them little or nothing A Traveller would do well to take more than ordinary Care in passing over Bridges in this Country because they are generally very bad and seldom repair'd In VVinter there is no travelling without a Case for ones Feet the Air being excessive sharp and keen This Case is generally a furr'd Sack tho' Horsemen content themselves with thick Boots having some Straw in them to keep their Feet warm They also take a good large Sip of Strong VVaters before they mount In passing over the Ice especially when there is Snow upon it one must take care to procure a Sledge to put the Calash or Coach in which is always drawn by Horses In VVinter likewise one shall find it a hard Matter to rest a-nights especially on Holy-days because then all the Peasants of the Village are gather'd together to Carouse and make merry in that Room where you are oblig'd to lodg for want of a Fire elsewhere for at that Time there is no sleeping without Nay as I said before scarce with it tho' a Man be commonly very weary when he comes off a Journey these Drunkards making such a continn'd Din in your Ears with their excessive singing and dancing about the Room I should have observ'd to your Lordship that sometimes in VVinter Travellers Noses are frozen with the extream Cold when they must take immediate Care to apply Snow to them for should they suddenly enter into a warm Room without so doing they might for ought I know endanger losing them Before I conclude this Account of the Customs and Manners of the Poles I might reasonably inform your Lordship of the Manners both ancient and modern of the Lithuanians Samogitians Prussians c. especially where they differ from those of the other Parts of Poland That we are descended from the ancient Romans says Michalon a Lithuanian Author is past Doubt since our Language is almost half Latine and we not long since had the same Customs and Ceremonies as burning the Dead divining by Augurs and such like Superstitions Nay which we still retain continues he in many Parts of this Country especially by worshiping the God Esculapius under the Form of a Serpent This Author reckons up a great many VVords which have the same Signification at present in Lithuania as they had formerly in Rome He thinks likewise the Romans Expedition into this Country was under Julius Caesar and vouches Florus for a Proof He also is of Opinion that the Cause of this Country's being call'd The Great Dutchy proceeds from the great Number of Dukes inhabiting therein As to what relates to the Courts of Justice in Lithuania the tenth Part of the thing adjudg'd in all real Actions goes always to the Judge's Box thence call'd Peressud a close Chest which is immediately to be paid down in Court But in personal Actions he claims half the Damages given to the Plaintiff Murther c. is punish'd by Mulct only in like manner as in Poland If the Murtherer fly 't is usual to preserve the dead Carcass for that he cannot be condemn'd till he has been shewn the Body of the Person he has slain Also a Judge here has all stollen Goods where-ever found These Judges are now appointed to be the same as they are in Poland tho' there were formerly but two in all Lithuania both Palatins and who had no peculiar Place of Residence assign'd so that all that had Business with them were oblig'd to follow them tho' never so far distant but these Palatins had their Deputies who were accustom'd to sit and adjudge Differences at publick Feas 〈…〉 but who nevertheless had always greater Regard to the filling of their Peressud than either to the Justice or Innocence of the Person offended or offending Other Particulars relating to these Matters I have omitted for Brevity's sake altho' for the most part they differ from the Laws of other Countries presuming they might not probably be acceptable to your Lordship and the Publick But I must take notice of the Gentry and Citizens of Lithuania c. and so shall proceed to the Rusticks First then it must be understood that the Lithuanian Gentry were chiefly owing for their Privileges to Jagello King of Poland and to Alexander his Successor in Lithuania both which Princes that they might the better bring the Natives to embrace the Christian Faith bestow'd on their Nobility the same Liberty and Privileges as
the Polish Gentry enjoy'd Russia also and Podolia had the same Privileges granted them at the same time and Prussia likewise had great Immunities added to its ancient Privileges by Castmir IV. whose Assistance it had implor'd against the Teutonic Knights As for the Citizens of Lithuania Samogitia and Russia they are much on the same Foot with the other Parts of Poland only those of Prussia are preferr'd in many Cases as has been obsrev'd before The Country People in Lithuania c. are rather more miserable than in Poland for a Gentleman there attended by a Troop of Servants will commonly go into a Country-Man's House and take all he has from him misusing and beating him shamefully into the Bargain in which or any other Case if the Rustick applies himself to his Lord for redress he must not come empty handed and tho' he does not yet all the Favour he shall obtain will be to have his Case recommended to the Starostas and other Officers where he must fee again so that he is generally unable to go through with the great Charge of getting himself reveng'd Whereas these poor Wretches work but three or four Days in a Week for their Lords in Poland in Lithuania c. they commonly work five or six Mondays only being allow'd to themselves and in case they have Occasion for them that Day then they work on Sundays for themselves for these Boors observe no manner of Holy-Days Yet this Custom is more peculiar to Russia for if one should ask a Slave there Why he works on Sundays he would answer by a Question If he must not eat on Sundays These poor Wretches out of their scanty Gettings generally pay rigid Duties three or four Times a Year to the State besides being oblig'd to satisfie the frequent and arbitrary Impositions of their Lords If a Slave happens to be condemn'd to Death by his Lord for any Crime he must be his own Executioner or will be forc'd to it by Threats of a worse Punishment than hanging The Bread they usually live upon is a coarse black Sort made of Rye sooty Wheat and Barley Ears all ground together Their Meat is both Flesh Fish and Fowl and what Cattle or Poultry they foresee they shall not be able to keep in VVinter they usually kill in Autumn and preserve with Salt They are for the most part good Marks-men and maintain their Families in a great measure that way To grind their Corn they have in every House in the Country four or five Hand-Mills VVhile they are at work they sing continually and often repeat the VVord Melior which in their Language signifies the same as in Latine thereby implying as I suppose that their Condition is still better than a worse They have also a Sort of very long wooden Pipes which when they found they always make the Standers by deaf and usually so grate their Ears that they do not recover their Hearing in a good while The Rusticks of Lithuania Samogitia c. wear generally a coarse ash-colour'd Habit insomuch that scarce one in a Hundred is to be seen otherwise cloath'd For their Legs they have a kind of Bark-Buskins as I have observ'd before These Peasants have a Sort of Chariots or VVaggons all of VVood and very light which they make by raddling or interweaving Boughs with one another They have commonly a Covering of the same Fashion but the VVheels of this Machine are of one flat and entire Piece of VVood turn'd round In a VVord they are not much unlike our Colliers or Lime-burners Carts that may be frequently seen in the Country VVhen any Number of these Chariots are going together they make an intolerable squeaking Noise by reason that their Axel Trees are never greas'd These Sort of Chariots are much in Use also among the Russians as may be learnt from the Poet. Neque linunt Ruteni querulos pinguedine Currus Haud picis Auxilium Stridulus Axis habet Auditur veniens longe crepitare Colassa Sic fragiles Currus Russe vocare soles Num faciunt habiles Vno Vectore Quadrigas Invectas Ruteni quas Equus unus agit Nec facile invenies ferrato haerentia Clavus Plaustra facit ligni cuncta Ministerium Et sine ferri usu pangunt sua plaustra terebris Et lignum ligno consolidare solent The Houses these Peasants inhabit in are built round and thence call'd by them Towers They are narrow and open at Top that the Smoak and Stink might go out and they are generally cover'd with Boards Straw or Bark of Trees Here Men with their Families and Cattle live together by which means it often happens that both are alternatively mischiev'd The Employments these People busie themselves in are various whereof one belonging to the Men in VVinter is to help to stuff Feather beds made of chop'd Feathers and Stalks that grow in the Marshes These Beds must needs make the most drowzy not a little vigilant Part of the VVomens Business within Doors is to weave Coarse Cloath Both their Employments without belongs either to Husbandry or Houswifry as in other Countries The Reason why they have generally little Horses Guagnini thinks is because of the excessive Cold that reigns there yet says he they are not a little strong for one of them carry'd me above a hundred and twenty Polish Miles in four Days Among these People a Maid never marries till she is twenty four or thirty Years of Age when she must also have wrought with her own Hands several Baskets full of Cloaths of different Kinds which at the Time of her Espousals she is to distribute among the Guests that her Husband brings along with him She likewise must have serv'd her Mother in all Domestick Affairs for a certain Time The same Rule holds in Respect of a Son Another Observation may not be omitted that those who are employ'd to make the Match always enquire more strictly into the Manners and Behaviour of the Persons than after the Cattel and Corn that they enjoy The Character of these People is that they are good natur'd honest and exceeding chaste for rarely any Quarrels Robberies Rapes or Incests are to be met with among them The young VVenches are so extreamly reserv'd that they will draw a Knife at a Man that but offers to kiss them And besides their Mothers have a very watchful Eye over them for they make them wear little Bells before and behind to give them Notice where they are and what they are doing The Samogitian Peasants differ but little from the Lithuanian however some Peculiars there are to be observ'd First The Rusticks of Samogitia are not so laborious as those of Lithuania and consequently have not that Plenty of Provisions c. therefore instead of Bread they are accustom'd to eat a Sort of great Turnips as big as ones Head which grow of themselves without sowing Next They have a peculiar way of making
Literae Restium by some and by others VVici signifying in Polish a Staff and carried alost to every one of the Chief Noblemen of the District thrice in a Month and Proclaim'd as often in all Cities and Towns All Courts of Justice cease at the third reading of these Letters unless it be those of the Vice Starosta's who exercise their Jurisdiction as before After the last reading of these Letters a Place is appointed by several private Assemblies of the Nobility in every District for particular Musters and afterwards for the General Muster of every Palatinate Here the Palatins and Castellans take an exact Account of the Men Horses Arms c. neither of which can be chang'd after that Muster At the same time also the Palatin divides the Districts among the several Castellans and orders them their several Posts In those Palatinates where there is but one Castellan there part of his Duty is performed by a Vice-Chamberlain c. and in Lithuania by a Marshal of every District This particular Muster being over the Castellan of every District leads the Gentry under his Command to the place of general Muster for the Palatinate where the Palatin Musters them again and takes an account of the Defaulters Before the Castellans come to the Palatins Justice is absolutely in their Hands but afterwards they must resign it to the Palatin tho' Capital Crimes are always reserved for the determination of the General or rather of the King who of late days has had a Council of War Assign'd him for that purpose I may here observe that the Gentry are always Muster'd and Registr'd annually by their respective Officers Starovolscius reasonably requires two necessary Qualities in the Polish Horse which they seldom or never have and those are Expedition and Obedience As to the former he says they are always unwilling to leave their Wives and Children and therefore never care for appearing before they are forced by the third Summons And as for the latter when they are got together he says thinking themselves Powerful they are always Plotting and ready to Rebel against their Superiours and the reason is that altho' the Kingdom of Poland abounds with all manner of Plenty yet in every Expedition almost the Soldiers are ready to starve which is occasioned by a shameful neglect of the Chief Officers to furnish the Army with requisite Provisions whence it often comes to pass that tho' matters are brought to the nearest issue yet they are generally forsaken before they are accomplished the Soldiers Heads running after nothing but Forrage and Plunder which they take wherever it comes in their way whereby the Country is generally injur'd instead of being righted and defended There are other Causes of this Confusion and Disorder in the Army which I shall speak of hereafter When the Gentry have been thus Muster'd by the Palatins they are next to be led by their Officers to the Place of general Rendezvous where every Palatin delivers up his Charge to the Supremacy of the Great General In their March they are not to be quarter'd upon any of the King 's or Gentrys Estates but are to encamp in the open Fields that they may make no disturbance in the Citys At this day the Generals Power is very much limited in respect of what it was formerly for then a General was altogether Absolute and his Will alone went for a Law but now he can do little without the consent of such as the Republick has Assign'd him Besides the Great Generals and Field-Marshals the King by the Laws is obliged to be in the Army in Person This appears by the example of King Alexander who by reason the Gentry demanded his Presence among them tho' Sick was forced to be carried in a Litter into the Camp This was thought to have been Plotted by the Contrivance of the Duke of Glinski who hoped thereby that the King would catch his Death Before I proceed any farther I ought to give your GRACE a Division of the Polish Army and therein observe that it is composed of different kinds of Soldiers as first of the Pospolite or Militia 2. Of hir'd Soldiers 3. Of Auxiliaries 4. Of Quartarian Hirelings And 5th of Voluntiers And again it consists both of Horse and Foot and those Natives and Foreigners the Natives are for the greatest part Horse or Cavalry and may be divided into four sorts which may also be considered in two manners as first heavy-Arm'd and secondly light-Horse The former are 1. The Hussartz which with their Horses are both in close Armour And 2 the Tovarzysz which have only a Breast-Plate Helmet and Gorget These are both choice Men and the latter are so named from a word in Polish which signifies Companion The first of these are Armed with short Lances Sabres and Pistols and the second with Carabines Bows and Arrows c. These short Lances are called by the Poles Kopye whence also the Body of Men that uses them is term'd Kopiynick These Kopiie are about 6 Foot long and tied to the Horsmen's Wrists with strings of Silk When they come near their Enemy they dart their Lances with all their Force against them and if they miss their Bodies they suddenly snatch back the Lance by help of the Silken string but where they have mortally wounded any then they slip the Silk and leave the Lance in their Bodies till such time as they can ride up to them to cut of their Heads with a broad well temper'd Sabre which always hangs by their Saddles Both the Hussartz and Tovarzysz with their Horses look frightfully being stuck all over with Wings of Storks Cranes Turky-Cocks c. and Cloath'd over their Armour with skins of Leopards Tygres Bears Lyons c. all which they do to make themselves the more terrible to their Enemy These Cavalry for the most part set themselves also off wilh various Partycolour'd Mantles which oftentimes shine with Jewels Gold and Silver Of the Hussartz there are but 5 Companies in Poland every Company consisting of about 300 Men all Arm'd Cap-a-pe They have but one Lieutenant in each Company which they call Poruczknik and one Korazy or Trumpeter with a particular sort of Trumpet which they call Koronzy One of these the present King of France caus'd to be brought into his Kingdom with design to have the like made but being extreamly costly and not like to be of any great use among the Cannon he laid his Intention aside The Light Horse are also of two sorts and are either with Armour or without The first sort wear Coats of Mail and differ in Names as they do in Countries The Poles call them Pancerznicy Koragwy and the Lithuanians Petihorsky Koragwy which last differ something in their Dress from the former The number of these far exceeds that either of the Hussartz or Tovarzysz They are both separate Companies and are Incorporated into no Regiments They are in all about 6 or 7000
the Diet is to march against them So the Turk once coming towards Poland with 600000 Men the King did not care to trust even to 70000 hir'd Foreigners but convok'd the Gentry together at Leopol with whom if he had set forward as speedily as he was advised he might have totally extirpated the Infidels for ought I know out of Europe The Gentry are oblig'd to be in Arms as long as the King or State has occasion for them They all serve on Horseback not only for Honours sake but likewise that they may the more speedily intercept and oppose the Enemy before they reach their Frontiers When the Wars are over the Nobility are not ipso facto Discharged but must wait till they are methodically dismiss'd the Roll or Register by the Palatins the reason of which is for fear they might otherwise misuse the Citizens and Boors in a tumultuous Return Of the hir'd Soldiers I have spoken something before All that I think proper to add is that the Hungarian Foot which the Poles call VVegerska Piechota were first instituted by Stephen Batori in his Wars against the Muscovites to the maintaining of which almost every Diet contributes something yet which seldom or never suffices them Formerly the hir'd Foot consisted as well of Natives as Strangers The Auxiliary differ from the hir'd Forces in regard that the former are such as have been agreed to be furnished the Poles by Foreign Princes in a Treaty of Peace and the latter are such as have been levied in other Countries by permission Of this first sort were a certain number allowed Boleslaus Crivoustus by the Russians and to Casimir IV. by the Tartars against the Prussias which were to have some Rewards from the Poles These Rewards the Tartars afterwards requir'd yearly as a Tribute nay tho' they did no manner of Service for them whereupon King Stephen repell'd their Importunacies with an absolute Refusal as I have observ'd before in that King's Life which occasion'd great heats and disturbances but at length a Peace was concluded between these two Nations under the Reign of John Casimir whereby the Poles were oblig'd to pay a certain Stipend to the Cham and on the other hand the Cham was to be assisting to the Poles whenever they had occasion but it is certain that the latter broke his promise which induced a non-performance in the former There are other Examples of these kinds of Soldiers and at present some Allies are still obliged by such Contracts These Soldiers are both Horse and Foot as the Agreement is made This breach of Alliance by the Tartars occasion'd the Poles a new sort of Soldiers for Sigismundus Augustus to prevent their Incursions into his Kingdom allotted a fourth part of his Crown-Revenues to maintain a Guard on the Frontiers towards Tartary This fourth part was sometimes augmented and that as often as Exigencys required It was to be supervised by two Senators and two of the Gentry in conjunction with the High-Treasurer of Poland The Starosta of Rava had the Custody of it and was to give in his yearly Accounts how he had distributed it From hence these Soldiers had the Name of Quartarians Before this time the like Institution had been attempted at a Diet held at Vilna to guard the Frontiers of Lithuania against the Muscovites but this met with Opposition and consequently was laid aside These Forces generally consist of Foot and are always kept in Garrison Besides all these Soldiers before-mentioned some of the richest Gentry in Poland have all along been accustom'd at their sole costs and charges to raise several Troops of Horse for the publick Service some few Examples of the Power of which it may not be amiss to insert By the help of these Zamoski in the Reign of Sigismund III. worsted Carambeius the Scythian with 3000 Men only who with 70000 came to Invade Poland but with the loss of many thousands of his Tartars was quickly forced to return home And in the same Reign Zolkievi with only 3000 Horse set upon 80000 Muscovites unawares and routed them entirely bringing away three German Regiments that served among them Also in the late Reign Andrew Trzebicki who afterwards was made Primate when but Bishop of Cracow and Duke of Severia rais'd a considerable number of Forces at his own proper Expence to be sent against the Turks and which performed Wonders under the then General John Sobieski I omit many others that have done the same thing These Soldiers have been for the most part selected out of the Nobility which has been the occasion of their so frequent success in but small numbers in respect to those of their Enemies From this voluntary raising of these Soldiers they have had the Name given them of Volunteers tho' in other Countries that Title is appropriated to such as serve of their own Accord and without Pay Notwithstanding the great number and Warlike Disposition of all these several kinds of Soldiers yet their Power is very much abated by their want of Discipline and the neglect of the State and their Officers in the due administration of Affairs for first as to the State the Diet consisting of so many Persons of differing Sentiments is so exceeding tardy in fitting matters for Action that like a Clock made up of many contrary Motions its Progress must consequently be very slow and likewise before the Senators and Gentry can meet together there are so many Ceremonies to be past which they scarce ever abridge in the greatest Extremities that a Potent Enemy may over-run the Kingdom before the Pospolite can well be got ready to oppose them This was experienced when the Czar of Muscovy took Polocz and Smolensko from Sigismundus Augustus who by reason of the disagreements at that time in the Diet was never afterwards able to revenge it The same Czar likewise invaded Livonia without opposition thro' the like Defect which he could never have effected with so good success had the Poles been in a readiness to have marched against him but they are generally so long in fitting out and so unwilling to part with their beloved Luxury at the Diet that they cannot easily change to the rougher exercise of War Boterus in his Description of Poland says that four things are indispensibly requisite to the Defence of a State and they are 1. Native Force 2. Numerous 3. Potent And 4. Expeditious First their Force ought to be Native that they may not be betray'd by trusting it in the Hands of Strangers who have not so great Interest in the Success as themselves Secondly Numerous that they may always be able to bring on fresh Supplies in cases of Extremity Thirdly Potent because Numbers without Courage would rather contribute towards their Defeat than Victory And fourthly Expeditious and Active that they may be qualified for hasty Marches and to rally upon the greatest Rout. Now tho' the Poles have a sort of Claim to the three
the late War have been thereby able to contribute so largely towards the opposing a Potent Monarch who otherwise might have been so far from affording such wonderful Concessions as we have obtain'd by the late happy Peace that he might rather in all Probability have over-run the greatest part of Europe As for the Trade of Poland my Lord the Poles are but little addicted to industry of that kind the Gentry being absolutely forbid it on the forfeiture of their Honour and the Commonalty for the most part wanting Funds sufficient to promote it therefore what Trade they have is chiefly follow'd by Foreign Merchants Besides those of the Poles who have the best Fortunes generally spend too much of their Revenues in costly Habits and Luxury to be able to undergo any considerable matters in Traffick Also this Kingdom of Poland is not in the least commodious for such an undertaking it not having any considerable Port that of Dantzic only excepted which would suffice for the exotick Trade of so vast a Country Hence it follows that what Commodities are transported into Foreign Countries are so very inconsiderable that tho' they are of several sorts and of general use yet being counterpois'd by the incredible quantity and richer variety of foreign Merchandize they scarce suffice for Balance to the Cloth Silk Jewels Tapestry Fruit Spice Salt-Fish Wine Tin Steel c. Imported from England Flanders Portugal Spain c. Starovolscius enumerates the divers particulars Exported and Imported wherein it may not be improper to follow him He says that over and above those already mentioned there are likewise rich Furrs Gold and Silver both wrought and unwrought and great variety of Kickshaws and Delicacies Imported and as for what are Exported they are Wheat Barley Oats Rie Millet and all sorts of Grain and Pulse Wooll Hemp Flax Hops a sort of Herb for Dying Hides Tallow Tann'd Leather Furrs brought out of Musaovy but drest here and transported from hence Likewise Polish Furrs Honey Wax Amber Pitch Pot-ashes Masts Planks and several Materials both for Shipwrights and other Builders Poland also exports Salt Beer Opium Vitriol Nitre Lapis Lazuli Vermillion Brass Lead Iron Copper Pit-Coal Glass and Earthen Ware Moreover it supplies the Neighbouring Countries with Horses very much coveted for their swiftness hardiness and easy pace It also furnishes other Nations with vast numbers of Oxen Sheep Hogs c. with which it greatly abounds Notwithstanding all these Exportations yet as I said before the Trade of Poland is over-balanc'd by Foreign Commodities whence it comes to pass that there is but little Money to be met with in that Kingdom What small matters the Merchants receive for their Goods at Dantzic they generally give to the Hungarians c. for Wine nevertheless they have some Foreign Coin and some of their own stirring amongst them That which is most current in the Kingdom is either all of Copper or Copper mixt with Silver tho' they have likewise some few Silver and Gold Coins of their own The two first of these sorts are the most common and which are always Coined in such small pieces that it is very troublesome either receiving or paying out any Sum. Of the first kind are their Chelons being of Copper Silver'd over whereof three make a Polish Gross the Grosses of Dantzic being of greater value and three Grosses the value of Two Pence of their Money Tho' Hauteville says these nine Chelons are not worth above a French Sous This base Polish Coin contributes very much towards the Poverty of this Kingdom It was introduc'd on Account of Necessity when the Poles had no Money to pay their Army which began to Confederate and join in a Rokosz for want of it It is not likewise of late Days that this Coin has been introduced for the Officers of Casimir III. are said to have coin'd it and which was afterwards grievously exclaim'd against at the Diet held at Petrikow in the Year 1459 under the Reign of Casimir the Great In those Days it seems the Kings had a Power to coin Money and the first that resign'd his Right to the Republick was Sigismond III. in the Year 1632. The next of their Coins are called Choustacks being small pieces of Silver of base alloy whereof three make a Tinfe which is also a sort of Silver Money of base Alloy This was first Coin'd to satisfie the Mutinous Army in the Year 1663 of the value of about 15 d. These Coins are not the same in Prussia and Dantzic as shall be shew'd hereafter The Polish Silver Coins of good Alloy are the Attine or four pence halfpenny and the Trigross and Segross the former of which two last is three and the latter six times the value of a Gross Yet of these three there are at this day but very few remaining As for Gold Coins Casimir the Great was the first that caus'd any to be stamp'd in Poland but of which either Coin'd by that King or his Successors there are few now made use of the Silver and Gold Coins that have any Currency in the Kingdom being for the most part Foreign Those of Gold are Ducats which are worth two French Crowns or two German Rixdollars Those of Silver are generally of the German Coin Tho' it may hereby appear that the Polish Wealth is not over considerable yet says Starovolscius it has always been sufficient to defray the Expences of the Kingdom without the help of any Neighbours tho' the same Author afterwards gives this Character of his Countrymen that they are not over rich by reason of their sending the greatest part of their Commodities abroad and generally receiving nothing in return but such as serve to support Luxury and encourage Vice Hauteville gives another reason why the Poles may not be so rich as formerly which is because of the many and frequent Incursions of the Muscovites Turks Cosacks and Tartars into this Kingdom who were accustomed to carry off great numbers into slavery and thereby to dis-people the Country also by reason of the many bloody Wars and sweeping Pestilencies which this Country has undergone Having already spoken of the Trade of Poland in general it may not be here amiss to entertain your Excellency with some particulars relating thereunto And first I shall observe something of Salt which was omitted in the first Volume of this Undertaking The Spaces or Allies which I there took notice of are form'd by rows of large Pillars cut out of the Salt to keep the Earth from faling in and which by reflection of the Light make a very agreeable Prospect seeming so many Rows of sparkling Chrystal The Salt is taken out of these Mines in huge Masses and laid in heaps all about the entrance whence it is transported in Carriages throughout the whole Kingdom except Prussia only where French Salt is alone made use of This Salt is ground in Mills like Corn. The Gentry of this
Kingdom have a right to any of these Mines as likewise to those of any Metals found upon their Lands there being by the Constitutions no Royal Mines in Poland except those of white Salt only which belong peculiarly to the King Throughout all Poland and Lithuania there are a great many Corn and Cachat-Mills but scarce any for Fulling or Paper yet which they might very well have by reason of their great number of rapid Streams In this and in other respects the Poles are very negligent of their own Interest being content to pay great rates for Cloth and Paper when they might easily have both of their own Manufacture As for Leather tho' no People use it more having almost all Boots and Chariots which they call Ridevans yet do they not care to take the trouble of dressing it themselves but suffer Foreigners to do it for them and which commonly they pay very dear for when done The Poles Trade very much in fresh Fish amongst themselves and the manner of their Fishing I imagine may not be unacceptable to your Excellency having something peculiar in it Their Lakes and Fish-ponds in Poland and Lithuania being generally so large that it would be almost impossible ever to drain them They usually choose to Fish them in Winter when they are all frozen up They first make a great hole in the Ice to let down their Nets and afterwards several little ones from place to place that they may draw them along from hole to hole with a Rope fastned to a long Pole till they bring them back to the first large opening When the two ends of the Nets are brought together they pull them up and bring out with them all the Fish that happen to be within the space of Water thro' which the Nets were drawn for they cannot possibly leap over them because of the Ice Throughout all Poland and Lithuania there are huge quantities of Honey to be found in the Woods either in hollow Trees holes of the Ground or any where else that the Bees can find to settle in Of this Honey as I said before the People make several sorts of Mead with which and the Wax that comes from it they Trade very much into the Neighbouring Countries Now is it not a great wonder that these Bees can produce so great plenty of Honey in so Cold a Climate But it seems they find something in the Fir-Trees whereof there are great numbers in every Wood that supplies the place of Flowers which they suck their materials from in other Countries Before I proceed to give your Excellency a description of the Famous City of Dantzic I must take some cursory Notice of the former Trade of Prussia before its Inhabitants came to have the use of Money In the XIIIth Century the Teutonic Knights coming out of Germany into Prussia brought along with them the Coin of their Country for before that time the Prussians only barter'd Commodities with their Neighbours Their chiefest Trade then lay in Electrum or Amber of the Nature of which Hartman a late German Author gives this account He says that since it can neither be melted down nor is Malleable it is impossible it should be Metal and because it is too solid a Body to come under the Species of Sulphur or Bitumen it must necessarily be rank'd among the precious Stones This Amber is of divers Colours and notwithstanding Hartman insinuates it to be always solid yet is it certain that sometimes it is as liquid as Oyl There is a black sort of it which is no other than what we call Jett A Description of the City of DANTZIC TO come to the Description of Dantzic in Latin Dantiscum or Gedanum your Excellency may be pleased to understand that it is the Capital and Largest City in Royal Prussia and lies in 41 Degrees and 30 Minutes of Longitude and in 54 Degrees and 20 Minutes of Latitude It is Situate in one of the three Islands of which Regal Prussia consists called by the Germans der Dantzicher Werder the other two having the Names of der Marienbursche Werder and der Elbingsâ—her Werder This Name Der Werder implies properly so many pieces of solid Ground encompassed by Fenns and Boggs By whom this City was first built remains as yet undetermin'd Becanus will have the Danes to have been the Founders of it and from them to have been called Danes-wick i. e. Danes-Town but this derivation seems to have too much Dutch in it therefore it is more probable that to the word Dan Cdan or Gdan was added the Sclavonian term Scke signifying a Town which made it Danscke Cdanscke or Gdanscke and which might very reasonably be suppos'd afterwards for better Pronunciation's sake to be chang'd into Dantzig or Dantzic It is distant about 80 Polish Miles from Cracow 40 from Posnan 50 from Warsaw 30 from Gnesna 22 from Thron 24 from Koningsberg 8 from Elbing 6 from Marienburg and near 4 English Miles from the Baltick Sea and is built on the borders of the Vistula on the North-West side of the aforesaid Island The Town it self is watered by the Rivers Rodawn and Motlaw and divided by the former into two parts the Old and the New On the Southern and Western side it is surrounded with high Mountains and was well fortified with Bulwarks against the Incursions of the Swedes in the Year 1656. It has a large and high Wall so broad that Coaches easily go round the Ramparts and so large in compass that it is three hours Journey round which I may very well compute at six English Miles At the Entrance of the Rodawn on the other side it has a strong Fort wherein there is commonly kept a Garrison of 1000 Soldiers It is impossible this City should be Bombarded from the Sea by reason of its distance from it but from the Neighbouring Hills it may and therefore some Works are raised there and always a certain number of Soldiers with store of Cannon and Ammunition plac'd in them for its greater security This City is at present a famous Mart and one of the principal of the Hanse-Towns being altogether govern'd by its own Laws tho' under Protection of the Crown of Poland from which it has a Castellan appointed over it Half of the Suburbs belong to that Crown and the other half to the City for in some Parts the Crown-Lands reach to the Suburbs but in others the City-Lands go several Miles together into the Country There are Twenty Parishes in the City and the Suburbs The Houses are generally of Brick and the Streets most commonly very large and well pav'd tho' somewhat dirty in Winter as most of the Towns in Poland are The chief Part of the City call'd by the Inhabitants Die rechte Stadt was built by Conrad Wallenrodt Master of the Teutonick Order about the Year 1388. There are no Gardens in the City but nevertheless several very fine and large
the Emperour Henry VI. by the Rull of Pope Celestine III. under the Title of Teutonic or Dutch Knights of the Hospital of St. Mary the Virgin vowing Poverty Obedience and Chastity and obliging themselves to receive none but Germans into their Order After they had thus receiv'd Confirmation from the Papal See some rich Citizens of Breme and Lubeck joyning with them and making large Contributions another Hospital was erected for them in the City of Acon or Ptolemais in Syria But after that City together with Jerusalem and all the Holy-Land had been taken by the Sarazens under the Command of Saladin having been in the possession of the Christians for more than 87 Years before One Hermannus then Great Master with the remaining Knights removed into Germany on whom the Emperor Frederic XI and Pope Honorius III. or as some will have it Conrade Duke of Masovia in 1226 in the Year 1229 bestow'd the Province of Prussia where having Conquer'd that Nation and reduc'd it from Paganism to Christianity they built the City of Marienburg or Mary-Town and in the Year 1340 fix'd the Residence of their Great Masters there This Country they enjoy'd till about the Year 1525 when Albert Marquess of Brandenburg the last Great Master of this Order by a Solemn Renunciation became Feudatory to Sigismund King of Poland who rais'd Prussia to a Dukedom and made this Marquess first Duke thereof but however some of the Knights disliking this Action proceeded to Elect another Great Master which was Walter de Cronberg and forthwith leaving Prussia seated themselves in Germany where they continue at this day tho' in no great Reputation except that the younger Sons of the German Princes are commonly admitted of their Order Their Statutes were compos'd after the Model of those of the Knights Hospitallers and Knights Templars at this day the Knights of Malta but nevertheless to distinguish them from these Orders their Habit was ordain'd to be a white Mantle with a plain black Cross on the Breast tho' others will have it to have been a black Cross Voided with a Cross Potence This Cross they were also to have upon white Banners as likewise upon their Shields and in their Coats of Arms They were moreover enjoyn'd to live conformable to the Order and Rules of St. Austin Their first number was 24 Lay-Brothers and 7 Priests yet Heysse in his History of the Empire Tome I. says they were at first 40. They both were allow'd to wear Armour and Swords and might Celebrate Mass in that Habit. None of them shav'd their Beards but by their Order were oblig'd to let them grow and to sleep upon sacks of Straw But however this with their other primitive Injunctions soon vanish'd This order being establish'd after the manner as we have shew'd before all Christian Princes endeavour'd to give them encouragement and among the rest the Pope and Emperor gave them particular proofs of their Favour and Liberality Philip King of France also being willing to do the like on his part made them great presents and moreover granted their Great Master a liberty to wear the Flower deluccs on the 4 extremities of their Cross Their Power and Force in War will appear in the following succinct account and Series of their several Great Masters Their first Great Master as I observ'd before was Henry Walpot a Native of Germany Elected in the Year 1190 who died and was buried at Acon or Ptolemais The Second Great Master of this Order was Otho de Kerpen a Nobleman of Germany who after having enjoy'd this Office but 6 Years died and was buried at Acon The Third Great Master was Herman Barth of Alsace who was Elected under Pope Innocent III. and the Emperour Philip II. he presided over these Knights only 4 Years then died and was buried at Acon Under these two Great Masters this Order first began to encrease and flourish The fourth Great Master was Herman a Salzen a Nobleman of Misnia under the several Pontificates of Pope Innocent III. Honorius and Gregory IX and in the Reigns of the Emperor 's Otho and Frederic II. This Master obtain'd great Privileges for his Order both from the aforesaid Popes and Emperors And John King of Jerusalem for their having protected him against Conrade King of Syria added to the Arms of this Order a Cross Potence Or which were the proper Ensigns of that Kingdom In his time Conrade Marquess of Thuringen was admitted of the Order He had above 2000 German Noblemen and Knights in his Order at once all which he govern'd for about 30 Years During his Administration his Order having been driven out of the Holy-Land by the Sarazens setled in Prussia to the number of 20000 and by help of the Poles soon expell'd the Pagan Prussians out of the Province of Culmigeria He lies buried at Marienburg which he built The Fifth Great Master was Conrade Marquess of Thuringen who was Elected under the Pontificat of Celestine IV. and the Reign of the Emperour Frederic II. He very much augmented the Conquests of his Order and restor'd many ruinous Fabricks He built Koningsberg in Ducal Prussia and lies buried at Marienburg The Sixth Great Master was Poppo ab Osternaw in the time of Pope Innocent IV. and of the Emperour Conrade IV. He had several glorious Conquests over the Prussians Livonians and Swentopelus Duke of Pomerania but at length before the City of Lignitz was kill'd and routed by the Tartars who had almost over-run all Sarmatia Poland and was afterwards buried at Uladislaw It is said that the aforesaid Swentopelus had been so extreamly beaten by these Knights that he was forc'd to clap up a Peace with them and afterwards on his Death-bed earnestly recommended to his Children to preserve the Friendship he had Contracted But however Mestowin his eldest Son forgetting his Father's Orders declar'd War anew against them but being likewise beaten the Knights over-run all Pomerania and at length forc'd this Duke to a Peace And moreover 3 of his Brothers whereof the Eldest was nam'd Sambor became Knights of this Order The Seventh Great Master of the Teutonic Order was Johannes Sangerhusensis who took upon him that Office under the Pontificat of Alexander IV. He very much allay'd the Insolence of the Pagan Prussians and in great measure regain'd the credit of his Order forfeited to the Tartars He Rul'd 12 Years and lies buried at Treves In his time the City of Brandenburg was built The Eighth Great Master was Hartman Count of Heidelberg who was Elected in the time of Pope Clement IV. and of the Emperour Rodolfe I. He was a very industrious Person and got great ground of the Prussians In his time the Castle of Marienburg was built in the Year 1281. He dy'd and was buried at Venice The Ninth Great Master of this Order was Buchardus à Swenden Elected in the time of Pope John and the Emperour Rodolfe I.
Under his Administration of Affairs the Prussians were totally reduc'd After 7 Years enjoyment of his Office he Abdicated it and liv'd afterwards at Rhodes where he lies buried The Tenth Great Master was Conrade de Feuchtwangen who was Elected in the time of the Emperour Rodolfe I. and Pope Nicholas IV. Altho' this Order made considerable progress under his Administration yet at length it receiv'd a great check in Syria where the City of Acon which had been the chief Seat of this Order for some time was taken by the Souldan of Aegypt He died at Prague and was buried at Trebnicz The Eleventh Great Master was Godfrey Count of Hohenloh who was Elected Adolphus being Emperour and Celestine V. Pope He was a Venetian born and govern'd this Order 10 Years he retook Riga in Livonia from the Russians and caus'd its Fortifications to be demolished but not long after he restor'd the Inhabitants to their antient Privileges having built a Castle there to awe them He at length resign'd his Office and dy'd in Germany The Twelfth Great Master was Sigfridus de Feuchtwangen in the time of Albert Duke of Austria's being Emperour and Clement Pope He remov'd his Seat from Marpurg to the Castle of Marienburg for this Order had resided there ever since their being oblig'd to leave Syria This Master rul'd only 2 Years and died and was buried at Marienburg The Thirteenth Great Master was Charles Beffart Elected in the Reign of the Emperour Henry and the Pontificate of Pope Clement V. He was a very Wise and Warlike Person and in the Year 1312 founded the Castle of Memula in Courland to hinder the Incursions of the Lithuanians Upon his return from Rome whither he had been cited for and cleared of Male-Administration he died at Vienna where he lies buried The Fourteenth Great Master was Vernerus Urselensis Elected in the time of the Emperour Lewis V. and Pope John He executed his Trust with a great deal of Fidelity and Bravery and was afterwards Murther'd by a Brother of the Order one John Bunsdorfius while he was going out of the Church from Vespers The Fifteenth Great Master was Lewis D. of Brunswick He was a very Prudent and Pious Man but rul'd only four Years The Sixteenth Great Master was Districhus Count Algemburg Elected when he was 80 Years old He was a Person of Great Eloquence Authority and Justice After having built St. Mary's Church at Marienburg he died at Thorn and was buried at St. Anns in Marienburg The Seventeenth Great Master was Rodolfe Duke of Saxony Elected in the time of the Emperour Lewis V. and Pope Benedict XI He gather'd great Forces together and Besieg'd and took Neumarcovia In the Interim the Lithuanians invaded Prussia over-running all with Fire and Sword which this good Master took so much to heart that he first became Mad then was deposed from his Office and afterwards died of Grief at Marienwerder where he was buried The Eighteentth Great Master was Henry de Desmer or Tuchmer Elected in the Pontificate of Clement VI. He had a Famous Battle with the Lithuanians and Russians wherein he kill'd above 10000 of the Enemy He died and was buried at Marienburg The Nineteenth Great Master was Henry de Kniprodien Elected in the time of Pope Clement VI and of the Emperor Charles III. The foregoing War with the Lithuanians and Russians broke out a fresh in his time wherein the Great Duke of Lithuania Keystutus was taken Prisoner and carried to Marienburg whence he afterwards escap'd by means of a Servant In this Great Master's time one of the Sons of the aforesaid Great Duke became a Christian at Koningsberg and afterwards was made a Prince of the Empire by the Emperour Charles IV. During his Administration which was about 31 Years this Order abounded in Learned Men. He died at Marienburg and was there buried The Twentieth Great Master was Conrade Zolner Elected in the time of the Emperour Wenceslaus and of Pope Urban VI. He had several contests with the Lithuanians and Samogitians during the several Reigns of Keystutus Jagello Votoldus and Suidrigielo Great Dukes of Lithuania He died and was buried at Marienburg after 8 Years Administration of the Government of this Order The Twenty first Great Master was Conrade de Valenroden Elected during the Papacy of Pope Boniface He was a Person of a very Warlike Disposition but withal of an odd Temper He hated and refus'd his Ecclesiastical Brothers access to him at the hour of his Death In his time this Order made a Descent upon Lithuania by way of the River Niemen and built three Magazines near the Castle of Cowno by help of which they made great devastations in that Country for a considerable time The Twenty second Great Master was Conrade de Jungingen He was of a very peaceable Temper and therefore not much belov'd by his Order However he rul'd 12 Years and afterwards died at Marienburg and was there buried The Twenty third Great Master was Ulric de Jungingen Brother to the aforesaid Conrade He was Elected in the time of the Emperour Rupert and of Pope Gregory XII He was of a Warlike Temper and to that degree that he deviated not a little from his Order He Persecuted his Brothers and took several of their Possessions from them After several Wars had with the Poles and Lithuanians Jagello King of Poland and Vitoldus Great Duke of Lithuania gave him a total overthrow wherein this Great Master with about 200 Commendadors and 5000 other Knights was kill'd and his General taken Prisoner altho' at the first onset the Lithuanians lost about 7000 Men. The Twenty fourth Great Master was Henry Count of Plaven Elected in the time of the Emperour Sigismund and Pope John This Person was resolv'd to revenge the late overthrow on the Poles but before he could effect any thing considerable he was depos'd thrown into Prison at Engelsburg and thence remov'd to Lecksteg where after 7 years confinement he died in Chains and was buried at Marienburg The Twenty fifth Great Master was Michael de Sterbergen Steward of the Houshold to the Emperour Sigismund In the very first year of his Government Jagello and Vitoldus took from him and destroy'd several Cities but were at length forc'd to retire He govern'd this Order 9 years but afterwards desiring his Quietus he obtain'd it died at Dantzic and was buried at Marienburg The Twenty sixth Great Master was Paul de Rusdorfien Elected in the time of Pope Martin During his Administration several of the Provinces and Cities of Prussia shook off the Teutonic Yoak and revolted to Casimir IV. King of Poland He enjoy'd this Office nine Years also but dying was buried at Marienburg The Twenty seventh Great Master was Conrade ab Herlingshausen Elected in the time of the Emperour Albert III. This Great Master treated Casimir King of Poland at Thorn where at that time there was an inviolable
the Title and Dutchy of Prussia thought himself oblig'd in the Name of his Order to enter Protestations against it He resign'd his Office to the Chapter after 8 Years Administration The Thirty Ninth Great Master of this Order and Administrator of Prussia was Maximilian Arch-Duke of Austria who had earnestly Sollicited the Electors for that Charge and offer'd to wear the Habit of the Order Afterwards being invited to the Crown of Poland this Order was in great hopes of being restored to their Dominions of Prussia but upon his being defeated by Sigismund III. they soon lost all those hopes He nevertheless continu'd their Great Master and being a brave Prince was nam'd for their General against the Turks in Hungary when he had a Company of Guards all Knights of the Order He held his Administration 34 Years and ended his days at Inspruck where he was likewise buried The Fourtieth Great Master was Charles Arch-Duke of Austria who after 5 years Regency died at Madrid whither he had been invited by the King of Spain to go his Vice-Roy into Portugal The Fourty first Great Master was John Eustache de Westernach who was Elected at Mergentheim the 19th of March in the Year 1625 and died 82 years old in the Year of our Lord 1627. The Fourty second Great Master was Gaspard de Stadion Provincial Commander of Alsace and Burgundy and particular Commander of Altschausen He after having governed this Order with great Reputation for fourteen years desir'd the Chapter to Elect Leopold William Arch Duke of Austria for his Coadjutor in the Administration of his Office and which being done he gave him the Cross of Prussia as a Testimony of his consent The Fourty third Great Master was this Leopold William who succeeded Stadion by Virtue of his former Election He govern'd this Order alone to the Year 1662 when he died at Vienna the 20th of November and was buried there The same Year the Chapter was Conven'd and would have chosen Charles Joseph Arch-Duke of Austria to have succeeded Leopold William his Brother but he died the same Year and thereby their designs were frustrated Afterwards the Chapter being Assembled at Mergentheim in the Year 1664 chose for their Fourty fourth Great Master one of their own Knights call'd John Gaspard of Ambringens Provincial Commander of the Circle of Austria and this they did to prevent the Intrigues which several Princes always made to get Elected to this Dignity This Great Master Convening the Chapter at Mariendal receiv'd Duke Lewis Anthony of Neubourg Abbot of Fescamp and third Son to Philip William Duke of Neubourg into this Order Ceremony of Creation and present State of Knights THe Ceremony was perform'd in the Great Church whither he had been conducted by the Great Master the Commendadors and Knights The Counts of Ottingen Hatzensten and Fugger who had been nam'd Commissioners to inspect his Titles of Honour reported upon Oath that they had examin'd and found his Honour to be unquestionable After which he was sworn to Chastity Poverty and to go to the Wars against the Infidels whenever occasion should so require When they gave him the white Mantle with the black Cross being the Ensigns of this Order and withal pronounc'd these Words according to Custom We Promise to give you as long as you live Water Bread and a Habit of our Order Next day the Great Master propos'd to the Chapter to Elect this Prince for his Assistant in the Government of the Order which the Electors desir'd time to consider of and after several Meetings had about it they answer'd they were content to Elect him providing he would sign a Capitulation offer'd him which he agreeing to do he was accordingly Elected The Teutonic Order at present consists of 12 Provinces which are Alsace and Burgundy for one Coblentz Austria and Etsch these four still retain the Name of Provinces of the Jurisdiction of Prussia as the eight following do that of Germany being the Provinces of Franconia Hesse Bressen Westphalia Lorrain Thuringen Saxony and Utrecht altho' this last is now altogether under the Dominion of the Hollanders Every one of these Provinces has its peculiar Commanderys of the Commendadors of which the Provincial is Chief Of these Provincial Commendadors there are 12 counting one for every Province It is these Commendadors who compose the Chapter of the Electors The Great Master's ordinary Residence has been at Mariendal in Franconia ever since this Order has been driven out of Prussia This My Lord is a short account of the Origin Progress successive Great Masters and present State of the Teutonic Order which I hope your Lordship will favourably accept being all that the propos'd brevity of this Undertaking would admit of I am My LORD Your Lordship 's most Obedient Humble Servant J. S. LETTER IX To Sir THOMAS MILLINGTON President of the College of Physicians Of the State of Learning and present Language of Natural Knowledge and particularly of the Practise of Physick in Poland with an account of some Natural Things and chiefly of a Disease in the Hair peculiar to the Poles commonly call'd Plica Polonica SIR THIS Letter courts your Acceptance on a double score your Learning and your Profession As to your Learning tho' it will doubtless be on all Hands allow'd that it has no need of Superstructure yet nevertheless sometimes it may require those Diversions which are here design'd and possibly in part unknown to you And as to your Profession being highly sensible of my imperfect account of the state of Physick especially in Poland I thought no Protection so safe to pass it under as yours My presumption I hope will be justifi'd upon Dr. Connor's first intending these Subjects for your Perusal and as to my Performance I entirely submit that to your Candour and Generosity SIR In the Kingdom of Poland and Great Dutchy of Lithuania there are two famous Universities with all sorts of Professors The former of these was Founded at Cracow by Casimir the Great and was finish'd by Jagello or Uladislaus V. in the Year 1401 conformable to the last Will and Testament of his Queen Hedwigis And the latter at Vilna being at first but an Academy Founded by King Stephen but afterwards was erected into an University by Pope Gregory XIII at the Request of Valerian Bishop of that City who had very much augmented the Colleges and Endowments In both these Universities the Chief Study is to speak good Latin for as to all parts of Polite Learning the Poles are not so curious as in other Countries yet have they a great many that will write good Verses for their Genius is mightily bent that way and besides they are very apt to quote Classick Authors in their Discourse and this particularly when they get Drunk which is very frequently Their Poet Sarbievius Casimir is no small Ornament to his Country who in his Odes has endeavour'd to imitate Horace and
the Purlty of Language is not contemptible They have had several Latin Historians among them such as Cromerus Starovolscius c. who have all Written the Annals and Constitutions of their Country They have likewise had some Historians who have written in their own Language They also have not wanted for Learned Divines Great Philosophers Famous Astronomers Logicians c. The great Astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus was a Native of this Country having had his Birth in the City of Thorn in Regal Prussia The reason why these Learned Men have not transmitted more to Posterity was because that while they liv'd there was but little or no Printing in Poland that Art having been but lately receiv'd in this Kingdom Tho' the Poles are so extreamly expert in Speaking and Writing Latin yet are they not curious in any of the Oriental Languages They affect speaking Latin to that degree that Dr. Connor has inform'd me that he had a Servant while he was in Poland that always us'd to talk to him in that Language and I have moreover read that almost all the Common People speak Latin fluently there a proof of which you may please to observe in the first Volume of this History in the Life of Stephen Batori who very much promoted the Study of that Language As the Poles have the same Origin with the Muscovites Bohemians Croatians Moravians Silesians Cassubians Bulgarians Rascians Servians Illyrians c. so Cromerus says they have likewise the same Language with them altho' they differ in Dialects and that scarce to be understood by each other Their terms of Mechanic Arts are chiefly borrow'd from the Ancient Germans who formerly had as still they have frequent intercourses with this Country Nay there are at present whole Towns and Villages that make use of the German Tongue that Nation having formerly planted several Colonies in this Kingdom Also there are several of the Noble Families purely German as may appear both by their Names and Coats of Arms. Likewise Hebrew Armenian Russian Tartarian and in some places Italian are frequently spoken in this Country The Polish Language Cromerus allows is neither so Copious nor so easy to Pronounce as those of other Nations but as the French Italian c. consists chiefly of Vowels that of Poland is made up in great measure with Consonants insomuch that you shall sometimes meet with Polish Words that have seven or eight Consonants together without any Vowel or at most but one interpos'd an Example of which Sir you may have in the word Chrzeszcz Scarabaeus a Gad-Flie this with divers others in the Polish Tongue scarce the Natives themselves are able to Pronounce yet they always have a sort of lisping sound of Vowels in their Pronunciation tho' they do not write them It must not be understood however universally Latin is spoken in Poland that the Poles have it from their Mothers as the Common People have in some parts of Hungary for they take pains to learn it from Masters as other Nations do The chiefest reasons why they generally Affect it is First from their Natural Dispositions to learn it Secondly By reason of the Syntax of their Mother-Tongue the Sclavonian which has great Affinity with that Language for they both decline their Nouns and Conjugate their Verbs as the Romans did Thirdly Because in all the Villages throughout the Nation they have School-masters for that purpose who are either Rectors of Parishes or some other qualifi'd Persons appointed by them or by the Bishop of the Diocess And fourthly because in all Towns of Note the Jesuits have Colleges set apart to instruct Youth in that Language As for depth in any Learning or Sciences Dr. Connor informs me he could never meet with any Persons in Poland so solidly vers'd in them as he has done in other Nations for that the Poles as soon as they can speak Latin and discourse of most matters in that Language never think of any farther Knowledge but believe they have acquir'd all the Learning and all Accomplishments that either Universities or Schools can give them unless they be Persons that make some particular Science their Profession As Divines Physicians and Lawyers of all which I shall proceed to give some particular account as they stand at present in that Nation The Divines in Poland make all their Learning consist in adapting Aristotle's Logicks and Metaphysicks to their School Divinity so that you may every where hear them talk much of Entities Modes Quiddities Essences of Things and the like for they value themselves more in being well vers'd in the signification of Logical Terms than in the Nature of Things themselves which they reason about In this Country they have a particular Veneration for Albertus Magnus and quote him to attest the Truth of any Assertion in like manner as the Spaniards and Italians are accustom'd to do Aristotle tho' they have not less respect for this last Philosopher than other Nations have Yet notwithstanding they seldom take right his meaning and particularly in matters that are Ambiguous for they have Publish'd several large Commentaries upon him which do frequently contradict one another The Polish Divines are seldom well vers'd in Practical Divinity They study but little the Old and New Testament They make few Enquiries into the Practice of Primitive Christianity and know little of Church-History In a word they trouble their Heads but seldom about convincing their Reason of the Sublimity and Goodness of the Christian Doctrine implicit Faith and Passive Obedience to Council and Church-Decisions being entirely their Guides They will allow of no body's enquiring into the reasonableness of Things as if they should imagine that a Law or a Doctrine given by God should not be consistent with Reason They have a more than ordinary respect for Thomas Aquinas and Scotus and their principal Erudition consists in being well Read in the School-Points controverted by those two Great Men. As for Lawyers there are a great number in Poland and that chiefly at the two Great Tribunals of Petricovia and Lublin These study the Civil Law tho' they have likewise several Statutes of their own which they term Constitutions The Grandees of the Kingdom seldom go to Law for they generally decide their Quarrels by the Sword bringing numerous Armies into the Field against each other But if it happen sometimes that they do condescend to submit to Justice even then their Pride will never allow them to refer their Case to any other Court than the Grand Diet. Also the Polish Nation in general is not much enclin'd to go to Law by reason of the litigiousness and corruption of the Lawyers for the Poles have as little Opinion of the honesty of that Profession as any People in Europe Dr. Connor was once sent for to a Lawyer that lay sick at Warsaw His Disease the Dr. says was a Cancer on his Tongue which had swell'd it to that prodigious
bigness that it had not only fill'd all his Mouth but also hung about an Inch out of it insomuch that he could neither speak one word nor breath through his Lips but had that benefit only by his Nose This Disease the Dr. says he at first judg'd to be incurable and so in effect it prov'd for he died soon after This Person it seems had purchas'd a plentiful Estate by the Law wherefore the People could not be perswaded but that the cause of his Death was a Judgment upon him believing it Just I suppose that that Tongue which had been the occasion of wronging so many People should nevertheless do Justice on its Master As for Physicians in Poland there are no great number there and those few that are for the most part are either French Italians or Germans scarce any of the Natives caring to addict themselves to that Profession for having little conveniency to improve themselves in it in their own Country none but the richer sort of Gentry can bear the expence of going to learn it in Foreign Countries and then such of the Nobility as do Travel are generally either too Lazy or too Proud to apply themselves to what requires so much fatigue to study and so much judgment afterwards to put in Practise This Sir is the reason why the Poles have hardly any Person throughly learn'd in this Profession Dr. Connor tells me that he met with a young Physician at Rome that came thither from Poland to pick up Experience Some of his Country-men that were then in that City told the Doctor that he was Son to a rich Peasant in their Nation and that his Father was Vassal as they term'd him or Slave to one Starosta Cowalski moreover that his Father for the consideration of 100 Rixdollars had bought his Freedom and afterwards sent him to the University and from thence to Travel for without having first bought his Liberty he could not have sent him out of the Service of his Lord his Service being as much the Lord's Inheritance as his Land was By all this Sir you may perceive what discouragement Learning meets with in Poland for the Common People there who make about nine parts in ten of the whole Nation are either thro' Poverty or Slavery render'd incapable of addicting themselves to it and it is certain that in all Ages Persons of the meanest Birth have ever made the greatest progress in Sciences and this by reason that their Bodies are apter for fatigue and that they have no other ways to subsist than by their Merit Natural Observables and Rarities in POLAND SIR BEfore I proceed to give you an Account of the Diseases and Practice of Physick in Poland I must here desire leave to entertain you with some Observables and Natural Rarities of this Country extracted as well from Dr. Connor's Memoirs taken there as out of the best Modern Authors that have written of this Kingdom In Russia all along the River San there have been several Trees found buried having no Roots and being as black as Ebony The Country People say that they have lain there ever since the Deluge but it is probable they might have been washed down by the course of that River a great while since and preserved from rotting by the Sand. There are several places both in Poland and Lithuania where petrefi'd Wood is to be found likewise several Beds of Earth lying one upon another whose substance is not unlike that of the Unicorn's Horn. Also Argentum Capillare or Vegetans being Silver hanging from Rocks in the nature of Hair Near Javorisvia in the District of Leopol in the Palatinate of Russia there is a Lake call'd by the Poles Skla Glass where formerly there was a little Town but which is now sunk into the Ground The Water of this Lake has a strong sulphurous and stinking Smell but withal clear like Chrystal and of an insipid Taste The Doctors of this Kingdom have recommended it to sick Persons to Drink for recovery of their Healths and one Sixtus Leo a famous Physician of those parts has written a Learned Treatise concerning it It is much frequented and does a great deal of good There are likewise several natural Baths in this Kingdom which cure all kinds of Scrofulous Diseases and Ulcers both in Men and Beasts In the County of Scepuz in Lesser Poland there is a sort of Spring that flows from the Rocks which makes perfect Gutters of Stone as it runs from thence thro' the Meadows to the Mills The Lake Biala in Polish white so call'd by Antiphrasis in the Months of April and May makes the Fish that are in it Brown tho' they afterwards return to their Natural Colours I must not omit what Cromerus says of the Lake Crinice in the Palatinate of Belsko in Red-Russia which is that every second or third Year it becomes wonderfully Tempestuous and in a little time discharges all its Waters thro' unknown Caverns insomuch that tho' before it were very deep it of a sudden almost grows fordable but then in a little time afterwards its Water returns with the same roaring noise it went out Dr. Conner in his Memoirs says that it was reported when he was in Poland that the Year before he came thither a Barbel Fish was found in the River San at Velasco an Estate of the late Queens which was above 4 Polish Ells long which is better than 8 Foot of our measure and near 3 Foot broad and weighed at least 200 weight He says that the same Species of Fish of this largeness are very common in that River and one was reported to have had an entire Skeleton of a Man suppos'd to have been drown'd some time before found in his Belly together with a Knife and Sheath This Fish has no Scales He says likewise that there are Fish in Lithuania which are made use of to shew the change of Weather For this purpose they are to be put into a Bottle where they will make a sort of squeeking noise when the weather is to alter As to odd kinds of Fowl there are a sort of Birds near Lowitz in the Palatinate of Rava in Lower Poland about the bigness of Sparrows that appear and disappear with the Snow and from thence have the Name given them of Snow-Birds These are scarce to be seen any where else throughout the whole Kingdom There are also a sort of Quails in the Plains of Russia and Podolia with Green Legs and which being eaten cause the Cramp There are moreover a kind of Swallows and Martlets that gathering up their Legs and folding close their Wings will dive into the Water at the latter end of Autumn and live there all the Winter but as soon as the Spring returns they come out and fly away If they chance to be taken by Fisher-Nets in the Winter tho' they will revive upon being laid near the Fire yet do they seldom survive long the
for their Practice As to Diseases they have the same in Poland that are in other Countries Venereal Distempers are very frequent yet Salivation is not so much practis'd there as with us for they pretend to cure the Lues by Sweating Dr Connor says that in his time there lived an illiterate Fellow in a Wood about six Miles from Warsaw who undertook to Cure all Venereal Distempers in 7 or 8 Days at farthest and that by a Bagnio in which he boiled 3 or four sorts of Plants which he made a Secret of The Doctor says the Helleboraster and the Capillus Veneris or Maiden Hair as well as he could discover were the chief This Quack bath'd his Patients in a hot decoction of these Herbs for four days together and made them drink of the same frequently while they were in the Bath The other four days he laid them over the Tub to receive the hot Steams of the said Decoction laying a Blanket over them to intercept any evaporation and to drive back the Steams upon the naked Body by way of Revarberatory thro' which means they sweat extreamly While they sweated he made them Drink of the Decoction as before so that by thus Sweating Bathing and Drinking Dr. Connor says it was credibly assur'd him that he wrought many wonderful Cures in Venereal Cases the Doctor says moreover that 't is certain that a great number of People flock'd frequently to him and that for the whole Cure he demanded no more than two Rixdollars For other Diseases the Poles seldom or never know any Scurveys have rarely any Malignant Fevers among them and those never dangerous and for Plurisies and the rest of Distempers they are not for the most part of such ill consequence in Poland as in other Countries Wounds and Ulcers in the Legs are most commonly thought incurable there Dr. Connor informs me that the Princess Radzivil the late King of Poland's Sister had her Menses at 64 years of Age. Also that when he was at Warsaw a Man having taken Physick and lying with a Woman before its Operation she was forth with violently purg'd and he never so much as once went to Stool I must now come to the two Diseases that are peculiar to the Poles and so I will conclude One of these is call'd by the Natives Colton and by us Plica and the other is term'd the Rose The former is an odd kind of Distemper and frequently mention'd in Physick-Authors Dr. Connor says it is one of the most remarkable Maladies that he has ever met with yet is nothing else but the Hair of the Head matted entangled and in terwoven like to fulled Cloth Sometimes all the Hair of the Head will be thus Matted so large that it covers the Shoulders and so long that it comes down to the very Wast which makes them that have it put it into a Purse that it may hang backwards but generally speaking it hangs in twisted Ropes and that most commonly on one side only Others have only their Hair plaited close to their Heads as little Children that are Scabby have but however those that have the Plica never have any Scabs Hauteville compares this twisted Hair to the Ears of a Water-Spaniel Dr. Connor says that in his time a Gentleman at Court had it to that Degree that his Hair hung like a Mantle about his Shoulders The Hair will be thus entangled in one Nights time tho' there be never so much care taken to prevent it for the Poles having their Hair always cut round above their Ears like to that of Monks tho' it had never been comb'd yet were it impossible it should become thus woven all of a sudden out of slovenlyness and carelesness as a great many and Dr. Connor himself says he believ'd before he came into that Country The Symptoms of this Disease are not unlike those of the Lues Venerea as Rheumatick and Arthritique pains c. but then they never occasion a Caries in the Bones nor any Ulcers in the Mouth or elsewhere When the Hair is cut it is commonly said that these Symptoms become more violent and moreover produce a cloudiness over the Eyes and sometimes a total Blindness also that it causes Head-aches Pains in the Limbs Vomitings the Members all of a sudden to become distorted and stiff the Nails of the Fingers to have little white spots on them and Pimples and Pustules to come out all over the Body Dr. Connor says however that Authors mistake when they attribute any such Accidents to the cutting of Hair in the Plica for he informs me that he has cut it himself and that there neither came Blood nor was there any Sensation neither do the Natives affirm that there is any upon such an occasion Hauteville likewise says he has known the Plica cut without these effects before-mention'd Some pretend that this Disease is contagious and that if you lie with a Man that has it and receive the Sweat from him you will infallibly have it your self Also there are those that are of Opinion that it is Hereditary but however it is certain some have had it whose Parents never had it is thought therefore that it must needs proceed from the Nurse but I shall not pretend to determine whether it does or not Some say likewise that it has not always been in this Kingdom This Distemper is common both to Men and Beasts for Horses Dogs c. have been frequently known to have had it Strangers also get it when they have resided in Poland for any time but Hauteville says they never have it tho' they continue there ever so long and the reason he gives is because as soon as their Hair begins to entangle they cut it off which he says the Poles dare not do for fear of making themselves Blind The People are so superstitious concerning this Distemper that there are some old Women among them that pretend to bring it out upon Children that are troubled with any languishing Disease by mixing and twisting their Hair and making their Mothers believe that they are only sick because the Plica cannot break forth The Poles are likewise very superstitious in other cases for they dare not kill a Stork for fear of some misfortune happening to them thereupon Besides what I have mention'd before of their cutting off dead Peoples Heads is so common a thing that even the late Queen upon information that her Countrymen the French died in great numbers in their allotted station in the City of Warsaw call'd from thence Petit Paris Little Paris caus'd the first Person of those that died to be enquir'd out and dug up and would have had his Head cut off to prevent a farther Mortality among those People had not a Capuchin her Confessor oppos'd it and inform'd her it was against the Cannons of the Church He also was forc'd to threaten Excommunication against a Dominican
Friar that had Orders to see it done or it would certainly have been effected notwithstanding her Majesty was admonish'd to the contrary The Plica is to be met with more commonly in Lithuania than in any other part of Poland It is so entirely peculiar to this Kingdom that none of the bordering Countries have it as Muscovy Tartary c. The Cure of this Distemper was often effected by one Dr. Jonas a Jew and Physician to the late King of Poland after this manner He Salivated his Patients by Friction and Unction and afterwards cut off the Hair without any dangerous consequences This Disease is often accompani'd with the Alopecia or Falling off of the Hair Of the cause of the Plica the Poles give this Account They say that the Tartars having made a great irruption into Poland in the Year 1279 and slain great numbers of People there rip'd out their Hearts and poyson'd them and afterwards threw them into the Rivers by which means the Waters became infected and those that have since drank of them afflicted with this loathsom Disease Notwithstanding this assertion Dr. Connor says the true cause thereof continues yet a secret to Physicians Strangers generally attribute the cause of it to slovenliness and they are confirm'd in this opinion because they are seldom troubled with it for reasons given before Another Account of this Distemper I have met with in Dr. Connor's Memoirs asserted to him by the Bishop of Posnania That Bishop it seems inform'd him that even while he was young he had the Plica and that upon cutting it with his own Hands he became dim-sighted for some considerable time and withal felt several pains and contorsions in his Limbs He told him moreover that he found divers seeming Incurvations of his Bones Afterwards the Hair growing again it began to mat as before but however he was forbid both by his Parents and his Tutor to make use of the same remedy to get rid of it during which time his pains totally left him but at length being weary of so loathsom a Companion he secretly cut off his Hair again when immediately the former symptoms began to return with greater Violence than ever Hereupon all the Servants of the House were caution'd against letting him have either Knife or Scissars for the future to do himself so much injury as he had formerly done notwithstanding which a Kinsman of his commiserating his deplorable condition privately convey'd a Knife to him wherewith he cut off his Locks a third time when he assur'd the Doctor he felt a thousand racking pains and had various other symptoms of this Disease renew'd upon him He inform'd him moreover that in one Night the Hair will be thus Matted even in those that take never so much care in Combing of it He told him likewise that the Symptoms and Pains were much greater when the Hair was often cut than when it was let grow to any length He also said that the first and second time that he cut his Locks he could sensibly perceive a vaporous and volatile matter pass in great abundance thro' the Ducts of his Hair which he said in its Passage very much frizled and contracted his Locks He moreover affirm'd that when he put a Cap upon his Head it occasion'd him intolerable heats and pain by reason said he that the pressure thereof repell'd the eruption and forced back the Humours of the Disease upon his Head From this Account of the Bishop of Posnania besides what we know already by Microscopes it evidently appears that every Hair is a kind of a little Tube thro' which the nourishment as well as those steams he mention'd may be reasonably suppos'd to pass to the utmost Extremities The other Disease peculiar to the Poles is the Rose which Hauteville says is a sort of Erysipelas chiefly shewing its self in the Face They are accustom'd to cure this Distemper by applying Powder of white Chalk to the part affected without letting Blood for they look upon that to be dangerous if not Mortal in this Case SIR What particulars have been here compil'd for your Diversion I hope may be favourably receiv'd as they are tender'd with all imaginable respect by SIR Your Most Obedient Humble Servant J. S. LETTER X. To the Honourable Mr. BRIDGES Eldest Son to my Lord CHANDOIS and Fellow of the Royal-Society Of the Dutchy of Curland its present State and Government with an Account of the Origin and Progress of the Livonian Order comprehending the several Successions of its Knights down to Gothotred Ketler the first Duke of Curland As also a succinct Relation of the several Administrations of this Duke and his Successors SIR I Hope the Addressing this following Letter to you needs no Apology since you were at first design'd to bear a part in the Patronage of this History What your great Merits intitle you to I shall not pretend to determine here reserving that Honour for a more favourable Opportunity and a better subject or at least a more correct Performance Sir The following Account is only the product of a hasty Compilation gather'd out of a confus'd Account of this Country which I could only meet with in Books But however if there be any Beautys discover'd they are to be ascrib'd to the ingenious Baron Blomberg his late Highness the Duke of Curland's Minister who by means of Dr. Connor has furnish'd me with some short Account of the Present State of Affairs in that Dutchy His Authority I presume will not be question'd by reason of his suppos'd Knowledge of those matters A much farther Account was promis'd by and expected from him but the urgency of time a consideration too much regarded by Booksellers requir'd this Abrupt Publication Sir the Dutchy of Curland which comprehends the Provinces of Curland and Semigallia is bounded on the North and West by the Baltick Sea on the East by the Great Dutchy of Lithuania and on the South by the Dutchy and Province of Samogitia In length it is about 50 great German Leagues computing from Memel in Prussia to Riga in Livonia and reckoning at least six Prussian Leagues to a Mile The breadth is different from the Baltic to Lithuania and Samogitia being in some places 30 and in others but 24 Leagues broad and moreover in some places less This Dutchy is a Plain Champion Fruitful Country and has always been well Inhabited It is a part of Livonia and when under the Teutonic Knights was the better half of it but now its Limits are not a little Abridged Some have divided Livonia into Regal and Ducal the former at present being under the King of Sueden and the latter under the Duke of Curland Formerly about the IXth Century this last was likewise Subject to Sueden but then it paid only a certain Tribute for it was never enter'd upon by the Swedes Some Authors have affirm'd it to be a Peninsula but those are easily confuted
and those of Curland on the other After this the Envoy is permitted to sit down to cover his Head and has great civilities paid him This Duke has all the Regalia that the German Soveraign Princes have He Coins Money in his own Name and has high and low Justice over the Noblemen of his Country only in some extraordinary cases Appeals may be made to the Court of Poland He has great Demesns of which his Revenue chiefly consists and keeps a very pretty Court having all his great Officers as other Princes have The chiefest of which are The Landhoff-Meister or chief Minister The High Chancellor The Supreme Marshal and The Supreme Burgrave These are the Four great State Officers The more inferiour are The Councellors of State which are the Supreme Starostas whereof two are for Curland viz. The Supreme Starostas of Goldingen and Tuczkon And two for Semigallia viz. The Supreme Starostas of Mittaw and Selburg These Staâ—ostas ought all to be Noble Natives and Landed-Men Next follow the Governors of Places Military-Officers c. The Gentry of this Country are very Antient and very free being exceedingly Jealous of suffering any Upstart Nobleman to come among them esteeming nothing so much as Ancient Families and Creations Before I proceed to give a farther account of this Country I must add a word or two more concerning the Livonian Order and which I could not have done before unless I had broke the Chain of the Connection The Provincial Master of this Order was wont to be chosen by the Great Chapter of Prussia whereupon when in the Year 1439. the Livonian Knights had Elected one Henry a Bukenode for their Master they were forc'd to give a reason for their having so done and notwithstanding were afterwards oblig'd to submit to a new Election in Prussia Next the Provincial Master of the Livonian Order was the Marshal of the Order After whom came the several Commendadors and the Advocates The Commendadors were in number Eleven whereof the two first were in Curland and the third in Semigallia The Advocates were Nine two having been of Curland and one of Semigallia These Knights had the Title of the Order of Sword-Bearers and their Habits Arms were a White Mantle with a Sword on the Breast in Pale and a Star Gules in Chief but after their joining with the Teutonick Order they had likewise their Habit and Cross For a Geographical Description of this Country I must acquaint you Sir that the two Dutchies of Curland and Semigallia have these several principal Cities and Towns for I cannot meet with any sub-division into Jalatinates or Districts as I have perform'd in Poland In the Dutchy of Curland are the several Cities and Towns of Goldingen Cap. Vinda Bish Pilten Liba Erdwalen Angermund Grubin Tuczkon Frawenburg Vschwend Talsen Candaw Durben Hasenpot and Oendange Of all which the chief City is Goldingen in Latin Goldinga a City that stands on the Banks of the River Wete about seven German Miles from Vinda or Windaw to the West and near fifteen from Mittaw in Semigallia to the East This City has a large Jurisdiction Vinda or Windaw call'd by the Poles Kiescz is a City and Palatinate It has a Castle built on the Sea-shoar and which was formerly Residence to the Livonian Knights as likewise the place where they conven'd their Parliament or General Assemblies Now it has usually a Garrison of Poles but which are nevertheless under command of the Duke of Curland This City is one of the Sea-ports of Curland the other being Liba Pilten is a Town and Palatinate of this Dutchy whose Gentry being Protestants and offering themselves to the King of Poland's Protection he endeavoured to re-establish a Popish Bishop there this having formerly been a Catholick Bishoprick whose Lands they then possess'd whereupon they alter'd their Resolutions and forthwith submitted to the Duke of Curland These are the richest Gentry in this Prince's Dominions whereof the principal Families are those of Maydel Beher Sacken Mandevil c. In the Dutchy of Semigallia are the Cities and Towns of Mittaw Metropolis of these Dominions Bauske Doblin Selburg Radziwiliski Nithaw Birze Pozwole Lunka Dalen Schudding Pilkall Beher Nersten and Salatt Of all which the Capital of this Dutchy and Metropolis of the Duke of Curland's Dominions is Mittaw in Latine Mittavia or Mittovia the usual place of Residence of the Dukes of Curland This City is built on the River Musza and is a pretty large place containing about Twelve Thousand Inhabitants It has a weak Wall tho' nevertheless a well Fortifi'd and stately Castle with two Bastions which are surrounded by Marshes and defended by a strong and numerous Garrison The streets of this City are not Pav'd for want of Stone and the Citizens Houses are either of Brick or Timber as in Poland This place lies about seven Polish Miles from Riga in Regal Livonia and only four from the Prontiers of Samogitia It has been twice taken of late by the Swedes but has been since regain'd and is at present wholly subject to its Duke Bauske another strong City in this Dutchy which has a well Fortifi'd Castle and a numerous Garrison The Religion of this Country is generally Lutheran tho' there are some few Roman Catholicks and Calvinists there In favour of the first the late Duke at the King of Poland's request gave leave for the building of two Roman Catholick Churches one at Mittaw and the other at Goldingen The Jesuits pretend to have bought this Cureteship of Mittaw and upon that account to have settled there but nevertheless they are frequently oppressed and their College was broke down not long since yet notwithstanding they still subsist The Dutchesses of Curland having been all hitherto Calvinists have always had one Church at Mittaw set a part for them and their Religion where the Calvinists and Protestants of Livonia as likewise the English Merchants of Riga come to Exercise their Devotion there being no liberty of Conscience allowed throughout the King of Sweden's Dominions except at Stockholm only where the French Huguenots have been permitted to build a Church As to the Government of Curland there is first The Parliament or General Assembly of the States of this Duteby which is conven'd after this manner The Duke as often as any Urgencies of State so require it sends out his Letters of Summons to all the Starostas of his Dominions together with a Schedule of the Points propos'd to be debated on requiring them and every of them to cause Deputies or Representatives of the Gentry to be forth with Elected in their respective Jurisdictions whereupon they are soon Elected accordingly and furnished with Instructions from their Electors how they shall behave themselves in like manner as in Poland These afterwards meeting at Mittaw together with the four Supreme Counsellors consult
excessive Power and Privileges of the Nobility which they soon effected by being Resolute and more in Number But in Poland it is quite otherwise for there the Clergy and Gentry have a common Interest to keep the King and People in Subjection The Clergy have great Privileges and are very Rich. The Bishops for the most part are Princes or Dukes they are all Senators and sit in the Diet before all the Temporal Lords so that by the great Authority and Veneration which they have procur'd to themselves from the slavish People they can hinder them from making any Insurrection and by the Arbitrary and Free Power which they and the Gentry have hitherto maintain'd to Elect whom they pleas'd for King they will always keep him in such a Dependence for the sake of his Children that he shall hardly ever be able to effect any Design upon their Prerogatives Nay providing he had found any Opportunity to compass such a dangerous Enterprize yet would it not consist with Prudence either to declare or Attempt it for fear of Incurring the Hatred and Displeasure of the People which would not only tend to his own Ruin but likewise Obstruct the Election of any of his Family to the Throne after his Death so that the surest way for a King of Poland to continue the Crown in his Family is never to attempt any Innovation I would not however think the Kings of Poland Unfortunate in not being able to assure the Succession of the Throne to their Children since they are thereby compell'd as it were by a lucky Necessity to breed them up to all Royal Virtues and this to the end that it may render them more Accomplish'd and Worthy to be Elected For where they are satisfied that the Crown is not due to their Blood but to their Merits what will either the Father or Sons omit to obtain it by the most Glorious Means My LORD I have hitherto presented Your GRACE with what relates to the Form of Government in Poland and to the King's Power and Revenues I would now give a particular Account of the King's Court were it not like to that of other Princes as to Splendor and Number of Officers For besides the Great Crown-Officers as the two Great and Little Marshals as many Chancellors and Vice-Chancellors two Generals and two Great and Little Treasurers The King has his Lord-Chamberlain his Court-Marshal or Lord Steward his Master of the Horse his Secretaries of State his Standard-Bearer Chief Huntsman his Gentlemen of the Body answerable to our Lords of the Bed-Chamber his Physicians Chaplains Pensioners Cup-Bearers Sewers Carvers Musicians and Guards The Gentlemen Pensioners always attend the King on Horseback this Body of Gentry consists of the Noblest Youth of the Kingdom whereof many have Court and State-Employments and are all subject to the Jurisdiction of the Court-Marshal There are some of these that attend his Majesty on Foot but in long Journeys they are always carried in Waggons A set number of these keep Guard Day and Night about the King Whenever the King goes in Public these last March every way about him with long Battle-Axes on their Shoulders and Sabres by their Sides but still admitting the Senators and Chief Courtiers to March next him yet when the Queen goes with the King the Senators and other Persons of Quality are to walk before The King's Horse-Guards ought by the Constitutions to be either Poles Lithuanians or Natives of some of the Incorporated Provinces but however this Law has been dispens'd with for the late King admitted both Germans and Hungarians amongst them Their Number by the Law is not to exceed 1200 and their Chief Commander is to be subject to all the Four Marshals The King has the same Number of Court Officers in Lithuania as he has in Poland the Lithuanians being as Ambitious to keep up the ancient Grandeur of their Great Duke as the Poles are for that of their King The King has likewise the Nomination of some Court-Officers in several Provinces as in Prussia Masovia and Russia which had formerly distinct Princes of their own and were afterwards United to the Kingdom of Poland so that the King has the Nomination of as many Court-Officers as any Prince in Europe but most of them are rather Honorary than Beneficial yet the Gentry always make great Interest to get into them Precedence of which they are Ambitious being Regulated according to the Nature and Dignity of the Employment As for the Queen's Court it consists of about Thirty Officers the Chief whereof are her Marshal and Chancellor Their Business is to Preside over Domestic Affairs in the Queen's Court. Her Marshal or Steward is to carry the Staff before her and her Chancellor or Secretary to Write Sign Receive and Answer all her Letters There is her Treasurer who Manages her Revenue her Master of the Horse Cup-Bearers Carvers Sewers Clerk of the Kitchen c. For Women Servants she has her Ladies Maids of Honour Dressers c. When she goes in Public she is always attended by a great number of her own Sex It may not be here amiss to add something of the Court of the Inter-Rex or Primate and so I will conclude While the Archbishop of Gnesna has the Administration of the Government he has much the same Officers with the King but when he has laid down that Authority his Officers are his Marshal spoken of before his Chancellor who Presides in his Courts of Justice his Almoner Master of Requests Cross-Bearer Steward Treasurer Chaplains Library-Keeper Clerk of the Kitchin c. This Archbishop alone as he is the Chief Senator of Poland has Drums beating and Trumpets sounding both within and without Doors before he sits down to Table He also by his Prerogative is not to wait for the King's Commands when he should Visit him but may go when and as often as he pleases Before My Lord I put an end to this Letter permit me to take notice to Your GRACE that the King of Poland does not Name his Privy-Counsellors but all Senators are Counsellors of Course for all of that Dignity that are about the Place where the King Resides have a Right to sit at the Council-Board For fear notwithstanding that there should not be always Senators sufficient for that purpose at Court the Senate always depute four of their Members to attend the King's Person by turns and that not only to give him Advice but likewise to Inspect into his Conduct and to prevent him from Acting contrary to the Laws For the King and Council are accountable to the Diet for any Mismanagement in the Government In short the Genius of the Polish Nation and the whole Frame of their Constitution is entirely bent to Curb the King's Power and to secure their Laws and Prerogatives against the Incroaching Factions of Foreign Princes or of their own Court-Party I might here My Lord add a great many