Son and the other nam'd Hedwigis he left to succeed him in the Kingdom of Poland This Prince was very curious to know what Opinion People had of him and was also exact in reforming the Faults they laid to his Charge For this purpose he was wont to disguise himself and enquire among the People how they lik'd their King and what they thought amiss in him and according to their Answers he redress'd the Grievances suggested to him My Lord I have hitherto given you a succinct Account of the Family of Piastus next I shall proceed to present your Lordship likewise with that of Jagello being still a Continuation of Piastus his Family in the Line of a Daughter Of the Family of Jagello When Lewis King of Poland and Hungary dy'd his Daughter Hedwigis being with her Mother the Queen Dowager in Hungary the Poles tho there were several Princes of the Race of Piastus left in Poland and Silesia yet either because they did not think them deserving or else by reason that they believ'd 'em engag'd in their Enemies Interests sent a solemn Embassy for the young Princess HEDWIGIS who soon came into Poland with Cardinal Demetrius the Bishop of Strigonia and several others of the chief Nobility of Hungary At her arrival the Poles receiv'd her with great Joy Splendor and Magnificence and the Arch-bishop of Gnesna Bozenta crown'd her after the usual Ceremonies at Cracow on the Feast of St. Hedwigis always religiously observ'd in Poland in the Year 1382 and she reign'd alone four Years This young Princess being not yet marry'd had several noble Suitors among which Ziemovitus Duke of Masovia was the first whom she refus'd the next was William of Austria who came in Person to court her Him she lik'd but the Senate of Poland would by no means consent to a Marriage with him having always had a Maxim which they never hitherto broke that they would by no means admit any of that Family to their Crown and this fearing so powerful a Neighbour might one time or other find means to make himself Absolute in their Country But at last Jagello great Duke of Lithuania had better Fortune for he soon obtain'd her by the great and advantagious Proffers he made the Poles He first promis'd to embrace the Christian Religion with all his Country who were before Fagans Next to unite Lithuania to Poland during his time under the same form of Government and lastly that in case his Male Race fail'd it should for ever after be annex'd to that Kingdom Hereupon Jagello was baptiz'd and takes upon him the Name of ULADISLAUS V. and after having consummated the Marriage with Hedwigis was consecrated by the Arch-bishop Bozenta in the Year 1386. and reign'd 48 Years Not long after his Coronation he went with Priests into Lithuania and in a twelve Month's time converted all that Nation but this not so much by their Preaching and Vigilance as by his own exemplary Zeal and Perswasion After this he erected the University of Cracow which Casimir the Great had only begun and sent to Prague in Bohemia for learned Men to instruct the Youth in all manner of Sciences which had never before been taught in this Country About this time Queen Hedwigis dy'd after having endow'd the University to encourage Learning This Prince had long Wars with the Teutonic Order which then very much insulted over the Frontiers of his Kingdom whereupon the Poles were not a little enclin'd to be reveng'd on this proud and powerful People Now Poland not being alone sufficient to withstand 'em Jagello made up a considerable Army of Poles Lithuanians Russians and Tartars with all which he march'd directly towards them who were got ready to receive him with a Body of about 140000 Men yet notwithstanding after a long and doubtful Fight the Poles happen'd to have the better and entirely routed the Teutonic Army killing their great Master Conrade of Thuningen with about 30000 Souldiers and near 15000 taken Prisoners This Victory the Poles pursued so far that they took most of the Towns in Prussia and doubtless had entirely destroy'd that Order had not the Emperor Sigismund ' come to their Relief who soon forc'd the Poles to make Peace with 'em and to restore all they had taken from ' em Afterwards Jagello had several other Conflicts with the Teutonic Order in all which he conquer'd He dy'd of a Fever in Russia after having reign'd forty eight Years and some Months and lies buried in the Cathedral at Cracow This King had had four Wives all which he caus'd to be crown'd and two Sons Vladislaus VI. and Casimir IV. Tho his Son ULADISLAUS the Sixth was but nine Years old when his Father dy'd yet after long Debates and great Opposition in the Diet he was elected at Briescia in the Year 1435 and reign'd ten Years He was so young when he was chosen that his Coronation Oath was fain to be dispens'd with his Mother Sophia and some of the Peers having promis'd he should take it when he came of Age. In the mean time the Senate were Regents during his Minority Some while after the Tartars made great Incursions into Podolia which then belong'd to Poland when having kill'd the Polish General Bucarius and the greatest part of his Army they retir'd with great Booty into their own Country After this by the Death of the Emperor Albert Hungary having no King to defend it against the Turks who threaten'd it on all sides sent Embassadors to Vladislaus to entreat him to come and be their King which after some Deliberation he accepted of and going into that Kingdom notwithstanding the Cabals and Party of the Empress Elizabeth who was left four Months gone with Child he was crown'd King of Hungary at Buda The Child the Empress went with was afterwards born and call'd Ladislaus but she dying not long after left King Vladislaus in Peace at least at home till the Turks oblig'd him to take Arms for his Defence abroad for Amurath Emperor of the Turks was not only then on his March to besiege Belgrade in Person but also commanded the Hungarians to pay him Tribute Hereupon Vladislaus was forc'd to declare War against him and under the Command of Huniades sent an Army made up of Poles and Hungarians to oppose him which coming upon him by Night surprized the Turkish Army near the River Morava in Hungary and made such a slaughter of 'em that 't is thought the Turks lost above 30000 Men that day After this happy Victory Vladislaus banish'd all those Infidels out of Hungary and pursu'd 'em to the very Frontiers of Macedon in Greece where he gain'd a second Battel over Carambeius General of the Troops of Asia took him Prisoner and drove his Army into Mountains and inaccessible Places The King was wounded in this Action Upon this occasion John Palcologus Emperor of
then busied in other Wars answer'd he could spare 'em none but gave 'em leave to have recourse to whose Protection they thought fit Some therefore among them put themselves under Eric King of Sweden but the Arch-bishop of Riga and the Great Master of the Teutonic Order with all the Nobility and Gentry requested the Assistance of Sigismund King of Poland who would by no means grant it them unless they would submit themselves entirely to his Obedience and take Oath of Fidelity accordingly next that they should give up all their Towns and Country and lastly annex Livonia for ever to Poland To these Terms the Livonians were neither ready nor willing to submit however at length they thought it better to condescend to these Proposals than be forc'd to accept of worse from the irresistible Fury of the Muscovites and therefore having maturely deliberated on the matter consented that Gothotred Ketler a Gentleman of Westphalia then Great Master and General of their Army should publickly abdicate his Mastership and give up to Nicholas Radzivil Palatin of Vilna deputed for that purpose by the King the City and Citadel of Riga and declare Livonia from thenceforward subject to Poland which was accordingly done and at the same time by Order of the King his Master Radzivil proclaim'd Gothotred Ketler Duke of Curland and Semigallia which are two Provinces of Livonia and next day by further Orders declar'd him Vice-roy and Governour of Livonia These two Provinces of Curland and Semigallia Ketler's Posterity have enjoy'd ever since by Hereditary Succession but still as Vassals to Poland Upon this Agreement the King declares War immediately against the Muscovites who were then very strong having just before taken from the Tartars the Kingdoms of Astracan and Casan nevertheless he defeated their Army upon the Frontiers of Lithuania and forc'd 'em to retire into their own Country but they soon return'd a second time commanded by their Czar John Basilowits tho with as little success as before This Czar is reported to have been a most cruel Tyrant it having been his chief Diversion to invent new ways of torturing insomuch that 't is said that to boil and roast both his own Subjects and the Prisoners he took was the least Punishments he made 'em suffer It would be both tedious and horrid to hear all the Tortures he us'd towards Men Women and Children He was wont to recompense such as invented new ways of Torture but these his inhuman Cruelties did so exasperate his Subjects that Sigismund found no great difficulty to force him to a Peace After this Sigismund sent a small Army into Valachia to support Bogdan in his Intentions to make himself Prince thereof but the Valachians assisted by the Turks soon oblig'd the Poles to return home In this King's Reign the Lutheran Religion got great ground in Poland the cause of which was a Quarrel upon account of a Whore between the Courtiers and Scholars which induc'd the latter to retire into Germany where they first imbib'd these Principles and which upon their return they not a little propagated in their own Country The first Person of note that embrac'd this Religon was Johannes a Lasco Palatin of Lanschet who in the Year 1540 left his Government and went into Holland and England and at his return converted several to that Perswasion All this while the King gave disturbance to none that abjur'd the Roman Faith but rather favour'd them having heard several of their Preachers in his Court particularly two Johannes Cosminis and Laurencius Prasnitius which occasion'd most of the Bishops to be enclin'd to that Belief Here cannot well be omitted a great Escape King Sigismund had at Koningsberg in Ducal Prussia whither being invited by Albert Marquess of Brandenburg and at his Reception saluted with all the Cannon by negligence of a Gunner a Bullet was left in one of them which when fir'd came so near the King as to dash out one Wisnoviec's Brains who march'd just behind him In Sigismund's time flourish'd the jocular Commonwealth of Babina consisting of several merry Gentlemen of Lublin who met together at a place call'd Babin to exercise their Wits upon all occasions This Meeting to procure the greater respect for their Proceedings they modell'd into the form of the Government of the Kingdom electing a King and Senate together with divers Officers and Magistrates As whenever any among them talk'd out of his Sphere and meddled with matters that did no ways belong to him they created him an Arch-bishop or Palatin such a one as made a great many Blunders and delighted in Contradictions they chose for their Speaker or Chancellor and whoever boasted too inordinately of his Valour they prefer'd to be their General passing immediately a Patent for that purpose and which was to be presented to him with a great deal of Submission by the Bragadochios of a Minor Character but if the Person elect refus'd this Command they persecuted him with hissing and hooting till he had accepted it Thus they created several other Senators of different Qualities whence it followed that in short time they became judicious Censurers wary Talkers modest Observers humble Performers and true Relaters of any Exploit Whenever they admitted any of their Society they first enquir'd into his Abilities and requir'd a Specimen of his Parts and this to determine the better what Office or Employment he was fittest to execute in their Commonwealth they having several others of an inferior Rank besides those we have already mention'd As if any one introduc'd an impertinent Discourse of his Hounds or his Hawks him they immediately made either their Huntsinan or their Faulkoner Likewise if a Man run out too much upon Religion he was constituted their Chaplain and where any dealt too much in Matters of Controversy he was forthwith ordain'd their Inquisitor lastly where a Man was too exuberant in his Discourse about Horses or Houshold Affairs him they either promoted to be their Master of the Horse or their Majordomo By these means in a little time they reform'd most of the Abuses and Indecorums crept into the Government of Poland and prov'd than the force of Satyr is of no less benefit than that of Oratory At length this pleasant Constitution came to the King's Ear who was often delighted with hearing of their Transactions and one day enquiring after their dignified Members he ask'd whether they had any King among them to which the Starosta of Babina who was most celebrated for his pleasant Countenance and jocular Humour reply'd Far be it from us most Serene Monarch that we should make choice of any other King while your Majesty is living Which Answer so extreamly pleas'd Sigismund that he laugh'd heartily and was so far from shewing any signs of Dislike that by several Expressions which dropt from him he occasion'd great Mirth in all the Company Afterwards there arising some grave Disputes in this Society
Iohn iij King of POLAND Great Duke of Lithuania Russia Prussia Samogitia c Pag. 163 The History of POLAND IN Several LETTERS to Persons of Quality Giving an Account of the Antient and Present State of that Kingdom Historical Geographical Physical Political and Ecclesiastical VIZ. It s Origin and Extent with a Description of its Towns and Provinces the Succession and remarkable Actions of all its Kings and of the Great Dukes of Lithuania The Election Power and Coronitâ—â—â— oâ—â— the King The Senate or House of Lords The 〈◊〉 and Form of Government The Privileges of the Gâ—â—â—â—ry their Religion Learning Language Customs Haâ—â—â—s Manners Riches Trade and Military Affairs together with the State of Physick and Natural Knowledg 〈◊〉 also an Account of the Teutonick Order and of the Duke of Curland his Family and Territories With Sculptures and a new Map after the best Geographers With several Letters relating to Physick VOL. I. By BERN. CONNOR M. D. Fellow of the Royal Society and Member of the College of Physicians who in his Travels in that Country collected these Memoirs from the best Authors and his own Observations Publish'd by the Care and Assistance of Mr. SAVAGE London Printed by J. D. for Dan. Brown without Temple-Bar and A. Roper in Fleetstreet M DC XCVIII THE PREFACE HAving neither a Genius nor a Talent for History much less for Politicks and having passed but a very small time at the late King of Poland's Court I can neither promise the Criticks nor Politicians that Politeness of Stile nor those exact Rules and Circumstances of History they generally expect and are accustom'd to meet with in Relaâ—â—ions of this nature For the Memoirs I collected and the Remarks I made in that Nation as well as in other Foreign Countries were first intended for my own Curiosity until being come some few Years ago from my Travels into England and finding there had not been yet publish'd in our Tongue any Account of this vast neighbouring Kingdom I was often discours'd chiefly during this last Election about the Constitution of that Country and was desir'd to communicate to the Publick what I knew of it This gave me occasion to revise my Memoirs and to consider that if they were put into good order they might perhaps be of some use because the Form of Government in Poland is in some respect like that of ours But the first Year I came over I spent some Months at Oxford to publish a small Latin Treatise of Physical Matters and to communicate to the Ingenious Gentlemen there what small Insight I was thought to have in Anatomy and in the Materia Medica The Summer following I made some Chymical and Anatomical Demonstrations at Cambridg These two last Winters I have been much taken up here in Town in trying a great many Chymical and Anatomical Experiments and in publishing my Treatise de Medicina Mystica and besides being busied in my other Occupations in the Practice of Physick to which I have entirely applied my self of late as being more sutable to my Temper and Profession than Historical ones I neither could take any Delight nor have any Leisure to write over or to put into due method the Memoirs I brought from Poland so that the Publick is indebted to my ingenious Friend Mr. Savage for without his help this Account of Poland could not doubtless have thus appear'd these several Years I hope Ingenuous and Candid Persons will excuse the Faults and Defects they will undoubtedly meet with in this Historical Relation since what I design'd only to do at my own leisure in some Years I have dispatch'd with too much Precipitation in few Months to satisfy the Curiosity of People during the late Election in Poland who long'd to see some Account of that Kingdom publish'd Wherefore I neither deserve nor desire any other Reputation by it than that being the first that has given any History of that Country in our Language I give occasion to others that may travel after me in Poland to give a more satisfactory Account thereof I admire our English Gentry who travel into Germany have never the Curiosity to go either from Berlin through Prussia or Posnania to Warsaw or from Vienna through Silesia to Cracow They may with ease perform this Journey in three Months time and not think their time lost for tho there are not so many Rarities to be seen nor that Conveniency of travelling â—â—s in most other Countries yet they may observe the most remarkable Places in Poland the peculiar form of Government the Splendor of the Court and the extraordinary Grandeur of the Nobility who are not so barbarous nor so unpolish'd as they are generally represented For these sixty or seventy Years past the Poles have taken a Humour to travel and have of late refin'd themselves extreamly having had French Queens and French Factions reigning amongst them during the four last Reigns successively which has produc'd this good Effect contrary to the private Designs of France that not only the rough Temper of the Poles is made more polite and their Behaviour more civil but likewise their Judgment improv'd and they themselves rendred more capable of knowing their own Interest and more wary than formerly of a Despotic Power which their Kings of late assisted by the French have labour'd to introduce for the Poles are now sensible that the French King who is absolute at home and well known to be ambitious enough to enlarge his Conquests abroad has just reason to think that it would have been casier for him to manage his Interest against the Empire with a King of Poland who was likewise absolute than it is now with one who entirely depends on the uncertain Resolutions of a free Parliament Because let a King of Poland be ever so Despotic his Kingdom being poor he will always want Money either to satisfy his Pleasure or to gratify his Ambition and will scarcely ever be proof against fifty thousand Louis-d'Or's The Poles are not only watchful against the encroaching Factions of France but likewise they begin to consider the unhappy Condition of their inslaved Neighbours the Muscovites Swedes Danes Germans and Turks who groan under the heavy Yoke of the unlimited Power of their Soveraigns These visible Examples make them so very jealous of their Kings and so extream fond of their Liberty that they will not only always keep their Crown elective but likewise oblige their new King to enlarge their Privileges which are at this time more ample than ever they have been before And it is not to be imagin'd that the King of Poland will become Despotic as the King of Denmark did because in Denmark the King Clergy and common People being kept under by the exorbitant Power of the Nobility join'd together and soon brought the Nobility to declare the King Absolute choosing rather to be under one Master than under several petty Tyrants But in Poland both Gentry and Clergy who are very numerous and
Woievod of Cracovia to whom the King after the Fight sent a Hare-Skin and Spinning-wheel for Recompence Nevertheless this one Defeat stuck so close to him that he soon after died leaving four Sons among whom he divided his Kingdom This King perform'd a great many more memorable Actions which my Lord because they might be too tedious to insert here I have omitted He was of an undaunted Spirit a great despiser of Danger and no less an observer of Truth and Right very liberal and generous upon the smallest Occasions and moreover endued with singular Clemency and Modesty He was further very ambitious of Glory but at the same time no Enemy to Peace tho he is said to have been train'd up to War from his very Cradle To ULADISLAUS surnam'd the Driveler his eldest Son he left the Supreme Power which was confirm'd and he elected in the Year 1140 but reign'd only six Years and to the other three he gave only some separate Provinces which afterwards was the occasion of great Disorders in Poland for the elder Brother Vladislaus pretending to dispossess the other three turn'd his Brother Boleslaus out of the Palatinates of Ploskow and Masovia and his Brother Henry out of the Province of Sendomir who both retir'd to their third Brother that govern'd Posnania Vladislaus had always with him a Nobleman call d Peter Dunin whom taking out one day to hunt they happen'd to be so late abroad that they were oblig'd to lie all Night in a Wood where for Diversion the King began to joke with his Companion after this manner Dunin quoth he I. believe your Wife lies more at ease to Night with the Abbot Scrinnen than we do To which Dunin forgetting himself tartly reply'd And it may be your Majesty's does the same with Dobessus Who it seems was a handsom Fellow about Court that his Queen Christina lov'd This Answer so nettled the King that he afterwards employ'd the same Dobessus to be reveng'd on Dunin which he effected by pulling out his Tongue and Eyes Hereupon the People perceiving how cruelly Vladislaus persecuted his own Brothers and at the same time how ill he treated his Subjects began to be daily more and more disaffected to him whereby his Brothers Party greatly encreasing he was beaten by them as he was going to besiege Posnan Wherefore discovering new Factions hourly appearing against him and fearing some ill Fate from a universal Hatred he timely withdrew into Germany to the Emperor Conrade III. Cousin German to his Queen Christina who several times endeavour'd to restore him but all in vain for his Brother Boleslaus Crispus having got possession of the Crown Vladislaus was forc'd to compound for Silesia only which afterwards fell to the Principality of Bohemia and has ever since been out of the possession of the Poles This Prince lies buried at Attenburg a City of Germany in Alsace Vladislaus with his Son having abdicated the Crown of Poland his second Brother BOLESLAUS CRISPUS or the Frizled was elected in the Year 1146 and reign'd to the Year 1175 yet the Emperor Conrade did what he could to restore Vladislaus To effect which he first sent Embassadors into Poland but to no purpose Then he resolv'd to make War with the Poles but defer'd it till his Expedition against Asia was over to facilitate which he had obtain'd leave to pass through Boleslaus his Dominions to the Euxine Sea But at his return being constantly solicited by Vladislaus and his Queen he march'd with a powerful Army against Poland yet what with Delays Stratagems and Ambuscades he was so fatigu'd by the Poles that he could do nothing till at last he was call'd home to appease some Intestine Broils in his own Dominions which having effected he soon after died His Successor Frederic Barberossa also espous'd Vladislaus his Cause but not being able to do any thing in his Favour by Embassadors he march'd with a numerous Army against the Poles which they likewise harass'd and wearied out till they had oblig'd that Emperor to strike up a Peace with 'em he being in War at the same time against Milan by which it was agreed that Boleslaus should remit Silesia to Vladislaus whose Posterity afterwards divided it into several Dutchies till at last it came to the Empire This great Province my Lord as I observ'd in my Journy through it is one of the most fertile and plentiful Countries in all Germany Boleslaus began another War against the Prussians for refusing to pay him Tribute and forc'd them to this Compliance that they should submit in case he left 'em to their Religion but otherwise they boldly declar'd that they would rather die than become Christians again Whereupon Boleslaus was forc'd to grant them Liberty of Conscience yet they soon revolted and by a Stratagem entirely routed the Polish Army and kill'd his Brother Henry This King died not long after and was buried at Cracow MIECISLAUS surnam'd the Old Brother to Boleslaus succeeded him being elected in the Year 1174 and reign'd only to 1178. He was call'd the Old from his great Sagacity and Prudence in his Youth His Covetousness induc'd him to hoard up great Sums of Money by oppressing the Gentry and People with unreasonable Taxes and selling all Employments tho against the Constitutions of the Kingdom This extreme Avarice brought him to be generally hated by the Clergy Nobility and People whereupon Gedeon Bishop of Cracow endeavour'd several times to encline him to pity his Subjects and despise Money since he had no need of it but he would by no means hearken to his Advice wherefore this Bishop concerted together with the Gentry to dethrone him and remit the Crown to Casimir his Brother who more deserv'd it which they effectually did after some little Bloodshed Here we may observe that Covertousness is the greatest Vice that any Prince can be guilty of especially a King of Poland whose Subjects as your Lordship doubtless has observ'd are generally liberal even to Extravagance At first Casimir refus'd the Crown offer'd him alledging it was his Brother's Right and that such an Alteration might occasion Civil Wars which he by no means had any mind to be the Author of But when they unanimously declar'd they would have no other King and could never more obey Miecislaus CASIMIR II. consenting to accept of the Government was elected in the Year 1178 and reign'd to 1195. He was surnam'd the Just being altogether unlike his Brother as appears by the following Particular Being at play with a Gentleman of his nam'd Conarius whilst he was Prince of Sendomir and having won all his Adversary's Money the Gentleman in a Passion struck him over the Face and fled but next day being brought before him was adjudged by every body to have deserv'd Death for his Insolence Not at all replied the good Prince for being affected with his Loss and not
married to Ferdinand of Austria whereby that House came into possession of the Kingdoms of Hungary and Bohemia as likewise of Silesia all which it enjoys to this day Sigismund dy'd not long after the Council of Trent begun being 82 Years old and having reign'd about 40 with great Success Paulus Jovius says that in this King's time there were three Heroes viz. the Emperor Charles V. Francis I. King of France and Sigismund I. King of Poland each of which deserv'd alone to govern the Universe had they not happen'd to live at the same time This King was as famous in Peace as War being adorn'd with more Vertues than any Prince of Poland before him Besides which Perfections of his Mind he had also great Strength of Body for he is reported to have been accustom'd to snap Horseshoes asunder and to have broke the strongest Ropes with his Hands only as I am credibly inform'd the Elector of Saxony at present King of Poland has often done He had two Wives Barbara Daughter of Stephen Woievod of Transilvania by whom he had one Daughter nam'd Hedwigis married to Joachim Marquess of Brandenburg and another Wife Buona Sforza mention'd before who brought him four Daughters which were Isabel married to John King of Hungary Sophia to the Duke of Brunswick and Ann and Catherine both successively to the King of Sweden and one Son Sigismund Augustus who succeeded his Father in the Kingdom of Poland Martin Bielski a Polander who writ the Annals of his Country in his Native Language mentions that in the beginning of this King's Reign a certain Gentleman nam'd James Melstinski Starosta of Brezina being not a little beside himself pretended to be Christ descended again upon the Earth and consequently together with one Peter Zatorski a Citizen of Cracow and eleven others of the same stamp set forward through divers Cities and Villages canting and imposing upon the common People all along as they went sometimes he pretended to raise the Deaâ—â— which he seemingly effected by help of 〈◊〉 Compact with some of his fellow Impostors Next he work'd several pretended Miracles by Legerdemain as by finding things in places where it was almost impossible for them to be which nevertheless he had prudently taken care to lay there before as Fish in Bogs and the like Afterwards he went to the Monastery of Cestochow where it seems he was not known Here he caus'd one of his Followers to pretend to be possess'd with the Devil who thereupon being immediately seiz'd on was led by the Monks to the Altar at a time when a great Concourse of People were gathered together to hear Mass but the Impostor having provided himself a large Coat with several deep and winding Plights as likewise of divers small Pebbles which he had wrap'd up in his Saâ—â— broke furiously from those that held him and immediately leap'd upon the Altar where seizing upon all the Offerings he soon convey'd them into these obscure Folds of his Coat when the Monks going to search him with great Violence found only the Stones in his Sash which they believing to be the Money transmuted by the Power of the Devil immediately fell to exorcising the Stones but finding the same Species still remain they threw down their Books in great Indignation and cry'd Talem Daemonem nunquam experti sumus abite cum eo ad omnes Daemones By help of the Money they had thus got by this Cheat they travell'd all over Silesia and at last came to a Gentleman's House where they told his Wife that Christ and his Apostles were come to visit her and that she must make some Offering and her Soul should be sav'd to which the Woman reply'd that her Husband was from home and therefore she could not possibly comply with their Requests whereupon they demanded of her if she had any Linen to sacrifice she answered she had and presently fetch'd them down a small parcel which they receiving from her hands told her they would keep that for themselves and Christ should bless her and encrease her Store whereupon enquiring farther if she had any more she shew'd them another Parcel but they being about to do the like by that as they did by the other she told them her Husband not being within she durst by no means part with it which Answer displeasing these Impostors they privily slid a piece of lighted Coal among the Linen which the Woman not knowing any thing of took the parcel and lock'd it up in her Chest as before but which not long after bursting out into a Flame first burnt the Chest and then the House The Husband coming home and finding his House on fire enquir'd into the cause of it whereupon his Wife answer'd that because she had treated Christ disrespectfully who came to visit her this Judgment had befallen them At this the Man flying out into a Passion cry'd This was an Impostor and no Christ wherefore calling his Neighbours together they pursued them close till they heard of them in a Village hard by which the false Saviour being inform'd of said to that Apostle of his nam'd Peter Peter now is my Hour come and the time wherein I am to drink that bitter Draught approaches which I have no other way to avoid but by leaping out at this Window To which Peter reply'd I also will follow my Master's Example that I may live Whereupon they both leap'd out at the Window and the rest of the Apostles fled also their several ways but the deluded Countrymen closely pursuing them at length overtook them and surrounding them with Clubs Scourges and the like laid them on most unmercifully crying all the while Prophesy to us O Christ with thy Disciples in what Wood did these Clubs and Scourges grow By this severe Discipline these Impostors having been totally reform'd confess'd that it was no small Task to imitate Christ and his Apostles Before his Death Sigismund got the Diet to elect his Son SIGISMUND II. surnam'd afterwards Augustus who was crown'd in the Year 1548 and reign'd to 1576. The Diet was very angry with him that after his Coronation he married the Lady Radzivil Widow to a Woievod without their Consent which is against the Constitution of that Kingdom but this Queen dying soon after without Children they agreed to his Marriage with the Princess Catharine another Widow of the House of Austria which was before married to Francis Duke of Mantua In his time Livonia which is a great Province that lies between Prussia Swedeland Muscovy and Lithuania whereof part belonged to the Teutonic Order and part to the Arch-bishop of Riga being the whole under Protection of the Empire was like to have been over-run by the Great Duke of Muscovy who brought thither a powerful Army for that purpose and took most of its Towns Whereupon the Inhabitants finding they were not able alone to resist so great a Force sent to the Emperor Ferdinand for Relief who being
about the Antiquity of the Monarchies of Persia Greece and Rome a certain merry Fellow started up and cry'd What makes you thus boast Gentlemen of the Antiquity and Extent of these Monarchies when ours of Babina is much more antient and of wider Bounds than them all What says David Omnis Homo Mendax all Men are Liars wherefore the whole Earth must consequently have been comprehended within the Limits of our Jurisdiction from all Ages His Opinion was unanimously receiv'd with Applause This Society further boasts of having always had Privileges and Immunities from Emperors and Kings but still such as were too severe in their Reflections were not to be admitted of this Republick The place where this Assembly met the Members term'd Gelda being the word that the Dantzickers use for a Tavern and which the Poles apply to a merry Company of witty Fellows Sigismund died of a Chronical Distemper at Knyssin in the Consines of Lithuania c and left no Children but had two Sisters surviving Catherine and Ann the former of which was first married to John Duke of Finland and then to the King of Sweden she was Mother to Sigismund III. who was afterwards King of Sweden and Poland Ann liv'd a long while a Maid till she was married to Stephen Batori Prince of Transilvania and afterwards King of Poland After this Sigismund's Death the Male Race of the Jagellonic Family was quite extinct I am afraid I have almost tir'd your Lordship's Patience with this prolix Narrative of the second and third Classes of the Kings of Poland yet I can safely aver that I have been as concise as the Subject Matter would hear since I have run through the Course of about 800 Years where your Lordship may observe that tho these Princes could never prevail with their Subjects to declare their Kingdom Hereditary yet they had sometimes Influence sufficient over them to cause them to elect their Children for their Successors while they themselves were yet alive And likewise sometimes the great Service they had render'd their Country oblig'd the Poles in Gratitude to advance their Issue to the Throne after their Deaths Besides the natural Affection which this Country always bore to the Royal Family enclin'd them to elect the next Relation to the deceased King But notwithstanding after Sigismund the Second's Death tho there were several of the Family of Piastus and Jagello remaining alive both in Poland and Silesia yet the Poles for fear so long and so uninterrupted a Succession of Princes of the same Line might subject them to a Despotic Monarchy as they almost were in Sigismund's time resolv'd to choose Kings out of other Families as they effectually did afterwards out of France Transilvania and Sweden which it would be too tedious to give your Lordship a Relation of and therefore to ease your Impatience I will subscribe my self My LORD Your Lordship 's most Obedient Humble Servant B. C. LETTER III. To his Grace WILLIAM Duke of Devonshire Lord Steward of His Majesty's Houshold Of the Succession and Remarkable Actions of the fourth Class of the Kings of Poland consisting of mixt Families from the Year 1574 to 1674. My LORD THE great Esteem and true Respect which your eminent Qualities and gallant Behaviour both beyond Sea and at home command from all those who have heard of your Name made me ambitious to give your Grace in this Account of Poland a Testimony of mine and congratulate my self in the Honour of being known to so great a Person The Subject my Lord I thought most sutable to so great a Mind and Genius as yours is a Relation of Heroic Actions I mean the Lives of the Kings of Poland from the last of the Jagellonick Family to the Election of the late King John Sobieski comprehending the space of a hundred Years By Sigismund the Second's Death the Great and Renown'd Family of Jagello came to be extinct as to Males for he left no Children and had only two Sisters Catherine and Ann. The former was first married to John Duke of Finland and next to John III. King of Sueden having been Mother to Sigismund III. who was afterwards both King of Poland and Sueden The latter Ann liv'd a Maid for a considerable while till Stephen Batori Prince of Transylvania being elected King of Poland marry'd her but had no Issue by her The ABp of Gnesna James Vchanski having notify'd the late King's Death to all the Gentry call'd a Diet after the usual manner to Elect another whereupon several Candidates appearing they all had their different Parties and Friends in the Kingdom The chief Pretenders were Ernest of Austria the Emperour's Son John III. King of Sueden the Great Duke of Muscovy and Henry of Valois Brother to Charles IX of France besides several Natives of the Country After a long deliberation they pitch'd upon HENRY of Valois Duke of Anjou and sent Adam Conarsky Bishop of Posnan and Albert Laski Palatin of Siradia in quality of Ambassadors together with several other Senators into France to bring him into his Kingdom after having agreed to the following Articles to the performance of which both the King of France and his Brother the King of Poland took a solemn Oath The Articles were as follows Imprimis That Henry of Valois should transport all his Effects and Annual Revenues in France into Poland 2. That the King of France should pay Sigismund the late King's Debts with his own Money 3. That the French King should maintain a hundred young Polish Noblemen at his Court and fifty in other Places 4. And lastly That he should build a Fleet in the Baltic Sea and help the Poles to carry on the War against the Muscovites There was another Article the King would by no means consent to till he came into Poland and that was 5. That he should marry the Princess Ann Sister to Sigismund late King of Poland King Henry having thus chiefly satisfy'd the Conditions he set forth from Paris about the beginning of October in the Year 1576 and pass'd through Lorain and Germany directly to Posnan in Poland whence he soon after went and was crown'd at Cracow the 21st of February 1577 but in four Months time after his Coronation receiving Letters from France that the King his Brother was dead without Issue and being begg'd to return to enjoy his Right he communicated those Letters to the Senate acquainting them withal that it was necessary he should return into France to prevent Civil Wars and maintain his Title to that Crown But fearing lest the Poles might have detain'd him as I have often heard them say they would certainly have done on the 18th of March he stole away and rid Post through Silesia and Germany into Italy and thence to France The King being miss'd next morning they sent several Senators after him who overtook him in Silesia and begg'd of him to return and not abandon a Nation so shamefully which
Livonia to the King of Sweden Gustavus Adolphus but it was suspected that he intended to betray that King for soon after the said Farenbach was reconcil'd to King Sigismund to whom he restor'd all the Places except Pernau In the Year 1620 the Poles were engag'd in a War against the Turks fomented as was suppos'd by Bethlem Gabor Prince of Transilvania for which the Turks afterwards endeavour'd to banish that Prince for siding with the Poles In the Year following the Turks march'd with their whole Forces against Poland but were met by the Poles near Chocim under the Command of Prince Vladistaus who with an Army of about 65000 Men repuls'd above 392000 Turks commanded by their Emperor Osman in Person The Turks attempted three times to force the Polish Camp but were as often beat back with Loss Nevertheless in the mean time the Poles suffer'd extremely for want of Ammunition and Provisions and besides were mightily weakened by Sickness and a huge Mortality among their Horses Notwithstanding all this at length the Turkish Emperor was forc'd to strike up an honourable Peace with them after having lost about 60000 Men in the several Attacks he made upon their Camp and a greater number in his March back to Constantinople In the mean time Gustavus Adolphus falling into Livonia took the City of Riga without any great Resistance and all the rest of that Country except Dunneburgh was conquer'd likewise by the Swedes in the Year 1625. Afterwards Gustavus enter'd Prussia in the Year 1626 where he took the Cities of Marienburg and Elbing besides some other Places This War was thus carried on without any general Engagement till the Year 1629 when Hans Wrangel the Swedish General defeated the Poles near Gorzno Then the Emperor sent some Forces to the Assistance of the Poles who in a Battle fought near Stuma were very near having made Gustavus Prisoner But however the Polish Affairs after this Battel falling into great Confusion they were forc'd to clap up a Truce till the Year 1634 by the Mediation of Charles the First King of England and of Lewis the Thirteenth of France the Swedes in the mean while being to keep possession of Elbing Mcmel Braunsberg Pillau and what besides they had taken in Livonia After this Sigismund dy'd the last day of April in the Year 1632 being sixty Years old and having reign'd forty four He had all the Qualities that could be requir'd in a great Prince He lov'd Justice and all the World commended his Piety He was always of an even Temper either in good or bad Fortune and the Lustre of the Polish Crown obtain'd when he was but young together with the loss of the Kingdom of Sweden to his Uncle might well have either exalted or debas'd him had he not had a great Soul yet among all these good Qualities he was too much wedded to his Opinion which was the cause of some Misfortunes that happen'd to him Prince Vladislaus was absent when his Father Sigismund fell sick yet he arriv'd at Court just as he was expiring whose Presence so much reviv'd the King as to give him Power to put the Crown of Sweden on his Son's Head tho he was to leave that of Poland to Chance This Election was much more peaceable than his Father Sigismund's in that he had no Competitors to oppose him Some thought Gustavus Adolphus King of Sweden had a design upon the Crown and his boundless Ambition join'd with the great Number of his Friends the Lutherans dispersed throughout the whole Kingdom might very well support that Opinion yet the Gentry of Great Poland which were most to be suspected on account of Conformity in Religion with him were the first that strove to exclude him for they declar'd those Enemies to their Country that should in the least dare to propose him Likewise at another Assembly a Palatin offering but to insinuate that it would be proper to choose a Foreign Prince the Gentry were so unanimously offended at him that he was fain to retire betimes to avoid their Fury Also Gustavus Adolphus had then too many Irons in the Fire to draw any more Enemies upon his Back John Casimir Brother to Prince Vladislaus was likewise suspected to have a mind to the Crown and this Conjecture had a more plausible Foundation than the former These two Princes were both Sons to Sigismund III. yet had they not the same Mother That of Casimir did all she could to advance her Son to the Throne At the Diet met at Thorn she endeavour'd to have a Successor elected whilst the King was living whereupon she employ'd a certain Bishop to propose her Son but with which the Diet was so extremely incens'd that they would have immediately tri'd that Prelat for infringing the Publick Liberties had not more weighty Affairs interven'd which caus'd them to lay those Intentions aside During this Prince Casimir did all he could to satisfy the Publick that he had no Design upon the Crown but that all his Aim was to promote the Interest of his elder Brother The Primate John Vezik having notified the Death of the late King conven'd the Diet on the 27 th of June where the Lutherans continued their Cabals and Factions as formerly but did not favour any of Vladislaus his Competitors as before The Diet of Election was fix'd for the 27 th of September in the same Year whither the Gentry all flock'd at the time appointed but that more to ingratiate themselves in their Prince Vladislaus's favour than to sell their Suffrages One thing was propos'd at this Diet which had it been followed might have deliver'd the Kingdom from great Oppressions This was to digest the Laws into a Code and to get the King Elect to confirm it Also to reform the many Abuses crept into the Practice of the Law but this was too vigorously oppos'd by the interessed Party and therefore was fain to be let fall Hereupon the Diet devoted themselves wholly to the Election Prince Casimir first propos'd his BrotherVladislaus which Henry Firley Bishop of Premislia seconded by a Speech to this purpose That tho that Assembly had a Right to elect whom they pleas'd yet they had ever had a particular regard to the Offspring of their Kings that every body there acknowledg'd the Candidate to be of the Blood of Jagello That even the Merit of his Father pleaded for the Interest of the Son That Uladislaus his own Conquests had sufficiently testify'd his Valour and lastly that a favourable Result was to be expected from that Assembly since each knew as much of the Merit of that Prince as he This was courteously answer'd by the Primate after which they proceeded to admit the Ambassadors First Honorius Visconti the Pope's Nuncio had Audience who being plac'd on the left hand of the Primate first desir'd the Assembly to choose a Catholick Prince and then recommended Prince Vladislaus Next the Embassadors of the Emperour
Parts of the Body desir'd to know what was properly Death The School Divinity maintains that Death was a Separation of the rational Soul from the Body I own'd indeed that in Death the Soul was actually separated from the Body but I could not allow that that Separation was the cause of Death but that the Death of the Body was the Cessation of the Motion of the Heart of the Blood and of the Spirits which Cessation could not proceed from the Separation of the Soul since these don't at all depend upon it as I proved before but it was occasion'd by some Defects in the Organs and Fluids of the Body which losing their due Disposition and their mutual Correspondence with one another all their Actions cease which Cessation is properly called Death so that the Soul finding them incapable of receiving its Influence and of obeying its Commands quits the Body after it is dead by which it appears that the Separation of the Soul is not properly the Cause of Death but that the Death of the Body is the cause of the Separation The King himself illustrated this Opinion with a familiar Example of an Organ and an Organist While the Organs were in their due order and symetry the Organist play'd upon them but when by length of time they were either broke used too much or any other way quite put out of Tune he leaves off playing on them This Discourse my Lord held from three of the Clock till seven and the Divines were extreamly warm in it and some of them had the boldness to tell the King that his Majesty should not suffer such Heretical Opinions as they called them to be introduc'd before such a great Assembly contrary to the receiv'd Doctrine of the Church This Discourse caused a great many other Matters to be talk'd on of which it would be too long to inform your Lordship By this you may plainly see how fond the Divines are of their old Opinions relying upon the Doctrine of Aristotle whom we can't suppose to be so throughly acquainted with the Structure Springs and Motions of the Humane Body nor indeed with all other Natural Causes as the Modern Physicians are yet it is the Policy of the Divines not only in Poland but in Spain Italy and in most other Countries where their Power is very great not to let any Opinions creep in among them that would seem to contradict those of Aristotle for having built their Systems of Divinity upon the Principles of this Pagan Philosopher they are justly afraid that if Experience and Reason should shake the Foundation the Superstructure would fall to the Ground as doubtless it would for the most part This King built several fine Houses both in Russia and other parts of the Kingdom particularly three Miles from Warsaw a neat Country House call'd Villa Nova very richly furnished He has had several Natural Children but took no care of any of them for it is not customary in Poland to have that Consideration for them as there is in other Countries but he left vast Riches to his Lawful Children and made a Motion in the Diet five or six Years before he died to settle the Succession on one of them He told the Assembly of the Disorders that usually happened in Elections after the King's Death that the Turks and the Tartars took then Opportunities to make Inroads into the Country and ravage all before them that the Nobility of the Kingdom were generally divided headed by Factions and biass'd by Self-interest against the publick Good of their Country and that he himself would be glad to prevent all those dangerous Broils before he died out of the Love he bore to his Country and Subjects But the Diet finding that his private Design was to get one of his Sons elected answered That they hoped that his Majesty would live yet a long while that it was necessary to take a long time to consider of a Matter of that great moment which the King seeing it was a civil way of refusing to enter upon that Subject never after intimated any thing to them like it but took all possible care to enrich his Children in case none of them should be elected after his Death It was exactly computed to me that he laid up every Year for above twenty Years 100000 l. Sterl which he left partly in Bankers Hands at Dantzick Hamburgh and Amsterdam and put the rest into the hands of the Jews who are very numerous in that Kingdom to trade with it besides he bought great Territories in the Kingdom tho it is against the Constitution so that his three Sons James Alexander and Constantino if they manage their Affairs right may be worth each above 50000 l. Sterling per Annum for it is the Law in Poland to divide equally the Estate among the Children The Queen was but ten or twelve Years of Age when she together with the present Duke of Gordon's Aunt afterwards married to Count Morstin great Treasurer of Poland came from France into this Kingdom with Ladislaus King of Poland's Queen who made them both her Maids of Honour and took great care of Madamoiselle d' Arquien being very ingenious and beautiful She got her married first to Prince Zamoiski who soon left her a Widow with a Jointure of about 2000 l. a Year she was afterwards married in Casimir's Reign to John Sobieski then Captain of the Guards who was not very willing to marry her until the King promis'd that he would give him considerable Places which he accordingly did by the Instigation of the Queen for he made him Great Marshal and Great General of Poland which gave him Authority and Interest enough to make himself afterwards King and her Queen so that this Marriage was the occasion of his Rise in the World which he was so sensible of that he refus'd to be divorced from her as the Diet would have perswaded him to do after his Election The Queen is now about fifty four Years of Age tho she appears not to be forty she goes in the French Dress as all the Polish Ladies do she speaks almost naturally the Polish Tongue which with lier sweet Temper refin'd Sense and majestick Air gain'd her such Affection with the Poles such Influence over the King and such Interest always in the Diet that she manag'd all with a great deal of Prudence and that to the advantage of her native Country France whose Interest she generally espous'd upon most occasions during the King's Life which was believ'd to be the Cause that he did not carry on the War with vigour these late years against the Turks and Tartars She maintain'd at her Court her Father Cardinal D' Arquien and her Brother Count Maligny who had but a very small Estate of their own She has two Sisters one is the Widow of the late Count Bethune who was Ambassador from France in Poland and afterwards dy'd in his Embassy in
thinks and think what he pleases without any Fear of the King After the King's Death Cardinal Radziouski Archbishop of Gnesna and Primate of the Kingdom took the Administration of the Government as is usual upon him and notify'd the King's Death to foreign Princes and to all the Governours of the Provinces and advis'd with the Senators that were then at Warsaw of the proper Method and fit Time to ohoose a new King They fix'd upon the 29th of August 1696 for the Convocation of the Grand Diet but there appearing several Competitors which made powerful Factions it was thought necessary to take more time to appease the Dissensions of the Nobility Wherefore the Overture of the Diet was deferr'd to the 15th of May 1697. They chose the Sieur Belinski for their Speaker whom they call their Marshal The chief Competitors were at first Prince James of Poland and his Brother Prince Alexander the Prince of Conti Don Livio Odeschalchi and Prince Lewis of Baden but at last the Elector of Saxony unexpectedly came to the Frontiers of Poland with 8000 Men and declar'd himself Candidate having a twelve-month before privately abjur'd his Religion to qualify himself for this Crown which procur'd him the Interest of the Pope and Clergy So that at length no considerable Party appear'd but for him the Prince of Conti and Prince James The Cardinal Primate with a great Number of the Palatins supported with all their Interest the Prince of Conti the French having for several years before as I observ'd when I was in that Kingdom given a great Character of his Merit and Valour which made the King of France believe that he would undoubtedly carry that Crown against all Opposers as it is probable he would have done had he been in Person as near the Place of Election as the Elector of Saxony was For on the 26th of June being the day of Election the Diet drew out into the Field and he had that day more Votes than either the Elector of Saxony or Prince James which the Primate observing went with his Party and immediately proclaim'd him King but the two other Parties knowing this could not be legally done without the universal Consent of the Diet protested against it as Illegal and Prince James perceiving his Party to be the weakest and having always been in the Interest of the House of Austria as being marry'd to the Empress and Queen of Spain's Sister resign'd all his Interest to the Elector of Saxony who was likewise supported by the Emperour These two Parties being thus united into one were more numerous than that of the Prince of Conti Wherefore coming next day into the field they got the Bishop of Cujavia after the Primate had refus'd it to proclaim FREDERIC AUGUSTUS Elector of Saxony King of Poland and sent Embassadors to acquaint him therewith and to desire him to accept of the Crown All this while the Primate and Prince of Conti's Party stood firm to the first Election and dispatch'd Couriers into France to desire that Prince to come with all speed into Poland The Generals of the Army were divided Count Jablonowski Great General of the Kingdom declar'd for the Elector of Saxony Prince Sapieha Great General of Lithuania seem'd to favour the Prince of Conti but the Governour of Cracow being for the Elector of Saxony invited him and his Army to take possession of that capital City where he was crown'd the 15th of September following which did extreamly facilitate the good Success he has since had in that Kingdom For tho the Primate and many other considerable Persons did insist on the pretended Legality of their Election tho the Prince of Conti himself came in Person to Dantzic with a Fleet vast Sums of Money and some disciplin'd Troops tho the French Embassador Monsieur de Polignac had manag'd a good part of the Army and a great many of the Senators with great Art and Policy tho the Turks and Tartars threatned an Invasion to support his Election and tho the Hungarians made an Insurrection in their Country to divert the Saxon Forces yet the Poles seeing the Elector of Saxony was actually Crown'd that he was in possession of the Metropolis Cracow the strongest Town in Poland that 8000 of his disciplin'd Troops were in the Kingdom that the major part of the Army had declar'd for him and that the Czar of Muscovy threatned an Invasion if they persisted to support the Prince of Conti they thought it more advisable to quit his Interest than to give occasion for a Civil War for I have often heard them say That Kings were easy enough to be had without shedding Blood for any and that they were easily depos'd if they usurp'd any greater Authority than the Laws allow'd And therefore they think it more prudent after having sufficiently empty'd the Candidates Pockets to declare for the first of them that joins his Party and appears in Arms since he is deem'd qualify'd than to expose their Country to ruin and devastation by adhering to an illegal Election of which the success is always doubtful for by their Constitution no Election can be really lawful nor any Law can be legally made without the universal Consent of the Lords and Commons of both States Poland and Lithuania assembl'd in Parliament The Prince of Conti having full Intelligence of the Posture of Affairs in Poland did not think it politick to conside any longer in the Promises of the Great Men who in that Country are naturally sickle and biass'd more to their own Interest than any Inclination they have to serve any Prince for they have no other Notion of Princes than of Tools to raise their own Fortune by Wherefore this Prince foreseeing no probability of success the Town of Dantzic having declar'd for the Elector of Saxony he thought it more prudent timely to quit his Pretensions by sailing back into France than to expose his Reputation by being forc'd to retire when the New King's Authority was more confirm'd as it is look'd upon to be at present King Frederick Augustus the IId being thus left in sole Possession of the Kingdom is likely to restore the decaying State thereof for having large hereditary Dominions of his own out of which he can have both Men and Money and being likewise naturally animated with a martial Spirit and moreover King over a most Warlike Nation which is at present in league against the Infidels with the Emperour Muscovites Pope and Venetians He has opportunity sufficient to enlarge that Kingdom and extend it to its antient Bounds the Euxine Sea by retaking Caminiec and the Vkrain I may here take notice that this is the first time the Poles have elected a German Prince and likewise the first that they have excluded their King's Son for from the Year 550 when this Monarchy began to this present Election the King's Children have been always chosen and the Crown tho elective has been in the same Family
successively for above eight hundred Years But hereafter it is likely to prove otherwise for the Gentry of Poland are so jealous of their own Kings and so covetous to be enrich'd by foreign Princes that probably henceforward they will choose no Native Besides the Pope will undoubtedly always use his utmost Authority and Interest in that Kingdom to get Protestant Princes elected For when I was formerly at Rome I heard the Politicians say that the best method to make the Protestant Princes of the North Roman Catholicks was to elect them successively to the Crown of Poland So that if the Pope sees that the present King of Poland's Children are confirm'd in the Doctrines of the Church of Rome he will doubtless after his Death make the same Endeavours to advance to that Throne either the King of Sweden the Elector of Brandenburg or the Elector of Hanover as he has done in favour of the Elector of Saxony who has been elected to the Crown of Poland not so much by the Power of his Wealth and Credit in the Kingdom as by the Influence of the Clergy privately instigated by the Authority of the Pope This I gather from a Letter sent me last Summer from Warsaw by my Friend Baron Scarlati Envoy Extraordinary at that Court from the Elector of Bavaria Thus my Lord I have given you as large an Account of John the IIId's Life and of what pass'd remarkable at Warsaw in my time as we need perhaps know of so remote a Country or I could my self learn in so short a time as I had the honour to reside at that Prince's Court where I was so much taken up in the Practice of Physick that I had neither Opportunity nor Time to make all the Political Remarks which another perhaps that had nothing else to do but to converse with Courtiers and Ladies might have leisurely done I cannot therefore pretend to give as is usual a Character of the King's Favourites nor of other Great Men about him nor to acquaint your Lordship with the different Cabals and private Intrigues of that numerous Court That were a Subject fitter for a Statesman than for me to write of my Genius and Profession prompting me only to make Observations in Physick and not in State-Affairs I hope therefore your Lordship will excuse the deficiency of this Letter when you consider it was writ by a Physician and one who values himself only upon it in being with all Respect My LORD Your Lordship 's most obedient humble Servant B. C. LETTER V. To the Right Honourable CHARLES Lord Townsend Of the Extent and Products of Poland together with a Description of the chief Towns and Provinces of the Kingdom My LORD I Know your natural Sagacity improv'd so much by your Travels and constant Application to Sciences and Politicks is no less inquisitive after the Extent and Products of Countries than after their Maxims of State and Forms of Government And this I discover'd in your Lordship as well when I met you some years ago in Holland as since your return to England and because you then discours'd me often about my Travels into Poland I thought a Geographical Description of that Country might not be unacceptable to you I must confess I were not long enough in that Kingdom to survey it exactly therefore have taken pains to learn not only from the Natives themselves but also from their correctest Authors an Account of such Parts of that Kingdom which I could not visit my self I must first take notice to your Lordship that the King of Poland's Dominions are divided into two different States which are the Kingdom of Poland and the Great Dutchy of Lithuania The Constitutions Language Customs and Genius of both which Nations are as different as those of England and Scotland except that one Parliament or Diet serves both which must nevertheless have one Session in Lithuania to two in Poland and the Senators and Deputies of each Nation must meet together as well in the Great Dutchy as in the Kingdom for no Law can be legally made without the mutual Consent of both Poland therefore being a distinct Nation of it self I will here as I have promis'd present your Lordship with a short Description of it alone My Lord POLAND when first founded by Lechus in the Year 550 like all other Nations in their minority was but a small Tract of Land in respect of what it afterwards grew to be for at first it contain'd only High and Low Poland with Silesia but in process of time either through Marriages or Conquests it became the largest and most powerful Kingdom in Europe and rais'd as well the Envy as Jealousy of its Neighbours The first Acquisition to this Crown was the Province of Pomerania conquer'd by Lechus by his having kill'd Regulus its Prince Boleslaus Chrobry likewise made Bohemia Russia Moravia and Prussia Tributary But Casimir II. entirely conquer'd all Prussia in the Year 1183 and Casimir the Great subdu'd all Russia in the Year 1338 when Maslaus the Duke of Masovia also submitted to the Polish Crown Some time after Valachia and Moldavia were united to Poland by Conquest and the Great Dutchy of Lithuania added by Jagello's Marriage with Hedwigis Queen of Poland The large and fertile Province of Livonia was conquer'd about the Year 1500 and afterwards the Poles extended their Conquests towards Moscovy when they took the Great Dutchies of Smolensko Severia and Czernicovia and in Vladislaus the VIIth's time conquer'd all that Country They in like manner enlarg'd their Dominions towards the Black Sea for they made themselves Masters of all Vkraina Over and above these vast Conquests the Poles likewise grew very considerable by electing several potent Neighbours for their Kings whereby they added to their own Strength that of Bohemia Hungary Sweden and Transylvania as they have likewise at this juncture that of the Electorate of Saxony In short the Poles in process of time grew so exorbitantly Powerful from the XIIIth to the middle of the XVIIth Century having in their possession all the Lands between Austria Moscovy and the Baltic and Euxine Seas that they gave their Neighbours the Turks Tartars Muscovites Swedes and Germans just reason to grow jealous of them Whereupon these several Potentates at different times made most bloody Wars upon them till by degrees they had brought their Territories to a narrower Compass and made themselves Masters of the greater part of them For the Emperour got from them the several Countries of Hungary Bohemia Transylvania Silesia and Moravia Valachia and Moldavia now chuse Hospodars or Governours of their own tho they are nevertheless Tributary to the Turk The Turks and Tartars are Masters of Podolia and the best part of Vkraina which they over-run in King Michael Korybuth's time and the Muscovites conquer'd the other part of it Kiovia as likewise all the vast Dutchies of Severia Smolensko and Czernicovia The King of Sweden also is now in possession of
present Prussians are a mixt People sprung from the several Colonies of the Swedes Poles Germans and other Neighbouring Nations Regal or Royal Prussia is divided into four Palatinates viz. The Palatinate of Pomerania Culm Marienburg and Varmia The first Palatinate Pomerania being not in possession of the Poles requires no Description The second Palatinate of Royal Prussia is that of Culm to which also the Territory of Michalovia lying to the South belongs and has in it these Cities and Towns viz. Culm Bish Cap. Thorn Graudentz Colmensee Brodnicz Radin Golubia Rogozna Brathian Lubavia and Kopriunicza Of all which the chief City is Culm an antient and famous Place built on a Hill the foot whereof is water'd by the River Vistula It lies about four German Miles from Thorn to the South and fifteen from Dantzic to the North. It was built by the Knights of the Teutonic Order in the Year 1223 who likewise fortified it against the Irruptions of the Heathen Prussians and Herman Desalza Master of that Order gave Laws and Constitutions for its Government This City suffer'd much Damage during the Swedish Invasion and is now very thin of Inhabitants insomuch that the Episcopal See subject to the Arch-bishop of Gnesna has been for some time remov'd to the neighbouring Town of Colmensee It has in it very fair Churches enrich'd with many valuable Ornaments and precious Offerings Thorn seated upon the Bank of the Vistula by which it is divided into two parts It lies four Polish Miles from Culm to the South thirteen from Marienburg twenty two from Dantzic fifteen from Lanschet and twenty nine from Warsaw It was heretofore an Imperial and Free City but was afterwards exempted from the Jurisdiction of the Empire and as yet enjoys very many Privileges It s Name seems to have been taken from the German word Thor signifying a Gate because built by the Teutonick Order as it were for a Gate to let Forces into Prussia whenever occasion serv'd Whence its Arms are suppos'd to have been taken being a Castle and Gate half open This City does not stand in the same place where the old one did that having been seated a Mile Westward from hence where are now to be seen the Ruins of an antient Castle and some other Monuments However this City at present is the fairest and best built of any in Royal Prussia the Streets being much broader and Houses more stately than at Dantzic It was very much beautisied by one of its Burgermasters Henry Stwband in the Year 1609 who built a small University here and endow'd it with a considerable Revenue He likewise founded an Hospital and a Publick Library where two of Cicero's Epistles are preserv'd written upon Tables of Wax and a Town-house built in the middle of the Market-place The Inhabitants revolted from the Knights of the Teutonick Order in the Year 1454 and put themselves under the Protection of Poland In this City the famous Astronomer Nicholas Copernicus was born and John Albert King of Poland died here in the Year 1501. It was taken by the Swedes in the Year 1655 and regain'd by the Poles in 1658. Afterwards the Swedes recover'd it and the Poles surpriz'd and retook it in 1665. Graudentz only famous for a Castle and very strong Wall Colmensee or Culmensee the Episcopal Seat of the Bishop of Culm translated hither from Culm It is distant nine Miles from Thorn to the North nineteen from Graudentz and twelve from Culm to the South-East The Territory of Michalovia is a strait Neck of Land between the Rivers Brodna and Drebnicz which was the occasion of bloody Wars between the Teutonick Knights and Poles The chief Town is Michalovia which with some others that are in this Territory deserves no Description The third Palatinate of Royal Prussia is that of Marienburg in which are these Cities and Towns viz Marienburg Cap. Elbing Stuma Mewa Gniew Now Stargardie and Ornet Of all which the chief City is Marienburg seated upon the Nogat a Branch of the Vistula about six Miles from Dantzic It is defended by strong Walls and high Towers together with a very large Castle wherein the better sort of Prisoners in time of War are kept This City receives no small Benefit from the Neighbourhood of the Island Zulava which is a very rich spot of Earth This Island is divided into two parts viz. 1. The Greater which lies next Marienburg and 2. The Lesser next to Dantzic to whose Inhabitants at present belongs Elbing a well fortified and trading Town in which the English they say had formerly a Consul Here Albert first Duke of Prussia founded an Academy in the Year 1542. but of no great moment The other Towns I find no Description of The fourth Palatinate of Royal Prussia is The Bishoprick of Varmia whose Gentry are exempt from all Regal Jurisdiction being wholly govern'd by the Laws and Customs of Prussia and by the Bishop who is a Temporal Prince It has in it these Cities and Towns Heilsberg Cap. Fraumberg Brunsberg Gutestadt Allestein Resla Vormitz Messac Vatemberg Seberg c. Of all which the chief City is Heilsberg famous for being the Residence of the Bishop and defended with strong Walls and other sutable Fortifications Fraumberg celebrated for the Cathedral of the Bishoprick of Varmia there built of which the famous Astronomer Copernicus was Canon Brunsberg situate on the River Passar so much frequented and so worthily esteem'd that it is reckon'd among the chief Towns of Prussia It has a College of Jesuits built by Cardinal Hosius There are several other Cities and Towns of which I find no Description and therefore have omitted them Ducal Prussia now entirely belonging to the Elector of Brandenburg has these Towns in it viz. Koningsberg Cap. Pilaw Memel Welaw Tilsa Marienwerder c. To the number of 60. The Metropolis Koningsberg is a Market Town divided into three parts and defended with a very considerable Castle It lies in the 43 d degree of Longitude and 54 of Latitude and has a small Academy founded by Albert Great Master of the Teutonick Order and first Duke of this Country in the Year 1544. The Citizens are generally Lutherans as are likewise most part of this Country which occasion'd Sigismund III. when he receiv'd Homage of this Duke in the Year 1621 to impose a Law that the Catholicks should have free Exercise for their Religion there The Senators of Prussia are The Bishop of Varmia who is the Chief The Bishop Palatin and Castellan of Culm The Palatins of Marienburg and Pomerania The Castellans of Elbing and Dantzic There are other Officers which belong to the Senate or Great Council of Prussia which they hold among themselves except when they are commanded to the Grand Diet of the Kingdom These are The Vice-Chamberlains of Culm Marienburg Pomerania Thorn Elbing and Dantzic Besides these
and is divided into two Districts Viz. The Districts of Chelm and Crasnistaw In both which are these Cities and Towns Viz. Chelm Bish Cap. Crasnistaw Zamoisk Ratno Lynbowlya Rozana Vlodavia Scebresin Turobin Tamogrod Tomasow and Ctesow The Capital of all which is Chelm a small City defended with a Castle the Outworks whereof are made of Wood. It lies about ten Miles from Lublin to the East twenty four from Premistaw to the North and twelve from Belsko It has been sack'd and burnt by the Muscovites and Tartars during the late Wars which occasion'd the Residence of its Bishop to be translated to Crasnistaw Nevertheless an Oriental or Russian Bishop still resides there Crasnistaw a wall'd Town upon the River Vepre where the Bishop of Chelm at present has his Residence in a Palace of modern Architecture Near this place the Arch-Duke Maximilian when he came with an Army to seize the Crown of Poland was shamefully repuls'd by John Zamoiski who immediately afterwards built a Town in that Neighbourhood calling it after his own Name Zamoisk well defended by high Walls deep Ditches and other strong Fortifications after the modern Manner He likewise built a fair Cathedral here and enrich'd it with all manner of Necessaries also a noble Academy furnish'd with Learned Masters from the famous University of Cracow This Person was so great a favourer of Learning that not only Zamoisk but also several other Places of the Province of Russia found the Effects of his Bounty Ratno a wooden Town built among the Marshes with a Castle wash'd by the River Perepet on one side and defended on the other by a Bog and the Niester It lies bout twenty four Miles from Chelm Lynbowlya a Town upon the Bug with a tolerably fortify'd Castle The Senators of this Palatinate are The Bishop and Castellan of Chelm The Standard or Arms of this Palatinate are a Bear Argent passant between three Trees proper in a Field Or. The Fifth PROVINCE of this Kingdom is Masovia situate almost in the Heart of the Kingdom of Poland and bounded on the North by Prussia on the East by Lithuania on the South by Upper Poland and on the West by Lower Poland It was formerly govern'd by its own Princes but in the Year 1526 by the Death of its Dukes John and Stanislaus that Dutchy fell to the Kings of Poland The Inhabitants hereof are generally Warlike They speak the same Language with the Poles only they differ in some few guttural Accents Their Manners Habits and Religion are much the same This Province is divided into three Palatinates which are The Palatinates of Masovia properly so call'd Ploczkow and Dobrina The first Palatinate of this Province is that of Masovia properly so call'd which in spiritual Matters is subject only to the Bishop of Posnan but in Temporal is divided into twelve Districts viz. The Districts of Warsaw Wisna Cyrna Zembrow Nuren Wissegrod Zakrow Cickanow Lombze Rozan Makow and Liw In all which the principal Cities and Towns are those of the same Name with the Districts adding moreover these following viz. Pultovia Czerniensk Czersko Akroczim Varka Blonye Pultowsko Tarcin Grodzyec Prasniz Garvolinia Vengrovia Stanislanovia Broc Viskow and Seroicz The chief City of all which and Metropolis of the Province is Warsaw defended with a Castle Wall and Ditch seated in a Plain in the very Center of the Kingdom and therefore pitch'd upon for the convening of the Diet. It lies upon the River Vistula in the 43 d degree of Longitude and 52 of Latitude and is divided into four Parts viz. The Old and New Town with The Suburbs of Cracow and Prag This City is adorn'd with divers stately Piles of Buildings particularly a spacious four-square Palace founded by Sigismund III. and much improv'd by his Successors where the Kings of Poland most commonly reside Opposite to this on the other side of the River stands another Royal Palace in the middle of delightful Groves and Gardens built by Vladislaus VII and call'd by the Name of Viasdow where the States or Diet of Poland formerly us'd to sit and debate the most important Affairs of the Kingdom There is moreover the Palace of King John Casimir as likewise a very stately one built by Count Morstin Great Treasurer of Poland Also a League from this City King John Sobieski built a neat Country Palace by the Name of Villa Nova The other Publick Edifices are no less remarkable being the Church of St. John Baptist where Secular Canons officiate the Arsenal Castle Market-place c. Divers kinds of Merchandizes are convey'd hither along a River from the neighbouring Provinces and from hence carried to Dantzic to be transported into Foreign Countries In the Suburbs of Cracow is a small Chappel built on purpose for the Burial of John Demetrius Suski Great Duke of Muscovy who died Prisoner in the Castle of Gostinin together with his two Brothers This City was taken by the Swedes in the Year 1655 and is scarce three Polish Miles distant from Lesser Poland about twenty four from Lanschet as many North-East of Lublin twenty nine South-East of Thorn thirty to the North from Sendomir thirty three West of Gnesna and forty to the North-East from Cracow and Posnan Wisna a Town in a Plain near the River Narew with a Castle upon an adjoining Hill Wissegrod a Wooden Town built in a Plain near the Vistula with a considerable Castle It lies about twelve Miles from Warsaw Ciekanow about the same distance from Warsaw being a Town built in a Plain likewise with a Castle among the Marshes Lombze a large City upon the navigable River Narew consisting of fair Buildings and about twenty Miles from Warsaw Rozan a Town built in a Plain near the River Narew Liw a Timber-built Town with a Castle founded on the Banks of the River Liwijecz Pultovia famous for being the Residence of the Bishop of Plosko It is a Town built with Brick with a good Castle and some other tolerable Edifices Czerniensk a large Wooden Town built on the Vistula Akroczim a Wooden Town likewise seated on the Vistula with a Castle It is about eight Miles from Warsaw Varka a large Town built in a Plain near the River Pilza and about eight Miles from Warsaw another way Blonye a Town about four Miles from Warsaw Pultowsko a Wall'd Town with a Castle situate on the River Narew Tarcin a Timber-built Town about five Miles from Warsaw Grodzyec about seven Miles from Warsaw and two from Tarcin Prasniz a large Town intermix'd with a great many fair Stone Edifices The Senators of this Palatinate are The Palatine of Masovia The Castellans of Cyrna Warsaw Wisna Wissegrod Zakrow Ciekanow and Liw The Arms or Standard of this Palatinate are an Eagle expanded Argent in a Field
considerable an Army and that chiefly of Horse as any Christian Prince He has ever had a great Reputation with the Eastern Princes and considering their History I find as remarkable Transactions and Exploits in the Lives of the Kings of Poland as in any other History whatever I must confess the Poles have not been such refin'd Politicians nor so prudently manag'd their own Interest as some of their Neighbours have done for by their ill Conduct and supine Negligence they have lost the best Part of their Antient Dominions which yet has hapned to them neither on account of their Deficiency in Courage or Bravery but at present the Poles beginning to enquire into the State of Foreign Countries and into their Maxims of Government they are become more Vigilant and Political and are likely under the Command of their present King as well to retrieve their Honour as recover their lost Dominions I would my Lord have presented you with a great many other entertaining Matters relating to the Geography and Natural History of this Country had I either seen them my self or been secure of the Relation of others but I would rather chuse to be deficient in this Account than to give your Lordship just reason to believe that I were too credulous I am My LORD Your Lordship 's most obedient humble Servant B. C. LETTER VI. To GEORGE STEPNEY Esq late Envoy Extraordinary from his Majesty to the Electors and Princes of the Empire Of the Origin and Extent of the Great Dutchy of Lithuania with the Succession of its Great Dukes and Description of its chief Towns and Provinces SIR THE Zeal you have shew'd for his Majesty's Service in your Ministry at the Courts of the Empire and the Reputation I found you left behind you in those Places to the Honour of so great a Master deserve not only the repeated Proofs of his usual Bounty and the Choice he wisely made of you a second time to represent his Royal Person but likewise the Esteem of all those that are acquainted with your Merits To pretend to inform you of the Constitution of any State in Europe would not be only the calling in question your Experience in Foreign Affairs and your undoubted Knowledg in Politicks but likewise exposing my own Judgment to the just Censure of the World Wherefore Sir thinking by our late Discourse about Poland that nothing could be new to you but what was either very remote or very antient I will endeavour only to give what I know of the Origin and Extent of the Great Dutchy of Lithuania which is that vast Tract of Land that lies between the Kingdom of Poland and the Frontiers of Moscovy The Great Dutchy of LITHUANIA call'd by the Inhabitants Litwa tho subject to the King of Poland as Scotland to the King of England yet is a distinct Nation from this Kingdom having different Customs a different Dialect and particular Privileges tho one Diet serves them both It lies between Moscovy on the East Livonia the Baltic Sea and part of Moscovy to the North Samogitia Prussia and Podlachia to the West and Russia Volhynia and Podolia towards the South It extends near ninety German Miles in length that is from the Borders of the Palatinate of Lublin to the Confines of Livonia and about eighty in breadth from the River Niemen to the Nieper In the time of its Great Duke Vitoldus it was of much larger Extent for then it reached from the Euxine Sea to almost all along the Baltic This Province is a flat and Champain Country formerly all over-run with Woods and of which a great Number still remain Yet what with the Industry of the Inhabitants and the Peace they have enjoy'd ever since Sigismund the First 's time it is now very fruitful and produces all sorts of Grain as likewise affords great quantities of Honey Pitch Tar and Timber with good store of Fish and Flesh Nevertheless the Air is generally unhealthy which occasions many places to be little inhabited and some quite Desert This great Dutchy was only begun to be united to Poland by Jagello in the Year 1386 for tho that Union was afterwards renew'd at Grodno in the Year 1413 yet Lithuania still retain'd its own proper Dukes till the Year 1501 when the great Duke Albert was chosen King of Poland by whose means this Country became absolutely under the Dominion of that Crown and which was afterwards confirm'd by a Diet held at Lublin in 1569 under the Reign of Sigismundus Augustus where it was agreed that Lithuania should enjoy its own peculiar Laws and Privileges and be constituted a part of the Polish Common-wealth insomuch that nothing of Importance was for the future to be transacted therein without the voluntary Concurrence of these States This Country consists of two Parts viz. 1. Lithuania properly so call'd and 2. Lithuanic or White Russia Both which are divided into several Palatinates and those again into Districts and all of them may be properly term'd Dutchies each having formerly had its peculiar Duke The Arms or Standard of Lithuania are Party per Pale Gules and Azure In the former a Horse in full career Argent with a Warrior insiding Proper brandishing a Sword over his head And in the second the Virgin Mary with our Saviour in her Arms surrounded by a Glory Before I proceed to a Topographical Description of this State I hope a short Account of the Origin of Lithuania with the Lives and most remarkable Actions of the several Dukes and Great Dukes of that Dutchy Samogitia c. may not be unacceptable which are as follows Lithuania as Guagnini thinks took its Name from this Occasion When the first Prince thereof Palaemon left Italy on account of Nero's Tyranny he together with several of his Countrymen fled by a long Voyage into these Parts Where after some time having been saluted Prince by the Inhabitants thereof he call'd their Country after the Name of his own La Italia which in process of time by mixing with the Idiom of those Barbarians might as he says have degenerated into Lithuania Others will have it to be so nam'd from the Latin word Littus a Shoar because say they this Prince settled along the Shoar of the Baltic Sea before he descended into Lithuania To confirm this Prince's Expedition into this Country there are several Italian and Latin words intermixt with its present Language As likewise most of the Noble Families have great similitude with the Roman Names tho the Vulgar sort are altogether Sclavonian Notwithstanding this Assertion Hartknoch with several others positively affirm that this Country had its Name from Littuo one of the Alani a certain Duke therefore long before Palaemon's Voyage So that from Littuo Alanus they call'd his Country Littualania which afterwards was contracted to Lithuania Palaemon first Duke of Lithuania being descended from the Roman Patricii after having undergon great Dangers and
powerful have a joint Interest to limit the King's Power and to keep the Common People in subjection who are stupidly pleas'd with or rather insensible of their Slavery And the Notion of Liberty is so inbred with the Polish Gentry that if they should suspect that their King did aim at making any Breach upon their Laws they not only think themselves no longer oblig'd to pay him Allegiance but likewise exclude his Children For they maintain That â—â—ex est Rex their Law is their King and that they elect a Prince only to head their Army against the Invasion of Foreigners and to govern the turbulent Spirit of the Grâ—â—â—â—â—â— who think they are all equal among themselves and their King but the first among his Eqâ—â—ls So thâ—â— the â—â—urest way for a King of Poland to maâ—â— the Crown Hereditary is never to 〈◊〉 but to â—â—ave entirely to the free will of the Diâ—â— to â—â—ouse whom they please Which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the bad Success Prime 〈◊〉 had in the â—â—te Election caused by the ill Conâ—â—â—â— of King â—â—obieski his Father who prompted by his 〈◊〉 and French Counsel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—â—ears before his Death to perswade the Dieâ—â— iâ—â— thuse a Successor which drew such 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Jealousy upon his Children that very few appear'd for them in the last Election thâ—â— he â—â—lig'd the Chief Officers to whom he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—â—onsiderable Employment to take an Oath to 〈◊〉 his Childrens Interest after his 〈◊〉 But the Poles who think themselves to longer â—â—ound by their Oaths than they find them conformable to their Laws and Interest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tâ—â— abandon those Princes to chuse the Elector of Saxony and to give a new Precedent for two things they never practised before to exclude their own King's Sons and to elect a German Prince For the distance and situâ—â—iâ—â—n of the Elector of Saxony's Hereditary Dominions and the Jealousies the other German Princes would have conceiv'd had he usurp'd more Power than the Laws allow'd took away from the Poles all suspicion that this Prince would ever attempt to invade their Privileges as they apprehended the Prince of Conti and perhaps John III's Children would have done When I came first into this Nation my chief Design was to converse with Physicians and other Naturalists to improve my Knowledg in the Practice of Physick and in Natural History But finding little here to satisfy my Curiosity in these Matters that I might not lose my Labour in travelling in so remote a Country I resolv'd to look into their Chronicles to inform my self of the Origin of the Monarchy of the Succession and Remarkable Actions of all its Kings of its Geography and its Products and to enquire into the Antient and Present State of that vast Kingdom Which I have done with as much Care and Accuracy as I could well compass in so short a time People perhaps will admire how I could pretend to give an Account of so large and Antient a Kingdom not having been in it a full Twelve-month I own this were no small presumption in me had I undertaken to give a compleat History thereof but as I only relate briefly either what I have gather'd from the best Polish Authors learned from the most Intelligent Natives or observ'd my self I hope the Publick will have no ill Thoughts of me for this Attempt The first Writers of the Polish History like most other Historians were credulous and superstitious and have fill'd their Writings with a great many Romantio and almost fabulous Stories which I have omitted tho I have inserted some as the golden Tooth the devouring Dragon Popiel's being eaten by Rats and some others not with a design to make the Publick believe them or that I believ'd 'em my self but only to shew how the Ignorance of some and the unfair Relations of others have impos'd upon the World in all Ages I knew something of the Constitution of Poland before I went thither having formerly conversed with several Gentlemen of that Country at Paris in Italy and Germany which inclined me in some measure to travel with some of them from thence into that Kingdom Besides I came out of Poland with the Electoress of Bavaria the King's Daughter in Company with several Natives thereof who attended her Highness from Warsaw to Brussels In this long Journey I had likewise opportunity to inform my self further of the present State of that Country So that I have not only collected this imperfect Account which I have ventur'd to give of it during the little time I resided at the King's Court but likewise before I came thither and since I left it I did not at first design this Historical Account should swell to so great a Bulk nor that chiefly the Geographical Part should be so tediously long but thought to reduce the whole to the narrow compass of one Volume until Mr. S considering the Inconveniency of too small an Epitome enlarg'd the Geography of the Kingdom of Poland and of the Great Dutchy of Lithuania to make the Relation of them both more exact and more satisfactory to such as are desirous to compare the Towns and Provinces with the Map THE CONTENTS OF THE First Volume Letter I. TO the Right Honourable William Lord Dartmouth Of the Origin of the Kingdom of Poland with the Succession and remarkable Actions of its first Dukes from the Year 550 to 830. Let. II To the Right Honourable Laurence Earl of Rochester Embassador from his Majesty Charles II. into Poland Containing the second and third Classes of the Kings of that Country or the Succession and Remarkable Actions of the Families of Piastus and Jagello from the Year 830 to the Year 1574. Let. III. To his Grace William Duke of Devonshire Lord Steward of his Majesty's Houshold Of the Succession and remarkable Actions of the four Classes of the Kings of Poland consisting of mixt Families from the Year 1574 to 1674. Let. IV. To the Right Honourable William Earl of Yarmouth Concerning the Family and remarkable Actions of John III. King of Poland As also his Daughter's Marriage to the present Elector of Bavaria c. Let. V. To the Right Honourable Charles Lord Townsend Of the Extent and Products of Poland together with a Description of the chief Towns and Provinces of that Kingdom Let. VI. To George Stepney Esq His Majesty's Envoy Extraordinary to the Princes of the Empire Of the Extent and Products of the Great Dutchy of Lithuania with an Account of its chief Towns and Provinces The CONTENTS of the Second Volume being the present State of Poland In several Letters Letter I. To his Grace Thomas Lord Archbishop of Canterbury Of the Form of the Government in Poland and of the King's Power and Revenues Let. II. To his Grace the Duke of Norfolk Of the Senate of Poland or House of peers consisting of Bishops Palatins Castellans and the ten great Officers of the Crown as likewise of the Starosta's and other Persons of Note Let. III. To
the Right Honourable James Vernon Esq Principal Secretary of State Of the Diet or Parliament of Poland and other Courts of Judicature Let. IV. To the Earl of Marlborough Of the Election and Coronation of a King of Poland with the Interregnum Let. V. To the Lord Marquess of Of the Power of the Gentry and Slavery of the People in Poland where the Genius Character and manner of living of the Poles are related Let. VI. To his Grace the Duke of Ormond Of the state of the Army Forts and Military Affairs in Poland Let. VII To his Excellency Monsieur de Cleverskerk Embassador from Holland An Account of the Trade and Riches of Poland as likewise of the City of Dantzic Let. VIII To the Earl of Burlington Of the Origin of the Teutonic Order and the Succession of its great Masters in Prussia and in Livonia with its present State in the Empire Let. IX To Sir Thomas Millington President of the College of Physicians Of the state of Learning of Natural Knowledg and particularly of the Practice of Physick in Poland with an account of some natural things chiefly of a Disease in the Hair peculiar to the Poles call'd Plica Polonica Let. X. From Baron Blomberg his Highness the Duke of Curland's Minister to Dr. Connor Giving an Account of the Duke of Curland's Family Strength and Revenues as likewise the Extent and Products of his Territories Let. XI To the Honourable Mr. Bridges eldest Son to my Lord Chandois and Fellow of the Royal Society Giving an Anatomical Account of the Natural Cause why People must necessarily die of old Age alone attended with no other Disease Let. XII To Explaining the Nature of curable and incurable Wounds demonstrating by Practical Observations and Anatomical Experiments the small number of Wounds which are of themselves absolutely mortal and shewing the true use and common abuse of Styptic Waters and Pouders in the Practice of Surgery A Catalogue of such Authors as have been consulted in both Volumes of this Book whereof some have been quoted and others omitted on account of Consent in Opinion POmponius Mela de Sarmatiâ Commentariolus Hartmanni Schedii de Sarmatiâ Aeneas Sylvius de Poloniâ Lithuania Prussiâ five Borussiâ Martini Cromeri Polonia Alexandri Guagnini Rerum Polonicarum Sigismundi Liberi Baronis in Herberstein Descriptio Lithuaniae Jacobi Pritusii de Provinciis Polonicis Chronicon Poloniae Vincentii Kadlubâ—â—i Matth. de Michovia Chronica Polonorum Polonici Regni tredecem Mutationes Johannes Duglossus Annales Polonorum Salomonis Neugebaveri Historia Polonica Johannes Herburtus à Fulstin Compendium Historiae Polonicae Flosculi Legum Polonicarum Stanislai Orichovii Annales Mariciani Mattbiae Ladovli Constitut Polon Compendium Pastorii Florus Polonicus Johannis Boteri Poloniae Descriptio Historia Reformationis Polonicae Authore Stanistao Lubiensko Equite Polono Stanislai Krzistanowicksi Status Poloniae Simonis Starâ—â—volsâ—â—ii Poloniae Relation Historique de Pologne Par Mons Hauteville Hartkâ—â—â—bii Respublica Polonorum Adam Bremensis Seculi IX Scriptor Historia Ecclesiastics Alhini Chronicon Hornii Arca Noae Historia de Vitâ Obitu Sigismundi Augusti Heidenstein de Rebus Polonicis ab exoessii Sigismundi Augusti Dâ—â—â—â—soanorum Clades a Johanne Lasicio Polonâ—â— â—â—obâ—â—slaus Balbinus Historis Bohemiae 〈◊〉 Historia Bohemiae 〈◊〉 Chronica Pomeranie Alberti Cranzii Polonicarum Rerum 〈◊〉 Annalâ—â—s Polon 〈◊〉 I. Regis Poloniae cum Fragmentls 〈◊〉 Vladislai Boloniâ—â— Sueciae Principis Vita Casamir Roy de Pologne Guerre Civili di Poliniae di Alberto Viâ—â—ina Description d' Vkraine par Beauplan Cuerres des Turcs avec la Pologne Histoire des Cosaques leurs Guerres contre la Pologne La Politique des Polonois 〈◊〉 diere Histoire des Dietes Philippi Honorii de Interregno Grammatica seu Institutio Polonice Linguae Effata Regum Poloniae 〈◊〉 Polonica Books printed for Daniel Brown and Abel Roper 1. FOur Treatises of Physick and Chirurgery 1. A Physico-Medical Essay concerning Alkaly and Acid. 2. Farther Considerations on the said Essay 3. A new Light of Chirurgery 4. The new Light of Chirurgery vindicated from many unjust Aspersions By J. Colebatch a Member of the College of Physicians 2. His Treatise of the Gout 3. His Doctrine of Acids in the Cure of Diseases farther asserted in which is contained some things relating to the History of Blood c. 4. Nature and Qualification of Religion in reference to Civil Society Written by Sam. Puffendorf Counsellor of State to the late King of Sweden Translated from the Original The Present and Antient State of Muscovy in which is inserted all things material to be known in relation to that vast Country with several Sculptures and a new Map A New Map of POLAND Exactly delineated after the best Modern Geographer THE â—â—ntient and Present STATE OF â—â—OLAND PART I. The Antient State LETTER I. 〈◊〉 the Right Honourable WILLIAM Lord Dartmouth 〈◊〉 the Origin of the Kingdom of Poland with the Succession and Remarkable Actions of its first Dukes from the Year 550 to 830. MY LORD HAving had the good Fortune some Years since to meet your Lordship at Venice in my Travels from France â—â—hrough Italy and Germany into Poland I â—â—ound that not contented with a superficial â—â—nd transitory Account of Places your Genius led you naturally to enquire not only into the Government Laws and Characters of the several Nations you passed through but likewise to examine nicely into their Maxims of State and their different Interests and this that by discovering the Excellency of some of their Constitutions and Defects in others you might like a wise and thinking Patriot admire the Perfections of our own Government Goodness of our Laws and Wisdom of our Senate whereof you your self are so worthy a Member My Lord You may remember that after your Resolution to take Medicines as well as my small Skill in prescribing them had had the good Effect of curing your Lordship at Venice of that acute Disease which made me almost despair of your Recovery I left you at Padua with the Earl of Kildare to gather strength and went thro' Tyrol Bavaria and Austria down the Danube to Vienna where having staid for some time to see the Emperour's Court I set forward with some Noblemen of Poland through Moravia and Silesia to Cracow the Capital City of that Kingdom from whence in eight days we arrived with a numerous Attendance at the King's Court which always resides at Warsaw where I was kindly receiv'd by the late King John Sobieski who did me the Honour to intrust me with the Care of his decaying Health and sometime afterwards his Majesty sent me with her Electoral Highness the Princess Tcresa his only Daughter then married to the Elector of Bavaria to take care likewise of her Health in her long Winter Journey from Warsaw to Brussels which gave me opportunity to come sooner out of that Kingdom than I at first apprehended I cou'd Tho my Lord my chief business both in Poland and other
extended their Dominions beyond those of any State in Europe had their other Constitutions been as well grounded or as exactly observed For tho the Poles have been constantly molested by their Neighbours the Suedes Moscovites Tartars Turks Hungarians and Germans and their Kingdom been several times reduc'd to Extremities burnt and plunder'd by frequent Incursions put into Convulsions and Desolations and thousands of their People been carry'd away into Captivity yet by the prudent Conduct and Courage of their Kings through a desire of gaining the Affection of their Subjects by serving their Country zealously to the end their Fame and Merits might raise their Children to the Throne after their deaths the Poles have not only always oppos'd but likewise repuls'd the exorbitant Force of their Enemies They have also by degrees enlarg'd their Country by vast Conquests and render'd it several times the most formidable of any Kingdom in Europe They have likewise never submitted to any Foreign Power no not even to the Romans by force They have also hitherto inviolably maintain'd their Liberties Properties and peculiar manner of Government against all the Attempts both of their Enemies abroad or the Cabals form'd either by themselves or their Kings at home and I believe I may say to their great Commendation that they are the only Nation in the World who have kept the longest Succession of Kings without subjecting themselves either to a Despotic or Hereditary Monarchy their Princes being now as most are thought to have been at first wholly elected by the People Tho My Lord I have said the Poles have never excluded their Kings Children yet must it be understood that their Crown has not always been in the same Family by reason that from time to time the Royal Line has fail'd and therefore they have consequently been oblig'd to elect Princes out of other Families but still I may very well affirm that there has never been any Stranger chosen except in the present Election where the preceding King had any Issue surviving The Princes and Princesses of this Kingdom have in all been fifty two whereof were Women as Venda and Hedwigis both having had the Government for some time and the other forty eight were Men. At first these Princes were only stil'd Duces Dukes or Generals of Poland as if their Office in those times had been no other than to head Armies for 't is to be observ'd that to Boleslaus Chrobry they were not so much as crown'd This Title continu'd from the Year 550 to the Year 1005. when the Emperour Otho III. created Boleslaus I. the Sixteenth Duke of Poland King being the second Christian Prince that had govern'd that Country all before him and Miecislaus I. his Father having been Pagans as were likewise the Poles themselves till the tenth Century when this Miecislaus the fifteenth Duke of Poland turn'd Christian in the Year 964 in Pope John the XIIIth's time by which means his Son Boleslaus came to have the Title of King All the Princes of Poland may be divided into four Classes whereof the first and last are of different Families the second and third of but one in which the Crown passes from the Father to the Daughter The first Class reign'd from the Year 550 to the Year 830 The second from 830 to 1382 The third from 1382 to 1574 and the last from thence down to our Time I shall now proceed to give your Lordship some short Account of the Succession and most Remarkable Actions of the first Class of the Dukes of Poland from the Year 550 to the Year 830. LECHUS Son of Annon first Duke of Poland as I said before founded this Nation He built the first City there naming it Gnesna now the Primate's See as likewise the City of Posnan Capital of Posnania 'T is uncertain how many govern'd before his Race came to be extinct and there is great Contest among the Polish Historians about his Successor but some affirm that he order'd by his last Will like Alexander the Great that they should elect the most worthy Person among them VISIMIRUS his Nephew was thereupon chosen who is reported to have extended his Dominions even to the very Borders of Denmark and to have built a very great Ship which was an exceeding Terror to the Danes He is also said to have given that Nation a great Overthrow by Sea and to have pursued his Victory into the very Bowels of that Kingdom where he subdued many Provinces and built several Cities whereof one was Wismar which retains his Name to this day In one Battel this Visimirus is said to have taken the Danish King Prisoner and to have carried him into Poland whence afterwards being releas'd and conspiring together with the Swedes and Holsatians he made an Incursion into Poland with a numerous Army but was soon met and vanquish'd again by Wisimir who thereupon push'd on his Victory so far as to reduce the greatest part of Denmark which he then united to Poland In opposition to this Story Monsicur Pauli Minister here from Denmark has assured me that the Poles never made any Conquest in that Country which may give some Exception to the truth of this King's Reign tho it may very well be suppos'd that several Kings reign'd during the space of 150 Years there being so much time between the beginning of Lechus his Reign and the Election of Cracus However to gratify the Curiosity of the Publick I hope I have not done amiss to insert it since I withal quote my Author After many glorious Actions having greatly augmented his Dominions this Wisimir died without Issue Vapovius says that Lechus his Posterity reign'd all that space of time between him and Cracus being 150 Years yet having consulted all their Historians I can find no manner of Account given of their Reigâ—â— nor of the Government of Poland in all that space of time Lechus his Issue being extinct 't is certain the People elected twelve Woievods in the Polish Language Captains of War to govern 'em who divided that Country into twelve parts for the Poles sticking close to their Liberty would then by no means put the Government into one Man's hands But soon after these Palatins disagreeing among themselves the People chose one CRACUS for their Head a very Rich and Popular Person reported to have been of the Race of the Gracchi at Rome who were banish'd into this Country by King Ancus Who this Cracus was all Historians do not agree The Polish Writers say he was one of the twelve Woievods but the Bohemians affirm he was a Prince of their Country He gain'd extremely upon the good Will of his Subjects for he soon appeas'd the impending Storms of a Civil War built a City on the River Vistula calling it after his own Name Cracow and transfer'd his Residence from Gnesna thither which is the reason that this City has ever since
by his Wife Repicha a â—â—rave and warlike Prince This Duke had considerable Advantages by having the Administration of the Government long before his Father's Death who for some time was superâ—â—nnuated He obtain'd great Conquests over the Hungarians Moravians and Germans and was the first that brought the Polish Army to a Discipline by instituting Generals Colonels Captains and other Subaltern Officers among them He regain'd what the Popiels â—â—ost and besides considerably enlarg'd his Dominions by new Conquests He was a Person of a boundless Resolution seem'd destin'd for War being able to undergo the greatest Fatigues and consequently was exceedingly admir'd and belov'd by his Subjects He dy'd at Gnesna was buried there and was succeeded by his Son LESCUS IV. who being elected young was under the Care of Governours for some time He was of a quiet and peaceable Disposition enclin'd rather to Peace than War and contented to preserve what his Father had left him without ever aiming to enlarge his Dominions He dy'd in the Year 913 and was succeeded by his Son ZIEMOVISTUS who reigned 51 Years This Prince was much of the same Temper with his Father there having been no Wars in his time He had but one Son â—â—ecislaus I. who being born blind was miracuâ—â—ously restor'd to his sight about the Age of seven Years when he was about to have his Head shaven according to the Pagan Custom which gave occasion to the Magi of that Kingdom to prognosticate that he should be the Light of Poland which not long after his Election came to pass Ziemovistus dy'd and was buried at Gnesna and his Son MIECISLAUS I. came to the Crown next He had seven Wives at a time yet could have no Children by them which opened a way for the Christian Faith to enter Poland for there being then several Christians wandring up and down that Country to convert those Pagans they came to this Duke and told him he could never have any Issue till he had turn'd Christian which Miecislaus hearkning to immediately put away all his Wives and married Dambrawca Daughter to Boleslaus Duke of Bohemia on condition to turn Christian and be baptized Whereupon Pope John XIII sent Cardinal Aegidius with a great number of Priests into Poland to preach the Gospel there which before had been altogether unknown in that Country This Duke erected the Arch-bishopricks of Gnesna and Cracow with several Bishopricks In the mean while Miecislaus had a Son call'd Boleslâ—â—us which mightily augmented his Zeal to oblige his Subjects to be converted for he caused a Law to be made that while any part of the Gospel was reading at Mass every Man should half draw his Scimiter to testify their forwardness to defend that Faith This Duke had Wars with Vlodimirus Duke of Russia to whom he lost Premislia and other Towns He sent Lambert Arch-bishop of Cracow to Rome to obtain leave of Pope Benedict VII for the Princes of Poland to be stil'd Kings but was refus'd this Pontiff not being yet dispos'd to grant that Favour He buried Dambrawca and afterwards married Judith Daughter of Jesse Prince of Hungary and was succeeded by his Son BOLESLAUS CHROBRY a vertuous Prince who was elected in the Year 999. and after some Years reign by Consent of the Pope was dignified with the Title of King by the Emperor Otho III. who also remitted the Pretensions his Predecessors had to Poland as being Emperors of the Romans and this in consideration of a kind Entertainment made him by Boleslaus in his Pilgrimage on account of his Health to the Tomb of St. Adalbert Bishop of Prague who was martyr'd by some Pagans to whom he offer'd to preach the Christian Faith Of these Barbarians Boleslaus bought his Body and caus'd it to be buried at Gnesna whither great numbers from all parts came to pay their Devotion at his Shrine The Emperor Otho also at the same time married his Niece Rixa to Boleslaus his young Son Miecislaus who succeeded his Father in the Kingdom To confirm his being crown'd King by Otho the Emperor it would not be amiss to recite part of an old Epitaph written upon him Ob famam bonam tibi contulit Otto Coronam Propter Luctamen sit tibi salus Amen This King was surnamed Chrobry signifying in Polish Acute from the Quickness and Excellency of his Parts Boleslaus made Bohemia Moravia and Prussia tributary to Poland He also declar'd War against the Saxons who made Incursions into Pomerania which was then govern'd by Lescus III's Family He likewise instituted twelve Senators to assist him in the Government This King's Death was so sincerely regretted that for a Year's time there was no Mirth nor Splendor in Poland This Prince was of an undaunted Spirit tho withal modest courteous and endearing Both Boleslaus and his Father lie buried in the middle of the Cathedral Church of Posnan whose Tombs I have there seen His Son MIECISLAUS II. being about 35 Years old was elected next being crown'd by Hypolitus Arch-bishop of Gnesna He degenerated in all respects from his Father and lost most of those Conquests which he had added to the Crown To him the Bohemians and â—â—avians refus'd to pay Tribute yet he â—â—ued Pomerania which belong'd of right he Polish Crown He was a Person very â—â—y and stupid and chose rather to be â—â—ed by his Queen and Companions than Council which made him soon slighted and â—â—is'd both by his Friends and Enemies Yet reign'd almost nine Years and liv'd forty 〈◊〉 'T is said he died mad and left but Son CASIMIR I. who being elected young his â—â—ther Rixa officiated the Regency during Minority This King was not chosen withâ—â— much difficulty for many of the Electors â—â—ing he might follow his Father's steps viâ—â—ously oppos'd him at first Also the Poles â—â—re dissatisfied with his Mother's Admiâ—â—ration for several Reasons among which 〈◊〉 was her robbing the Treasury and afterâ—â—rds flying with her Son to her Brother â—â—sar in Saxony This young Prince being sent afterwards his Mother to study at Paris became a Bedictin Monk at the Abby of â—â—luncy in France the mean time the Poles having no body to â—â—eside in their Government had great Disâ—â—sions among them and therefore earnestâ—â— entreated the Pope to dispense with Casiâ—â—r's Vow that he might return to his Throne â—â—hich they at length obtain'd upon Agreeent that for each Head except those of the obility and Clergy they would contribute early a farthing to maintain a Lamp perpetually burning in St. Peter's Church at Râ—â— and moreover for ever after cause their Hâ—â— to be shav'd about their Ears like Moâ—â— which is practis'd to this day as likeâ—â— stand in a white Surplice while Mass was â—â—ciating on all Holidays upon these Conditâ—â— they had their King again but when he â—â— crown'd I
could never learn He enter'd into an Alliance with Jaroâ—â— Duke of Russia Son to Vlodomirus and 〈◊〉 ry'd his Sister Mary afterwards call'd Doâ—â—neva whose Mother was the Princess 〈◊〉 Sister to Basil and Constantine Emperoun Constantinople He conquer'd the Province of Masoâ—â— where now lies Warsaw and defeated â—â— Army of Maslaus then Duke of that Coâ—â—try who retiring among the neighbourâ—â— Barbarians not long after return'd 〈◊〉 greater Force and ravag'd Masovia â—â— along to the Vistula but was soon met 〈◊〉 overthrown a second time by Casimir whâ—â— flying to his Friends as he thought that 〈◊〉 assisted him they took flea'd and fastned 〈◊〉 to an exceeding high Cross saying That was but just that he should be exalted whose Aâ—â— tion was so boundless Afterwards Casimir beiâ—â— mindful of the Benefits he formerly receivâ—â— in the Abby of Cluny sent thither great Prâ—â—sents and Offerings At length this good King having setled hâ—â— Kingdom in its former Tranquillity dy'd and left three Sons Boleslaus Vladislaus and Miâ—â—cistaus and one Daughter Suentochna He was â—â—y'd at Posnan in the Year 1058. BOLESLAUS II. his Son surnam'd the d succeeded him who reign'd 23 Years n the beginning of his Reign he had Wars â—â—h the Hungarians Bohemians Russians and â—â—ssians all caus'd by the protecting of three â—â—les He vigorously maintain'd the Cause Bela Prince of Hungary who was then marâ—â—d to his Aunt and banish'd by King Anâ—â— Whereupon he dethron'd Andrew and â—â—wn'd Bela King of Hungary notwithstandâ—â— the considerable Succours sent to Andrew â—â— of Germany and Bohemia Afterwards reâ—â—ning into Poland he marry'd Viseslava ughter and Heiress of the Duke of Russia by om he had that Dukedom for a Portion Towards the latter end of his Reign he came very dissolute and lewd oppress'd the â—â—ple with extraordinary and insupportable xes took away publickly Gentlemens dies to satisfy his Lust could not endure â—â— that took notice of his Irregularities â—â—ish'd such as complain'd of his Tyrannical â—â—vernment and at length kill'd Stanislaus â—â—zepanovius Bishop of Cracow for refusing â—â— the Sacrament of the Altar the manner which was thus Boleslaus continuing in enormous Crimes and Extravagancies this od Man earnestly entreated him to amend Life but perceiving his Obstinacy one y he refus'd him the Communion Which s Prince being highly offended at watch'd an opportunity to revenge and a little while after as the Bishop was officiating at Mass he gave him such a blow with his Sabre that he made his Brains fly against the Wall and afterwards his Guards entring cut the good Bishop to pieces Hereupon he was soon pursu'd with Vatican Thunder and consequently render'd odious to his Subjects Wherefore fearing some Conspiracy might be rais'd against him he left his Kingdom and retir'd with his Son Miecislaus which he had by his Queen Viseslava to Ladislaus King of Hungary where 't is reported that out of meer Madness he afterwards kill'd himself This Bishop Stanislaus was Canoniz'd by Pope Gregory VII and has all along from thence been receiv'd for the Patron of Poland The Pope also excommunicated the whole Country and Boleslaus his Successors were for a considerable time depriv'd of the Title of Kings Next came ULADISLAUS HERMANNUS Brother to Boleslaus to be elected who being afraid of the Pope or else fearing his Brother's return would only accept of the Title of Prince He recall'd his Nephew Miecislaus who died in six Years after He built many Churches and Monasteries all which he richly endow'd This Prince also brought over the rebellious Pomeranians and Prussians and defeated likewise the Army of Vratislaus Prince of Bohemia whom the Emperor Henry IV. had dignified with the Character of King giving him moreover a Right over Poland tho he had no Title to dispose of it his Predecessor Otho III. when he crown'd Boleslaus I. King of Poland having renounc'd both for himself and his Successors all Claim to that Kingdom Nay I heard the Poles themselves say that this was rather a piece of Civility in Otho than any Obligation upon them their Country having never been conquer'd by any Foreigner not even by the Romans themselves He married Judith Daughter of Vratislaus King of Bohemia by whom he had Boleslaus III. surnam'd Krivoustus or the Wry-mouth'd and afterwards by a Daughter of the Emperor Henry IV. he had three Daughters He died in the fiftieth Year of his Age was buried at Ploscow and succeeded by his Son BOLESLAUS III. surnam'd Krivoustus or the Wry-mouth'd He was the most warlike and successful Prince that Poland ever had and at length subdu'd his Bastard Brother Sbigneius that rebell'd against him whom at last he was forc'd to cause to be murder'd But of all others his Contest with the Emperor Henry V. is most famous which is as follows This Emperor having declar'd War against Colomannus King of Hungary and engag'd the Bohemians on his side Boleslaus join'd Colomannus and to make a strong Diversion enter'd Bohemia and destroy'd the greatest part of that Country whereupon to be reveng'd on Boleslaus the Emperor surpriz'd the Provinces of Silesia and Marchia which were then in the hands of the Poles and had been absolute Master of them had not Boleslaus speedily marched with an Army to oppose him who finding his Enemies much superiour in number at first thought it better to compose the matter amicably and therefore sent an Ambassador to treat of Peace to which the Emperor thinking he had the Advantage would by no means condescend except upon very dishonourable Terms for the Poles And hereupon leading Scarbicus the Ambassador to see his Treasure he told him that that pointing to his Gold would bring the Poles to what Terms he pleas'd at which Scarbicus being highly affronted took off a Gold Ring from his Finger and throwing it into the Treasury said Whatever be your Imperial Majesty's Opinion I do not question but the Polish Iron meaning their Swords will prove as good Metal as the German Gold Which said he immediately took his leave and returning to his Master acquainted him with his Negotiation which the haughty Pole highly resenting resolv'd to hazard a Battel which he did and by the Bravery of his Army obtain'd a signal Victory in the Dogs-field near Breslaw chief City of Silesia whereupon the Emperor immediately struck up a Peace with him gave him his Sister Adleida in Marriage and his Daughter Christina to his young Son Vladislaus This Prince forc'd the Pomeranians to the Christian Faith which they had often rejected before The Poles all this while were in possession of Silesia but afterwards the Kings of Bohemia conquer'd it and therefore it consequently now is under the Emperor It is reported of this Prince that he had fought forty seven Battels with success except one only with the Red Russians which was meerly lost through the Cowardice of a
besieg'd Friends when meeting with Conrade who came to oppose him near the River Raba he entirely routed him and forc'd him back again into his own Country This hapned about the Year 1285. This Prince dy'd and was bury'd in the Monastery of the Trinity at Cracow Lescus the VI. leaving no Children his Kingdom consequently fell into great Distractions for Vladislaus Locticus his Brother seiz'd on the Palatinate of Siradia and Boleslaus Duke of Ploskow Brother to Conrade Duke of Masovia on the Palatinates of Cracovia and Sendomir but this latter was soon dispossess'd by HENRY Duke of Breslaw surnam'd the Honest of the Family of Piastus in the Year 1290 who was likewise not long after turn'd out by Locticus but soon restor'd and reign'd in quality of King for the space of five Years tho I do not read he was crown'd He appointed Premislus Duke of Great Poland for his Successor being of the Family of Piastus likewise This Premislus also had the Province of Pomerania left him by Miescingus Prince of that Country PREMISLUS in the thirty eighth Year of his Age was crown'd King at Gnesna by James Swinka Archbishop of that City in the Year 1296 which was an Honour that had not been done to any Prince of Poland before for above two hundred Years since Boleslaus the Bold kill'd Stanislaus at the Altar but Premislus did not long enjoy this Title for seven Months after his Coronation he is said to have been murder'd by some Brandenburg Emissaries that Marquess being afraid of this King who was Master of Pomerania which join'd to his Country He was bury'd among his Predecessors at Posnan After the Murder of King Premislus ULADISLAUS LOCTICUS so call'd from the word Lokiec an Ell having his Name from his low Stature Brother of Lescus the Black was chosen in the Year 1296 and reign'd only four Years He went upon an Expedition against the Silesians that were enclin'd to assist the Bohemians against him who then pretended a Right to the Kingdom of Poland These Locticus subdu'd and having considerably ravag'd their Country return'd home where he afterwards gave himself up to a lewd and debauch'd Life insomuch that he neglected the care of all Publick Business and minded nothing but his own private Pleasures These his intolerable Vices brought upon him the Ill-will of his Subjects insomuch that after three years Reign they pronounc'd him unworthy of the Scepter and resolv'd to elect another Hereupon Locticus being dethron'd they invite WINCESLAUS King of Bohemia to accept their Crown who was marry'd to Rixa Daughter of King Premislus and crown'd King of Poland in the Year 1300 but reign'd only to 1305. After he came to reign he persecuted Locticus who hid himself for some time but was forc'd at last to quit the Kingdom When Winceslaus thus saw himself secure at home by the flight of Locticus and after having put Bohemian Garisons into the several Cities of Poland which seem'd very uneasy to that Nation he thought it high time to go and settle Affairs in Bohemia During this Vladislaus Locticus having a considerable Party in the Kingdom which daily encreas'd on account of discontent against Winceslaus and having got together several Troops out of Hungary he march'd directly towards Poland hearing that the Bohemian Government was somewhat burdensom to that Nation At first Locticus had considerable Advantage over the Bohemians but by the Death of Winceslaus which followed soon after he had all the Success he could desire for the Bohemians who had possession of the Garisons finding themselves in a strange Country and moreover hated and ill thought on by the People were afraid of an Insurrection against 'em and therefore made no great difficulty of surrendring to Locticus all those Cities and Towns they had possession of as Cracow Sendomir c. In the mean time young Winceslaus coming with an Army to dispute his Father's Kingdom with Locticus was murder'd in the Expedition 't is thought by Orders of the Emperour Albert and since his time the Bohemians have ever been govern'd by foreign Princes Winceslaus King of Poland and Bohemia dy'd and was bury'd at Prague in the Year 1305. After the Death both of Winceslaus the Father and Son Vladislaus Locticus was restor'd almost by common Consent in the Year 1305 and reign'd to the Year 1333. And this they did either because they thought he had had time to repent and mend his former Life or by reason they were afraid of Civil Wars if they should elect any other Notwithstanding the Palatinates of Posnania and Kalisch having a fresh Memory of his past dissolute Life would never acknowledg him their King Also the Governour of Pomerania which then belong'd to Poland being brib'd by the Marquess of Brandenburg deliver'd up to him all the Cities of that Province as likewise the City of Dantzic except the Castle which the Governour thereof one Bogussa being truly loyal to his King would by no means surrender In these days the Knights of the Teutonic Order were fully settled in Prussia being both very Strong and very Rich. They were establish'd there by Agreement with Conrade Brother to King Vladislaus Lasconogus for assisting him against the Prussians when he was oppress'd by them They there built some years before the City of Marienburg appointed for Residence of their Great Masters Here Locticus was oblig'd to crave their Aid against the Rebels of Pomerania and Dantzic which they readily granted on condition that half the Garison of the Castle of Dantzic should be of their Troops by which means they soon became Masters of the whole for they afterwards not only turn'd the Poles out of the Castle but both Brandenburghers and Pomeranians out of the City of Dantzic it self and likewise under pretence of assisting the King of Poland conquer'd all Pomerania for themselves when being Masters thereof they offer'd to buy the Title of Locticus for Money which he refus'd Then they offer'd the same Summ to the Marquess of Brandenburg to renounce his Right to that Province which he tho he had no Title to sell yet was wise enough to accept their Prosser The Poles were very sensible of all these Affronts and Injustices offer'd 'em by the Teutonic Order but before they proceeded to Revenge they thought it advisable to acquaint the Pope therewith who liv'd then at Avignon who after four years Delays and Debates order'd the Knights to give due fatisfaction to the Poles but they having had four years respit to fortify themselves and to make strong Alliances with some Neighbouring Princes and besides having a very considerable Army on foot answer'd his Holiness That they had often done great Services for Poland that that Kingdom ow'd them Sums of Money and that they presum'd that not only the Lands they were in possession of in Prussia and Pomerania
Constantinople the Pope and many other Christian Princes sent Embassadors to compliment him Afterwards Amurath under pretence of ransoming Carambeius sent Ministers to treat of a Peace but Vladislaus would only agree to a Truce for ten Years After this the Gentry of Poland sent to their King Vladislaus to return among 'em but he being advis'd by several Christian Princes especially the Pope who sent a Nuncio to him on purpose to break the Truce and continue the War instead of complying with the Poles Request march'd immediately with all the Troops he could get together into Bulgaria and came to Nicopolis Capital of this Province where Dromla or Dracula Palatin of Moldavia meeting him he earnestly entreated him to keep his Royal Promise with the Turks tho Enemies to the Christian Belief but perceiving the King 's inflexible Resolution to continue the War gave him 4000 Men under his own Son's Command In the mean while Amurath who after the Truce agreed upon with Vladislaus went to conquer a certain People of Asia call'd Caramani hearing of this great Army's marching against him turn'd his Forces consisting as Jovius relates of about 80000 Men to meet 'em and near the Town of Varna fought 'em where by his Camels frighting the Polish and Hungarian Horse together with the invincible Courage of his Janizaries he entirely defeated the Christian Army and kill'd King Vladislaus in the Year 1445. Whereupon some body made a Satyrical Epitaph upon this unfortunate King as follows Romulidae Cannas ego Varnam Clade notavi Discite Mortales non temerare fidem Me nisi Pontifices jussissent rumpere Foedus Non ferret Scythicum Pannonis Ora Jugum Ever after this the Turks always fortified themselves against the Christians who they thought could never keep either their Oaths or Word and not long after Mahomet the Great took Constantinople in the Year 1453 wherein Constantin Paleologus the last Christian Emperor of the East was crowded to death in one of the Gates King Vladislaus leaving no Children his Brother CASIMIR great Duke of Lithuania was elected next and crown'd in the Year 1446 and reign'd forty five Years He married the Princess Elizabeth Daughter to the Emperor Albert II. In the beginning of his Reign the Prussians threw off the heavy Yoke of the Teutonic Order and put themselves under Casimir's Protection Hereupon this King went in Person into Prussia to take their Allegiance and Fidelity where he likewise granted them many Privileges who thereupon oblig'd themselves especially at Dantzic to maintain the King and his Court for four days whenever he should please to come again in Person among ' em In the mean time the Teutonic Knights got together a strong Army in Bohemia and Germany with which they immediately march'd against Casimir and routed him before he could execute his Designs of besieging Marienburg and several other Towns which that Order had yet left in Prussia Casimir not a little sensible of this Affront to lose a Battel where he himself was like to have been kill'd call'd a Diet and prevail'd so far upon the Gentry as to grant him half their Yearly Revenues to carry on the War against the Teutonic Order By which means after a long and obstinate Dispute he at last oblig'd 'em to accept of Articles of Peace wherein the Pope's Nuncio was Mediator By this Agreement they were to restore to Poland all Pomerania the Territories of Culm and Michalow with the Cities of Marienburg Stuma and Elbing and were to be left in possession of the rest only on condition that their Great Master for ever after should be Prince and Senator of Poland and take Oath of Fidelity to the King The Moldavians likewise by their Hospodar desire Casimir's Protection against the Turks and offer to take an Oath to him as Vassals and a Tributary Nation which they continu'd for a long while after This King had four Sons whereof Vladislaus was first chosen King of Bohemia and afterwards of Hungary for this last Kingdom after their King's Death had entreated Casimir to send one of his Sons to reign over them Whereupon Vladislaus then King of Bohemia march'd speedily into Hungary with a small Body to prevent any of his Brothers pretending to that Crown Nevertheless his Brother John Albert went soon after with another Army to oppose him and met and fought him but Vladislaus having got the better was crown'd not long after yet he was kind to his Brother and gave him some Towns in Silesia which then belong'd to Bohemia In the time of this King Casimir the Deputies of the Provinces first appear'd at the Diet For before the King and Senators had the supreme Power of making Laws Hartknoch says that till this King's Reign the Latin Tongue was very rarely spoken in Poland for that when the King of Sueden had a certain Interview with Casimir at Dantzic neither Casimir nor any of his Court could discourse with him in Latin but were fain to be beholden to a Monk to do that Office for them which Casimir being much asham'd of publickly commanded all his Officers forthwith to set about the Study of that Language from which time the Poles have continu'd great Prosicients therein nay beyond any other Nation whatsoever This Prince dy'd in the Year 1492 and lies bury'd at Cracow having reign'd forty five Years and liv'd sixty four JOHN ALBERT succeeded his Father Casimir being thought the fittest tho I do not read he was the eldest of his Sons He was crown'd King in the Year 1493 and reign'd nine Years This Prince was very ambitions but withal unfortunate for designing to reduce the Valachians who were then Vassals to Poland and who according to the Condition they saw that Kingdom in would refuse or pay Obedience and who would sometimes side with the Turks and Tartars to ravage it He the better to compass his Intentions pretended to make War against the Turk and for that purpose march'd with his Army through Valachia as if he design'd nothing but to make his way into Turky but being once got into this Country he caus'd his Souldiers to pick a quarrel with the Valachians for not providing them with Forage as they desir'd which however was not an easy matter to do for an Army of 80000 Men which he had with him Hereupon he besieges Sozisaw one of their strongest Towns but the Inhabitants defended themselves so well and Stephen their Hospodar so fatigu'd the Besiegers by taking their Convoys and intercepting their Provisions that at last Albert was forc'd to raise the Siege and return into his own Country when the Hospodar greedily pursuing him destroy'd great â—â—art of his Army in a Wood where he had laid an Ambush Soon after this the Hospodar to be farther reveng'd on the Poles call'd to his Assistance the Turks and Tartars who all joining together enter'd Poland with a prodigious Army and carry'd away
means was rated much lower than the House of Austria could have expected For altho it was urg'd to Sigismund that as Charles the Vth dealt formerly by the King of France on the like occasion so he ought to have a Sum of Money paid down sutable to the great Quality of his Prisoner yet Sigismund answer'd That it was to no purpose to propose Charles the Vth as an Example in this Case since that Prince had been guilty of an Action unbecoming his Grandeur When for his part he did not look upon it sufficient Advantage to have got the better of his Enemy unless he likewise had the Glory to give him his Liberty and not to make him buy it By this Mediation Maximilian was to quit for ever his Title to the Kingdom of Poland to restore some Places which had been surrender'd to him and to remain in a perpetual Amity with Poland to all which the Emperour his Brother was made Guarantee But altho these Conditions were so very reasonable yet Maximilian would not ratify them till 1589. Wherefore his Wilfulness detain'd him in Prison till that time when he escape 〈◊〉 to his Parole of Honour Nevertheless he was afterwards brought to sign them by the Power his Brother had over him Sigismund III. was first marry'd to Ann Daughter of Charles Arch-Duke of Austria and after her Death to Constantia her Sister by both which he had three Sons Vladislaus by the former and Casimir and Ferdinand by the latter the two first succeeding him in the Kingdom When the King his Father was dead he went into Swedeland and was there likewise crown'd King of that Country in the Year 1592 on condition that every fifth Year he should come and reign over Sweden in Person but being engag'd in a long War against the Muscovites Turks and Tartars he could not be spar'd in fifteen Years and therefore sent a Senate of Jesuits to govern them and suppress the Lutherah Doctrine which was then mightily spread in that Country Here it must be observ'd that this King's Mother Catherine strictly adher'd to the Roman Church by the permission of her Husband John III. King of Sweden who also lean'd a little that way Whereupon when Sigismund's Tutor Arnold Grothusius would have seduced him from that Perswasion his Father John being in a great Passion and drawing his Sword upon the Tutor cry'd I will have my Son educated in hopes of both Kingdoms meaning his own and that of Poland These Jesuits the King order'd to be receiv'd with the same Honour as if he himself had come in Person at which the Swedes being grievously nettled sunk them in the Harbour of Stockholm in the Ship that brought 'em from Dantzic and immediately thereupon proclaim'd Charles Duke of Sudermannia Sigismund's Uncle their King who had embrac'd Lutheranism some time before and which the Swedes have profess'd ever since This occasion'd bloody Wars between these two Nations but Sigismund being likewise engag'd with other Countries was forc'd to accept of a dishonourable Truce In the beginning of this War King Charles IX took a great many places from the Poles in Livonia most of which were afterwards retaken by the Polish General and Chancellor Zamoski Besides this the King of Sweden was vanquish'd in a great Battel fought near Kirckholm and Riga where he narrowly escap'd himself but some intestine Divisions arising between the King and Nobility of Poland he got time to recover Breath The occasion of the Wars between the Poles and Muscovites was this A certain Person coming into Poland pretended to be Demetrius Son to John Basilowitz Great Duke of Muscovy and that he was to have been murder'd by order of Boris Gudenow afterwards Grand Duke who hop'd thereby to secure the Succession after the Death of Theodore eldest Son of the said Duke but that another had been kill'd in his stead Hereupon he found so great Encouragement from George Mniszeck Palatin of Sendomir that he married his Daughter to him and by the Assistance of some other Polish Lords gather'd together a great Army and march'd with Demetrius into Muscovy when Boris Gudenow then Grand Duke happening to die suddenly he was receiv'd by the Muscovites and proclaim'd Czar in Moscow Hereupon he sent into Poland for his Bride but while the Nuptials were celebrating in Moscow the People suspecting him to be an Impostor gather'd together rais'd a Tumult and attack'd the Castle where they cut to pieces Demetrius with most of the Poles that came along with him and his Bride and took her Prisoner Then Basilius Suski descended from the Grand Dukes by the Mother's side having got together about â—â—0000 Men was proclaim'd Czar immediately after which a Rumor being spread abroad that Demetrius had escaped tho Suski had taken care to expose his Body to view which was so mangled that none could know him and a Person pretending to be him the Poles acknowledg'd him as such whereupon they together with the Cosacks assisted this Person to recover his pretended Right and several times beat Suski and oblig'd him to set at liberty the Captive Bride She also acknowledg'd this Demetrius for her Husband but whether he was really so or not could never yet be determin'd Sigismund laid hold of this opportunity to try at least whether he could recover Smolensko and Severia whereupon he besieged the former in the Year 1609 but could not make himself Master of it till the Year 1611 when he took it by storm In the mean time the Poles who had hitherto sided with Demetrius were recall'd by Sigismund who thought it not convenient that so considerable a part of his Forces should be under the Command of another By the removal of this Army Suski had leisure to recover himself whereupon with the Assistance sent him out of Sweden he march'd directly against the Poles who then were besieging Smolensko but was shamefully defeated by them near Clusin By this Overthrow the Affairs of the Muscovites were again in a very dangerous Condition wherefore to avoid the danger they resolv'd to depose Suski who by his Misfortunes became odious to them and to offer their Crown to Vladislaus Sigismund's Son This Suski was afterwards surrender'd to the Poles and dy'd at Warsaw in Prison Whereupon Vladislaus marching towards that Country with a powerful Army in the Year 1610 and they hearing of it thinking he came rather to conquer than accept their Crown unanimously revolted against him especially when they heard that Demetrius had been murder'd by the Tartars who were his Guards Hereupon Prince Vladislaus his Expedition was made to no purpose he being forc'd to make a Truce with the Muscovites for fourteen Years whereby it was agreed that in the mean time the Poles should keep in their possession the several Dukedoms of Severia Zernikow and Novogrod which they had taken during the late Troubles in Muscovy In the mean time George Farenbach surrender'd several Places in
who both put in for the Crown were look'd upon to have little or no Interest The Czar very bluntly demanded the Crown or upon refusal threatned to come and force a Compliance But George Ragozzi seem'd to have recourse to a milder Method yet tho he offer'd his Army of 30000 Men to the Republick to assist them against their Enemies he was suspected to have design'd it against them But at length the Threats of the one and Promises of the other had no better Effect than that they were both equally despis'd and rejected The Competitor that Casimir expected least was Prince Charles Ferdinand Bishop of Breslaw in Silesia and Ploczko in Poland who solicited the Crown for his Brother but design'd it for himself It was believ'd he had written into Sueden to engage the Queen in his Interest He had also lent a Million to raise Troops but this seem'd no extraordinary Policy since his Brother Prince Casimir had before been declar'd Generalissimo of the Army Stanislaus Zaremba Bishop of Kiovia was thought to have given Ferdinand this bad Counsel thinking if he could advance that Prince he might withal procure himself the chief Dignity in the Kingdom the Archbishop of Gnesna being then fourscore Years old and therefore not likely to live long Prince Casimir had always shewn an uncommon Vertue in all his Actions He lov'd War and had ever a great Inclination for Travel Whereupon in 1638 he embark'd at Genoa for Spain with design to assist that Kingdom against France but being taken in Provence he was kept two Years till he was restor'd to his Brother Vladislaus by means of an Embassy sent to the Court of France This Disgrace which hapned to this Prince did not hinder him from undertaking other Voyages for in 1643 he left Poland a second time and passing by Loretto became a Jesuit there without acquainting the King his Brother therewith To withdraw him honourably from this Company and prevent the Publick from blaming his Inconstancy Pope Innocent the Xth made him Cardinal in 1646 which Dignity Casimir seen after resign'd for his Brother's Son dying in 1647 and his Brother being neither like to have any more Children nor to live long he prudently bethought himself of other Measures wherefore in 1647 he sent his Renunciation to his Holiness by Francis Fredt de Moulinet a French Gentleman a Person he had always cherish'd and employ'd upon divers Occasions and whose approv'd Fidelity made him often say That a Prince was always better serv'd by Strangers than by his own Subjects This Retreat of Casimir among the Jesuits gave occasion to the Bishop of Kiovia to labour at his Exclusion in which he was zealously assisted by the Protestants who mortally hated that Society This Bishop likewise imagin'd he had got the major part of the Gentry on his side who seem'd also dissatisfi'd with the Jesuits but he was not a little mistaken for Prince Casimir being the Elder and King Vladislaus his Brother having recommended him by his Will to the States the Faction against him only retarded his Election for a few days the Senate in that time having a mind to reconcile the two Brothers The 6th of October began the Diet of Election where almost all were unanimous and only study'd to hinder the Progress of the Cosacks First John de Torres Archbishop of Adrianople the Pope's Nuncio the young Marquess of Grana Ambassador from the Emperour the Count of Arpajou Embassador Extraordinary together with the Viscount of Bregi Embassador in Ordinary from France recommended the Interest of Prince Casimir whereupon the 29th of the same Month John Tyskiewitz Bishop of Samogitia made an elegant Harangue in his behalf alledging the Case of Casimir the IId who had retir'd into the Abby of Cluny but nevertheless was not excluded the Throne The next day the Minister of Ragozzi Prince of Transylvania had Audience who contrary to all Expectation recommended Prince Casimir yet at the same time insinuated that if they did not think fit to elect him his Master who had always had so sincere Affection for Poland would gladly be their Prince The Diet altho they detested his Flattery yet express'd themselves grateful to his Master for the kindness he had profess'd The 3d of November Prince Ferdinand's Embassadors were introduc'd with the Bishop of Kiovia at their Head The Profers these made were receiv'd with a great deal of Indifference but when the Bishop began to speak with disrespect of Prince Casimir he was soon silenc'd by a universal Confusion of Voices which seem'd all to be against him Whereupon Prince Ferdinand sent forthwith his Excuses and publickly resign'd his Pretensions to his Brother which prevail'd so far upon Casimir that he granted him his Friendship and moreover made him a Present of the Principalities of Oppolen and Ratibor in Silesia and likewise re-imburs'd the Charges he had been at to oppose him in his Election which generous Usage so influenc'd Ferdinand that he express'd less Joy for all these noble Presents than Sorrow for having been concern'd against so deserving a Brother The 17th began the Election when all Obstacles being remov'd Casimir had been proclaim'd the same day if his Embassadors had sign'd the Articles propos'd to them but nevertheless on the 20th he was admitted to the Throne on the same Conditions with his Father Sigismund He marry'd by the Pope's Dispensation the Queen-Dowager Mary Ludovica his Brother's Queen She being a French Lady and medling too much with Affairs of State perhaps with design to promote a Successor of her own Country is thought to have contributed in great measure towards the Troubles which afterwards ensu'd Soon after he came to the Crown the Cosack General Chmielinski began to put in practice his Revenge Whereupon calling the Tartars to his Assistance he march'd at the Head of a formidable Army into Poland where burning plundering and ravaging wherever he came he did all the Mischief he could defeated the Polish Army took the City of Kiovia and afterwards besieg'd Leopol Capital of Russia with an Army of near 300000 Men yet could never take it tho its Fortifications are but very inconsiderable They nevertheless ravag'd the Country all about it for many Leagues together To revenge which Affront the Poles summon'd the seventh Man throughout the whole Kingdom and march'd against the Cosacks without the Consent of their King who had before refus'd to head them but were again miserably beaten Nevertheless the King's Army at other times had considerable Advantages over them for tho they found they were not able to fight them yet they fatigu'd and weakned them so that they were forc'd to call the Muscovites likewise to help them forward with their intended Work Whilst some put themselves under the Protection of Muscovy others had recourse to the Port so irreconcilable were they ever to have any more to do with the Crown of Poland and have been so ever since to their own
Ruin and the great Disadvantage of the Poles The only Damage they sustain'd was when Chmielinski was celebrating the Nuptials of his Son with the Daughter of the Prince of Valachia where the Poles surpriz'd them re-took the City of Kiovia and plunder'd it as likewise made the Grecian Patriarch Prisoner Then the Cosacks sent to the King to know if this had been done by his Majesty's Order which being answer'd in the Negative and moreover that the Nobility had done it to be reveng'd on them for the frequent Damages they had done them they immediately in conjunction with the Tartars fell into Poland with the greatest Fury imaginable Against these the King went in Person at the Head of the Nobility and defeated them in Battle But nevertheless the King was afterwards forc'd to clap up a Peace with them tho the Gentry were very much displeas'd at his granting them their own Terms by which the Muscovites were left in possession of Smolensko and Kiovia which they enjoy to this day The Muscovites likewise took Vilna in Lithuania with some other considerable Cities in that great Dutchy In the Year 1655 Charles Gustavus King of Sweden rais'd a more fatal Storm in Poland for with an Army of chosen Men he enter'd that Kingdom and in two years time made himself absolute Master thereof He first conquer'd Great Poland and Masovia and afterwards the Lesser Poland with Cracow the capital City of the Kingdom from whence he march'd into Prussia where almost all the Towns immediately surrender'd to him except Dantzic wherein at first were a great many Citizens that favour'd the Suedes but who not long after by the Persuasions of some Ministers continu'd their Obedience to Poland The Resistance made by this one City was the main Reason why all the Advantages got by the Swedes at last prov'd fruitless and that they could maintain themselves no longer in Prussia notwithstanding that not only the whole Militia of Poland and that part of Lithuania which was under the Muscovites had submitted to the Swedes but also King John Casimir was fled into Silesia for the Poles having recover'd themselves after their first Consternation was over and being moreover join'd by the Brandenburgers and Tartars fell upon such of the Swedish Forces as were scatter'd up and down the Country The Lithuanians also rose up in Arms and kill'd all the Swedes that were in Winter-quarters among them The Occasion of this Swedish Invasion was some familiarity King Casimir had had with the Wife of the Vice-Chancellor Radziouski Father to the present Cardinal Primate This great Senator could by no means brook a Scandal so publick and therefore having first made a Party in the Kingdom he call'd in the Swedes through Livonia to revenge his Quarrel who soon got the Duke of Curland's Country and took him Prisoner Afterwards they had such vast Success in their Progress that all the Towns of Poland soon submitted to them none being able to withstand a Siege It is to be observ'd that there are but few fortify'd Places in Poland it being a Maxim of State there That their Kings should not strengthen themselves at home whereby their Enemies might take footing from abroad This vast Conquest made all the neighbouring Princes very jealous of the Power of Sweden for on one side Ragozzi Prince of Transylvania thinking perhaps to obtain that Crown for himself enter'd Poland but with no Success The Danes likewise made a considerable Diversion on their part by attacking Sweden Also the Muscovites came upon Livonia and the Emperour sent Troops to succour the Poles whereupon by Assistance of the Brandenburgers and Tartars and the prudent Conduct of General Czarneski the Polish Nobility in six Months time restor'd Casimir to his Throne This Czarneski re-took the capital City of Poland by a Stratagem which was by contriving to have some Cartloads of Wood enter the City betimes in the Morning and to break in their Passage through one of the Gates by which means with 800 Men he forc'd his way into the City and destroy'd the Swedish Garison The Advantage of an unfortify'd Kingdom will always be this That tho it be soon conquer'd it will nevertheless be as easily recover'd When Charles Gustavus King of Sweden had met with an Opportunity to make War with Poland he made several private Treaties with the late Elector of Brandenburg Frederic William and at length enter'd into a League with him on condition that when he had conquer'd Poland he should give him the Soveraignty of Ducal Prussia whereupon they both join'd their Forces together and soon conquer'd the Poles But afterwards the King of Sweden being call'd home to take care of his own Dominions which were then invaded by the Danes he was forc'd to compound with Poland for 800000 Rix Dollars which the Poles not having had any Intelligence of the Danish Invasion were glad to agree to But the Elector of Brandenhurg observing that the Money stipulated for was not like to be easily rais'd offer'd unknown to the Swedes to give the Poles that Sum and moreover to help them to drive the Swedes out of their Kingdom in case they would but confirm to him and his Heirs the aforesaid Soveraignty of Ducal Prussia To this the Poles being in extream Confusion and Necessity quickly condescended with this Restraint only That whenever the said Elector's Male-Issue fail'd that Dutchy should revert to the Crown of Poland Whereupon the Elector of Brandenburg having been proclaim'd Soveraign Duke of Prussia he immediately join'd the Polish Forces and in short time drove the Swedes out of their Kingdom which he before had been instrumental in bringing in This is the Account I have heard the Poles give of their Deliverance from the Swedish Yoke and Sir Robert Southwell also gave us lately the same Account at the Royal Society which he had had from the late Elector of Brandenburg's own Mouth At this Treaty of Oliva a Monastery near Dantzic the Poles likewise were to renounce all the Pretensions they had to Livonia Casimir after having routed the Swedes rais'd an Army of about 30000 Germans under pretence of being reveng'd on the Tartars for detaining several Poles Prisonners which he had betray'd himself the better to curb his Subjects But Prince Lubomirski Crown-Marshal having discover'd his private Design which was to render himself Despotic rais'd an Army likewise and attack'd that of the King with so good Success that he entirely routed it took its General a Frenchman Prisoner and quickly oblig'd the King to disband his German Forces At this Affront receiv'd from his own Subjects Casimir was extreamly netled insomuch that he abdicated the Crown not long after But some time before his Abdication he convok'd a Diet at Leopol to pay off the Army The best Expedient to effect this was thought to be to call in all the Gold and Silver of the Kingdom and re-coin it but this having been found deficient the
Poland tho always Elective yet has been successively in the same Family from Father to Son or at least from Father to Daughter or other Relation from the Year 830 to the Year 1674 which is from Piastus his Reign to the Election of the late King John Sobieski except only the five Months that Henry of Valois reign'd I mean Henry III. of France who was kill'd by a Monk To evince this your Grace may be pleas'd to understand that the last of the Family of Piastus in a direct Line was the Princess Hedwigis who marry'd Jagello Great Duke of Lithuania His Male Race by her reign'd to Sigismund the Second's time of whose two Daughters one was marry'd to King Stephen Batori his Successor and the other was Mother to Sigismund III. who with his Sons were successively elected to the Throne to the time of King Michael Wiesnowiski who tho he was not lineally descended from Jagello yet came laterally from the Race of Koributh Jagello's Brother So that it is evident that the Poles have reconcil'd a free Election of their Kings with an uninterrupted Succession of the same for 844 Years as likewise that they have never excluded the deceased King's Son nor ever elected any German Prince to the Throne before this last Election of the Elector of Saxony Frederick Augustus now King of Poland But as it is lawful for all Governments to alter their Constitutions at often as they find it convenient for the good of the Publick so the Poles observing that their Native Kings have not of late sufficiently promoted the Interest of their Country were wise enough to choose a Foreign Prince whose Wealth and Courage would enlarge their Dominions as their present King Frederick Augustus is very likely to do being in League with the Emperor Muscovites and Venetians I hope your Grace will be pleas'd to pardon my Indiscretion in presuming to write of Matters which are altogether out of my Element since it was only to shew with what Deference and Respect I am My LORD Your Grace's most Obedient and most Humble Servant B. C. LETTER IV. To the Right Honourable WILLIAM Earl of Yarmouth Concerning the Family and Remarkable Actions of John III. King of Poland As also his Daughter's Marriage to the present Elector of Bavaria My LORD THE Obligations I owe to your Brother Mr. Alberti and his Lady join'd with the Value I have always profess'd for your Lordship's Friendship makes me glad to find this occasion of giving both you and them a publick Testimony of my Respect and Gratitude and since you have often shew'd your self willing to know something of the Affairs of Poland I thought nothing could be more agreeable to your Temper than that I should inform you chiefly of the Heroick Actions of that great Prince with whom your Brother for so many Years so prudently manag'd the Interest of the wisest Republick in the World in a long lingring War against the Ottoman Empire It is to his Kindness that I must own my self indebted for the Honour I have had of being in the Esteem of so Warlike a King and of being moreover entrusted with the Care of what was most dear to him John Sobieski my Lord is not so much to be esteem'd for his memorable Exploits after his Election as for his Merits and the wise Conduct by which he advanc'd himself from a private Gentleman of an indifferent Fortune and nothing at all related to any of the former Kings through all the Posts of the Army to the Crown of Poland notwithstanding the several powerful Factions which appear'd against him Immediately after the Death of the late King Michael Wiesnowiski John Sobieski then Crown-General gave a signal Overthrow to the Turks near Caminiec which caus'd a great Alteration in the Republick of Poland for thereupon the Turkish Aga and Treasurer were not so peremptory in their demanding Annual Tribute shamefully stipulated for by Michael as they had been before but were contented to be put off to the Diet of Election The Senate being assembled order'd publick Rejoicings and began their Session by leaving off their Mourning for the late King The Diet which preceded that of the Election was appointed to meet the 15 th of January 1674 which was design'd to be terminated in 15 days but the ordinary Disturbances that arose in these sort of Assemblies together with the Inclination which every body had to advance General Sobieski occasion'd it to be prorogu'd till the 22 d or 23 d of February without doing any thing but assigning a Jointure to the Queen Dowager The 20 th of April began the Diet of Election the Candidates were in great number and every ones Pretensions were heard The Czar of Muscovy who had been so often baffled at preceding Elections yet made fresh Interest at this His Envoy demanded the Crown for his Master's youngest Son who was then about thirteen or fourteen Years of Age but however he neither made so great Profers as formerly nor us'd any Threats for he would then have been laugh'd at Poland being at that juncture in a much better condition than before Next the Prince of Transilvania offer'd fifteen Millions of Money as likewise that he would unite his Principality to Poland and maintain fifteen thousand Men in the Service of that State against the Turk but these Propositions were look'd upon too considerable to be either real or possible for the Poles believ'd that they had possess'd themselves of the greatest Treasure of Transilvania when they chose Stephen Batori for their King The Elector of Brandenburg likewise had some hopes in favour of the Prince his Son when he profer'd that he should change his Religion as soon as ever he was elected but he soon quitted his Pretensions when he consider'd what had pass'd in regard to the Germans and Protestants in former Elections If this Prince had been a Roman Catholick his Family might have had just Pretences to Poland by the Interest of uniting Ducal Prussia to that Kingdom The Dukes of Modena and Parma had also their Envoys at this Election but whereas every body thought their business was to ask the Crown they only came to condole the Death of the late King and congratulate the Poles on their Victory at Chochim so that they did not add to the number of the Competitors Don Pedro di Ronquillos came from Spain without taking upon him the Quality of Embassador His Instructions were to recommend Duke Charles of Lorain after he had done his best in favour of Don John of Austria but this Policy did not take and the Council of Spain afterwards found another Expedient to rid themselves of this Prince A French Prince whose Name was not mention'd tho I suppose it was the Prince of Conde occasion'd the most Jealousy of all the rest The other Pretenders to the Crown were not a little pleas'd that this Prince was not nam'd The Duke of Neuburg renew'd his former Pretensions
the Opposition of the Lithuanians who did but dishonour their Country by excluding a Piasto yet they ought to choose one to shew the World that if their Ancestors had not done the like oftner it was because they had a mind to avoid the Jealousies which would have arisen between so many Subjects that deserv'd the Crown and that since now there was one present whose Merit was not to be question'd they ought forthwith to elect him Then he proceeded to name John Sobieski with this Character That his Life had been entirely devoted to the Service of the State which even while he was speaking peaceably enjoy'd the Fruits of his late Victory at Chocim and further that this present Happiness was hut a Specimen of what he was able to do for his Country and lastly that the Crown was due to Sobieski out of meer Gratitude and Acknowledgment since it was through his means that they sat there and had a Power to dispose of it The Gentry of Russia being influenc'd by what their Palatin had said immediately declar'd for Sobieski who was a Native of their Province and all the rest of Poland soon follow'd their Example together with some Palatinates of Lithuania brought over by the Management of Prince Radzivil Vice-Chancellor of that Dutchy every one being forward to deserve Favours from one whom they had acknowledg'd for their Prince The Great General of Lithuania being highly displeas'd at all these Proceedings left the Diet in a Heat and together with his Friends march'd out of the Field about Nine at Night no body being able to bring him back Hereupon he immediately enters Protest against this Election alledging that it was against the Constitution of the Kingdom for any King to be chosen without the common Consent The next day being the 20 th of May the Lithuanians return'd into the Field but retir'd after having made their Protestations against this Election whereupon several Senators and Nuncio's were sent to re-cal them but their Answer was that they were going to deliberate upon the Matter and would inform them of their Resolutions by their Deputies The Poles and Lithuanians who had espous'd Sobieski's Interest forthwith commanded the Bishop of Cracow to proclaim him which notwithstanding this Prelate declin'd wisely foreseeing the Disorders so rash an Election might occasion and which might probably end in a Civil War The Deputies of Lithuania arriv'd a little while after whereof the Chief being the Bishop of Vilna Brother to the Grand General deliver'd the Message giving Sobieski the Title only of Grand Marshal yet in the conclusion of his Discourse he told them that he was ready to give his Vote for him but desir'd the proclaiming him might be defer'd till next day to the end the Lithuanians might assist at it and thereby the Election become unanimous which Request of his was readily granted Whereupon the 21 st of May Andrew Trzebicki Bishop of Cracow who presided at the Diet in the room of the Primate Czartoriski just then deceas'd which happen'd very well for Sobieski the Primate having been no Friend of his went with the Senators before the New Prince to the Place of Election where they were met by the Lithuanians with their General Patz at their head who was too politick not to assist there with his whole Family JOHN SOBIESKI was soon after proclaim'd and the Gentry proceeded to sing Te Deum in the Cathedral of Warsaw ending the Day with usual Acclamations and Rejoicings This Prince was descended of a Noble and Antient Family tho none of the most considerable nor richest in the Kingdom His Father James Sobieski was Castellan of Cracovia a Person no less eminent for his Abilities in Affairs of State than renown'd for his Courage and Conduct in the Field He was employ'd in the Year 1621 as Embassador and Plenipotentiary upon a Treaty of Peace which by his Prudence and Address was honourably concluded with Sultan Osman He distinguish'd himself likewise on many other important Occasions and after several other great Services faithfully perform'd for his Country he dy'd in the Year 1646. His Mother was one of the Daughters of Stanislaus Zolkiewski Grand Chancellor and Grand General of the Crown who bravely fought that memorable Battle at Cicora on the 10th of September 1620 and tho he was again five times attack'd by the Turks on the 2d of October in the same Year yet he gallantly repuls'd them till at last being overpower'd with Numbers and forsaken by his Followers he was slain couragiously fighting among the thickest Troops of his Enemies This Prince was carefully educated by his Parents in his Youth and sent to travel into France where his Father bought him a Captain of Horse's Commission which gain'd him great Experience He also travell'd into England Germany and Italy where having observ'd all the different Manners Interests Laws Military Discipline Strength and Policies of those People and in a word all else that was necessary for a Person of Quality to learn in his Travels he at last return'd home when Casimir after several Trials both of his Valour and Discretion and admiring at his great Merit and quick Parts which he had improv'd so well both in Languages Sciences and Military Accomplishments made him first a Colonel of Foot and afterwards Captain of his Guards and from thence advanc'd him gradually through all the Posts of his Army till he arriv'd at being Grand Marshal of the Crown in the room of Lubomirski and Grand General of Poland in the room of Potoski He behav'd himself in all these Employments with that Courage and Prudence as became a Souldier and was reputed the Hero of his Age and the Terrour of the Ottoman Empire He marry'd Mary de la Grange Daughter to the Marquess of Arquien not long since made Cardinal of the Family of La Grange in Nivernois in France She by the contrivance of King Casimir's Queen to whom she was Maid of Honour was first marry'd to Prince Zamoiski one of the greatest Palatins in the Kingdom and after his Death to the Grand General Sobieski by whom she had several Children and amongst the â—â—est three hopeful Princes the eldest of which has the Honour to be Brother-in-Law to the Emperour King of Spain King of Portugal and to the Duke of Modena by marrying one of the Princesses of Neuburgh This Prince was not Crown'd till above fifteen Months after his Election during which time he gain'd great Advantages over the Turks and forc'd them to a Peace at Zorowna whereby they were oblig'd to remit the yearly Tribute stipulated for by King Michael but were still to be left in possession of the Fortress of Caminiec At the time of his Election he was pleas'd to promise of his own free Will and Motion that the Queen-Dowager should be provided for sutably to her high Quality and extraordinary Merit as also that the Arrears of the Army should be
Sweden the other is the Widow of a Nobleman in Poland The Queen had the Art to dispose of all the Imployments in the Kingdom for Money for the King who by the Constitution ought not himself to sell any Place gave to understand privately that all Persons should apply themselves to her first that she might secretly negotiate the Price of every Preferment which she did very industriously and obliged them furthermore to take an Oath to espouse the Interest of one of her Children after the King's Death The Poles never scrupled those Oaths tho they were resolved to keep them no longer than they thought it for their Interest which was manifested at this last Election in which so few appeared for Prince James for this unlawful way of treating the Nobility together with the King 's extream Covetousness and Prince James's Inconstancy towards his Friends set the Minds of the Gentry against them This Prince is black has a thin and meagre Look and is of a low Stature more like a Frenchman or a Spaniard than a Pole he is very sociable and courteous He is now about the Age of thirty and has made several Campagns with the King his Father particularly that of Vienna and had his Conduct been answerable to his Courage he would doubtless have made a more considerable Party He is extreamly Liberal which is the only good Quality he excels his Father in He was first contracted in Marriage to the rich Heiress of the House of Radzevil in Lithuania who was Widow of the present Elector of Brandenburg's Brother who dy'd without Issue An Envoy was sent to Berlin to negotiate the Marriage which was agreed upon by the Elector's and her Consent and the Prince himself came thither in Person with a numerous Attendance to consummate it At the same time came to Berlin the Elector Palatin's Brother Prince Charles of Newburg Brother to the Empress to see the Ceremony of the Marriage but this Princess taking more fancy to him than to the Prince of Poland gave him encouragement to make his Addresses to her which he did with that success that he engag'd her so far and so unexpectedly that he was privately marry'd to her the night before she was to be marry'd to the Prince of Poland so that Prince James was forc'd to return back shamefully which the King his Father resented so highly that he was resolv'd to have satisfaction from the Elector of Brandenburg for suffering his Son to receive so notorious an Affront at his Court but the Elector knowing nothing of that private Intrigue justify'd himself and all Animosities were at last adjusted by Prince James's marrying his Rival's Sister the Princess of Newburg who was sent into Poland and has two Daughters by him This Account I learn'd in Poland which was lately confirm'd to me here in Town by the Sieur Dankelman now Envoy Extraordinary from the Elector of Brandenburg at our Court. Prince James has two Brothers Alexander and Constantine who were not taken notice enough of in my time to give your Lordship a Character of them the eldest being but eighteen and the other sixteen Alexander was a tall and proper young Man of a true Polish Complexion The Queen had more kindness for him than for Prince James as I observ'd when he was any ways indispos'd she was very careful of his Health and did not seem much concern'd for Prince James tho he was a weak and sickly Person I was surpriz'd to see the little deference the Nobility paid to these Princes who did not seem to take much more notice of them than of other Gentlemen and treated them very familiarly for they say that the King's Sons by the Law are no more than Gentlemen and that if they give them the Title of Prince or of Highness it is more out of Courtesy to them and Respect to the King than out of any Obligation they lay under to do it The People had more Esteem for Prince Alexander and Constantine because they were born after the King's Election than for Prince James who was born before for they superstitiously imagin'd that some Royal Stamp was engraven upon them or some Royal Tincture infus'd into their Blood to give it a more exalted Nature Prince James was Knight of the Golden Fleece which made him obnoxious to the French Party Prince Alexander and Constantine are since my time made as I am told Knights of the Holy Ghost as the King himself was which makes them suspected to the House of Austria to be of the French Faction The King had one Daughter the Princess Teresa Cunigunda now about twenty three years of Age who tho she be not a compleat Beauty yet is a very comely Lady of a middle size and tho she has not the Life and Vivacity nor the Air and Wit of the Queen her Mother yet has she a great deal of Sense Modesty and all the Accomplishments becoming her Birth She is well vers'd in the French Italian Latin and the Polish Languages tho she seems in her Carriage and Discourse to be humble obliging and of an easy affable Temper yet she is of her self high-spirited and imperious She was marry'd in my time to his Highness the present Elector of Bavaria who twice sent thither Baron Zell and afterward Baron Simeoni his Envoys Extraordinary to negotiate and conclude this Marriage for the Duke of Bavaria having had but one Son by his deceased Electoress the Emperour's Daughter by the Infanta of Spain younger Sister to the late Queen of France and this young Prince being design'd to be King of Spain if the present King should die without Issue as is likely to be the Bavarians were afraid their Country should be reduc'd into a Province and therefore desired the Elector to marry a second time to have more Children that might reign over them in case the eldest Son should be call'd into Spain The King and Queen of Poland agreed to this Match and gave 500000 Rix Dollars for her Portion besides Jewels and other Expences in her Journey and the third part of her Mother's personal Estate when she dies which is reckoned at 50000 Rix Dollars more The Ceremony of the Marraige was perform'd in the Month of August at Warsaw in the Year 1694 with a great deal of Splendor and Magnificence Most of the Persons of Quality and their Ladies and Children came to this Solemnity from all Parts of the Kingdom for there had not been a Princess of Poland marry'd for above 150 years before The Ladies were very richly drest and I saw at that time more Jewels in that Court than in any other that ever I was at The Gentlemen and Ladies after the usual Custom in Poland gave great Presents to the young Princess some fine Pieces of Plate some Watches set with Diamonds some precious Jewels every one making a Complement to her in a very formal manner It was thought that the
Crown'd and that the King his Uncle sent him the Character of Envoy to compliment him upon his Accession to the Throne He us'd to admire the Government of England and to say that it was the best in Europe except that of his own Country and the chief Reason he gave me why he preferr'd the Constitution of Poland was that the King of England had a Power of turning People out of Employments and the common People had the Benefit of the Law and could buy Estates as well as the greatest Noble-man This Prince shew'd me an old Roman Scimiter which his Father brought from Jerusalem and told me it was that with which St. Peter cut off Malcus's Ear which a great many had either Faith or Superstition enough to believe and paid it a great deal of Respect The year after I came into England the King of Poland's Symptoms encreasing more and more the Embassador Monsieur Zalowski Bishop of Ploskow sent me from Warsaw to London the following Letter desiring Advice concerning his Majesty's Distemper which was very uncommon and extraordinary A Monsieur le Docteur Connor à Londres Varsovie 2 Juin 1696. Monsieur EN Attendant que Je vous Envoye les Memoires que vous Souhaitez pour l' Histoire de Pologne de nôtre Roy qui requierent quêque loisir que Je n'ay pas encore pû prendre comme Je tacheray de faire le plutôt qu'il me serà possible Vous obligeriez beaucoup sa Majesté si sur l' Information que vous verrez au bas de cette Lettre touchant l' Etat de sa Santé Vous vouliez bien prendre la peine d'en donner vos Avis Conseils d'en prendre aussi des plus habiles Gens de la Profession dont votre Royaume est si fertile Vous asseurant que vous en aurez du Merite auprez de leurs Majestez que vous travaillerez à votre propre Gloire que Je Soûhaiteray de voir par là augmentée étant Monsieur Votre tres-humble Serviteur E. de Ploskow Information de l'Etat de la Santé du Roy de Pologne SA Majesté à les pies les jambes les cuisses même la Region Inferieure du bas ventre tumifiées considerablement depuis quêque tems que ces Tumeurs sont augmenteezde jour en jour depuis cette Eté quelles avoient commencé à paroitre quoique l'on appliquât les plus efficaces remedes interieurs exterieurs pour en empecber le Progrez pour les dissiper Lors qu'on presse du doit ces Tumeurs il ne reste aucun vestige du doit Carces Tumeurs ont la dureté du Fer la pesanteur du Plomb Quand sa Majesté marche elle croit avoir un poid pesant attaché à ses jambes la dureté de ces Tumeurs ne peut étre amollie cependant lors qu'on frotte avec un linge chaûd les parties embarrassées affligées elles semblent d'abord être Degagées Soûlagées Mais peu apres elles retournent à leur premier Etat La Couleur de ces Parties tumiflées n'est point Pale mais Pourprée tirant vers le rouge English'd thus Warsaw the 2d of June 1696. SIR I Will send you as soon as possible the Memoirs you desire for the History of Poland and of our King which require more leisure than I could have hitherto had In the mean time you would mightily oblige his Majesty if upon the Information you will find at the bottom of this Letter concerning the State of his Health you would please to give your Opinion and Advice thereupon and likewise consult with the Ablest of your Profession who are so very numerous in your Kingdom about it I assure you you will greatly gain their Majesties Esteem thereby and advance your own Reputation which I wish encreas'd by these means Being SIR Your most humble Servant E. Ploskow An Account of the State of Health of the King of Poland HIS Majesty's Feet Legs and Thighs as likewise the lower Part of his Belly have been considerably swell'd for a good while These Swellings have daily encreas'd since they began this Summer notwithstanding the most effectual Remedies both Inward and Outward which have been made use of to prevent their Progress and to discuss them When these Tumors are press'd with one's Finger they do not pit for they are almost as hard as Iron and as heavy as Lead When his Majesty walks he imagins he has a great Weight ty'd to his Legs The hardness of these Tumours cannot be softned Nevertheless when the swoln Parts are rubb'd a little with a hot Cloth they seem immediately to be abated and eas'd but soon after they return to their former condition The Colour of the Swellings is not pale but reddish something enclining to Purple A Week after I receiv'd this Letter news came that this Prince was dead as I could not but reasonably expect he would be labouring under so rare and dangerous a Disease being a Dropsy turn'd into a Schirrus or into a hard and insensible Tumor Cases of this nature my Lord are very seldom seen I have spoke lately with some old Practitioners in Physick that had never met with any for my part I have never observ'd any Disease like it and I was at first surpriz'd that the King's Legs that us'd to pit an Inch deep when I was at his Court should become so very hard and so heavy afterwards but considering that in our Mass of Blood there is even naturally a great deal of earthy Parts or Dregs and that these Lees may by way of Sediment fall into the Legs and that their Weight and Quantity can hinder them from ascending to the Heart with the circulating Fluids I rather admir'd why Cases of this nature do not more frequently happen particularly in old and Plethoric People as the King was These hard Swellings of his Legs hinder'd the Blood to circulate downwards and so drove up all the Humours to the Head which oppressing and overflowing the Brain caus'd an Apoplexy of which he died the 17th of June fifteen days after the date of my Letter in the Year 1696 in the sixty sixth Year of his Age and the 22d of his Reign He was the oldest King then in Christendom He kept his Subjects in great Awe and the greatest Noblemen paid him all the Respect imaginable they never us'd at Court to eat with him at his Table He din'd always in Publick and the Great Men waited upon him serv'd him with drink and none of his Subjects ever cover'd themselves in his Presence And I admir'd to see the Persons that abus'd him in the Parliament-house and spoke to him with all freedom when he sat on the Throne pay him so great a Submission and Respect every-where else But the Liberty of a Member of that Parliament is such that he can speak what he
all Livonia except the Dutchy of Curland which is left still Tributary to Poland Ducal Prussia is entirely in the Elector of Brandenburg's hands of which he is of late an Independent Soveraign Pomerania is now possess'd by the Swedes and Germans between them and Dantzic is in the Nature of a little Republic or Hans-Town yet under the Protection of Poland Thus your Lordship may observe that the neighbouring Princes have clip'd so close the Skirts of this vast Empire that they have reduc'd it to one Third of what it has heretofore been Yet notwithstanding all these Losses it is still reckon'd to the full as large as the Kingdom of France but its Frontiers towards Tartary are altogether desolate most of the Inhabitants having been carry'd away into Captivity either by the Turks or Tartars To give your Lordship a just Account of the present Extent of Poland I must divide it into its several remaining Provinces which are but Eight Viz. Little Great Poland Regal Prussia Russia Masovia Samogitia Volhynia Podlachia But first a word or two of the Country in general Poland together with the Great Dutchy of Lithuania is now bounded on the North by Moscovy Livonia and the Baltic Sea On the South by Moldavia Transylvania and Hungary On the East by Vkraina which belongs to the Turks and the Dutchies of Smolensko Severia Czernicovia and Kiovia which are now in possession of the Muscovites and on the West by Pomerania Brandenburg Bohemia and Silesia It extends it self from South to North that is from the Carpathian Mountains to the Gulph of Riga about 200 Leagues from the 45 Degree 36 Minutes to the 55 Degree 29 Minutes of Latitude and from East to West that is from Smoleusko and the Vkraine to the Frontiers of Pomerania Bohemia and Silesia above 240. It s Soil for the most part is Champain tho towards the Borders of Hungary very mountainous and woody yet as it declines from thence it generally grows more fruitful There is only one great Mountain in the middle of Lesser Poland call'd Mons Calvus The Bald Mountain tho it has a Monastery on the top of it surnam'd the Holy Cross and dedicated to our Saviour What others you shall meet with may be rather term'd little Hills than Mountains The Eastern Part of this Kingdom is full of Forests Woods Marshes Lakes and Rivers which afford a delightful Vista to the open Country Heretofore Poland is said to have been almost all Woods but now being cultivated by the Industry of its Inhabitants it produces every-where all kinds of Fruits Grains and Herbs Nay it wants for neither Fowl nor Fish and moreover abounds with all sorts of tame and wild Beasts There are also Vines in many Places whose Grapes are not ungrateful to the Palat especially if the Summer and Autumn are never so little favourable but the Wine is generally very sharp when it has once been drawn off In the Mountains are to be found Mines of Silver Copper Lead and Iron with divers other kinds of Minerals as also Salt which is commonly taken out in huge Masses like Stones out of a Quarry The Western part of this Kingdom produces a great deal of Corn which is transported in considerable Quantities into foreign Countries and besides it abounds with Honey Wax Hemp and Linen for Sails All which are carry'd to Dantzic and from thence transported The greatest Part of the Towns and all the Villages of this Kingdom are of Timber and Thatch'd the Gentlemens Houses in the Country being also of the same Make. The whole Number of Cities Towns Boroughs and Villages in Poland amounts to near a hundred and seventy thousand whereof there are not much above twenty wall'd There are two sorts of Cities in this Kingdom the First belong to the Republick of which the King names the Governours and other Officers and the Second are under the Dominion of particular Seigneurs by hereditary Succession of which there can be no other Starostas but their own peculiar Lords The Air of this Country is sutable to the Climate and sometimes so exceeding cold that Water freezes ere it falls to the ground And Lakes and Rivers are so frozen up that Coaches and loaded Carts pass over them for five or six Months together even to the end of March. The most remarkable Rivers of this Country are The Weissel or Vistula The Wart or Varta The Nieper or Boristbenes The Niester or Tyra The Dwina or Duna The Bog or Bobus The Bug or Bugus The Niemen or Nemenus The Weissel or Vistula takes its rise in the Dutchy of Teschen in Silesia out of Mount Carpathus now Crapack and runs by the several Cities and Towns of Oswieczin Cracow Sendomir Casimir Lublin Warsaw Plocskow Vladislaw Thorn Culm Bromberg Grandentz Newenburg Elbing Marienburg and Dantzic This River antiently separated Sarmatia Europea from Germany and having continu'd its Course for above a hundred Polish Miles divides it self into two Streams emptying one into the Bay of Frisch-Haff and the other into the Baltic Sea vulgarly call'd De Oost Zee The Wart or Varta arises in Lesser Poland and after having water'd Siradia Kalisch Posnan Olstin c. falls into the Oder a River of Silesia The Nieper or Boristhenes waters Smolensko traverses part of Lithuania runs through Kiow or Kiovia crosses the Vkraine and at length rolls into the Black Sea near Ockzakow The Niester rises near the Lake of Leopol and having run by Halitz Caminiec c. discharges it self in like manner into the Black or Euxine Sea near Bialogrod The Duna or Dwina springs near Biata in Moscovy when having pass'd by Witebsko Polocz Dunenburg Kokenhauz c. with a Course of 130 Leagues it at last throws it self into the Gulph of Riga in Livonia The Bog or Bobus takes its Origin from a Lake in the Frontiers of Podolia and having pass'd by Constantinow Bar and Braclaw it falls into the Nieper near Ockzakow The Bug springs in Red Russia near Olesko or Zborow and having run by the several Places of Glituani Beltz Sokal Vlodzimierz Chelm Bresty and Warsaw falls into the Weissel by Wischegrod The Niemen or Nemenus arises near Slonim or rather Nessivicz in the Palatinate of Novogrodec and waters the Sides of Novogrodec Bielcz Grodna Troki Vilna and after runs into the Baltic near Tylsa In Lower or Greater Poland Cujavia and the Territory of Lublin there are several considerable Lakes replenish'd with all sorts of fresh Fish The chief of these Lakes is Goplo five Miles long and half a Mile broad Next there is Biale otherwise nam'd The White Lake which might be so call'd by an Antiphrasis because in the Months of April and May it dyes Skins with a sort of swarthy Tincture To proceed according to my Division of this Country in which I have follow'd Starovolscius I must begin with the first Province of this Kingdom which is Great or Low Poland bounded
on the North by Pomerania and Prussia on the South by Upper or Lesser Poland on the East by Masovia and towards the West by Silesia and the Marquisate of Brandenburg It is call'd Great Poland because Lechus the Founder of this Kingdom first settled there and divided it into two Parts Viz. 1. Greater Poland properly so call'd and 2. Cujavia Both which contain seven Palatinates Viz. The Palatinates of Posnania to which belongs the Territory of Wschow Kalisch Siradia to which belongs the Territory of Vielunia Rava Lanschet Bresty and Inowlocz Of these the two last only belong to Cujavia The chief of all these seven Palatinates is Posnania in which are these several Cities and Towns Viz. Posnan Bishoprick Palatinate and Castellany Gnesna Archbishoprick and Castellany Koscien Vskow Sremsk Miedzyrzeeze Nacum Curnic Slupeia Pysdra Kcina Conin Premecz and Ragozno The capital City of all which is Posnan call'd by the Germans Posen situate upon the River Varta in the 39th Degree of Longitude and 52 of Latitude It is 7 Miles distant from Gnesna to the West 20 German Miles from Vratislaw to the North and 50 from Cracow to the South It lies in the midst of several little Hills environ'd with a strong double Wall and a very deep Ditch The City it self it must be confess'd it but small yet nevertheless exceeding beautiful and well-built its Edifices being for the most part of Free-stone Among the publick Structures the most considerable is the Castle rais'd upon a small Eminence between the Rivers Varta and Prosna It is generally provided with all sorts of Ammunition and wants for neither Strength nor Beauty The rest of the Publick Edifices may justly claim the like Character tho the most stately lie on the other side the River Varta in the Suburbs which are very large Here is the Cathedral Church with a College of Prebends and the Bishop's Palace situate among the Marshes This Pile of Building is commonly call'd Valisovia and built so strong that like the Town it is able to withstand a Siege John Lubranscius a Bishop of this See founded here a College to be visited by that of Cracow and which was afterwards very much augmented and beautify'd by Adam Conarius his Successor and farther enrich'd by one Rosrasevius with several noble Gifts So that now the Jesuits have a College in the City where Learning is greatly encourag'd Yet this also in the Suburbs does not want for noble Youth who daily flock thither to be instructed by the Lectures of Mathematicks and Law These Suburbs are all surrounded by a Morass and a great Lake They are frequently laid under water by the overflowing of the Varta insomuch that sometimes with the neighbouring Villages for several Miles together the tops of the Houses are only to be seen This Inundation likewise often extends to the Town it self notwithstanding its high Walls in a manner that Boats have been known to swim about the Streets But this lasts not long for the Waters commonly retire in two or three days at farthest There are three very famous Fairs kept in this City whither the Germans both Traders and Gentry come in great Numbers The first of these is kept about the beginning of Lent and lasts a Month. The second at Michaelmas and continues five Weeks and the last at Midsummer which is for the same time The Inhabitants of this City are generally Roman Catholicks tho vast Numbers of Jews live also among them The Government is executed by a Starosta chosen yearly out of the Schipins or Aldermen who as long as this Office lasts enjoys also the Title of General of Great POLAND Seven Miles from hence lies Gnesna situate among Bogs and Hills and call'd also by the Germans Gnicsen It is an Archbishop's See and gives Title to the Primate of all Poland It is distant three Polish Miles from the River Varta to the North seven from Kalisch to the South as many from Posnan to the East and about thirteen from Thorn thirty from Dantzic and thirty three from Warsaw to the North-west It was formerly Metropolis of the whole Kingdom having been built by Lechus the first Founder thereof and so nam'd from an Eagle's Nest as is to be seen in the Life of that King This City was almost consum'd by Fire in the Year 1613. and is at present chiefly considerable for being the usual Residence of the Arch-bishop and Primate of Poland who yet enjoys very great Privileges In the Cathedral is reposited a great quantity of inestimable Treasure most of which is owing to the Tomb of St. Adalbert raised in the middle of the Church cas'd about with Silver by Sigisâ—â—nund III. and to the Gifts of Henry Fâ—â—rleius late Arch-bishop of that See who among other Rarities gave his own Mitre valued at 24000 Polish Gilders or near 2000 l. Sterling The Gates opening to this Church are all of Corinthian Brass curiously wrought which were first taken from the Monastery of Corsuna in Taurica Chersonesus afterwards removed to Kiow and thence brought hither by order of Boleslaus II. Here are several Fairs kept the chief whereof is that on the Feast of St. Adalbert Koscien a Town built in a Plain among Marshes and defended with a double Wall and a broad and deep Ditch It is about seven Miles from Posnan Vskow a wall'd Town situate in a Plain likewise and about eleven Miles from Posnan Sremsk Premeez and Ragozno three Timber built Towns belonging to the Jurisdiction of Posnan Miedzyrzecze a Town built for the most part with Wood in a Plain amongst Rivulets and Marshes and which also its Name imports It is situate upon the â—â—onfiries of Silesia and Pomerania and has a strong Castle fortified both by Art and Nature and which 't is commonly conjectur'd could hardly be taken unless it were starv'd This several German Princes have experienc'd at their Costs who after a long and fruitless Siege of it have at length been forc'd to return home again re infectâ It is about 15 Miles from Posnan Slupcza a Town upon the Wart with a very strong Wall and other sutable Fortifications Pysdra a Wall'd Town upon the Wart likewise built in a Plain among Woods and nine Miles from Kalisch The other Towns of this Palatinate are some of them wall'd and chiefly built with Wood except only the publick Edifices such as Castles Towns Churches Monasteries Abbies c. which are all either Stone or Brick The Senators of this Palatinate are The Arch-bishop of Gnesna The Bishop Palatine and Castellan of Posnania The Castellans of Sremsk Miedzyrzecze Premecz Ragozno Kriven and Zandoc There are moreover several other Officers in this Palatinate as well Civil as Military The Starostas or Governours of Cities have some of them Jurisdiction and some none as it is likewise all the Kingdom over The Standard and Arms of this Palatinate are an Eagle expanded Argent in a Field
Gules The second Palatinate of Great Poland is that of Kalisch in which are these Cities and Towns Kalisch Metropolis and Castellany Kolo Land Naklo Odolanovia Chocia Stave Cosmin Dohra Grabow Opatovec and Plesovia The Chief City of all which is Kalisch built among Marshes upon the River Prosna and fortified only with a Brick-Wall and some low Towers It has in it some Religious Houses and a very magnificent College for Jesuits founded by Stanislaw Karncovius Arch-bishop of Gnesna Here are the Ruins of a strong Castle remaining which had formerly been destroy'd by the Teutonick Knights Kolo a Timber-built Town wall'd with Mud and Dirt At certain times it is encompass'd and wash'd by the River Wart near which it is built It is about eight Miles from Kalisch Land a Town upon the Wart about four Miles from Gnesna Naklo a Timber'd Town near the Lake Goplo with a wall'd Castle situate among the Marshes Odolanovia a Town with a Castle built likewise among the Marshes Chocia in which Andrew Lipski Bishop of Cracow founded a Collegiate Church with vast Expence The other Towns of this Palatinate are not very considerable and therefore are omitted The Senators of this Palatinate are The Palatin and Castellan of Kalisch The Castellans of Land Naklo and Kamin The Standard and Arms of this Palatinate It s Arms. are a Buffaloes Head eras'd Sables with a Crown between his Horns all in a checky Field Argent and Gules The third Palatinate of Great Poland is that of Siradia situate along the River Varta or Wart being divided into four Districts viz. The Districts of Siradia Schadkow Radomsko and Petricovia In all which are the several Cities and Towns of Siradia Cap. Rosprza Spicemir Petricovia Konarzew Wart Lask Vidavia and Pabianice The chief City of all which is Siradia situate in a Plain and fortified with a strong Wall with a Castle built on the Wart Subject to the Jurisdiction of this City are the following Cities and Towns Rosprza a Timber'd Town seated amongst the Marshes Spicimir a Town built likewise with Wood. Petricovia a Wall'd City by no means inconsiderable situate among Rivulets and Bogs Once a Year one of the great Tribunals of the Kingdom is kept in the Suburbs of this City in one of the King's Palaces Not far off there is another Palace of the King 's call'd Byki of a regular Structure whither his Majesty with his Court sometimes retires for his Pleasure at the time of the meeting of the Tribuaal There are several other Eminent Edifices built about this City belonging to Bishops and other Great Men among which the most famous is the Abby of Vitrovia and the Palace of Crusmen after the Italian manner Konarzew a Town of no great Importance Wart a large City built upon a River of the same Name Lask where formerly Johannes Lascus Archbishop of Gnesna founded a Collegiate Church and richly endow'd it at his own Costs To this Palatinate also belongs the Territory of Vielunia which has a Castellan and other Magistrates of its own and is divided into two parts viz. Vielunia and Ostresow Both which contain some Towns and a great number of Villages The principal of the Towns is Boleslaw which is defended with a very strong Castle Vielun environ'd with a high Wall and a very deep Ditch having likewise a Castle on the River Prosna Its Buildings are generally of Brick whereof there are several very stately Ostresow a Timber-built City on the Borders of Silesia situate in a very large Plain and encompass'd almost every way with Woods In this Palatinate the Gentry formerly had a Privilege of sealing their Letters with Red Wax which was only allow'd to the Senators in all the rest of the Kingdom and which they obtain'd by recovering the Standard of the Palatinate of Lanschet after it had been lost to the Prussians and Teutonick Knights The Senators of this Palatinate are The Palatin and Castellan of Siradia The Castellans of Rosprza Spicimir and Konarzew The Standard and Arms of this Palatinate are in a Field Vert a Lion Gules and Eagle Sables both counter-coup'd in the middle The Territory of Vielunia has its own Ensigns which are an Agnus Dei with a Cross Argent in a Field Guiles The fourth Palatinate of Great Poland is that of Rava which is divided into three Districts viz. The Districts of Rava Sochaczow and Gostinin In all which are the several Cities and Towns of Rava Cap. Lowitz Volboria Gombin Sochaczow Gostinin Viasdum and Biala The Capital City of this Palatinate is Rava situate in a Plain built for the most part with Wood and tolerably populous It has a Castle on a small River of the same Name in which Prisoners of the best Rank are kept The fourth part of the Revenue of this Castle goes towards the Payment of the Souldiers The same Constitution was in Podolia where former Kings thought fit to establish the best Guard they could against the frequent Incursions of the Tartars In this City is a very considerable College of Jesuits much visited by Learned Men. Lowitz a City much more populous than the former and about five Miles distant from it It is famous for being sometimes the Residence of the Arch-bishop of Gnesna or Primate of Poland His Palace there is built among the Marshes yet nevertheless consists of several fair Piles of Building The Church also is a beautiful Structure and enrich'd with several noble Gifts It has likewise a great many considerable Monasteries Abbies c. In this City are divers famous Fairs kept which the Gentry very much frequent from all Parts Volboria a Town wherein the Bishop of Cujavia commonly resides and where he has a Noble Palace This Place is also very populous Gombin a large Timber-built Town situate in a Plain Sochaczow a Place defended with Palisades and a Castle built on a Rock which is wash'd by the River Bsura Gostinin a Wooden City built in a Plain among Marshes This Place is famous for having in it the Prison where Demetrius Suski the Czar of Muscovy was kept for a long time and where he at length dy'd Viasdum remarkable for its Strength and Beauty of its Castle and situate not far from Rava on the Left-hand Biala a Town belonging to the Bishop of Chelm This Palatinate contains likewise a Noble Palace of the Arch-bishop of Gnesna call'd Squernevicid The Senators of this Palatinate are The Palatin and Castellan of Rava The Castellans of Sochaczow and Gostinin The Standard and Arms of this Palatinate are an Eagle Sables with the letter R on his Breast in a Field Gules The fifth Palatinate of Great Poland is that of Lanschet divided likewise into three Districts viz. The Districts of Lanschet Brezini and Orlow In all which the most considerable
rest near Cracow it is most convenient for him to imprison Dclinquents there Czentochova a Town famous for good Beer which is not only fetch'd from all Parts of Poland but also from the neighbouring Provinces of Germany Without this Place is a very famous Monastery situate upon a Hill where is a Picture of the Virgin Mary said to be painted by Saint Luke and to which Pilgrims from all Parts come to make their Offerings We went upon our Journey from Silesia to Cracow to see this Convent where they shew'd us vast Quantities of Gold and Silver Plate of rich Ornaments for Altars and Habits enrich'd with all sorts of Jewels particularly with Pearls for the great Families in Poland think it a mighty Honour for their Posterity to have given any thing of value to this Place to be a Monument of their Devotion as well as Liberality The Monks told us of a great many Miracles that were wrought here with which they work'd such Effects upon the Minds of those credulous People that they scruple not to impoverish themselves to enrich this Place Not only the Church is very rich but likewise the Monks are Masters of a great Territory round about it and they maintain a Garison of 300 Men upon their own Charges whom I have observ'd to be in a better Condition than any other Soldiers of the Kingdom I can compare this Place to none more properly than Loretto in Italy both for Wealth and Bigotry Slaucovia in the same Dutchy famous for Silver Mines which bring great Profit to this Bishop Near to this City lies Ilcussia a Royal Town abounding also with Silver and Lead Its Citizens are very Luxurious but notwithstanding no less Devout This Town is encompass'd with a Wall and its Houses are for the greatest part of Brick The Bread here is extraordinary and Beef not to be equall'd in Cracow whence it is scarce distant above five Miles On the Eastern side of the City of Cracow lies Velisca or Wieliczka not above two or three Miles from thence a Town abounding with Christal Salt but which is not so transparent as that of Bochnia about five Miles from Cracow where Salt is dug out in great Masses and exceeding clear Next towards Hungary lies Dobcitia a strong Town with a Castle To the North of Cracow lies Proszovice a Timber-built Town seated in a Plain where there is a Palace of the King 's rais'd on the Banks of the River Sozeniava about four Miles from Cracow in which is kept a Provincial Diet. There are several other Cities and Towns belonging to Noblemen as likewise a great Number of Castles Palaces Religious Houses c. of no ordinary Structure in this Palatinate but all which for brevity's sake I have omitted This Palatinate excels all the rest in Mines except that of Sendomir only Silver and Lead are found about Ilcussia Slaucovia Severia and Novogora and Copper and Gold at Novotargus and in the Mountains about Sandecz Mineral Salt like to huge Masses of Stone at Bochna and Wieliczka Marble of all Colours at Selecia belonging to the Bare-footed Friers Nitre at Wislicz Vitriol at Becia Pit-coal at Tencinum Iron-Mine and Glass-houses at Obstinia as likewise at several other Places in this Kingdom But what I shall give your Lordship a more particular Account of will be of Salt and Glass which I have taken from my Observation in the Country That of Salt properly comes in here You go down into the Salt Mines near Cracow by four or five pair of wooden Stairs by which you go from one into the other The Horses also descend the same way The whole Depth of this Mine is thought to be near three hundred Geometrical Paces Below you may meet with a thousand Turnings and Windings and many Alleys and Streets like to a Town all which the Proprietor and hereditary Governour Monsieur Morstin Covalski told me would require above a Week's time to go over In some Places there is a great deal of fresh Water in these Mines which the Miners drink but in most it is salt of which they make Salt by Evaporation but still the best sort is that which is natural without Preparation Sometimes there are such fierce Winds in these Mines that nothing almost can withstand them and generally there is so much Cold that it is hardly to be endur'd Whilst it rains the Salt is commonly insipid They have Engines to crane up the Water that it may not any ways incommode the Miners The Revenue of this Mine amounts to about eight hundred thousand Timfs or Polish Florins annually which makes about 400000 French Livres whereof 50000 go to the King 10000 to the Queen and some thousands more to the Officers of the Crown and the Miners and other Labourers yet over and above all this the Proprietor is oblig'd to make a yearly Present to all the Cities and Towns of Poland and more particularly to their Starostas A Cobler about the Year 1548 first found out this Mine who digging a Well near this Place perceiv'd a Fountain with a thin Wall of Salt in the middle of it which breaking and not knowing what to make of he discover'd to the Owners of the Land who were then the Family of Morstin who digging deeper by reason they did not meet with much Salt near the Surface found it in so great Quantity that they have not been able to exhaust it during the Space of 150 Years The Miners say that the Lumps of Salt weigh a great deal less in the Mine than when taken out which I have not seen confirm'd There are four sorts of Salt in the Mine whereof one is extream hard and rocky like Christal Another less hard and clearer A third brittle and softer as also white and pure All these three sorts are brackish when the fourth only is somewhat fresher In these Mines you shall have on one side a stream of salt Water and on the other one of fresh There are some places in these Mines where you can't work because you dare not carry a Candle for fear of setting the Vapours on fire which are always Nitrous and easily susceptible of Flame In this Palatinate and in some others there is a particular sort of Manna which they gather in the Months of May and June by sweeping it off the Grass with Sives together with the Dew They eat this Manna and make several sorts of Dishes with it for their Tables More of this I shall take occasion to speak of hereafter The Senators of this Palatinate are The Bishop Castellan and Palatin of Cracow The Castellans of Wounitz Oswieczin Sandecz and Biecz The Castellan of Cracow precedes the Palatin for Reasons given before in the Life of Boleslaus III. otherwise call'd Krivoustus This Palatin's Jurisdiction is very large and extends several ways not only over the Citizens and Countrymen but also the Nobility or Gentry of his Palatinate
which they eat and drink heartily and so the Ceremony concludes These Sacrifices are also still observ'd by the Country-People in several places of Lithuania and Russia This Province is divided into three Districts which are The Districts of Rosienia Mednick and Poniviess In all which are these principal Towns viz. Rosienia Cap. Mednick Poniviess and Cowna The Capital of all which is Rosienia a small ill-built Town tho the chief of the Province of Samogitia being seated on the River Dubiss about twelve Polish Miles from Cowna to the North thirty from Riga and twenty seven from Vilna to the West Mednick somewhat better built than the former and famous for a Suffragan's See belonging to the Arch-bishop of Gnesna This Town is seated on the River Wirwitz Poniviess Capital only of the District of that Name Cowna situate on the River Niemen and famous for a College of Jesuits and several considerable Monasteries This Town was formerly much frequented by the German Merchants who built here divers splendid Edifices both with Stone and Brick which the Inhabitants have since imitated and in some things excell'd The Senators of this Province are The Bishop Starosta and Castellan of Samogitia The Seventh PROVINCE of this Kingdom is Volhynia which is divided into two large Districts viz. The Districts of Luccoria and Cremen In both which are these principal Cities and Towns viz. Lutzko Bish Cap. of Luceoria Vlodimir or Woldzimiers Krzemenec Cap. of Cremen Brodi Olika Constantinow Zsbarasz Ostropium Wisniovec Zaslaw Basilea Miedirecz Rubesow Dubna Czartorisk Olesk and Krilow The Capital City of the District of Luceoria and Metropolis of Volhynia is that of Lutzko or Luzuk a Timber-built City situate on the Banks of the River Ster near a Lake which encompasses part of the Castle It is hardly seven Miles from the Frontiers of Red Russia to the East and twenty from Leopol to the North-East It is a large City and is an Episcopal See and the Residence of a Bishop subject to the Metropolitan of Gnesna The Cathedral and Chapter-house are in one of the Castles there being two built on adjoining Hills near this City Here likewise resides a Russian Bishop Vlodimir a Wooden Town with Wooden Fortifications and built among the Marshes It lies not far from Lutzko and is the Residence of a Russian Bishop with a considerable Jurisdiction Krzemenec Capital of the District of Cremen a large Timber City with a Wooden Castle and Mud Walls Brodi a Town built by Stanislaus Konicepoliski Castellan of Cracovia with strong Fortifications a Collegiate Church and a publick Academy Olika a Town belonging to the House of Radzivil adorn'd with a fair Cathedral and Academy for all sorts of Arts and Sciences Constantinow adorn'd and defended by a well-fortified Castle Zsbarasz formerly a Free City with a Territory or District of its own but now subject to that of Cremen The Senators of this Province are The Bishop of Luceoria The Palatin and The Castellansof Volhynia The Standard or Arms of this Province of Volhynia are Party per Pale Argent and Azure the former containing the Arms of Lithuania The Eighth PROVINCE of this Kingdom is Podlachia a large Province and Palatinate bounded on the West by Masovia and on the East by Lithuania to which it formerly belong'd till Sigismundus Augustus in the Year 1569 united it to Poland In Spiritual Matters it is wholly subject to the Bishop of Luceoria but as to Temporal it is divided into three Districts viz. The Districts of Byclsko Drogiczynen and Mielnick In all which there are these Principal Cities and Towns viz. Byelsko Cap. Drogiczin Myelnick Tykoczin Knyssin Augustow Mordi Wasilkow Narew Bransko Visokie and Holovacz Of all which the Capital is Byelsko a large Timber-built City Metropolis of this Province and seated on the River Byala dividing it from Lithuania It s Castle was burnt down by Lightning and never since rebuilt Drogiczin Capital of the District of that Name and built on a small Rising near the River Bug. This City is famous for a Court of Justice wherein the Causes of the Gentry are tried It lies about ten Miles from Bielsko and thirty from Warsaw Mielnick a Town on the Bug likewise only famous for being Capital of its District It is about five Miles from Drogiczin Tykoczin a Town built in a Plain upon the River Narew It has a Castle well fortified both by Art and Nature being surrounded by vast Bogs and defended every way with several large Cannon Here part of the King's Treasure is kept and here likewise Sigismundus Augustus caus'd Money to be coin'd It lies about ten Miles from Byelsko and forty two from Vilna Knyssin a Wood-built Town seated among Marshes and Woods Here the King has a Palace and a very large Park abounding with Deers of all sorts and huge Fish-ponds replenish'd with all kinds of fresh-Water Fish Augustow a very large City built by Sigismundus Augustus and which lies about twenty Miles from Byelsko Mordi a Timber-built Town seated on a very large Lake and about five Miles from Drogiczin Wasilkow a Wood-built Town on the River Narew where the King 's Starosta resides Narew situate in the midst of Woods and near the River of that Name This Town lies about four Miles from Byelsko Bransko built on the River Nar only famous for a Court of Justice held there It lies about three Polish Miles from Byelsko Suras a Town built at the foot of a Hill near the River Narew It has a Castle which commands the Town The Senators of this Province are The Palatine and Castellan of Podlachia The Standard or Arms of this Province are Party per Pale Argent and Gules In the former the Arms of Lithuania and in the latter an Eagle Expans'd of the first Thus far my Lord have I trac'd the Extent of Poland and the Divisions of its Provinces and have taken notice of what I have both observ'd and heard to be most remarkable in them whereby your Lordship may find that this vast Kingdom is not so contemptible as we of the Western Parts of Europe have imagin'd for this Country abounds with all Necessaries to support it self both in Peace and War without the help of its Neighbours and had it been as well improv'd by Art and enrich'd by Trade as it is made fruitful by Nature it would doubtless have been able to vie with any Kingdom in Europe Which the King of France and other Princes are now sensible of since they have profusely spent vast Sums of Money to advance either themselves or Friends to that Crown tho they were no ways certain of Success knowing that let the Sums they spent be ever so considerable they would be fully recompens'd when they obtain'd their Ends for a King of Poland can raise as
States consented to have vast Quantities of Copper coin'd which before had been very scarce in that Country and to raise its intrinsick Value to almost double the common Standard With this Money the King paid the Publick for what they brought in as likewise the Arrears of the Army but kept all the Gold and Silver which he afterwards privately remitted into France and soon follow'd himself whereby he beggar'd the Nation for which the Poles condemn him even to this day They also hate his Memory for having favour'd the Cosacks Rebellion to the empoverishing those Gentlemen that had Estates in Vkraina This appear'd unquestionable by a private Letter intercepted sent under Casimir's own hand to Chmielinski and Doroczinko Generals of the Cosacks Army whereby he invited them to make War against himself for not having been redress'd in the Grievances they had sustain'd under the Jews the Noblemens Stewards in the Vkraine by which means he gave them occasion to deliver themselves from the Polish Slavery as they continue to this day All this while the Cosacks were not a little troublesome to the Poles taking advantage of these intestine Disorders and the ill Condition the Affairs of Poland were in during Casimir's Time who at length after 20 years Reign being tir'd out with Vexations publickly resign'd his Crown like Charles V. at St. John's Church at Warsaw the 16th of September in the Year 1668 and retiring into France dy'd afterwards at Nevers the City where his Queen was born While I was at Warsaw I spoke with several old Gentlemen about this King's Abdication who told me that Casimir the day after his Resignation observing the People hardly paid him the Respect due to a Gentleman much less to a King seem'd to have repented heartily of the Folly he had committed The Officers which this Prince had reserv'd to himself in his Retreat rais'd a stately Monument to the Memory of their Royal Master in the Abby of St. Germains at Paris whereof he was made Abbot The Brass and Marble of this Monument shall not outlast the Latin Epitaph which Father Francis Delfault made on this Prince and which for the Excellency in its kind I shall beg leave of your Grace to insert Aeternae Memoriae REGIS ORTHODOXI HEIC Post Emensos Virtutis Ac Gloriae Gradus omnes Quiescit Nobili sui Parte JOHANNES CASIMIRVS Poloniae Ac Sueciae Rex Alto E Jagellonidum Sanguine Familia Vasatensi POSTREMVS Quia Summus LITTERIS ARMIS PIETATE Multarum Gentium Linguas Addidicit quo illas Propensius Sibi devinciret Septemdecim Praeliis collatis cum Hoste signis Totidem uno minus vicit SEMPER INVIGTVS Moscovitas Suecos Brandeburgenses Tartaros Germanos ARMIS Cosacos aliosque Rebelles Gratid ac Beneficiis EXPVGNAVIT Victoriâ Regem eis se Praebens Clementiâ Patrem Denique totis viginti Imperii Annis Fortunam virtute vincens AVLAM HABVIT IN CASTRIS PALATIA IN TENTORIIS SPECTACVLA IN TRIVMPHIS Liberos ex legitimo connubio Suscepit queis postea orbatus est ne si se majorem reliquisset non esset ipse Maximus Sin minorem stirps degeneraret Par ei ad fortitudinem Religio fuit Nec segnius Coelo Militavit QVAM SOLO Hinc extructa Monasteria Nosocomia Varsaviae Calvinianorum fana in Lithuania exoisa Sociniani Regno pulsi ne Casimirum haberent Regem Qui Christum Deum non Haberent Senatus A Variis Sectis ad Catholicae Fidei Communiousm Adductus Vt Ecclesiae legibus Continerentur Qui Jura Populis Dicerent Vnde Illi praeclarum ORTHODOXI NOMEN Ab Alexandro VII Inditum Humanae Denique Gloriae Fastigium Praetergressus Cum Nihil Praeclarius Agere Posset IMPERIVM SPONTE ABDICAVIT ANNO M. DC LXVIII Tum Porro lachrymae Quas Nulli Regnans Excusserat Omnium oculis Manarunt Qui Abeuntem Regem non secus Atque Obeuntem Patrem LV XERE Vitae Reliquum in Pietatis Officiis cum Exegisset Tandem Audita Kameneciâ—â— Expugnatione ne tantae cladi Superesset CHARITATE PATRIAE VVLNERATVS OCCVBVIT XVII KAL JAN M. DC LXXII Regium cor monachis Hujus Coenobii cui Abbas praefuerat Amoris pignus reliquit Quod illi isthoc tumulo Moereâ—â—tes condidorunt If King Casimir's Resignation procur'd Quiet to himself it occasion'd no less Disturbance to the Polish Commonwealth for thereby none of the Family of Vasa remaining several Princes rais'd Factions to get the Crown into their Families and consequently each endeavour'd to hinder him that was most like to obtain it Stanislaus Prasmowski the Primate had conven'd a Diet to meet at the beginning of December where after some innocent Heats the second of May 1669 was pitch'd upon for the Diet of Election This Interregnum unlike the former was not disturb'd by the Protestants King Casimir having taken such Measures that the Socinians were in his time banish'd and the other Sects being look'd upon with Contempt were consequently discourag'd in their Advances At this Diet of Election four Competitors appear'd viz. The Son of the Great Duke of Muscovy who had been bred in Poland and spoke that Language on whose behalf the Great Duke his Father offer'd 1. That his Son should change his Religion for that of the Roman Communion 2. That he should make a Publick Renunciation to Muscovy 3. That all Places formerly taken from the Poles by the Muscovites should be restor'd 4. That four Millions should be advanc'd as his free Gift towards the Payment of the Arrears of the Polish Army And lastly That he would be oblig'd to assist Poland against all Enemies whatever with an Army of forty thousand Men and moreover enter into a firm and perpetual League with them The next was the Duke of Neuburg supported by the French Interest The third was the Duke of Lorain upheld by the German Faction And the fourth was the Prince of Conde's Son whom the Archbishop of Gnesna and General Sobieski were thought to favour At length the Contentions for the Crown of Poland were altogether lodg'd in two Pretenders for the Duke of Muscovy declin'd sending his Ambassadors out of Pride as being displeas'd with the Poles and the Prince of Conde had quitted his Pretensions on account of Discouragement wherefore the two Competitors that remain'd had the Gentry almost equally divided between them and which arriv'd to those Extremities that almost every Night twenty or more were found murder'd in the Streets These Disorders the Marshal of the Diet us'd several Means to suppress but at length found none so plausible as to proceed forthwith to an Election The 4th of June the Embassadors were first admitted to Audience when the Pope's Nuncio made a Speech in Latin and exhorted the Assembly to elect a Catholick Prince The 7th of the same Month Count Schafgots had Audience who contrary to the expectation of every body recommended the Duke of Neuburg in the Name of his Master the Emperour On the 12th the Duke of Neuburg's
several Magistrates the Prussians have also a Treasurer Burgraves of Castles Sword-Bearers Judges and Sheriffs but none of all these have any Place in the Council The Palatins of Prussia have far greater Power than those in any other Province of Poland The Arms or Standard of Prussia are an Eagle expans'd Sables with a Sword evaginated and held by a dexter Hand Argent Both in a Field Or. The Fourth PROVINCE of this Kingdom is Red Russia the other being White Russia and belonging to Lithuania This Province extends it self from the Frontiers of Lithuania as far as the Mouth of the Nieper in the Black Sea which River separates it from Moscovy to the East as likewise do the Carpathian Mountains from Hungary to the South-West It is extreamly fruitful in Corn Beasts of all kinds Fish and Honey In this Province there are several Trees daily found along the Shore of the River San which are very hard and black as Ebony The Country People say they have lain there ever since the Deluge but it is probable they might have been wash'd down by the Course of the River a great while since It is bounded on the South by Hungary Moldavia and Bessarabia on the East by the Scythian Desarts and especially Moscovy on the North by Russia Alba separated by the Rivers Stiro and Pripecz and on the West by Lesser Poland from which it is divided by the Rivers Vislocz and Vepre This Province comprehends seven Palatinates Viz. The Palatinates of Russia Podolia Braslaw Kiovia Volhynia Belsko and Chelm The first Palatinate of this Province is that of Russia which is divided into four Districts which are The Districts of Leopol Premislaw Halicz and Sanoch The first of these Districts has in it these remarkable Cities and Towns Viz. Leopol Archbish Cap. Grodeck Javorisvia Zolkiew Gliniani Zloczow and Komarna Of all which the chief City is Leopol call'd Lwow or Luwow by the Polanders and Lemberg or Russe-Lemberg by the Germans It is the Metropolis of this Palatinate and lies in the 46 Degree of Longitude and 49 of Latitude It is built amongst the Hills on the Banks of the River Peltaw fifteen Polish Miles from Mount Carpathus to the South and as many from Premislaw to the West thirty from Caminiec forty from Cracow and about fifty from Warsaw to the South-East This City is large and well fortify'd having two Castles one within the Walls and one without on a rising Ground which commands the Town both which together with the City were founded by Leo or as they call him Loo Duke of Russia about the Year 1289. The Archbishop of Leopol is both Spiritual and Temporal Lord of his Diocess His See was translated hither from Halicz in 1361 by Order of King Casimir Here also reside an Armenian Archbishop and a Russian Bishop depending on the Patriarch of Constantinople with several Churches belonging to each Bishoprick The Armenian Roman-Catholicks have inhabited here time out of mind and are govern'd wholly by their own Prelat They enjoy very great Privileges on account of the considerable Commerce they maintain with the Persians and other Eastern People This City is famous for several Sieges it has sustain'd As first it was besieg'd by the Cosacks and Tartars with a dreadful Army Secondly by the Moscovites and Cosacks in the Year 1648 with an Army of above 120 thousand Men without being able to take it in two Months and a half but the last time the Turks became almost Masters of it in the Year 1672 yet by an Agreement oblig'd themselves to quit it This hapned under the Reign of King Michael Wiesnowiski who dy'd here in the Year 1673. This City gives great Encouragement to Learned Men who are very civilly receiv'd by their Academy which is supply'd with Professors from that of Cracow Here is kept a very famous Winter-Fair whither the Hungarian Moldavian and in time of Peace Turkish Merchants resort in great Numbers Amongst other Rivers it has Roxolania wherein Barbels are taken of a great Size It has likewise an innumerable Company of Fish-ponds all about it replenish'd with several sorts of very fat Fish which are salted up in great Numbers and transported all over Poland The Churches here are generally very fair and well-built and abound with all kinds of costly Ornaments Grodeck a palisado'd City with a Castle built in a Plain and surrounded with Bogs It lies about four Miles from Leopol Javorisvia famous for a natural Bath arising in the next adjoining Village of Sclovia This alone suffices to disperse several stubborn Distempers as Sixtus Leo a Physician of great Experience testifies in his Treatise concerning it Zolkiew a Town adorn'd and defended by a Castle and intermix'd with several delightful Gardens with a fair Church in the middle of it built with various sorts of Marble It was the Seat of the late King John Sobieski where my Lord of Rochester had Audience of him The Standard and Arms of this District are a Lion Passant Crown'd Or by a Rock Sables all in a Field Azure The second District of this Palatinate is Premislia which has in it these principal Cities and Towns Viz. Premislaw Bish Sambor Jaroslaw Lancut Resovia Fulstin Visnia Zidaczow Moscisca Dubiecz Canczuga and Prevorscia Whereof the capital City is Premislaw built on the River San with good strong Walls and a Castle situate upon a Rock on the other side of the River This City lies about six Leagues above Jaroslaw and twelve from Leopol towards the West There are in it two Bishops one of the Place and the other a Russian Prelat of the Greek Church Orichowski a Canon of this Cathedral maintain'd that Priests might marry Here is a College belonging to the Jesuits for the Education of Youth The Citizens are very much addicted to Trade and have several famous Fairs every Year Near this City is a very spatious Park of the King 's full of all kinds of wild Beasts and strongly wall'd in that they might do no mischief The Country hereabouts abounds with Castles for defence against the Incursions of the Tartars the chief of all which is the Castle Crassici lately built on the River San. Sambor a Palisado'd City upon the River Tyra with a Castle built near the Borders of Hungary Jaroslaw famous for a Fair kept on Lady-Day and the most celebrated of any in all Poland Where besides several Merchandizes brought from Persia Constantinople Venice Muscovy and Amsterdam they say it is wont to have above four hundred thousand Head of Cattle and half as many Horses In this Town the Jesuits have a College for Students and without it there is a very stately Nunnery of modern Architecture Neither is its Castle to be despis'd which is seated to the East on the River San. Lancut famous for several magnificent Churches founded by Stanislaus Lubomirski Palatin of Cracow together