them be they neuer so secretly hidden In the Prouince of Morauia incorporated to Bohemia I haue formerly said that the Gentlemen haue like priuiledges and absolute power ouer their subiects being all born slaues And in Germany that the Marquis of Anspach hath like born slaues And I shall in due place shew that in Denmark and Poland the people are meere slaues so as the Gentlemen and Lords recken not their estates by yearly rents but by the number of their Bawren or clownes who are all slaues In Bohemia the goods of condemned persons fall to the Lord of the fee. Among the Barons the Baron of Rosenburg was cheefe who for life was chosen Viceroy and dwelt vpon the confines of Austria being said to haue the yearly rents of eighty thousand Dollers but in respect he had no Sonne to succeede him he was lesse esteemed especially himselfe being decrepite and his brother also old and without probable hope of issue The second family of the Barons was that of the Popels hauing many branches and plenty of heires One of them was at that time in great grace with the Emperor Rodulphus And the whole family for the issue was much estemed of the people and States of the Kingdome In Bohemia as in Poland Gentlemen cannot be iudged but at fower meetings in the yeare and then are tried by Gentlemen so as the accusers being wearied with delaies the offenders are commonly freed but men of inferior condition are daily iudged and suddenly tried The Bohemians giue greater titles to Gentlemen by writing and in saluting then the Germans where notwithstanding as appeares in the due place there is great and vndecent flattery by words among all degrees I did not obserue or reade that the Bohemians haue any military or ciuill order or degree of Knightes as the English haue The Hussites hauing changed nothing in religion saue onely the communicating of the Lords Supper in both kinds with some other small matters yet I did not heare that they haue any Bishops and I am sure that the Bishopricke of Prage had then been long void They and all of the reformed Religion in Bohemia send their Ministers to Wittenberg an Vniuersity in Saxony for receiuing of Orders with imposition of hands from the Lutheran Superintendant and the Ministers of that place CHAP. IIII. Of the particular Common-wealths as well of the Princes of Germany as of the Free Cities such of both as haue absolute power of life and death IT remaineth to adde something of priuat Princes Courts and the Gouernement of the free Cities And since I haue formerly said that these Princes and Cities hauing absolute power of life and death are many in number and that according to the number of the Princes the places also where taxes and impositions are exacted are no lesse frequent as well for subiects as strangers passing by both for persons and for wares And that they who deceiue the Prince in any such kind neuer escape vnpunished Now to auoid tediousnesse I will onely mention the chiefe Princes and Cities by which coniecture may be made of the rest and this I will doe briefely without any repetition of things formerly set downe Touching the Electors I haue formerly related the principall lawes of the golden Bulla The Duke of Saxony is one of these Electors many waies powerfull and he deriues his pedegree from Witikind a famous Duke of the Germans in the time of the Emperour Charles the Great who forced him to lay aside the name of King permitting him the title of a Duke and to become Christian in the yeere 805. Witikynd the second Deitgrenius Frederike Fredericke inuested Marquis of Misen by the Emperour Henrie the first he died in the yeere 925. Bruno Dittimare Christian inuested Marquis of Lusatia by the Emperor Otho the first Theodorike died in the yeere 1034. Henrie Marquis of Misen and Lusatia died in the yeere 1106. Timo. Conrade the Great died in the yeere 1150. Otho the Rich built Friburg where hee had found Mines of Siluer and died in the yeere 1189. Theodorike was poisoned by the Citizens of Leipzig in the yeere 1220. Henrie by right of inheritance became Langraue of Thuring and died 6287. In right line from Henrie discends Fredericke who chosen Emperour yeelded the Empire to his Competitor the Emperour Charles the fourth taking mony for giuing vp his right and he died in the yeere 1349. In right line is Fredericke the Warlike who ouercame the Bohemians rebelling against the Emperour receiued the Scholers of Prage to study at Leipzig restrained the title of Dukes of Saxony to Families which after the Emperours of Saxonie had been confusedly vsurped and lastly appropriated the title of Elector to his Family He died in the yeere 1423. Fredericke the Gentle died in the yeere 1464. Ernestus the Elector died in the yeere 1486. The Elector Frederike the Wise who put the Empire from himself chose Charles the fifth Hee did found the Vniuersitie at Wittenberg and died 1525. Iohn Elector exhibited the eformed Confession at Augsburg and died 1533. Iohn Frederike for the Reformed Religion deposed from the Electorship by the Emperour Charles the fifth He married Sibill daughter to the Duke of Iuliar and died 1554 Iohn Frederike proscribed by the Empire and prosecuted by Augustus Elector of Saxonie in the Emperours name was taken prisoner by him at the taking and razing of Gotha Iohn Casimire borne of his fathers second wife Elizabeth daughter to Frederike Elector Palatine He was borne 1564 and married Anna daughter to Augustus Elector of Saxonie Iohn Ernest then vnmarried borne in the yeere 1566. These Dukes of Saxony then liuing were called the Dukes of Coburg Iohn William serued the King of France in those Ciuill warres and died 1573. Will. Frederik borne of another daughter to Frederike Elector Palatine 1562 he buried the daughter to the Duke of Wirtenberg and married the daughter of Philip Lodowick Prince Palatine 1591. He was Tutor to the sonnes of Christian Elector preferred to the Duke of Coburg because his father was proscribed and neuer restored Iohn borne 1570 then vnmarried This Duke of Saxonie was called the D. of Wyneberg The last Elector of this branch Albert the Stout Duke of Saxonie died in the yeere 1500. George of Leipzig called the Popish was Duke of Saxonie and died in the yeare 1539. Henrie Duke of Saxonie made Gouernour of Friesland by his father was there in danger to be put to death had not his father come to deliuer him he died in the yeere 1541. The first Elector of this branch Mauritius made Elector by the Emperor Charles the 5 was borne 1521 died 1553. Augustus Elector maried Anne daughter to the K. of Denmarke and died 1586 Eight Boyes and three Girles died Christian the Elector married the daughter to the Elector of Brandeburg and died 1591. Three young daughters Christian the second Elector but then a Pupill borne 1583 the fiue and twentieth of September at three of
ninth being ouercome promised them peace He first made league with the Elector of Saxony and the Langraue of Hessen and died suddenly in a Bath in the yeere 1486. By his first Wife Daughter to the Marquisse of Baden he had Iohn Marquisse and Elector commonly called the Cicero of Germany he died 1499. And had two sisters by his mother Ioachim the first Elector founded the Vniuersity at Franckfort vpon Viadrus in the yere 1506 he maried Elizabeth daughter to the King of Denmark and died 1535. Ioachim the second Elector for killing a Turk had a Military Girdle of Charles the fift to whose part he was firme and obtained life for the captiue Elector of Saxony he died 1571. By Magdalen daugh to Geo. the Bearded D. of Saxony Iohannes Georgius the Elector then liuing borne in the yeere 1525. By his first wife Sophia as some say daughter to the Count of Barba hee had Ioachim Frederick borne 1546 heire to the Electorship at this time Administrator of the Archbishopk. of Halla Hee married one of the House of Brandeburg in the yeere 1570 if I be not deceiued had at this time a second wife the daughter of the Duke of Wirteberg Iohn Sigismond borne 1572. Anna Catherina borne 1575. George borne 1577. Augustus borne 1580 Chanon of Strasburg Albert Frederike borne 1581. Ioachim a Twin borne 1582. Ernest a Twin borne 1582. Christian Wilhelm borne 1588. By Sabina daughter to George Marquis of Brandeburg married 1547 and dying 1574. Hee had three daughters Ermund married to Iohn Frederick D. of Pomern Anna Maria married to the eldest brother D. of Pomern and Sophia married to Christian Elector of Saxony 1582. By Elionora daughter to the Prince of Anhalt married 1577 at the fifty three yeere of his age and fourteenth of her age he had three sonnes Christian and Ioachim Ernest and a third whose name I know not and in the yeere 1592 when he was 67 yeeres old he had a daughter besides two other daughters formerly begotten Barbara maried to the D. of Bregan in Stlesia Elizabetha Magdalena married to Otho D. of Luneburg Heduigis maried to Iulius Duke of Brunswick Sophia married to the Barron of Rosenburg Viceroy in Bohemia 1564. Iohn leagued with the Protestants yet serued the Emperour at his brothers perswasion but after ioined with Mauritius Elector of Saxony against the Emperour he died 1570. Fiue sisters Anne married to the Duke of Meckelburg Elizabeth to the Duke of Brunswick Margaret to the Duke of Pomern Elizabeth to George Marquis of Brandeburg And Catherine to bee Anna married to the King of Denmark Frederick the first died 1521. Vrsula married to the Duke of Pomerania another Vrsula to the Duke of Meckelburg Albert Archbishop and Elector of Mentz Cardinall made the war of Religion which Lodwick Elector Palatine appeased He died 1545. By his second wife Anne Daughter to Frederick the second Elector of Saxony he had Frederick the fifth Marquisse of Brandeburg in Franconia and Voytland Hee married the daughter of Casimire King of Poland and died in the yeere 1536. Hee had fiue sisters by his mother three married two Nunnes Casimire married the daughter to the D. of Banaria he died 1577. Albert called the Alcibiades of Germany most warlike was proscribed by the Empire and died in banishment in the yeere 1557. Marie married to Frederick Elector Palatine died 1567. George gaue the Confession of Religion at Augsburg Geo. Fred. recouered Prustia from the K. of Poland took it in Fee 1578. He married Elizabeth of Brandeburg 1558 and Sophia daughter to the D. of Brunswick 1579. He had fiue sisters William Bishop of Regenspurg died 1563. Albert Mr. of the Teutonike Order being ouercome by the King of Poland was made D. of Prussia the Order being extinguished and founded the Vniuersitie at Konigsberg he died 1568. By the daughter of the Duke of Brunswick he had Albert Frederick borne 1553 said to be frantick so as George Frederick his vncles son gouerned the Dukedome of Prussia he was at this time liuing By the daughter of the D. of Iulec hee had some daughters How the Tentonike Order was extinguished and of the succession in Prussia is formerly spoken in this Chapter and in the Geographicall description of Germany By Dorothy Queene of Denmark hee had Anna Sophia married to the Duke of Meckelburg and she died 1591. Besides males and females dying young Fiue sisters all married The first Marquisse and first Elector of this Family Conrade diuiding the Principalitie with his brother gouerned at Nurnberg and foure of his posterity were great Commanders of the Order of the Teutonike Knights Eitel Frederick Count of Zoller Hitherto I haue spoken of the Temporall Electors The fecond among the Spirituall Electors is the Arch-bishop of Mentz which Seate when I passed through Germany was possessed by Wolfgang of the noble Family of Dalberg and all his Kinsmen dwelling heare Heidelberg were of the Reformed Religion after the doctrine of Luther and therefore lesse esteemed him who notwithstanding was thought no enemie to the Reformed Religion but rather willing to permit it did he not feare the opposition of the Chapter For Gebhard Truchsesse Arch-bishop of Colen and Elector had lately bin deposed and another placed in that Seate because he maried Agnes Countesse of Mansfield with whom at that time he liued being made a Cannon at Strasburg for that citie hauing abolished the Roman Religion yet kept the places of Cannons without any bond of superstition and vsed to bestow them onely vpon Princes and Gentlemen of the Reformed Religion and in this citie he then liued a quiet life after he had in vaine tried by force of Armes to regaine that Arch-Bishoprick The third Spirituall Elector but first by institution is the Arch-Bishop of Trier a Citie seated beyond the Rheine vpon the confines of France which Seate when I passed through Germany was possessed by Iohn if I mistake not his name of the Noble Family of Schonburg And whereas the other Electors dwell in the cities whereof they are named for the most part his continuall abode was at the castle Erbrotsteine seated neare the Rheine some halfe daies iourney from Trier All these Arch-Bishops haue not onely Spirituall but also Temporall power in all their Territories The Families of the Langraues of Hessen is deriued from Lambert Count of Hannow who died in the yeere 1015. Of his first branch come the Margraues of Berg and also the Barrons of Grimberg Of the second branch come the Langraues of Hessen whose Progenitor Lodwick called the Gentle being chosen Emperour refused that burthen and died in the yeere 1458. Phillip vnited to the Protestant Princes in the league of Smalcald and ioyning his forces with the Elector of Saxony against the Emperour Charles the fifth was perswaded by his friends when the Electors Army was broken to yeeld himselfe to the Emperour by whom he was kept prisoner for a time contrary to promise He founded the Vniuersitie at
chosen Emperour was ouercome by his Competitor and being againe raised to that dignitie was put from it by Frederike the second and died 1218. Otho his brothers Sonne was forced to yeeld the Dukedome of Saxony to the Elector of Saxony Albert the second And the Emperour Frederick the second cast his Garrison out of Brunswick with the helpe of the Citizens and made Brunswick a free Imperiall City But at last the Emperour vpon the submission of Otho forgaue him and created him Duke of Brunswick and Luneburg This Otho died in the yeere 1252 from whom this house was subdeuided into the following Families From Henrie the Wonderfull descend the Lords of Ember and Grobenbagen From Albert the Fat dying in the yeere 1318 descend the Dukes of Brunswick and of Luneburg as followeth Magnus Torquatus heire of both Dukedomes whose garrison the citizens of Luneburg cast out of the castle Calkberg left three sonnes Frederick chosen Emperour against Wenceslaus killed by treachetie in the yeere 1400. Bernard after the killing of his brother yeelded the D. of Brunswick to his Nephew William retaining the D. of Luneburg died 1434. From Bernard descend Otho who exhibited the Reformed Confession at Augtburg and died 1549. Otho Lord of Harburg had to his first wife the daughter to the Earle of Schwartzenburg and with the second Wife Daughter to the Earle of Emden hee then liued when I passed though Germany Otho had by his first wife two sonnes Otho Henrich borne 1555 and Iohn Frederick borne 1557 and one daughter Elizabeth borne 1553 and married to the King of Suecia And by his second wife sixe sonnes William borne 1564. Euno borne 1565. Christopher borne 1570. Otho borne 1572. Iohn borne 1573. Frederick borne 1578. And three daughters Anna Margarita borne 1567. Heduigis borne 1569. Catherina Sophia borne 1577. The first house of the Dukes of Luneburg and Brunswick for the titles are cōmon to al. Anne borne 1526. And Ernest who reformed Religion and died 1546 buried at Cella Henry maried the daughter of the D. of the lower Saxony dwelling at Angria Henry had three sons Iulius Ernestus borne 1571. Francis Cannon of Strasburg borne 1572. And Augustus borne 1579. And two daughters Sibilla Elizabetha borne 1576. And Sidonia borne 1577. The second branch likewise Dukes of Luneburg and Brunswick William in the yere 1561 married Dorothy Daughter to Christian King of Denmarke William had seuen sons Ernest borne 1564. Christian borne 1561. Augustus borne 1568. Frederick borne 1574. Magnus borne 1577 then Rector of the Vniuersitie of Iena George borne 1582. Iohn borne 1583. And seuen daughters Sophia married to George Marquis of Brandeburg 1579. Elizabeth to the Count of Hohelm 1585. Doroty borne 1570. Clara 1571. Margaret 1573. Marie 1575. And Sibilla 1584. The third branch with the same titles Francis of the reformed religion left two daughters no heires males and died 1549. Henrie died before his brother Frederick William the Victorious at the death of his Vncle Frederick possessed the Dukedome of Brunswick which his Vncle Bernard did yeeld to him Hee died 1482. Dukes of Brunswick From William the Victorious descends Henry who twise in vaine besieged Brunswick aided by other free Cities He died 1514. Henrie made captiue by the Elector of Saxony 1545 twice besieged Brunswick He had two sisters and foure brothers Ericus Christopher Bishop of Verden Francis and George Archbishop of Breme The eldest married Mary Daughter to the Duke of Wirtenberg and died 1568. Iulius his two elder Brethren being killed left his Priest-hood reformed Religion after Luthers doctrine founded an Vniuersitie at Helmstat and called it Iulia married Heduigis daughter to Ioachim the second Elector of Brandeburg and died in the yeere 1589. Henrie Iulius borne 1562 Administrator of two Bishopricks of Halberstat and Mind first married Dorothy Daughter to Augustus Elector of Saxony then Elizabeth daughter to Frederike King of Denmark yet liuing By his first wife he had Dorothy Heduigis borne 1587 by the second Frederike Vdalrike borne 1591. Three brothers Philip Sigismond Bishop of Verden borne 1568. Ioachim Carolus borne 1573. Iulius Augustus borne 1578. Fiue sisters Sophia married to Ernest Duke of Pomeru Mary to Francis D. of lower Saxony 1582. Elizabeth to the Count of Schaumberg Dorothy borne 1577. Heduigis 1580. The second house of the Duke of Brunswicke more powerfull then all the former ioyned He had foure sisters Catherine married to Iohn Marquisse of Brandeburg Margaret to the D. of Munsterberg Clara first an Abbesse then married to Phillip Lord of Grachenhage And Mary an Abbesse And Ericus called the Popish Ericus called also the Popish married his daughter to Iohn Prince Dauria of Genoa in Italy He had a base sonne who died without issue and lies buried with his Father at Pauia in Italy The Duke of Brunswicke keepes his Court at a strong Castle within the little City Wolfeubeiten lesse then a German mile distant from Brunswick of which City he beares the title in respect it of old belonged to his Progenitors in which kind he is also called Duke of Luneburg to which he hath right of succession and Purgraue of Nurnberg which title hath beene long extinct not that he hath any least power ouer the City or so much as a house therein whom the Citizens rather wish many miles remoued from them I haue said that Henry Iulius Duke of Brunswick hath three brothers and that the eldest of them was Bishop of Verden but when my selfe passed that way I vnderstood that of these three younger brothers the eldest was Bishop of Osenburg the next Channon of Strasburg and that the youngest was a Student in the Vniuersity of Helmstatt founded by his Father And it is worth obseruation that the Duke himselfe was Administrator of two Bishoprickes I haue shewed that the City of Brunswicke got their liberty by the Sword in the time of Duke Otho and with the aide of the Emperour Fredericke the second And as they gained it by Armes so they maintaine it hauing beene often besieged by the Dukes and to this day bearing vp the same against the Dukes with whom they cease not to expostulate that they vsurpe the title of their City And not long before my passage that way when at the marriage of the Duke with the sister to the King of Denmarke the Citizens of Brunswicke discharged some great Peeces of Artillery in honour of the marriage yet so great are the iealousies betweene the Duke and them as hee tooke it in ill part and shaking his head for anger said it was done in ostentation of their strength and as the threatning of enemies rather then the triumph of friends And the Senators of Brunswicke though inuited to the marriage yet would not come thither Neither doe they willingly suffer the Duke to come into their City And not long before when the Duke for pleasure disguised himselfe as a Carman and droue a Cart of wood into the City to be sold there the
Cardinals Hat maried Isabel daughter to the K. of Spaine and gouernes Netherland but hath no children 7. Wencestaus 8. Fredericke 9. Carolus al three died yong Foure sisters Anna married to the King of Spaine anno 1563 died anno 1580. Elizabeth married to Charles the 9 King of France anno 1570. Mary Margaret died yong Fiue sisters Elizabeth married to the King of Poland died an 1545. Anne wife to the Duke of Bauaria Marie wife to the Duke of Cleue Magdalen vnmarried and Catherine wife to the Duke of Mantua and after to the King of Poland Ferdinand of Ispruck so called of that Citie wherein he holds his Court. Hee married the daughter of the Duke of Mantua by whom he had some daughters but no heire male But by a Citizens daughter of Augsburg his wife hee had two sonnes This is the third Family of the Arch-Dukes called of Ispruch the Citie wherein they liue Charles Marques of Burgh Andrew a Cardinall Iohn died a childe Sixe sisters Leonora wife to the Duke of Mantua Barbara wife the Duke of Feraria Margareta Vrsula Helena and Ioanna Charles of Gratz so called of that City where he held his Court. Hee is the fourth sonne of the Emperour Ferdinand by Marie the daughter of the Duke of Bauaria Hee begat twelue children and dying in the yeere 1519 left two sonnes besides diuers daughters This is the fourth Family of the Arch-Dukes of Austria called Zu Gratz of that City wherein they hold their Court. Ferdinand zu Gratz Carolus Posthumus Margeret gouerned Netherland and died in the yeare 1530. Leopold the second Duke of Austria died in the yeare 1386. Fredericke proscribed in the Counsell at Constantia died in the yeere 1440. Sigismond dyed in the yeere 1497. Ernestus of Iron died in the yere 1435. Ladislaus Posthumus King of Bohemia vnder George Pochibraccius his Tutor and King of Hungary vnder Iohn Huniades Tutorage died in the yeere 1457. Thus I haue shewed that besides the branch of the House of Austria now raigning in Spaine there remaine three branches thereof in Germany the first of the Emperour Rodolphus and his brethren Ernestus dying in his life time Mathias and Maximilianus and Albertus Whereof foure liued vnmarried the fifth named Albertus hath long been married but hath no child The second branch is that of Ferdinand of Ispruch waa married Philippina the daughter of a Citizen in Augsburg whereupon his kinsmen difdaining that her ignoble Issue should enherit with them forced him to agree that the County of Tyroll should not descend vpon his sonne whereupon his eldest sonne by her named Charles possesseth onely the City and territory of Burgh which was in his Fathers power to giue with title of the Marquesse of Burgh and the said County at the Fathers death fell backe to the Emperour His second sonne Andrew Cardinal of Brixia besides the spirituall possessions of that County hath also the Bishopricke of Costnetz in Sueuia But Ferdinand of his second wife daughter to the Duke of Mantua had some daughters but no heire male The third branch is of Charles of Gratz who besides his heires males left eight daughters whereof one is now married to Sigismund King of Poland by election and of Suecia by inheritance the second to the Prince of Transiluania the third to Philip King of Spaine The Emperour by right of his owne inheritance not of the Empire is Lord of many and large Prouinces namely King of Hungary King of Bohemia with the annexed most fertile Prouinces of Morauia Silesia and Lusatia Also towards the Alpes he hath by Inheritance many large Prouinces gotten by his Progenitors as appeares by his Pedegree namely the Arch-Dukedome of Austria the Prouinces of Styria Carinthia Carmola Tyroll and other large territories in Sueuia and Alsatia besides great iurisdictions among the Sweitzers called the Grysons Ferdinand the Emperour brother to the Emperour Charles the fifth married the sister and heire of Lodouicus King of Hungary and Bohemia and after the vnhappy death of Lodouicus killed in the field by the Turkes in the yeere 1526 was chosen King of Bohemia which Kingdome with the Empire descended to his heires And this Kingdome is exempted from the Parliaments and Contributions of Germany by a priuiledge granted by Charles the fourth Emperour and King of Bohemia of whom the Germans complaine as more respecting Bohemia then the Empire In which point he is lesse to be taxed because howsoeuer that Kingdome freely elects their Kings yet the heire is therein alwaies respected before any other and being an Infant yet is commonly chosen King with a Tutor for his Nonage The three States of Barrons Knights and Citizens chuse the King but Ferdinand the Emperour in his life time caused his sonne Maximilian to be chosen King In like manner this Emperour Rodolphus was chosen King of Bohemia and also King of Hungaria while his Father liued And howsoeuer he being vnmarried hath lesse care of his Successour yet custome and the publike good haue such force as Bohemia seemes hereditary to the House of Austria either for feare of so great a Family bordering vpon the Kingdome or because they iustly triumph to haue the Emperours sente at Prage the cuecfe City of Bohemia especially since no Prince out of that Family is able to beare the burthen of the Empire if they obserue the Law binding the Electors to chuse an Emperour among the Princes borne in Germany As the said three States choose the King so they chuse a Viceroy for life to gouerne the Kingdome at the Kings death and to be one of the Electors as King of Bohemia at the choyce of the Emperour dead in the same person Yet commonly before this time wherein the vnmarried Emperour neglects the succession the Germans were wont while the Emperour liued to chuse his successor intitled King of the Romans At this time the Baron of Rosenburg was Viceroy of Bohemia for life who held his Court neere Lintz vpon the confines of Austria and was said to haue the keeping of the Kings Crowne in a Castle called Carlstein Touching Hungary it had the name of the people called the Hunns who vnder their King Geysa receiued the Christian Religion his sonne Stephen was chosen King in the yeere 1002 from whom in order many Kings haue beene chosen so as due respect was alwayes had of the eldest sonnes to the deceased who sometimes refused did stirre vp ciuill warres King Andrew about the yeere 1230 first gaue great priuiledges to the Nobility which their Kings to this day haue vsed to confirme as soone as they were elected King Vladislaus in the yeere 1490 first ioyned the Kingdomes of Bohemia and Hungary together whose sonne Lodouicus perished in the vnhappy battell against the Turkes in the yeere 1526 At which time Ferdinand of the House of Austria brother to the Emperor Charles the fifth and successor to him in the Empire was chosen King of Hungary as well by the couenant which the
those of Friburg those of Scheneberg those of Anneberg and those of the valey of Ioachim of al which I haue written at large in the Geographicall description And no doubt this Elector is potent in treasure so as how soeuer he be inferiour in dignity to the Elector Palatine yet he is most powerfull of all the Electors Among the walled Cities subiect to him not to speake of the Townes Castles and pleasant Villages Leipzig is next to Dresden to which it onely yeelds for the fortifications and the Electors Court Leipzig giues the Law to the vpper Territorie as Wittenburg doth to the lower and both are adorned by being Vniuersities but at Leipzig the Scabines sit Iudges of great Authoritie for the Law of Saxony being in number seuen namely three Senators of the City and foure Doctors of the Ciuill Law But Wittenberg hath not the right of the Sword to execute malefactors which the Elector Augustus they say translated to Leipzig because the Iudges obstinately denied him power to pardon malefactors or to moderate the Law So as when any man is capitally accused at Wittenberg the cause is first referred to the Scabines at Leipzig who finding him guilty giue power to the Senators of Wittenberg to pronounce sentence and doe execution Wittenberg is no faire City but a famous Vniuersitie and at this time had a great many of Students and it is not subiect to the Duke as inheritance from his progenitors but as he is Elector for to the Electorship it properly belongeth Besides the great tributes it pales for Beare it also yeelds yeerely to the Duke 1500 gold Guldens for the Bridge built ouer the Elue Here as in all other places Lime and Brick are sold in the Dukes name and to his vse As well Leipzig as Wittenberg in difficult cases aske counsell for the Ciuill Law of their owne and if need be of forraigne Vniuersities where the Doctors of the Ciuill Law in the name of the Faculty write downe their iudgement in the case propounded These Doctors are also Aduocates whereof there were twenty two at this time at Leipzig and because this profession is much esteemed the Germans willingly apply themselues to the study thereof The Count Palatine of the Rheine by old institution is cheefe among the temporall Electors and is of the same Family of which the Dukes of Bauaria descend The Pedegree of them both is deriued from the Emperour Charles the Great Otho the elder brother Palatine of Wirtelbach vpon the proscription of the Duke of Bauaria had that Dukedome conferred on him in fee by the Emperour in the yeere 1180. From his younger brother descend the Counts of Salmes now liuing But from the said Otho the elder brother are descended both the Palatines Electors and the Dukes of Bauaria now liuing Lodwicke Duke of Bauaria who died in the yeere 1231 receiued the Palatinate of the Rheine in fee from the Emperour Fredericke the second Otho the fourth succeeded him in the Dukedome of Bauaria and the Palatinate of the Rheine and was the first Elector of this Family who died in the yeere 1253. His sonne Lodwicke the seuere Elector Pallatine and Duke of Bauaria made Rodolphus of Habsburg Emperour who was the first Emperour of the House of Austria He married this Emperours Daughter died in the yeere 1294 leauing two sonnes who diuided the inheritance as followeth From this Rodulphus discend the Counts Palatines and Electors Rodulphus the elder Brother was Count Palatine of the Rheine Elector who died 1319. Rupert Palatine of the Rheine Elector founded the Vniuersitie in Heidelberg in the yeere 1346. Rupert Elector and Emperour died in the yeere 1410. Lodwick Count Palatine and Elector The Elector Frederike the second discending from him freed Vienna from the siege of the Turkes and died 1556. Otho Henrich his Nephew died 1559 without heires males and so the Electorship fell to the Duke of Zweybruck Stephen Duke of Zweybruck Frederike Palatine Iohn the first Iohn the second Frederike the third succeeded Otho Henrich in the Electorship and died 1576. Lodwick the fourth Elector Palatine married the daughter of the Langraue of Hessen and died 1583. Frederike the fourth Elector then Pupill to Iohn Casimire his Vncle. The first house of the Palatines and Electors in two branches Christian his sole Sister Iohn Casunire was Tutor to his Nephew and Elector in his nonage and married Elizabeth sister to Christian Duke of Saxony and died 1592. Dorethea his sole Daughter Elizabeth married to Iohn Frederike Duke of Saxony called of Coburg Susan Dorothy married to Iohn William Duke of Saxonie called of Wineberg Anna Maria maried to Phillip the 2 Langraue of Hessen Kunigunde Iacobe married to the Count of Nassawe Richard D. of Hunneseruck liuing when I wrote this The 2 brach of the first house Lodwick the blacke Alexander Lodwick Wolfgang D. of Sweybruck maried the Daughter to the Langraue of Hessen and died in the French warres 1569. Phillip Lodwick married the daughter to the Duke of Iulice Of three Daughters one married to Frederike William Duke of Saxony Wolfgang borne 1578. Augustus borne 1582. Iohn Frederike borne 1587. Iohn married to another Daughter of the Duke of Iulce Two Sonnes and two Daughters The second House of the Countes Palatines in foure branches then liuing the last branches being multiplied from Phillip Lodwick being then children Frederike married the Daughter of the Duke of Lignic Two Twins borne 1591. Otho Henrich married the Daughter to the Duke of Wirterberg He had both sons and daughters Eight Sisters partly dead partly liuing then Rupert Of Rupert is George borne of the Daughter to Gustanus King of Swetia who then was liuing He had 3 sonnes and diuers daughters A fifth branch of the second house of the Countes Palatines Thus of Rodulphus the eldest sonne to Lodwick the Seuere descend two houses in many branches of the Countes Palatines whereof the chiefe and first hath the Electorship And of Lodwick the Emperour the second sonne to Lodwick the Seuere descend the Dukes of Bauaria as followeth Lodwick the yonger Brother was D. of Bauaria and was made Emperor who died 1347. The Dukes of Bauaria Lodwick the Emperour had two sonnes Stephen Duke of Bauaria who died 1392. Frederike Duke of Bauaria died 1404. George the rich founded the Vniuersitie of Ingolstat and built the Colledge of Saint George and died 1503. Elizabeth his Daughter was maried to Rupert Count Palatine and to Rupert George by his last Will gaue the Dukedome of Bauaria but the Emperour Maximiuan would not confirme this gift as iniurious to the next heire in this pedegree whence rose the warre of Bauaria Iohn of Monach Duke of Bauaria died 1397. Albert the third refused to be chosen King of Bohemia and died 1460. Albert the fourth brought the Channons of 2 Monasteries to Monach and that of his owne authoritie for which he hardly escaped the proscription of the Empire and to him the Emperour adiudged the
Marpurg and died in the yeere 1567. The said Phillip married the Daughter to the Duke of Meckelburg and by her had the following issue William borne 1532 held his court at Cassiles hauing half the inheritance He deliuered his father out of prison and married Sabina daughter to the D. of Wirteberg and died not long before I passed through Germany Mauritius a most Noble young Prince Langraue of Cassiles vpon his Fathers late death Anna Maria married to Lodwick Count of Nassawe 1589. Heduigis then a Virgin Sophia then a Virgin Lodwick borne 1537 held his court at Marpurg had a fourth part of his fathers inheritance He first married Heduige daughter to the D. of Wirteberg after Mary of Mansfield both barren And at this time he liued but without any child Agnes married to Mauritius Elector of Saxony 1541 and after to Iohn Frederick D. of Saxonie George borne 1547 held his court at Dormstat and had a fourth part of his fathers inheritance and maried Magdelen daughter to Bernard Count of Lipp she was dead but he thē liued Lodwick oldest his Father yet liuing Phillip Iohn George Two Sisters Christian and Elizabeth Anna maried to the Duke of Zweybruck died 1581. Barbara married to George Earle of Mompelgard Elizabeth married to Lodwick the fourth Elector Palatine Christina maried to Adolphus of the roial bloud of Denmarke His Sister Elizabeth was married to Iohn Duke of Saxonie The foresaid William Langraue of Hessen of his chiefe City called the Langraue of Cassiles had in diuision with his brethren halfe his Fathers inheritance the other halfe being diuided betweene his two brothers And since that time I heard that his brother Lodwick of Marpurg was dead without issue and that his fourth part of this inheritance was returned to Mauritius eldest sonne to William Yet because Mauritius was addicted to the reformed Religion after the doctrine of Caluin which hee and his Courtiers with many subiects professed how soeuer hee had not yet made any generall alteration whereas his Vncle Lodwick persisted in the doctrine of Luther I remember the common speech in the land of Hessen that Lodwick had threatned his Nephew Mauritius to disinherit him and giue his lands to the children of his brother George of Dormstatt if he made any generall alteration in Religion I haue formerly said that the dignity of the Empire decaying many Principalities were giuen in Fee and the Lords thereof became absolute Princes At that time many great Cities were immediately subiect to the Empire whereof many were at sundrie times after ingaged for money to the said Princes At last the power of the Empire being more fallen by many Ciuill warres raised by the Popes to confirme their vsurped power ouer the Emperours these Cities with money bought their liberty partly of the Emperours partly of the said Princes from which time these Cities being called Imperiall and hauing freedome with absolute power became daily more and more beautified with buildings and strong by fortifications yet some Cities still subiect to diuers Princes yeeld not to them in beauty and strength as Dresden and Leipzig subiect to the Elector of Saxony Monach and Ingolstat subiect to the Duke of Bauaria and Breslaw the chiefe Citie of Silesia a Prouince ioyned to the Kingdome of Bohemia The Emperour at his election sweares that hee will maintaine these Cities in their freedome and not suffer them to be drawne backe to the subiection of the Empire or the said Princes Also I haue formerly spoken of the many and iust suspitions betweene the Emperour the Princes and these Free Cities which it were needlesse to repeate Of old the great Cities of the Empire were ninety sixe in number but many of them haue since been alienated to the Princes of Netherland or vnited by League to the Cantons of Sweitzerland so at this day there remaine only sixty Free Cities of the Empire Of the Common-wealths of these Cities it shall suffice in generall to haue said that the Gouernement is very moderate and equall The Patritians liue vpon their reuenues as Gentlemen The Plebeans intend Traffique and Shop-keeping and bee they neuer so rich neuer so wise can neuer become Patritians but still keepe their owne rancke as all other Orders doe And the Artisans so they keepe the Lawes which bind the highest as well as them are secure from the iniuries of any greater man In ciuill causes they iudge not after strict Law but according to equity and without delay but more easily to coniecture of all in generall It will not be amisse particularly to obserue the gouernement of some few And because Nurnberg is one of the chiefe I will beginne with it The Margraues of Brandeburg were of old Burgraues of Nurnberg till Fredericke the fourth about the yeere 1414 sold that his right and the Castle of Nurnberg to the Citizens thereof Albert his sonne called the Achilles of Germany for some duety denied to him made warre vpon the City drawing seuenteene Princes to take his part as the other free Cities assisted Nurnberg At this day the Margraue of Anspath being of that Family cals himselfe Burgraue of Nurnberg but hath onely the bare title without any command in the City yet because his lands lie on some sides vnder the very wals thereof the Citizens repute him a dangerous neighbour The common report was that this Margraue had lately sold to the City a great wood growing very neere the walles thereof and that shortly after hee was at variance with them as if hee had sold onely the wood and not the soyle so as if vulgar speech may be beleeued they were forced againe to buy the ground And yet he hath not renounced his right of hunting therein which he challengeth proper to himselfe Giue me leaue to digresse so much from my purpose as to say that the neighbourhood of this Margraue is no lesse suspected by the free City Wasenburg not farre distant where vpon a mountaine in his owne ground hanging ouer the City he hath built a strong Castle And because all the streetes of that little City lie open to it the Citizens when first he beganne to build complained to the Emperour of that wrong and obtained letters to command the Margraue to build no further but he not onely disobeyed those letters but built the same with more speed and strength Now I returne to Nurnberg the Common-wealth whereof is Aristocraticall The great Counsell hath no set number but commonly consists of some three hundred persons whereof many are Patricians liuing honourably vpon their rents as Gentlemen others are Merchants and some few Artisans of the best and richest workemen The Senate referres to this Counsell the impositions of tributes and the decrees of peace and warre which Subiects of Counsel being rare this Counsell is seldome called together but the authority of them is so great as the seales of any two of them set to any last Testament serues in steed of seauen witnesses
Fitten to Robert Annesley to Edward Barkley to Sir Henry Vthered to Sir William Courtney to Robert Strowde and to their heires were granted 96165 Acres with rents nine hundred three thirty pound foure shillings halfe penny sterling In Corke by patent to Vane Beacher to Henrie North to Arthur Rawlins to Arthur Hide to Hugh Cuffe to Sir Thomas Noris to Warham Sent-leger to S t Thomas Stoyes to Master Spencer to Thomas Fleetwood and Marmaduke Edmunds and to their heires were granted 88037 Acres with rents fiue hundred twelue pound seuen shillings sixe pence halfe penny sterling In Waterford and Tripperary by Patent to the Earle of Ormond to Sir Christopher Hatton to Sir Edward Fitton to Sir Walter Rawleigh and to their heires were granted 22910 Acres with rent three hundred and three pound three pence sterling These Vndertakers did not people these Seigniories granted them and their heires by Patent as they were bound with well affected English but either sold them to English Papists such as were most turbulent and so being daily troubled and questioned by the English Magistrate were like to giue the most money for the Irish land or otherwise disposed them to their best profit without respect of the publike good neither did they build Castles and doe other things according to their couenants for the publike good but onely sought their priuate ends and so this her Maiesties bounty to them turned not to the strengthning but rather to the weakening of the English Gouernement in that Prouince of Mounster Touching the Rebellion of the Earle of Tyrone the worthy Antiquary Camden mentioneth Neale the Great tyrannising in Vlster and great part of Ireland before the comming of Saint Patrick into that Kingdome about the yeere of our Lord 431 adding that this Family notwithstanding liued after more obscurely not onely till the English entered to conquer Ireland about the yeere 1169 but after that to the time that the Scots vnder Edward Bruce attempted to conquer that Kingdome about the yeere 1318. In which turbulent time Doneualdus O Neale started vp and in his letters to the Pope stiled himselfe King of Vlster and true Heire of all Ireland Further Camden addeth that after the appeasing of these troubles this new King vanished and his posteritie lurked in obscuritie till the Ciuill warres of England betweene the Houses of Yorke and Lancastar The seede whereof was sowne by Henry the fourth of Lancastar Family deposing Richard the second of Yorke Family and vsurping the Crowne though Henrie the fourth and his sonne Henrie the fifth by their valour so maintained this vsurpation as no Ciuill warre brake forth in their time nor so long as the noble Brothers of Henrie the fifth and Vncles to Henrie the sixth liued After betweene Henrie the sixth of Lancaster Family and Edward the fourth of Yorke Family this bloudy war was long continued but ended in the death of the next successor Richard the third a double Vsurper both of the House of Lancaster and the Heires of his Brother Edward the fourth of the House of Yorke After in the marriage of Henrie the seuenth with the Daughter and Heire of Edward the fourth both these Houses were vnited and so this bloudie warre well ended From this time behold the Pedigree of the Omales Owen Oneale Hugh mac Owen Art mac Hugh Neale Moore mac Art Hugh Mac Neale Moore Owen Mac Hugh Neale Moore offered to serue against traitor Hugh Foure sonnes Tirlogh Hugh Bryan and Henry liuing when Hugh Oneale rebelled Phileme Roc mac Art Henry Mac Phelime Roc. Turlogh Mac Henry of the Fuse Rebell with Hugh Fiue sonnes then liuing Henrie Mac Owen Oneale married the Daughter of Thomas Earle of Kildare a Giraldine Con More or Great married the Daughter of Gerald Earle of Kildare his Mothers Neece whose Father and himself waxing bold vpon the power of the Earles of Kildare tyrannised ouer the people and despised the titles of Earles Marquises Dukes or Princes in regard of that of Oneale Con Sirnamed Bacco or Lame succeeded Oneale who cursed his posterity if they should learne English fow Corne or build houses to inuite the English His power being suspected of Henrie the eight and the Kings power after the suppression of the Earles of Kildare being feared of him who had rebelled with the Earle he fayled into England and renouncing the name of Oneale and surrendring his Inheritance held by the Irish Law of Tanistry by which a man is preferred to a boy and the Vncle to that Nephew whose Grandfather ouer-liues the Father and commonly the most actiue Knaue not the next Heire is chosen had his land regraunted to him from the King vnder the great Scale of England as to his Vassall with title of Earle of Tyrone Thus in the three and thirty yeere of Henrie the eight an Act of Parliament was made in Ireland with consent of the three Estates of that Kingdome whereby the vsurpation of the title of Oneale was made capitall to this Family and King Henrie and his successors the former stile of Lords being changed were stiled Kings of Ireland and the Lawes of England were receiued to be of force in that Kingdome Phelime Hugh eldest sonne Turlogh Brasilogh Six sonnes at least then liuing and able to serue the Queene Shane or Iohn Oneale succeeding his Father by killing his Brother Matthew and vexing his Father to death was cruell and barbarous and tyrannically challenged the neighbour Lords to be his subiects as Mac Gennys Mac Guire Mac Mahown O Realy O Hanlon O Cahon Mac Brien O Hagan O Quin Mac Cartan Mac Donnell Galloglasse And when Henrie Sidney expostulated this being Lord Iustice in the absence of the Earle of Sussex Lord Deputy he offered to proue by writings that his Ancestors had this authoritie ouer them denying that his Father had any power to resigne his lands to the King which hee held onely for life by Tanistry Law without the consent of the people being to chuse Oneale that is the chiefe of the name Hee made warre against O Realy and imprisoned Collogh Mac Donnell But when Thomas Earle of Sussex L. Deputy led the English forces against him he by the counsel of the Earle of Kildare sailed into England and submitted himselfe to Q. Elizabeth and after for a while conformed himselfe to obedience and ciuilitie But when hee tirannised ouer the Irish Lords and they craued succour of Henrie Sidney Lord Deputy in the yeere 1565 he leading an Army against him seng Edward Randolph with seuen Companies of Foote and a Troope of Horse by Sea to Derry and Loughfoyle to assault the Rebell on the back Against whom the Rebell turning all his forces was so defeated as hee fled for succor to the Scots whose brother he had killed and they at first entertaining him wel after fell to words killed him in the yeere 1567. After in a Parliament at Dublin he was condemned of treason and his lands confiscated and a Law made that no
Marshall of England nor of the Master of the Ordinance and to returne to his owne house there to continue a prisoner as before till it shall please her Maiesty to release both this and all the rest After my Lord Keeper all the rest in order gaue their censures amplifying her Maiesties clemency and the Earles offences according to the manner in the Starre-chamber but all accorded to this censure for so they called it and not a sentence Master Secretary said my censure is that the Earle deserueth c. The greater part of the day was spent in the Lords censures who were many of them very long onely the noble men not Counsellors were short The Earle of Worcester cited these two verses Scilicet a Superis etiam fortuna luenda est Nec veniant laeso numine casus hahet Euen for our fortune Gods may cast vs downe Neither can chance excuse it a God frowne The Earle of Cumberland said if he thought that censure should stand he would craue longer time for it seemed vnto him somewhat hard and heauy intimating how easily a Generall Commander might incurre the like but quoth hee in confidence of her Maiesties mercy I agree with the rest The Lord Zouch would giue no other censure but that which he thought the Earle would lay vpon himselfe that was that he wonld restraine himselfe from executing his Offices c. and keepe himselfe in his house till her Maiesty shall release all They all seemed by their speeches to conceiue a sure hope of her Maiesties releasing this censure and the Earle was reasonably chearefull onely his body seemed weake and distempered with sickenesse and now and then he shewed most manifest tokens of sorrow for his offence to her Maiesty by teares in his eyes specially in the first part of his owne speech and when my Lord Keeper spake Now I returne to the Irish affaires Tyrone on the fifth of Iune wrote to the Countesse of Ormond that he had written to Owny mac Rory requesting him to take pledges for the Earle her husband and so to inlarge him conditionally that he should sweare to doe henceforward no hurt or hinderance to any in action with him And further that the young Lady his mistresse meaning the Earles daughter and heire should in no sort be taken for a pledge especially because it was giuen out that vnder that colour he sought to marry her to his eldest sonne Auowing lastly that where it was said that the Earle was treacherously surprised which could hardly haue beene so proued that Tyrone and his rebellious confederates should haue belceued it he would in that case not onely take his fauour from Owny but procure the Earles inlargement without any condition though by his release all Ireland should be destroied To the same effect Tyrone writ to the Earle of Ormond whose Letter he sauced with generall complaints against the Earle for the rigorous prosecutions he had formerly made against him and his associates but this letter being permitted to be sent to Dublyn the said point could not be thought void of that cunning wherein the writer excelled A third Letter he wrote at the same time to Owny mac Rory making Owny himselfe Iudge whether hee had treacherously taken the Earle or no aduising him to take the best pledges he could the aboue named young Lady excepted and for more security to send them to be kept in Tyrone if he concurred with him in opinion that his so doing would be more safe then if Owny himselfe should keepe them in those parts These Letters he dated forsooth from his Campe neere the Newry so gallant was the Gentleman now the Lord Deputy was returned with his forces into the Pale who otherwise neuer appeared in Campe but hid himselfe and his in boggy woods and like fortified passages The eight of Iune the Lord Deputy wrote to Master Secretary concerning the state of Connaght wherein nothing was surely the Queenes but Athlone by a prouident guard and Galloway by their owne good disposition wishing that the gouernement of that Prouince might be conferred on the Earle of Southampton to whom the Lord of Dunkellin would more willingly resigne and might doe it with greater reputation to himselfe in respect of the Earles greatnes rather then vpon Sir Arthur Sauage who notwithstanding vpon the Queenes pleasure againe signified was shortly after made Gouernour of that Prouince His Lordship protested that it was such a place as he knew the Earle would not seeke but onely himselfe desired this because he knew the Earles aptnes and willingnes to doe the Queene seruice if he might receiue such a token of her fauour iustly commending his valour and wisdome as well in generall as in the late particular seruice in the Moyry when the Rere being left naked he by a resolute charge with sixe horse vpon Tyrone in the head of 220. Horse droue him back a musket shot and so assuring the Rere saued the honour of the Queenes Army To which purpose though not so amply his Lordship also wrote to the Queene At this time the County of Dublyn on the South of the Riuer Liffr was in effect wholly ouerrunne by the Rebels the County of Kildare was likewise possessed or wasted by them The County of Meath was wasted as also the County of West Meath excepting the Barrony of Deluin and the County of Louth So that in the English Pale the Townes hauing Garrisons and the Lands from Drogheda or Tredagh to the Nauan and thence backe to Trym and so to Dublyn were onely inhabited which were also like to grow waste if they were further charged with the souldiers The fifteenth of Iune the Lord Deputy wrote to Sir Arthur Chichester Gouernour of Carickfergus that he should not spare the subiects lately submitting who protected the rebels goods that he should receiue no more but such as would simply submit and giue good pledges neither should giue pay to any except he knew their seruice would be very beneficiall to the Queene that he should continue to treat with the Ilander Scots till aduice came out of England what course should be taken with them That he should take in Shane Oneale with promise of lands and entertainement and promise that for preyes hee should take of the Rebels if the English assisted him he should haue a third part and if he tooke them without the assistance of the English he should haue three parts of foure The nineteenth of Iune the Lord Deputy aduertised Master Secretary that he was more troubled to gouerne the friends then to suppresse the enemies That finding the Army a meere Chaos he had giuen it forme That finding it without spirit he had giuen it life That in all attempts hee had preserued the whole body of it and euery part from any blow restored the reputation of it and possessed it with a disposition to vndertake a likelihood to effect great seruices That he had omitted nothing which might be performed by this
who otherwise vsed to weare for the most part the same cloth of a watchet or some light colour seldome wearing any richer Apparrell and the scabbard of his sword was of leather not of veluet as we vse The men in Germany weare shirt bands of course linnen short and thicke onely in Prussia I obserued them to weare long ruffes with rebatoes of wire to beare them vp such as our women vse which seemed to me lesse comely because they were seldome made of fine cloth as cambricke or lawne but of their owne course linnen such as I haue often seene the Spaniards to weare Their handkerchers are very large and wrought with silke of diuers light colours with great letters signifying words as for example D. H. I. M. T. signifying Der her I st mein Trost that is The Lord is my comfort so as they seeme more like wrought saddle clothes then handkerchers Many of the Saxons weare thrummed hats which are called Brunswicke hats as most vsed in those parts being so stiffe as a sword will hardly peirce them especially with the brasse hatbands they weare about them and being so heauie as they lie vpon the eares and make them hand downe with small comelinesse Few weare feathers in their hats yet the Doctors of the Ciuill Law haue the priuiledge to weare them and my selfe haue seene many Students in the Vniuersities and most Coachmen of Germany weare feathers costing each some twelue or sixteene batzen The mention of the said shirt bands vsed in Prussia makes me remember that the Citizens of Dantzke seated in that Prouince doe generally weare more rich Apparell then any other Germans And I remember that their said shirt bands or ruffes were little lesse then a quarter of an ell long and hung vpon their shoulders notwithstanding they had staies to beare them vp which madde fashion but not so long the English vsed of old and haue long since laid aside The men in these parts commonly weare silkes and veluets without any decent distinction of degrees and the women seemed much prouder in apparrell then the men I haue seene married women not of the richest sort daily weare hats of veluet though some weare also felt hats and others to weare frontlets of veluet and others wearing hats had their hatbands all set with pearle and many of their Daughters did weare chaines of pearle worth three hundred guldens yea some of these Virgins haue shewed me their chaines of fiue hundred guldens value being the Daughters of Citizens and Merchants As well married as vnmarried women in the chiefe Cities of that Prouince did weare short cloakes and for the greater part of silke or satten the vse whereof is vulgar among them and that of changeable or light colours with Petticoates and Aprons of like colours but not so frequently of silke and I haue seene Virgines of ordinary rancke in those Cities daily weare silke stockings But I returne to the generall discourse of the Germans Apparrell Citizens and men of inferiour rancke weare course cloth of Germany and onely the richer sort vse English cloth and this cloth is commonly of a blacke or darke colour and they thinke themselues very fine if their cloakes haue a narrow facing of silke or veluet The Gentlemen delight in light colours and when I perswaded a familiar friend that blacke and darke colours were more comely he answered me that the variety of colours shewed the variety of Gods workes And the Gentlemen weare Italian silkes and veluets of these colours but most commonly English cloth for the most part of yellow or greene colour The Saxons in stead of Swords carry Hatchets in their hands being very skilfull in the vse of them so as they will hit any small marke therewith and they weare hanging daggers with massy sheaths of siluer or iron The Gentlemen and others that haue the priuiledge to weare Swords as the Doctors of Ciuill Law haue plaine pommels to them neuer guilded and the scabbards not excepting the Emperour are alwaies of leather Many of the Germans in steede of hats weare caps lined with furre and they vse large stomachers of furre or lambeskinnes keeping their stomackes very warme either for the coldnesse of the clime or rather because their stomackes need more cherrishing in regard they are often oppressed with excesse in drinking Most of them weare great large breeches excepting the Sueui vulgarly Schawbon who weare such straight breeches as our old men vse with stockings of the same cloth fastened to them And generally their doublets are made straight to the body vpon which in Winter time they weare Ierkins lined with furre Few men or women weare gold rings pearles or Iewels but Bohemia yeelds false stones like the orientall precious stones yet of small or no value and I haue seene some Gentlemen weare these false stones and brasse rings guilded ouer the wearing whereof is held disgracefull with vs. At Magdeburg I did see a young-Gentleman hauing all his fingers loaded with rings which I thought to be of gold till my selfe sawe him buy a ring of three hoopes for some fifteene pence in English money and so found his foolish pride The Statutes as I formerly said permit Noblewdmen that is Gentlewomen to weare chaines of gold which notwithstanding they weare very seldome And in like sort their Earles vulgarly called Graues and their Knights sometimes weare gold chaines made of extraordinary great linkes and not going more then once about the necke nor hanging downe further then the middle button of the doublet The Germans in great part measure a strangers dignity by the richnesse of his Apparrell and by his graue or to speake plainely proud looke Citizens Wiues in some places weare vpon their heads little caps in the forme of an Oyster-shell and they weare short cloakes reaching no further then their elbowes Citizens daughters and Virgines of inferiour sort weare nothing vpon their heads but their haire wouen with laces and so gathered on the fore-part of the head with the forehead stroked vp plaine and vpon the fore-part of the head the Gentlewomen weare a border of pearle and all other from the highest to the lowest commonly weare garlands of roses which they call Crantzes For they keepe Roses all Winter in little pots of earth whereof they open one each saturday at night and distribute the Roses among the women of the house to the very kitchin maide others keepethem all in one pot and weekely take as many Roles as they neede and couer the rest keeping them fresh till the next Summer And the common sort mingle guilded nutmegs with these Roses and make garlands there of Only women weare these Garlands in Winter but in Summer time men of the better sort weare them within doores and men of the common sort weare them going abroade They keepe Roses all Winter in this sort they choose the closest and thickest buds of all kinds of Roses but the Damaske Roses best keepe the smell and other kindes the colour
Prouince till Mauritius Elector of Saxony obtained helpe of the King of France Henry the second who came with a great Army to the confines of the Empire professing himselfe the Champion of the Germane liberty At which time Mauritius besieging Magdeburg with the Emperours army receiued that City into the protection of the Empire and of himselfe and lest he might seeme to deale persidiously with the Emperour if he should assaile him with forces vnder his owne pay dismissed the whole Army yet so as himselfe presently entertained in his owne pay the greatest part thereof willing to serue him And with these forces he so speedily came to Insprucke where the Emperour then lay as his sudden repaire made the Emperour hastily flie out of the Empire into Italy Thus Mauritius caused the captiue Princes of the reformed religion to be set at liberty gaue peace to the reformed religion and restored liberty to the oppressed Empire And how soeuer he cunningly had aduanced himselfe and his posterity by the deiection of his owne kinsemen suffering for the reformed religion and for the liberty of the Empire yet he repaired the publike losses of his Religion and of his Countrey But they who more iudicially obserued the affaires of this age confesse that nothing hath more kept the house of Austria from subduing the West then those of the same House For the foresaid confident proceeding of Mauritius was caused by the distrusts and iealousies betweene Charles the fifth and his brother Ferdinand springing from the following cause namely that Charles the elder brother to the end that he might keepe the Empire in his own Family had caused his brother Ferdinand at Colen in the yeere 1531 to be chosen King of the Romans so they call him that is chosen in the Emperours life to succeed him hoping that when his sonne Philip should come to age his brother for some increase of his patrimony would be induced to surrender his right in the Empire But Ferdinand at this time hauing had large offers made him to resigne the same could not be induced to doe that wrong to his children And because he suspected that Charles the Emperor might force him thereunto he is said to haue gladly borne the aduerse fortune of his said brother and all troubles rising against him yea if men of experience may be beleeued to haue himselfe encouraged Mauritius to the foresaid attempt Therefore Charles failing of his hope and for age and wearinesse of the World retiring himselfe to a priuate life in a Monastery of Spaine in the yeere 1558 his brother Ferdinand tooke possession of the Empire which remaineth to this day in his posterity the Electors alwayes vsing to respect the right of blood in choosing the new Emperour And vnder their poore estate and vnwarlike mindes the Empire at this day languisheth like a sparke lapped in ashes And the Popes held for Gods vpon earth haue no more feared the Emperors authority but rather supported it against the reformed religion and the inuasions of the Turks the Emperors alwayes acknowledging this vnprofitable seruant of their Progenitors for their Benefactor and spirituall Father The Emperour Rodolphus at this time liuing is of the House of Austria whose pedegree I will set downe The first Family of the House of Austria gaue many Emperours to Germany but that was extinguished in Conradine the sonne of Fredericke few yeeres before Rodolphus of Habspurg came to the Empire who is the roote of this second Family of Austria Rodulphus of Habsburg of the House of Austria was chosen Emperour in the yeere 1273. Albert the first Heire of the Dukedomes of Austria Stiria and Carniola after his Father had subdued the Kingdome of Bohemia ioyned it to the Empire was chosen Emperour and dyed in the yeare 1308. Rodulphus Duke of Austria died in the yeare 1308. Fredericke made Duke of Suenia and Morania by the Emperours gift dyed in the yeare 1330. Leopold Duke of Austria Albert the second Count of Tyroll by the Marriage of his Sonne to the Niece of the King of Bohemia died in the yeare 1359. Albert the third Duke of Austria died in the yeare 1395. Albert the fifth Emperour and by marriage of the Daughter of the Emperour Sigismond made King of Hungaria and of Bohemia died in the yeare 1439. Fredericke the third Emperour died in the yeare 1493. Maximilian the first Emperour after the death of Mathias King of Hungary recouered that Kingdome which he had vsurped then retaining to himselfe the right of succession yeelded it to Ladrslaus and marrying the daughter of Charles Duke of Burgundy made that Dukedome and all the Prouinces of Netherland hereditary to the House of Austria He died in the yeare 1519. Philip marrying the Daughter of Ferdinand King of Spaine became Heire to those Kingdomes and died young before his Father in the yeare 1506. Charles the fifth Emperor died in the yeere 1558. By his Wife Isabella daughter to the King of Portugall Philip King of Spaine This is the first Family of the Archdukes of Austria to this day reigning in Spaine Philip King of Spaine borne of Anne of Austria in the yeare 1578. Two sisters Catherin-borne of Isabella of Valoss wife to the Duke of Sanoy and Isabella Clara Eugenia wife to arch-Duke Albert and borne of Anne of Austria By Anne of Austria Iames died of nine yeares of age Ferdinand died a child Charles Dentatus by Marie of Portugall by his Fathers permission put to death by the Inquisition anno 1568. Ferdinand died an Infant Two Sisters Mary wife to the Emperour Maximilian the second and Ione wife to the King of Fortugall By Ione his concubine Don Iuan Victor of the Turks in naual fight dying an 1578. Ione wife to the Duke of Florence Marie wife to the Duke of Parma Foure Daughters Elinora married to Francis the first King of France died ann 1558. Isabel wife to the King of Denmarke died ann 1525. Mary wife to the King of Hungary after gouerning Netherland died ann 1558. Catherine wife to the King of Portingall Ferdinand Emperour after the vnhappy death of Lodonicus King of Hungary in a battell against the Turks in the yeare 1526 by the right of his wife sister and heire to 〈◊〉 the said contract made by Maximilian I Emperor was crowned King of Hungary and also by his said wiues right K. of Bohemia died anno 1564. Maximilian the second Emperor maried to Mary sister to Philip King of Spaine died anno 1576. This is the second Family of the Arch-Dukes of Austria to this day succeeding in the Empire of Germany Ferdinand died a childe in the yeare 1552. Rodulp 2 of that name and the eighth Emperour of this Family chosen King of the Romans 1575 Emperour 1576. succeeding King of Hungarie 1572 King of Bohemia 1575. Hee was at this time Emperor and liued vnmarried 3. Sonne Ernestus gouerned Netherland and died vnmarried 4. Matthew vnmarried 5. Maximilian vnmarried 6. Albert surrendered his
of her husband or shee any way gained to their children at her death whether shee gaue them to her husband in time of his life or no for it is alwayes presumed that shee got these things out of her husbands goods And if in any place there be no custome to determine this then the widow besides her fourth or equall part hath also the vtensile goods And in case the husband leaue no children then the widow hath her choise whether shee will receiue the third part or renouncing the same will retain vtensile goods and all other her owne goods mouable or vnmouable together with her dowry But if the husband leaue children the widow hath not this choise but must renounce all the rest and sticke to her third part And by custome of the Country her dowry and gift for mariage is doubled so as shee that brought one thousand guldens for her dowry shall haue two thousand guldens in the diuision of her husbands inheritance And the right which married parties by statute haue in one anothers goods cannot be taken from them by last Will and Testament Discoursing with men of experience I heard that the widowes of Princes whiles they remaine widowes possesse all their husbands estate excepting the Electorships which the next kinsman by the Fathers side administers by his right during the minority of the sonne and inioy also the tutorage of their children but if they marry againe the country frees it selfe from them with giuing them a tun of gold for Dowry And that the Daughters of Princes haue Dowries frō the subiects by subsidies collected vse to sweare before the Chancellor that their husbands being dead or vpon any accident whatsoeuer they will not retourne to burthen the Country That the Daughters of Gentlemen neuer marry to any of inferior degree then Gentlmen which is constantly kept by both sexes and are commonly bestowed with a small Dowry and since by the Law they cannot succeed in fees haue at the parents death only a part of their mouable goods with the vtensils proper to them and one sister dying her portion goes not to the brothers or their children as also the married Sister dying and leauing no Daughter her portion goes not to her own sons except liuing in health she bequeathed it to them in her Testament but to the Neece on the Mothers side Lastly that in case the goods of a dead woman are neither giuen by her last Testament nor any Kinswomen to her on the Mothers side can bee found her goods goe not to her owne Sonnes or male-Kinsmen but are confilcated to the Prince or in free Cities to the Common-wealth It is said that the Roman Emperor Caracalla was wont to say that only that Nation knew how to rule their wiues which added the feminine article to the Sunne and the masculine to the Moone as the Germans doe saying Die Sonn 〈◊〉 der Mont. And no doubt the Germans are very churlish to their wiues and keep them seruily at home so as my selfe in Saxony haue seene many wiues of honest condition and good estate to dresse meat in the kitchen and scarce once in the weeke to eate with their husbands but apart with the maides and after the meale to come and take away their husbands table and if they came to sit with him at table yet to sit downe at the lower end at least vnder all the men My selfe haue seene husbands of like quality to chide their wiues bitterly till they wept abundantly and the same wiues of good ranke very soone after to bring a chaire to the husband and serue him with a trencher and other necessaries The men being inuited to friends houses or any solemne feasts neuer goe in company with their wiues who goe alone with their faces couered It is no nouelty for a husband to giue a box on the eare to his wife And they scoffe at the Law in Nurnberg wich fines the husband three or foure Dollers for striking his wife as a most vniust Law It is ridiculous to see the wiues of German foote-soldiers going to the warre laded with burthens like she-Asses while the men carry not so much as their own clokes but cast them also vpon the womens shoulders And I should hardly beleeue that the Germans can loue their wiues since loue is gained by louelinesse as the Poet saith vt ameris amabilis esto He that for loue doth thirst Let him be louing first But they while they commaund all things imperiously in the meane time neither for dulnes court them with any pleasant speech nor in curtesie grace them in publike so much as with a kisse It is a common saying Dotem accepi Imperium vendidi I tooke a Dowry with my Wife And lost the freedome of my life But howsoeuer the Germans haue great Dowries in marriage and their Wiues haue power to make a Testament for disposing their goods with many like priuiledges and howsoeuer they be also prouoked with these iniuries yet the men keep them within termes of duty May not we then iustly maruell that Englishmen hauing great power ouer their Wiues so as they can neither giue any thing in life nor haue power to make a will at death nor can call any thing their owne no not so much is their garters yea the Law I must confesse too seuerely permitting the Husband in some cases to beate his Wife and yet the Husbands notwithstanding all their priuiledges vsing their Wiues with all respect and giuing them the cheefe seates with all honours and preheminences so as for the most part they would carry burthens goe on foote fast and suffer any thing so their Wiues might haue ease ride feast and suffer nothing notwithstanding no people in the World that euer I did see beare more scornes indignities and iniuries from the pampered sort of Women then they doe Surely either these our Women want the modesty of the Wiues or else our Men haue not I will not say the seuerity which I lesse approue but rather the grauity and constancy of the Husbands in Germany But while the Germans thus vse their Wiues like Seruants they behaue themselues as Companions towards their Seruants who bring in meate to the Table with their heads couered and continually talke with their Masters without any reuerence of the cap or like duty The Germans are neither too indulgent nor too sterne to their sonnes and daughters yet they giue them no tender education but as they bring their children naked into the hot stoaues so they expose them naked to frost and snow Neither doe they exact any humility or respect from their children who in all places are familiar with their Parents neuer stir their hats when they speak to them when they goe to bed they aske not blessing on their knees as our children doe but shake hands with them which is a signe of familiarity among friends in Germany as in most other places A Gentleman
neuer so poore will not marry the richest Merchants Daughter nor a Gentlewoman vpon any condition any other then a Gentleman Neither is there any iuster cause of disinheriting then base marriage which pollution of blood the Kinsmen will not suffer as in our age hath beene seene by notable examples One in the House of Austria whereof the Arch Duke of Inspruch married the Daughter of a Citizen in Augsburg which his Kinsmen would not suffer till he conditioned that her children should not succeed him in his Fees as they did not though at this time they were liuing The other of an Earle who marrying the Daughter of a Citizen in Nurnberg was cast in prison by his Kinsmen till he left her Hee is not accounted a Gentleman who is not so by foure descents at the least both by the Fathers and the Mothers side and I remember that the Monkes of Luneburg by Statute may not admit any man into their number who hath not eight degrees on both sides yea the Germans are so superstitious in this kind as a Gentleman may haue an action against him who saith hee is no Gentleman For the better coniecture of Gentlemens estemation in Germany I remember one of the cheefe called Von of Shulenburg whom I did see and hee was said to haue foureteene thousand gold Guldens yeerely rent and neuer to ride without forty or fifty Horse to attend him But I cannot sufficiently maruell that the Gentlemen howsoeuer sometimes learned yet proudly despise Graduates of the Vniuersity no lesse or more then Merchants which I found not onely by common practice but also by my priuate experience For conuerting with a Gentleman hee perceiuing that I spake Latin better then hee thought became a Gentleman asked mee how long I did study in the Vniuersity and when I said that I was Master of Arts which degree our best Gentlemen disdaine not I found that hee did after esteeme mee as a Pedant whereupon finding by discourse with others that Gentlemen dispise these degrees I sorbore after to make this my degree knowne to any And it seemed more strange to me that Gentlemen first rising by learning warfare and trafficke they onely iudge warfare worthy to raise and continue Gentlemen but indeed the trafficke of Germany is poore being cheefly of things wrought by manuall Artists which they haue some pretence to disdaine whereas in Italy trafficke is the sinew of the Common-wealth which the most noble disdaine not And it were to be wished that in England where trafficke is no lesse noble the practice thereof were no staine to Gentry When I told an English Gentleman the pride of the Gentlemen in Germany despising degrees of Learning and he heard that the Gentlemen were vulgarly called Edelmen he pleasantly said that they were so called of the English words Idle Men. The Gentlemen of Germany beare the Armes of their Mother though shee be no Heire as well as of their Father and commonly they ioine to them in steede of a mot or sentence certaine great letters that signifie words as D. H. I. M. T. signifying Der herr I st Mein Trost that is The Lord is my comfort and likewise F. S. V. signifying Fide sed vide that is Trust but beware Also Citizens and Artists beare Armes of their owne inuention and tricked out fully as the Armes of Gentlemen onely the helmet is close which Gentlemen beare open Among the generall Orders of Knights into which Gentlemen of all nations are admitted the Templaries in the yeere 1124 were confirmed by Pope Honorius being so called of the Temple at Ierusalem in part whereof they dwelt Histories report that Pope Gregory the ninth incited them to doe great domage by their treachery to the Emperour Fredericke making the holy warre in Asia At last the inducing of heathenish Religion all kinds of lust and intemperance and the suspition of their conspiring with the Turkes or the feare of their too great power made Pope Clement the fifth a Frenchman and residing at Auignon first to extinguish the Order in France then in all Christendome in the yeere 1312 The second Order of the Iohanites or Saint Iohn was instituted by Balduine the second King of Ierusalem Then in the yeere 1308 they tooke the I le of Rhodes and were called the Knights of Rhodes till they were expelled thence by the Turkes in the yeere 1522 and then possessing the Iland of Malta they are to this day called the Knights of Malta And great part of the Templaries rents was giuen to this Order into which of old none but Gentlemen were admitted The third Order of the Teutonikes that is Germans was instituted in the yeere 1190 in the time of the Emperour Henry the sixth They were called Hospitals of the Hospitall which they kept neere the Sepulcher of Christ to entertaine Pilgrimes At last all Christians being driuen out of Palestine they remoued their seate to Venice whence being called by the Duke of Moscouy against the Prussians they seated themselues in Prussia Liuonia and Curlandia They were all borne of noble Parents and did weare a white cloake with a black crosse The Polonians in the yeere 1410 killed the Master of the Order and many thousands of the Knighs When many Cities vnder the protection of the King of Poland sought their liberty in the yeere 1450 and this Order had wonne a battell against the King at last because the Citizens refused to pay the Souldiers the Knights themselues betraied their Cities to the Polonians and after much blood shed on both parts at last in the yeere 1466 peace was made with couenants that the King of Poland should haue Pomerella with other Castles and Townes and that the Order should retaine Kingspurg And finally in the yeere 1547 this Order was totally extinguished the Master thereof being as they said forced to these conditions namely that Albert Marquesse of Brandeburg being of the E'ectors Family then Master of the Order should become vassall to the King of Poland and should possesse Konigspurg with title of a Duke to him and his brethren of the same venter and their Heires Males for euer In which Dukedome were fifty foure Castles and eighty sixe Townes Moreouer that the said Duke should take new Armes and a Dukall habit and when hee came to doe his homage at Crakaw in Poland should haue his seate by the Kings side but that vpon Male Heires failing the Dukedome should fall to the Kingdome of Poland which was to prouide for the Daughter and Heire according to her degree and to appoint no other Gouernour of the Prouince then a German hauing inheritance in Prussia In the time of my being at Dantzke it was said that Duke Albert was growne into a Frensie by a poysoned cup giuen him at his marriage with the Daughter of the Duke of Cleue and the common speech was that the eldest sonne to the Elector of Brandeburg was daily expected in the Dukes Court to marry
inheritance of George against the Palatine who had married the daughter of George and was by his last Will made his heire He died 1508. Albert the 5 built 3 Colledges for the Iesuites He married Anna daughter to the Emperor Ferdinand and died in the yeere 1579. William borne 1548 married Rinata Daughter to Francis Duke of Lorayne in the yeere 1568. Maximilian D. of Bauaria Phillip Bishop of Ratisbona Ferdinand a Praepositus of Colen and Channon of Trier One Sister Maximiliana Ferdinand borne in the yeere 1550. Ernestus Bishop of Liege after Archbishop and Elector of Colon borne in the yere 1554. Maria Maximilian borne 1552. Maria borne 1553 and maried to Charles Arch-Duke of Austria 1572. William made warre against the Duke of Wirteberg and died in the yeere 1577. Sibill married to Lodwick the fourth Elector Palatine died in the yeere 1511. Sabina married to Vlrich Duke of Wirteberg died in the yeere 1564. Sidonia married to Philibert Marquis of Baden William Count of Holland by right of his wife Of him descended the Counts of Holland From this Lodwick discend the Dukes of Bauaria It was couenanted and stands agreed betweene the House of the Electors Pallatines and the house of the Dukes of Bauaria that vpon want of heires males one of them should succeede the other and when the Daughter to the Duke of Bauaria in the time of the Emperour Maximilian opposed her selfe to this contract she was forced to yeeld to it by the Emperour I returne to the Electors Palatines The foresaid Frederick the fourth Pallatine and Elector being vnder age had Duke Iohn Casimire his fathers brother for his Tutor who at his brothers death besieged the Citie of Colen in the name of the Bishop whom they had driuen out for being married This Casimire in his brothers life-time had a noble inheritance beyond the Rheine to him and his heires and then hearing of his brothers death hasted to Heidleberg where he brought the people to obedience who would not haue him Administrator because he professed the Reformed Religion after Caluins doctrine not after that of Luther And he presently sent backe the Emperours Ambassadours who were come thither about that controuersie refusing to yeeld his right in the Tutorage of his Nephew which he defended in the Imperiall Chamber at Spire After he brought vp his Nephew wisely and religiously appointing him his diet apart with his Teachers and the Steward of his Court to whose table one Professour of the Vniuersity was daily inuited who had charge to propound a question to the Prince out of the Histories and controuersies of Religion And the Prince did not presently make answere except it were in a common subiect but asked time to consider of it and consulting apart with his Teachers after some halfe houer returned to giue his answere Thus by daily practise the chiefe accidents of Histories and controuersies of Religion were made familiar to him The Citie Heidelberg somtimes held in Fee frō the Bishop of Wormz was in time beutified with buildings and an Vniuersity and became the seate of the Electors The said Elector Frederike the fourth being a pupill was after the foresaid manner brought vp in the Reformed religion according to the doctrine of Caluine but in the meane time Richard the Duke of Hunnesruck his next heire if hee should die without issue male did obstinately follow the reformed doctrine of Luther and so did the rest of his kinsmen the Dukes of Zweybruck their towne being so called of the two Bridges excepting the second brother of them who consented in Religion with the Elector This Elector Frederick the fourth married the daughter to the Prince of Orange by his wife of the French family de Chastillion His Court was not great nor any way comparable to that of the Elector of Sexony For he had scarce thirtie Gentlemen to attend him and to them he gaue no more then some twenty fiue Guldens for stipend which they spent vpon their seruants that attended them and kept their horses And he had no more then eight Yeomen for the Guard of his body Wine was sparingly drawne and all expences made with great frugalitie But the fame of this Electors wisedome and affabilitie made him much esteemed of strangers and while he conuersed with his Citizens often comming to the publike place for exercise of the Peece and Crosse-bow and being easie of accesse yet carried himselfe like a graue and noble Prince hee became deare to his subiects Of whom hee exacted moderate tribute for their lands houses money and goods and some two small fennings for each Mosse or measure of wine In fiue places vpon the Rheine he exacted impositions or taxes which one yeere with another yeelded some twelue or sixteene thousand French Crownes and they said that hee receiued yeerely some fifty or sixty thousand Crownes by the siluer Mines of Anneberg besides extraordinarie subsidies which his subiects vse to grant him vpon occasion of war or like necessities of the Commonwealth And I remember when the Citizens of Strasburg his neighbours made warre with the brother of the Duke of Loraine about their Bishopricke so as the Palatine was forced to leuy souldiers for defence of his people from the rapine of both Armies that he imposed an extraordinary subsidie vpon his subiects of a quarter of a Doller for each hundred Dollers any man possessed in moueable or vnmoueable goods The Margraue or Marquis of Brandeburg is by the first institution the last of the Electors but more powerfull then any of them in the number of Vassals and his territories are much larger then those of the Elector of Saxony but his reuenewes are nothing so great He held his Court at Berlin some twelue German miles distant from Wittenberg in Saxony His pedigree is deriued from Peter Columna a Roman Patritian of the ancient blood of the Camills who banished by Pope Gregorie the seuenth had lands giuen him in Sueuia by the Emperour Henrie the fourth and built the castle of Zagaroll and about the yeere 1120 had a sonne called Burchard Burchard Count of Zoller his Castle so called Frederick the first race of the Burgraues of Nurnberg being extinct was inuested 1273 of that dignity by the Emperour Rodulphus whose sister was mother to Frederick Frederick the second Burgraue of Nurnberg died in the yeere 1330. Frederick Burgraue of Nurnberg had the Marquisate of Brandeburg conferred on him by the Emperor Sigismund and also the Electorship in the yeere 1427 and hee sold the Castle and Burgraueship of Nurnberg to the City of Nurnberg Hee died in the yeere 1440. Iohn Marquis of Brandeburg at his fathers commandement yeelded the Electorship to his second brother and died in the yeere 1464. Frederick Marquisse and Elector going into Palestine did yeeld the Electorship to his brother Albert and died in the yeere 1470. Albert Marquisse and Elector called the Achilles of Germany ouercame the Citizens of Nurnberg in eight battels and in the
Cantons the Gouernours are sent by course from the Cantons for two yeeres who iudge according to the lawes of the seuerall people and for those beyond the Alpes the Gouernour hath assistants of the Country chosen and ioyned with him to iudge of capitall and more weighty causes but in Ciuill causes he iudgeth alone though sometimes he calles some of the wiser inhabitants to aduise him therein The Gouernours about the Solstice of the yeere yeeld account before the Senate of Sweitzerland which then iudgeth the appeales made by the subiects They serue the Cantons in warre to which they are subict and they follow the standard of that cantons which for the present yeere giues them a Gouernor and in ciuill warre they are bound to follow the greater part of the Cantons to which they are subiect The Gouernor of Baden is present in the publike Senate of the Sweitzers he takes the voices and they being equall is the arbiter of the difference but he hath only power in the territory of Baden not in the City and there he appoints capitall Iudges for life for their manner is that the Iudges once chosen by him exercise that place so long as they liue And the same Gouernour hath the power to mitigate their Iudgements The next in autority are the Clerke or Secretary and the vnder or Deputy Gouernour Two little Townes of the County or territory of Baden haue Gouernours from the Bishop of Costnetz but they serue the Sweitzers in their warres and the Gouernour of Baden is their Iudge for capitall causes The prefecture or gouernement of Terg most large of all the rest hath 50 Parishes whereof some haue their own immunities or priuiledges the rest are subiect to diuers iurisdictions but the Soueraigne power is in the Gouernour sent and chosen by the Cantons excepting Cella where the Citizens haue their owne gouernement the Bishop of Costnetz hauing only the keeping of the Castle and halfe the mulcts or fines The seuen Cantons with consent of the Lords in the seuerall iurisdictions of all this prefecture of Torg appoint one forme of Iustice. And the Iudges impose very great fines which belong to the Cantons and especially vpon crimes which haue coherence with capitall offences namely foule iniuries breaches of peace violence offered by the high way challengers of publike waies or passages changers of Land-markes or goods committed in trust to their keeping breakers of publike faith and those who scandale or reproch any Magistrate The prefectures of the Saranetes and the Rhegusci and those of Italy haue each a Gouernour vulgarly called Commissary sent from the Sweitzers and because the people speake the Italian tongue hee hath a Sweitzer skilfull in that tongue for his interpreter The people hath the power to chuse their owne Magistrates and Officers and to determine of things concerning their Common-wealth the Commissary not intermedling therewith CHAP. VI. Of the Netherlanders Common-wealth according to the foresaid subiects of the former Chapters LOwer Germany called of old Belgia and now commonly Netherland which the French name Pais bas that is Low countries is diuided into seuenteene Prouinces as I haue formerly shewed in the Geographicall description thereof namely seuen Counties of Flaunders of Artois of Hannaw of Holland of Zealand of Zutphane and of Namurtz foure Dukedomes of Luzenburg of Limburg of Brabant and of Gelderland the Lordship or Dominion of West Freisland three Countries or Territories or places of Iurisdiction of Grouing of Vtrecht and of Transisola vulgarly Dlands ouer Ysel To which fifteene Prouinces that the number of seuenteene may be compleate some adde the County of Walkenburg which is part of the Dukedome of Limburg and others adde the two dominions of Mecblin and Antwerp which are contained vnder the Dukedome of Brebant And how soeuer it be not my purpose to speak of any other Prouinces then those which they cal vnited and through which onely I passed yet it is not amisse in a word or two to shew how these Principalities at first hauing seuerall Princes by little and little grew into one body and in our daies through ciuill warre became diuided into two parts the one of diuers Prouinces vnited for defeuce of their liberty the other of the rest remaining vnder the obedience of their Prince The County of Flaunders hath giuen the name of Flemmings to all the inhabitants of these Prouincess before named and the Earles thereof when other Prouinces were erected to Dukedomes did obstinately retaine their owne degree least they should disgrace their antiquitic with the newnesse of any Ducall or other title And it is manifest that this Earle was the first Peere of France hauing the prerogatiue to carry the sword before the King of France at his Coronation and to gird the same to his side being not bound to appeare in Iudgement before his Compeeres except some controuersie were about the property of his Earledome or he should deny iustice to his subiects and finally hauing the badges of Soueraigne Maiesty to raise an Army to make Warre and Peace to yeeld no tributes or subiection to the King of France to punish or pardon his subiects to make Statutes to grant priuiledges to coine mony and to write himself by the Grace of God Earle which no other Prince of France might do but only the Duke of Britany Baldwyn Earle of Flaunders in the yeere 1202 became Emperour of Constantinople and held that dignity sixty yeeres after which time the Empire returned to the Greekes Earle Lodwick died in the yeere 1383 and Margaret his daughter and heire was married to Phillip Duke of Burgundy who by her right became Earle of Flaunders Charles Duke of Burgundy died in the yeere 1477 and Marie his daughter and heire was married to the Emperour Maximillian and so Flaunders became subiect to the House of Austria For Phillip sonne to Maximillian died before his father and left two sons whereof Charles the eldest was Emperour the fifth of that name and heire to his Grandfather Maximillian And Charles the Emperour taking the King of France Francis the first prisoner in the battell of Pauia in the yeere 1525 forced him to renounce all Soueraigne power ouer Flaunders and Artois and to yeeld the Rightes of the House of Aniou to the Kingdome of Naples and of the House of Orleans to the Dukedome of Milan and of Genoa Charles died and his younger brother Ferdinand succeeded him in the Empire being long before designed his successor by being chosen King of the Romans but he left al his States of inheritance to his eldest son Phillip King of Spaine The rest of the Prouinces by like right of marriage became subiect to Maximillian and so fell to Charles and lastly to the King of Spaine excepting Virecht and the Transisolan Dominion which by the yeelding of the Bishop reseruing his spiritual rights and of the States of those Prouinces were ioyned to the rest and so finally fell to Phillip King
inheritance in Brabant and Flaunders excepting the Principality of Orange seated in France neare the City of Marseits und when he suspected the counsels of the King of Spaine into whose net Count Egmond confident in his innocency and great seruice done to the King and the Count of Horne vnaduisedly fell he first withdrew himselfe into France and after into Holland where as I said hee ioyned with the States of the Vnited Prouinces and was much respected and loued of them all inioying from them honourable meanes of maintenance well deserued in that his name and assistance much profited the common cause He had many wiues first he married the Countesse of Buren sole daughter and heire to her father and she bare him a sonne who in the beginning of these troubles was a Student in the Vniuersity of Louan whence the Gouernour called him and sent him into Spaine and she bore him likewise a daughter which was married to Count Hollock a German well respected by the States for his warlike reputation and good seruices done to them and he with his wife liued in Holland when I passed through these parts His second wife was the sister to the Elector of Saxony by whom he had the foresaid Count Maurice who yet being young succeeded his father in the generall conduct of the States Army and about this time whereof I write had taken two strong Cities in Brabant the inheritance of the Prince of Orange namely Bredaw and Getrudenberg and because they were part of the Earledome of Buren some difference was then about them betweene the said Count Maurice and his said sister by the fathers side wherein it was generally said that the States fauoured the Count. Also the Prince had by this wife a daughter after married to the Gouernour of Friesland His third wife was sister to the Duke of Mompensier in France which had been a Nun and by her hee had sixe daughters Lewis married to the Palatine of the Rhein Marie then liuing at Hage the third liuing then in France the fourth with the Count of Schwarthenburg and Francis also then liuing at Hage and a sixth then brought vp in the County of Nassaw His fourth wife was a French Lady of the Family Chastillon famous in that worthy Admirall of France killed in the Parisian Massacre And this wife after the Prince was slaine liued then at Hage with her onely sonne by him who being borne at Delph in Holland was therefore and for many respects much regarded by the Hollanders and yet being a childe was honoured with military commands and a large stipend for his maintenance and shortly after had the title of Colonell of Holland with no small addition to his meanes Being now to speake of the Magistrates Lawes and degrees of Orders in this Commonwealth it will not be amisie first for coniecture of the generall estate of Netherland to write some few things out of Marchantius a Flemming and other approued Authours particularly of the County of Flanders for the preheminence it alwaies had ouer the rest of the Prouinces The chiefe strength of the Common-wealth of Flanders is in the Counsell or Parliament of the three generall States namely of the Clergy the Nobility and the foure members in steed of the people making the third estate in other Kingdomes and without the consent of these the Earles were neuer wont to exact money or make warre And howsoeuer the King of Spaine hath weakned the authority of this Counsell yet when Subsidies are imposed the very forme of old proceeding comforts the people as a shadow of their old liberty The Earle by writing is to appoint the time and place of this Assembly or in the Earles name the Counsell of Flanders vsed to call together the Burgesses or Deputies thereof In these three States the Clergy is of chiefe dignitie as well for their degree as for the greatnesse of their reuenewes and many Territories vnder their command and among these were onely fiue Bishops till Pope Pius the fourth in the yeere 1560 estalished three new seates of Bishops at Gant Bruges and Ypre The first degree of Nobility is that of Barons hauing their name of Banners which they are bound to follow whereof there bee very many in Flanders and of them some in later times haue beene raised to the titles of Earles and Princes In the second ranke are the Lords of Townes and Villages whence Gentlemen haue their sirnames and they cannot be numbered without tediousnesse But almost all of them haue possession giuen them from some of the Feudatory Courts of the Earles of Flanders and differ in many customes but in this all agree that he who hath this fee cannot alienate it without the consent of the Prince and the next heire or vpon oath giuen in Court that hee doth it for pouerty and want The inheritance of Fees descends to the eldest sonnes a third part reserued for the younger brothers so they giue ouer to the elder their part in the other goods that are not in Fee And it is an high fault if these Lords impose any tribute vpon their subiects except it bee with the consent of the Earle of Flaunders There bee some of these that are called vassals whereof some are clients of an higher some of a lower degree And the Earle of Flanders hath about seuenteene feudatory Courts and the number is very great of Clients in Fee depending immediately vpon one or other of the said Courts whereby the Earle hath many pecuniary profits and other seruices vpon fines and alienations of inheritance In the third rancke of Gentlemen are they who hold inheritance in Fee whereof some are tied to the Iurisdiction and Counsell of the Earle as the Chancelor so called of correcting or cancelling writings ill drawne with blotting outlines which dignitie is tied to the Prepositure of Bruges Church and before the Counsell of Flaunders was erected this Office was of greater authoritie then now it is Others of this kind are Burgraues or Castellanes or high Sheriffes who are set Iudges ouer Townes and Castles with prerogatiue to haue a proportion of the mulcts or fines which dignity belongs to certaine Families and may be alienated to others by sale or for dowrie in marriage and all haue not the like but diuers iurisdiction and preheminence The Burgraue of 〈◊〉 hath the Lordship or command of the Towne which no other Burgraue hath the ruling of the weights in the Market the customes at the Gate capitall Iudgement the fines that are vnder three pounds of Paris and a part with the Earle of the greater fines and the power to appoint the Baily Scabins and Burgomafter and a third part of the goods of bastards dying without children Also the Burgraue of Ypre takes an oath to himselfe of the Officers of that Towne as well as to the Earle and he hath the fines and power to appoint Magistrates Others of this third rancke of Gentlemen haue warlike Offices by inheritance as the
the clocke in the morning Iohn George borne 1585 the fifth of March at ten of the clock in the night Augustus borne the seuenth of September 1589. These three were Pupils vnder William Frederike D. of Wyneberg whereof the elder was to be Elector the other two Dukes of Saxony Elizabeth married to Casimire Administrator of the Electorship of the Palatinate Dorothy married to the Duke of Brunswick and Anne to Iohn Casimire Duke of Coburg This is the seuenteenth Duke of Saxonie and the first Elector of Saxonie in his Family Witikynd the third of whom are the Capeti Kings of France The Princes borne of these three Families are Dukes of vpper Saxony for there bee also poore Dukes of lower Saxonie as one residing at Angria While I liued at Leipzig Christian the Elector of Saxonie died 1591 whose Vncle by the Fathers side Mauritius was the first Elector of that Family For the Emperour Charles the fifth making warre against Iohn Frederike then Duke and Elector of Saxonie and against the Langraue of Hessen as Rebels to the Empire but indeede with purpose to suppresse these chiefe defenders of the Reformed Religion and to bring the free Empire of Germany vnder the Spanish yoke he cunningly warned Mauritius as next heire to sease the lands of Iohn Frederike or otherwise they should fall to him that tooke possession of them Whereupon Mauritius though he professed the Reformed Religion which now had great need of his helpe yet inuaded his kinsmans lands vnder a faire pretext that he tooke them least the Emperour should alienate them to strangers professing that he would restore them to his kinseman when he should be reconciled to the Emperour But such is the power of ambition as in the end he did nothing lesse but further receiued the title of Elector taken from Iohn Frederike and his children and conferred vpon him and his heires males by the Emperour The report was that Luther seeing Mauritius brought vp in the Court of the Elector Iohn Frederike foretold the Elector that he should one day confesse hee had nourished a Serpent in his bosome True it is that Mauritius shortly after restored the cause of Religion in like sort deceiuing the Emperours hope by making a league with the King of France But euer since the posteritie of Mauritius hath been iealous of the heires to Iohn Frederike and hath gladly taken all occasions to suppresse them Whereupon Augustus succeeding his brother Mauritius was easily induced by vertue of his Office as Arch-Marshall of the Empire to prosecute with fire and sword Iohn Frederike the eldest sonne of the said Iohn Frederike whom the Empire had proscribed At which time he besieged him in Gotha a strong Fort which he tooke and razed to the ground coining Dollers in memory of that Victory with this inscription Gotha taken and the proscribed enemies of the Empire therein besieged either taken or put to flight in the yeere 1567 Augustus Elector of Saxony coined these And it is not vnlikely that Christian sonne to Augustus especially for feare of this Family fortified Dresden with so great cost and art howsoeuer the common people thought it rather done because he affected to be chosen Emperour at the next vacation Of this Family thus prosecuted and deposed from the Electorship are the two Dukes of Saxony the one of Coburg the other of Wineberg so called of the Cities wherin they dwell And the Duke of Coburg hauing been proscribed by the Empire and neuer restored the Duke of Wineberg though more remoued Kinsman yet was made Administrator of the Electorship with title of Elector as Tutor to the sonne of Christian his two brethren who were brought vp by him in the Court at Dresden vnder their mother the Widow to Christian being of the house of Brandeburg So as were not the Germans nature honest and peaceable had not the power of the Elector of Brandeburg stood for the Pupils it was then thought that the wronged Family had great meanes of reuenge This example makes me thinke that it is farre more safe to make the next Kinsman on the mothers side Tutor who can haue no profit but rather losse by the death of the Pupill then the next Kinsman by the Fathers side being his heire The Dukes of Coburg and of Wineberg are Dukes of Saxony by right of blood and of possessions therein but the Family of the Elector hath nothing either in vpper or lower Saxony but onely Wittenberg belonging to the Electorship which was conferred vpon them by the Emperour Charles the fifth The Elector holds his Court at Dresden in the Prouince of Misen Touching Christian the Elector hee was reputed to be much giuen to hunting to be prone to anger not to be sollicited by petition but at some fit times to affect solitarinesse and little to be seene of the people hardly to admit strangers to his presence at any time much lesse when he sat at the table to eate contrary to the vse of the Princes of the house of Austria to haue skill in the Art of Gold-Smithes and to spare no charge in keeping braue Horses And no doubt hee was so carried away with this last delight as he would take in gift from his very enemies any beautifull thing belonging to the Stable And while I was at Wittenberg a Scholer hauing spoken some words that he loued Horses better then Scholers was sent to Dresden and there whipped about the streetes Beyond measure he was giuen to large drinking in plaine termes to drunkennesse and that of the most strong Wines so as this intemperance was thought the cause of his vntimely death And for these drinking games he had certaine faire chambers ouer his Stable something distant from his lodgings of his Court which were appropriated to festiuall solaces As soone as he was made Elector he presently ordained the new Iudges for the Saxon Law vulgarly called Schoppenstuel and the Consistories In the yeere 1586 hee had a meeting at Lubeck with the King of Denmarke and the Elector of Brandeburg In the yeere 1589 at Naumberg he renewed the hereditarie league betweene his Familie and the neighbour Princes namely the Elector of Brandeburg his eldest sonne 〈◊〉 Frederike then called Administrator of Hall the three brothers a William Lodwike and George Langraues of Hessen Frederike William Duke of Saxony for one man hath often times two names in Baptisme Iohn Duke of Saxony for the title is common to younger brothers and houses of one Family with the elder Iohn Casimire Tutor to his Nephew the Elector Palatine Iohn Ernest Duke of Saxony Christian Prince of Anhalt Wolfang and Phillip Dukes of Grubenhagen And to knit his friends loue more firmely to him I haue said that he did institute an Order of Knighthood called the Golden Fellowship He had for his Counsell his Officers of Court and some Doctors of the Ciuill Law and among them Crellius Docter of the Ciuill Law and the Master of his Game or hunting whose name I