Whoever takes Use for Money loses it and is punished beside though privately at Stockholme and places of Trade Use-money begins to be taken If any person have scandalized his Neighbour and be convicted of it he is besides the Fine forced to recant and make a publick confession of the injury in writing formerly for such offences the Fine was nine Marks called Lopp-gold or Lip-fine and the guilty persons were forced to beat their own mouths to crawl backward out of the Court and were for ever rendred incapable of giving evidence Besides these and many such like Laws there are published several belonging to the Goths which they using in other Countrys as well as this are not more fit to be mentioned here then in any other place How powerful the Kings of Sweden are in Sea Land Forces as well as Land Forces is sufficiently manifested by their late as well as present wars How far Gustavus Adolphus went in his expeditions against Germany is sufficiently known to the world and how this present King has behaved himself between two powerful enemies is no less manifest And such is the great strength of the Kingdom that sometimes it has maintained war with three potent adversaries the Dane the Pole and the Muscovite all at once The Land-forces are provided and kept in readiness after the manner of our Trained-Bands by the Provinces of the Kingdom thirty-two Regiments in all seven hundred souldiers in each Regiment These are most of them Musqueteers Pikemen being by reason of their thick and frequent woods not so serviceable in this as other champain Countries The body of their Army to their great advantage is in time of war composed of Peasants such soldiers as the ancient Romans desired to have people laborious frugal hardy and being us'd at home to make all their clothes themselves prove when they come to field as many Taylors Shoomakers c. as Soldiers Every Company of Foot has its particular Captain Lieutenant and Ensign who have always but especially if the seat of war be within the Kingdom very small pay the Captain himself not having besides the abatement of all Taxes for himself and some of his relations above one Coat a year and four Dollars per mensem and a common soldier one Dollar and a fourth part per mensem Regiments of Horse are in Suecia and Gothia twelve and in Finland two one of which is made up by the Commonalty the other by the Nobility of that Province Each of these has its Captain Lieutenant and Cornet and much-what the same discipline as in other Countries Their horses are commonly lesser but stronger and more accustomed to labour then those of Germany The Horsemen carry with them Carbines or short Guns The reason why Finland maintains so few and Suecia and Gothia so many Regiments is because the former is particularly obliged to maintain the Fleet and Sea-soldiers and the latter abound more with horses and men the Province of Dalecarlia being said at one time to have raised thirty-thousand men well armed Of these Land-forces there is according to the Laws of the Kingdom a general muster once every year at least all the Courtiers some few only excepted being allow'd pay and bound to accompany the King to the place of Rendezvous Next are the Sea-forces 〈◊〉 no less considerable then those of the Land the King having commonly in readiness above 50 men of war many of them carrying 50 Guns all under the command of one High Admiral In a war against Denmark King John the third fitted out seventy men of war with several Merchants Ships in which besides the Seamen were embarqued 18000 Land-Souldiers The chief Port in the Kingdom is Stockholme where lie at anchor sometimes above 300 Ships in Finland Livonia and other Parts there are very convenient Harbours though not so well stored with Ships by reason that the Muscovite the greatest enemy on that side maintains no Sea-forces The Kings Revenues by which these are maintain'd 〈◊〉 consist chiefly in the Crown-Lands as Chases Forrests c. which the King as was said takes an oath not to embezil but these being formerly by the civil Troubles of the Kingdom in great part alienated from the Crown and of late since the Titles of Earls and Barons were renewed amongst them very much impair'd it being the custom that when the King honours any person with either of those Titles he with it gives him a piece of Land which has formerly belonged to the Crown other ways are sought out for the maintenance of their Courts and Armies which are 1. From these Crown-Lands or Kings Patrimony daily regained for which a Colledg of Reduction is of late instituted 2. From the Mines of Copper Silver Lead c. 3. From the Sea-customs 4. From the imposition upon Oxen transported out of Schonen Finland c. Which being about the value of 5 s. English by the head amounts to a great sum especially in times of Peace 5. From the several Companies of Merchants of which there is but one for Exportation viz. The Tar-Company though there be divers for Importation as the Tobacco-Company the Sugar-Company c. who each pay yearly considerable summs to the Crown 6. From Impost on the Exportation of Guns 7. From the Mulcts payed by those that are cast in Law a third part of which is paid to the King 8. From all moneys which the King pays out from which he deducts to the value of one per Cent. Besides these there are many other ways whereby the King raises money as the Frank-Subsidies or Quit-rents the revenues from all sorts of Skins and Furrs brought out of Lapland c. which not being constant and certain but more or less according as the Snows fall or the Frosts continue I omit to mention When his Majesty of Sweden is engaged in a War he can and ordinarily doth make use of these extraordinary means as 1. All persons whatsoever none excepted who received salaries or pensions from the Crown in the time of war abate one half and sometimes the whole as 't is said they did in these late wars 2. The Gentry of Sweden Finland c. pay a Contribution of about sixteen pence English a man which is called the Six-Mark Contribution 3. All Towns pay a Contribution according to their in-comes some more some less 4. Every Town which is obliged to have constantly in readiness a certain Company of Seamen whom the King sends for upon occasion to serve in the Fleet is bound in time of war to double the number 5. When any army is transported over the Baltick it goes either to Pomeren or Bremen which Provinces pay so much a month in money or provision towards its support 6. The Gentry of Liffland and the Neighbouring Provinces contribute so many thousand measures of Corn for the supplying of their Magazines 7. Every Peasant plowing so much ground a year must give one Shirt one Lamb-skin Coat one pair of
October they have a general rendezvous of men women and children who bring with them to the place appointed loaves of bread and vessels full of beer These they set on a table spread with hay That done they bring out a young heifer a boar and a sow a cock and hen with other such cattle and poultry as the house affords in pairs male and female When things are thus in readiness out comes an old Priest or Wizard who mumbling over a few hard words gives the sacrifice a blow with a stick which stroke is seconded by the whole company till the heifer be dead and beat to pieces Whilst this ceremony lasts they cry This oblation of thanksgiving we make thee O Ziemiennik so they call the feigned god for that it hath pleased thee to preserve us from all the evils of the year past and we beseech thee to protect and defend us for the future from fire sword pestilence and all our enemies After this they take a little of every dish they have provided and put it in four corners of the house and in the ground crying aloud Accept O Ziemiennik our offerings eat with us and be merry The solemnity thus over they spend the rest of that day in feasting and drunkenness There is no City or great Town in Samogitia of any consequence Mzdniki is a poor and despicable City all the rest scarce merit the name of villages Lithvania and this Province have all along been sharers in the same fortune and change They were both at once subject to the Russians at once overrun by the Teutonic Order and at once converted from Idolatry and subjected to the Crown of Poland by Vladislaus Jagello Livonia LIvonia or Liefland is bounded on the East with Russia on the West with the Baltic sea on the North with the Finland-bay on the south with Samogitia and some part of Lithvania The length of it is about 500 English miles and the breadth near 160. The country is generally plain and fruitful abounding with corn and hony some parts of it are fenny full of Lakes and rivers The many conquests this Land has suffered have made its inhabitants a medly of Moscovites Swedes Danes Polanders and Germans But the last have the greatest share in the country whence the generality speak High-Dutch The common people are used as hardly here as in Poland or Lithvania and the Nobility lord it as much Drunkenness and gluttony are vices the Lieflanders are generally addicted to from the greatest Lord to the meanest peasant The Bores would be hard put to 't to get a living considering the untolerable drudgery they undergo if they had not the priviledge of hunting hares of which they have great plenty in these parts white in winter and brown in summer foxes bears and other kinds of venison 'T is agreed upon by all Authors that Liefland was first annexed to the Crown of Poland by Sigismund Augustus though the story is told different ways Kojalowicz tells us That William Furstenburg Master of the Liefland Order of Knighthood upon his turning Lutheran had frequent quarrels with William Archbishop of Riga whom he accused at a session of the Nobility at Winden of a conspiracy of betraying Curland into the hands of Albert Duke of Prussia and the rest of Liefland to Sigismund King of Poland his kinsman Upon this pretence he immediately enters the Archbishop's territories with an army and takes him prisoner King Sigismund hearing this wages war with Liefland and A.D. 1557 conquers it But the reasons of this war seem to be grounded upon better pretensions then these For though it be true that there arose many skirmishes between the Archbishop and the Master of the Order touching points of religion yet during Furstenburg's government Ivan Duke of Moscovy and not Sigismund King of Poland overrun and lay wast the greatest part of Liefland Against whom Gothard Ketler Furstenburg's successour requested the aid of King Sigismund who quickly beat the Moscovian out of his holds and created Gothard Duke of Curland annexing the rest of Liefland to his own dominions But he found this country was easilier conquer'd then kept For the Revalians finding themselves unable to withstand the dayly incursions of the Moscovians committed their land to the protection of Eric King of Sweden Whereupon this King thought his title to Liefland was as good as the Polanders especially since Ferdinand the Emperour had given him the sole charge of defending it Upon these pretensions he presently routed the Poles out of Habsal Lehale Parnow and other places and put into them garrisons of his own Besides the Polish interest received at the same time another fatal blow upon this occasion John Duke of Finland married Katherine sister to the King of Poland to whom he lent 80000 some say 124000 dollars upon a mortgage of the castles of Wittenstein Karchise Frichate Helmult Ermise Ruja and Bortwic all in Liefland Returning into Sweden he was accused by King Eric his brother of high treason in offering to make a confederacy as he call'd it with Sigismund Augustus King of Poland without his consent In this rage the King robs his brother of all the castles and takes them into his own hand not without the pretence of being more able to defend them from the fury of the Moscovite Not long after upon the death of Eric King of Sweden and Sigismund King of Poland the Duke of Moscovy with irresistable force created the great Duke of Holstein King of Liefland When the Kings of Sweden and Poland perceived matters brought to this pass they thought it high time to lay aside all petit animosities between their two Kingdoms and to joyn forces against their common enemy the Moscovite fearing lest otherwise whilst they two stood quarrelling for each a shell he should snatch away the fish And indeed this confederacy prov'd very successful to the Swede who in the year 1580 retook many strong holds from the Moscovite as Lode Lehale Habsal Narwe the Province of Wicki Wittenstein Carelogrod c. Steven King of Poland fearing lest if the Swede went on with the same success and vigour he begun with he would bring all Liefland to his own beck claps up a peace with the Moscovite unknown to the King of Sweden upon these conditions That the Moscovite should restore all the places he had taken in Lithvania That on the other hand King Stephen should restore to the Duke of Moscovy Vielikoluk and some other forts he had taken in these wars After this when Sigismund son of John the third King of Sweden was upon the death of Stephen elected King of Poland the Poles admitted him upon this condition That he should annex all that part of Liefland which was under his goverment to the Crown of Poland But Sigismund the third coming to he Crown of Sweden could not by any means be perswaded to grant this request When he was deposed from his Kingdom there arose bloody wars between the King of Poland
Knights of the Teutonick Order had made their Master in the year 1525 it was agreed upon That the Teutonick Order should be wholly extirpated and that part of Prussia which to this day is called Ducal Prussia should be govern'd by the said Marquess with the title of Duke of Prussia and the rest or Regal Prussia remain still subject to the King of Poland But with this proviso That the Duke should always pay homage to the Crown of Poland and as a member of that Kingdom be President of the Kings Council Lastly John Casimir the late King of Poland granted first in the year 1657 and again 1663 full and absolute power and dominion over Ducal Prussia to the present Elector of Brandenburgh on this condition That the Dukedome upon defect of male issue should return to the Kings of Poland as supreme Landlords and be conferred on the Dukes of Onoldsbach and Culmbach as Feudataries Muscovy How affairs stand at present between the Great Duke of Muscovy and the King of Poland may appear by the Treaty of Peace signed by both parties A.D. 1667 spoken of before But formerly the Kings of Poland have laid claim and made good their title either by justice or the sword to several large Territories now in the hands of the Great Duke For first Jorislaus Duke of Russia was forced to pay tribute to Boleslaus Chrobri A.D. 1018. Afterwards A.D. 1069 Boleslaus II. possessed himself of Kiow and indeed the whole Dukedom of Russia over which he set Jesaslaus a tributary Duke After his death continual wars were between the two Nations till Casimir the Great in the year 1340 reduced the Southern Russia into the form of a Province But how little of that remains at this day in the hands of the present King of Poland we have shew'd before Several of the Kings of Poland have stiled themselves Kings of Sweden Sweden upon no other pretence then having made themselves masters of a great part of Liefland But this title ceased upon the death of John Casimir their late King as hath already been observed in the description of Liefland Of the Pretensions of Foreign Princes to the Kingdom of Poland WE have seen to what Kingdoms and Countries the Kings of Poland have in former ages claimed a right and title and we may perhaps find as many Kings and Princes of other Nations who have challenged the Crown of Poland upon as good grounds But to omit the many conquests obtain'd by the Russians Bohemians Hungarians and others over the Poles enough to entitle any potent Prince to their Kingdom the strongest pretensions to this Crown are those of the Emperor For the most of the Polish Historians tell us That Boleslaus I. was created King of Poland by the Emperor Otto III. before which time the Princes of that Nation were only Dukes This story is confirmed by besides the testimony of the most considerable writers of Poland an ancient Epitaph found in the Cathedral at Posen in which among other commendations of Boleslaus I. are the following rithmes Tu possedisti velut Athleta Christi Regnum Slavorum Gothorum seu Polonorum Caesar praecellens a te Ducalia pellens And again Ob famam bonam tibi contulit Otto Coronam Propter luctamen sit tibi salus Amen However tho the Historians of Poland grant that Boleslaus received the title of King at the hands of the Emperor yet they deny stubbornly that this Kingdom was ever subject or tributary to the Roman Empire But Conringius an ingenious and learned German Physitian in his book entituled De finibus Germanici Imperii c. 18. has demonstrated the contrary For not to take notice of Charles the Great who 't is more than probable conquer'd Poland as well as Silesia 't is certain that Miecislaus the first Christian Prince of Poland paid tribute to the Imperial Crown And the Polish writers are forced to confess That Otto III. remitted all homage due otherwise to Boleslaus Chrobri when he created him King After Boleslaus's death Miecislaus II. his successor was compelled to pay the usual tribute to the Emperor Conrad II. After this several of the Kings of Poland very willingly submitted themselves to the Emperors and others were forced out of their obstinate refusal At last in the long vacancy of the Imperial Throne soon after the middle of the thirteenth Century during which Richard Earl of Cornwal was one of the four elected Emperors whilst the Empire of Germany was in a confused distraction the Polanders took occasion to shake off the German yoke to which they could never since be reduced This is part of the relation which Conringius gives us of the ancient state of Poland in reference to the German Empire founded chiefly upon the testimonies of Dithmarus Mersburgensis and Helmoldus men of unquestionable veracity in their Histories Hartknoch endeavours to evade the force of his argument by saying That tho it be true that the Polanders have formerly paid some certain sum of money to the Emperors by whom it was demanded under the notion of a tribute yet this does not necessarily suppose any dependance of the Crown of Poland upon the Empire of Germany For 't is ordinary even with the Emperors themselves to buy peace with money And thus the English bought their peace of the Danes and made Lewis XI King of France pay for his But let him consider First whether the words of Helmoldus Chron. Slav. lib. 1. c. 1. num 9. can be properly understood of any such sum of money as is usually paid by any Nation upon the ratification of a Treaty of Peace when he says servit ipsa speaking of Poland sicut Bohemia sub tributo Imperatoriae Majestati Here the Historian tells us plainly the Kingdom of Poland was in his time as much tributary to the Emperor as Bohemia and how truly that was under his subjection every Historian will shew Again 't was not very considerately done to instance in the tribute paid by the English to the Danes or by Lewis XI to the King of England For both these were doubtless acknowledgements of subjection and homage The Danes all know were absolute Lords of our Land for 26 and made almost continual incursions into it for the space of 250 years Dane-gelt which perhaps Hartknoch as some of our own Historians have done mistakes for a tribute or composition-money paid the Danes upon any invasion was at first only a Subsidy gather'd for the maintenance of a standing army to oppose the Danish fury Afterwards indeed the word was used to denote a tribute sometimes amounting to 72000 pounds levyed yearly in England and paid to the King of Denmark upon the refusal of which payment the English were sure to feel the weight of that Kings displeasure This tribute was certainly a sign of a true and real subjection to the Crown of Denmark which might have lasted longer had not the Saxon and Danish lines been peaceably united in the pious King
into one and then into the other and if it be strong enough to endure so sudden a change of heat and cold they think it will make a hardy Fellow and fit for their business whereupon they endeavour to have it baptiz'd as soon as they can possibly wrapping it in moss and so carrying it to Church though at a very great distance either upon their backs or in a Pannier upon their Rain-deer as they anciently us'd to do to their publick Fairs whither Priests were sent twice a year out of Sweden While their Children are young they use them to bow and arrows by which they are to get their future livelihood and to make them the more expert always place their victuals upon a post as their mark to shoot at which they hit down or fast The Manner of the Laplanders Liuing in Summer The Manner of the Laplanders Liuing in Winter F. H. Van. Houe Sculp R. t honble ANTONY EARLE of SHAFTSBVRY If any one be dangerously sick they either send for the Priest if near to prepare him for death or to the Magician to resolve them by his Drum if he shall recover parting their respects 'twixt Gods Ministers and the Devils Servants If he dye they imagine that his Soul is not at rest till the body be in the grave and for that reason use all haste possible to convey it to some Burying-place which is frequently the nearest Cave or Wood Church-yards by reason of their remoteness they seldom make use of The dead body they carry upon a sledd and when they come to the Cave cast it in and the sledd after it or else cover it with great Logs of Wood to secure it from wild Beasts always laying besides it a Flint and steel and sometimes a Hatchet which they suppose may be serviceable to them in the other world At their return they provide a Funeral Banquet or rather a sacrifice to the Ghost of the deceased person which is thus They take those Rain-deer that dragg'd the dead body to the grave and offer them in sacrifice to the Manes feasting upon their flesh and making merry with Brandy and Tobacco and the best chear they have at last they drink a health round to the person departed this done they carefully gather the bones of the Rain-deer put them into a box with a rude image of their friend and so bury them together These Ceremonies observ'd also in their Heathenism shew'd that even then as it were by the dictates of Nature they conceived themselves to consist of an Immortal part also and that they expected another life after this wherein they imagine every one to follow their former imployments and consequently to be again united to their bodies The Lives and Manners of the Laplanders as it is express'd in the Plate here annex'd The upper-part is their Summer-living The under-part their way of living in Winter In the Vpper-part you have 1 A Church for those who are converted to the Lutheran Religion At the entrance of which in lieu of a 2 Bason of Holy-water there stands one full of Brandy-wine with a spoon in it of which every one who comes to Church takes a sup to encourage and warm his zeal The first man you see represents the 3 Priest the next the best 4 man of the Parish Then follows a 5 Bride attended upon by two 6 Bride-maids after whom comes the 7 Bridegroom and other friends 8 Their manner of making Baskets which is their greatest trade 9 Their way of carrying and of rocking their children 10 The manner how the young children grown up suck the Rain-Deer 11 The man and wife's way of lying in bed 12 Their Houses for keeping their provisions themselves in the coldest part of Winter lying in Tents 13 Their manner of eating 14 The Priests way of Baptizing and the Clarks bringing water 15 Their way of Wire-drawing which is much used amongst them for adorning of their Boots and Coats 16 Amongst those who are not yet converted to the Christian Religion you have their way of sacrificing 17 Their three Gods standing uppermost and under each of them upon the Altars lye three pieces of the sacrificed Rain-deer 18 Their way of praying to them 19 Their way of Burial 20 Their way of praying to Death that it would be pleased to spare them awhile In the Vnder-part you have 1 Their manner of bringing their Taxes consisting of several sorts of Skins and dry'd Fish to the Kings Commissioners which being paid each one takes a large spoonful of Brandy-wine which stands at the end of the Table and so away Above which you see the 2 Commissioners Tent. 3 Their way of travelling in Sledds drawn by Rain-Deer which by the by do agree so well with those barren Countries that if you do but bring them into Sweden which yet is none of the most fertile they dye in a short time 4 Their way of carrying their goods 5 Their manner of ruling their Rain-Deer with a whip or line 6 Their way of shooting them 7 Their taking Tobacco which they prize above meat 8 Their speaking in the ear of the Rain-Deer telling them what they should do or whither they should go which as I am credibly inform'd they will observe exactly 9 Their manner of gelding them 10 Their way of laying their heads under a Drum which the Devil beats and from thence the man learns what success he shall have in his affairs 11 His giving the man the Hammer and letting him beat OF THE Provinces of Sweden Properly so taken NExt to be spoken to is Suecia or Sweden strictly so call'd of which because it has been honour'd always by the Residence of their Kings and been the chief Scene of Swedish Affairs we shall in the first place treat and afterwards speak of Gothia or Gothland with all its Provinces rather as an Accession to the Crown of Sweden then a distinct Kingdom from it though anciently Gothia and Suecia had their distinct successions of Kings Of Finland Ingria and Aesthonia with the late Conquests in Livonia Pomeren c. we shall in the last place discourse reserving the Laws and Government as also the manner and customs of the People till we come to Stockholm the present Metropolis of this great Empire Suecia then Suecia or Suetia call'd by the English Sweden or Swedland is bounded on the North with Lapland on the West with the Dofrine Hills on the East with the Bothnick and Finnick Bays and on the south with Gothland and Sconen A fruitful but in some parts mountainous and woody Country abounding with several rich Mines and affording very great conveniencies of water and fuel for working them It is divided into two General parts viz. Suecia strictly so taken and the Northlands or Northlandish Provinces I. The Northlands contain in them two distinct Countries or Provinces Helsingia and Gestricia parted one from the other by the great wood Oedemord 1. Gestricia Gestricia which affords some
Gustavus X. ann 1655 and by this present King Charles XI in 1663 publickly ratified and subscrib'd to and ever since by him maintain'd so that Lutheranism may seem to have taken deepest root in this Kingdom The Clergy of Sweden is had in great honour and reputation 〈◊〉 And tho the revenues belonging to the Church are since the Reformation very much impaired Gustavus I. annexing as 't is said to the Crown at one time 7500 Farms and Ecclesiastical Livings yet the respect due to their Ministers does not seem to be much abated Their Archbishop always performs the Religious Solemnities at the Kings Coronation and with as many Bishops as the King pleases to chuse is admitted Privy-Counsellor to his Majesty He is reckon'd the chief person in the Kingdom next to the King himself and accordingly takes place of all Temporal Lords and anciently when it was granted to a Knight or Lay-Privy-Counsellor to have only twelve and a Senator eight it was order'd that he might have forty and a Bishop thirty Horses in their Retinue He has under him seven Suffragans viz. the Bishops of Lyncopen Scare Stergnes Westeras Wexio Aboa and Riga And divers Superintendents who have Episcopal Jurisdiction viz. of Calmare Gottenburgh Marienstadt Revel c. All which make up an Ecclesiastical College call'd the supreme Consistory of the Kingdom wherein the Archbishop always presides The Clergy of this Nation says Loccenius according to the manner of the Eastern Churches us'd to marry till Pope Innocent IV. by a Council held at Sceningia a City of Ostro-Gothia ann 1248 forbad marriage to Priests and caus'd those that had wives to put them away What concerns their Religion or their Church-Government being the same with that of the Lutherans must be elsewhere more largely treated of The King is the absolute Soveraign in Ecclesiastical matters which he determines not without the advice of his Archbishop and Bishops He names all the Bishops and by his power are summon'd all Ecclesiastical Assemblies Authors make a difference betwixt their Bishops and Superintendents but it is not considerable both equally depending upon the Archbishop but the Superintendents have not in all things equal power with the Bishops 5. The fifth and last City of Vpland is Stockholm Stockholme lying in 42 degrees of Longitude and of Latitude 58 ten minutes A Town of great Trade the present seat of the Kings of Sweden and the Metropolis of the whole Kingdom Situate it is in an Island on the side of the Lake Meller encompassed on all sides especially that toward the sea with high rugged Rocks called Scheren which hinder the prospect of the City but very much secure the Haven which is very large and of dangerous entrance though these Rocks are a defence to the Town yet by reason of them it is sometime set upon by an enemy unawares as it was by Sigismund King of Poland Anno 1594. It is said to have been founded by King Birgerus Anno 1261 and from the great quantity of wood used in the building of it called Stockholme Stock signifying wood and Holme an Island But Anno 1552 a fire happening in the City and by reason of the wooden buildings burning down a great part of it it was by publick command rebuilt part of stone part of brick part also upon Piles so that the sea flowes under the houses In it are several large well-built bridges only two gates opening to the South and North. Publick Inns or Lodging-houses here are none but strangers take up their quarters with some of the Burghers entertainment handsome and charges not great An. 1407 it was consumed by Lightning and some thousands of people destroyed by the fire In 1529 King Gustavus the first called several principal Burghers and Merchants out of other Cities to inhabit this most of the inhabitants being driven hence by the tyranny of Christiern II. King of Denmark There are in it eight Churches in all one of which is supplied by a Finlandish another by a German Minister who constantly preach in their own language In the Cittadel is the Kings Palace handsomely built some part eight or nine stories high yet of great strength and security within it is a large and magnificent Church built by King John erected upon Marble pillars and rooft with Copper with a private Chappel for the King very large also having forty windows on each side where at the high Altar is said to be a massy Silver Image of our Saviour crucified in full proportion This City has been very often besieg'd ann 1434 by the people of Sweden who rebelled upon account of Foreign Officers employed in the affairs of the Kingdom contrary to the Laws of the Land ' By King John 1481 1522 by Gustavus I. and at other times the enemy always taking advantage of a hill called Bruncaberge so near that from it they can batter the Cittadel The Arms of this City are the Head of Saint Ericus Crown'd Or taken by the agreement of the States in remembrance of that Kings Virtue and Piety and those of the Kingdom are three Crowns Or in a Field Azure given for the same reason This being the Metropolis and lying so conveniently is the greatest place of trade in the whole Nation from whence are exported Copper Iron Steel Lead Deal-board and very many Manufactures made of those materials Copper especially whereof this Kingdom supplies the necessities almost of the whole world This City is govern'd by four chief Magistrates or Consuls who are elected out of the Burghers and enjoy the dignity for their life Their Office is to give Laws and decide controversies arising 'twixt one Citizen and another if of lesser concern but if of great moment they always have the assistance of the Lieutenant of the Castle who is President of the Court for that time and either puts an end to the case or transmits it to the Kings Council They perform this office by turns two having precedence and supplying it one and the other two the next year When any extraordinary affairs happen they may have the assistance of some of the principal Citizens who take upon them particular businesses as the care of Buildings the decision of some private action promulgation of Laws c. Besides these there are twelve Senators or Aldermen chosen out of the Body of the City who have the office likewise for their lives Out of these four are elected to be Assessors to the Consuls and in all cases and differences arising to assist them In this City commonly reside a great number of Foreigners Germans and Finlanders especially who as all others of the Lutheran perswasion are allow'd free exercise of their Religion which is not granted to any of the Roman Communion The soil of the Country hereabouts Soil as in most parts of Sweden is generally fruitful affording store of Corn as Wheat Rye Barley Oats c. and pasturage and in some places no small quantity of Wood. In the
Treasurer the Key and the King on horseback follows them to the Church where the Arch-Bishop receiving him demands of him an account of his faith then reverently approaching the high Altar he tenders to him an Oath to this effect That he will fear God and defend his Church promote love justice and truth amongst his Subjects that he will govern his Kingdom by Natives and not admit any Strangers into Council or places of great trust that he will not alienate any Forts Lands or Territories within his Dominions but preserve them whole and entire to his Successours that he will provide himself and his Court out of his constant Crown Revenues and never burthen his Subjects with Taxes but upon these accounts viz. Either upon an Invasion whether by Christians or Infidels a Domestick Insurrection upon the marriage of his Sons or Daughters for the building of some new Forts or upon diminution of the Exchequer and that he will introduce no laws or Constitutions without or against the consent of the people To Sigismund the third King of Poland who claim'd this Kingdom they propos'd that he would not alter any thing in the establish'd Religion which was the Lutheran which Oath he either refusing or presently breaking lost the favour of his people and the Kingdom it self before he was well setled in it This done the Arch-bishop puts on him his Crown and other Kingly Ornaments and one of the Heralds proclaims such one is crown'd King of Swedland and Gothland and none but he then all the people answer Let the King live After this the King calls before him the Governors or Legifers of every Province and chief Cities within his Dominions who for themselves and their respective Governments take an oath of Allegiance to the King this done the King gives to every one of them to the Legifer of Vpsal first and the rest in order an Escutcheon with the Arms of that Province or that City where they are to preside as Badges of their Offices and returning to his Pallace his Nobility are by him splendidly entertain'd and the Ceremony ends Henceforward he hath power in Ecclesiastical and civil matters and rules his people as an absolute Monarch The next heir to the Crown is the Kings eldest Son if he have any who sometimes is by publick declaration acknowledg'd to be so before his Fathers death as Charles eldest Son to Gustavus the first is said to have been and though in that Kings time the right of succession was by the States granted only to his Issue Male yet in the year 1627 Gustavus Adolphus procur'd that the Kings Daughters also might be admitted to the Throne by which procurement his Daughter Christina was made capable to succeed him Upon default of Issue Royal it is by the Vnio Haereditaria provided that the nearest in blood to the Kings Family shall suceed and upon failure of these the power of electing is to devolve upon the States The Kings younger sons he commonly makes Governours over some particular Provinces giving them Titles fitted to their Commands His Daughters are provided for at the expence of the whole Kingdom their Portions being not taken out of the Kings Exchequer but levied by publick Tax In the Interregnum absence sickness or minority of the King the Kingdom is govern'd by the Drotset or Vice-Roy the Marshal Admiral Chancellour and Treasurer of the Kingdom who at their admission to the publick management of affairs take an Oath not to diminish any thing of the Kings Rights but preserve them whole and entire and if it happen that any part of them be by these Trustees during the Kings Minority sold or alienated the King when he comes to full age may by law recover it Anciently the Kings of Sweden shortly after they were elected used to make a publick Progress through their Dominions the Legifer or Lievtenant of every Province being bound to provide for his Reception what the King did was to assure the people of the great care he had of them and that charge wherewith they had entrusted him and to receive of the people Oaths of Allegiance and Fidelity This custom being found somewhat expensive and the civil troubles of the Kingdom oftentimes not permitting it is now quite left of and the people rest content in the confidence they have of their Prince without thus seeing his Person The Court of the King of Sweden The Court of Sweden like that of England consists of Ecclesiastical Civil and Military persons and government 1. For the Ecclesiastical there is the Arch-bishop with as many Suffragans as are by the King thought convenient who attend the King both at Church and Council upon these several of the inferiour Clergy continually wait 2. For the Civil officers the Drotset or Vice-Roy is chief whose office was anciently to admonish and direct the King to inform him upon any default whatsoever and upon non-amendment to declare the same to the Governours of the Kingdom in whose power it was when they thought fit to dethrone their Prince 2. Next is the Chamberlain or Commissary General who presides over the chief Court of Judicature the Kings Chamber commonly held at Stockholme and discharges all expences and orders all the disbursements of the Kingdom He has under him one Questor who takes care of what money is brought into the Exchequer and gives account to him Under these are twelve Masters of accounts who keep Registers of the Kings Revenues take care lest any detriment happen to the Crown and once a year make up their accounts to the Commissary General in the presence of some of the Privy Counsellours Every one of these has one particular Province of the Kingdom given him in charge in which he employs divers Tax-Masters who collect the Tributes Tenths and other Crown Revenues and bring them to his hands 3. In the third place succeeds the Chancellour of the Kingdom whose Office is much-what the same as in other Kingdoms 4. The Treasurer of the whole Kingdom who has under him several Secretaries and other Officers his office is to keep the Crown Globe Scepter and Sword he is Master of the Royal Mint and Pay-master general of the whole Kingdom accountable to none but the King only 3. For the Military Officers the principal is the Grand Marshal or Generalissimo of the Kings Forces Next is the High Admiral of the Kingdom with the several other officers not different from those in other States Besides these chief Officers of State each Province of the Kingdom has its peculiar Governour called Landshere or Stathallar whose power is very great and office considerable under him there are in every Province as many Lands-men and Nemdaries or Nempmen as there are Districts or Praefectures in it all which have distinct and subordinate offices appeals lying from the lower to the next immediately above it and so to the supream Court of Judicature the Kings Chamber all actions acquiescing in the King as the source and
fountain of the laws By these Governours and Deputies agreeeing together Tributes are exacted and Taxes levied According to an order of the Senate held at Lyncopen 1599 they were to keep Courts of Justice twice in every year all of them meeting in the Winter time about February at Vpsal at the publick Fair called Disting and in Summer at Lyncopen States or Orders of men in this Kingdom there are says Bureus six 1. Princes of the Blood Royal Nobility Clergy Souldiery Merchantry and Commonalty 1. Princes of the Blood The Princes of the Blood-Royal are disposed of by the King according to their age and capacity The eldest as was said is Heir apparent to the Crown The younger are commonly created Dukes and made Governours of Provinces of Vpsal first and the rest in order of dignity These after the death of their elder brother if he dye without issue have right to succeed in the Throne 2. Nobility The Nobility which is said to have descended from King Ingon or Harold of Norway and spred through Germany Suitzerland Spain c. when the Goths invaded the Roman Empire It is divided into three ranks or orders 1. Consists of Earls and Barons or Franck-Barons The Earls Jerl anciently were created only upon extraordinary accounts as were also their Dukes called Hertog neither of their titles being then hereditary A war happening between them and some of their Kings their Honour and Titles were for some ages quite laid aside till King Ericus XIV about the year 1560 first of all renewed these lost Titles and restored them to their owners which gracious favour of his was follow'd by his successors they not only conferring like honour during life but at present making it hereditary The second consists of those whose ancestors have been advanc't to the honour of Senators of the Kingdom The third sort is made up of those who are neither Counts nor Barons and whose ancestors have not been of the Senatorian Order of these Orders may be either their Knights for their valour created by the King whose Titles are not transmitted to their Heirs tho frequently upon equal desert confer'd on them or Gentlemen who are the lowest degree of the Nobility anciently called Affwappen either because they were expert in war or bore a Coat of Arms. All these Noblemen enjoy great priviledges and immunities All their estates are free from taxes and impositions so much only out of the Lands of Earls and Barons excepted as they at their creation receive of the King for which they pay some acknowledgment to the Crown only in time of war and all exigences whatever they are obliged to fit out horses and men for the Kings service proportionable to their estates Out of these are commonly elected the Senators Judges and chief Officers of the Kingdom men of low birth tho of considerable parts seldom advancing themselves into places of great trust and employment in Civil affairs in Ecclesiastical more frequently The estates of these Noblemen are inherited as well by their daughters as their sons the son if one having half and a daughter three parts of them which custom King Bergerus Jerl is said to have made and brought in about four ages ago 3. The Clergy Clergy concerning whom what we find is set down under Vpsal 4. The Souldiery 〈◊〉 which enjoys very great priviledges from the King as soon as any is listed Souldier he has over and above his ordinary pay all his Lands Tax-free if in time of war a Souldiers horse be killed under him the King provides him with another and if any be taken Captive by the Enemy the King redeems him at his own charges and such like which we shall mention when we speak of the Forces of the Kingdom 5. The Merchantry Merchantry in whose possession the most considerable part of the riches of the Kingdom is kept and by whose procurement forreign Commodities are imported For the good government and benefit of these every Maritime City and Mart-Town had anciently their particular Municipal Laws derived from Berca the ancient seat of their Kings and about 600 year ago a Town of the greatest trade in the Kingdom by these it was ordered how and in what manner the Maritime Cities might exercise Trade as well with Inland Towns as Forreigners what Commodities they might traffick with not hindring one anothers commerce c. These laws were by the Civil wars in the Kingdom quite neglected and for a long time out of use but by the care of some of the late Kings they or some equivalent to them begin to be restored and put in Execution 6 The last and lowest state Commonalty and as it were the Basis of the rest is the Commonalty called Bond or Beond of which there are two sorts 1. Named Scatbonder who have Hereditary Lands priviledges of fishing and fowling c. belonging to them these in time of war are bound to fit out one Horse and Man for the Kings service The second sort are those that labour in the Mines called Bergs-men no less profitable to the publick then the former and enjoy no less priviledges and immunities both possessing Estates and Fishery of their own and like the Commons of England having their Representatives in the publick Council of the Kingdom Of these some by reason of their freedom and advantage of Education which is denyed the Pesantry of other Countrys sometimes arrive at great honours in Church and State the famous King Ericus furnamed the Saint is said to have been a Country-mans son The Swedes as all other Nations were for a long time governed only by the laws of nature the confus'd edicts of their Kings Decrees of the States and Responses of the wise till about the year 1251 Bergerus Jerl compiled a body of Laws and Constitutions for the Kingdom collected out of the former These before the invention of Paper were engraven upon large wooden Posts thereby after the manner of the Romans and Athenians to be promulgated to the people They were commonly very short and general as designing the decision of particular cases to the publick Magistrates Besides these they had upon any emergent difficulties other ancient Laws which they called Recessus Regni and other ancient Statutes of the Kingdom by which only great controversies were decided At present the Courts of Justice are more regular and for the speedier execution of it there are in the whole Kingdom five supream Courts of Judicature 1. The Kings Chamber which is divided into three ranks or degrees 1. Supream in which all Cases twixt Senator and Senator brought thither by Appeal are decided 2. The Middle in which are determined actions of Treason and all others betwixt Noblemen Lagmen and publick Officers 3. The lowest where ordinary Trials are decided whether Civil or Criminal where it is judged whether the procedure in Inferiour Courts in actions brought thence by Appeal has been Legal or not From this Court there lies no
Forreign Princes and their manners modell'd by different Laws The second great Epocha in the Swedish Chronicles is from the reign of 108. Ericus IX surnam'd the Saint a virtuous and pious Prince He never lay'd any Taxes or Impositions upon his Subjects but was content with the Crown-Patrimony and when Money was offer'd him by his people he refus'd to accept it He built the Cathedral Church at Vpsal and propagated Christianity to the Finlanders This King new modell'd all the Swedish Laws and expung'd those that any way favour'd Paganism He was murther'd by a Party of Rebels and in the very place where they cut off his head there presently issued out says Loccen a spring of pure water famous for curing diseases 109. Charles VII a peaceable and religious King who founded several Monasteries and had an Arch-bishops see granted him in his own Dominions 110. Canutus son to Ericus 111. Suercherus II. 112. Ericus X a quiet and peaceable King 113. John I surnam'd the Meek He propagated the Christian Religion amongst the Leiflanders 114. Ericus XI surnamed the Stammerer He rooted out Paganism in Tavastia and brought over the Inhabitants to the Christian Faith 115. Waldemarus son to Bergerus Jerl who upon the death of Ericus in his Fathers absence was clected King which his Father being dissatisfied with at his return declaring his displeasure that an unexperienc'd youth his Son should be advanc'd to the Crown and himself disregarded he was thereupon desir'd to take upon him the management of all publick affairs After his death Waldemarus had absolute power in his Kingdom and ruled by his own unfortunate commands He was depos'd by his people and his Crown given to 116. Magnus I surnam'd Ladulaus i. e. the Lock to Granaries because he made such severe Laws against stealing Corn and breaking up Granaries that in his reign the people used neither Lock nor Key his Laws being sufficien to secure them from Thieves and Robber He built many Churches and made several wholsom Laws ordering that all Offenders instead of paying mulcts should be obliged to assist in building some Tower or Fort. 117. Birgerus son to Magnus in his time and by his means Carelia received the Gospel He manag'd affairs imprudently and thereupon was depos'd and banish'd by his Subjects and his Kingdom conferr'd on 118. Magnus II. surnam'd Smeek i. e. the flatter'd or cocker'd Prince In the former part of his reign he ruled peaceably and had the affections of his people but falling into sottishness and following strange women he lost the love of his Subjects and was in a Senate at Stockholm publickly arraign'd for his misdemeanors call'd for to answer for himself and not appearing in his own defence by them depos'd Ericus XII son to Magnus sometime during his Fathers reign manag'd all business of State and therefore he is by some reckon'd amongst the Kings of Sweden though without good reason for he was only an assistant to the King in Council not a Partner in the Government The fourth Swedish Epocha is reckon'd from the remarkable alteration of affairs under 119. Albertus of Mecklebourg elected by the Suffrages of the people For some time he rul'd well but preferring Germans to the chief places of trust in his Kingdom he thereupon lost the love of his Subjects and his Crown to boot After he was depos'd he retir'd into a Monastery The person who succeeded was 120. Margaretta Queen of Denmark and Norway She vex'd her Subjects with intolerable Taxes admitted Danes English-men and Italians into publick Offices and was thereupon assaulted by the Nobles of the Kingdom who had certainly slain her had she not given them fair promises and propos'd to them one to succeed her viz. 121. Ericus XIII her Nephew son to Wartislavus Duke of Pomeren He was King of Denmark Norway and Sweden at the same time He marryed Philippa Daughter to Henry IV. then King of England for some time he reigned happily but breaking the Laws of the Kingdom and not observing his Coronation-Oath he fell into great troubles and at last after he had enjoy'd three Crowns for five and forty years was dethron'd by his Subjects this King after he was depos'd is said to have turn'd Pirat and very much infested the Brittish Coasts his Kingdoms of Denmark and Sweden were given to 122. Christophorus Duke of Bavaria This King revis'd and corrected the municipal Laws of Sweden and caus'd them to be promulgated from him call'd Christopher's Laws He dyed suddenly at Helsinburg as he was going to consult with his Nobles at Jenecopia After this Kings death there was an Interregnum for some small time during which all publick business was manag'd by one Benedictus Bielke and Nicolaus Baner two Principal Officers of State in the time of King Christophorus The fifth Epocha is reckon'd from the ending of the Interregnum which was when the Government was undertaken by 123. Carolus VIII Canuti Marshal of the Kingdom who was descended from the Stock of the ancient Gothish Kings As soon as he was setled in the Throne he pretended Title to Gotlandia which the Danes then possess'd and thereupon made war with Christianus I King of Denmark but with small success He lay'd upon his Subjects heavy and grievous Taxes and attempting to take away Church Lands and pious Donations lost the favour of his Subjects and was by them expell'd or rather by the Danish forces driven out of his Dominions His friend whom he in his Banishment trusted himself with was Casimirus King of Poland who entertain'd him nobly for seven years during which time Sweden was govern'd by 124. Christiernus I. King of Denmark call'd hither by the prevailing Faction but seizing the publick Treasure of the Kingdom and committing many cruelties he was shortly after deposed from being King and 125. Carolus Canuti recall'd from Dantzick and restor'd to the Throne but being troubled with civil Commotions at home chiefly manag'd by the Arch-bishop of Vpsal and endanger'd by the Danish Forces from abroad commanded by the depos'd King Christiernus I. he voluntarily left the Government of the Kingdom and appointed for his Successor his Nephew 126. Steno Sture Senior who was receiv'd by the Senate at Stockholm rather as a Protector then an absolute Governour of the Kingdom he manag'd all publick affairs very happily and with great satisfaction to the people for a long time till in the year 1491 at which time he was accus'd by the Senate for acting in several matters without their knowledg and advice for making a League with the Inhabitants of Riga against the Teutonick Order of which the Russes taking advantage had made some inrodes into Livonia and Finland and such-like Crimes and thereupon by them turn'd out of all office the Kingdom was conferr'd on 127. John II. son to Christiern I. King of Denmark He took Steno Sture into favour and going as was then the custom to visit his dominions left him Vice-roy at Stockholm to manage all the affairs of
state during his absence Steno got into the Office endeavours nothing more then to lessen his Masters and to advance his own credit and interest with the people and thereupon calumniates him as a publick Enemy to the Nation seizes upon those Castles and Forts which the King had Officer'd with Danes besieges Stockholm gains the City presently the Castle in which the Queen had secur'd her self after two years siege and not long after the command of the whole Kingdom Upon these disorders in Sweden the King shelters himself in Denmark thence sends a Messenger to Steno Sture desiring him to send his Queen Christina to him whom he courteously attending to the Borders of Denmark dyed suddenly at Jenecopia a City in Smalandia being as was suppos'd poison'd by some of the Queens friends The Kingdom was dispos'd of by the Nobles and given to or rather as Johannes Magnus relates forcibly obtain'd by 128. Suanto Sture son to one Nicolaus Grand Marshal of Sweden He was Administrator or Protector of the Kingdom not absolute King He took Colmar then possess'd by the Danes and maintain'd a bloody war against John II. of Denmark the exil'd King of Sweden A Treaty of peace being agreed on to be held at Colmar he refus'd to be present and was thereupon by Maximilian the Emperor of Germany and John of Denmark declared an Enemy to the publick and a disturber of the peace and as such he and all his accomplices were by all good men to be deem'd and their possessions to be confiscated Suanto not valuing all their protestations against him declares against their proceedings and striking a League with the Lubechers which they afterwards broke puts himself in a posture of defence in the prosecution of the war he dyed at Arhusia after he had govern'd very happily for eight years the next who succeeded him was his son 129. Steno Sture Junior Protector of the Kingdom Upon some grievous quarrels and animosities breaking out 'twixt this King and Gustavus Trolle who afterwards enjoy'd the Crown the Kingdom was miserably shatter'd and opportunity given to Christiern II. son to John II. King of Denmark to make an Invasion into it Steno to defend himself raises an Army goes against him and near the Lake Wener loses his life in battel The Kingdom was by the Nobles under certain conditions as of having their Laws and Religion protected c. given to 130. Christiern II. King of Denmark who having obtain'd the Diadem meditated nothing more then revenge and cruelty and committed so many Massacres and Acts of hostility upon his Subjects that he may seem not much inferiour in tyranny to Nero himself He under pretence of friendship and deciding the troubles of the Kingdom invited all his Nobles to a royal banquet and after having treated them splendidly for two whole days at last pretending the disturb'd state of the Kingdom requir'd that they should be taken out of the way and that the Popes Bull which he caus'd publickly to be read before them gave him authority to do it murther'd them casting their dead bodies out into the streets where they lay for three days to be torn by Dogs and trod upon by the Souldiers The body of Steno Sture which had layn some time in the ground he caus'd to be dug up and given to the Dogs to devour with such-like unheard of Cruelties which made him hated amongst his Swedish Subjects and not secure while he liv'd among them Hereupon he retir'd or rather fled into Denmark and the whole management of Swedish affairs was undertaken by 131. Gustavus I. Nephew to Steno Sture by his brother Ericus whom Christiern had put to death He when young was taken by Christiern and carried prisoner into Denmark whence miraculously escaping he came into Sweden put himself in the head of the dissenting party manag'd several engagements against the Tyrant very successfully and was at last seemingly much against his will crown'd King This King was the first who made the Kingdom of Sweden Hereditary the Nobles and Commons in consideration of the great service he had done the Nation freely giving up their ancient right of electing and establishing the Crown upon him and his heirs for ever He was the first that encourag'd and propagated the Lutheran Confession in Sweden and made a League with the Reform'd Princes of Germany to defend it against all Opposers He protested against Christianus III. King of Denmark who alledg'd some pretentions to the Arms three Crowns Or of Sweden made a peace with the Russes and after he had reign'd happily for nine and thirty years dyed in a quiet and peaceable old-age his Diadem according to the right of inheritance was conferr'd on the head of 132. Ericus XIV his Eldest son As soon as or before he was well settled in the Throne the first thing he propos'd to the Senate was to consult about a marriage with Elizabeth Queen of England He concluded a peace with the Danes which they not observing on their part he made war against them invaded Norway and committing some cruelties upon the Norwegian Noblemen thereupon quite lost the favour of his own Subjects and was by them under the command of his rebellious Brothers notwithstanding their oath of Allegiance treacherously betrayed thrust from his Throne and shut up in Prison where after nine years confinement he died miserably During his imprisonment when he perceiv'd what way affairs would go and to whom the Kingdom after his death according to justice be transferr'd he is said to have writ under his Escutcheon these words Translatum est regnum factum est fratris mei a Domino constitutum est ei which so happen'd for the Diadem in right descended upon 133. John III. brother to Ericus He as soon as invested with his Royal Robes endeavours to lay a Foundation for a quiet reign and thereupon concludes a peace with the Muscovite the Pole and the Dane his three potent Neighbours This King is said to have endeavour'd to introduce the Religion of the church of Rome into his Dominions and labour'd to perswade his Brother Charles to embrace that Profession but with small success In the latter part of his Reign he was victorious in war and saw his son Sigismund crown'd King of Poland He died not without suspicion of being poison'd After his death his Brother Charles Duke of Sudermannia for some time manag'd all publick affairs 'till his Nephew to whom according to the right of succession the Crown did belong could conveniently come out of Poland to receive it 134. Sigismund son to John III. He was educated in the Religion of the church of Rome Hereupon the States of Sweden fearing lest he being admitted King might reestablish Popery amongst them before his Coronation propos'd to him an Oath not to alter any thing in their Religion reform'd according to Luther but to allow his Subjects the free exercise of that profession This Oath he endeavour'd at first to evade but being
advised by the Popes Legat and some Jesuits that an Oath taken by him with Heretics was not obligatory or if he scrupled that that a Dispensation for the breach of it was easily attainable from the Pope at last solemnly took it and promising the States faithfully to observe all the conditions of it he left Sweden and return'd into Poland During his absence all affairs of the Kingdom were managed by Duke Charles his Uncle who for some small time executed the Office of Vice-Roy very quietly and to the great satisfaction of the Kings subjects but some differences arising about Religion the Papists Jesuits especially to whom free exercise of their Worship had been granted growing powerful and thereupon behaving themselves insolently towards the Lutherans the businesses of State became troubled and the determination of controversies and removal of jealousies out of the peoples hearts a very difficult matter Hereupon Sigismund is sent for out of Poland but both delaying to come into Sweden and to send Orders to his Uncle An. Ch. that Popish Delinquents as they were represented to him should according to Law be proceeded against as enemies to the State and that other such-like grievances should be redress'd he so lost his interest with his Swedish Subjects that when at last he came amongst them they opposed him as a public enemy made war against him and overcame him in Battel After he was defeated he return'd to Poland and his Crown of Sweden was by the States set upon the head of his Uncle 135. Charles IX Duke of Sudermannia and brother to John III. He maintain'd the Augustan Confession during his whole Reign carryed on a bloody war against his Nephew Sigismund and Christianus IV. King of Denmark whom he challeng'd to a Duel and after he had reigned eleven years dyed at Nycopia in his return from opposing the Danes The Government after his death according to the right of Inheritance descended upon his eldest son 136. Gustavus Adolphus II. surnamed the Great This King in the beginning of his Reign prosecuted the war with Denmark which his father was engaged in at his death but intending to turn the whole forces of his Kingdom against his Cousin Sigismund K. of Poland he within a short time concluded a peace both with the Dane and Muscovite this done he invaded Livonia took several places of great importance in that and other Provinces which belong'd to the Pole and at last making a Truce with his Cousin for six years he return'd into Sweden During the war with Poland Ferdinand II. Emperor of Germany had done him as he alledged very many injuries as his sending assistance to the Pole into Borussia under the command of Arnhemius his not admitting the Swedish Delegates to a Treaty of Peace at Lubeck but charging them to depart the Empire c. whereupon he invaded the Imperial dominions took several strong Cities and after he had over-run a great part of the Empire was kill'd in battel near Leipsick He was succeeded by 137. Christina his only daughter who being then but seven years old the affairs of the Kingdom were order'd by her Guardians till she came to the eighteenth year of her age at which time she took the Government upon her self made a Peace with the Emperor and the King of Denmark and at last either weary of ruling so potent a Kingdom or thinking the care of it too great a burthen for her to undergo voluntarily laid down the Crown and commended it to 138. Charles Gustavus X. A Noble and Victorious Prince He maintain'd war against the Pole the Muscovite and the Dane As he was returning from Gottenburg upon the confines of Denmark to Stockholm he dyed of a Feaver and his Kingdom according to right of succession descended upon 139. Charles XI his son then four years of age During his Minority the Kingdom was govern'd by his Guardians but coming to full age he took upon himself the management of all publick affairs and is now reigning A. D. 1680. Aged twenty-four years A warlike and virtuous Prince Of the Great PRINCIPALITY OF FINLAND BEyond the Bothnic Bay lies the Great Principality of Finland Finland call'd by the Natives Somi or Soma from the great number of Lakes that are in it Soma signifying a Lake but by the Swedes first and after them by all strangers call'd Finland q. Fine-land from the pleasantness of the Country or as others say q. Fiende-land i.e. the Land of Fiends or Enemies the Finlanders using for a long time before they were under the Swedish power to make frequent incursions into that Kingdom and very much injure and molest its inhabitants It is bounded on the East with the Sinus Finnicus and the Lake Ladoga on the West with the Bothnic Bay on the North with part of Lapland and on the South with part of the Finnic and Baltic Seas It is divided into these seven Provinces Its Provinces 1. Southern-Finland 2. Northern-Finland 3. Cajania 4. Savolaxia 5. Tavastia 6. Nylandia And 7. Carelia 1. Southern Finland Southern Finland parted from the Northern by the River Aujaroki which waters the Episcopal City Abo. It extends it self all along the Finnic Bay Eastward having on the North and North-East the Provinces of Tavastia and Nylandia In it are besides several little Towns two remarkable Forts viz. Gusto in the Western and Raseberg to which belongs a Dynasty or Principality in the Eastern part of it 2. Northern Finland Northern Finland running along the East-side of the Bothnic Bay towards the North. It is indifferently large in circumference taking in both the Satagunda's with Viemo and Masco Water'd it is by one only River call'd Cumo-elff famous for its abundance of Salmon and other sorts of Fish which falls into the Sea near the City Biorneborgh Towns of note here are Raumo Nystadh and Nadhendal to these Sanson adds Castelholm in the Island Alandia 3. Cajania Cajania or Ost-Bothnia as some call it in opposition to West-Bothnia which lyes over against it on the West side of the Bothnic Bay In it are many large Rivers the chief of which are Kimi-elff which emptieth it self into the Bothnic Bay at the most Northern Cape of it and parts this Province from West-Bothnia Iio-elff and Vla-elff Cities here are 1. Vlam or Vlo 2. Vasa or Wassam Cal to which may be added the Forts Cajaneburg and Vlaburg 4. Savolaxia Savolaxia which is bounded on the East with the Lake Ladoga on the West with a a ridge of Mountains which part it from Carelia on the North with part of Muscovitic Lapland and on the South with Tavastia and Carelia This Province abounds much with Lakes and Rivers most of which disburthen themselves into the Lake Ladoga The Rivers afford Fish Pike especially in great abundance and the Lakes besides the great quantity of Fish they breed supply the inhabitants with Sea-Calfs not met with in any other Scandian Lakes Here is one remarkable Fort
Blekingia c. BY a Ratification of Peace concluded at Roschild Feb. 26 ann 1658 between Charles X. then King of Sweden and Frederic III. King of Denmark the Provinces of Scania Hallandia and the Castle of Bahus with all the Forts Islands c. and also all the Royalties Jurisdictions Dominions Ecclesiastical or Civil with the Revenues Tributes Payments and all Rights whatsoever whether by Land or Sea were by the King of Denmark in consideration of having some places restored to him as Sialand Laland Falstria c. which the King of Sweden had during the late war made himself Master of wholly ceded and given up to the Crown of Sweden as a perpetual possession to be incorporated with that Kingdom for ever in as full and ample manner as the Kings of Denmark and Norway had formerly possess'd and enjoy'd the same And by another Ratification of Peace held at Copenhagen ann 1660 between the said Frideric III. of Denmark and this present King of Sweden these Provinces in the same manner as they had been granted by the former Treaty were confirm'd to the Swedish Crown We shall treat of all these Provinces though by reason of the present Wars 'twixt the Swedes and Danes the possession of them is much disturb'd and some Cities and Forts in them seized and Garrison'd by the Danish Forces as Accessional parts of this Kingdom remitting what may be said concerning the ancient Titles the Kings of Denmark had to them or what else may concern them to be spoken to in that Kingdom 1. Scania or Schonen a Province abounding as was said in Gothia with Corn Beasts Birds and all Commodities of life having on the East Blekingia on the West the Sund along the shore of which it runs for the space of twenty German Miles on the North Hallandia and Westro-Gothia and on the South part of the Baltic or Ost-Zee It is in length eighteen and where broadest in bredth twelve German miels In it are besides many Towns and Villages twelve Nomarchies or Principalities The chief City is 1. Lundia Lundon or Lune formerly from the year 1109 to 1559 the seat of an Arch-bishop who was wont to be call'd to the general Diets of the Empire and have his voice in them It is said to have two and twenty Churches in it and amongst the rest a magnificent Cathedral dedicated to St. Laurence no less remarkable for its high Steeple which is a guide to Mariners and its large vault under the Quire then for the Dial which shews the year month week day and hour of the day all at the same time with all Feasts both moveable and fix'd as also the motions of the Sun and Moon and their progress through every degree of the Zodiack This Clock is so order'd by artificial Engines that when ever it strikes two Horse-men come forth and encounter each other the one giving the other just so many blows as the hammer is to strike upon the Bell at what time a door opening the Virgin Mary appears sitting upon a Throne with Christ in her arms and the Magi doing him reverence and two Trumpeters sounding all the while This is the suppos'd work of Caspar Bartholine the famous Mathematician The Altar also of this Church is an excellent piece of work of black and white Marble adorn'd on the fore-part with the Sculptures of Frederic II and Sophia his wife and upon the Table-stone with the Images of our Saviour and his twelve Apostles at his last Supper 2. Malmoge or as some call it Elbogen at the very Southern point of Schonen just opposite to Copenhagen in Zeland a well traded Port the birth-place of the said Caspar Bartholine or Malmogius Danus as some pleas'd to name him the great Mathematician 3. Trelleberg North of Elbogen 4. Landscroon on the Sea side a place of great consequence and strength built by Ericus VIII An. 1413. It has six Gates in all three towards the Sea and three towards the Continent with a fair Market-place and a stately Stadt-house Here is a large and convenient harbour for Ships though of somewhat hazardous entrance This City was fortify'd with a Castle by Christian III. who remov'd the Fair at Engelholm to this place where it is kept at Mid-summer every year with a great concourse of Merchants 5. Helsemburg a mean Town but fortified with an impregnable Castle just opposite to Helsinore and Croneberg in Seland the other of the two Keys which openeth into the Sund. In the middle of the Castle rises a high four square Tower which shews it self to Mariners a great way off from the Castle and serves them as a mark to steer their course by In this Town are kept two Fairs every year one in Mid-Lent the other upon Palm-sunday noted for the concourse of people and great store of Merchandize vended here 6. Radneby a Frontire Town bordering on Verendia 7. Christiania or Christendorp built by Christiern IV. An. 1604 out of the ruins of Ahusia and Vaea or Wa and fortifyed with eight Bulwarks and so encompass'd with Fens and Marshes on one side and with the Sea on the other that it may seem almost impregnable To these may be added 8. Scanore the most ancient of any 2. Hallandia Hallandia or Hallandt which lyes to the North East upon part of Westro Gothia its limits begin at the Promontory call'd by the Natives Hallands-Ars by Strangers Coll and thence runs along the Codane Shore to Elsburg sixteen German miles and may be said to have on the West the Sea which runs 'twixt it and Jutland on the North part of Smalandia and on the South Scania or Schonen Of this Province see what was said in Westro-Gothia 3. Blescida Blekingia or Blecking Blekingia a Province somewhat mountanous woody and barren and not near so fertil as either of the two former It is bounded on the East and South with the Baltic Sea on the North with Verendia in Smaland and on the West with Schonen The whole Province is divided into eight Nomarchies and contains these Cities and Towns of note all lying upon the Baltic 1. Vstadium vulg Vster 2. Stanthamera or Santhamer 3. Ahuiis 4. Selsburg 5. Elenholm 6. Rottenbuy 7. Christianopolis Christenberg rais'd out of the ground by Christiern IV. King of Denmark A. D. 1604 to defend his Kingdom on this side but not long after by a warlike Stratagem surpris'd by the Swedes An. 1611 and by them destroy'd and quite dispeopled since which time it has been rebuilt and at present is very well replenished with Inhabitants and much frequented by Merchants 10. Bromsebro famous for the treaty of peace betwixt Christina Queen of Sweden and Christianus IV. King of Denmark concluded at this Town A. D. 1648 with many smaller Towns and Villages To these may be added 4. Jemptia Jemptia or Jempterland so called from one Kietellus Jampte a Norwegian Nobleman who escaping from the tyranny of Harald Harfager King of Norway came
coming of the Asians into these parts says Odin or Woden the great Captain of the Asae spread his language over Saxony as well as Denmark Sweden and Norway Adding further That within awhile the Asian tongue was generally spoken in all the neighbouring Countries The strongest argument to prove a difference between this tongue and the old Teutonic may be had from a diligent enquiry into the various phrases and proprieties of speech used in both of them But when we consider how much the idioms of the High and Low Dutch differ and how vastly the Syntax of our English Language is alter'd from the Danish and German we shall have reason to confess before we pronounce these last two distinct primitive languages that time is able strangely to alter the physiognomy of tongues as well as men However the dispute is like shortly to have an end and the Danes will in a little while if they do not already speak good Dutch For the German tongue is now ordinarily spoken in Copenhagen and most of the chief trading Cities in Denmark To let pass the stories of King Dan Government whom some Historians make to reign in this Kingdom three hundred years before the birth of our Saviour it is manifest from the unquestionable testimonies of the best Roman writers that Denmark was a Monarchy in the Consulship of Catulus and Marius near an hundred years before Christ Afterwards we have a certain account of Gothric King of the Danes in the days of the Emperor Charles the Great from whom the present Kings of Denmark are descended in a lineal succession except what Pontanus seems not to allow of the line of the ancient Kings failed upon the death of King Christopher III. A. D. 1448 The power of the Danish Nobility in Council is exceeding great but not so large as to make the supreme Government Aristocratical Some would argue That the Nobles are above the King since 't is well known they denied to Crown Frederic II. in the year 1559 till he had sworn never to pretend to be able by his own authority to put any Nobleman to death From this and some other like instances Bodinus endeavours to prove the Kings of Denmark petty Princes rather then absolute Monarchs not remembring that even in France it self as well as all other Kingdoms of Europe it has always been thought requisite for the satisfaction of the people that every King at his Coronation should make some solemn Vow to maintain the ancient Laws and Priviledges of his Country and Subjects And if in the case mentioned the Nobility of Denmark required their King to lay a stricter obligation on himself then was usual the performance was arbitrary and not constrain'd The Subjects might possibly upon the Kings refusal to gratifie them have rebell'd against their lawful Sovereign but could not justly have compell'd him to a compliance Before the year 1660 King the Kingdom of Denmark was not as Norway Hereditary but Elective yet so that the Senators usually chose the eldest son of their King who thenceforward was styled the Prince The rest of the Kings sons had the Titles of Dukes and Heirs of Norway The Election in ancient times was commonly had in this solemn manner As many of the Nobles as were Senators and had power to give their voices agreed upon some convenient place in the fields where seating themselves in a circle upon so many great stones they gave their votes This done they placed their new elected Monarch in the middle upon a stone higher then the rest and saluted him King In Seland to this day there is such a company of stones which bear the name of Kongstolen or the Kings seat And Olaus Magnus tells us the same story of a great stone call'd by the Vicenage Morastaen near Vpsal in Sweden Near St. Buriens in Cornwall in a place which the Cornish-men call Biscow-Woune are to be seen nineteen stones set in a round circle distant every one about twelve foot from the other and in the very center one pitched far higher and greater then the rest This Cambden fancies to have been some Trophee erected by the Romans under the later Emperors or else by Athelstane the Saxon when he had subdued Cornwal and brought it under his dominion But Wormius more probably guesses that in this place some Danish or Saxon King was elected by his followers And I conceive the same may be said of Long Meg and her daughters near little Salkeld in Cumberland But to return to Denmark of later years the Danes in their elections have follow'd the customs of other Countries till Frederic III. in the year 1660 who was the first that ventur'd to exercise the authority of an absolute Prince and to shake off the dependance his Ancestors were wont to have upon the good will of their Subjects procuring with fair words and threats a Law to be established That for the future the Kingdom of Denmark should immediately upon the Kings death descend upon his lawful Heir Whereupon the present King Christian V. was the same night his Father dyed without any previous election or consent asked of the Nobility proclaimed King The Rites of Coronation are usually perform'd at Copenhagen where the King is anointed by the Bishop of Roschild The Chronicles of the Kings of Denmark which have hitherto been publish'd Catalogue of their Kings are so imperfect and contradictory one to another that 't is utterly impossible to give an exact Catalogue of their Kings Saxo Grammaticus who liv'd saith Stephanus in the twelfth Century has made a shift to collect a great many stories out of the scatter'd fragments of old Runic Inscriptions and ancient Ballads and to relate them in a better method and stile then could be well expected from the age he liv'd in But when we consider that the best he met with could not possibly be of more authority then such venerable scraps of Chronicles as are published by Wormius at the end of his Monumenta Danica and see how these two run counter it is hard to rest satisfied with the relation he gives us and yet as difficult to provide our selves of a better The first rational account given us of any of the Danish Kings which we may safely rely upon for truth is in our English Chronicles which as the Learned Sir Henry Spelman in an Epistle to Ol. Rosecrantz formerly Danish Ambassador in England treat more fully and clearly of the affairs of Denmark then any of the Danish Historians Wherefore omitting the relations given of Dan Humblus and the rest of their Heathen Kings as either false or frivolous we shall content our selves with a short Register of the Kings of Denmark since the first planting of Christianity in that Kingdom And 1. Harald being beaten out of his Kingdom by his brother Reinferd's accomplices fled to the Emperor Ludowic for help who assisted him in regaining of his Crown upon condition he would forsake his Idolatry and turn
so ridiculous as to have the work of so many years confuted in one page by our learned Dr. Pell at that time publick Professor of Mathematicks in Amsterdam 6. Arrild Witfield Lord of Odersberch and sometime Chancellour of Denmark was the first that reduced Saxo's History to a Chronological method annexing the year to every memorable passage Besides he composed and published an accurate Chronicle of the Kings of Denmark and Norway in the Danish tongue of which work Pontanus who was once his Clerk gives a very high Character 7. Stephanus Stephanius Professour of History in the University at Sor has illustrated Saxo Grammaticus with most accurate and learned Notes Besides he writ an exact account of the affairs of Denmark during the reign of Christian the Third from the year 1550 to 1559 which since his death was printed at Sor A. D. 1650. 8. Olaus Wormius late Regius Professor of Physick in Copengagen besides the rare collection he made of natural Curiosities of which his Musaeum Wormianum is nothing else but a Catalogue has with great diligence and success made discovery of that venerable and mysterious part of learning which before his time had lain unregarded for many ages in every corner of Denmark His Literatura Runica Monumenta Danica Fasti Danici and other writings of this kind are enough to inform any man how much his own Countrey-men and all that are well-wishers to learning are indebted to his indefatigable pains and industry 9. Petrus Johannes Resenius Professor of Moral Philosophy and Counsellour to the present King of Denmark has for several years last past applyed himself to an Enquiry after the antiquities of his Country In order to which he has made a much larger Collection of Runic Monuments then ever Wormius met with which as I am informed he designs ere long to publish in a work of some Volumes The Edda Islandorum and other antient pieces already printed may give us a tast of his abilities in these severer Studies and teach us what to expect from so curious an Antiquary To these many more as Petrus Severinus the two Bartholins Borrichius and several others which are to found in Erasmus Vindingii his Academia Hafniensis might be added but those that have been reckoned up are sufficient to shew us how much Denmark has contributed to the advancement of Learning What kind of Idols and false Gods were worshipped by the antient Danes Re … and in what manner shall be shewn at large in the Description of Island Christianity begun to be first planted in these Northern Countries by King Eric who had been baptized in Germany at the request of the Emperor Ludovicus but it took no deep root at first For Eric being setled in his Throne relapsed into his former paganism and turned a bitter persecutor of St. Anschar who was sent to promote the Christian Religion in Denmark Norway c. by the said Emperor and Pope Gregory the Fourth A. D. 835 and his followers After this tho some of them were initiated in Christianity yet the Christians had no considerable footing in this Kingdom before the reign of King Sueno Tweskeg who at his Baptism had the Emperor Otho II to his God-father and from him was afterwards called Suenotho He by the assistance of Poppo who as we have said confirm'd his doctrine by a miracle which introduced the use of fire Ordale established the Christian reliligion upon a sure foundation and appointed several Bishops in the Kingdom Frideric Duke of Holstein being elected King of Denmark brought with him the Augsburg Confession which has ever since been professed in that Kingdom Christian the third gave liberty to the English Scots and Hollanders to build Churches and have the free exercise of their religion though no Calvinists are to be found except some few at the present Queens Chappel Those few Papists that live in this Kingdom are forbid the publick exercise of Divine service Plutarch reports of the antient Cimbrians 〈…〉 that they had Shields and Helmets painted with the shapes of several kinds of wild beasts Others say they used to set a brazen Bull on the top of their Standard as a token of strength and valour At this day the King of Denmark's Arms are a complication of fourteen several Coats thus ordered In a field Gules he bears a Cross Argent the Arms of the house of Oldenburg which quarters the upper part of the Coat into four Cantons The first of these gives the Arms of Denmark Or six half hearts Gules three Lions passant Guardant Azure with Crowns of the First This Coat is parted with the Arms of Norway Gules a Lion Crowned Or holding in his paws an Hatchet Argent with an haft of the Second The second Canton carries Gules a Leopard in Chef Or the field sown with nine hearts of the Second which are the Arms of Gothland These are parted with Gules a Dragon Crown'd Or the antient Coat of the Vandals or Slavonians According to the distich Hinc rigidos Slavus effert pernicibus alis Et loca propugnat sanguinolenta DRACO The third Canton gives Azure three Crowns Or to denote the union of the three Kingdoms of Denmark Norway and Sweden This Coat is parted with Gules a paschal Lamb Argent holding a Cross Or at which hangs a Streamer of the Second charged with a small cross of the First The first original of this Coat is said to have been this in the year 1218 when King Waldemar the second engaged the Lieflanders in sharp and bloody war the Danish Army having lost their Standard began to be so discouraged that they gave ground and had almost yielded the victory to their Pagan Enemies when on a sudden a new Standard fell from heaven displaying a white Cross in a bloody flag At the sight of this the Danes immediately rallied their scattered forces with so much courage and success as made them in a short time masters of the field In remembrance of this so miraculous a deliverance the Kings of Denmark kept the sacred flag with as much veneration as ever the Romans did their Palladium thinking their future success would very much depend upon the safety of so holy a Relique This is the account the Danish Historians give us of this part of their Kings Arms. But 't is more probable that the Pope gave King Waldemar this banner when he went against Liefland to mind him that the business he now undertook was the Conversion of those poor ignorant Heathens he should there meet with Thus the Emperor Constantine the Great made a Cross be carried before his Army with this Motto In hoc signo vinces and the Knights of the Teutonic Order bore a white Cross when they were sent to convert the Prussians But to return the fourth Canton bears Or two Lions passant Azure which are the Arms of Sleswic These are parted with Gules an headless Fish stuck on a stake and crown'd Argent which is the coat of Island In
Hludovicus Rex missis quibusdam fidelibus suis sine bello compressit acceptisque obsidibus nonnullis muneribus non paucis eos sub pristinum redegit servitium I have been the more punctual in alledging these Authorities because I find the Polish writers obstinately deny that the Silesians had in these days any other Lords then the Princes of Poland Only Vincentius Kadlubko in the second Book of his Polish Chronicle seems to allow of the foremention'd German Relations when he says that Boleslaus I. annex'd Seleucia Prussia Russia Moravia and Bohemia to the Territories of his predecessors which intimates thus much that formerly Seleucia or Silesia was under the dominion of some other Prince In the year 1042 the Emperor Henry III. gave a grant of Silesia to Bretislaus Duke of Bohemia who resign'd it up to the Polanders on condition they should for ever pay out of it a yearly tribute to the Princes of Bohemia Afterterwards Henry IV. at a Diet held at Mentz A. D. 1086 gave power to Vrati-slaus King of Bohemia to invade Silesia Lusatia and the whole Kingdom of Poland and to subject them to his own Government as is testified by Cosmas Pragensis who was himself present at the Diet. This Cromer cannot deny but only in the height of his passion asserts that neither the Emperor Henry nor King Vratislaus had ever any thing to do with a foot of Land in any of these Territories This Assignment of Silesia occasion'd wars betwixt the Bohemians and Polanders the later whereof we have reason to believe were Conquerors since we read that the Silesians remain'd still subject to Boleslaus III. King of Poland This King's Son Vladislaus II. being banish'd by his Brothers whom his Father had left Coheirs with him of the Kingdom out of Poland fled to the Emperor Conrad III. whose Successor Frideric I. forced King Boleslaus IV. to resign all Silesia to this exil'd Brother and his Heirs for ever Vladislaus left behind him three Sons Boleslaus Mieczislaus and Conrad who were joint-Dukes of Silesia but paid some small homage and acknowledgment to the Kings of Poland The flocking in of the Germans into Silesia with Vladislaus and his Sons and their setling themselves in this Dukedom bred a great deal of bad blood betwixt this Nation and the Polanders Insomuch that the Kings of Poland would seldom call any of the Dukes of Silesia to the General Assemblies or the Princes and Nobility of that Kingdom nor were they ever admitted to succeed to the Crown tho before the Kingdom came to be Elective they had often the justest Title to it John King of Bohemia and Son to the Emperor Henry VII was a zealous promoter of these dissentions managing them so well to his own advantage that at last he became Lord of Silesia by an agreement made with Casimir the Great King of Poland However by this Treaty the whole Dukedom was not made over to him for Bernhard Duke of Sweidnitz still acknowledg'd the Supremacy of the Polish Kings as Stanislaus Lubienski proves out of several ancient Records of that Nation Afterwards Casimir the Great recover'd by force of Arms the Town and Territories of Wschovia contrary says Curaeus to the Articles of the Treaty sign'd by him and the foremention'd John King of Bohemia and by vertue of this Conquest or rather outrage committed by the said Casimir's Soldiers in the year 1343 the Kings of Poland have kept actual possession of Wschovia to this day In the reign of Casimir Jagellonides IV. John Duke of Oswiecieme ventur'd upon an affront given him to invade Poland and to lay waste several Towns and Villages in that Kingdom The Polanders to make themselves satisfaction for this injury march'd into this Duke's Territories and laid in ashes the whole Country before them until Duke John was forc'd to compound the business upon condition that he should for a certain sum of money resign to the King of Poland his whole Right and Title to the Town and Fort of Oswieciem By which means that City was cut off from the King of Bohemia's Dominions in the year 1454. About the same time the Dukes of Ratibor and Sessine made over the Dukedom of Sever to the Bishop of Cracow whose Successors are Lords of it to this day Some other small Tracts of Land in the Dukedom of Silesia do still belong to certain Abbies and other Religious Houses in the Kingdom of Poland but all the most noted Provinces except the Dukedom of Crossen of which in its place are reckon'd Dependances on the Crown of Bohemia upon which score the Emperor of Germany stiles himself Duke of Silesia This Great Dukedom is commonly divided into the Upper and Lower Silesia Diviâ—â— in the former whereof are contain'd the Cities and Territories of Jagerndorf Troppau Teschen Ratibor and Oppelen and in the later the Towns and Dukedoms of Grotkau and Neisse Brieg Bresslau Oelss Munsterberg Schweidnitz Javer Lignitz Glogau Sagan and Crossen Another division of it is into the Polish and German Silesia whereof the first contains all the Tract of Land beyond the Northern banks of the Oder and the later that on the Southern All along the Coasts of Bohemia there are vastly high Mountains which separate that Kingdom from the Dukedom of Bohemia Soil the most remarkable of which are the Montes Sudetes or Risen-bergen whereof the Reader may expect a larger account in the description of Bohemia Within the limits of Silesia the four chief Mountains are 1. Zottenberg or Zobtenberg call'd by Latin Authors Mons Zotensis Zabothus and sometimes Silensis or Silentius 'T is usually by the neighbourhood being about two German miles distant from Schweidnitz call'd the Silesian Wethercock for by the top of this Mountain they pretend to guess what weather they are to expect the next morning On the top are still to be seen the ruins of an old Castle storm'd and demolish'd by the Citizens of Breslaw in the year 1471 because it had been for several years the Harbour and Refuge of a great company of Robbers who here kept their Rendezvous and daily infested the Vicenage Out of this hill the Silesians dig a delicate dark-green Marble 2. Gratsberg or Grodisberg in the Dukedom of Lignitz on the top whereof Duke Frideric the first built a fair Castle which is since turn'd into a Watch-Tower 3. Spitsberg another Beacon-hill not far from the former 4. Georgenberg in the Dukedom of Schweidnitz famous for the Strigische Erde or Terra Sigillata which is a sort of hard Earth with several white yellow and red strokes or veins in it 'T was first discover'd by an excellent Chymist John Montanus Physitian at Strigaw and by him made use of as an antidote against all manner of poison and a soveraign medicine for a great many diseases which he cured with a great deal of facility The secret he kept for some years to himself but at last for the benefit of his Country and all mankind publish'd a
Schweinfurt which some Geographers bring within the bounds of this Principality Schmalcad was once a part of this Principality but is not esteem'd so now PRINCIPATUS HENNENBERGENSIS COMITATVS WERTHEIMICI FINITIMARVMQVE REGIONVM NOVA ET EXACTA DESCRIPTIO Apud Janssonio-Waesbergios Mosem Pitt et Stephanum Swart The City and County of WERTHEIM IN the mouth of the Tauber on the banks of the Mayn is seated the City of Wertheim in a fruitful soil and good air The Citizens whose chief trade is in making Wine liv'd formerly in good credit till upon some disagreement between them and their Earls who endeavour'd to reestablish Popery in the Town they were brought to so great poverty and straits for the defence of their Religion that they have scarce been able to recruit themselves to this day However they still stick close to the Augsburg Confession and are zealous assertors of the honour of their Saint Luther The County of Wertheim which is a part of the old Francia Orientalis as lying on the South side of the River Mayn is bounded on the East with the Bishoprick of Wurtzburg on the South with the County of Hohenloe and the Palatinate on the West with the Silva Ottonica and on the North with the large Forest of Speshart This Province affords much more plenty of Corn then the Territories about Francfurt nor is it any way inferior to those for the goodness of its Wine The inhabitants have here good store of Meadows and Pasture-ground for Cattel which bring in yearly as great revenues as their best Vineyards They have no want of wild Fowl and are cloy'd with Venison Among the several Villages that have dependance upon the City of Wertheim Niclashausen the most remarkable is Niclashausen famous for the birth and education of one John Behaim who was burnt for an Heretick at Wurtzburg A. D. 1476. The occasion whereof was this The poor Bore being melancholy and crack-brain'd fancied daily that he saw in his melancholy and dumpish fits strange and terrible apparitions One time the Virgin Mary forsooth amongst his other spiritual guests gave him a visit and grew so familiar as to communicate to him several deep intrigues and secrets The choicest whereof was that there lay no obligation at all upon the Burgers of Wertheim to shew any manner of respect to their Earls or inferior Magistrates but that they were all as free and boundless as the Rivers that water'd their Country This was a plausible Doctrine in the ears of the Commonalty and needed but little Divine Revelation to authorize it so that Behaim had presently more proselytes then all the Preachers in the Country and would in a short time have perverted the greatest part of the County had he not early been overpower'd and prevented by the Bishop's forces Erpach Norimberg Hanaw c. are purposely omitted in this place tho parts of Franconia as being reserv'd for the second Volume of Germany THE County Palatinate OF THE RHINE DIE Pfaltz which is the ordinary German word for this County signifies no more then Palatium Name whereof Palatinus is only an Adjective Possessive Now how Palatium should be a name given to a County or Palatinus to an Earl we have already acquainted the Reader treating of the High Dutch Nobility in the General Description of Germany There are only at this day two Counties in the German Empire which are usually known by the name of Counties Palatinate whereof one the Upper Palatinate is part of the Dukedom of Bavaria and shall be treated of elsewhere About four or five hundred years ago Bounds very little of the Country about Huydelberg was reckon'd a part of the Lower Palatinate but most of the Cities in this neighbourhood were either Imperial or subject to some other Prince then the Counts Palatine who are now by Marriage Conquest or Purchase Masters of the Land Before the Bohemian Wars betwixt the Emperor and Frideric Count Palatine and the Civil Wars of Germany the Territories and Revenues of this Prince were large enough to make him more formidable then any of the other Electors But such were his misfortunes in those bloody Engagements that he lost both the Kingdom of Bohemia which he contended for and also all his own hereditary Dignities and Estates The Upper Palatinate was seized on by the Duke of Bavaria and the Lower conquer'd and subdued by the King of Spain By the Treaty of Munster the late Count Charles-Ludowic Son to the unfortunate King of Bohemia was restored to some part of his Father's Dominions in the Lower Palatinate but these are of no great extent and are still like to be lessen'd by the daily encroachments of the French King This Country is much the pleasantest part of the German Empire Soil and therefore 't is no great wonder that the neighbouring Princes have in all ages watcht an opportunity of getting it into their clutches The Hills are cover'd with Vines which yeild that rich Liquor known all Europe over by the name of Rhenish Wine The Plains and Valleys afford plenty of all manner of Grain and Fruit and the Forests are plentifully stock'd with Deer and other Game The Rhine passing thro the midst of the County gives a fair advantage of exporting the commodities of this and importing those of foreign Nations The Rivers Rhine and Neccar have store of Fish and the Hills want neither Mettals nor Minerals That part of the Lower Palatinate which lies on the Western banks of the Rhine 〈◊〉 was first conquer'd by the Romans and afterwards by the French of whose Kingdom it was a part but more immediately subject to the Earls of the Moselle Afterwards when the Kingdom of Lorrain came to be divided betwixt the Emperors of Germany and the Kings of France this Territory became a share of the German Empire but was still possess'd by the Prince of Moselle as before Upon the failure of that Family it fell under the more immediate power of the Emperors who for many good offices done them were pleased to bestow it on the Elector's Palatine By the same means they became Masters of the other part of this Country on the Eastern banks of the River upon extirpation of the House of Schwaben The present Elector Palatine is Count Charles 〈…〉 who was born on the last day of May in the year 1651 and was advanc'd to the Electorate upon the late death of his Father Charles-Ludowic A. D. 1680. He is a pious and learned Prince and treads much in the steps of his Father who possibly was considering the troubles he had undergone as learned a Prince as Europe afforded in his time The Revenues of this Elector's Ancestors are said to have amounted to 100000 pounds sterling yearly Nor can we well imagine them to have been less when only the Silver Mines about Amberg in the Upper Palatinate yeilded 60000 Crowns a year and the passage over one Bridg cross the Rhine brought in 20000 more To which if
the most northern Country at the Polar Circle contains about 44 deg on the Meridian which make about 2640 English miles Europe conteins in it several Kingdoms Division the greatest of which is the Empire of Muscovy or Russia on the north-east comprehending several Nations more to the north-east scarce known to us and on the east Cazan and other Countries by the River Volga and part of Lapland on the north-west Next to Muscovy on the west lies the Kingdom of Sweden containing great part of Finland on the east and all to the mountains of Norway on the west Again to the east of Europe by the Caspian Sea lies the Country of the Circassi and the Kingdom of the Lesser Tartary and some other lesser Provinces Thence south-west lies the Kingdom of Poland extending it self thro the midst of Europe from the Baltic to the Euxin Sea comprehending on the north Prussia Litvania Lifland on the east Volinia Podolia and southward Moldavia Walachia Northwest of Poland lies Germany under several Princes the Emperor being the chief North of Germany lies the Kingdom of Denmark to the west Flanders or the Low Countries under divers Governments and north-west of them the Kingdom of Great Brittain comprehending several Islands South-west of Germany lies the Kingdom of France more south the Kingdom of Spain full south Italy under several Princes South-east of Germany lies the greatest part of European Turky as Hungary Transylvania and more south Croatia Dalmatia and all Greece There are in Europe Empires c. three Empires that of Muscovy the Roman Empire and the Empire of the Turks Ten Kingdoms Sweden Denmark Poland Hungary Bohemia England France Spain Portugal and the Lesser Tartary Nine Common-wealths and about forty Principalities of which when we come to particular Countries â—riginal Languages The principal Languages spoken in the northern and western parts of Europe may be reckon'd these three the ancient Gothic the Anglo-Saxonic and the Francic which also seem to be near akin or to have great affinity one with another and the later to be made up of the two former From the Gothic which differs little from the old Greek are derived the ancient Cimbric and the modern languages now spoken in Sweden Denmark Norway Iseland The Anglo-Saxonic may seem to have given birth to the Belgic or Low Dutch especially the ancient Frisic and in great part to the English and Scotch The Francic is compounded of the other two and seems to be the same with the Alamannic or Theotisc whence the upper German language takes its original The ancient British which seems also to be the Celtish or Gaulish the dialects whereof are still spoken in some parts of Great Britain and in Britannia in France The Cantabric also or the language of the Biscainers in the northern mountains in Spain is not much different And likewise the Irish if not it self a dialect of the old Cimbric as it seems to be must be accounted an original language The Turkish language is generally spoken in European Turky and also Arabic is well understood by their learned men as being the language of the Alkoran and is spoken in some of the Mountains of Granada The Inhabitants of the Lesser Tartary that live between Tanais and the Neiper speak the Tartarian language as also the Cossacs with some small difference The Fins and Laplanders seem to have divers languages both from one another and from all the rest The Paisan-Liflanders likewise have a different language to themselves The Sclavonic language whether originally one or many is still continued in divers Regions of Europe as in the dominions of the Emperor of Russia divers countries subject to the King of Poland in some parts of Hungary but the Hungarian tongue properly so call'd is by the learned accounted an original language Bohemia and Sclavonia but with greater difference than dialects of the same language use to be The ancient Greek seems to have been the mother of the old Hetruscan Oscan Menapian and such others as were spoken anciently in Italy as may appear by those few remainders still extant of them and therefore also of the Latin in the opinion of many learned as the Latin is of the present Italian French Spanish Grison and some other languages The Greek it self tho with great alteration is still continued in the Continent and Islands of Greece and some places near thereunto The glory of Europe is its Religion Religion which in most parts of it is but one tho diversly professed Greece with its Islands in the Egean Sea and others as far as Corfu as also some parts of Croatia Dalmatia together with Muscovia Walachia Moldavia Podolia Volinia and some other parts of the dominions of Poland with other neighbouring Countries follow the Greek Church The Latin Church conteins 1 Those of the Reform'd Religion and 2 Those of the Roman 1. The Reformed Religion is embraced in Great Brittain and Ireland and the lesser Islands belonging to the Crown of England And with some diversity in Sweden Denmark Holland and the rest of the Vnited Provinces and several parts of Germany Transylvania and some parts of the Kingdom of Poland 2. The Roman Religion prevails in Italy Spain Portugal France Poland and the greatest part of the German Empire and other Countries Mahumetanism is professed in European Turky by the Great Turk and his Musselmen The great ledg of Mountains that has its beginning at the great Western Ocean Mountains first divides France and Spain by the name of the Pirenean Hills and is thence continued thro the south parts of France till it cover Italy and is there call'd the Alps a branch of which running thro the whole length of Italy has the name of the Apennine Mountains another branch is continued under divers names as the Rhetian-Hills thro the country now called of the Grisons Alpes Graiae Noricae Juliae c. all which have now divers names according to the several countries thro which they pass From Italy they continue thro Stiria Carinthia Hungary Transylvania Moldavia to the Black Sea and branch out into divers other countries of all which we shall treat more exactly in the particular descriptions The Mountains of the north are not much discover'd one ledg of them is continued from the Baltic to the northern Ocean dividing Norway from the neighbouring Nations Those in the utmost north anciently call'd Riphaei and Hyperborei have at this day lost those names consequently they are unknown except they be those which are by the inhabitants call'd Welikicamenopoias i. e. Cingulum mundi or the great Rocky Girdle of which as also of other Mountains not here mentioned in their proper and particular places The Seas that coast Europe Seas are the Northern and Western Ocean the Mediterranean Sea and the Euxin or Black Sea which also contein in them several lesser Seas Bays Streights c. and have different names from the different shoars they wash as Mare
the opinion of the foresaid Author were but the same Nation differently called The Venedi we find mentioned by Ptolomy as a great people long before seated in Sarmatia upon the coast of the Sinus Venedicus now Baltick Sea which from them probably took its name as did likewise the Venedic mountains scituate in their territories And Hartknoch supposes the Bulanes Gythones Phinni c. placed also by Ptolomy over against these Venedi in the inland countries of Poland to be of their colonies Perhaps this people after they had made themselves considerable by their conquests took the name of Slavi from Slava in their language signifying fame or glory which their descendents saith Cromerus still retain in their compounded names as Stani-slauus Wenceslauus c. tho now writ commonly Stanislaus Wenceslaus Some writers would have the Venedi to be originally a German Nation yet they are by Cromerus and others sufficiently proved to be of the old Sarmatae or Sauromatae which were of Scythian extraction and probably brought forth in the neighbourhood of the Lake Maeotis the fruitful womb of so many puissant Nations The name of Poland belongs properly to two Provinces alone Situation the Greater and the Lesser Poland from which as the principal parts the whole Kingdom hath taken its denomination It lies saith Starovolscius between the 38th and 54th degrees of Longitude counting from the Marquisate of Brandenburgh to the Nieper or Boristhenes which amounts to 250 Polish leagues every league containing about four English miles but the Podolian and Russian are somewhat longer The highest elevation of the Pole in the most northern parts of Livonia subject to this Crown is about 58 deg The lowest in the Palatinate of Poccuce in Red Russia 48 deg So that the whole Country being situated between the seventh and thirteenth Climats hath to its longest day from 16 to near 18 hours This Kingdom is bounded on the North by the Baltick Sea and the Swedish Livonia Bounds On the East by the Muscovian Russia and the Desarts of Tartary On the South by Moldavia Transilvania and Hungary from which the Niester and the high and woody Carpathian mountains divide it On the West by Silesia the Marquisate of Brandenburgh and the further Pomerane Poland is an even champain country Tho the Lesser Poland the nearer it approaches to the confines of Hungary the more hilly and woody it is but the farther it lies from thence the more open and level In the very middle also of the Kingdom the Palatinate of Sandomir is mountainous and rocky Formerly the country was all overgrown with woods but by the care of Sigismund the elder and Sigismund Augustus his son and the advantage of the long peace they both enjoyed husbandry was cherished and the Provinces improved in tillage and pasturage so that it is now accounted the Egypt of Europe as having supplied the wants of most parts thereof with corn whilst the Vistula being navigable serves to conveigh all the commodities of the country to Dantzick Yet this good husbandry doth not hinder but that it is well stored with Trees as Oaks Beech Fir c. not only profitable for the common advantages of Woods but also for the vast quantities of Honey and Wax which they yearly afford the hollow trees supplying hives and the leaves and wild flowers nourishment to innumerable swarms of Bees The air is cold even to that extremity Air. that trees are oftentimes parch'd to the very roots and water pour'd down freezes ere it fall to the ground The Lakes and Rivers are often frozen five or six months together and are passable by Coaches and Carts laden at the end of March This vehement sharpness of the air we may rationally impute to the largeness of the continent and the opacousness of the over-spreading woods Yet notwithstanding Orchards and Gardens are very frequent and plentifully stored with Fruits and Flowers as excellent in their kinds as in any other part of Europe This country being for the most part plain Mines abounds not in Minerals yet some Mines there are as of Lead and Iron in divers places of Quicksilver at Tustan in red Russia of Vitriol near Biecz in Cracovia But the most considerable of all are the Salt-Mines at Bochnia and Velisca in the Lesser Poland which are the great enrichment not only of the country but of the Kings Exchequer also They descend into the Mine with long Ropes as we into our Coal-pits and there dig out great masses of Salt in streets leaving so much interstitium as is sufficient to sustain the earth 'T is generally of a blewish colour yet some is white and transparent like crystal when it is newly got it hath a bitterish taste but being exposed to the air becomes sweeter as also more heavy and brittle In these Mines are small fountains of salt water which boil'd with pieces of the Rock yeild great quantities of excellent Salt They have also some veins of Sal Gemmae and of another mineral resembling hard Pitch call'd by them Carbunculus as Cromerus saith which taken in powder purgeth In the deep caverns of the Mines the workmen are said sometimes to hear voices like those of Cocks Dogs and other animals which they esteem a bad omen The chief rivers of Poland are 1. Rivers The Weissel mentioned in authors under the different names of Vistula Visula Visla Justilla Istula and Vandalus it rises in the Dutchie of Teschen in Silesia out of the mountain Carpathus now Crapack in the confines of Hungary whence running to Cracow the chief City of the Lesser Poland and there becoming navigable by the accession of other streams it continues its course Eastward to Sandomiria and thence Northward to Warzaw in Masovia afterwards winding for some leagues westward to Thorn in Prussia it turns again to the North and at the Island Grosswerder is divided into two streams emptying it self by the one into the Bay Frisch-Haff and by the other into the Baltick Sea The head of this river lies in 49 deg 20 min. of Latitude and its mouth in 54 but both in 41 deg of Longitude its course is above 100 Polish miles It divided antiently the European Sarmatia from Germany 2. The Warta rising near Cromolow in the Palatinate of Cracovia under 40 deg 50 min. of Longitude and 50 deg 30 min. of Latitude and from thence taking a winding course to the North-west washes the Towns of Olstin Warta Posna c. in the Greater Poland and near Costrin falls into the Oder 3. Notez which flows out of the Lake Goblo in the Greater Poland and after a long course to the Southwestward near Dresen discharges it self into the Warta 4. The Niester or Tyras of the ancients which takes its rise out of the Sarmatian mountains near the head of San running at first to the North then winding Eastward and enlarged with many lesser Rivers waters the Province of Pocutia separates both the upper and lower
good huswifery and to look after their dairies or else imployed in spinning weaving or sowing whilst the men according to their several qualities follow their Husbandry Merchandiseing or the more weighty concerns of Church and State The Pesantry live in great servitude to their Lords whose dominions they may not quit without their permission if they were born or have inhabited three years therein those that do so are certainly hanged if taken The Nobles are very much addicted to travel as admiring forreign Countries more then their own which is the reason that they greedily and easily learn the languages of those Nations they affect And they esteem it no small commendation of their ingenuity to introduce something of the new habits and customs of the people with whom they have convers'd For tho they are very docible and easily attain what they give their minds to yet they rather set themselves to learn the inventions of others then to invent any thing new of their own Neither indeed are they so fit for Mechanic as for learned Arts to which they therefore more apply themselves as appears by the many eminent Divines Historians Mathematicians and Philosophers that have flourished in Poland witness Stanislaus Hosius Cardinal and Legat at the Council of Trent Matthias a Michovia Johannes Dglugossus and Martinus Cromerus their excellent Historians Johannes Zamoscius their great General and Chancelor of the Kingdom excelling no less in most parts of learning then he did in military conduct Nicolaus Copernicus the famous Astronomer Martinus Smiglecius the Logician Abr. Bzovius who hath continued Baronius's Annals with many others whose works are much esteemed in forreign countreys And doubtless the Learned would have been obliged to more of their nation had not their writings perisht for want of Printing but lately received amongst them Physick also begins to come in request since even in these parts the modern luxury in diet is attended with more diseases then the homely fare of former Ages Their language is a dialect of the Slavonian Language and not so copious as many others It is difficult to write and read because of the multitude of Consonants joined with one Vowel yet the harshness is much corrected in speaking for they pronounce them as if mixt with Vowels They have borrowed most of their terms of art for trades and instruments from the Germans of which nation there are many Artisans and Merchant among them and some Towns and Villages chiefly speak the German language Hot Baths are very much used in this Country Baths especially in Winter and are frequented by both sexes though in places apart from one another Their Habit differs according to the condition Habits age and quality of the person and of late they much affect new fashions which are often brought in by the Soldiery in imitation of those Nations against whom they have been victorious The women also have the same variety only they come nearer the dress of men then in most other Nations The antient diet of the Rusticks was Milk Diet. Cheese Fish and Herbs now Beef Veal and Mutton The Tables of the Nobility and Citizens are furnished with all sorts of dainties wherein they use great store of Spice and Sugar And indeed luxury in diet and apparel prevails more and more amongst them every day The common drinks of the country are Beer Drinks and Mead boil'd with Hops Besides which they use great quantities of Aqua-vitae made by infusing wheat in water for some days and then distilling off the Spirit and mixing it with Sugar and hot Spices The Nobility and Merchants here drink wine as plentifully as in other places imported from Hungary Moravia the Rhine and Gascogny The money peculiar to Poland is coined in such small pieces that 't is very troublesome receiving Money or paying out any round sum in it The Gross is a little piece of copper mix'd with silver valued at three half-pence English The Attine at four pence half-penny Their Trigross and Segross both of pure silver the one three times the other six times the value of a Gross But the most currant money in Poland at this time is forreign coin brought in chiefly tho not in great plenty by the Hungarian German and Italian Merchants for the Commodities of the Countrey which are Rie Wheat Barley Oats and other Pulse Flax Hops Hides Tallow tann'd Leather divers sorts of Furrs brought first out of Muscovy but dress'd and vended here Honey Wax Amber Pitch Pot-ashes Masts and Planks The Horses also of Poland for their swiftness hardiness and easy pace are much coveted by Foreigners Besides all these it supplies the neighbouring countreys with vast numbers of Oxen and Sheep To which must be added the Salt-pits whence springs the greatest revenue the King of Poland has The riches of Poland consist in the commodities of the countrey already mention'd Traffick which though they are of several sorts and general use yet bring but little money into the kingdom being counterpoised by the incredible quantity and richer variety of foreign merchandize so that they hardly suffice to pay for the Cloth Silk Jewels Tapistry the Fruit Spice Salt-fish Wine Tin and Steel brought in from England Flanders Portugal and Spain c. But to say the truth the people are neither industrious nor addicted to trade the Nobility being forbid it by their own constitutions upon the forfeiture of their Honor and the Commonalty for the most part wanting estates sufficient to promote it Besides those of better fortunes spend too much of their revenues in costly apparel and furnishing their tables by which means instead of saving and laying up they become very poor or at least always in a wanting condition To which we may add that their Countrey lyes not commodiously for traffick not having the advantage of any considerable Port Town Dantzick only excepted The chief strength of Poland consists in their Cavalry which is very numerous and readily raised Military Strength the Nobility being bound by the Laws of the Land to attend the King in all expeditions for the security of the Kingdom In such cases the King sends his summons-into all the Palatinates which are proclamed three times and at a months distance from one another Upon the third Proclamation the Nobility are obliged to repair to the paricular rendezvous of their own Palatine who leads them to the general rendezvous and in regard they are exempted from all other burthens they bear their own charges all the time of the war If there be any that refuse to appear their goods are presently confiscated to the use of the Kings table They all serve on Horseback and are enrolled above 200000 yet in as much as they have very few fortified places on any side for the security of their frontiers they can hardly draw together above 100000 without leaving their provinces too naked But these forces when assembled serve only for the defence of their countrey and
march not beyond its limits above five leagues wherefore when they have occasion to lead an Army further it is decreed in the Senate which is convoked before every war to levy stipendiary Souldiers and as they are composed principally of the Nobles they frequently signalize themselves by their valour and successes against the much greater numbers of their enemies Thus Zamoschius in the time of Sigismund the third with 3000 men worsted Carigereius the Scythian who with 70000 was making an inroad into Poland and forced him with the loss of many thousands of his Tartars to return into his own countrey Taurica Chersonesus And Zolkievi with 3000 horse setting upon 80000 Muscovites unawares put themselves all to flight and brought away prisoners three German Regiments that served amongst them The Polish foot is of little esteem and therefore although each City is bound to set forth a certain number yet the King rather chuses such a sum of money as may be equal to the charges and so makes provision of Foreigners taken chiefly out of Hungary and Germany The Zeporensian Cossacks formerly served the Polish Kings in their wars either as Volontiers or for very small pay They came in sometimes 30000 strong arm'd with Lances or Scimiters and long Guns each had his Horse and as occasion required fought either mounted or on foot They used their own discipline and chose all their Officers out of their body even their cheif Commander whom they would depose without any fault if he were not successful Now although the strength of the Polanders may be said to equal both in number and quality most of the Kingdoms of Europe yet it often falls out that they are unsuccesful in their undertakings partly because of the slowness as well of their councils which consisting of all the principal Officers in the Kingdom are not readily convened nor without much ado kept together as of their Nobles in their rendezvousing who seldome come in before the last summons partly also because the generality of the Souldiers depending more upon their particular Patrons then the King are apt to follow their inclinations tho to the prejudice of the publick Besides it being a difficult thing to furnish necessaries for so many persons any long time having no publick Magazins provided towards the Seat of the war they are inclined to mutiny and disband before they have done their work Fortified Towns they have but few as we said before believing their own courage fortification enough to defend their countrey and unwilling by means of Garrisons to give their Kings opportunity of assuming an absolute power and arbitrary rule over them The government of Poland partakes more of Aristocracy then Monarchy 〈…〉 and is shared amongst the King the Senate and Nobility Some would reckon in the Citizens and Kmetones for so in old Charters are the Husbandmen called who live dispersed in Villages but they being never admitted to publick offices and employments ought not to be numbred among the orders and estates of the Kingdom At first the Kings of Poland were successive 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 as appears from the testimony of all their Historians and it was the custom that the reigning Prince appointed his successour So Lescus the Third appointed Popielus so also Boleslaus the Chast did Lescus the Black Nay oftentimes the Kings of Poland divided the Kingdom amongst their sons which is not usual in elective governments This is evident from the example of Boleslaus Crivoustus and is further confirm'd in the Polonian Histories by the precedent of Boleslaus the Curld But in the reign of Sigismund Augustus a Law was made that no King of Poland should presume to nominate or impose on the Kingdom a successor which law was not only renew'd in the interregnum after his death but several times afterwards the custom of Elections having encroached upon the Scepter for some while before for want of issue of the true Polish Royal Family From this Electiveness it now comes to pass that from the death of one till the Election of another King there are frequently too long Interregna during which the Arch-Bishop of Gnesna performs all Kingly offices acting in all things like their Soveraign without any distinction save that he is not crown'd with the Royal Diadem And such an Interregnum may happen not only by the death but by the Deposition or Resignation of the King Deposition of Kings was formerly more frequent in Poland then now Henry Valois is the last precedent in that kind who being elected King of Poland when he heard of the death of his Brother Charles the Ninth withdrew himself privately out of Poland by night that he might not loose his right in France Whereupon the Poles after they had often besought his return finding him not in the least inclin'd to forsake a successive for an elective Kingdom in a general assembly of the Estates discharg'd him from being King of Poland and renounced their allegiance The most memorable example of Resignation is that of John Casimir in the year 1669 of which a large narrative is given by Nicolas Chwalkowski in his Treatise de Jure Publico Polonico who was an eye witness of the whole Ceremony The Interrex or person who performs the Regal offices during the Interregnum as was said is the Arch-Bishop of Gnesna a Legate born the Primate and first Prince of the Kingdom not suspected as being a spiritual person of affecting the Crown Which dignity is not conferr'd upon him by Election but is annexed to his Archbishoprick least any delay in his nomination should endammage the publick This office he takes upon him not only upon the death but also in the Kings absence or residence in another Countrey as when Henry withdrew into France and Sigismund the Third went into Swedeland If there be no Archbishop of Gnesna then this dignity belongs to the Bishop of Cujavia or in his absence also or vacancy of the See to the Bishop of Posnania At the beginning of the Interregnum the Archbishop betakes himself to Warsaw whither all the neigbouring Nobility repair to him by whose advice Proclamations are issued forth out of the Archbishops Chancery under his hand with all his Titles annexed whereby the Interregnum is proclamed by the publick Ministers in all the Palatinates and Districts of the Kingdom and in the mean while all necessary orders are taken for the security of the people The Interrex also receives opens and answers all the letters from Foreign Princes gives audience to all foreign Ambassadours and indeed all the publick affairs of the Kingdom pass through his hands As for the Candidates this is certainly agreed that no Piasti or Native is excluded from the hopes of Election The Electors in the first place are the prime Senators of the Kingdom as well Ecclesiastick as Secular next to them the Nobility who have liberty to act either in their proper persons or by Deputies and lastly the Deputies of Cracow Posnania Leopolis
and Vilna For the Polonians believe that it very much avails both to the security of the Governour and to confirm the allegiance of them that obey that the King should be chosen by the Generality who can then have no pretence to complain of their own Act. The place of Election is in an open field not far from Warsaw near the Village Wola by reason of the multitude of them who have voices in the Election it is mark'd out by the Marshals of Poland and Lithuania When the day of Election is come and the Senators all met the Interrex asks the Question three times Whether it be their pleasure to command that such a one shall be declared King If by consent of voices they return for an answer It pleases us Let him live then the Archbishop declares him King in these words In the name of God I declare such a one King and great Duke of Lithuania and beseech the King of Heaven to enable him for so great a charge and through his mercy so to order that the Election may be prosperous for the Nation and happy for the Catholick Religion After which the Marshals proclaim the Election in the following manner King N. is unanimously elected and so declared by the Interrex him therefore all ye acknowledg your lawfully elected and declared King If the King so elected be absent his Ambassadours are obliged to confirm by oath the conditions and receive the decree of the Election After which the Marshalls make a second Proclamation in these words The Polanders have a lawful King On the other side before the King is admitted he is obliged by oath to preserve the Laws and priviledges of the Kingdom and the Covenants agreed upon by the Estates in all their clauses points and conditions and to renew the said oath at his Coronation But though he be now elected the Interregnum does not cease till after his Coronation for till then he assumes no other Title then that of King Elect neither are his Letters to Foreign Princes seal'd with any other seal then that of the Chamber So that though the present King was permitted to make use of the Seal of great Duke of Lithuania before his Coronation that was only done upon the necessity of the Muscovitick Expedition The usual place of Coronation is Cracow where the Crown is kept in the cheif treasury under the charge of the high Treasurer and the person performing the ceremony is always the Archbishop of Gnesna if not prevented by sickness The chief Ceremonies at the Coronation are the Questions propounded to the King Wilt thou profess the Catholick faith delivered by Catholick men Answ I will Wilt thou defend and maintain the Church and its Ministers Wilt thou uphold defend and govern the Kingdom by God committed to thy care according to Justice Ans I will All which he confirms by the usual form of words and laying his hand upon the Evangelists The Ceremony of anointing is perform'd with saying these words I anoint thee King with the sanctified oil in the name of the Father Son and holy Ghost The words of Confirmation are Sit and possess the Throne appointed thee by God Let thy hand be strengthned and thy right hand exalted The solemnity being ended the King repairs to the grand Assembly for the Coronation where the Interrex resigns his Authority and the Senatours together with the Nobility and Deputies of the Cities take their oaths of allegiance to the new King The present power and authority of the Kings of Poland will more plainly appear by a recital of the articles to the observance whereof they bind themselves as well before as at their Coronation for they contain all the essential properties of Regal Dominion under the name of Pacta Conventa As to their power in Ecclesiastical affairs the Roman-Catholick Kings of Poland have been so kind as to part with their chiefest prerogatives in that particular reserving only to themselves the collation of benefices The King swears to maintain peace between the dissenters in Religion of which there are many in Poland and to compose the causes and differences among persons professing the Greek religion as appears by the Pacta Conventa sworn to by John the Third now reigning As for foundations of Churches and Monasteries whatsoever liberty the King may have to erect they are to be confirm'd by all the orders at the general assembly of Estates and thus the immunities and priviledges granted by the Kings of Poland to the Academy of Vilna were also confirm'd The next prerogative is the legislative power concerning which we find that in the time of Lechus the Kings of Poland had an absolute authority of making Laws themselves as necessity required But afterwards when they had received the Christian faith they began to make Laws with the consent of the Peers Insomuch that Sigismund the Third in the year 1570 enacted That no Law should be of publick force till reviewed and subscribed by such a number of Deputies of the Nobility and Senators whose consent was to be required before-hand whether the Law should pass which Law remains to this day The determination of Controversies was likewise formerly in the breast of the King as supreme Judg till Vladislaus Jagello granted this priviledge to the Nobility That they should not be punished or imprison'd till convicted by Law After him Bathor threw off the burthen of hearing causes from his own shoulders and erected several courts of Judicature in Poland and Lithuania reserving only to himself the judgment of such causes as concerned his Chequer and such Cities as were immediately under his jurisdiction But now the Nobility create the chief Judg or Marshal with his assistants in those tribunals nor does the King sit alone upon causes that come before him by way of appeal besides the King swears to determine all Court causes according to the advice and opinion of the Senators and Officers residing at Court as also to call the causes in order as they are set down in the Register and neither to retard nor further any cause for favour or interest The power of making war did formerly without doubt absolutely belong to the King But Casimir the third in the year 1454 made a promise that he would undertake no war without the consent of the Senate At this day the Kings of Poland by the Pacta Conventa promise not to admit or call in any foreign assistance without the especial consent of the Estates not to encrease the number of the standing Militia nor raise forces privately not to send aid to any other Prince without consent as aforesaid nor to commit the trust of Forts or Castles to strangers or plebeians but to men of worth and landed Nobility Besides all these engagements there is a Council of War elected out of the Senate and Nobility to attend and advise him in the field according to the late Constitutions in the year 1676 and several others before He is also
expresly forbid to undertake any offensive war as an affair wholly belonging to the General Assembly Again his power of making peace and entring into new leagues is so far limited that neither shall be valid unless approved and confirm'd by the General Estates Only ancient Alliances may be renewed by the King with the consent of the Senators resident at Court What his power is in raising Tribute and Taxes may be easily gather'd from the words of Konarscius in Fredo p. 98. The Estates of the Kingdom saith he have exempted thee speaking to the King from all charges and expences It is their business to pay the Soldiery and to furnish the Magazines thine with their joint and mutual consent to proclaim war overcome and triumph The coinage of money is a Royal prerogative and as soon as Poland knew money was in the sole power of the Kings but Vladislaus Jagello in the year 1422 made a promise not to coin any money without the consent of his Counsellors which law was renewed by Sigismund the third in the year 1632 and inserted into the Pacta Conventa sworn to by the present King Nor was it without the consent of the Senate that Casimir Jagello granted to the Cities of Dantzick Elbing and Thorn the priviledg of coining money which they keep to this day The prerogative of conferring employments and honours still remains in the sole power of the King He is supreme judg and arbiter of merit and reward and disposes of all as well Ecclesiastical as Civil dignities Yet this illustrious prerogative suffers some eclipses too for first the King can advance no foreigner nor any person who has no lands in the Province where the preferment lies Next he can neither diminish nor increase the number of the Offices either of the Court or Kingdom Thirdly he is obliged to supply such as are vacant by a time limited Fourthly he engages himself not to bestow the Office of Bishop nor the Commands of Palatine Castellane or Captain upon any of his Sons Grandchildren or other relations of the Royal Blood Fifthly he is restrained from conferring a plurality of high dignities upon one person Lastly he is bound not to seek any private advantage by the advancement of any man and 't is provided that all promises of preferment made in order to his advancement to the Crown shall be invalid But granting his power to be considerable in conferring of Honours yet he is not able to deprive the same persons tho ill deserving of the honours once conferred upon them without the consent of the Estates and with their approbation he may remove from their employments not only Seculars but Ecclesiasticks By the same permission he has also power to create Dukes Earls and Barons but the reason why he makes so few is because the Polish Nobility will not admit of any other superiority one amongst another then what comes by birthright And because they are very cautious of admitting strangers he is not permitted to advance any foreigner into the number of the Nobility by way of Naturalization without the consent of the Estates first obtained and the particular recommendation of the General of the Army It is in the Kings power to give Audience to the Ambassadors of foreign Princes and to elect his own but he cannot send them abroad upon the concerns of Peace War or entring into new Leagues without the consent of the resident Senators Formerly the priviledg of hunting belonged solely to the King but now every one of the Nobility hath power to use that sport in his own grounds The King cannot contract a marriage for himself without the consent of the Senate He is not permitted to enjoy or possess any lands of inheritance in his own Kingdom nor is he suffer'd to stir beyond its confines except the Senate agree thereto He may not have any foreigners employed about him at Court for all the Court-Officers are sworn to be true and faithful not only to the King but also to the Senate and are under the jurisdiction of the Marshal of the Kingdom He is also obliged by the Pacta Conventa to take care that the Queen do not meddle with State affairs To all these Articles the Kings of Poland most religiously swear observance Nay to keep their Kings the more in awe the Nobility of Poland published the following Declaration in the year 1609 If any Nobleman or Senator observe that the King has acted contrary to the Laws and Priviledges of the Kingdom he is to give notice thereof to the Primate and the Senators who are to admonish the King thereof If he slight the admonition it shall be lawful publickly to declare the Kings neglect to the Senate to the end that the Deputies may be enjoin'd in the name of the whole Nobility to advise him to desist from acting so contrary to the established Laws of the Land If the King take no notice of this second admonition they are then to acquaint the General Assembly of Estates If the third admonition prevail not then all the Orders are to proceed according to the Article of withdrawing their Allegiance The Revenues of the Kings Houshold arising out of his Lands and Salt-pits are computed to above three millions of Florens yearly Of which Piasecius gives this account That the allowance of the Kings of Poland is such as is not only sufficient to maintain the splendor of a Court equal to any Prince in Christendom but also large enough for all occasions of Royal munificence The truth of which many of the Nobility experience by the large possessions which the King often grants them during his or their lives The publick Revenues of the Kingdom are either ordinary or extraordinary The ordinary Revenues are the fourth part of the Rents of the Kings Lands granted by him towards the payment of the Soldiery Impost upon Wines Custom upon goods exported and imported the fourth Gross out of Great and Little Poland c. The extraordinary Revenues are 1. The Agraria or a certain sum of money tax'd upon Lands and Farms 2. Excise upon Beer from which the Tenants of Noblemen that keep publick-houses are not free 3. Capitatio Judaica or the Jews Pole-money which in the year 1671 was tax'd at 150000 Florens The Jews in Lithvania upon extremity are tax'd at 40000 Florens Sometimes they pay two Florens a head for themselves their wives and children 4. The Merchants Donatives which in the year 1650 was raised to 40000 Florens 5. The Chimney-money which is doubled and trebled as necessity requires Sometimes a general Pole is laid upon the whole Kingdom where every man the Archbishop not excepted pays according to his estate and the Offices he holds Nothing of all this belongs to the King but 't is all reserv'd for public uses of which the Treasurers give an account to the General Estates who have the only power to levy these new assessments and extraordinary impositions as the necessity of affairs requires The Kings
of Poland and its Dukes may be distinguish'd into four Classes or Orders of Succession The first contains a Catalogue of the Dukes of Poland as follows A. D. 700 Lechus the First Who built the City Gnesna in the place where he found an Eagles Nest and therefore gave it this name from Gniazdo which in the Polish language signifies a Nest hence also the Arms of Poland are an Eagle Their own Historians are not agreed about his extraction whether he was a Native or Croatian nor about the time in which he reigned some affirming that it was about the year of our Lord 550 others almost an hundred years later and both parties speaking only by conjecture Nor lastly are they agreed about the children he left behind him but they generally acknowledg that upon the faileur of his off-spring the people made choice of twelve Palatines for their Rulers calling them Woiewodes i. e. Captains of War and the Country being divided into twelve parts each had his peculiar Province But when they began to cherish private feuds to the embroilment of the Commonwealth and thereby also invited their ill-affected neighbours to fall upon them the people were constrained to seek their peace and safety in a Monarchy And with much solicitation perswaded Cracus a person of great fortune and interest amongst them to take upon him the entire Government which he managed with singular prudence and success He or his Subjects after his decease in remembrance of his vertues built a new City upon the side of the Weissel which from his name was called Cracow or Cracovia and made the Metropolis of the Kingdom His younger son Lechus II succeeded him having first slain his elder brother to make way for himself but the murther being detected he was deposed and banish'd 750 After him reigned his sister Wenda who chose rather to rule alone then to be wife to a King After she had repulsed Ridigerus a German Prince who not being able either by intreaty or force to obtain her in marriage killed himself for shame and grief lest any adverse chance should sully her honour she leapt from the bridge at Cracow into the Weissel Twelve Palatines again 760 Premislaus or Lescus the First He was a Goldsmith and created King because he had by an unusual stratagem overthrown the Hungarians and Moravians he died without issue 804 Lescus II. The Polish Nobility having agreed to ride a Race for the Government one of the Competitors strowed galltraps tribulos in the way and thereby so disabled all the horses save his own which he had shod for the purpose that he won the prize The cheat being discover'd he was torn in pieces by them and this Lescus a poor obscure man who out-ran the rest on foot from being the scorn of the multitude was by the popular applause saluted Prince He always after kept by him the course clothes he had formerly worn to mind him of his original 810 Lescus III. 815 Popielus I. 830 Popielus II. He is reported to have been eaten up by Mice thro Gods judgment as is conceiv'd for the murders committed by him For he is said to have poyson'd all his kindred that he might unite the Slavonian Principalities to his own Dukedom The second Classis of which there is much more certainty then of the former contains the following Princes 843 Piastus Rusticus a Citizen of Cruswic of noted hospitality and charity 861 Ziemovitus 892 Lescus IV. 913 Ziemomyslus 964 Mieceslaus The first Christian King He was born blind and in the seventh year of his age when at a publick banquet his name was to be given him received his sight He founded the two Archbishopricks of Gnesna and Cracovia with divers Bishopricks and gave the tythes of the whole Kingdom by a perpetual Edict to the Clergy 999 Boleslaus I. He received the Title of King from Otho III. Emperor of Germany his predecessors being no more than Dukes of Poland 1025 Mieceslaus II. Casimirus I. Driven out of Poland in his minority by factions occasioned from his mothers ill government He travel'd thro Hungary Germany Italy and at last in France was made Religious and Deacon in the Benedictine Convent at Cluny was invited thence to the Crown by the Poles who to procure the Popes dispensation for his Vow condscended to a perpetual tribute of an obolus per head upon all the Commonalty for the maintaining Lamps to burn in St. Peters Church at Rome called hence Peter-pence 1059 Boleslaus II. surnamed the Bold he murther'd Stanislaus Archbishop of Cracow as he was officiating at the Altar for which he was excommunicated and deposed by Pope Gregory VII His successors too were deprived of the Title of King the Bishops being forbid to anoint any of them which continued for 213 years till the time of Premislaus 1082 Vladislaus I. 1103 Boleslaus Krzywousci or the wry-mouthed He is recorded to have been a victor in forty Battels but being forced to retreat out of the field at his last battel against the Russians he dyed for grief 1140 Vladislaus II. 1146 Boleslaus IV. surnamed the Curld 1174 Miecislaus the Old So called for his prudence tho but a young man He was deposed by reason of his evil Counsellors and twice by his cunning regain'd the Kingdom 1178 Casimirus II. This Prince having receiv'd a box on the ear from one of his Pages whose money he had won at play acquitted the boy saying That the Lad was transported with the loss of his money and that he himself had been justly punished for prostituting his Dignity 1195 Lescus the White 1199 Miecislaus the Old again Lescus the White again 1202 Mieceslaus the Old a third time 1203 Vadislaus Lasconogus or small-shank'd 1206 Lescus the White a third time In his reign the Teutonick Knights or Knights of the Cross took footing in Prussia being call'd in by his brother Conradus Duke of Masovia and Cujavia to assist him against the Prussians 1226 Boleslaus IV. surnamed the Chast because he never knew his wife all the while he was married to her In his time the Polanders received so great an overthrow from the Tartars that the right ears only of the slain fill'd nine large sacks 1279 Lescus the Black During his reign the Tartars made another inundation into Poland and carried away so many captives that 't is said above 21000 virgins were counted amongst them at the division of their booty the men they generally murder'd and poisoning their hearts cast them into the waters from whence sundry new diseases were occasioned amongst others some say the Plica Polonica 1295 Premislaus He reigned seven months and in that time re-assumed the title of King being crown'd by the Archbishop of Gnesna 1296 Vladislaus Lochius So called from the shortness of his stature Lokiek signifying an Ell. 1300 Wenceslaus the Bohemian 1305 Vladislaus Lochius again 1333 Casimirus surnamed the Great and the last of the family of Piasti to whom Poland owes all its beauty grandeur and
riches 1370 Lodowick King of Hungary and Nephew of Casimir the Great Hitherto the Crown of Poland was successive except when the King dyed without issue In the third Class it began to be elective Vladislaus Jagello being obliged to swear as Hartknoch acquaints us that he received it by election and not succession This Class contains the Kings of the Jagellonian family in the following order 1386 Vladislaus Jagello chosen Husband to Heduiges second daughter to Lodowic and therewith King of Poland upon condition that he should unite to the Crown his dominions of Litvania Samogitia and part of Prussia become Christian himself and endeavour the conversion of those Nations and lastly pay two hundred thousand Florens to William Duke of Austria forfeited by Heduiges who was before contracted to the said Duke He was a pious Prince and founder of the University at Cracow 1434 Vladislaus III. 1447 Casimirus IV. 'T is very memorable what Loccenius reports of this King how that meeting with Charles King of Swedeland at Dantzick he was forced to get a Monk to talk Latin with the said King who understood no Polish but talked Latin accurately Hereupon Casimir being ashamed of the ignorance of himself and his followers returning home caused publick proclamations to be made That from thence-forward no man should be advanced to any dignity except he were able to speak Latin Whence saith the same Author it came to pass that the Polanders have ever since excelled in the Latin tongue 1492 Johannes Albertus In whose reign the Tartars laid waste Rusia Podolia and several other parts of the Kingdom 1501 Alexander This King is reported to have been such a prodigal that had he ruled long he would have begger'd the Nation His Queen Helena was not suffer'd to be crowned because being a Greek she refused to conform to the Roman Church 1507 Sigismund I. Reckon'd by Paulus Jovius one of the three Worthies Charles V. Emperor and Francis I. King of France being the other who had they not been contemporary Princes deserv'd singly to have ruled the whole world Besides the large endowments of his mind he was a person of such vast strength of body that 't was ordinary for him in his youth to break asunder horse-shoes and strong ropes 1548 Sigismundus Augustus In his time the Lutheran Religion began first to take footing in Poland The fourth and last Class contains a Register of Kings elected out of divers families which occasioned several Interregna The order of these Princes is as follows 1574 Henry Valois Duke of Anjou He fled from Poland into France upon news of his brother Charles's death and was thereupon deposed by the Estates He reigned five months 1576 Stephen Bathor Palatine of Transylvania 1587 Sigismund III. Prince of Sweden who after the death of his father John III. was crown'd also King of Sweden but deposed again by his subjects chiefly for attempting to introduce the Roman Religion amongst them in which he had been educated by his mother His Uncle Charles IX Duke of Sudermannia was chose in his place 1632 Vladislaus IV. Famous for his many conquests over the Turks and subduing Muscovy of which he was elected Tzar in his Fathers life-time 1648 John Casimir designed for a Religious and had lived two years of probation amongst the Jesuits but as Hartknoch writes nominated Cardinal by Innocent X. before he took the vow of that order Being elected King he married his brother Sigismund's widow He laid down his Diadem and retired into France 1669 Michael Koributh Duke of Wisniowiec An unfortunate Prince who lost Caminiec to the Turks 1674 John Sobieski formerly General against the Turks now reigning A. D. 1679. The Queen of Poland except she be a Roman Catholick is never crown'd nor then unless the King himself request it who is always present at her Coronation During his life the charges of her Court are defrayed out of his Exchequer but after his death she maintains her self out of the revenues of such lands as the King with the consent of the Estates made over to her upon marriage The Senate of Poland is famous as well for the Nobility as number of persons Among whom he that precedes all the rest both in dignity and place is The Archbishop of Gnesna who always sits next the King upon his right hand He has belonging to his Court a Marshal who is also a Senator of the Kingdom in the rank of the Castellanes This Marshal rides before the Archbishops Coach and when he goes to Court carries a staff before him upright till he comes into the Kings Chamber where he turns it downwards His authority is so great that in the absence of other Marshals he bears the staff of authority before the King when he goes to the General Assemblies The Archbishop has also a Cross born before him which the bearer holds upright behind his chair whilst he sits in the Senate Next to the Marshal is the Chancellor for the dispatch of publick affairs both in Church and State The other Officers of the Archbishops Court are the Chamberlain Master of Requests Steward of his Table Treasurer Chaplain Library-keeper Master of the Horse and Clerk of the Kitchin As he is a Prince while his meat is going up to table whether at home or abroad the drums beat When he comes to Court he goes directly to the King never waiting his Majesties leisure or any prefixt time And upon notice of his coming he is met at the bottom of the stairs by the sub-Chamberlain at the top by the Marshal of the Court. When he approaches the Royal presence the King himself goes some paces to meet him The title which the King gives him is To the most Reverend Father in Christ By others he is styled Most High and most Reverend Lord Lord N. by the grace of God and the Apostolick See Archbishop of Gnesna Legate born Primate and chief Prince of the Polonian Nobility His prerogatives are so great that he gives not place to any Cardinal for which reason no Cardinal is ambitious of being sent into Poland Next to him the Archbishop of Leopol takes place After these two Archbishops the Bishops are seated in the Senate according to their dignity in the following order 1. Cracow 2. Cujavia who is also Bishop of Vladislow and Pomerania 3. Vilna and 4. Posnania by turns 5. Polockzo 6. Varmia and 7. Luceorea by turns 8. Praemislia 9. Samogitia or Mednic 10. Culmo 11. Chelmo 12. Kiovia and Zernichovia 13. Kamienieck 14. Smolensko These Bishops sit on the right and left hand of the King next the two Archbishops Concerning the revenues and splendor of the Bishops of Poland see Cromer l. 2. descript Pol. pag. 177. and Stanislaus Lubienski in vita Angelotti fol. 310. Bishops by the Law are forbidden to hold Abbeys in commendam with their Bishopricks only the Bishops of Kiovia and Kamienieck having lost their revenues are now permitted that liberty for their subsistence Next to the Bishops sit
the Palatines or Woiwodes and Castellanes The Palatines are Governors of Dutchies or Counties Commanders of their Militia in the general Expeditions of the Kingdom appoint Conventions of the Nobles within their own Palatinate and preside in them and in Courts of Judicature and have the patronage of the Jews who are very numerous in Poland They are the first order of the secular Senators The Castellanes are as it were the Lieutenants of the Palatines commanding in time of war the Nobility under them there are divers of them belonging to one Palatine each of them having his District or Castellanate and from hence his title and generally some revenue but no jurisdiction in time of peace only as he is a Senator The Castellane of Cracow was preferr'd before the Palatine upon the rebellion of Scarbimirus the Palatine against Boleslaus III. The Castellanes of Vilna and Troco together with the Captain of Samogitia the only Captain in the Senate had pre-eminence in consideration of their antiquity The Palatines are seated thus 1. The Castellane of Cracow The Palatines of 2. Cracow and 3. Posnania by turns 4. Vilna 5. Sandomiria 6. Castellane of Vilna The Palatines of 7. Calistia 8. Troco 9. Sirad 10. Castellane of Troco 11. Palatine of Lenschet 11. Captain of Samogitia Palatines of 13. Bressic 14. Kiovia 15. Inouladislow 16. Russia formerly of Leopol 17. Volhinia 18. Podolia formerly Caminiecz 19 Smolensko 20. Lublin 21. Plockzow 22. Belze 23. Novogrod 24. Ploco 25. Vitepz 26. Masovia formerly Culmo 27. Podlachia 28. Rava 29. Brzecienski 30. Culmo 31. Mscislauia 32. Mariaeburgh 33. Breslow 34. Pomerania 35. Minsco 36. Czernichow After these Palatines sit the Castellanes distinguished into Greater and Lesser The Greater are these 1. Posnania 2. Sendomir 3. Calissia 4. Voynicz 5. Gnesna 6. Sirad 7. Lenschet 8. Samogitia 9. Brestie 10. Kiovia 11. Inouladislow 12. Leopol 13. Volhinia 14. Camieniecz 15. Smolensko 16. Lublin 17. Belze 18. Novogrod 19. Ploco 20. Witepz 21. Czetne 22. Podlachia 23. Rava 24. Brzescia 25. Culmo 26. Mscilow 27. Elbing 28. Breslow 29. Dantzic 30. Mirisco 31. Czernichow The Lesser Castellanes are 1. Sandecia 2. Medirec 3. Wislick 4. Biecie 5. Rogosnow 6. Radan 7. Zawichost 8. Lenden 9. Srim 10. Tarnow 11. Malagost 12. Vielun 13. Praemissia 14. Halicie 15. Senoc 16. Chelmo 17. Dobrzin 18. Polaniecz 19. Premetenski 20. Krivin 21. Czechow 22. Nackle 23. Rospir 24. Biechow 25. Bidgost 26. Briesin 27. Kruswic 28. Oswiecz 29. Camienecz 30. Spicimiria 31. Inoulad 32. Kowale 33. Santoc 34. Sochaczow 35. Warsow 36. Gostinin 37. Visna 38. Raciecz 39. Sierpz 40. Wysogrogende 41. Ripin 42. Zacochim 43. Ciechanon 44. Live 45. Slonsco 46. Lubaczow 47. Konar in Sirad 48. Konar in Lenschot 49. Konar in Cujavia These are called the Lesser as being more lately admitted into the Senate To greater Castellanes they give the title of Wielmozni or Magnifici to the Lesser that of Vrodzeni or Generosi but by private persons all Castellanes are called Jasnie Wielmozni or Illustrissimi It is established by Law that none may be either Palatine or Castellane in that Province in which he hath no lands The lowest in degree among the Senators are the Officers of the Kingdom and Great Dukedom of Lithvania in the following order 1. The supreme Marshal of the Kingdom 2. The Marshal of the Great Dukedom of Lithvania 3. The high Chancellor of the Kingdom 4. The Chancellor of Lithvania 5. The Pro-Chancellor of the Kingdom 6. The Pro-Chancellor of Lithvania 7. The Treasurer of the Kingdom 8. The Treasurer of Lithvania 9. The Marshal of the Court for the Kingdom 10. The Marshal of the Court of the Great Duke of Lithvania The office of the supreme Marshal is to call the Senate upon command of the King or Interrex to command silence and give leave of speaking therein to promulgate their acts to the people and to pronounce and put in execution the Kings decrees in all causes of infamy and death He prepares the place of the Diets and hath the chief management of matters in those Assemblies receives foreign Princes and Ambassadors at their arrival providing them with lodgings performs also most of the functions belonging to the Lord Steward of the Kings Houshold In the publick assemblies or when he goes before the King he carries a staff upright While the King resides in Lithvania the Marshal of Lithvania has the same power there The Chancellors are both secular persons and the office of Chancellor and Pro-Chancellor is the same only the Chancellor keeps the great and the Pro-Chancellor the lesser Seal In short these two are the mouth and hands of the King in the dispatch of all business The Treasurers are the Stewards of the publick Treasury and masters of the Mint When the King bestows this office upon any one four Senators are appointed to deliver the Treasury to him by an inventory of which there are three copies one with the King another with the Treasurer and the third they keep themselves This by the way take notice of in reference to all the Senators that none of them are permitted to stir out of the Kingdom without particular licence of the Grand Estates and upon some pressing occasion The rest of the Officers about the Court which are not of the Senatorian Order as the Principal Secretary Master of Requests Captain General c. I spare to mention being much-what the same as in other Nations only it is to be observed that there are two of every sort one for the Kingdom of Poland the other for the Great Dukedom of Lithvania The Masters of Requests are always present when the King sits to determine controversies and differences among his Subjects at which time it is their duty to lay open the nature and grounds of the controversie to the King They stand fair upon a vacancy to be admitted Senators The Magistrates for the several Districts are of two sorts that is Land or Camp-Magistrates The Land Magistrates are 1. The Vice-Chamberlain or Judg of bounds and limits 2. The Standard-bearer 3. The Land-Judg 4. The Tribune 5. The Land-Register 6. The Keeper of the Treasury Besides some other inferior Officers The Camp or Military Officers are 1. The Captain with Jurisdiction who is Governor of some Town or Castle 2. The Captain without Jurisdiction 3. The Burggrave who is Governor of some Castle and takes care of the out-guards 4. The Vice-Captain 5. The Judg-Advocate 6. The Field-Register The Councils Councils or Parliaments of Poland are of two sorts 1. Civil to which the Counsellors come in their Gowns 2. Military to which they come in Military habit The latter are only held in the time of an Interregnum The former are frequently called and are 1. Ordinary which by the Laws are summon'd once in two years 2. Extraordinary which are assembled as the necessity of affairs requires When either Ordinary or Extraordinary Councils are to be convened the King by his Letters summons
the lesser Councils or Conventions in the several Palatinates larger Provinces and certain Districts These Conventions precede the general Assemblies of the Kingdom six weeks unless upon some extraordinary accident and are held in the proper Cities of the Palatinates and Provinces appointed for that purpose Here after they have chosen a Marshal who seems to be much like our Speaker as being the Director of the Convention they first consider of such things as are propounded to them by the Kings Deputies dispatched away to every Convention and of what other business is to be motioned at the General Session After that they choose the Land Deputies or provincial Delegates for the general Assembly Every Province sends so many almost in the same manner as our Shires save only that they are not chosen by the people till the whole number amount to about 300. These Deputies are generally elected out of such Magistrates as are not of the Senatorian order excluding all Judges and their Assistants Collectors and all Officers of the Exchequer unless they have exact and full acquittances from the Treasurer The Delegates like our Burgesses have a certain allowance from their respective Provinces during the sitting of the general Assembly The particular Conventions being broken up which by the Law are not to sit above four days three weeks before the Senators and Delegates repair to the Grand Session they meet at the general Committees for the several Provinces where they again read over the Kings commands the instructions given to the Delegates and what was thought needful to be propounded for the publick good The grand Assembly being met the Deputies repair to their Chamber and choose their Marshal or Director which done they are all conducted to kiss the Kings hand and after that ceremony perform'd the Chancellours of the Kingdom and Dukedome in order declare to them the substance of those affairs which are to be the subject of their Debates Before they depart they put the King in mind of supplying such employments as are vacant with deserving persons and desire an account of such Laws or Ordinances as have been made by the resident Senators since the sitting of the last grand Convention Having so done they return to their Chamber The power of these Nuncii or Deputies is very great for when they send any of their number to the King they are presently admitted let the King be never so busy and have an immediate dispatch If they clash in their debates the King is careful to send some of the Senators to reconcile them who then give them the Title of Mosci Panovoie Bracia or Gracious Lords Brothers They have also power to impeach any great Officer of Misdemeanours and to put the King himself in mind of his promises touching the Laws and priviledges of the Kingdom neither is any constitution valid that has not its Original from the Chamber of the Deputies And which is yet more if any one of the whole number of the Nuncii dissent nothing can be legally concluded So that upon the protestation and departure of one Deputy the whole Convention is ipso facto dissolv'd Whilst the Deputies are thus consulting the King and Senators have little to do but to hear certain criminal causes appointed before hand for the first week and some other civil controversies the second till the return of the Deputies embodies the whole Senate together Then every man has liberty to deliver his mind with the leave and direction of the Marshal The King suspends his own opinion till the Senators and Deputies or the major part of them agree Then he endeavours to reconcile their different votes or if he cannot prevail concurs with that party which has voted most conformably to the Laws and priviledges of the Realm These consultations by the Law ought not to be continued above fifteen days after the joyning of both Houses though sometimes urgency of affairs causes farther prolongation When the Session breaks up the Deputies returning home give notice of their return to the Captains with Jurisdiction and the Palatines or Vice-Palatines give the same notice of the return to the Deputies to the Nobility inviting them withal to the Post-Comitial Assemblies or Conventions of Relation the meeting whereof the King appoints In these Conventions the Deputies produce the constitutions made in the last general Assembly of Estates delivered to them under seal by the Chancellours and take care that they be fairly transcribed into the Land and military Registers not omitting after this to give a full account of what they have acted in discharge of their Trusts If the grand Session break up in confusion not having effected any thing to purpose then certain Post-Comitial Councils are called wherein the King prefixes a time for another grand Session Nor is it a wonder that much disturbance should rise in the General Assemblies considering the multitude of the Deputies and the liberty of each member for which reason Cardinal Johannes Franciscus Commendonus facetiously said That Morbus Comitialis was the Epidemical distemper of Poland Now that the King may not want a Council in the interval of general Conventions they before they break up appoint 24 Senators 8 Palatines 8 Major and as many Minor Castellanes and four Bishops to wait quarterly four at a time one Bishop and three Senators till other 28 are chosen And these are bound so close to their duty that they accompany the King to the Wars for which they have a Stipend allowed and payed out of the Treasury The Courts of Judicature in respect of their division are the same as in other countreys 〈…〉 that is either Ecclesiastic or Secular either for civil or criminal causes but in respect of the Judges and manner of proceeding therein not easily to be understood without a particular survey The Nobles have a Court peculiar to themselves called the Court of Land-judicature wherein all actions relating to estates in Land are tryed Where also the Captains and by their permission the Kings Tenants may sue the Nobles themselves for wast done upon the Lands belonging to the Kings table To this Court likewise belong all actions of debt upon Contract The Judges of this Court are a chief Judg a Judg and a Secondary Upon the death of any of these the Nobility propose four landed men whom they recommend to the King who chuses one out of them into the dead place All the Judges are bound to be resident at the Session of the Court which is twice thrice and sometimes four times a year The next remarkable Court is that of the several Captains jurisdiction called Sudy Grodskie or Courtmilitary The chief Judg of this Court is a Captain he sits alone takes cognisance of Rapes Burglary Setting Houses on fire Robberies upon the High-way c. Noblemen not Landed are here also tryed and forreign Merchants coming to Faires He has also power without any noise of Law to condemn and punish idle Vagabonds Thieves Proscribed persons
Fugitives and people of infamous conversation The writ of the Court runs Nos Capitaneus c. Tibi c. Mandamus vigore Regio nostra qua hac parte fungimur Authoritate c. In Criminal causes it is to be served a fortnight in Civil a week before the Court sits To the Judicia Campestria may be referred the Vice-Captains Court which takes cognizance of the division of Estates between brothers forcible ejections servants entertained without testimonial exaction of customs non-payment of publick duties c. The Sub-Chamberlains Court is for settling the bounds of Noblemens Estates The Commissorial Courts are erected for the same purpose when the controversy happens between a Noble-man and one of the Kings tenants For then the King sends down Commissioners to settle the limits of his own lands who therefore issue out their writ after this form Nos c. Commissarii per Majestatem Regiam specialiter deputati vobis Generosis c. innotescimus c. The Tribunal-Courts are superiour Courts which take cognizance of all causes removed thither by way of appeal from the Courts of Land-judicature the Captains Courts the Vice-Chamberlain and the Commissorial Courts The Judges of these Courts are as well spiritual as secular The spiritual Judges are elected by the several Chapters of the Provinces the temporal Judges by the most voices of the Nobility These Courts are held only in two places for Poland Petricow and Lublin The Causes are heard in order for three days are allowed to enter all causes that come and whatever is not enter'd in those three days cannot be medled with that sitting Here are tried all causes that concern Ecclesiastical persons and the revenues of Churches and religious houses The writs issued hence run all in the Kings name under the Seal of the Province where the Defendant lives The Decrees of the Court are seal'd with the Seal of the province where the Court is held From hence there lyes no appeal either to the King or the General Session unless where the Court is equally divided or that the case in Controversy be not decided by the Constitutions The Courts of the General Conventions are either Criminal or Civil The Criminal either for publick crimes as High Treason Treason Robbing the Exchequer Violation of the priviledges of the General Parliament and adulterating or falsifying the publick Coin or else for private crimes as Murder Poysoning Incest Adultery and such like hainous offences To the civil Conventional Courts belong all causes concerning the Estate of the Kings table goods unlawfully received extortion of custome negligence of Magistrates c. all causes concerning the tenths of Noblemens Estates profanation of Churches Land-offices and Honours c. The Judges of this Court are the King and the Senatours Whilst the Senatours and Deputies give their votes the King absents himself afterwards when the decree is confirm'd by plurality of votes he returns and the Marshal having proclaimed the Sentence in the Kings presence commands the person condemn'd to be clapt into irons and takes care that execution be done For causes that relate to the public Revenues there is the Court of the Exchequer usually held at Radom and therefore called Tribunal Radomiense The Judges of this Court besides the Treasurer are certain Senators elected for this purpose in the general Parliaments of the Kingdom Before this Court are examined and tryed all Sub-treasurers and Collectors of contributions and Captains which have not brought into the Treasury what collections were paid into their hands as also all Merchants and others by whom the Treasury has suffer'd any dammage This Court seldome sits above a fortnight or three weeks and always adjourns before the meeting of the general Conventions Nearly relating to this Court is that which they call The Commission for payment of Souldiers wages Here are tryed such Souldiers as have not appeared after they have received their pay or that have committed any Acts of violence towards the Kings Subjects The Judges of this Court are the chief Commission-officers of the Army with certain selected Senators and Deputies to assist them To omit the Military Courts which are the same in all well disciplined armies the Marshal of the Kings house has also his Court whose jurisdiction extends not only over the Kings servants but also over the Senators themselves that live in the Court The Captural Court is two-fold either General which sits during the Interregnum to prevent disorders having absolute power of life and death whose Judges are chosen out of the prime Nobility Or Particular in the several Palatinates of the Kingdom the Judges whereof are chosen out of the Nobility at the several particular Conventions in the beginning of the Interregnum They take cognizance of all causes tryable in the Captains Court and of all injuries and batteries but meddle not with civil matters being like a Court constituted to keep the peace during the Interregnum All Captural Courts cease three weeks before the Assemblies for Election meet After the Election is over they sit again till the Coronation of the King The Jews are every where tried and judged by the Palatines from whom there lyes no appeal except the sum exceed an hundred Florens They that live in Towns or Villages belonging to Noblemen are under the jurisdiction of the Lord of the Royalty In the Assessorial Court the Chancellour sits as supreme Judge assisted by the Masters of requests and the principal Secretaries of the Kingdom Here are heard all causes removed from the City Courts as also from the Palatines when the controversy lies between a Christian and a Jew Of the Court of Relations the King himself is Judg and hears all causes removed by way of appeal out of the Assessorial Court Hence there lies no appeal but only to the Parliament it self and that but in two or three cases As when the action relates to an Estate which the possessour affirms that he holds by inheritance or that it concern the publick revenue of the kingdom I do not find any Ecclesiatical Courts particularly named however most certain it is that the Bishops have their several Courts where either they or their officials take cognizance of all ceremonies and institutions Ecclesiastical and are Judges of Heresy Schism Magick Incantations Usury Simony as also controversies about Tithes and Church-lands of murder or violence offer'd to a religious person or upon holy ground Moreover they determine the rights of Patronage Matrimonial differences and contests touching birth-right As for Wills and Testaments the differences about them are decided in the secular Courts as well as in these unless in case of some Legacies left to the Church From the Bishop's Court there lies an appeal to the Arch-bishop of Leopol from him to the Arch-bishop of Gnesna and thence to the Apostolick See To the Spiritual Courts belong the Court of Nunciature under the jurisdiction of the Popes Nuncio for that purpose always residing in Poland However before he
generis quam Meritis in Patriam Honoratiss o Viro D. o NICOLAO VON BODECK Consuli et Primario Iudici in celeberrion totius Maris Baltici Emporio Vrbe Gedanensi artium literarumque â—autori benevolentiss o D. D. D. Ioannes Ianssonius MASOVIA Masovia called by the Polanders Mazowsze by the Germans Die Masaw lies in the very middle of Poland bounded on the north with Prussia on the east with Lithuania and Polessia on the west with some part of the lesser Poland on the south with the Palatinate of Rava 'T is usually divided into these four parts The Palatinates of Podlachia Plockzo Masovia strictly so called and the territories of Dobrin which last ought rather to be reckoned a part of the Palatinate of Plockzo There are different conjectures touching the original of its name The most commonly received is That upon the death of Mieceslaus the second the Nobility of Poland not enduring the impotent and effeminate government of his surviving Queen Rixo layd hands upon what every man could catch Among these Masos or as others call him Maslaus formerly Cup-bearer to the deceased King siezed upon that large tract of land which he after his own name called Masovia This Masos was afterwards overcome by Casimir the first by whom he was taken and put to death By this means it was again restor'd to the Crown of Poland though it still retained the name of Masovia But Stanislaus Serictius rejecting in part this story derives more probably the Massovii from the Massagetes I know saith he what our Historians have written touching the original of the Massovians But it seems incredible to me that so famous and couragious a people should stoop to borrow their denomination from so mean a person In the year 1220 Lescus the white in the Parliament of Sandomir granted the Dukedomes of Masovia Cujavia and Dobrinia to his brother Conrade from which time it was governed by Dukes of its own doing homage however to the Kings of Poland till the the year 1495 but then the race of the Dukes of Masovia began to fail For that year John Duke of Masovia dyed a Batchelour upon which John Albert reunited Plockzo to the Crown leaving the rest of Masovia to his brother Conrade Which after his decease in the year 1503 was granted to his children upon condition that for default of male issue it should return to the Crown which was effected in the reign of Sigismund the first In the same manner the Palatinate of Podlachia formerly belonging to Masovia and joyned by Casimir Jagellon to Lithuania return'd to the Kingdom of Poland in the year 1567. There are no peculiar Bishops in Masovia but the whole Province is divided under the jurisdiction of Posnan Plockzo and Luceoria The Metropolis of Masovia is Warsaw by the Polanders called Warfrawa seated in the very centre of the Polish dominions upon the Vistula encompassed with a double wall and deep ditch distant 40 German or 160 English miles from Posen and Cracow Here the King of Poland keeps his Court in a large four squared Palace built by Sigismund the third but much beautifyed by his successours Over against this on the other side of the river which is passable by a stately wooden bridge sits the great Parliament of Poland in another of the Kings Palaces called Viasdow seated in the midst of many and delicate Groves and Gardens In the City are publique buildings of good note the most remarkable of which is St. John Baptists Church where divine service is performed by secular Canons Not far from Viasdow in the suburbs called Cracow stands as a trophie of the victory obtained by the Poles over the Moscovite a small Chappel built by the Kings command for the burial of Demetrius Suiscius great Duke of Moscovie who dyed a captive in the Castle of Gostenin The Nobility of Masovia which are more numerous then in any other part of Poland being reckoned to amount to near forty thousand whereof fifteen thousand appear'd in a body at the Coronation of Sigismund the third are all Roman-Catholicks never suffering any of other religions or opinions to reside among them Out of these are sent yearly to the general Assembly of the Estates one Palatine and six Castellanes The Palatinate of Plockzo lyes eastward from Masovia between the Vistula and Prussia Plockzo 'T is divided into the territories of Plockzo Zavera Mlava and Srensco and sends out to the great Parliament four Senators that is The Bishop The Palatine and Castellanes of Plockzo Radzyagas and Sieprez It has its name from Plockzo its chief City seated on a high bank of the Vistula whence you have a fair prospect of a pleasant and fruitful Countrey The City is an Episcopal See and very populous There are in it several religious houses and Churches besides the Cathedral very well endowed especially the Abby of Benedictines in the suburbs where among other reliques is kept the head of St. Sigismund to whom the Church is dedicated enchased in gold given by Sigismund the third The territory of Dobrizin is properly a part of the Palatinate of Plockzo though Mr. Blaeu Dobrzin and some others have made it a distinct part of Masovia It has its name from the City Dobrzin situate between Cujavia and Plockzo on a rock near the banks of the Vistula The houses in it are generally of wood and the whole City is environed with wooden fortifications The Countrey affords great store of fruit and fish PRVSSIA Whence Prussia or Borussia called by the Germans Preussen should fetch its name Prussia is not easily determined Certain it is That it is not to be met with amongst antient authors Cluverius thinks Helmoldus who flourished in the twelfth Century is the oldest writer that gives any account of the Countrey under this name But both Dithmarus who lived in the beginning of the eleventh Century in the days of the Emperour Henry the second and before him an Anonymous writer of the life of St. Adalbert the Apostle of the Prussians about the year 990 mentions it Marianus Scotus will have the word derided from Aprutis a City saith he in these parts where St. Adalbert suffered martyrdome in the year 995. But this conjecture is vain and precarious for where any City of this name formerly stood or its ruins can at this day be found only he himself can tell us Johannes Annius Viterbiensis tells us the Prussians were at first called Pruti and that from one Prutus a Scythian King grandchild to Noah That this nation is an offspring of the antient Scythians is indeed allowable but to the rest of the story we can say no more then That 't is well known how nimble this author and his feign'd Berosus are at counterfeiting of names in the Etymologies of Countries Others of the same authority with Viterbiensis bring the Prussians out of Asia under the command of Prussia a King of Bithynia Some will have the word Prussi or Prutheni corrupted
mony they presently begun to set up Mints and Coin peices of their own which they did so accurately that most Nations have granted that the art of coining was here first brought to perfection Whence the Learned Sr. Henry Spelman thinks our English word Sterling came from the Easterlings who coming out of Prussia first taught the art of refining and coining purer silver in England then before their coming had been made use of The species of mony currant at this day in Prussia are these 1. A Schilling which contains six pence or Pfennings none of which are now in use in single peices 2. A Gross which consists of three Schillings Twenty of these Grosses make 3. A Mark. 4. A Gulder is made of thirty Grosses 5. A Dollar or Thaler is worth three Gulders Two Dollars make 6. A Ducate valued at nine shillings English These are the most ordinary and proper Coins of Prussia though Swedish and Danish mony is currant too Some of the late Prussian writers will have the word Schilling fetch its name from one Bernhard Schilling who first stamp'd this kind of Coin But this fancy is confuted by Schottelius who nevertheless is himself baffel'd in the Etymology of the word The Gross had its name given it because 't was the greatest peice of mony made use of in the infancy of coinage The lower Saxons changing according to their manner the high Dutch s into t call it a Grott whence we have our word Great A Mark was formerly no peculiar piece of Coin but a certain weight of mony worth thirty six of the Marks now used in Prussia So that it had not this name as Loccenius guesses from the German word Mark because 't was marked or stamped with some particular Coin but was only used in that Country in reckoning of mony as we count by pounds and marks and the French by Livres though neither of us have any piece of mony of that value Gulder signifies no more then a peice of Gold Coin A Dollar or Thaler as the Dutch write it has its name from the German Thal a valley or dale because first coined at the Mines in Joachim's-dale in the year 1517 whence for a while instead of the word Thalerus they used Joachimicus for a Dollar The worth and value of every one of these are almost yearly changed by the continual allays of brass and copper mixt with silver and other intrigues of state That the Venedi the first inhabitants of some parts of Prussia spoke the Slavonian tongue Language is beyond all controversy After them the Goths brought in a dialect of the Celtick little differing from the German tongue but this wrought little change among the Prussians who till the arrival of the Teutonick order spoke as they do still in many places a language fundamentally the same with what the Russians Polonians and Lithuanians now use Grunovius indeed a Prussian born is of another opinion because the Polanders do not at all understand a Preusner and the Lithuanians very little But how invalid this argument is any one may perceive who shall consider with what difficulty an Austrian Lunenburger and Fleming and how much more a Dane German and Englishman would discourse together A mixture of the Slavonian and German tongues and a revolution of perhaps two thousand years must needs alter the Prussian language considerably from what it was at first What time Prussia Religion with the adjoyning Countries began to leave off their Idolatrous worship and to be converted to Christianity is hard to discover Stanislaus Lubienscius Bishop of Plockzo thinks Andrew the Apostle first planted the Gospel in these Northern Climates Others more punctual in the story tell us That the same Apostle sayl'd out of Greece by the Euxine Sea and coming up the Boristhenes or Dnieper landed at Kiow then the Metropolis of Russia whence he went forward baptizing and converting the Heathens as far as the Baltick Sea Some upon as shallow ground as the former will have St. Bartholomew and St. Thaddaeus first preachers in Prussia However all agree in this That towards the latter end of the tenth Century St. Adalbert or Albert Bishop of Prague in Bohemia and say the Polish writers afterwards Archbishop of Gnesna came through Poland into Prussia where he either first planted or restor'd Christianity But the Heathenish Priests perceiving innovation of religion inconsistent with their interest made the people so incensed against St. Adalbert that they slew him barbarously at Fischhausen in Sambland in the year 997. Upon this Boleslaus the first King of Poland enters Prussia with a great army and brought the inhabitants to these conditions of peace That they should pay tribute to Poland and embrace the Christian religion And to prevent for the future all relapse into Idolatry and superstition he burnt up the great Oak at Romanove the temple of three of their superior Gods But no sooner had he left them then they forsook Christianity and return'd to their Idols After him three of his successours of the same name did several times reduce them to Christianity and homage to the Crown of Poland But all in vain For at the first opportunity they were sure to throw of both yokes In the beginning of the thirteenth Century the Polish Nobility having rent that Kingdome in pieces neglected the conversion of the Prussians for a while However about the year 1215 Christianus a Cistertian Monk was very busy in confirming them in the principles they had received and to that end by the Pope's command took upon him the authority of a Bishop But finding his own power insignificant he was quickly forced to beg the assistance of Conrade Duke of Masovia This expedient also proved unsuccessful For the Knights of Dobrin whom the Duke had opposed to the fury of the Prussians making incursions into Masovia were all vanquished and slain by the Idolaters When all these expedients prov'd unsucccessful the Christians begun to consider of some other means of converting the Prussians since no fair usage would work upon such a stubborn people as they found these were they pitcht upon the Knights of the Teutonick Order famous at that time all Christendom over as most likely either to perswade or force them into Christianity Conrade Duke of Masovia pleased with these proposals immediately dispatches letters to the Master of the Order profering him the land of Culm and auxiliary forces in case he should meet with any opposition Upon this in the year 1226 Herman de Salza fourth Master of the Teutonic Order forthwith sends Herman de Balke one of his Knights among the Prussians with the title of Superintendent afterwards changed into Provincial of Prussia But so vigorously did the Heathens oppose these undertakings that it was fifty three years before they could be brought to renounce their Idolatry After Christianity began to take root among them several Bishopricks and Monasteries were founded Notwithstanding all which many Heathenish Cities were winked
and Charles IX whom the Swedes had set up King in his place These Gustavus Adolphus continued and in them overrun almost all Liefland till in the year 1629 a truce was made for six years upon these terms That in the mean time the King of Sweden should enjoy all he had won This truce was again renewed for 26 years more A.D. 1635. by the mediation of Ambassadours from the Kings of England and France and the States of the Vnited Provinces In the year 1654 whilst a great part of Lithvania was laid wast by the Moscovite Charles Gustavus King of Sweden before the 26 years were expir'd proclaimed war against the King of Poland alledging among other things as a reason for his proceedings That the Polish Ambassadour at Stockholm had protested against his succession to the Crown of Sweden At the beginning the fortune of the war went much on his side but within a short while the Danes making incursions into Sweden forced him to quit Poland and be more concern'd to defend what he had at home then to seek for new conquests abroad However the war still continued till A.D. 1660. when upon the death of Charles Gustavus peace was established between the two Kingdoms at Oliva a Monastery near Dantzic of which these are some of the Articles That John Casimir King of Poland should for ever renounce all pretensions to the Kingdom of Sweden and Principality of Finland That he should only challenge the title of King of Sweden for his life but not make use of it in any of his letters to the Swedish King That he should deliver up to the Swedes all that part of Liefland which lyes beyond the river Duna and disclaim all right and title to Esten and Oesel and whatever on this side the Duna was in the hands of the Swedes during the truce That the King of Poland should still keep the southern Liefland in which are reckoned Duneburg Rositen Luzen Marienhusen c. This country was long subject to Paganism and Idolatry until about the year 1158 it begun to be frequented by Merchants from Lubeck who got leave of the inhabitants to build a small Chappel in an Island upon the Duna thence called Kircholm for the exercise of Christian worship Afterwards Menard a Monk of Segeberg was consecrated Bishop of Liefland by the Archbishop of Bremen and sent over by the Merchants to propagate Christianity in these parts His seat was at Vxkel a small village upon the Duna not far from Riga Bertholdus a Monk of Bremen of the order of St. Paul succeeded him in his Bishoprick He was the first founder of Riga whither he removed his See but lived not long to enjoy it there For endeavouring to promote Christianity more by the sword then spirit he was overcome and slain by the Pagans Albertus Bertholdus's immediate successour fortifyed Riga and made it a City That done he joyned himself to the order of the sword bearers an order of Knighthood confirmed by Pope Innocent the third about the year 1204 hoping thereby to be better able then his predecessor had been to oppose the rage of the Heathen Not long after when this order was changed into the Teutonic order the Bishop of Riga and the rest of his society subjected themselves to the Teutonic Order of Prussia The master of which had power given him to appoint a Provincial of Liefland On the other hand the Prussian Bishops of Culm Pomesen and Sambland did though not at the same time as some would have it advance the power of the Bishop of Riga making him an Archbishop and themselves his Suffragans Only the Bishop of Warme as having never been subject to the Teutonic Order would not yield to be reckoned a member of the Province of Riga In this state the Church of Liefland continued for a long time till in the year 1513 William Plettenberg the XLI Provincial of Liefland bought off all homage to the Teutonic Order in Prussia and was himself made absolute Prince of Liefland His successors lived and injoyed their dominions in peace till the days of Sigismund Augustus King of Poland but afterwards what with foreign and domestic wars and the continual incursions of the Moscovite Polander Swede and Dane the Country was brought to be a meer medly of men and religions At this day those parts that are subject to the Danes and Swedes do generally profess the Lutheran religion Most of the subjects of the King of Poland adhere to the Church of Rome though some are Lutherans In some parts of Esten the poor ignorant Rusticks are half Pagans Liefland was formerly divided into two parts only Letten and Esten to which the order of the sword bearers added Curland Some have divided the whole Country into six parts Curland Semigal Esten Letten Harland and Virland but Semigal is no more then a Province of Curland and Harland and Virland parts of Esten Of these Curland is immediately subject to its own Duke who nevertheless pays homage to the King of Poland Some parts also of Letten which go under the name of South Liefland are since the treaty at Oliva in that Kings possession The Curoni antient inhabitants of Curland and Semigal are thought by some to be the same with the Caryones mentioned by Ptolomey There is not far from Windaw a small village which still bears their memory in its name being by the inhabitants to this day called Curon The most notable places in it are 1. Mitaw the seat of the Dukes of Curland upon the bank of the river Mauss taken by Gustavus Adolphus in the year 1621 but restored A.D. 1629. The Town is but mean and inconsiderable but the Castle magnificently rebuilt by some of the late Dukes 2. Windaw or Winden as the Germans write it though the inhabitants call it Kies seated on the mouth of the river Windaw whence it has its name Here formerly was the residence of the Provincials of Liefland afterwards the general Parliament or great Council of Curland had their sessions in this City which made it exceeding populous At this day there is little appearance of its antient splendor nor is it frequented by any but a few Dutch Merchants who are here laden with Tar Pitch and Wax 'T is a mistake very ordinary among the historians that write of this Country to confound this City with Wenden in Letten telling us that this too is called by the Polanders Kies And the old Dutch sea-carts mention a kind of Castle with three towers upon the mouth of the Windaw but never take notice of of any sea-port-Town in this place 3. Pilten or Piltyn the seat of the Bishop of Curland built by Waldemar King of Denmark A.D. 1219. The southern or Polish Liefland contains only a few small Towns or villages among which there is nothing worth taking notice of but Duneburg a Castle as its name intimates seated on the river Duna Volhinia Podolia c. THough the Polish dominion reached formerly a considerable
way beyond the Nieper or Boristhenes taking within its precincts the territories of Kiow and Braclaw which go under the general name of the Vkrain spoken of before yet since the treaty ratifyed between the Grand Seignior and the King of Poland in the year 1677 the whole Country of the Cosacks was delivered into the hands of the Turks and the hither Volhinia is at this day the outmost bounds of the Kingdom of Poland Walachia too and Moldavia were by Vladislaus Jagello annexed to the Crown of Poland but soon after his death his son Casimir lost them both back again to the Turks For when by reason of the continual trouble he had in defending Prussia against the Teutonic Order he could not possibly succour those parts the Palatine of Walachia struck up a peace with Mahomet upon condition of paying a yearly tribute of 2000 Crowns Since that time the Palatines of Walachia have sometimes sworn fealty to the Turks sometimes to the Polanders but kept their word with neither Several of the Kings of Poland have been in a condition of repossessing themselves of these parts but fearing to engage in a war with so potent an Enemy as the Grand Seignior for so mean a stake they have rather chose to resign them quietly and suffer him still to enjoy them upon condition That the Turk should constitute no Vicegerent in these their neighbouring Provinces but such as was lineally descended from the Dukes of Moldavia and consequently of a Polish stock nor should demand any arbitrary but a certain fix'd and determin'd tribute But these priviledges the Poles have now lost insomuch that the Turk is grown absolute Lord of the Country and governs it by whom and how he pleases But these two Countryes could not satisfy the the Great Turk who found an occasion to pick a quarrel with the King of Poland whom he knew himself able to conquer Wherefore in the year 1672 advancing further into this Kings dominions with a vast army he took Camienec the best fortress in the Kingdom and had marched further into the very heart of the Nation had he not been stopt with proposals of peace from King Michael upon these terms That the Polanders should quit all title to Podolia and resign it wholly to the Turk That with Podolia they should also surrender all pretensions to the Vkrain That they should pay yearly to the Grand Seignior a tribute of 22000 ducates c. These conditions proposed and ratifyed by the King alone without the approbation of the Parliament were looked upon by the whole Nation as too dishonourable to be observed Wherefore 't was resolved they should endeavour to the outmost to recover bravely what their King had so cowardly parted with Accordingly towards the latter end of the year 1673 they proclaimed war against the Turk which was carried on with good success under the conduct of John Sobieski the present King of Poland their then valorous General who on the 11 of November discomfited the Turkish army and retook the Castle of Chotim After many more bloody engagements in a war of several years continuance the peace was at last concluded in November 1676 upon these and some other conditions That the Lipec-Tartars should be permitted to remove their goods and families into Podolia and there live subject to the Turk That the Vkrain should remain in the hands of the Grand Seignior That Polish Garrisons should be put into Niemierow and Kallik and the Bassaw of Camieniec have nothing to do there till matters were adjusted at the convention of Ambassadours at Porte That Pawolocz and Bialocerkiew should remain entire in the possession of the Polander That the resignation of Podolia should be debated by the Ambassadours at Porte That in all places taken by the Turks the Christians should enjoy the free exercise of their religion c. These articles were read and ratifyed in the Parliament of Poland the 22 day of February A.D. 1677. Since which time the Great Turk has not answered the expectation of the King of Poland in resigning the Countries he had taken Podolia is doubtless worth seeking after and too good to be parted with upon sleight terms by those who having made themselves Masters of it by a fair conquest are able to keep their hold if what Maginus reports of it be true That 't is so fruitful that in one night the grass will hide a rod and in a few days a plough Volhinia is as well worth defending as Podolia regaining being a fruitful and plenteous Country exceedingly well stock'd with corn sheep Timber fish Hony c. Places of greatest note in it are 1. Luceoria or Lusuc a Bishop's See first founded by Ludowic King of Poland and Hungary about the year 1374. 2. Olyka a seat of some of the Lithvanian Dukes among whom John formerly Duke of this place and Nieswiesc with his brother Nicolas Radziwil Marshal of the great Dukedom of Lithvania was made a Prince of the Empire of Germany in the Diet at Augspurg A.D. 1547. 3. Ostrog once the seat of Dukes to whom a great part of this Country was immediately subject but that line is of late utterly extinct The Lesser Poland THe Lesser Poland lyes on the south of the Greater from some part of which it is separated by the Warta from others by the Pilcza It is divided in the middle by the Vistula upon which are seated most of its great Towns and contains in it three Palatinates of Cracow Sendomir and Lublin This Province as all Poland has formerly been is very woody 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 which heretofore occasioned so many barbarous robberies as were usually committed under the shelter of their Forests Insomuch that in the year 1450 Casimir called an assembly of the Nobles of the Lesser Poland only to consult of some means to suppress the intolerable thieveries practised among the generality of them the Nobility not excepted But because many of the Grandees of Poland were not at that time satisfyed with this King's title to the Crown nothing could be effectually enacted by his Authority so that for a long time Rapines and Murders were encreased rather then diminished For by these delays of justice the Robbers were come to that strength at last that under the conduct of two Noblemen Cauca Sweborowski and John his brother they had fortifyed the mountain Zebrace near Oswenskim and several other places whither such armies of Ruffians continually flocked as could not afterwards be suppressed without a deal of bloodshed and hazard of the whole Country Cracow the Metropolis of this Province and the whole Kingdom of Poland is seated on a rocky bank of the Vistula 'T is said to have had its name from one Cracus Gracus or Gracchus whom the Polanders so they themselves say though the Bohemian writers will needs make him one of their Princes set over them as soon as they grew weary of the twelve Palatines who took the government into their hands upon the death
Iron-mines and indifferent good store of corn It has but one City in it call'd Gevalia commodiously situated upon the Bay of Bothnia half a days Journey from Kupferberg 2. Helsingia Helsingia which was anciently a general name for all the Northern Provinces from the North-sea to the River Vla and the Lake Vlatresk in the North of Cajania as appears from some records of a Parliament held at Telgis A. 1328 and a distinct Kingdom of it self govern'd by its own Kings till the time of Ingellus the second King of Vpsal so were the Kings of Sweden anciently styl'd who at his Coronation invited the King of Helsingia and several other Princes to the solemnity and after having made them drunk with strong liquors set fire on the Palace and so destroyed them all and seized their possessions which ever after were united to the Crown of Sweden The inhabitants of this Country had anciently a peculiar language of their own and also an Alphabet altogether distinct from the Runick as appears by several old monuments found amongst them They are recorded to have fought many famous battels with their neighbours of Finland Carelia and Cajania and after having driven some of their Enemies as far as the Sund in memory of their conquest and to eternize their name to have built the City Helsingburg From them are said to have come the Nylanders who border upon Carelia and use the same manner of speech to this day The Natives are generally very hospitable and courteous to strangers of a docile and ingenious disposition and above all things endeavouring to be neat and handsom within doors The whole Country of Helsingia is divided into four Provinces 1. Helsingia properly so call'd Helsingia heretofore known by the name of Sundhede which has in it three lesser divisions Alora thro which runs the river Liusna Sundhede in the midst whereof is the Lake Dil and Nordstigh not far from the wood Arskog The soil is indifferently fruitful for Corn but chiefly for Pasture the inhabitants mostly imploying themselves in feeding and managing their stock of Cattel Here is but one City in the whole Country call'd Hudingsvaldia remarkable for the great quantities of Corn Butter Hydes Pitch Rosin Masts of Ships and Deal-boards that are convey'd hence into other Countries 2. Medelpadia Medelpadia much of the same nature with Helsingia but only it is narrower and abounds more with woods and mountains in it are two rivers very full of fish Some say the Kings of Helsingia anciently resided here 3. Angermannia a fruitful and pleasant Angermannia yet in some places mountainous Country The soil is so good and certain that tho it bear Corn plentifully it needs not be manur'd above once in ten years It is divided in the middle into two parts the northern and southern by a great wood which runs all along from the ragged mountain Scula and thence takes its name water'd it is by only one river well stored with Salmon and other fish secur'd by one City nam'd Hernosandia yeilding the same commodities as Hudingsvaldia only it affords no Copper 4. Bothnia Bothnia not so full of mountains as Angermannia of a sandy and barren turf but well supplied with fish and other commodities It has in it several rivers of considerable bigness which empty themselves into the Bothnick-Bay Cities here are none but this defect is supplied by a frequency of Market-Towns which are almost as numerous as the Parishes The advantage of this Country is chiefly by the trade from the nearer parts of Lapland which is managed chiefly by the Birkarli and all comes to the Sea-side this way II. Sueonia or Sweden strictly so taken Sueonia which contains in it these five Provinces Vplandia Westmannia Dalecarlia Nericia and Sudermannia DALECARLIAE et WESTMANNIAE Nova et Accurata descriptio VIRO ILLVST mo D. no PETRO JULIO COYET Equite Aurato S. R. M. Sueciae Cosiliario Aulico Scretario Status et nunc ad Confoederatos Belgas extra ordinem Ablegato D. D. D. Joh. Janssonius VPLANDIA 2. 〈…〉 On the South or South-east of Dalecarlia lies West or Wester-mannia or Westmannerland bordering upon Vpland and Gestricia It is according to the several Dales or divisions that are in it divided into three parts viz. Oster Wester and Sun-Dalia The soil is very fruitful and the Mines very considerable affording Steel Iron Copper Lead and some veins of Sulphur in greater quantity then those of any other Province of the whole Country There is also a Silver Mine discover'd and made use of at Salberg The Cities here are three Arosia Arbogia and Koping the chief of these is Arosia or Westeras a Bishops seat where in the Cathedral Church are several great stones with Gothick inscriptions as there are likewise at Stregnesia In this City the agreement by which the State of the Kingdom was changed from an Elective to an Hereditary Monarchy was concluded ann 1540 in the time of Gustavus I. and thence call'd Pactum Arosiense The history was thus The Swedes not being able to endure the tyranny and oppression of Christiern II. then King both of Sweden and Denmark forsook their Allegiance to him and under the conduct of Prince Gustavus who had wonderfully escaped from his imprisonment in Denmark took up arms against him expell'd him their Country and at last gain'd their former liberty and priviledges whereupon to requite their General for this signal good he had done the publick they at the instance of one Canutus President of the Council and Johannes Gothus the Popes Legat ann 1523 unanimously elected him King and considering how much it might tend to the happiness of the Kingdom to have the Succession ascertain'd to his Issue they in the year 1540 wholly gave up their power of Electing their Kings for the future and by Oath and solemn Covenant setled the Crown upon him and his Heirs for ever which confidence of the people in their Prince was justified in the event for the new King was so far from abusing his Absolute power that in that very year he published many Laws for the benefit of the people 3. 〈◊〉 South of Westmannia lies Nericia a little but fruitful Province yeilding good store of Sulphur Allum and Vitriol Some Silver Mines there are but not labour'd Most of its inhabitants are Smiths who supply the whole Country especially those that work in the Mines with Iron instruments of all sorts Here is one City nam'd Orebrogia 4. 〈…〉 South or South-east of Nericia lies Sudermannia or Sudermanland having on the East the Baltick Sea Ostro-Gothia on the South and the Lake Meller on the North. It is famous for several Cities it contains the chief and most considerable of which is Nicopia the ancient seat of the Dukes of Sudermannia Here also is the place for building of Ships the workmen are good and materials cheap Next to this is Stregnesia a Bishops seat with Telga Torsilia and Trosa all commodious for
trade 5. 〈◊〉 North or North-east of Sudermannia lies the Province of Vpland so call'd from its situation in the Country or as some say from King Vbbon who reigned here It is bounded on the East side by the Baltick Sea on the South by the Lake Meller on the West and North by the Rivers Sawe and Dalecarle This Country affords great plenty of Corn with which it supplies the neighbouring Provinces Some few Mines it has of Lead and Iron especially some also of Silver tho not digg'd It is divided into three Lands or as the Swedes call them Folk-lands 1. Tihundria which lies most Northerly of any and takes its name from ten Prefectures or Hundreds into which it is shar'd out 2. Athundria lying betwixt Vpsal and Stockholm so call'd because it contains eight Prefectures 3. Fiedrundria which takes its name from four Prefectures into which it is divided in it is the City Enkoping four leagues from Vpsal and seven from Stockholm And here it may be observed as peculiar to this Province that it as the Counties in England is shared out into several Prefectures or Hundreds as Erling-hundrat c. Each of them containing at first one hundred families all two thousand two hundred which is not observed in other Provinces but their divisions are called Harodh Har signifying an Army and Odh a possession all which at first were supplyed with Inhabitants from this Province of Vpland for when families increased above their hundreds some after the manner of an army were singled out and listed to go and people or rather subdue other parts of the Country wherefore these men setling in other Provinces called the place where they first sate down The possession of such a Colony or Army as Daga-Harodh Lystugn-Harodh c. In this Province are five Cityes 1. Encoping where was formerly a Monastery of Minorites 2. Sigtunia so called from Siggo King of Sweden who founded it Here was anciently a Monastery of Dominicans the burying place of some of their Archbishops 3. Oregrundia or Oregrund a rich populous City abounding with corn several sorts of Merchandise because of the commodiousness of the Port. 4. Vpsal the most Antient and most famous Vpsal City in the whole Kingdom It takes its name says Johannes Magnus from Vbbon King of Sweden who founded it about the year after the Flood 240 but as others from its situation upon the River Sala Here was formerly the chief seat of the Swedish Kings for which reason as well as for the dignity of the City one of their Titles was Vpsala-Konung i.e. King of Vpsal Here were also the supream Courts of Judicature Civil and Ecclesiastical and the seat of their only Archbishop continued to it to this day Fortified it is by one onely Castle built after the modern not antient Gothick fashion upon a high hill some small distance from the City overlooking and commanding the whole Town begun by Ericus continued by King John and perfected by Charles Gustavus the first in this City is the Metropolitan Church of the whole Kingdom covered upon the roof as are most of the chief buildings with Copper adorned with an Artificial Clock and honoured with the Monuments of several of their Kings Ericus the Saint is said to lye buried here in a golden Coffin Gustavus Adolphus also has his Tomb in this Church upon which the whole History of his life is inscribed in large golden Characters Here is also the only University they have in the whole Kingdom begun at first say some Ann. 1248 under Ericus Balbus XI by a College of only four Professors or as Loccenius will have it about the year 1306 under one Andreas President of the said College who kept a free Table for Choristers and poor Scholars to assist in the Quire but now by the care of some of their later Kings advanc't into a famous University An. 1476 in the Reign of Steno Sture Senior Pope Sixtus IV. gave it the same priviledges with Bononia An. 1595 Charles then King endowed it with several Immunities and Revenues by his Royal Patent which says Messenius was in the year 1608 upon some differences 'twixt the Calvinists and Lutherans fraudulently got from it which if so yet probably that Prince who favoured the Reformers so much did restore it to the University of this See Loccenius Hist Suec Lib. 8. Pag. 474. An. 1624 in the time of Gustavus Adolphus it was most considerably augmented that King settling upon the University 306 Mannors 8 Granaries of Tythes 4 Mills and 30 Demesnes out of his own Crown Revenues free from all Taxes and Impositions towards the maintenance of more Professors and poor Scholars commanding that the chief Rector should be elected by the Professors that one of these should read a publick Lecture throughout the whole year continued at present only in the Winter-time that the Scholars should live peaceably soberly and minding their own affairs not meddle with state matters that none of them should as they had formerly done wear swords or carry arms This University in the time of King John III 1592 was removed hence to Stockholm but that place being found for several reasons inconvenient it was in a short time remanded to Vpsal A Library they have well stored with books a considerable part of which was given by Gustavus Adolphus An. 1631 which he in his expeditions against Germany took out of the Library of Wurtzburg and other places To this City there anciently did belong several Lands and Revenues by the title of Vpsala Oedom or the Patrimony of Vpsal given by Freius surnamed Pacificus one of their ancient Kings out of his own hereditary Lands as a publick stock which Patrimony being embezel'd by those men that had the managery of it and for many years no account given An. 1282 in the Reign of Magnus I. surnamed Ladulaus it was order'd in Council That these publick Lands should be sought after and reunited to the Crown or some other way found to maintain the Grandeur of the Court The Lands by reason of long alienation could not be regain'd wherefore it was enacted that in lieu of them all the Revenues of fishing in the Finnick and Bothnick Bays the Lake Meller and all other Lakes and Rivers within the Kings Dominions as also of all Mines of what Metal soever should over and above the Land-taxes wholly and entirely belong to the Crown This City was anciently the chief Place of their Heathenish Their ancient manner of Worship as it is at present of their Christian worship wherefore it may not be amiss here to treat as well of their ancient superstitions as of their present true Religion The Heathenish Deities to which they pay'd their devotion were Thor Oden and Freia who are said to have come out of Asia into this Country and were though under divers names worshiped by most of the Scandians Thor so call'd from the Assyrian word Thur or Thurra i.e. powerful had a Temple
South parts of Westro-gothia the ground is so rich and fertil that thirty-six days after they have sown they reap their Barley Beasts of all sorts are here in great plenty Beasts as Horses Elks Bears wild Bulls Castors or Beavers Sables Ermins Martrons c. Sheep also and Oxen not only sufficient to supply the whole Country but also to have great numbers transported out of Finland Schonen c. into other Nations Trees also are here in great abundance Trees as Fir Pine Birch Juniper c. Apple also and Pear Plumb and other Fruit-trees and of late Hops have been planted here The Pines and Firs which grow upon the Sea-coasts are said to have in the summer-time a kind of Rosinous Gum distilling from them which falling into the Baltick and Bothnick Seas and by the waves carryed to the Prussian shore has given occasion to some to ascribe to this the original of their Amber which seems to be rather a coagulation of Petroleum Honey abounds very much in this Country not only preserved in Hives in their Gardens but ordinarily to be met with in the Woods Wines have been sometimes in such scarcity here that they could not be furnished for the Communion to remedy which divers Authors report that P. Innocent VIII ann ' 1486 gave leave to the Priests of Norway and places under the same parallel to celebrate in some other Liquors The Air is of different temperature Aâ—â— according to the diversity of Climes for the most part it is cold pure free from vapours and consequently healthful In those parts near the Bethnic and Baltic coasts it is frequently mudded with sea and marish vapours Serpents and venemous beasts whatever some Authors say are not at all or very rarely in these Countries but fowl and fish of all sorts in so great abundance that even the Peasants contrary to the custom of other Countries are permitted to catch and to make profit of them Lakes here are many and very large Lâ—â—â—â— the greatest and most considerable are 1. Meller in Vpland well stored with Salmon Pike and such like fish and in winter so hard froze that 't is ordinary to have Markets and Fairs kept upon it 2. Hielmer in Nericia 3. Sitian in Dalecarlia 4. Vener in Westro-gothia an hundred and thirty English miles in length and forty in bredth having many Islands in it and twenty-four considerable rivers which fall from the Norwegian mountains unburthening themselves into it all which have but one passage out call'd Tralhetta i. e the Devils Cap lying towards the South 5. Veter in the same Province whose waters are so clear and calm that one may discern the bottom at a great depth Upon the banks of this Lake were anciently founded the Monasteries of St. Bridget the chief Saint of this Kingdom and of St. Catherine her daughter with several other noble buildings 6. Vlatraesch in Cajania 7. Pejenda in Tavastia to which may be added 8. Ladoga upon the confines of Muscovy the greatest part of which was by a treaty of Peace ceded by the Muscovite to this Crown All of them abound with fish the revenues of which make no small addition to the Kings Exchequer From these Lakes arise many Rivers Râ—â—â—â—â— running so orderly from one to another that they may seem like those in Holland to have their channels cut and directed by art The first is Dalecarle whose head is in the Dofrine mountains whence it falls into Dalecarlia takes in several lesser Currents at Torsang and so parts the Provinces of Vpland and Gestricia and at last falls into the Bothnick Bay 2. Saga or Sawe which divides Vpland from Westmannia 3. Angermannie which waters Angermannia and is noted for its abundance of Salmon with several others of lesser note Mines in this Country are very frequent Mâ—â—â—â— as of Silver Copper Iron Lead Allum Vitriol Sulphur c. every Province almost affording some more or less where we shall make mention of them The greatest part belong to the subject yet some few are wholly in the Kings possession workmen being maintain'd and the whole revenues receiv'd by the Crown In the year 1264 Magnus Laduslaus then King instituted or rather re-establisht a society of Miners to take care of all affairs relating to the Mines and to determine all controversies arising concerning them These men in the year 1649 in the reign of Queen Christina had many priviledges granted to them and several new Laws made amongst them of which we find extant these viz. If any subject discover a Mine in his own ground of what metal soever the whole profit of it is to belong to him for six years after which time he is to pay tenths to the King and If he maintains a Forge to fit out for every Hammer he keeps one man and Waggon in time of war for the Kings service From these Mines comes the most considerable part of the Kings Revenues In the year 1578 two or three Copper Mines are said to have yeilded to the Kings Exchequer above 500 Squipons every Squipon being valued at 30000 Dollars and other Mines proportionably every year since Of the Government and Manners of the Swedes THe Kings of Sweden are said at first to have been elected by the Governours of the Provinces who never assembled but upon this occasion He whom they commonly made the subject of their choice was of the Royal Line or some one of the Nobility of their own Country and as some say amongst these caeteris paribus the tallest and most personable The place where the election was perform'd was Vpsal where they assembling and having agreed who should be their Prince they went forth of the City to a place called Moresten a small distance from it here were set in order thirteen large Stones one in the middle whereon was plac'd their new elected King the other twelve round it for the twelve Senators where after some few Ceremonies a Declaration of the duty of the King c. they proposed to him an Oath that he would protect and administer justice to his people and the Electors for themselves the absent Nobility all the Body of the people and all their posterity mutually engag'd that they would obey his Laws and bear faithful allegiance to him These rites perform'd the new King used to invite all his Electors and Nobles to banquet where he himself waited on them and afforded them great and splendid entertainment all which ended with a solemn Grace-Cup called by them Berga-beger These customs since under Gustavus the first the Kingdom was made hereditary are quite left off and when the Coronation is to be solemniz'd the Nobles and chief Officers of the Kingdome meet at the Kings Pallace at Vpsal whence they go to the Metropolitan Church in order The Senators of the Kingdom carry the Royal Ornaments the Drotset or Viceroy the Crown the Marshal the Sword the Admiral the Scepter the Chancellor the golden Globe the Grand
appeal but only to the King who may pardon the crime or mitigate the punishment as he pleases Under this for dispatch of business are two other Courts one for Civil and one for Criminal matters of inferiour concernment 2. The Court Marshal in which all matters relating to War are decided The Grand Marshal of the Army is always President having two Assessours Senatours of the Kingdom or publick Officers all men of the sword with the Master of the Camp Master of the Artillery and Captain General of the Kings Guards 3. The Court of Chancery for the decision of all cases Civil or Ecclesiastical 〈…〉 here the Chancellour of the Kingdom presides with four Senators Assessors and the two Secretaries of State here all Mandates Edicts Commissions c. are made in the Kings name all Decrees of Senate and Constitutions of the Kingdom registred and in a word cognizance taken of all complaints and Cases 'twixt one Subject and another whether relating to the Church or State which are brought hither by Appeal from some Inferiour Courts 4. 〈◊〉 The Court of Admiralty for the inspection and determining all business relating to the Navy or Sea affairs here the High Admiral presides four Senators four Vice Admirals and several Captains Assessours 5. The Court of the Kings Exchequer in which all business relating to the Kings Revenues or wherein the Crown is any way concerned are examined and decided here the Grand Treasurer is Judge who has four Assessours two Senators and two Noblemen Besides these there are other Inferiour Tribunals Inferiour Tribunals instituted at first by Gustavus Adolphus in the years 1614 and 1615 in some of the most principal Cities of the Kingdom 1. At Stockholme where the Drotset presides with sixteen Assessours four Senators six Knights and six Lawyers 2. At Junecopia in Gothland where the President is a Senator of the Kingdom six Nobles and as many Lawyers Assessours 3. At Aboa in Finland where a Senator is President six Nobles and six Lawyers Assessours 4. At Dorpat in Livonia a Senator President and twelve Assessours two other also were by him appointed one at Wismar in Pomeren and another at Rugen in the Dukedom of Breme but all proceedings there by reason of the wars 'twixt this Crown and the neighbouring Princes are quite stopt and the four former at present only made use of In the Cities of lesser note Justice is executed in this manner the first hearing is before an Inferiour Magistrate called Cammene Rat the second before the Consuls and Senate of the Town which are always four in number each having his particular charge the third if the case be of importance before one of the supream Tribunals where upon the first hearing the Judg or President of the Court is bound to determine the case or else to give under his hand that it is very intricate and requires longer time or a higher Court for its determination or else he with the twelve Assessours are to be fined each three Marks apiece Over and above all these Courts The Senate of the Kingdom and as it were a Compound of them all is the Senate of the Kingdom held anciently only for the election of their Kings and consisting of the Governours of the Provinces but at present made up of more members and summon'd for the same reasons and in the same manner as the Parliament in England In it there are two Persons elected out of every Consistory and one Rector of a Country Parish out of every District one Colonel with other Lievtenants and Majors out of every City one Consul one Senator or some other principal Citizen and out of every Territory one Inhabitant every different order of these have a distinct house to sit in and for every house a Chair-man or Speaker For the Nobility the grand Marshal for the Clergy the Arch-bishop for the Burgesses of Cities one of the Consuls of Stockholme or the Master of the Artillerie and for those of the Country some one elected out of their own Body When they have finisht their Deliberation severally they confer all the Houses together and having agreed upon a form present their resolves to the King if he is pleased with them and thinks fit to pass them into Acts he with the Members of the Parliament subscribe and seal them the Records of which the Marshal of the States an Officer appointed for that purpose puts into the Chancery causes them to be promulgated and then quits his Charge and his Staff the mark of his Dignity The Laws used in Sweden The Laws as well as those of Ostro and Westro-Gothia are very ancient every Province having formerly had says Loccenius particular Constitutions by which it was governed the Plantiff and Defendant using to plead their own Causes or to give the management of them to some of their Kindred never taking the assistance of any Advocate or Proctour contrary to their present practice In cases dubious it was in use here as in most parts of Europe to refer the determination of them to the trial either of Fire Ordeal sufficiently known to most men used at first in this Country by Olaus Scotkonung about the year 986 and quite abrogated by Bergerus Jerls about 300 years ago or of scalding water or of bringing the suspected Person in cases of murder to the dead body which if upon his approach begun to bleed they judged him to be the murtherer or of Duel call'd Wehiding i. e. consecration This manner of Tryal was first allowed say some by Frotho King of Denmarck whence being brought into Sweden and for sometime prevailing it was first of all by Gustavus the Great under great penalties forbid but not absolutely extirpated till the time of this present King A. 1662 when its punishment was made arbitrary At present if a Legifer be to be elected it is done by the Bishop who gives notice thereof in the Court eight weeks before the electionday and the people of the Territory who return three sufficient persons to the King and he chuses one of them If a President the Legifer and the people of the District chuse him Who takes an Oath to administer Justice impartially amongst them and can be Judg in one only District at the same time When a Plantiff commences an Action against the Defendant he with two able House-keepers goes to his house and summons him to the Court if he appear the first second or third Court day 't is well if not he loses the Action and distress is made upon his Goods In cases of Murder Adultery c. punishable by death if the guilty persons flie Bud kaffla or Hue and Cry is sent out after them which is to go through the whole Precinct and to be continued from one place to another by the delivery of a Staff the sign of authority A Woman convicted of adultery by six Witnesses loses her Dowry her Estate and if her husband pleases her life too
Mittens one pair of Woollen Stockings and one pair of Shoes towards the maintenance of Souldiers By these and such-like means great additions are made to the Kings Exchequer the ordinary income of which is said to have been in the year 1578 six or seven Tun of Gold of 100000 Dollers apiece all charges of the Crown being first deducted though in that year as also in several following there were spent in maintaining Wiburg and Revalia Cities upon the Borders of Muscovy 100000 Dollers extraordinary The Sueci or Swedes by some Writers mistaken for the Suevi or Schwabs a people of Germany 〈◊〉 seem to be the same Nation with the Sueones or Suiones of Tacitus by that description of them which he sets down An ancient and warlike people united under distinct Laws if Swedish Authors may in this case be credited not many years after the Flood by one Suenno or Sueno eldest son to Magog and great grand-child to Noah and from him called Suenons or Sueons though others will have them so named from Suedia or Suidia i.e. to burn Wood or Forrests that are cut down they being forc't at their first arrival into this Country to fell and burn the Woods in order to Tillage but these opinions as well as that of Grotius who derives their name from the Swedish and English word Swet because the Swedes were always a laborious people are conjectures scarce worth naming That this Nation was not only before but the Parent of the Gothi or Getae is asserted by many Authors and says Loccenius apparent from several Runick Monuments and ancient Swedish Laws which testify that thence proceeded the Gothish people diffusing themselves into other Countrys as Thrace Spain Italy c. One of these Laws is said to have been made about the time of Alexander the Great for calling them back into their own Country Scandia every one being commanded presently to return or forfeit all Title to any Inheritance there which they or their Ancestors had formerly possess'd That they were not so well known to the world as these Goths or Getes which we take to be the same People is on the contrary altogether as certain but the reason of this may be that there were several Emigrations of the latter when the former remained in their own Country either not known by strangers as a distinct People from the Goths or passing under the same name with them The Norwegian Chronicles reckon five and twenty Kings of Sweden before Haldanus Hwithen the first Founder of their Kingdom which was afterward by Harald Harfagher the third King from him very much enlarg'd and made an absolute Monarchy That out of this Country a vast number of men went to people Schonen and the Cimbrick Islands in the Reign of Ericus the first Swedish King according to Loccenius his account is attested by Johannes Magnus and other Authors and about the year of Christ 870 one Otherus in his account of the Northern Regions which he made to King Aelfred makes mention of Swedland or the Land of the Swedes and the Isles of Gotland and Jutland giving them much-what the same Limits they have at present And in all ages so famous have been the warlike Exploits and victorious Arms of this Nation that one Nicolaus Ragvaldi Archbishop of Vpsal making an Oration extant in Johannes Magnus in the Council of Basil A. D. 1440 concerning the noble atchievments of the Sweo-Gothish People prevailed so far with the Holy Fathers there present that it was moved in Council that the King of Swedland should have precedency of all other Christian Kings The men of Sweden as to their persons are generally of a proper and big body Their Manners a comely presence and gentile carriage in their younger years bred up to learning travelling and especially languages of which 't is ordinary for a Swedish Gentleman to be able to speak five or six in perfection and in their riper accustomed to affairs of State and War Honest free and plain-dealers they are noted for insomuch that the Granaries in the whole Country had anciently neither Lock nor Key but only a Hatch judged sufficient security amongst honest and trusty neighbours and to steal Corn out of the common fields was a crime so horrid that it was punishable by death The women are also of a tall stature and very personable generally chast adultery which is severely prohibited by their Laws being seldom committed by them modest virtuous and endowed with those qualities which are commonly the consequents of wholsom Laws and Government They the Citizens especially love to go neat and provide themselves generally with good clothes and fair houses counting that ill spent which is superfluously bestowed upon their worst part their belly When Marriage Christenings Burials c. are to be solemnized they spare no expences to seem noble and magnificent sometimes rather then want a splendid Funeral for their Relations keeping the dead corps for several years and in the interim labouring to gather up as much money as will maintain the pomp of it's burial Anciently they burnt their bodies a custom as they say brought in by Wooden however they make it one of their Epocha's and call that time Aetas Cremationis afterwards they buried them on the tops or some eminent places of hills and this is call'd by their Writers Aetas Collium but Christianity hath reduc'd to the same customs that are used by the rest of that Religion Frugal and laborious they are inured as well by their exercises as the Clime of their Country to all extremity of hardship it being ordinary for a common Souldier to watch upon the Guard at Stockholme a whole winter-night full eighteen hours long without being relieved To be a Gentleman and well descended is highly esteemed amongst them tho frequently their titles of honour out-swell their estates for when any one of a competent estate dyes one half of it is allowed to the surviving widow and the other half divided among the children the son having two parts and a daughter the third the widows part upon her decease is shared amongst them after the same proportion so that one great estate is cut out into many little parcels by many children which being again subdivided by these childrens children the family is commonly reduced to a low condition all inheriting equally the Titles and Priviledges of the Nobility The hospitality of this Nation is amongst the rest of their good qualities Their Hospitality the most remarkable they anciently using to entertain those that were strangers with the like civility as they would treat their friends affording them victuals and what necessaries they stood in need of gratis and furnishing them with horses to the place whither they intended to go The contrary to this viz. churlishness and inhospitality was thought so great a crime and so unworthy the genius of any Swedish inhabitant that in the time of Charles the second who is said to have reigned sometime before
our Saviours birth if any one denied lodging three times to Strangers that King sent to set fire on the houses of such Offenders and burn them down to the ground This freedom of entertainment sometimes causing dammages and inconveniences to private Persons A. D. 1285 Magnus Ladulaus then King put forth a Decree that no one should think himself obliged as they perhaps by some natural dictate did think themselves to be to afford Lodging Victuals and Horses to Strangers but might demand Money for what they afforded them which some of the more Southern People more accustomed to Strangers at this day do exact though among the more Northern the ancient custom does still prevail Their Cloths anciently as those of the Laplanders at present Their Habit. were as may be gathered out of Claudian and Jornandes ordinarily made of Skins of Wild-beasts and called Mudd the black being in most request and used by the better sort At present not only the Gentry but the Common People use Habits equal to those of other Countries but strive to outgo one another in fineness and costliness In the time of Gustavus the first there was such irregularity of Habits among the people the Courtiers especially that the Dalecarli petition'd him that all forreign Modes and Fashions might be left off in his Court and forbid to be used in his Kingdom but that King perhaps seeing as great advantage by it in respect of Trade as disadvantage any other way put the Petitioners off with a complement The Common People have their Apparel made of course woollen-cloth the Nobility and Gentry have diversity of Garbes according as they are A-la-mode in France Their Drinks Their Drinks before the use of Wine amongst them were water mixt with Honey called Miod or Mead and Ale or Beer which latter was only drunk at their publick Feasts thence called Ol i. e. Feasts where they had the liberty to drink Ale The Cups which they used to drink in were anciently made of the Horn of a beast called Vrus but at present are of Copper Brass and among the richer sort of the Commonalty ordinarily of Silver Healths to their King their Friends c. they for the greater Honour always drink standing and count it a great disrespect if the whole Company will not pledg them insomuch that one complained to Gustavus the Great of his Companion who would not drink the Kings Health in as many Cups as he had done who instead of being rewarded as he supposed he should have been was severely reproved by that King As an Attendant to their drinking Tobacco is very much in use amongst them which within these fifty years was altogether unknown to this Country In their Diet they are sparing and abstemious Their Diet. the better sort have their bread made of Corn which though there be sufficient in the Country to serve all the Inhabitants yet the poorer sort very frequently and in time of scarcity always make use of a kind of Bread made of the bark of Firr or Pine Tree mingled with Chaff and made up with pure water which is the chief reason why the Swedish Souldiers can endure a Seige or any Extremities of war much better then any of other Nations Anciently at their Banquets they had Poets Laureat maintained by the King who sung before the Guests some Poems composed in honour of their Kings as they did also in their Camps and Garrisons amongst the Souldiers thereby to animate and incourage them to an imitation of their Ancestours but at present their customs in these matters are very little different from those common to other Nations After their Victuals and manner of treating their Guests follow their Exercises Exercises which were commonly such as might fit them for Warlike Exploits and hazardous Enterprises Olaus Magnus reports that the ancient Goths used to dip their Children as soon as born in cold water and as they grew up to riper years to inure them like as in a house of correction to constant and severe lashing and such like severities Tilts also and Turnaments were in use amongst them in which and such like Sports Totila one of the Kings of the Goths was says Procopius very early and carefully instructed The ordinary sort of People use to make Fortifications Bastions c. of the Snow or Ice and after the manner of Souldiers engage one another to Climb Rocks also and like the rest of the Scandians to slide upon the Snow in Scaits Chess-play also perhaps to teach them or to advantage their conduct in War was very much in use amongst them their Kings and chief men delighting in it and thereby says Olaus Magnus prognosticating future events as of Victories Marriages and such like this people being very much addicted to Magick and prying into secret occurrences Marriage as it anciently was Marriage so at present is esteemed very sacred and chastly observed A Maid without the consent of her Parents or Tutors is not permitted to marry nor can a Guardian betroath his Pupil or Orphan to any one but in the presence of four Witnesses at least two in behalf of one party and two of the other If after a Virgin is thus contracted to any one her Guardian do not stand to the Proposals agreed on but endeavour to hinder the Marriage the Husband may demand his Bride break any Lock to come to her and if any resist he may without being questioned for it kill him and if he happen to lose his life in the Quest he that kills him shall be deem'd a Murtherer If any Husband leave his own and contract and cohabit with another mans wife he shall upon sufficient proof lose his head and the Woman be stoned to death Learning which thrives best in a peaceable and quiet Country 〈◊〉 has sometimes been under so general a disrepute in this Kingdom that 't is said the eldest son of Amalaswentha who was Heir to the Crown was not suffer'd to be brought up in the knowledg of any Liberal Arts. But such disregard never lasted long Learning being always when the heat of war was over recalled from her banishment and when men had leasure to think upon their better part constantly embrac'd and follow'd by them and that even in their Kings Palaces they always maintaining Philosophers to instruct them in the secrets of nature and Poets which they call'd Scald from Scal i. e. sound because they repeated their verses aloud to inform them of the worth of their predecessors these not only remain'd in their Garrisons as was said but some one always accompanied the King in all great expeditions that they might be eye-witnesses of those actions of which they were to give an account in publick One of these is reported to have had so good Lungs that being commanded by the King to repeat some verses he spoke them so loud that he was heard throughout the whole Army The letters which they made use of were call'd
City named Tingvalla 4. Hallandia Hallandia which has oâ— the West the Sinus Codanus on the South Schonen and on the North and North-East Smalandia and Westro-Gothia A pleasant and fruitful Province reaching in length from Bahusia to the City Laaholm upon a small River which falls into the Sinus Codanus several miles but in breadth in some parts not above half a mile and where broadest not exceeding three miles It has in it four Cities 1. Halmstadt 2. Falkenburg 3. Laaholm 4. Waersburg all lying upon the Codane Bay very conveniently for Trade and exporting of those Commodities which come out of the more Northerly Provinces In the year 1645 by a Ratification of peace held betwixt Christina Queen of Swedland and Christian the IV King of Denmark this Province with all its Cities Towns Forts and Appurtenances was granted to the Crown of Sweden for thirty years as a pledg of security whereby the Swedes might be ascertain'd of their free passage through the Sund or Oresund the controversies about which had been the chief occasions of their former war At the end of thirty years if the Swedes thought convenient either this Province was to be retained by them as a pledg for the performing of the covenant on the part of the Danes or they to have some other Province or Cities and Forts equivalent to it given into their hands which might be to them sufficient assecuration An. 1658 by articles of a peace concluded at Roschild a City in Zeland it with all its Cities Towns and Forts was granted to Charles the X then King of Sweden and to his successours for ever II. Eastern-East or Ostro-Gothia Ostro-Gothia which has in it these Provinces 1. Ostro-Gothia properly so call'd 2. Smalandia and 3. Oelandia to which may be added Gotlandia Scania and Bleckingia GOTHIA Apud Janssonio-Waesbergios er Mosem Pitt SCANIA Vulgo SCHONEN Apud Janssonio-Waesbergios Mosem Pitt VIROIllustri Generosissimo Dno OTTHONI KRAGH Toparchae in Trutzholm Summo R. M. DAN Secretario Patrono suo magno Dedicat Consecrat Johannes Janssonius 2. Smalandia parted from Ostro-Gothia by the Wood Holavedh a very large Province being 95 German miles in compass indifferently fruitful in those parts where it is not overgrown with wood It abounds very much with Cattel whence some say it has its name Smala signifying Cattel which are exported hence in great numbers into Denmark and from thence into Germany and Holland In it there are very many Lakes the chief of which are Bolm Viostez Moklen and Asnan Rivers likewise not a few as Nyssea Laga Helga Marboa Aem c. This Country is cut out into several Divisions or Territories the principal of which are Tieherad Verendia which is said anciently to have had distinct Laws of its own Tiustia Finheidia and Mauringia c. It abounds with several Mines as of Copper and Lead and in some parts with great store of Iron which is said to be found in the bottom of their Lakes and Rivers Cities here are 1. Calmar whose name is said to have been given to it by the Germans from the coldness of the air which blows from the Baltick Sea Here is a very convenient Port frequented by our English Merchants and some of other Nations In the year 1230 Ericus King of Denmark Norway and Swedland instituted thirteen Prebendaries in this City and ordered that the Cathedral Church here should have the priviledges of an Ecclesiastical Colledg It is at present governed by one Superintendent who with the rest of the Bishops has a place in the publick consistory of the Kingdom This City was sometimes under the power of John King of Denmark and Christiern the second who succeeded him but not long after regain'd by the Swedes In the year 1611 Christianus the fourth King of Denmark took this City putting all the Inhabitants to the Sword but two years after it was by vertue of a ratification of peace made betwixt the Northern Crowns restored to the Swede In the year 1647 it was almost quite consumed by fire not above sixty houses left standing in the whole City but since that is very handsomly rebuilt and at present by reason of its commodious Situation upon the Baltick a very considerable Trade-Town 2. Jenecoepia or Jenecoepping situate in a Vale near the Lake Veter built for the most part of Wood a City quite naked and easy of access It is reported that anciently the houses of this City were covered on the outside not with Thatch or Stone but with a sort of courser Cloth or Canvas which the Inhabitants thought a great piece of handsomness M. Heberer in his Itinerary reports that when he came to this City he found a great number of very large Serpents which were kept tame by the Citizens and though they were familiarly admitted into their houses yet never did them any injury whether or no they used to eat them as the Indians are said to do at this day is not by him set down though 't is probable they did not feed them in their houses for no other end then to sport with 3. Vexio a Bishops See where some of the first Planters of Christianity as was said lie buried 4. Ekesio and 5. Vesterwick 3. Oelandia a pleasant and fruitful Island lying in the Baltick Sea divided from Smalandia by a very narrow Bay in it are Cattel as Oxen Horses c. Birds also and Wild-beasts in great plenty and besides the Fort called Barkholme or Bornholme two and thirty Parishes in all This Island was by the Dane yeilded up to Gustavus Adolphus an 1613. See more concerning it amongst the accessional Provinces of the Crown of Sweden 4. Scania or Schonen a Province abounding with Corn Beasts Birds and all other Commodities of life here several Mines of Silver Lead Iron c. are said to be laboured and their Mettal to be hence transported into other Countries but this seems to be a mistake either from the confounding of the word Scandia with Scania which is frequently done by Geographers or from counting that Mettal which is brought hither from the more Northern Provinces to come immediately from this This Province an 1658 was ceded to the Swedes and an 1660 confirm'd to them so that it may seem one of the new accessions to the Kingdom amongst which see a description of it 5. Blekingia a fruitful Province lying upon the Baltick coast It was given up to the Swedes an 1658 and as was Schonen confirm'd to them an 1660. A larger account of this Province may be expected by and by 6. Gothlandia or Gothland an Island lying in the Baltick Sea over against Ostro-Gothia about eighteen German Miles in length and five or six in breadth fourteen miles from the Gothick Shore twenty from Curland thirty from Dantzic fifty from Bornholme and eighty from Rostock It has in it one City named Wisbuy or Visburg the residence of the Governour of the Island When it was under the Danish
so well stored with inhabitants especially in Suecia and Gothia places so far removed from the Mount Ararat which is generally supposed to be Caucasus upon which as many Authors are of opinion Noah's Ark rested as to be forced by reason of the multitude of them to send out Colonies into other Countries yet as to the evincing an emigration into these western and southern parts very anciently to have been it is by Jornandes Crantzius and all Swedish writers unanimously approv'd to whom we refer the Reader for further satisfaction in so difficult and obscure a controversie This people tho at present united under the same Government and Laws with the Swedes The 〈…〉 and commonly passing under the same name with them was anciently different from them as well in their manners as their policy whereupon it may not be amiss to set down in this place what occurs amongst Authors as proper to this Nation in relation to their manners and customs which may probably seem to have been the same not only in Scandia but also in all the other parts of Europe and Asia which they subdued and whither they extended their dominion they always ruling by their own Laws and Constitutions which they suffer'd not to be translated into any other language but always published in their own not only making those they overcame their subjects but by instilling their customs and manners into them as much as possible the same Nation This piece of policy was practised by William the Conquerer here in England who caused all our Laws to be turned into the French language that thereby this Nation might in time forget its own tongue and be better disposed to endure his yoke That the Goths were always a warlike people their several swarmings into other neighbouring Countries and the great victories they obtain'd over them do fully manifest Mela does not only commend them for their courage but their honesty and plain-dealing who says Of all the Thracians it seems they had in his time advanc'd into and been considerable in the more Southern parts of the world the Goths or Getes are the most valiant and the most just And this their courage in war was from the belief they had of the immortality of their souls a doctrine they receiv'd from Zamolxes their great King and Prophet according to Lucan lib. 2. De bello Pharsal where speaking of the Goths he says certe populi quos despicit Arctos Faelices errore suo quos ille timorum Maximus haud urget Lethi metus inde ruendi In ferrum mens prona viris animaeque capaces Mortis ignavum rediturae parcere vitae Their education and usage whilst young was such as best fitted them for warlike enterprizes and couragious exploits for their children as soon as born were dipp'd over head and ears first in cold then in hot water and as the Spartan children used to be whipp'd at the Altars of their Gods these were constantly lash'd with scourges till the blood gushed out thereby to inure them to hardship nor when they were grown up were their exercises or employments any other then such as agreed best with men of a military constitution They practis'd Tilts and Turnaments as did also the Swedes riding the great Horse vaulting c. and for recreation Chess-play As any one exceeded another in rank and quality so more and more noble performances were expected from them their Kings sons being never admitted to sit at table with or scarce come into the presence of their fathers before they had received some signal testimony of their courage from the very chief of their enemies as is reported of the Longabards a people says Wolf Lazius anciently inhabiting Scandia who under the conduct of Alvinus son to their King Odvinus obtaining a great victory over the Gepidae requested that their General who with his own hand had slain the King of the Gepidae's son might be admitted to sit with him at the publick or triumphal Banquet but the King refused their address and told them that it was against the custom of theirs and the Gothick Nation in general that their Kings son should be permitted to eat with his father before he had commendations of his valour from another Prince This the son hearing took with him forty soldiers went to Jurismundus's Camp so was the King of the Gepidae named and telling him he was the man who slew his son in battel desired of him a testimonial of his courage the King admiring his boldness courteously received him placed him by him in his dead sons room and giving him the armour which he used to bear peaceably dismissed him Lovers they were tho no great practisers of Learning and according to the character Johannes Magnus gives of them easier drawn by perswasion then command as always hating and thinking it unworthy themselves to be inferior to any in knowledg or courage Towards their friends courteous towards their enemies if obstinate cruel and revengeful if submissive none more merciful and kind and no Nation readier then the Goths to accept a parley or any overture of peace Their wives of which they as also the Scythians were allow'd plurality were not less valorous considering their sex then their husbands they accompany'd them in all dangers and frequently taking up arms made a great and considerable part of their army as they are said to have done in Thracia and Maesia when they were set upon by Claudius the Roman Commander Yet did not the women always and upon every Colony and Detachment of Goths sent out of Scandia several of which are mentioned by Wolf Lazius follow their husbands for the Laws commanding the men to return into their own Country or to forfeit their Estates every one that presum'd to be absent after such a time being thereby adjudged dead in Law and his next heir to enter upon his inheritance were chiefly procured by the women whom the Goths at their departure had left in Suecia and Gothia The Virgins were taken in marriage without any other dowry then their own perfections to commend them to their husbands choice never having any portions given them Adultery amongst them was punished by death with many such-like customs which may be gather'd out of their Laws publish'd by Isidore Bishop of Sevil in Spain Their manner of Government was the best Their Government and according to Aristotle's opinion the most natural of any the Monarchical their King when distinct from the Swedish not being bound in any Covenant with his people nor holding his Estate at the Will of the Subject whereupon perhaps their Kingdom was more considerable in it self and more terrible to its enemies as being more expeditious in its determinations and united in its designs then a Democratical State is frequently found to be Their Kings did not only bear rule over the Goths their own Nation but after their uniting with the Swedes sometimes commanded that people also tho at present the King
of Sweden is and for many years has been absolute Monarch over both Kingdoms A Catalogue of their Kings is given by Jo. Magnus Grotius upon Procopius Crantzius Loccenius Their Kings Swedish and Gothish Wolf Lazius and other Authors whom we shall follow setting down what we find most remarkable and agreed upon concerning them They are commonly divided into foreign and domestic or internal and external Kings who exercised their authority sometimes in Gothland and Swedland sometimes in Scythia Italy Spain and other places which they subdued Wolfgang Lazius is of opinion that those Kings which were made in Forreign Countries as not only in Thracia Maesia c. but even in Scythia before the time of the Trojan war did not only rule over their own particular Colonies but had the whole Kingdom of Swedland subject to them which seems to be contrary to what we have alledged out of Locc and other approv'd Authors for if the Swedes were subject to them in Thracia c. upon what authority did they publish Laws for the recalling them thence and if those were Lords and Masters of Sweden upon what account could they be justly disinherited for not returning thither and it is further said that when Theodoricus was King of the Goths in Italy one Radolphus King of Swedland with many of his Subjects went to visit him which shews that even then when the Gothish Nation was most potent abroad the Swedes had a distinct King of their own and exempt from their Jurisdiction Johannes Magnus by what authority I know not Loccenius himself in a matter so obscure not venturing to be positive deduces the Original both of this Nation and Monarchy of the Swedes from 1. Magog Grand-child to Noah by Japhet whom he makes to be their first King and Founder 2. After him is said to have succeeded Swenno his eldest son who as the same Author says first of all gave name to the Swedes or Swenons 3. Gether or Gogus who founded the Getish or as afterward named the Gothish Nation 4. Vbbo brother to Swenno Anno a Dil. 246 who is said to have built Vpsal 5. Siggo who to defend his Territories against the Finlanders built the City Sigtuna near the Lake Meller 6. Ericus Anno a Dil. 357 he so prudently managed and so far extended his Kingdom that by many Historians amongst which Loccenius is one he is reckoned as the first King of the Swedes and Goths how descended is somewhat uncertain but by some said to have been a poor mans son and advanced to the Throne by the voices of the people In his Reign several men vagabonds such as would not conform to his Laws and Government were sent out into Schonen and the Cimbrick Islands He lived to a great age and died peaceably After the death of Ericus An. Mundi 2014 according to the Swedish Chronicles the state of this Kingdom was much disturb'd by civil commotions and the succession in the Throne for some time interrupted The next names are 7. Vddo 8. Alo. 9. Othenus 10. Charles I. 11. Biorno and Getharus All which ruled both in Gothia and their own Country Suecia 12. Gylfo who is said to be descended from one Ferinoto King of Finland 13. After Gulfo the Kingdom is said to have been govern'd by Judges for sometime till Othinus or Odinus who came out of Asia into the Northern parts and settling at Vpsal by his Magick and Sorceries gain'd so much favour amongst the people that they elected him King and after he was dead esteem'd him as one of their principal Gods He was as I may say the Numa Pompilius of the Swedes being the first that established any set worship and sacred solemnities amongst them that gave Laws and ordain'd Officers both to execute justice in his Kingdom and take care of all Religious matters the chief of which were twelve of a Senatorian order call'd Driar or Drotnar whence Drotset the name now in use to denote their Viceroy seems to come This he did as he pretended by the advice or at the command of the Gods with whom he kept great familiarity and correspondence 14. Niordus or Nearchus a famous Magician 15. Freius Froerus or Frotho surnam'd the Peaceable the first that took upon him the name of Drott or King He is said to have given the patrimony of Vpsal call'd Vpsala Oedom which belongs to the Crown and which the King takes an oath not to alienate or embezle 16. Odder and Freia or Frigga his wife who with her husband rul'd peaceably and was reputed a Goddess after her death 17. Fiolmus a sottish and negligent Prince who neither regarded his own nor the peoples welfare Being invited to banquet by Fretho King of Denmark and made drunk with strong Liquors he was accidently drown'd in a Vessel of Mead. 18. Sueigder of whom the Norwegian Chronicles mention many fabulous Stories and Diabolical Enchantments 19. Walander or Wanlander who made an inrode into Schonen and Hallandia and conquer'd them or rather regain'd them out of the hands of one Ostarus who had possess'd himself of those parts In his time the Russes are said to have imploy'd one Retho a famous Pirate to infest the Swedes who lay upon their coasts and did very much injury to them hence Retheran signifies in the Swedish Language to commit rapine Against this Pirat the King levied all the forces he could but withal distrusting their power desired assistance of the Devil promising him his body and soul upon condition he might obtain a victory over him which he is said to have done and the Devil shortly after according to compact to have come and fetch'd away his bargain 20. Wisbur 21. Domalder who with many of his Nobles was sacrific'd to their God Odinus or Woden 22. Domarus 23. Vignerus in the Norwegian Chronicles call'd Dygue the first that took upon him the name Konung or King 24. Ingemarus or Agnus as some report murther'd by his wife 25. Humelus or Humblus whose eldest son Dan was the first King of the Danes and gve name to that Nation 26. Sigtrugus who defeated Gramus King of Denmark in battel 27. Suibdagerus first of all King of Norway next of Denmark and afterwards of Sweden the first Forrainer after Odinus that obtain'd the Swedish Kingdom 28. Asmundus 29. Vffo Both which waged a long and bloody war with Hadingus King of Denmark 30. Hunningus or Hundingus who concluded a peace with Hadingus and lov'd him so entirely that hearing a false report of his death he made a funeral Banquet as was the custom in honour and remembrance of him invited his Nobles to it and as not willing to survive his friend before them all drown'd himself in a Vessel of Metheglin which Hadingus hearing and being resolv'd that affection should not seem cold on his part for very grief hang'd himself 31. Regnerus a good and peaceable King 32. Hothebrodus who took up arms against Helgo King of Denmark because he in disgrace of
the Swedish Nation had made a law amongst his subjects that if any of them kill'd or injur'd a Swede he should pay only half the mulct which was to be pay'd if he had done the like to any other person whatsoever 33. Atislus a warlike and magnificent King 34. Hotherus who waged war with the Danes and Russes and died of a wound he received in battel 35. Rodericus King of Denmark and Swedland at the same time but either leaving or loosing the former he retir'd into the latter and there ended his days 36. Attilus who kill'd Wermundus King of Denmark in single Duel and was himself afterwards slain by Wermundus's two sons After this Kings time the succession for about 600 years was much interrupted who enjoy'd the Kingdom is uncertain Botvildus Charles II Ericus II and six more are mention'd but little more known of them then their names He whom Historians first pitch upon to have certainly succeeded was 46. Alricus who challenging Gestiblindus King of the Goths to Duel thereby lost both his life and Kingdom 47. Ericus III surnamed the Wise and by some the Eloquent a happy and peaceable Prince He reign'd according to Johannes Magnus's computation about four and thirty years before our Saviours Birth A Catalogue of the Gothish Kings who reigned shortly after their Transmigration out of Scandia while they dwelt about the Palus Maeotis near the time of the Trojan War collected out of Wolf Lazius upon whose credit you are to take them 1. Telephus well known for his exploits in the Trojan War 2. Bericus or Beger 3. Filimar 4. Frogradus 5. Aringis 6. Eurypilus 7. Tamyris 8. Antriregus After this succession of Kings in Scythia Europea the Goths either weary of that Country or driven out of it by some of their potent Neighbours are said by the same Author though I find not his opinion seconded by any Swedish writer to have returned into Gothia and particularly to have pitch'd upon the Isle Gotland as the fittest seat for their Kings a long series of whom might seem not very necessary to be set down being for the most part the same with the Swedish Kings before mention'd 48. Haldanus in whose reign the Hunns overrun Gothia and the greatest part of the Kings dominions built Hunnaberg an ancient City in Ostro-Gothia and after some continuance in the Country were by this King at last utterly expell'd 49. Sivardus or Sigvardus in whose time commotions arising in the Kingdom the Goths elected a separate King of their own nam'd Carolus whom some make to be 50. Charles III. 51. Ericus IV. slain by Haldanus King of Denmark 52. Haldanus who got the Kingdom by his valour Of this King are reported several prodigious Stories as of his Gigantick stature his pulling up Trees by the roots and such like not inferiour to those which Poets relate of Hercules and the Giants 53. Vngvinus who to his own Kingdom united Gothia for a long time govern'd by distinct Kings 54. Ragvaldus or Regnaldus 55. Amundus 56. Haquinus in whose reign the Goths elected one Sivardo King of Gothia 57. Ostenus I. who entertain'd an implacable hatred against the Norwegians sent a great Army against them subdued their Country made the Inhabitants Tributary to the Swedish Crown and as an opprobrium to the Nation set a Dog to be chief Governour over them to which they were to pay all subjection and swear allegiance under the penalty of losing one hand and one foot this is mention'd both in the Swedish and Norwegian Chronicles 58. Alverus or Alaricus elected says Krantzius out of the Nobles and in the midst of his happy Reign stabb'd by his Brother Ericus who was impatient to obtain the Crown which he thought he might procure after his death but vainly for the Government was conferr'd on 59. Ingo I. eldest son to Alverus He was the first that order'd the election of Kings to be held at Moresten near Vpsal of the manner of which see what was said in Suecia About this time the Kingdom was governed by Judges the next King is 60. Ingellus I. kill'd by his Brother 61. Germunder in a war against Denmark taken Prisoner and hung up upon a Gibbet 62. Haquinus 63. Egellus after whose time succeeded several Kings Johannes Magnus reckons twenty concerning whom nothing very remarkable is set down by Historians The next great Epocha is counted from the reign of 84. Bero or Biorno III. the first Christian King in Sweden converted to Christianity by one Herebretus at his request sent to him by Charles the Great Emperor of Germany 85. Brautamundus or Amundus in some civil commotions in his Kingdom kill'd by his brother and Successor 86. Sivardus II. who in his expeditions against Norway was with the greatest part of his Army overcome in battel the enemies Forces mostly consisting of Women 87. Herotus or Haraldus 'twixt whom and the King of Denmark a war broke out concerning the Province of Schonen which this King at last freely granted to the King of Denmark as a reward of his signal prudence and valour 89. Charles VI. 90. Biorno IV. 91. Ingellus II. in whose time Helsingia and several other Provinces in Suecia had their distinct Governours these he under colour of friendship invited to a Banquet and when he had made them drunk with strong Liquors he caus'd a fire to be set on the place where they were and so destroy'd them all and seiz'd on their possessions To revenge this cruelty Gramus Duke of Sudermannia and Hauno Duke of Ostro-Gothia rais'd Forces and came against him but with no good success at last for under pretence of a Parley they were taken Prisoners and at Ingellus's command burnt to death 92. Olaus from his commanding many thick woods to be cut down surnam'd Tratelia or Tree-Feller He is said by some to have embrac'd Christianity at the perswasion of Ansgarius a Learned Bishop sent into Sweden by Lewis II. Emperor of Germany But though he himself perhaps did favour Christian Religion it got small footing amongst his Subjects for Paganism is said for a long time to have prevail'd in the Reigns of the succeeding Princes 93. Ingo II. 94. Ericus VI. surnam'd Windy-Cap who is said to have had a Cap by holding up of which he could cause the wind to blow from what Point he pleas'd for which and such like magical exploits he by the consent of the people was elected King 95. Ericus VII surnam'd Victorious 96. Ericus VIII surnam'd Aarsel i.e. Rich in Corn. He is said to have countenanc'd Christianity which had been from the time of Bero 'till his reign very much suppress'd and endeavouring by Law to establish it in his Kingdom to have been by the fury of his Subjects torn in pieces and martyr'd for his good intentions toward them 97. Olaus surnam'd Scotkonung i.e. infant-Infant-King because advanc'd to the Crown when young He embrac'd Christianity and sent to Ethelred King of England to furnish him with able Ministers
to teach him and his Subjects in that Religion Ethelred accordingly order'd Sigfridus Arch-bishop of York and with him two Priests Eschillas and Davidus to go into Sweden where the King kindly receiv'd them was by them baptiz'd and at their intreaty built Christian Churches in most Provinces of his Dominions and as some say by reason of his great constancy and zeal in his Religion had the name of Christianissimus given him He among several good Laws and Constitutions order'd that the chief power of electing the Kings of Sweden should not belong to the Goths in any case but principally to the Swedes and that they before call'd Kings of Vpsal should be thenceforth stil'd Kings of Swedland and Gothland This King suppress'd Duelling and the Runick Characters introduc'd the trial by Fire Ordeal and dyed in a happy old age 98. Anundus nick-named Carbonarius because he order'd that whosoever offended against the Laws which he had promulgated should in proportion to the crime either have all his house or part of it burnt down He was educated in the Christian Religion by the care of his father Olaus which in his reign he defended and dyed peaceably 99. Enundus base-son to Olaus and brother to Anundus surnam'd Gammel i. e. base from his contempt of Religion or as some are of opinion because he yeilded up to the Crown of Denmark Schonen Blekingia and Hallandia which belong'd to him as being part of the Kingdom of Gothia 100. Haquinus III. surnam'd Rufus 101. Stenchillus II. bred up in the Christian Religion which he very much encouraged amongst his subjects making his Palace a sanctuary for any that were persecuted in any parts of his dominions for that profession 102. Ingo III. Not descended from the Blood-Royal but for his singular virtues elected King by the voices of the people He is said to have been so exact an observer of his own Laws that he never offended against any of them 103. Halstanus a just and peaceable Prince 104. Philippus 105. Ingo IV. in his progress through his dominions by some of his Courtiers poison'd at a small Village in Ostro-Gothia 106. Ragvaldus surnam'd Knaphofde i. e. cock-brain'd elected by the Swedes without the consent of the Goths which they not enduring as thinking it a breach of their priviledges rebell'd against him and in battel slew him For one to succeed him both Nations pitch'd upon 107. Suercherus II who as he was going to Church on Christmas day was by a Ruffian employ'd by one Scatelerus who hop'd to obtain the Crown after his death miserably assassinated Gothick Kings out of their own Country who reign'd over the Goths while they inhabited about the River Vistula or Weissel and also in Dacia and Thracia near that time when according to some Authors they divided themselves into Ostro and Westro-Goths 1. Anthinus 2. Antheas 3. Gothilas a Famous Queen whose Daughter Medumpa was married to Philip King of Macedonia 4. Sitalcus elected King An. ante Christum 300. He with an army of 150000 men lay'd wast all the Country of Greece 5. Dromgethes 6. Tanobonta 7. Boroista cotemporary with Sylla the Roman Dictator who lived An. ante nat Christ 76. 8. Commositus both King and Priest 9. Corillus under whose conduct the Goths says Lazius first of all invaded Dacia 10. Dorpaneus co-temporary with Domitian the Roman Emperor An. Christ 83. 11. Decebalus 12. Ostrogotha 13. Cinna or Omba 14. Cannabas or Canabandes 15. Hildericus surnam'd Ovida who liv'd in the time of Constantine the Great 16. Gebeticus 17. Armanaricus who was says Damasc suppl Eutrop. overcome by the Hunns and made Tributary to them 18. Vinnitarius 19. Hunimundus 20. Totismundus 21. Alaricus and Fridigernus who as Lazius mentions reign'd at the same time in Thracia they defeated the Roman Forces sent against them commanded by Valens the Emperor whom they put to flight and apprehending him in a small Cottage whither he had fled to hide himself burnt him to death 23. Theomarus who conquer'd Maesia 24. Radagaisus who to Maesia added a great part of Pannonia An. Christ 390. 25. Alvaricus a Potent King 26. Alaricus II. who subdued all Illyricum and extended his Arms as far as Italy Arcadius and Honorius sons to Theodosius the Emperor either for some private ends wishing the success or not being able to withstand the power of his Forces and thereupon not timely preventing his designs he sack'd Rome subdued Naples and overran the greatest part of that Country But at last the Goths were by Stilico General of the Roman Army driven out of Italy and after their departure thence they are said to have sate down in France The Ostro-Gothish Kings who ruled in Italy according to Wolf Lazius 1. Alaricus I. 2. Theodericus whom Leo or as Scalig. Zeno the Emperor made his adopted son he expell'd the Heruli out of Italy and wholly subjected it to the power of the Goths he had one daughter nam'd Amalasuentha 3. Theodatus or as Jornandes has it Eutharicus call'd out of France by the Italick Goths to be their King 4. Alaricus II though he was the first of that name who setled in Italy 5. Alaricus III. 6. Athalaricus who had one only Daughter whom he married to Vittigis who maintain'd a war against Justinian the Emperor for about fourteen years and defended himself bravely against the Roman Power 7. Illovadus he was kill'd in battel by Narses the Roman General 8. Alaricus IV. who reigned only five months 9. Totylas or Odilo 10. Teias the last Gothish King in Italy who himself was kill'd by the Romans and his people almost all rooted out and destroyed by them some few only remaining who mixing and incorporating with the Italians at present pass for the same Nation with them Westro or Wiso-Gothick Kings who reign'd in Gallia Lugdunensis and Aquitanica 1. Alaricus I. who as was said conducted the Gothick people into those parts An. Salut 411. 2. Austulphus son to Alaricus 3. Theodericus kill'd by Attyla King of the Hunns 4. Turismundus son to Theodericus who to revenge his fathers death waged war with the Hunns and overcame them 5. Dietmarus in whose time a great part of the Goths under the conduct of one Vallia went into Spain 6. Gundoccarus in the time of Theodosius junior After his reign the Goths in these parts grew inconsiderable as intermixing themselves with other people and not having a distinct King of their own but being subjected to many other Princes Besides these Gothish Kings which we have mentioned there were many other who ruled over the Wiso-Goths in Spain and the adjacent parts a Catalogue of whom we leave to be set down in Spain and Arragon and the Kingdoms where they reigned for the Goths in those parts blending with the Romani Alani Suevi Mauri Saraceni c. did not so much continue a distinct Nation of themselves as become a people incorporated with those of other Nations or these with the Goths so that they were ruled by
King of Denmark was called Dan who reigned before the birth of Christ From him Denmark had its name But the stories they tell us of this King like all their ancient histories are so incoherent and incredible that little trust can be given to this etymology Others ridiculously derive the names of Danes and Danemark from Dan the son of Jacob. Some from the Graecian Danai Hadrianus Junius a learned Historian but not too happy in etymologies would have the Danes so called from the abundance of Fir-trees which grow in their Country not considering that a Fir-tree has not the same name Dannen or Tannen-baum in Denmark as in Germany for the Danes as well as the English call it a Firtre or Firtrae Pontanus sleghting all the conjectures of other Authors thinks he gives us a sufficient account of the original of the words Dani and Dania when he tells us That these people are the Danciones or Dansciones as the learned Mr. Cambden reads the word instead of Dausiones in the vulgar Copies mentioned by Ptolomey But this determination is not at all satisfactory for the question is not how long but whence the Danes have had their name For my own part I dare not assent to any of the derivations yet given but had rather guess that the Danes or Dansche took their name from the great opinion they had of their own uprightness and integrity For Danneman is a word ordinarily used among them to this day to denote an honest and good man Thus the Germans use the phrase ein Teutschhertziger mensch to signifie a true Dutch hearted fellow And we may observe that it was the constant custom of all the Northern Nations to give themselves names from their piety as well as prowess Thus the people who stiled themselves Germans War-men in the field were Teutschen or Godly at home and the Cimbri or Camp-fighters in time of war were Gottisch pious and religious as soon as they laid down their weapons The ancient inhabitants of Denmark were the Cimbri and Getae Ancient Inhabitants of both which we shall discourse at large in the description of Jutland Concerning the Goths something hath been said in the description of Sweden and more may be expected in the treatise of the Cimbric Islands The Kingdom consists of 1. Jutland Division and Situation which is a Peninsula washed on either side by the German and Baltic Seas and bounded on the South with some parts of the nether Saxony 2. Zeeland Funen with some more Islands of less note To these may be added 3. Schonen and Halland which formerly did belong to this Kingdom but in the year 1658 by a Ratification of Peace concluded at Roschild between Frederic III. King of Denmark and Charles X. King of Sweden were wholly annex'd to the Crown of Swedeland and by another Ratification held at Copenhagen 1660 confirm'd to it The Air is not so cold as in some places of Germany which ly much more to the South Air. nor so hot in Summer This temperature proceeds chiefly from the adjoining Sea which as in England fans the inhabitants in Summer and keeps them warm in Winter Sometimes indeed the Baltic Sea is frozen up as it happ'ned in the year 1659 when the King of Sweden march'd his army out of Jutland into Zeeland over the Ice and then Charcoal and Turf which is their only fuel stand their friends The Land naturally barren Soil and abounding with little but Woods and Mountains is by the late care and industry of the inhabitants made very fruitful Funen furnishes many foreign parts with Barley and Zeeland's greatest trade lyes in transporting of Corn and Hay Schonen is full of pleasant Meadows whence some Authors think it had its name for Schone signifies fair The rich pastures in Denmark afford such multitudes of Kine Cattel that according to Oldenburgh's relation some years forty thousand others an hundred thousand Cows and Oxen are hence transported into the Low Countries which must needs exceedingly enrich the Kingdom They have also good breeds of Horses but not in such numbers that they can afford to send any into other Nations Helmoldus tells us Fish that in his time the great riches of the Danes consisted in Fish And Saxo Grammaticus says the Sea-coasts round Zeeland and other parts of the Danish Kingdom are so stock'd with shoals of Herrings and other Fish that you may not only take them up with your hand without the help of any Net Line or Hook but that they hinder the passage of Ships and Boats Certain it is however strange and incredible Saxo's story may appear Herrings swim usually in infinite numbers and no part of the Seas were anciently better stock'd with this kind of Fish then the coasts of Denmark But of late years the Herring-trade has fail'd strangely here and those they do catch come far short of the English and Dutch Herrings in bulk and goodness I am unwilling to think with Oldenburgh this decay of the Fishing-trade in Denmark a judgment inflicted on the inhabitants since our Fishermen will tell us that some years the Herrings haunt the English shore sometimes the Dutch or French However tho the Herrings have forsaken them they have still plenty of other sorts of Fish as Plaise Whiting Cod c. which they dry and send abroad Pontanus to shew how well they are provided in this kind tells us this memorable story It happened not many years before the writing of his History of Denmark that several Ambassadors from most of the greatest Princes in Europe being met together at the Emperor of Germany's Court had some disputes about precedency Some of them asserted the dignity and power of their Masters from the riches of their Country in Gold and Silver others brag'd of the plenty of Corn Fruits c. when all had done the Danish Ambassador told them That should the richest Prince in Europe sell his Kingdom and with the price buy nothing else but wooden Platters the King his Master was able to fill them all with three sorts of fresh Fish Whereupon they unanimously declared the King of Denmark the happiest Prince in Christendom and placed his Ambassador next the King of France's who sat on the Emperors right hand Their Forrests are full of all sorts of Venison Forrests insomuch that every hunting season which commonly is in August there are above sixteen hundred Bucks brought in to the Kings Palaces besides an infinite number of Hares Conies Boars c. However the ancient Romans vilified and contemned all the Northern Nations Manners esteeming them a sort of barbarous dull and unactive people yet 't is manifest from the relations given by Lucius Florus and other Roman Historians who never cared for speaking too well of their enemies how stoutly the Cimbrians encounter'd the Roman Forces And 't is more then probable that the Galli Senones came out of this Country who forced their Infantry to take sanctuary or
Christian Whereupon he was baptized in the year 826 and immediately restored to his dominions But soon after he renounced Christianity and continued Heathen till reclaim'd by St. Anschar who for his good offices in the Northern Kingdoms was made Archbishop of Hamburgh in the year 835. 2. Eric succeeded his brother Harald with whom he had been baptized in Germany in his Kingdom and cruelty against the the Christians In his days about the year 853 the Danes first enter'd France under the command of their Captain Rollo though others more probably relate him not to have been the first of those Northern Rovers that invaded France but to have succeeded to Gotfrid and to have entred France about the year 876 and not to have been peaceably settled in Normandy till 889 or 890 see the History of the life of King Aelfred and seated themselves in that part which has ever since kept the name of Normandy 3. Eric Barn or the Child being the only male left alive of the Royal Family after the bloody wars between his predecessor and Guthorm King of Norway He begun his reign happily having married the daughter of King Guthorm but within awhile he grew more cruel then any of his Ancestors had been slaying more Bishops and destroying more Churches and Religious Houses both in Germany and England then all the rest of the Danish Kings put together In his German wars he slew Brunno Duke of Saxony and twelve Counts He dyed about the year 902. 4. Canutus the Hairy or Lodneknudt succeeded his father Eric In his days saith King Eric in his Chronicon every third man in Denmark went by lot to seek his fortune so that those who marched off over-run all Prussia Semgal Curland and several other Countries whence they never return'd but there they and their posterity have continued to this day He dyed a Heathen about the year 912. 5. After the death of Canutus the Danish Scepter was given to Frotho his son so say the most credible Historians tho Lindenbruch reports that his brother Sueno reigned nine years He was twenty years King of England and Denmark in the former of which he was baptized and dyed a good Christian 6. Gormo Gormund or Guthrum surnam'd Hartesnute and Engelender because born in England succeeded his father He together with his followers was baptized at Aalre in Sommersetshire and had our Learned and Pious King Aelfred to his Godfather who at the Font gave him the name of Athelstane and afterwards bestowed on him the Kingdom of the East-Angles From this Gormo a Village near Huntingdon call'd at this day by the inhabitants corruptly Godman-Chester had its name Gormon-Chester As Cambden proves from that old Verse Gormonis a Castri nomine nomen habet I am very unwilling I must confess to confound this Gormo with King Aelfred's God-son who as far as we can learn from English writers never sat in the Throne of Denmark neither do the times agree But the Danish Historians will have it so and 't is in vain to seek for satisfaction in the midst of such confusion as we meet with in their writings 7. Harald surnam'd Blaatand succeeded his father Gormo In his days the Danes threw up that famous Trench between Gottorp and Sleswic call'd Dannewirck of which we shall have occasion to speak more hereafter 8. Sueno or Svenotho surnamed Tuiskeg i. e. fork'd-beard succeeded Harald At first he was an Heathen and a severe persecutor of the Christians but afterwards he turned Christian himself and founded three Bishopricks at Sleswic Ripe and Arhuse Some say he dyed in the year 1012 and was buried at York others make him live till the year 1014 and bring him to his grave in Denmark 9. Canutus the Great son to Sueno He was at once King of England Denmark Sweden Norway Slavonia and Sambland some make him King or Duke at least of Normandy And this seems to be the meaning of that old Distich which not reckoning either Slavonia or Sambland a Kingdom brings him in thus speaking of himself Facta mihi Magni pepererunt inclyta nomen Quinque sub imperio regna fuere meo He was buried at Winchester in the year 1036 after he had been twenty-seven years King of Denmark twenty-four of England and seven of Norway leaving the Kingdom of Denmark to his son 10. Hardi-Cnute who within four years obtain'd the Kingdom of England upon the death of hs brother Harald Here he dyed in the year 1041 and was buried by his father in the Cathedral at Winchester 11. Magnus King of Norway seized on the Kingdom of Denmark upon the death of Hardi-Cnute pretending a title to it by contract But he enjoy'd it not long He dyed in the year 1048 and left the Kingdom to 12. Sveno Esthret son on one Vlf an English Earl He dyed in the year 1074 and left behind him five sons who all of them sate successively in their fathers Throne 13. Harald Sveno's eldest son held the Scepter only two years He was a soft easie and timorous Prince afraid to punish offenders or to look an enemy in the face So that the English making use of the opportunity shook off the Danish yoke without any considerable molestation 14. St. Canutus King Swain's second son was barbarously murder'd in St. Alban's Church in Odensee a City in the Isle of Funen whither he fled for sanctuary from the rage of his own Subjects in the year 1088 Pontanus says 1077 The occasion was this The pious King commanded that all his Subjects should pay Tythes according to the custom of other Nations This Edict was represented to the people by his brother Olaf who long'd for the Crown as an encroachment upon the priviledges and liberty of the Subject Whereupon they quickly rose in open rebellion against their Soveraign who to appease the rage of the rabble was martyr'd 15. Olaf Swain's third son upon the slaughter of his brother Cnute which he traiterously had procured was by his followers unanimously declared King But his brothers blood went not long unrevenged For in this Kings days the famine was so great in Denmark that even the Kings Houshold wanted bread Olaf at last sensible that this judgment was inflicted on the Kingdom for his sins pray'd that God would turn the current of his vengeance from the people upon his head that had offended His prayers were heard and the same night in the year 1096 he dyed hungry and miserable and the famine immediately abated 16. Eric Swain's fourth son surnam'd the Good for his religious zeal and piety who dyed in his pilgrimage towards Jerusalem and was buryed in the Isle of Cyprus in the year 1106. In his days Lunden was made an Archbishops See before which time all the Danish Bishops were under the jurisdiction of the Archbishop of Bremen 17. Nicolas Sveno's youngest son He was slain by the Jutes in revenge of Cnute Duke of Flanders whom he had caused to be killed in the Church in the year
1135. 18. Eric Emund a pious and good King succeeded his Uncle Nicolas and was barbarously murder'd by one Plag Sorte a Nobleman of Jutland in his own Palace in the year 1139. 19. Eric Lamb succeeded his Uncle Eric Emund He laid down his scepter and put himself into a Monastery at Odensee in Funen where he dyed in the year 1147. 20. Swain Gratenhede Eric Emund's son got the Crown upon the death of his Kinsman Eric Lamb. In this mans days there were three Kings of Denmark at the same time Some running after Cnute King Nicolas's Grandchild others following Waldemar son to Cnute Duke of Flanders After some skirmishes in which both Swain and Cnute were slain the whole Kingdom was rul'd by 21. Waldemar surnam'd the Great He was Lord of all the Countries on the North of the Elb and dyed in the year 1182 leaving the Kingdom to his son 22. Cnute He bravely maintain'd a war against the Emperor of Germany who would needs demand homage of the Kings of Denmark He dyed at Ringstede in the year 1202. 23. Waldemar II. Cnute's brother He new modell'd the Danish conquer'd Norway and set over it a Vice-Roy vanquish'd and put to flight the Emperor Otto who thought to have made himself Master of Holslein and having reign'd victoriously thirty-nine years dyed in the year 1241 Crantzius says 1242 24. Eric Plog-penning Waldemar's son He was taken at Sleswic and slain by his brother 25. Abel who reign'd wickedly two years and was then murder'd by his rebellious Subjects in the year 1252. 26. Christopher I. brother to Eric and Abel He lived in a continual war with his own people to whom rebellion was now grown natural Some of the Danish Chronicles say he was at last in the year 1259 poyson'd by Arnefast Bishop of Arhuse as the Emperor Henry the Seventh was afterwards by Bernardine the Monk with the Eucharist 27. Eric Glipping King Christopher's son who being seated in his fathers Throne gave himself up to all manner of lewdness and debauchery His whole life is nothing else but a Catalogue of his oppressions sacriledges murders and whoredoms After a long uninterrupted course of wickedness sleeping one night in a Barn at Findetorp a small Village in the Bishoprick of Wiberg he was murder'd with fifty-six some say seventy wounds given him by seven Ruffians hired to dispatch him by Andrew Stigot Marshal of Danemark whose wife he had ravish'd and some others of the Nobility in the year 1286. 28. Eric Menved Glipping's son He was as godly a Prince as his father was impious The murderers of his father had conspired his death but were prevented by Providence which protected him both from the lewd life and miserable death of his Ancestors So that he dyed as he had lived peaceably in the year 1319 and was buryed at Ringstad where his Epitaph is still to be seen as follows Ego Ericus quondam Daniae Rex regnans ann xxxij Rectus Justiciarius pauperum divitum ubi jus habuerunt Oro omnes quibus aliquid forefeci ut mihi per suam gratiam indulgeant orent pro anima mea Qui obii A. D. 1319. die beati Brixij Episcopi Confessoris 29. Christopher II. Menved's brother He trod in his fathers steps and ended his days like him He is reported to have been an unfortunate sluggish cruel and perfidious Prince an hater of the Nobility and hated by the Commonalty Had he had any sense of Religion policy or common honesty in him he might have been an happy Prince for never were the Danes more unwilling to rebel and take up arms against their King then in his days tho never more provok'd to it Having linger'd out a reign of about thirteen years he dyed at last forsaken of all neglected and unpity'd at Nicoping in the Isle of Falster in the year 1333. After this Kings death the Danes seem'd to be weary of a supreme Soveraign and resolv'd not to set any more over them They fancy'd 't was more eligible to have no King at all then such as they had the bad luck to meet with a Sot or a Tyrant But after fifteen years confusion they found it was better to have an akeing head then none at all Whereupon weary of their new Anarchy they resolv'd to establish in the Throne of his father 30. Waldemar III. King Christopher's son who recollected the scatter'd members of the Kingdom into one body and dismounted most of the Usurpers without any great bloodshed He is represented as a Prince of great subtilty avarice and boldness When Pope Gregory XI threatned to excommunicate him for his saucy behaviour and sleighting of the Apostolic See he is said to have return'd this answer Valdemarus Rex Daniae c. Romano Pontifici salutem vitam habemus a Deo regnum ab incolis divitias a parentibus fidem vero a tuis praedecessoribus quam si nobis non faves remittimus per praesentes Vale. i. e. Waldemar King of Denmark c. To the Bishop of Rome sendeth greeting We hold our life from God our Kingdom from our Subjects our Riches from our Parents and our Faith from thy Predecessors which if thou will not grant us any longer we do by these presents resign Farewel He dyed in the year 1375 and was buried by his father at Sora. 31. Margaret King Waldemar's daughter was upon the death of her father crown'd Queen of Denmark and manag'd the Scepter more discreetly then almost any of the Kings her Predecessors had done A womans government seem'd at first a little uncouth but her Subjects soon found a great deal of satisfaction in her prudent management of affairs at home and wise conduct abroad when in one Campagn she took Albert King of Sweden Rodulph Archbishop of Scharen the Duke of Mecklenburg and the Earls of Holstein and Reppin prisoners Her father was wont to say of her That Nature intended her for a man but spoil'd her in the making She dyed a great friend to Religion and Patroness of the Clergy and was buryed at Roschild in the year 1412 leaving the Kingdom to her Great-Nephew 32. Eric son of Vratislaw VII Duke of Pomeren Who having spent a great many years in tyranny rapine perjury oppression and whoredom was at last in the year 1438 forced to quit his Throne and fly from the fury of his incens'd Nobles into Gothland whither he carried with him a vast treasure and one Cecilia his Concubine who by her evil counsels and proud humours brought him to these extremities 33. Christopher Duke of Bavaria and Count Palatine of the Rhine another of King Waldemar's Great-Grandchildren succeeding Eric in the Kingdoms of Denmark Norway and Sweden His reign was short but prosperous especially against the Rebels in Jutland and the Hans Towns He dyed childless at Helsingburgh in the year 1447. The Danish Chronicles are full of his commendations but Johannes Gothus and other Swedish Historians will not by any means allow him so good a character
34. Christian I. son of Theodoric Count of Oldenburgh was elected King of Denmark upon the death of King Christopher He was a generous pious and valiant Prince but wholly ignorant of all manner of learning He reduc'd the Swedes to their Allegiance who in the beginning of his reign had revolted from the Crown of Denmark annex'd Holstein to his Dominions made himself Duke of Dithmars and Stormar and having ruled three and thirty years dyed in peace in the year 1481 and was buryed in a Chappel which he himself had built at Roschild leaving his Crown to his son 35. John who was a Prince endued with all the Royal qualities of his father He was devout in exercises of Religion temperate in diet grave in apparel and valiant in exploits of war which excepting only the overthrow he receiv'd from the Dithmarsians in the year 1500 proved exceeding successful He dyed of the plague at Olburgh in the year 1513. 35. Christian II. King John's son who was the bloodiest cruellest and most dissolute Prince that Denmark or perhaps any other Kingdom ever saw Lindenbruch gives this character of him That Nero Phalaris and Sylla put in the scales against him would signifie no more then half an ounce to a pound weight Meursius reports that he was born with one hand grasp'd which when the Midwife opened she found full of blood This was look'd upon by his father as a certain prognostic of a bloody mind of which his subjects had afterwards a lamentable experience The only good he ever did his Country was the founding a Fair and establishing a more then ordinary trade at Copenhagen At last after he had by his wickedness thrown himself out of three Kingdoms and for six and thirty years undergone the miseries of banishment or imprisonment he dyed in the Castle of Kallenborg in Zeeland in the year 1559. 36. Frideric I. King John's brother succeeded his Nephew Christian As soon as he was Crown'd in the year 1524 he begun to bring the Augspur Confession into all the Churches of Denmark He ruled almost ten year in quietness and dyed at Sleswig in the year 1533. 37. Christian III. Frideric's son He perfected the reformation which his father had begun in the Church He lived and dyed in the year 1559 a Prince of singular piety wisdom temperance justice and all Royal virtues And left behind a fair pattern of a happy King and good Christian to his son 37. Frederic II. Who having exactly imitated his fathers example after a happy reign of twenty-nine years dyed in his Palace of Anderscow in the year 1587. Immediately after his Coronation he was engag'd in a war against the rebels of Dithmars whom he quell'd with small trouble Afterwards he waged war with Eric XIV King of Sweden which lasted seven years The rest of his days were spent in peace and quietness 39. Christian IV. before his fathers burial was elected and soon after crown'd King of Denmark In his reign the Emperor of Germany Ferdinand II. overrun the greatest part of the Cimbrian Chersonese and had once well nigh brought the whole Kingdom of Denmark under his subjection But King Christian contracting as it were all the exspiring Spirits of his Realm made the Imperialists at last give ground and brought them to a Treaty upon honourable terms He dyed in the year 1648 and was succeeded by his son 40. Frederic III. Who receiv'd as great a blow from the Swedes as his father had done from the Germans Charles Gustave the victorious King of Sweden had brought him to that extremity as to lay close siege to Copenhagen which City and consequently the whole Kingdom of Denmark would doubtless have faln into the hands of the Swedes had not the Emperor of Germany the King of Poland and most of the Northern Princes jealous of the growing power of the Swedish King concern'd themselves in the defence of it He that desires a further account of the beginning continuance and end of these Northern wars may have recourse to the accurate history of them written by R. Manley and printed in the year 1670. King Frideric got his Nobles perswaded to consent that the Kingdom of Denmark as well as that of Norway should be Hereditary and was himself proclaim'd hereditary King the twenty-third day of October in the year 1660. He dyed of a Fever the twenty-fifth day of February 16 69 70. and that night as is before said the Nobility swore Allegiance to the new King 41. Christian V. now reigning A valiant and active Prince The Royal Family of Denmark consists of the Children of the King 〈…〉 and his near Relations together with the Princes of Sunderburg Norburg Gluckburg Arnsbeck Gottorp and Ottingen or Oytin who are all descended from King Christian the third excepting the Houses of Oytin and Gottorp who are the issue of his brother Adolph Duke of Sleswic The Nobles who never pretend to nor accept of the Titles of Dukes Earls or Barons are such as have for many ages had a single Coat of Arms belonging to their Family which they never alter nor quarter with any other There are to this day some Families of the Nobility in Denmark as Wren and others who are said to have been at the signing of a Treaty of Peace between Charles the Great and King Hemming on the Eidor Upon the death of any Nobleman all his goods moveable and immoveable are divided amongst his Children so as a son has two moieties and a daughter only one By the Laws of Denmark the King is prohibited to purchase any part of a Nobleman's Estate nor can any of the Nobility buy any of the Crown Lands A Catalogue of the names of the chief Noblemen at this day in Denmark is given us by the Author of L'Estat des Royaumes de l'Europe in the following Alphabetical order Achsel Appelgard Alefeld Andersem Bielke Banner Brache Bilig Below Bild Brokenhusem Biorn Beck Blick Bassi Bax Baselich Bockowlt Budde Baggen Bammelberg Brune Blom Blocktorp Breiden Daac Dresselberch Dune Duram Dam Freze Fassi Falster Falcke Guldenstern Grubbe Goce Green Gelschut Galle Gram Gris Goss Gadendorp Grabow Hardenberg Holke Hoken Hiderstorper Hube Hesten Hager Holer Hoeken Hoier Hacken Harberger Jul Juensen Juenan Jensen Johensen Korwitz Krabbe Kaas Krusen Kragge Krumpen Krumdick Kercberg Karssenbrock Koelet Knutzen Lange Lindeman Lunge Lutkem Laxman Lancken Leven Lindow Munck Matiessen Marizer Must Matre Meinstorf Moeten Magnussen Negel Narbu Norman Ofren Otten Pasberg Podessen Podebussen Papenheimb Podwisch Plessen Pensen Paisen Petersen Qualem Quittow Ranzaw Rosenkrantz Rastorp Ruthede Reuter Ruten Rosenspart Rosengard Ronnow Reventlow Ratlow Ritzerow Schram Schefeldt Schelen Seestedt Stuege Swron Stantbeke Split Solle Swaben Santbarch Spar Spegel Sturen Suinem Staken Stove Siversen Trolle Totten Vhrup Vonsflet Vantinnen Vken Voien Vlstandt Vren Wlefeld Walkendorp Wipfert Witfelt Wogersen Wenfsterman Wolde Worm Walstorp Wenfin Wittorp Though none of these are ever made Dukes Knights Marquises Earls or Barons yet 't is usual
for many of them to be dubb'd Knights upon any considerable piece of service done their King or Country The Danes call their Knights Ridders i. e. Equites Riders and all their offspring have the title of Riddersmens men The most noble Order of Knighthood in Denmark Knights of the Elephant is that Of the Elephant Of which we cannot have a better account then is given us by the Learned Elias Ashmole Esquire Windsor Herald at Arms in his famous work of The Institution Laws and Ceremonies of the most Noble Order of the Garter p. 120. Observing saith he some difference among writers touching the Institution Collar and Ensign of this Order I was in doubt what to say till at length I haply met with better satisfaction from a Letter wrote in the year 1537 by Avo Bilde Bishop of Arhusen sometime Chancellor to John King of Denmark and Norway unto John Fris Chancellor to King Christian the third a copy whereof was communicated to me by Monsieur Cristoftle Lindenow Envoy from Christian the fifth now King of Denmark to his sacred Majesty the present Soveraign of the most Noble Order of the Garter This Letter informs him of the Institution and some other particulars relating to the Order to wit That King Christian the first being at Rome whither he had travel'd upon a religious account Pope Sixtus the fourth among other honours invested him with this Order in memory of the Passion of our Lord and Saviour and withall ordain'd that the dignity of Chief and Supreme should be continued as a successive right to the succeeding Kings of Denmark This King founded the magnificent Chappel of the three Kings in the Cathedral Church at Roschild four leagues from Copenhagen where the Knights were obliged to assemble upon the death of any of their fraternity He also admitted thereinto divers Kings Princes and Noblemen The chief Ensign of this Order was the figure of an Elephant on whose side within a rundle was represented a Crown of Thorns with three Nails all bloody in honour and memory of the Passion of our blessed Saviour The Knights were obliged to the performance of acts of Piety Alms-deeds and certain Ceremonies especially upon those days on which they wore the Ensigns of the Order But King John set so high a value upon it that he wore them on every solemn Festival He also advanc'd the honour of this Order to so great esteem that it became accepted by both our King Henry the eighth and James the fifth of Scotland his sisters son with whom the Ensigns thereof remain'd as a pledg and assurance of constant and perpetual friendship with these he likewise invested divers Ambassadors Senators and Noble Danes There is one Ivarus Nicholai Hertholm a learned Dane as I am inform'd who hath written a particular Treatise of the Elephantine Order but not yet printed The scope whereof is to shew that the before mentioned Epistle of the Bishop of Arhusen does not sufficiently make it appear that it received its first Institution when Christian the first had those many honours confer'd on him by Pope Sixtus the fourth And that the Badge was an Ensign meerly Military anciently given as a memorial and incitement to the Danish Princes who took upon them the defence of Christianity against the Moors and Africans 'T is greatly presumed that this Book which we hope may shortly be published will furnish the world with many choice things relating to the antiquity and honour of the Institution Ensigns and Ceremonies of the Royal Order Heretofore the Knights wore a Collar of Gold compos'd of Elephants and Crosses fashioned something like Crosses ancrees Mennenius calls them Spurs at which hung the picture of the Virgin Mary to the middle holding Christ in her arms and surrounded with a Glory of Sun-beams But they have long since laid this Collar aside and now wear only a blew Ribbon at which hangs an Elephant enamel'd white adorn'd with five large Diamonds set in the middle Those Elephants worn by the Knights in the days of Christian the fourth had in the same place within a circle the Letter C and in the heart thereof the figure of 4 made to signifie Christianus quartus This honour hath most commonly been conferr'd by the Kings of Denmark on the day of their Coronation both upon the Nobles and Senators of the Kingdom It seems Frederic the third brought into use in imitation of the most Noble Order of the Garter an embroider'd Glory of Silver Purl wrought upon the left side of their Cloak or Vest on which was embroider'd two Crowns within a Rundle bearing this Motto Deus Providebit for such an one did Count Guldenlow Ambassador hither from that King wear at his residing here in England in the year 1669. But we are to note that the Motto hath changed with the King for that of the present King is Pietate Justitia and this the Knights of his election now wear in the middle of the circle Nevertheless all the Knights created by his father are obliged still to continue the former Motto In remembrance of the Danebroge or holy Danish Cross which was thought miraculously to have preserved King Waldemar the Second's Army from the fury of the Lieflanders as we shall have occasion hereafter to shew when we come to speak of the Arms of this Kingdom that King instituted the Order of Knights of the holy Cross Knights of Danebroge Which continued till the relique it self was lost in Ditmarss but then was for many years quite lay'd aside Of late the present King Christian the fifth revived this antiquated Order in the year 1672. Ordaining That Knights of this Order of which he himself is one should wear a white enamell'd Cross edged round with red hung in a string of the same colours reaching from the right shoulder to the left side Thomas Bartholinus P. has given us a large account of the first Original Progress Restauration c. of this Order To whom we refer the Reader Out of these Knights Senators and the rest of the Nobility were chosen formerly the Senators who seldom exceeded the number of eight but are now a far greater number As long as they continued in their places they were maintain'd as our Parliament may be if they please during their sitting by the Country The King allow'd them Castles to live in They pay'd no Taxes but were obliged to keep a certain number of Light-horse ready for service upon all occasions They were bound to attend the King at his call upon their own charges provided he stir'd not out of his own dominions But if he sent them on an Ambassy into other Princes Courts they had an allowance out of the Treasury Besides these there are others that live as Pensioners Pensioners to whom the King in requital of some good services done him assigns certain Livings for life or a set number of years forlaeninger out of which they are to provide so many
Light-horse as the King thinks fit and pay in yearly such a sum of money into the Treasury But these are neither so numerous nor large as before the alteration of Government in the year 1660. Again out of the Nobility are chosen all the Court-Officers Of which the chiefest are 1. Court-Officers The Chancellor 2. The Admiral who takes care of the building and repairing of all sorts of Ships belonging to the Crown He has under him a Vice-Admiral who acts by his Commission 3. The Marshal who provides necessaries for all manner of dispatches in the times of war and peace 4. The Treasurer who receives in and gives acquittances for all summs paid into the Kings Exchequer he has under him two Secretaries of the Nobility and a great number of inferior Scribes 5. The Master of the Horse There are only seven Bishopricks in Denmark Bishopricks which are all as in England in the Kings gift 1. Copenhagen where the Bishop has Archiepiscopal rights tho without the title 2. Ripen and 3. Arhusen both in the Northern Jutland 4. Odensee in Funen 5. Wiburg 6. Arhusen 7. Sleswic in the Southern Jutland The Cities are governed by their distinct Corporations Citâ—â—â— And the Citizens enjoy peculiar Priviledges and Charters as in other parts of Europe The Rustics are either Freeholders Frybunder Rustics such as have hereditary Estates paying only some small Quit-rent to their Landlords Or Wornede Villains absolutely in the power of their Lords Whilst the Kingdom of Denmark lay confused and broken into several incoherent parts Laâ—â— the Provinces had not all the same Laws but were governed by peculiar Statutes established by their petty but independent Princes Whence in Danish Authors we meet often with mention made of the Leges Scanicae Leges Sialandicae c. But afterwards when all these scatter'd members came to be re-united under the same head they were all subject to the same Government and Laws The Laws now in use were drawn into one body which they call the Jydske Lowbog or the Book of the Laws of Jutland and established by King Waldemar the first and revised and confirm'd by Waldemar the second To the observation of these as the only Municipal Laws of the Land the Kings of Denmark have formerly bin sworn at their Coronation Howbeit some of them have been since changed As for instance by the ancient Laws of Denmark as well as in England as may appear by the frequent mention of manbot and wergild in our English-Saxon Laws murder was not punished with death but a pecuniary mulct This custom was observed till the days of Christian the third who looking upon it as a constitution inconsistent with the Law of God and dictates of humane reason abrogated it ordering that from thenceforward wilful murder should be judged a capital crime The ancient Danes were so careful and zealous to transmit their Estates to their right heirs that tho they could be so merciful as to suffer murderers to live yet they punished Adultery with death Which Law is still in force in Saxony as may be seen in any Sachsen-Spiegel and many other parts of Germany The fashion of deciding all manner of causes in our English Courts by a Jury of twelve men Judâ—â—â—ture may seem to have bin borrowed from the Danes who used formerly as they do still in some parts of Jutland to assemble every Parish by themselves once a year in the fields to determine all differences by twelve select men From whom if the disagreeing parties were not reconciled an appeal lay to the Judge of the Province and thence to the supreme Court of Justice as is shown before The Heathen Danes had another way of determining Controversies by Duels in which the Challenger was to demonstrate the justice of his cause by his success This custom lasted till the first planting of Christianity by Poppo who to confirm the truth of his Doctrine took up with his bare hands glowing-hot bars of Iron without the least harm to the admiration of all beholders This miracle wrought not only a change in the Religion but Laws also of the Kingdom For hereupon King Sueno or Suenotto ordered That thence forward all persons accused of any hainous crime should clear themselves by carrying in their hands a glowing plough-share or some other piece of hot iron This kind of purging is called by some of the Danish Writers Jerntegn i. e. Iron-token by others Ordale Whence this last word should fetch its original is not agreed on by our modern Etymologists Verstegan brings it from Or an old word for Law and deal a part or portion And indeed the German word Vhrteil seems to favour this derivation Our fore-fathers the Saxons had borrowed from the Danes several kinds of Ordale As by carrying a bar of hot iron up to the high Altar bare hand by treading barefoot and blindfold over a certain number of glowing barrs laid on the ground at unequal distances by thrusting the naked arm into a pot of boiling water and lastly as they use to try Witches by throwing the accused party into a River or deep Vessel of cold water He that desires to see an exact account of the ceremonies used in the second and third kinds of Ordale may read them at large in the Ecclesiastical Laws of King Athelstane published by the Learned Sr. Henry Spelman Concil Britann tom 1. pag. 404. And in the same Kings Laws as they are published by Mr. Lambard you have the other two sorts described The first that throughly abolished all kinds of Ordale in Denmark was King Waldemar the Second about the year 1240 at the request of Pope Innocent the Third who thought it an intolerable and hainous impiety thus to tempt God Barclay in his Icon Animorum wonders that such innumerable swarms of men should sally out of these parts as were able to overrun the greatest part of Europe whereas at this day there is such a scarcity of Inhabitants that the King of Denmark is hardly able to wage war with any of his Neighbours without a supply of Souldiers out of foreign Countries But this is no such great miracle when we consider how the vastest Empires in the World Assyria Egypt Judaea and Rome it self vainly flattered with the name of Vrbs Aeterna have had their periods The greatest strength of the King of Denmark as of all Princes of Isles consists chiefly in the number of their Mariners and good Ships In all Skirmishes and Wars between the Dane and Swede it is obvious to observe how much the latter have usually prevail'd at Land and the former at Sea Christian the second upon a short warning fitted out a hundred good men of war to aid Henry the Second King of France against the English and this present King has a much larger Fleet always ready for action The Danish King can afford to build yearly twelve men of war without impoverishing his Exchequer And in this Naval force the
serves for a good Land-mark to the Sea-men that sail along this dangerous shore This Church was first built on the top of a hill by King Eric Barn whom St. Ansgar had converted to Christianity about the year 848. Near an hundred and fifty years after upon the reclaiming of the Danes from the Idolatry they were relaps'd into this Church was turn'd into a Cathedral and Ripen made a Bishops See as it hath continued ever since There is a kind of an University at Ripen but comes far short of that at Copenhagen The rest of the Cities and great Towns of moment in this Diocess are 1. Kolding first built by Eric Glipping about the year 1268 in the place of an old Castle of the same name and fortified with such strong walls and good ditches as made it a City able to defend the frontiers of the Danish dominions which in those days reached no further South then this place But they that think Kolding had its name from Ptolomy's Chali who seem to be placed in this part of Jutland make it a City much more ancient Christian III. was so much taken with the situation of it and plenty of all things in the Country adjoining that he removed his Court to the Castle Arnsburgh which hangs over the Town which he repair'd and in which he ended his days On the South the City is washed by a River which divides the Northern Jutland from the Southern and separating it self into two branches is emptied soon after into the Baltic Sea The Bridge over this River brings yearly a great treasure into the King of Denmark's Coffers For besides the impost upon all other kinds of commodities for every Ox or Horse that passes this Bridge towards Holstein or any of the Hans Towns the owners pay a Rixdollar which considering the infinite number of Horses and Kine which are yearly sent this way out of the Northern Jutland must needs amount to a vast revenue 2. Wee l a compact neat and well built City on the Baltic shore but not very large 3. Ward 4. Rinkoping Both seated near the Western-shore upon the same River 5. Holstebro 6. Lemwick which is the outmost bounds of the Bishoprick of Ripen Northward seated on the Limfiord whence it has its name At Jelling a small Village in this Bishoprick not far from the City Wee l is to be seen one of the most famons Runic Monuments that the three Northern Kingdoms afford This Village is said to have had its name from one Elling a General of the Cimbrians and fancied to have been the seat of several Danish Kings The inscription has been thought worthy the diligent enquiry of Jos Scaliger Bonaventura Vulcanius Lindenbrogius Stephanius and Wormius and may therefore justly challenge a place in our description of this Province The words are these Haralter Kunugr bad kaurva Kubl dausi eft Gurm fadur sin Aug eft Thiurni mudur sinasa Haraltr Kesor van Tanmaurk Alla aug Nurvieg Aug tini folk Kristno i. e. Harald the King commanded this Tomb to be built in remembrance of Gormo his father and Thyra his mother Harald the Emperor won Denmark and all Norway and Christ'ned the inhabitants of both Kingdoms How worthy Queen Thyra was of such a lasting monument as this we shall shew hereafter and shall in this place only take notice of King Harald's styling himself Kesor or Emperor of Denmark and Norway Which seems to be done in contempt of the Emperor Otho the first who having conquer'd a great part of the Kingdom of Denmark annexed this to the rest of his dominions and writ himself Emperor of the North till this King Harald Blaatand forced him to retire and made him part with not only whatever he had taken in Jutland but a great part of Saxony After so great a conquest and defeat of so mighty an Emperor he had reason to assume a title as swelling as ever Otho could pretend to who came no further then Othesundt with his Army Especially if it be true what Helmoldus reports of him that he was so far King of Saxony as to be the Author of those Laws which are to this day observed in the upper and lower Saxony and contained in their Saxon-Spiegel Southern Jutland THE Southern Jutland which is often comprehended under the name of the Dutchy of Sleswic reaches from Kolding and the River Leewens Aa as far as the Dannewirk which is reckon'd about eighteen German miles The breadth of it does not any-where exceed eight seldom six miles The chief City Sleswic which sometimes gives name to the whole Province is Sleswic It is seated on a River or rather a small arm of the Sea called by the inhabitants De Slye So that Sleswic is no more then a Village call'd anciently by the Saxons Wic by the Hollanders to this day Wiick and the Latines Vicus upon the Slye Hence the ancient people of these parts are called by Ptolomy Sigulones which some read Slievâ—nes i.e. Wooners or dwellers upon the banks of the Slie Adam Bremensis calls the Town Slias-wig and Ethelwerd an ancient English-Saxon Historian gives us this account of it Anglia vetus sita est inter Saxones Giotos habens oppidum Capitale quod sermone Saxonico Sleswic nuncupatur secundum Danos vero Haithaby i. e. Old England lies between Saxony and Jutland the Metropolis of which is called by the Saxons Sleswic but by the Danes Haithaby In an old History of the life of Charles the Great it is called Sliestorff It had its Danish name Haitheby saith Pontanus from Hetha a certain Queen of Denmark Which assertion seems confirm'd by a passage in the Preface to King Aelfred's English-Saxon translation of Orosius And of Scipinges heale he cÆ¿aeþ ê§ he seglode on fif dagan to þem porte þe mon haetaet Haeðh um se stent betÆ¿uh Winedum Seaxum Angle hyrðh in on Dene i.e. And from Sciringes-heal he said that he sailed in five days to the Port which is called Haethe which stands between the Vandals Vinedi Saxons and the Angles to whom it is subject 'T was questionless heretofore a City much frequented by Merchants from Britain France Spain Flanders and all other parts of the trading world Adam Bremensis who lived about the year 1100 calls it Civitatem opulentissimam ac populosissimam i.e. a City exceeding rich and populous And so it must needs have been For before Mariners learnt perfectly the way of shunning the dangerous Sands upon the coasts of Jutland and at the entrance into the Baltic carriages were usually brought up the Eidor and Threan as far as Hollingsted by Ship and thence conveyed by Land to Sleswic where they were again shipped and so transported into Zeeland Sweden c. The Citizens here were first converted to Christianity and the great Church built by King Eric Barn assisted by St. Anchar about the year 800. Not long after in the year 1064 the Slavonians making incursions into this part of the Country
top of an hill commanding the Town and haven was first built by Adolph of Schaumburg the first Earl of Holstein Earl Adolph IV. founded a monastery of Franciscan Minorites in this City which upon the bringing in of the Augsburg confession into this Country with the rest of the Danish Territories was changed into an Hospital 2. Rensborg or Reinholsburg founded by one Reinold of whom we have no further account then that he was either a Prince of the Blood or some Great Nobleman This is the best fortifyed Town in the Dukedom environed with the Byder and defended by a strong Castle built by Earl Gerhard the Great 3. Wilster a neat and well built City seated on a River of the same name which soon after empties it self into the Stor 4. Nieumunster seated on the North-West of the Stor not far from the head of it The Earldom of Holstein was only a Province of the Great Dukedom of Saxony until Lotharius Great Duke of Saxony afterwards Emperor of Germany bestowed it upon Adolph Earl of Schaumburg or Schouwanburg about the year 1114. Since which time we have the following account of the Earls of Holstein 1. Adolph of Schouwenburg the first absolute prince of Holstein On whom the Earldom was bestowed as a recompence for the services he had done the Duke of Saxony in his German and Danish wars 2. Adolph II. son to Adolph the I. having obtained his fathers Earldom cast out the Slavonians who a little before his time had overrun all this part of Saxony and planted in their rooms Colonies of Germans Frisians and Nether Saxons In the quarrel among the three pretenders to the Crown of Denmark Sueno Canutus and Waldemar he sided with Canutus and had setled him in the throne had not King Sueno by fair means and promises prevailed with him to lay down his Arms. He left the Earldom to his son 3. Adolph III. who after many skirmishes and battles with Waldemar II. King of Denmark was at last vanquished and kept close prisoner by that King who by the intercession of Andrew Bishop of Lunden and some others granted him his liberty upon condition That he should disclaim all right and Title which he and his predecessors had hitherto pretended to the Earldom of Holstein or any other place formerly subject to Henry surnamed the Lion Duke of Saxony and quietly retire to the inheritance of his Ancestors at Schouwenburg But these Articles tho at the first secured by Hostages were not long observed by his son 4. Adolph IV. who associating to himself Henry Earl of Zurin Gerhard Bishop of Bremen and some other petit Princes begun a rebellion against King Waldemar and succeeded so well in the undertaking that within a very short time he made himself master of all the Territories his father had been beaten out of and renounced His son 5. Gerhard enjoy'd peaceably the dominions left him by his Father He was for some time kept prisoner at Imsburg by the Folchungs a noble family in Sweden for being in company with one Ingemar an upstart Gentleman but great favourite of their King Magnus whom they slew in a rage and cast his companions into prison 6. Henry Gerhards son was the first that set up a Custom-house in Hamburg which brought in no small portion of the revenue of his successors 7. Gerhard the second son of Henry upon the death of Christopher the second King of Denmark was made Protector of the Danish Kingdom and Tutor to the young King Waldemar the third By these advantages his power grew so great that he ventur'd to stile himself Duke of Jutland and by degrees would in all probability have aspired to the Crown of Denmark if not timely taken off by one Ebbo a Danish Nobleman who murdered him in his bed at Randerhusen 8. Henry the second son to Gerhard II. refused the Crown of Sweden when it was offered him by Ambassadors sent from that Court A. D. 1363. He is said to have been a Prince of great courage and candor courteous in his behaviour and exceedingly chast and temperate in the whole course of his life In short a man that had in him all the Royal vertues that might deserve a Kingdom and the modesty to refuse one when offer'd 9. Gerhard the third Henry the second 's son after he had got the Dukedom of Sleswic annexed to the Earldom of Holstein by Margaret Queen of Denmark was slain by the men of Dithmarss whom he had required to do him homage His son 10. Henry the third being denied that right to the Dukedom of Sleswic which his father had enjoy'd made war against Eric the Eighth King of Denmark in which at the siege of Flensburg he was slain 11. Adolph V. commonly called the twelfth by those that reckon all the Earls of younger houses succeeded his brother Henry and was the last Earl of this house In the year 1440 he received the Dukedom of Sleswic at the hands of Christopher the third King of Denmark swearing fealty to that Crown Christian Earl of Oldenburg son of Hedvigis sister to Henry and Adolph the two last Earls of Holstein succeeded his Uncle Adolph in the Earldom of Holstein Which in his time was enlarged by the addition of Dithmarss and changed into a Dukedom by the Emperor Frideric the third A. D. 1474. When this Christian was advanced to the throne of Denmark the Dukedom of Holstein became a part of that Kingdom Yet so that the Kings of Denmark as the Kings of Sweden upon the late accessions in Germany to their Crown were reckoned Princes of the Empire as Dukes of Holstein tho not obliged to repair to any Diet. Afterwards the title of Duke of Holstein together with a considerable part of the Country was given to Adolph Christian the Third's brother created Knight of the Garter by our Queen Elizabeth A. D. 1562 who governed it interchangeably with the King his brother by turns Upon the decease of this Duke and his issue male the title was conferr'd on Vlric King Christian the fourth's brother Since his days there have been several houses of the Dukes of Holstein as Sunderburg Norburg Gluckburg Arnsbeck Gottorp and Ottingen Amongst whom the Duke of Holstein Gottorp is chief and challenges the same power in governing and administration of justice which was at first conferred upon Duke Adolph King Christian the third's brother In the late wars between the two Northern Crowns the King of Denmark jealous of the great power of the present Duke of Gottorp forced this Prince to quit his Dukedom and leave his Majesty in full possession of the whole Country of Holstein But at the signing of the Treaty between the Kings of France Sweden and Denmark at Fountenblaeu on the second of September 1679 the Danish Ministers promised their Master should at the desire of his most Christian Majesty restore to the said Duke all his Countries Towns and places in the state they were and the soveraignty thereof all which he
endeavours to prove that Xen. Lampsacenus mentions the Baltic Sea and thence concludes that this name is much more ancient then most of the modern Geographers fancy who make Adam Bremensis and Helmoldus the first Authors that call this Bay Mare Balthicum But he that shall take the pains to examine Pliny's words upon this occasion will find that no mention is there made of the Baltic Sea but of an Island only in these parts called Baltia which is now named Schonen but is not as the Ancients imagined an Isle From this Baltia some think this Sea was called Baltic as the Adriatic Sea had its name from the Island Adria Others more happily derive the word from the Danish and English word Belt because Seeland and the greatest part of the King of Denmark's dominions are girt round with this Bay And to this day the inhabitants of Seeland and Funen call that small arm of the Sea which part these two Islands die Belt Pomponius Mela who is followed by many late writers of good note calls the Baltic Sea Sinus Codanus which signifies no more then the Danish Bay For Codanus Godanus or Gedanus is the same with Danus and Gedanum and Dantiscum signifie the same thing And indeed when we consider what a large portion of the Danish Kingdom is encircled with the Sea we shall find reason enough notwithstanding the late surrender of several Islands to the Swedes to let it still retain this its ancient name The most considerable Islands in the Baltic which at this day are subject to the Crown of Denmark are these that follow FIONIA FIonia or Funen is parted from Jutland by a streight of the Baltic called by the inhabitants Medelfarsund about one German mile in breadth and separated from Seeland by the Beltis-sund or Baltic Bay The length of it from East to West is about ten German miles and the breadth eight Saxo Grammaticus Lyscander and most of the Danish writers make this the pleasantest piece of ground in the King of Denmark's dominions Whence they have fancied the Island had its name from fine which has the same signification in Funen as in England Tho Adam Bremensis may seem to favour this conceit in calling the inhabitants of this Island Finni and their Country Finningia and Pontanus allows the etymology yet methinks Stephanius guesses better at the derivation of the word when he fetches it from Fion which in the old Runic monuments signifies a neck of land rent from the continent and such any man will suppose Funen to be who shall have the opportunity of viewing that slender Frith which at this day separates that Island from Jutland The Island abounds with all manner of Corn especially Wheat and Rye which is hence yearly transported in great quantities into other Nations Besides the Natives have generally great Herds of Cattle and very good Breeds of Horses The Woods which overspread almost the whole Island are exceedingly well stored with Deer Hares and Foxes The chief City in this Island is Ottensee which some will have to take its name from Woden the great God of the ancient Danes whom some of their Historians call Othin or Odin Others more probably say 't was built by the Emperor Otho the first who overrun a great part of the Danish Kingdom and left his name in more places then one This opinion seems to be confirmed by a Letter written by the Emperor Otho the third about the year 987 in which this City is named Vrbs Othonesvigensis Pontanus thinks 't was first built by King Harald who to testifie his gratitude to the forementioned Emperor Otho the first by whose procurement he was converted to Christianity called it Ottonia or Ottensche and his son Suenotto This City is seated in the very center of the Island and therefore in a fit place for the Sessions of the Nobility and Magistracy which are yearly held in this place As were likewise the General Assemblies of the Kingdom of Denmark before the year 1660. The buildings in this Town are generally well built and the streets uniform Besides other public buildings there are in it two fair Churches whereof one is dedicate to St. Cnute the other to St. Francis Not far from the former of these stands a stately Town-Hall upon a very spacious Market-place where King Frideric II. renew'd the ancient League between the Crown of Denmark and the Dukes of Holstein and Sleswic in the year 1575. When the Quire of St. Cnute's Church was repair'd in the year 1582 the workmen found in a Vault a Copper Coffin gilded and adorn'd with precious stones upon which was writ the following inscription in old Latin-Gothic characters Jam coelo tutus summo cum rege Canutus Martyr in aurata rex atque reconditur arca Et pro Justitiae factis Occisus inque Vt Christum vita sic morte fatetur in ipsa Traditur a proprio sicut Deus ipse ministro A.D. MLXXXVI Other Towns of note in Funen are 1. Bowens a Port-Town of good trade seated on the West-side of the Island at the North-end of Medelfarsund 2. Middlefar seated on the common passage from this Island to Kolding in Jutland On the thirtieth of January in the year 1658. Carolus Gustavus King of Sweden led his Army over the ice to this place and having routed the Danish Forces that opposed him made himself absolute master of the whole Isle of Funen 3. Ascens not far from the mountains of Ossenburgh where John de Hoy Nicholas Fechlenburgh and Gustavus Troll Bishop of Vpsal were slain and their Army commanded by Christopher Earl of Oldenburgh totally routed by John Rantzaw King Christian the third's General who level'd this City to the ground 4. Foborg upon the Southern coast of the Island It was once burnt by the unruly soldiers of Christian the third whilst Odensee adhering to the captive Prince Christian the second who at that time was kept close prisoner at Sunderburg redeem'd it self from the like fate by a large sum of money 5. Swynborg over against the Island of Langland From this place Carolus Gustavus King of Sweden led his Army over the ice into Seeland in the year 1658. 6. Nyborg the usual passage from Funen into Seeland This City was first fortified with a Moat and Bulwarks by King Christian the third It is very memorable for the battel fought by the Confederates of the Empire Brandenburgh Poland and the Low Countries in the year 1659 against the Swedes who in that engagement were overthrown and utterly routed out of Funen Besides the great Towns mentioned there are in Funen a great number of fair Villages among which they reckon up no less then 264 Parish Churches SEELAND SEeland the largest fairest and most fruitful Island in the Baltic Sea lies to the East of Funen from which 't is separated as we have said before by the Belt On the other side it is parted from Schonen by a small Frith call'd by the inhabitants Oresundt thro which
pass all the Merchant-ships which traffick in the Baltic The breadth of it is about twelve German miles and the length eighteen This Island is undoubtedly the ancient Codanonia mentioned by Pomponius Mela which signifies the same thing as the more modern words Dania and Denmark Most of the Danish Etymologists derive Seeland from Soedland or Seedland from the plenty of Corn which this Country affords Others with greater probability make the word signifie no more then an Island or piece of ground encompassed with the Sea Whence Saxo Grammaticus and several other ancient Historians call it Seelandia from the old Danish word Sia or Sio which is now turned into Soe and in our English tongue corrupted into Sea In most or all of the ancient Runic Manuscripts it is called Soelunder or the Sea-Grove The Edda Islandorum calls it Soelund and gives us this account of the first original of the word There was formerly a certain King in Sweden named Gylfi who promised an Asian Sorceress call'd Gesion who had pleased him with her melody as much land as four Oxen could plow up in one day and a night Whereupon the old Hag brings four of her sons out of North Jutland and turning them into as many Oxen caused them to plow up a large and deep furrow round this piece of ground Which when the Sea had fill'd up the land became an Isle and was call'd Seelund Stephanius thinks Ptolomy alluded to this fable when speaking of some Islands in the Baltic he said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. Beyond the Cimbrian Chersonese ly three Islands called Alociae from the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a furrow Copenhagen the Metropolis of this Island Copenhagen and of the whole Kingdom of Denmark is seated on the East of Seeland upon the Sea-shore The Danes call it Kiobenhaun and the Germans Copenhaven both which words are corruptions of Kiobmanshafen i.e. Portus Mercatorum as Saxo somewhere calls it Mejerus a learned Frisian writer derives the name of this City from Coppen which says he in the Frisian language signifies James and Haven q.d. St. James's Haven But there is very little or no grounds for any such derivation About the year 1168 Axil Wide surnamed Snare Saxo calls him Absolon Archbishop of Denmark built a considerable fortification in the Island in which now stands the Castle This was call'd after his name Axel-huys and was a good defence to the whole Island against the daily incursions of Pyrats Under the protection of this Fort several Fishermen and others that traded this way used to harbour their Ships in security This caused a continual concourse of the Natives who resorted hither to furnish the Vessels with such provisions as their Country afforded and in a short time laid the first rude draughts of a City which at this day for strength trade beauty and bulk is not surpass'd by many in Europe Most of the Danish Kings especially Christian IV. have been very active in beautifying this City with an University Churches Walls Ditches c. James Ecland Bishop of Roschild was the first that granted any priviledges to it in the year 1254. These his successor Ignatius confirm'd and they were afterwards considerably enlarged by King Waldemar in the year 1341 and Eric of Pomeren in the year 1371. Christopher of Bavaria endowed it with Municipal immunities like the other Cities of Denmark in the year 1443. All which were confirm'd by the large Charters of Christian the third and Frideric the second The Citizens houses till within these few years were very mean and low most of them patcht up of wood and mortar but of late they are grown more curious and expensive in Architecture and few of their streets are without a considerable number of fair brick buildings The Cathedral Church dedicate to St. Mary is beautified with a noble Copper Spire built at the charges of King Christian the fourth The Advowsance of this Church belongs to the Professors in the University The Market-place is exceeding spacious and no small ornament to the Town Besides these the Kings Palace the Arsenal which perhaps excels any thing that Europe affords in this kind the Observatory or Runde taarn and the adjoining University Church and Library the Exchange c. are places richly worth the seeing and deserve a larger description then the bounds of this short account of the whole Kingdom will permit The City is governed by four Burgomasters one whereof is Regent or President for his life This honour is at present conferr'd on that worthy and learned person P. John Resenius Professor of Moral Philosophy in the University at Copenhagen and Counsellor to the present King of Denmark With him most of the other Professors of note in this University as William Langius formerly Tutor to this present King Christian the fifth Erasmus Vindingius Professor of History and Geography and Author of the Academia Hafniensis which gives us an exact account of all the famous men that have ever flourished in this University Thomas and Erasmus Bartholini both well known by their incomparable works c. are at this day Ministers of State in the Court of Denmark and keep only the title and pension of Professors without being tyed to the performance of the duties SELANDIAE in Regno Daniae Insulae Chorographica Descriptio Apud Janssonio-Waesbergios et Mosem Pitt VIRO Illustri ac Generoso Dno GEORGIO SEEFELDO Haereditario in REFFES Regni Daniae Senatori ac Iudici provintiali Selandico Domino ac Patrono plurimum honorando D. D. D. Johannes Janssonius The rest of the great Towns and places of note in this Island are Roschild 1. Roschild which takes its name from a river running by the Town which drives seven mills Roe in the antient Danish Tongue signifies a King and Kille a stream of water 'T was formerly the Metropolis of the whole Kingdom but of late years this City has decayed and Copenhagen grown so fast that it is scarce remarkable for any thing at this day save the great old Cathedral the burying place of the Kings of Denmark and some small trade This City was first made a Bishop's See by Suenotho King of England Denmark Sweden and Norway about the year 1012. who gave the Bishoprick of Roschild which is now swallowed up of Copenhagen to Gerebrand a Monk Afterwards Sueno Gratenhede fortifyed it with a wall ditch and bulwark Lyscander tells us there were once no less then twenty seven fair Churches in this Town Among these I suppose he reckons the Chappel built by King Harald Svenotho's father in which both he and his son whose dead corps were carried out of England to Roschild to be buried are entombed In the old Cathedral amongst many other rich monuments in honour of several of the Danish Kings and Queens stands a fair marble pillar which Margaret Queen of Denmark erected on purpose to hang thereon the Whetstone which is fastened to it with a chain which Albert King of
Sweden in derision of her Sex sent her to sharp her needles on This scoff cost him seven years imprisonment and a renunciation of all the right he pretended to the Kingdom of Sweden for the performance of which Articles the Hans-Towns were sureties 2. Elseneur Elseneur called otherwise Helsenoer Helschenoer Helsingor and Halsingor as the opposite Castle in Schonen is by Adam Bremensis Halsingburg is so named q. d. Halsen-ore i. e. An ear in the neck because at first a watchtower seated on that neck of the Sea called by the Danes Oresundt which parts Seeland from Schonen Here Pontanus fancies Ptolomy's Hellevones had their habitation The chief ornament and strength of this Town laies in Croneburg a Royal and impregnable Castle which commands this side of the Oresundt with as much case as Elsingburg secures the other It is built of hewn Free-stone brought hither out of Gothland This was for many years the seat of the Danish Kings who as may appear from what we have said before touching the revenues of this Crown had from hence one of the most pleasant and profitable prospects in the whole Kingdom Every ship that passes this streight is obliged to strike sail to Croneburg and that done the master is to come to a Composition in the City for Custom upon pain of the confiscation of his vessel and loading Frideric the second built the Castle of Croneburg at his own charges without a penny Subsidy from his Subjects and covered it with Copper 3. Fredericksburg called formerly Ebelholt Fredericksburg and only a Monastry dedicated to the Holy Ghost of which Johannes Parisiensis who was afterwards put into the Popish Kalendar of Saints is said to have been Abbot about the year 1201 till turned into a Castle by King Frederic the second The structure was first begun by one Harlef a Danish Noble man who sold it to King Frideric After this King's death his son Christian the fourth spared no charges in compleating what his father left unfinish'd but adorned it with a Collection of the richest Pictures Statues Hangings c. that Europe could afford Insomuch that Mounsieur l' Espine a French writer who printed his History soon after the finishing of this Royal Palace does not stick to say That the world can scarce parellel this piece Adding further that here the locks and bars in the windows were all of beaten Silver c. The foundation of the house is all Free-stone but the upper building brick It is seated in a pleasant wood about the middle way betwixt Elsineur and Copenhagen The adjoyning Park was first stock'd with fallow Deer sent thither out of England in the 24. year of the reign of our Queen Elizabeth 4. Ringstede Ringstede a Town of the greatest Antiquity of any excepting Roschild in Denmark where ly buried many of the Danish Kings particularly King Waldemar the first and Eric the Godly It is seated in the very center of Seeland where destitute of Trade it decayes dayly 5. Sor Soor or Soer seated in a pleasant woody Country between Slagen and Ringsiede Absalon Hvide Archbishop of Lunden and Bishop of Roschild founded here a fair Monastry about the middle of the twelfth Century and endowed it with large Revenues for the maintenance of several learned men who were to be employed in writing and publishing the History of the Acts and Monuments of the Kings and other Heroes of Denmark Upon this encouragement Saxo Grammaticus first took the pains to collect a vast company of old Historical fragments and afterwards digested them into a better Order then could rationally be expected from any man bred up in a Nation so unpardonably barbarous as Denmark in and before his dayes is known to have been Afterwards Esbern the said Archbishop's brother augmented the Revenues by the addition of fourteen Villages and enlarged the Monastery it self He dyed within a year after his brother A. D. 1202. and was buried at Sor. Many years after this King Frideric the second removed the School which he had founded at Fridericksburg for the education of the young Nobility to this place where having encreased the number of both teachers and hearers he thought it also requisite to enlarge the Income Which done of a rich Popish monastery it became one of the best endowed Free-Schools in the reformed part of Christendome His son Christian the fourth turned the Free-School into a small University by setling certain Salaries for the maintenance of a set number of Professors who were to instruct young Noble men in the principles of several Arts and Sciences and the rudiments of the Latin Greek Hebrew French and Italian Tongues Besides to to this Gymnasium he annexed an Academy furnished with fit Masters to teach perfectly all Gentile and Marshal Exercises as Dancing Vaulting Riding the great horse c. Whence some Authors call the University at Sor Academiam Equestrem because at first principally intended for the Education of young Gentlemen in the Acts of Chivalry tho afterwards it grew to be the most famous University for all manner of learning in the King of Denmark's Dominions In the year 1621 the Nunnery of Mariebo in Laland was demolished the Nuns thrown out and the lands given to this University But at this day these and all other the large Territories which have been heretofore settled upon the University at Sor are in the present King's hand who threatens dayly to reestablish an University in this place but without any show of performance His resolutions I suppose if ever he had any such are in a great measure stopped by the continual disswasion of the Professours at Copenhagen who think it very inconsistent with their Interest to have another University erected in their neighbourhood For heretofore when any Professor's place was vacant at Copenhagen 't was odds but some brisk fellow from Sor carried it 6. Anderskaw Anderskaw or Andersbouw formerly a great Monastery now a strong Castle about an English mile from Slagen It is seated in a level Champagn Country and delicately well built Here Frideric the second dyed A. D. 1548. 7. Kallenborg Kallenborg which Saxo Grammaticus calls Kallunda and Meursius Callundeburgum was formerly a small Village inhabited by none but Fishermen and by them named Herwig But Esbern Suare brother to Absalon Hvide abovementioned turned it into a City about the year 1158 or as some 1171 and beautified it with a Castle Church and several other publique buildings 'T is at present a Town of good Trade having the convenience of as safe an harbour for Ships as any haven in Denmark 8. Kosor Korsor so called from the multitude of Crosses erected formerly in the place out of the abundance of superstitious Zeal in the Inhabitants 9. Koge Koge Coagium a small but very populous and rich City about sixteen English miles from Copenhagen It is a place much thronged with Corn-merchants and Fishmongers the Commodities pleasant situation c. of
seems plain from the arguments and authorities of learned men before alledged 't will be no difficult matter to evince the truth of this assertion That the Getes and Goths together with all the inhabitants of the Danish Isles in the Baltic Sea are originally one and the same Nation 'T is true in some small Islands in and near the Finnic Gulph the people use a language altogether unintelligible to a true Dane or Swede but further westward the languages spoken in all the Baltic Islands are so many dialects of the Gothic tongue And the old Runic monuments daily found in most Provinces of the Danish and Swedish dominions prove manifestly the same words and characters to have been used in Schonen Jutland and the intermediate Islands From the difference of manners customs habits c. in these Isles no more can be conclucluded then that some wanting the convenience of traffick and correspondence with other Nations are forced to content themselves with the rude and ungentile ways of living taught them by their homebred Ancestors whilst others who lay more in the road of Merchant-ships must needs insensibly admit of a daily alteration both in manners and language NORWAY WHat the Edda Name and other Mythological writers tell us of Nor son of their God Thor Grandchild to Woden the first grand Captain of the Norwegians from whom that people and their Country fetch say these men their names merits just as much credit as the Danish stories of their King Dan. The truth is Norway or Norweg as the Germans write it whence the Latin word Norwegia is only via seu tractus septentrionalis i. e. a country situated towards the North. Hence in the Danish Swedish Norvegian tongues 't is to this day called Norrike or the Northern Kingdom Pliny's Nerigon is only a corruption of this word and we find that anciently all the Cimbrian Kingdoms were named Regna Norica By Helmoldus the Norwegians are called Nordliudi which word is not as Dr. Heylin guesses derived from the Dutch word Nordt and the French lieu for Nordliod or Nordtleut in the Northern languages is no more then the people of the North. In the Preface to our King Aelfred's Anglo-Saxonic Version of Orosius this Kingdom is stiled Norðh manna land the Country of the Normans Adam Bremensis calls it Normannia And we know Rollo brought his Normans out of these parts This Kingdom is bounded on the South with the Baltic Straits Bounds which separate it from Jutland on the North and West with the Northern Ocean on the East with Sweden and Lapland The whole length of it from the Baltic Sea as far as Finmark is reckoned to be about 210 German miles The Eastern part of Norway is very thin peopled Soil being a Country of nothing but inaccessible and craggy mountains Towards the South there is greater store of inhabitants who dwell in pleasant valleys encircled with barren and rocky hills The rest of the Country is overspread with woods which furnish the greatest part of Europe with Deal-boards and Masts for Ships The long ridge of high mountains which divide this Kingdom from Sweden where Pliny places his Sevo are continually covered with snow whence intolerable sharp winds are sent down into the valleys beneath which by this means become desolate and unfruitful But more Southerly and all along the Western coasts the air is much more temperate and would be healthful enough if not corrupted by the putrefaction and stench of a certain kind of Rats called by the inhabitants Lemmer which infect the whole Country with the Epidemical disease of the Jaundice and a giddiness in the head which is most especially apt to seize on strangers unacquainted with the danger and unarm'd against the distemper In the valleys there are good breeds of Cattel Commodities insomuch that the inhabitants export yearly great quantities of Butter Tallow Hides and Cheese Their chief Grain is Barley The woods afford Timber Pitch Tar rich Furs and great store of Filberds Besides these commodities they have a good trade from their Stock-fish and Train-Oyl which is vended all Europe over Christian IV. King of Denmark employ'd several Artists in the search of some Silver and Gold Mines in the year 1623. And 't is said some lumps of the Oar of both those mettals were here found and presented to the King But this discovery never turned to any considerable account For the Natives were utterly ignorant of the art of refining any kind of Minerals themselves and altogether unwilling to admit into their Country any foreigners skill'd in that way The inhabitants are much of the same complexion and humour with the Danes 〈…〉 They are generally effeminate and lazy not so much thro any fault of nature as the want of employment For the King of Denmark seldom or never makes use of this Nation in his wars as being loth to trust them with arms The ancient Norwegians as well as their neighbours are every where reported to have been notorious Pyrats but at this day the Seas are scarce in any place in Europe so secure from robbery as on the coasts of Norway The cause of this alteration can scarce be attributed to the modern honesty of this Kingdom so far excelling that of former days but rather to the general poverty and mean spiritedness of the inhabitants into which the Danish rigor has forc'd them For they have little or no Shipping allow'd them and are too low kept to pretend to hector and domineer Their diet is what they furnish other Countries with Stockfish 〈◊〉 and a coarse kind of Butter and Cheese Their usual drink Rostock Ale In this they commonly drink three draughts one in remembrance of God the second to the Kings health and the third to the Queens As Norway is still reckon'd a distinct Kingdom from Denmark 〈◊〉 so it had formerly its own independent Kings who sometimes Lorded it over the Monarchs of Sweden and Denmark Nevertheless the account we have of these Princes from the Chronica Norvagica published by Johannes Slangerupensis in the year 1594 and Olaus Wormius in the year 1633 and the relations of other Historians is so imperfect and incredible that 't would but waste paper to give the Reader a catalogue of them The last King that sway'd the Scepter in Norway was Haquin who in the year 1363 married Margaret eldest daughter of Waldemar III. King of Denmark thereupon uniting the two Kingdoms Now tho King Haquin had only one son by Queen Margaret Olaus for some while King of Denmark who dyed without issue yet the Danes having once got footing in this Kingdom were resolved to keep their station and therefore to secure themselves from all future insurrection and rebellion they immediately put strong Garrisons into all the Cities and Forts of consequence in the Nation Since it is manifest from the language manners c. of the inhabitants that the Norwegians and Islanders are both one
people what the Reader misses in the general description of Norway may possibly be met with in the following one of Island The Prefecture of Masterland THis Prefecture takes its name from the chief City in it seated on a rocky Peninsula and famous for its great trade in Herrings and other Sea-fish This City with two more of less note Congel and Oddawald and the adjoining Country are commanded by the strong Castle of Bahus now in the hands of the King of Sweden It was first built by Haquin IV. King of Norway about the year 1309 upon a steep rock on the bank of the river Trollet and was then look'd upon as the best Fort that King had in his dominions and a sufficient Bulwark against the daily assaults and incursions of the Swedes and Westro-Goths The Bishopricks of Anslo and Staffenger with the Province of Aggerhuse ANslo called by the inhabitants Opslo and by some Latin writers Asloa was first built by King Harold cotemporary with Sueno Esthritius King of Denmark who frequently kept his residence in this City Here is held the chief Court of Judicature for all Norway wherein all causes and suits at Law are heard and determined before the Governor who acts as Vice-Roy of the Kingdom The Cathedral is dedicated to St. Alward who took great pains in preaching the Gospel to the Norwegian Heathens In this Church is to be shew'n the Sword of Haquin one of their ancientest Kings a signal testimony if the stories they tell of it be true of the strength and admirable art of some Norwegians of former ages The hilt of it is made of Crystal curiously wrought and polished whence Olaus Magnus will needs conclude that the use of Crystal was anciently much more ordinary in Norway then it is at this day in any part of Europe Not far from Opslo on the other side of the Bay stands the Castle of Aggerhusen memorable for the brave resistance it made the Swedish Army in the year 1567 which besieg'd it hotly eighteen weeks together but was at last beat off and forced shamefully to retire About twenty German miles Northward of Opslo lies the City Hammar formerly a Bishops See but at present under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Opslo Near this Town is the Island Moos where if we believe Olaus Magnus a huge and monstrous Serpent appears constantly before any grand alteration in the State or Government of the Kingdom of Norway In this Province besides the places already mentioned stand the Cities of Tonsberg Fridericstadt Saltsburgh and Scheen which have all a considerable trade from the Copper and Iron Mines which hereabouts are in greater numbers then in any other part of the Kingdom 'T was in this Province that the Silver Mines mention'd before were first discover'd at the expence of Christian IV. King of Denmark and some of the adjoining hills are by the neighbourhood to this day called Silver-bergen or the mountains of Silver To these Mines and the lofty woods of Pines and Fir-trees with which this part of the Country is overspread the Kingdom of Norway owes the greatest part of if not all its trade The City of Staffenger lies in 59 degrees some reckon 60 and a great many odd minutes of Latitude It is seated in a Peninsuia upon a great Bay of the Northern Ocean full of small Islands and guarded by the strong Castle of Doeswick which lies about two English miles from the Town In Civil affairs this City is under the jurisdiction of the Governor of Bergenhusen tho it has its own peculiar Bishop constantly residing in the Town The whole Bishopric is divided into the several Districts of Stavangersteen Dalarne Jaren Listerleen Mandalsleen Nedenesleen and Abygdelag Thomas Conrad Hvegner Bishop of this Diocess in the year 1641 took the pains to collect a great number of Runic inscriptions which lay scatter'd up and down his Diocess some of which are published by Wormius who further informs us that this Conrad's predecessor whose name he omits writ a Topographical description of this City and Bishoprick Beyond the Bay appears the Island Schutenes three German miles in length but scarce half an one in breadth Between this Island which has in it several considerable Villages and the Continent runs up a narrow Frith to Bergen which is called by the Dutch Merchants T' Liedt van Berghen To the Bishopric of Staffenger belongs the Province of Tillemarch or Thylemarch which gave Procopius the first grounds for that assertion of his which he defends with so great vehemency viz. that Scandinavia taken in its largest extent of which Thylemarch is a very inconsiderable part is the ancient Thule The Parish of Hollen in this Province is very remarkable for a Church-yard or burying place on the top of a Church dedicated to St. Michael which is cut out of a great high rock call'd by the Vicenage Vear upon the Lake Nordsee half a mile distant from Scheen Wormius thinks 't was formerly an Heathenish Temple but converted to Christian uses upon the first planting of the Gospel in this Kingdom The Prefecture and Bishoprick of Berghen THis Bishoprick the most fruitful and pleasantest part of all Norway lies to the North of Aggerhusen in the middle or heart of the Kingdom It derives its name from the fair and noble Emporium or Mart-Town of Berghen or else from the strong Castle of Berghenhusen the usual seat of the Vice-Roy of Norway at a small distance from Berghen Northward Berghen an ancient and famous Sea-Port Town mentioned by Pomponius Mela and Pliny is the Granary and Magazine of the whole Kingdom of Norway It lies distant from Bahusen about an hundred German miles by Sea and sixty by land from Truntheim as many from Schagen the outmost Promontory of Jutland almost eighty Some have fetcht its name from the Norwegian verb Bergen which signifies to hide or conceal because the Haven being surrounded with hills seems to be a kind of sculking-place for Ships where Vesfels of two hundred Tun and upwards ride in a spatious and most secure Harbour free from all danger of wind and weather But we need not trouble our selves any further for the derivation of the name then to consider that Berghen in the Norwegian language signifies mountains and Berghen-husen a company of houses among the hills The buildings in this City till within these few years were exceeding mean and contemptible most of them of wood cover'd with green turf and therefore frequently burnt down But of late the Hamburghers Lubeckers Hollanders and others that trade this way have beautified the Town with an Exchange and a great many private houses of credit The most peculiar trade of this City lies in a kind of Stock-fish catcht upon these coasts and thence called usually by the Norway Merchants Berghenvisch This the Fishermen take in winter commonly in January for the conveniency of drying it in the cold and sharp air Besides hither Furs of all sorts and vast quantities of dry'd
Fish Butter Tallow Hides c. are brought from all parts of Norway to be shipt off into other Countries The Townsmen not many years ago observing the daily encrease of their trade and the great concourse of strangers which it drew from all parts and fearing they themselves might at last be prejudiced by an unlimited and general admission of foreign Tradesmen and Merchants into their City made an order that whoever would after such a time be admitted a freeman of the Town should either be whipt at a Game instituted upon this occasion and call'd by them Gantenspill or rowl'd in mud and dirt or lastly hung in a basket over some intolerable and filthy smoak This hard usage quickly diminished the number of foreigners who fancied it scarce worth their while to purchase their freedom at so dear and scandalous a rate But of late the industry and skill as well as number of the inhabitants encreasing these barbarous customs are laid aside and the Citizens themselves are now able to export what was formerly fetcht away from them The Bishop of this Diocess was heretofore under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Truntheim To the Governor of Berghen are subject the Prefectures of Sudhornleen Nordhornleen Soghne Sudfiord Norfiord and Sundmerleen The Prefecture and Bishoprick of Nidrosia or Truntheim THE fourth Castle and Government in Norway is that of the City Nidrosia as it was anciently called from the river Nider on which 't is seated or Truntheim formerly the Metropolis of the Kingdom and the seat of the King and Archbishop of Norway Pontanus somewhere calls this City the Cabinet of all the Norwegian monuments but Wormius found no great reason to confer so honourable a title upon it when after a diligent search into the Antiquities old monuments and reliques of the primitive inhabitants of this Kingdom he met with no more then three Runic inscriptions in this whole Diocess The conveniency of the Haven makes this place resorted to by some Mariners and Merchants to this day but the ruines are so great that it looks more like a Village then City not having had any opportunity of recovering its former splendor since it was burnt down in the year 1522. Its houses are a company of old fashion'd and rotten buildings and the Kings Palace is decay'd below the meanness of an English Cottage However something of its ancient grandeur still appears in the Cathedral dedicated to St. Olaus which tho almost consumed by fire yet by the ruines shews it self to have been one of the most magnificent and largest structures in the world In this Church the Huntsmen were wont to make a yearly offering of the skins of the largest and stoutest white Bears which they kill'd for the Priest to tread upon at Divine Service Groneland and Iseland were formerly parts of the Diocess of Truntheim but now this Bishoprick is not of so large an extent In the Castle resides the Governor of the whole Prefecture of Truntheim who has under him several other Governors of lesser Provinces In the Country a little beyond this City there grows no wood at all But instead thereof the inhabitants make use of fish-bones as well to build their houses and for several implements of housholdstuff as fuel and with the fat of the same fish they feed their Lamps in winter The Prefecture of Truntheim in the year 1658 was by the Danes surrendred up to the Swedes by a publick Treaty of Peace The next year they wrested it again out of the hands of the Swedish King but resign'd it back at the Treaty of Roschild Halgoland the Country of Ohther King Aelfred's Geographer is a part of this Prefecture Of which that Author gave this account to the King his Master ê§ nan man ne bude be Nor ðh an him i. e. That no inhabited Country lay further North then this But the great fishing trade upon these Coasts have made the English better acquainted with these parts then this Gentleman was with his own Country The Prefecture of Wardhus THE Castle of Wardhus the seat of the fifth and last great Governor in the Kingdom of Norway has its name from the Island Warda in which it stands This Isle lyes about two German miles from the main land of Finmark being near twelve English miles in compass The inhabitants of this and the two adjoining Isles which in Finmark go all under the general name of Trunsolem live only upon Stockfish which they dry in the frost They have no manner of Bread nor drink but what is brought them from other places Some small stock of Cattel they have but only such as can make a shift to live of their masters diet dryed fish Finmark or Norwegian Lapland ON the North of Norway lies Finmark or as the Natives use to call it Taakemark which perhaps was the ancient habitation of the Finni mentioned by Tacitus For the character which that Historian gives us of those people is very applicable to the modern Finmarkers The Finni says he are a people extraordinary savage and miserably poor They have neither Horses Arms House nor Home but feed upon roots and such provision as their Bows and Arrows can procure and are clothed with the skins of wild beasts To this day Finmark is not divided as all other Countries generally are into distinct Lordships and Inheritances but as in Mr. Hobbes's state of nature every private man pretends a right and title to every part of the Land and the strength of the Arm is the only Judge of controversies When fishing season comes in they throng to the Sea-coasts and when that is over retire again into the uplands Only the Islanders in Heymeland keep their stations and have their Churches in Trom Suro Maggero and other places The language manners and habits of the people are the same as in the Swedish Lapland of which an account has been already given Of the ancient Commerce between the old Britains English and Norwegians THo the relations which our English writers give us of the prowess and brave exploits of the valiant British King Arthur savour too much of Romance yet in the main our best Historians agree unanimously in this that no Prince ever conquer'd more of the Northern Kingdoms then this King W. Lambert in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 assures us that all the Islands Nations and Kingdoms in the North and East Seas as far as Russia were tributary to him And Geoffry of Monmouth says King Arthur at one time summon'd no less then six Kings to appear before him at his Court in Britain viz. 1. Guillaumur King of Ireland 2. Malvase King of Iseland 3. Doldaff King of Gothland 4. Gunnase King of Orkney 5. Lot King of Norway And 6. Aschile King of Denmark Upon these conquests the Kingdom of Norway was annexed to the Crown of England and the Norwegians incorporated into one Nation with the Britains But this amity was of no long continuance for Norway was at too great a distance
his Son Charles succeeded Matthias in all his Titles and Dominions The Bohemians fearing he might prove as severe a persecutor of the Protestants in that Kingdom as his predecessor had been refus'd to acknowledg him their King but immediately upon his being proclaim'd Emperor proffer'd the Crown of Bohemia to Frideric V. Count Palatine of the Rhine who accepted their kindness Which so highly enraged the Emperor that he resolved to use his utmost endeavours wholly to ruin and overthrow the Protestant party Whereupon ensued that bloody German war of almost thirty years continuance which was at last happily concluded by the Westphalian Treaty of Peace in the year 1648. After a troublesom reign of seventeen years spent in a continual Civil war which had ruined and laid waste the greatest part of the Empire he dyed at Vienna leaving his distracted Empire to his Son 1637. Ferdinand III. who the year before his Fathers death was elected King of the Romans He carried on the war which his Father had begun with variety of success He obtain'd a great victory over the Protestant party at Ratisbon and broke the vast power of the Swedes at the battel of Norlingen But afterwards being forsaken by most of the Princes of the Empire he was forc'd to think of procuring a peace by fair means and Treaty Accordingly the Articles of Peace between the Emperor and the other Princes and Estates of the Empire were sealed at Munster and Osnaburg the Popish Agents keeping their residence at the former of these Cities and the Protestants in the latter A. D. 1648. In the year 1653 Ferdinand IV. this Emperors eldest Son was elected King of the Romans at Augsburg by an unanimous consent of all the Electors and within a month after solemnly Crown'd at Ratisbon But dying within a year after his Coronation he never liv'd to inherit the Throne of his Father who surviv'd till the third of April in the year 1657. 1658. Leopold the present Emperor of Germany and Son of Ferdinand III. was elected on the eighth day of July after a vacancy of fifteen months into his Fathers Throne and Crowned at Francfurt the twenty-second day of the same month He is a mild peaceful and religious Prince a great lover and encourager of Learning and more conversant in the study of Books then Arms. Whether his young Son now living who is not yet full three years old will be elected King of the Romans or the growing Interest of the French King may engage a party strong enough for the Dauphin is a question that time only can resolve Of the Power of the GERMAN Emperors THO the words Imperator and Rex seem to signifie the same thing yet the general consent of all Nations hath for many years distinguish'd between an Emperor and a King and given the former the preeminence All the European Monarchs that write themselves Kings do willingly and readily give place to the Emperor of Germany whose Ambassadors in foreign Courts are always first admitted to Audience David Vngnade the Emperor of Germany's Ambassador at the Court of Constantinople having design'd to take formal leave of the Sultan was admitted to Audience for that purpose but observing the most honourable place in the Presence-Chamber taken up by the Persian Ambassador and not like to be resign'd he flung away and had left the Sultan and Court in a huff if the Persian had not which he afterwards was forc'd to do given him the place and seated himself below him 'T is well known that from Julius Caesar the Roman Emperors got the name of Caesares and every one of them after Octavian got the trick of surnaming himself Augustus In Germany the Emperor is to this day stiled Der Keyser or Caesar and he always writes himself zur aller zeit Mehrer des reichs which the Germans make to signifie the same with semper Augustus Further it is the generally receiv'd opinion amongst the Commonalty and the tradition is stifly asserted and maintain'd by many of their most famous writers that the German Empire is the same with that which the Romans anciently pretended to and hence it is that they call their Emperor Der Romischer Kayser that is The Roman Cesar and the German Empire Das heilige Romische Reich that is The holy Roman Empire I shall not here stay to enquire after the large extent of the old Roman Empire or the power and authority of their Emperors 'T is sufficient to know that Petronius's Verse Orbem jam totum Victor Romanus habebat was only an hyperbolical rant And when St. Luke tell sus there went out a decree from Cesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed he means no more by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then the several Provinces and Territories of which the Romans had then made themselves Masters So that tho we should grant which we shall find but little reason to do that the whole power and authority of the Roman Cesars descended upon the German Emperors it will not thence follow what some of the High Dutch writers endeavour to make out that all the Princes of Europe to go no further ought to pay some homage or acknowledgment to the Emperor of Germany But we cannot indeed allow them so much as this that the German Emperors have any right or title to the ancient Roman Empire The original of this conceit sprung hence Charles the Great in the year 800 coming to Rome upon some religious account or other and not to lay claim to that City was unexpectedly saluted by Pope Leo III. and the Citizens by the title of ROMANORUM IMPERATOR AUGUSTUS But what a sorry kind of Empire the Romans could then pretend to is well known The Western parts of their ancient Empire Germany and France were already in Charles's possession and the Soveraignty which that City once challenged in Spain and other parts of Europe was quite lost Nay in Italy it self the Pope and Citizens of Rome had nothing left to dispose of except that City and some few small Towns which this Charles the Great and his Father had taken from the Lombards by force of Arms and annex'd to the Dominions of the Bishop of Rome Whence it will appear that Charles the Great got little more then a bare Title at Rome and that some other considerations as the vast extent of the German Empire beyond the narrow compass of any European Kingdom has moved all the Western Monarchs to give place to the Emperor Besides the crafty Bishops of Rome have always made it their business to diminish the Emperor's power and grandeur lest it should eclipse their own By which means the Authority which the Emperors do still retain is scarce sufficient to secure them from contempt and the Imperial Crown brings little more dominion along with it tho much more honourable then that of an inferior Monarch It is an undoubted prerogative of every great Monarch in the world to confer Titles of Honour as Dukes
Marquisses Earls Lords c. on whom they please and to grant the priviledges of the most ancient Families of what Ordersoever within the bounds of their own Kingdoms to any who they fancy deserves their favour But in this the Emperor surpasses them all in that he challenges a power of creating Kings which is a piece of Authority never pretended to by any other Potentate Thus the Emperor Otho III. made Poland a Kingdom in the year 1001 which before that time was govern'd by a Duke Henry IV. did the like for Bohemia in the year 1086 and Charles the Brave Duke of Burgundy desired the same kindness of the Emperor Frideric III. but could not obtain it The Popes of Rome have for a long time laid claim to this Prerogative as appears from their frequent excommunicating and deposing of Kings in every Country in Christendom Nay they go further and challenge a power of deposing the Emperor himself at their pleasure and creating a new one in his place as has been sufficiently shew'n in the foregoing Chapter But how empty and vain these pretensions are may be learned from the single example of Pope Pius V. who endeavoured to create Cosmo di Medices Great Duke of Tuscany For the Emperor Maximilian II. opposed the design and first made Cosmo receive the Title from him and afterwards forced the Pope to confess that he had exceeded and transgress'd the bounds of his power If any Prince in Germany chance to be a notorious delinquent and disturber of the common peace of the Empire it is not in the power of the Emperor alone to divest such an offendor of his Honour and Dignity or to banish him the Empire Such punishments cannot be inflicted without the consent of the Electors who are to judge of the nature of the misdemeanor and give in their opinions to the Imperial Chamber Where the States of the Empire view the determination and take care the sentence be executed according to Law The Emperor at his Coronation is sworn not to infringe or violate the Priviledges and Properties of any free State in the Empire and therefore cannot mitigate or augment any Tax or Subsidy which either a Prince Regent of the Empire or an Imperial City thinks fit to levy amongst their own Subjects Besides he has no authority to punish a malefactor or raise money in the Territories of these Free States Nor is it lawful for him to advance a Subject of any of these States to any Honour but what shall be consistent with the Allegiance he owes to that particular Prince or City whose more immediate Subject he is In time of War he cannot command any Free State or Prince to assist him with men or money but must be forc'd to undergo the whole burthen thereof himself except it be the private interest of some peculiar Prince to stand by him However tho they are not very ready to take his part in every offensive quarrel he engages himself in yet most of them stick close to him when invaded by a foreign enemy and the common interest of the Empire lies at stake And indeed it nearly concerns the Free States of the Empire to be cautious of assisting and encourageing the Emperor's engaging himself in any other then a Defensive war For if he should by conquest enlarge his Dominions they were in danger of being curb'd and brought under but if on the contrary the victory should go on the enemies side they would all certainly suffer as his Accomplices The overgrown Authority of the Popes of Rome has amongst other encroachments upon the Imperial Prerogative rob'd the Emperor of his ancient Right of conferring Ecclesiastical Benefices and Bishoprics on whom he pleases 'T is well known in what subjection the Bishops of Rome liv'd under the Government of their ancient Emperors however they have Lorded it for these late years As soon as the Emperor Constantine the Great removed the Empire from Rome to Constantinople the Popes began to have more elbow-room and taking hold of the opportunity laid the first foundation of their own greatness upon the ruins of the decaying power of the Emperor in Italy Another advantage they made of the blind zeal of the neighbouring Princes who were exceeding fervent in carrying on the Catholic cause till they had enabled the Popes to arrogate to themselves the Title of Vniversal Bishops But still the Lombards who had overrun the greatest part of Italy kept these Usurpers under until Pepin and his Son Charlemaigne undertook their protection and added to their Riches the Revenue of several Towns and Provinces taken from the Lombards These good offices obliged the Roman Bishops to a return of gratitude which they express'd by doing homage to the said Princes for the Territories of Ravenna and Pentapolis or Romagnia which Pepin had liberally bestowed on them and making over to Charles the Great for ever the Right and Prerogative of chusing Popes After this Emperor's death some of the ambitious Clergy who found they had not interest enough in the Emperor's Court to compass their ends went to Rome where they got themselves chosen Popes and prevail'd with the easie Emperors of Germany to confirm the Election From these beginnings they arose by degrees to that height as to take upon them the power of electing and degrading of Emperors at their pleasure nay of trampling the Majesty of the Emperors under their feet as Pope Alexander III. serv'd Frideric Barbarossa And we cannot imagine that they who had thus magnified themselves above all Temporal Monarchs as they were pleased to distinguish should stick to the old Decree of accepting the Popedom at the Emperors hands Accordingly Leo IX having receiv'd the Bishopric of Rome from the hands of Henry IV. repented of his so doing and divesting himself of his Papal Robes march'd to Rome as a private person where he was elected anew by the Clergy After which time the Popes begun to invert Charles the Great 's Statute ordering that none should be honour'd and obey'd as lawful Emperor of Germany but those who receiv'd the Imperial Crown at their hands And some of them were so insolent as to affirm that there was as much difference between Popes and Emperors as betwixt the Sun and Moon intending from thence to infer that as the Moon has no light but what she borrows from the Sun so the Emperor has no power or Majesty but what the Pope bestows on him But they did on t always meet with such tame Emperors as would undergo their yoke and since Charles the Fifth's time who took the Pope of Rome prisoner there has not been one Emperor that has fetch'd his Crown from Rome The house of Austria have in a great measure recover'd the ancient power and priviledges of the German Emperors and probably the Pope's Authority would have decayed a great deal more in this time had not the Jesuites who swarm in the Court of Vienna been diligent in working the mild temper of their
present religious Emperor into a compliance with whatever they buz into his ears How the Emperors lost the power of Investiture c. we shall shew more at large when we come to treat of the Ecclesiastical Estate of the Empire In all Proclamations Patents Decrees c. the Titles of their present Emperor run as follows Leopold I. by the Grace of God Emperor Kayser of the Romans always Augustus Mehrer des Reichs c. King of Germany Hungary Bohemia Dalmatia Croatia Slavonia Bulgaria Bosnia Servia and Rescia Arch-Duke of Austria Duke of Burgundy Brabant Styria Carinthia Carniola Luxemburg Wittenberg together with the higher and lower Silesia Marquess of the Holy Empire Burgaw Moravia with the higher and farther Lusace Earl of Habsburg Tyrole Ferrete Kiburg Goritia c. Landtgrave of Alsace Lord of Windischamrck Portnaw and Salins For what more peculiarly relates to the Emperor as Arch-Duke of Austria we refer the Reader to the Description of that Country where he may also expect an account of the grandeur of the Emperors Court Retinue Servants c. Of the Election and Coronation of the GERMAN EMPERORS THE principal Members of the German Empire next to the Emperor himself are the Eight Electors viz. the Archbishops of Mentz Triers Colen who are also Arch-Chancellors of the Empire the first in Germany the second in France and the Kingdom of Arles and the third in Italy the King of Bohemia Cup-bearer to the Emperor the Duke of Bavaria Great Steward of the Empire the Duke of Saxony Grand Marshal or Constable the Marquess of Brandenburgh Great Chamberlain and lasty the Prince Palatine of the Rhine Cheif Treasurer of the Empire These Eight for so many they have been since the Westphalian Treaty tho heretofore only Seven have Right and Authority to Elect the Emperor and also to Depose him when by his enormous crimes or unmanly idleness he neglects the Honour of the Empire the public good and the duty of his place Thus they serv'd Wenceslaus tho advanc'd to the Imperial Throne at the request of his Father Charles the Fourth who had deserv'd far better things at their hands for composing the Aurea Bulla of which more hereaster The Archbishop of Mentz has several times taken upon him to remind such Emperors as have not suited with his humour of this grand power of the Electors and to threaten them with the execution of it if they should not alter their courses At what time the power of chusing the Emperors was first committed to those Princes who to this day bear the Title of Electors is not easily determin'd It is certain that Charles the Great transmitted the Imperial Dignity to his posterity by way of Succession And the same Right continued for some ages in his Family until some of his Successors falling far short of this incomparable Emperor were thought unfit to Govern Whereupon the Empire was offer'd to Otho Duke of Saxony and upon his refusal given to Conrad Duke of Franconia After his death Henry Duke Otho's Son was Elected Emperor by a general consent of all the Princes and Estates of the Empire and was succeeded afterwards by his Son Otho I. who obtain'd the Crown by the same means This way of Succession from Father to Son was observ'd till Henry IV. who coming to the Crown when he was a Child and managing it very ill when he was of years to have govern'd better was contemn'd and sleighted by the Lords of the Empire And Pope Gregory VII taking this opportunity of magnifying his own Authority in the German Empire excommunicated him and declaring him unfit to sway the Imperial Scepter order'd him to be deposed which was a thing before that time never heard of in the Empire Whereupon the Rebel Princes thinking themselves absolv'd from their Allegiance Elected Rudolph Duke of Schwaben into the Emperor Henry's place and made a Law That the Right of Succession should be therein abolished and the Power of chusing Emperors committed to the people What Anarchy and confusion follow'd upon this Decree the German Histories will sufficiently inform us But in process of time the less considerable part of the Rabble of Electors were depriv'd of their late gain'd right and priviledge of chusing Emperors the whole power being usurp'd by a few of the chief Officers in the Imperial Court From the year 1250 till 1500 it was the general opinion of all Historians that the Emperor Otho III. and Pope Gregory V. reduc'd the number of Electors to Seven only in this the Authors of those times cannot agree Whether the Emperor or Pope had the greater Authority in settling the Affair But this opinion has of later years been strongly oppos'd by most learned writers and 't is highly probable that more then Seven had voices in the Election of Emperors until the time of Frideric II. For Otho Frisingensis assures us that Henry II. was chosen by all the Lords of the Empire and after his death Conrad Duke of Franconia was advanced into his place by the consent of the same Electors Henry III. Conrad's Son was likewise Elected tho we are not told by whom The Abbot of Vrsperg tells us that Henry IV. was raised to the Imperial Dignity by the Bishops of Germany that Henry V. was chosen by an unanimous consent of all the members of the German Empire that Lotharius II. was made Emperor by two Archbishops eight Bishops with several Abbots and Lords of the Imperial Court that Conrad III. was admitted into the Throne the Duke of Saxony not being call'd to the Election and the See of Mentz being then vacant that Frideric Barbarossa was chosen by all the German Princes that Philip was Elected Emperor by the Suevians Bavarians and Saxons that Otho IV. had the Scepter from the Citizens of Colen Strasburg and some other Imperial Cities This Otho was afterwards excommunicated by the Pope of Rome and Frideric King of Sicily Elected into his room by the voices of the King of Bohemia the Dukes of Austria and Bohemia the Landtgrave of Thuringen and several other Princes of the Empire Hitherto we see the Emperors were not chosen by any set number of Electors tho it is likely that those Princes who have now got the sole power into their hands had even in those times the greatest share of authority in all Elections as being the most potent members of the Empire But when after the death of Frideric II. no man for many years took care of the supreme Government in this deplorable condition of the German Empire Seven of the chief Princes by taking upon them as is probable the management of all public affairs laid the first foundation of the Electoral dignity which was afterwards confirm'd to them by the Emperor Charles the Fourth's Aurea Bulla The reasons why the number of Electors was reduced to Seven was this because that if in any Election six of the voices chanc'd to be equally divided the seventh Elector might cast the ballance to that side where
he could rationally suppose there was the most merit And 't was prudently order'd that three of the Electors should be Churchmen that they having no prospect of being themselves Elected into the Imperial Throne might curb the ambition of any secular Elector who without desert should pretend to the Crown Amongst the many acts of absolute Soveraignty whereby the Emperor Ferdinand II. disobliged a great part of the States of the Empire the transferring the Electoral Dignity from Frideric V. Count Palatine of the Rhine to Maximilian Duke of Bavaria was the highliest resented And at the Westphalian Treaty the Ambassadors found it no small difficulty to reconcile the differences which hereby were occasion'd between the two Princes The Duke of Bavaria utterly refus'd to consent to the Peace except he might be suffer'd quietly to enjoy the Electorate which he fancied his deserts might justly challenge and the Emperor as lawfully confer on him On the other side the Prince Palatine as obstinately demanded a restitution of the Dignity taken from him alledging the just Title his Ancestors always had to this Honour Both their pretensions were thought plausible and both of them met with resolute Assertors in the Treaty At last it was agreed that the Duke of Bavaria should have an Electorship confirm'd to him and his posterity and an Eighth should be new Erected for Charles Ludowic Prince Palatine of the Rhine provided that if the Wilhelmine branch happen'd to fail before the Rodolphine the Princes Palatine should re-enter upon their ancient Electorate and the Title of the Dukes of Bavaria to any such Dignity be wholly abolished The Right of Electing is not conferr'd on the person of any of the Electors but annex'd to their Electoral Principalities and Estates insomuch that if the King of Bohemia can make out his Title to that Kingdom the Prince Palatine to the Palatinate the Duke of Saxony to his Dukedom and the Marquess of Brandenburgh to his Marquisate they may all justly lay claim to the Title and Dignity of Electors So that as long as there is any male issue in any of the Electoral Families the power of giving a voice in the Election of an Emperor cannot be taken away from that House The Electoral Dignity is so great that some have thought it equal to Regal Authority and in this indeed the Electors excel Kings in that they have power to create Emperors which no other Potentates in Christendom can pretend to The King of Bohemia except when in a Diet for the Election of an Emperor used to give place to several of them And there were hot disputes heretofore between the Elector of Brandenburgh and Rodolph II. King of Hungary about precedency But certainly there is little reason that any Elector excepting the King of Bohemia should pretend to stand upon equal terms with a Monarch The last Duke of Burgundy of the Blood Royal of France demanded and obtain'd precedence of all the Electors at the Council of Basil And 't is observable that so long as the Elector of Bohemia was only a Duke he had the lowest place in every Election but having once obtain'd the Title of King he took place of all his Collegues because it was not thought fit that a Royal person Crown'd and Anointed should give place to those that were but barely Electors The order of precedency which the Electoral Princes observe amongst themselves is as follows 1. The Archbishop of Mentz Arch-Chancellor of Germany takes place of all the rest As soon as the Imperial Throne is vacant 't is his Office to warn his Collegues to repair either in their own persons or by their Deputies within three months after the date of his Letters Patents to Francfurt upon the Mein in order to the Election of a new Emperor 2. The Archbishop of Triers Arch-Chancellor of the Kingdoms of France and Arles where by France we are not to understand all the Territories subject at this day to the French King but such only as were formerly parts of the Kingdom of Burgundy and came into the hands of the Germans in the Eleventh Century He has the first vote in the Election 3. The Archbishop of Colen Arch-Chancellor of Italy that is of the Kingdom of the Lombards and the small remains of the ancient Roman Empire He has the second vote and usually puts the first or German Crown upon the head of the new chosen Emperor 4. The King of Bohemia to whom the Sachsenspiegel or Body of the old Saxon Laws denies a vote in any Election tho the Aurea Bulla says expresly he has the third vote in the Diet. Whence it appears that the manner of Elections was alter'd in Charles the Fourth's time from what it was in the Thirteenth Century when the Sachsenspiegel was first published 5. The Count Palatine of the Rhine who has the fourth vote at Elections 'T is his peculiar prerogative to sit Judge at the Imperial Court when any Suit is commenc'd against the Emperor 6. The Duke of Saxony Arch-Marshal of the Empire He is Sword-bearer to the Emperor and has the fifth voice at an Election 7. The Marquess of Brandenburgh Lord Chamberlain of the Empire who in any solemn procession bears the Scepter before the Emperor and has the sixth vote at his Election Note This account is to be understood of the State of the Electors before the quarrel between the Prince Palatine and the Duke of Bavaria upon the Emperor Ferdinand's suspension of the former in the year 1623. Tho the case be now alter'd upon the Duke of Bavaria's Right confirm'd to him by the Westphalian Treaty before-mention'd yet since the Elector of Bavaria pretends to no other Title then what anciently belong'd to the Princes Palatine and the Dignity may possibly return again to that House these rules of precedency may still hold good Notwithstanding the account already given of the Order and Rank of the Electors the Duke of Saxony and Prince Palatine may seem to have the preeminence before any others For these two the former in all parts of the Empire govern'd by the Saxon Law the latter in Schwaben and all places where the Francic Laws are observ'd rule the Empire in time of an Interregnum Many late writers of the Roman Church have been zealous in attributing this Prerogative to the Pope whom they would have to be the Emperor's Vicar as well as Christ's But this assertion is contrary to the fundamental Laws of the German Empire and we cannot hear of any Record of Antiquity which will testifie for them that ever any such power was granted by the Emperor The said Electors have power during the vacancy of the Imperial Throne to determine all manner of Law-suits to gather the revenues and incomes of the Crown and in the name of the whole Empire to tender and require an Oath of Allegiance Only they may not dispose of the Lands of any Prince of the Empire or others of the Nobility that have their Lands confirm'd to
made use of at such a solemnity was a wreath of white Scarffs wherewith they bound the heads of their Kings The Elector of Colen for a long time perform'd the Ceremony of Coronation but because the Archbishops of that See have not been Priests for many years the Archbishop of Mentz has executed the office for this last Century At the Coronation of the Emperor Ferdinand III. there arose a grand dispute betwixt the Elector of Colen who at that time was a Priest and the Archbishop of Mentz the former demanding a restitution of the Honour which did formerly belong to his See and the later asserting his right from the example of his Predecessors who had long enjoy'd it However the Archbishop of Colen was overthrown and the Archbishop of Mentz perform'd the office and in so doing some say only preserv'd a right which many ages before had belong'd to his predecessors At the Coronation the King of Bohemia carries the Crown the Elector of Bavaria bears the Globe the Duke of Saxony the Sword and the Marquess of Brandenburgh the Scepter Of the King of the ROMANS THat there may be a King of the Romans chosen while the Emperor is living is a matter of fact which none can be ignorant of who are conversant in the writings of the modern German Historians Thus Charles IV. Wenceslaus Maximilian I. II. Rodolph II. Ferdinand III. IV. were all elected in the life-time of their Predecessors However many of their Civilians question the lawfulness of the Election fancying that by this means the Electors may disturb the peace of the Empire by setting up two Princes at once who by Election have a just Title to the Imperial Crown The consequence indeed may be dangerous but there is no disputing the Authority of those who doubtless have as great power in appointing the Emperor a Successor when they please as they have in deposing him 'T is ordinary in some of the High Dutch writers to mean the Emperor when they speak of the King of the Romans and till of late years there was no difference between them But now there are many marks of distinction As 1. The King of the Romans bears for his Arms the Eagle with one head the Emperor with two 2. The former is only stiled Augustus but the later Semper Augustus 3. The Emperor in his Letters Patents directed to the King of the Romans begins his Compellation with Vnsern Liebten i. e. To our Beloved c. but the King in his Answers complements the Emperor with the Title of Ihre Majestaet i. e. Tour Majesty Lastly the King of the Romans always acknowledges the Emperor his Superior and has no authority of his own during the Emperors life When the Emperor is absent or employed in other affairs he usually takes upon him the administration of the Empire and after the Emperors death succeeds without any further Election The first occasion of Electing a King of the Romans proceeded from a politic contrivance of the Emperors who by this means got the Imperial Crown secured to their own Family For making use of their power and authority while themselves sat in the Throne they could easily obtain the favour of the Electors to chuse a Son Nephew or other Relation to be King of the Romans which at last being grown customary prov'd almost as considerable kindness to the House of Austria as if they had entail'd the Empire upon that Family For das Heilige Romische Reich or the Holy Roman Kingdom signifies the same thing in the German Tongue as the Sacred Empire and 't is all one to chuse any Prince King of the Romans as to Elect him Emperor Of Dukes Counts and other Orders of Nobility in the GERMAN Empire THo the ancient Germans had litle or no Magistracy amongst them in time of peace Dukes yet both Julius Cesar and Tacitus agree in this that whenever they were engag'd in war they had one supreme Governor who ruled the Armies and gave laws to the multitude This superintendant of their forces they call'd Heertog or Heerzog a name which their Dukes to this day retain which signifies as much as the Latin word Dux or our Duke i. e. A Leader or Commander of an Army He was usually chosen in a general Assembly of the whole Country by a majority of voices and as soon as he was elected they set him upon a Banner and bore him upon their shoulders Which ceremony as Cluverius proves was afterwards observ'd by later Germans in the Election of their Kings and by the Roman Soldiers at the Coronation of their Emperors Julius Cesar tells us that these Dukes had power of life and death but Tacitus who was better acquainted with the state of Germany assures us they had no such authority They could indeed give counsel and orders to the Soldiers but had no power to punish offenders or correct the obstinate For in all probability there was not any manner of Judges in the Land that had the power of sentencing any offender to death When any controversie arose amongst the Commonalty Counts or Graven they were wont to chuse a Judg out of the Nobility of the Village where the quarrel begun These kind of Judges they call'd Grafen or Graven and their office was to determine all trifling disputes in their neighbourhood Meibomius in his learned Tract of Irmensul tells us that all Germany was anciently divided into Villages call'd by the inhabitants Gouwen and that each of these had their peculiar Judges thence nam'd Gowgraven Ein Graff says the Author of the Glossary upon the Saxon Spiegel bedeut nach altem Sachsischen Deutschen ein Richter i. e. Graf signifies a Judg in the old Saxon language Die Graven signifies properly the grey headed or elders of the people whence our King Edward the Confessor in the thirty-fifth Chapter of his Laws afterwards confirm'd by William the Conqueror tells us that the Low Dutch Greve is in effect the same with the English Eoldenmen now Aldermen This was the ancient state of the Dukes and Earls in Germany before the Romans overran some parts of that Land but whatever came into their hands was immediately divided into Provinces and govern'd as they themselves pleased Whence Duces and Comites were created by them in several places but such as had another kind of power committed to them then the aforesaid Hertzogen and Graven could pretend to In Roman Historians we meet with a great many of this sort such as Dux Germaniae primae Dux Moguntiacensis Dux Sequanicae Dux Rhetiae primae secundae Dux Belgicae secundae c. And Ammianus Marcellinus speaks of one Carietto whom he calls Comes per utramque Germaniam These had authority to raise Taxes and were invested with many other priviledges in the administration of justice which the others wanted But the Romans having never got any considerable footing on the East-side of the Rhine could not fix any of their fashions of Government in the Northern
parts of Germany So that these still retain'd their ancient forms until the Franks having made themselves Masters of all introduc'd new modes and establish'd a new sort of Government every-where For these Conquerors imitating the Romans reduc'd all Germany into Provinces over which they appointed so many Dukes who had authority to govern and to administer justice according to the tenure of their respective Commissions To these Dukes they sometimes added Assistants who were from their office which was to aid the Dukes in the management of great and weighty affairs call'd Counts or Comites The Dukes were always elected by the King and Nobility out of some illustrious Family yet so that if the deceased Duke's Son were capable and worthy of his Father's honour he was seldom rejected At last the power of these Dukes grew exceedingly great and terrible insomuch that 't was ordinary for several of them to deny to pay homage to the Emperors Which when Charles the Great observ'd he destroy'd the two great Dukedoms of the Francic Kingdom Aquitane and Bavaria by dividing them into several smaller Counties But not long after Charles's death the Emperors created new Dukes in most places where he had chang'd them into Counts Whereupon the Empire was quickly reduc'd to the former straits every Duke pretending to and exercising Regal authority in his own Province The first of these that grew formidably potent was Otho Duke of Saxony afterwards elected Emperor who tho he refus'd the Imperial Diadem and got it conferr'd on Conrad Duke of Franconia was always look'd upon as the most powerful Prince of the German Empire in his time After Otho's death the Emperor Conrad used all means possible to reduce the overgrown power of the Duke of Saxony to some tolerable mediocrity but his endeavours prov'd unsuccessful and Duke Henry stoutly maintain'd the Honours and Priviledges which his Father Otho had enjoy'd without disturbance From that time forward the Emperors lay under an obligation of creating new Dukes who getting into their hands the government of several potent Cities set up for almost absolute Princes Our Learned Antiquary Mr. Selden reckons up six several sorts of Graves or Counts which are these 1. Schlecht-Graven or simple Counts 2. Counts Palatine which as will be shew'n anon are subdivided into several other branches 3. Counts of the Empire 4. Marck-Graves or Counts of the Frontiers 5. Landt-Graves or Counts of Provinces 6. Burg-Graves or Counts of Cities and great Towns There was anciently a seventh sort Here-Graven who answer'd exactly to the primitive Dukes or Her-tzogen for as the office of these was to conduct and govern the Soldiers so the others were to determine all controversies as Field-Judges The Gefurstete Graven do not make a distinct species being nothing else then such Counts as besides their ordinary Title may challenge that of Furst or Prince In the old Laws and Constitutions of the Empire we meet with almost an innumerable company of inferior Officers who have the title of Graven bestow'd on them Such are 1. Cent-Grave he that had the government of an Hundred We may English the word High-Constable 2. Holtz-Grave or Wald-Grave Overseers of the Woods and Forests 3. Gograf of which before 4. Spiel-Grave the Master of the Revels 5. Hans-Grave a Title formerly given to the Chief Judg in all matters relating to Trade debated in the Diet at Ratisbon But we shall not weary the Reader with insisting upon these obsolete Titles of Honour contenting our selves with a short account of the six first kinds which are all our famous Antiquary beforemention'd has thought worthy his taking notice of The first are such as are stiled barely Counts Schlechtgraven without the addition of any more then the place which gives them that Title As Der Graf von Eissenburg Der Graf von Ortenberg c. There were formerly only four of this kind in the whole Empire who were ordinarily called Die vier Graven dess Heiligen Romischen Reichs i. e. The four Graves or Counts of the Holy Roman Empire These were the Counts of Cleve Schwartzenburg Ciley and Savoy But since the Counts of Cleve and Savoy were advanced to Dukes and the Family of the ancient Counts of Ciley was extinct which happen'd about two hundred years ago the Count of Schwartzenburg in Thuringen is the only Prince that bears that Title stiling himself usually to this day der vier Graven dess Reichs Grave zu Schwartzenburg i. e. of the four Counts of the Empire Count of Schwartzenburg Besides him there are now-a-days several other German Counts who may justly be referr'd to this head tho they have no Investiture into any Graffschaft or County but are only stiled Counts of some small Castle or inconsiderable Territories of which they are Lords Such are the Counts of Ottingen and Zollern who are supposed to be of the posterity of some of the ancient Counts of the Empire and thence retain the title tho not the grandeur and power of their Ancestors Counts Palatine call'd by the Germans Pfaltz-Graven Counts Palatine or Dess Heiligen Romischen Reichs Hoffe-Graven are such as have in their Title a certain eminence of their Dignity from a relation as their name denotes to the Emperors Court or Palace For Palatinus is but the possessive of Palatium and signifies no more then an Officer of the Houshold with us in England But this Title is twofold 1. Originally Feudal and annex'd to the name of some Territory or Grafschaft with such jura Imperii Majestatis as other ordinary Princes of the Empire have not as we see in the Title of the Counts Palatine of the Rhine 2. Meerly Personal without the addition of any particular Territory proper to him that hath the Dignity Both the Title and Nature of this later kind are originally to be fetcht from the Examples of the old Roman Empire but the former tho the Nature of it may be found in the ancient Constitutions of the Roman Empire under the name of Praefectus Praetorio yet was in ordinary use as to the Name and Title only in the Francic Kingdom For there was in the Court of the Francic Kings long before their Kingdom was chang'd into an Empire a chief Officer known by the name of Comes Palatii or Count Palatine who had a Vice-Regency under the King in like sort as the Praefecti Praetorio in the elder Empire or the old Chief Justice of England under our ancient Kings that is he had the exercise of supreme Jurisdiction in the name of the King in all causes that came to the Kings immediate audience I suppose the Office of Hofmeister used to this day in every German Prince's Court is a relique of this Palatinate And that Comes Palatii might easily signifie the same thing with Praefectus Praetorio or Hofmeister will not be difficult for any man to imagine that shall consider the signification which the word Comes had amongst the ancient Romans in the usual compellation of
death Elected Emperor Whereupon he conferr'd the Marquisate of Brandenburg upon his Brother 17. Sigismund King of Hungary and Bohemia who succeeding his Brother in the Empire sold the Marquisate to Jodocus Duke of Moravia but afterwards having redeem'd it out of the hand of William Marquise of Misnia to whom Jodicus had mortgaged it conferr'd it upon Frideric Burggraf of Noremberg at the Council of Constance in the year 1417. From which time we may begin to reckon up the third and last Catalogue of the Marquises of Brandenburg as follows 1. Frideric Burggraf of Noremberg was in consideration of his good services done against the Rebels in Hungary and Bohemia created as before said Marquise of Brandenburg paying only for his Investiture 400000 Crowns His Son 2. Frideric II. succeeded his Father Surnamed for his peevish and cruel temper the Marquise with the Iron teeth He was made Duke of Pomeren by the Emperor Frideric III. but his Brother 3. Albert relinquished all but the bare Title in Pomeren leaving nothing to his Successors but the name which they have hitherto kept of Dukes of Pomeren However he is said to have been so remarkable at some acts of Chivalry that the usual Titles conferr'd on him by Pope Pius II. were Achilles Germanicus and Vlisses Teutonicus He died at Francfurt at the Election of the Emperor Maximilian in the year 1494. His Son 4. John is reported to have been a Prince as eloquent as his Father was valiant and therefore he is commonly stiled Cicero Germanicus He left the Marquisate in the year 1499 to his Son 5. Joachim As great a Lover as his Father was a Master of Eloquence Founder of the University at Francfurt and first authorizer of the Reform'd Religion in Brandenburg 6. Joachim II. succeeded his Father and in the year 1534 got himself and his followers no small credit in a brave Expedition against the Turks at that time the common Enemy of the German Empire His Son and Successor 7. John George govern'd a long time in peace and prosperity During his life his Son 8. Joachim Frideric was Administrator of the Archbishopric of Magdeburg and after his Father's death govern'd the Marquisate of Brandenburg with the same peaceable meekness and piety He had the usual blessing of good and religious men the happiness to be a Father of many Children whereof the eldest 9. John Sigismund succeeded him He married Ann Daughter of Albert-Frideric Duke of Prussia and Mary Eleanor his Wife Daughter of William I. Duke of Cleve who married his Daughter to the said Duke as he did all the rest to other Princes with promise that upon the decease of her Brethren without issue she and her Heirs should succeed to all his Territories Upon this Title the present Elector of Brandenburg lays claim to the Dukedoms of Cleve Juliers and Bergen or the Mountains with the County of Ravensburg 10. George-William Son to John Sigismund and the Lady Ann beforemention'd claim'd in his Mother's right the Dukedoms aforesaid together with the Barony of Ravenstein All which were parted betwixt him and his Cousin-German Wolfgangus Palatine of Newburg and Son of Magdalen younger Sister to Mary-Eleanor But falling out at last about the division of their Territories they engaged their Friends and Allies in the broil the Palatine having call'd in to his assistance the Forces of Spain and the Elector John Sigismund in behalf of his Son the Confederate States of the Netherlands After the death of Bugislaus Duke of Pomeren 't was hoped he might succeed into that Dukedom also but how the Swede balk'd those expectations in the Treaty of Munster we have already inform'd the Reader This Marquise's Son 11. Frideric William is at present Elector of Brandenburg a Prince wise valiant religious temperate chast and in a word master of all the noble virtues without the least mixture of vices of his Countryand Family He was born in the year 1620 and upon his Father's death declared Elector in the year 1656. He has several Children by both his Wives before mention'd whereof the eldest Son or Electoral Prince Charles Emile was born the sixth of February in the year 1655. Tho the Elector of Saxony was formerly look'd upon as a much more potent Prince then the Marquise of Brandenburg Strength and for that reason has always taken place of him at the Elections of the Emperors yet certainly the case is much alter'd at present and the many accessions to the Elector of Brandenburg's Dominions whereof the present Marquise and his predecessors have made themselves Masters in these last ages have render'd him the most powerful and formidable Prince next to the Austrian Family in the German Empire Besides the Marquisate of Brandenburg he challenges the Dukedoms of Magdeburg Preussen Juliers Cleves Bergen Stetin Pomeren Casubia Vandalia Silesia Crossen and Jagerndorff Again he writes himself Duke of Rugen Prince of Halberstadt and Minden Earl of the Marck and Ravensberg and lastly Baron of Ravenstein The Marquise of Brandenburg's chief interest seems to consist in a firm adherence to the King of Denmark Interest who possibly is the only Prince can secure him from the encroachments of his neighbour the Swede Next to the Swedes he is most jealous of the Dukes of Saxony as having observed them more favoured by the House of Austria in the controversie about the Dukedoms of Juliers and Cleves then himself This obliged him to compose the differences betwixt himself and the Duke of Newburg upon easier terms then otherwise he would have been willing to have done The King of Poland is another terrible neighbour on the coasts of Prussia and therefore the Elector not daring to repose too great a confidence in a Prince who pretends a right to the Ducal as well as Regal Prussia is obliged to keep a constant and strong Army upon those coasts In the year 1657 this question was moved Whether the Elector of Brandenburg might lawfully be deprived of all the Territories which he held in Prussia as Dependances on the Crown of Poland upon his having enter'd into a League with the King of Sweden at that time declared Enemy to Poland The Polish Lawyers urged in the affirmative that the Elector was the King of Poland's Vassal and therefore forfeited his Lands by entering into a Confederacy with his Master's Enemies But certainly when we consider in what a miserable condition poor King Casimir was and how unable to defend either himself or his Subjects and again how probable 't was that in this conjuncture the Swedish Army would have swallow'd up the whole Dukedom of Prussia as it had already the greatest part of the Kingdom of Poland without being obliged to quit the field by such a Treaty the Poles had greater reason to thank the Elector for preserving by this expedient some part of their King's Dominions from the common destruction then to condemn him for wisely shunning the ruin which King Casimir had brought upon this Kingdom There are
them in the year 1648 which have not since been rebuilt However the place is still beautified with a fair Church College and Town-Hall and the Streets especially the Market-place which is in an exact square are generally neat and uniform Oelsse had anciently its own Duke who kept his residence in that City but upon the death of Duke Conrad the Eighth in the year 1492. the Dukedom was given to the Dukes of Munsterberg who have ever since been Lords of it In this Principality are reckon'd the small Cities of Bernstatt Festenberg Kunstatt Stroppen Mosebahr Hundsfeld and Trebnitz VI. The City and Dukedom of BRESLAW BRESLAW or Wratislavia the Metropolis of Silesia has its name from Wratislaus a Bohemian Prince its first Founder whence the Citizens bear a great W in their Coat of Arms to this day 'T is seated at the confluence of the two Rivers Oder and Ohla in a rich and pleasant Country Towards the North indeed there are some Marshes and moist fields whence are now and then some unwholesome gales sent into the Town and the whole City is reported to have been built in the place of a great Pond dried up The Citizens who are exceedingly numerous by reason of their great Traffick with the Hungarians Bohemians Polanders and other foreign Merchants who resort hither are said to be as neat and gentile in their Clothes and Cookery as any other of the Emperor's Subjects whatever Breslawers love to be esteem'd immediate members of the German Empire and cannot endure to be reckon'd a part of the Kingdom of Bohemia Hence 't is that they have obtain'd leave of the Emperors to bear the spred Eagle in their Escutcheon and that they petitioned Charles V. to confirm their priviledges For this reason M. Boregius a Breslawer who wrote a Chronicle of the Kings of Bohemia ranks Breslaw among the Imperial Cities but ne're mention it with the King of Bohemia's Towns altho it be certain that 't was formerly subject to that Prince This Goldastus in his learned Treatise of the Kingdom of Bchemia evidently proves notwithstanding what is usually alledg'd as an argument to the contrary by some ignorant and silly Historians that it was once one of the Hans-Towns The generality of the buildings in this City are fair and stately only on the banks of the Oder stand four old fashion'd Fabricks with Turrets on the top which the Antiquaries of this place fancy to have been the ancient Palaces of so many Schwabish Princes who in former days were Lords of this City Besides the vast traffick of the Citizens the Town is famous for a Bishop's See and an University wherein have been bred many learn'd men and some great Writers The Bishops of this Diocese who had anciently the Epiphet or Title of Golden given them from their vast revenues are put in by the King of Bohemia whom they acknowledg their supreme Head at least in Temporals 'T is a receiv'd Tradition in these parts that the Kings of Bohemia have no power to promote a stranger to any Bishopric in Silesia so that a Bohemian is no more capable of being advanced to one of their Dioceses then a Silesian is of being preferr'd to the Archbishopric of Prague But how false this report is Historians will sufficiently inform us Boleslaus Dukedom surnam'd the Long a Polish Prince was created the first Duke of Breslaw and Lignitz by the Emperor Frideric in the year 1163. But these kind of petty Princes not being able to secure their Territories and especially this large and rich City which was a bait sufficient to tempt the most potent Prince of the neighbourhood from the incursions of the Tartars Polanders and other foreign Enemies the Citizens of Breslaw were forced to put themselves under the protection of the Kings of Bohemia or as they will have it Emperors of Germany to whom they are now immediately subject VII The Town and Dukedom of LIGNITZ LIGNITZ a fair City on the banks of a small Rivulet call'd Katsbach is thought to have its name from the Lygii City a German people the ancient inhabitants of this part of Silesia About the year of Christ 1170 this Town was much enlarg'd beautified and fortified by Boleslaus the Long the first Duke of Lignitz After him Duke Frideric the second so far improv'd his predecessor Boleslaus's undertakings that in the year 1532 it became one of the best fortified Cities next to Breslaw in all Silesia Things best worth seeing in the Town are the Hospital the Town-Hall and Castle The Dukedom of Lignitz is reckon'd one of the best Corn-Countries in Silesia Dukedom and affords near as great plenty of the Terra Sigillata as the Dukedom of Schweidnitz especially the white sort which is here more plentiful then in any other Province The whole is commonly subdivided into seven Circles whereof four have names from the four Cities of Luben Parchwitz Hayn and Goldberg and the other three are the division of the barren or desert part of the Dukedom VIII The Ducal Cities of JAWER SCHWEIDNITZ BRIEG MONSTERBERG and OPPELEN THE City of Jawer is seated in a pleasant Valley Jawer tho not far distant from the rugged Crags and Mountains which separate Silesia from the Kingdom of Bohemia It has not the advantage of any River near it so that all the fortifications it has are high Rampires and deep Ditches There is little of note in the Town but the Church burnt down in the late Civil Wars A. D. 1648. but rebuilt more stately then before and the Castle wherein resides the Lieutenant of the two Dukedoms of Jawer and Schweidnitz The Emperor Charles IV. King of Bohemia married Ann Daughter of Henry II. Duke of Javer who with his Brother Bolco Duke of Schweidnitz died without issue whereupon these two Dukedoms were more immediately subjected to the Kings of Bohemia in whose hands they still remain To the Dukedom of Javer belong the Towns of Buntzlau Lemberg Schonau Greiffenberg Lahn Fridberg Lubenthal Schmideberg Naumburg upon the Queiss Kupfferberg and Hirschberg 2. SCHWEIDNITZ or Schweinnitz Schweidnitz has its name from the great Herds of wild Swine which were harbour'd in this place before the Forest was cut down in the year 1070. Whence the Arms of the Town are a wild Boar. It was afterwards much enlarged by Boleslaus I. who fortified it with Walls and Rampires and beautified it with several fair buildings so that 't is now one of the finest Cities in Silesia The most remarkable sight in the Town next to the Churches and other publick buildings is the great Gun in the Armory which carries a Bullet of three hundred and twenty pound weight This is by Schickfusius in his Preface to Curaeus's Chronicle of Silesia very improperly reckon'd amongst the great and extraordinary blessings which the Almighty has been pleased to bestow on some of the Cities in Silesia In the Dukedom of Schweidnitz are the Towns of Strigau memorable as we have already acquainted
East of the Dukedom dividing it from the Kingdoms of Hungary and Poland mention'd usually in Latin writers by the name of Montes Carpatii or Hungarici but by the Natives of this Country call'd commonly Jablunka Amongst these Hills the Silesians find the chief treasure of their Great Dukedom having here a great many Mines of Silver and Lead The Miners that inhabit these parts are call'd by their neighbours Die Walachen and are a sort of people much more rough and rustical then the rest of the Silesians A vast company of these Bores in the year 1643 revolted from the Imperialists and fled to the Swedish Army but were not long after reclaim'd The other row of mountains are on the South and divide the Dukedom of Teschen from the Marquisate of Moravia These Hills the Natives call Gesencke but Latin Authors make them a part of the Sudetes and name them Montes Moravici These latter do not afford that plenty of Ore which is found in the former but are tolerably well stock'd with Minerals and some Metals and supply what they fall short of the other in this kind with huge flocks of Sheep which are here pastur'd Other Towns of note in the Dukedom of Teschen are Bielitz Freystattlein Friedick Jablunke which has its name from the Eastern row of mountains abovemention'd Nistkow Strummen Skotschau and Schwartzwasser Some add Lassla with whom agrees J. Scultetus's Map of Silesia but this Town ought rather to be referr'd to the Dukedom of Troppau X. The County and City of GLATZ AMongst the Montes Sudetes lies the County of Glatz County being bounded on the South with Moravia on the West with Bohemia and on the East and North with the Great Dukedom of Silesia For which reason modern Geographers have been at a stand to determine which of the three Nations they should refer it to some of them making it a part of the Kingdom of Bohehemia others esteeming it a petty Province of the Marquisate of Moravia and a third sort who seem to have most probability on their side call it a Silesian County It s ancient inhabitants are thought to have been the Marsigni in whose days the City of Glatz was call'd Luca. After them the Hungarians got possession of this and the neighbouring Provinces and kept it till the Emperor Henry I. routed them and hang'd up their chief Commander in one of the Forests of this County From this great Hungarian Warriour whose name is said to have been Glozar the City of Glatz or Glotz was first named tho other Etymologists think its ancient name to be Klotz which signifies properly the root and trunk of a Tree but is sometimes taken for a large Forest or Copse of Shrubs such as they tell us once grew in the place where Glatz now stands The Nobility of this County have a tradition amongst them that before their Land was conquer'd by Henry the First and made Christian this County was immediately subject to the Emperors of Germany by whom 't was afterwards bestow'd on the Kings of Bohemia M. George Aelurius in his Chronicle of the City and County of Glatz printed in the year 1625 says that 't was as his Countrymen affirm subject at first to the Emperors but afterwards won and enjoy'd for some time by the Princes of Poland from whom the Bohemians took it and as appears from the Records of that Kingdom were Masters of it in the years 1074 and 1114. After this the Dukes of Silesia made themselves Lords of the County of Glatz which within a while return'd to the Kings of Bohemia and then back again to the foresaid Dukes In this state it continued till the days of the Emperor Charles the Fourth in whose reign it was once more subjected to the King of Bohemia And thus it continued till King George about the year 1460 bestow'd the Cities of Glatz Munsterberg and Franckenstein upon his own Sons who thereupon had the Titles of Dukes of Munsterberg and Earls of Glatz conferr'd on them by the Emperor Frideric IV. In the year 1500 the Dukes of Munsterberg sold this Country to Vlric Earl of Hardegg whose successors within less then forty years after sold it again to the Emperor Ferdinand I. who bestow'd it on the Lords of Bernstein From them it descended A. D. 1549 upon Ernest Duke of Bavaria after whose death it return'd again to the Kings of Bohemia in whose possession it continues to this day The Commodities of this Country are Iron Coal Silver-Ore Timber all sorts of Venison and tame Cattel Butter Cheese c. How rich the Country is may hence easily be gather'd that not many years ago the King of Bohemia's Stewards and Rent-gatherers have been known to bring into their Master's Coffers near forty thousand Ricxdollars yearly out of this one County The City of Glatz is a neat and compact Town 〈◊〉 seated in a pleasant plain on the banks of the Neisse but fortified with a strong Castle on the top of a neighbouring Hill which overlooks and commands the Town The great Church is said to have been formerly the Temple of an Idol worshipp'd by the ancient inhabitants of these parts in which as Aelurius tells us the young maids of the Country used to nail up their hair against the walls as was the custom amongst the ancient Romans and that not many years ago several of these kind of Tabulae Votivae were still to be seen The Charter of their City permits their Magistrates to coin money in their own names but they seldom make use of the priviledg any further then to give abroad a kind of small coin little better then the farthings and half-pence lately currant by the authority of no better man then an ordinary Grocer or Chandler in most of our Market-Towns in England Besides Glatz there are the following nine great Towns in this County Havelswerd Neurode Winschelburg Mitselwald Reinertz Lewin Landeck Beurath and Wilhelmsthal or Neustatl besides an hundred fair Villages and upwards MARCHIONATVS MORAVIAE Auct I. Comenio Excudebat Janssonio-Waesbergä Moses Pitt et Stephanus Swart Notularum explicatio Vrbs muris cincla Oppidum Pagus turritus Arx Zamek Castellum â—â—â—z Pagi innominati Monasterium Vinetorum colles Thermae seu aquae medicale Officinae â—â—â—â—aria Auri et Argenti fodinae Ferri fodinae THE MARQUISATE OF MORAVIA MORAVIA is commonly in the Bohemian writers preferr'd before Silesia altho this later be a Dukedom and the other no more then a Marquisate The reason of which preeminence must be ascrib'd either to this Marquisate's having been anciently a Kingdom or else to its being made subject to the Kings of Bohemia before ever the Silesians embraced their yoke The Germans call this Country Mahren and some of their writers would have it nam'd Mehrhenland or Equarum Regio imagining the true Etymology of the word to come from the multitude of Horses or Mares bred in this Marquisate But certainly the word Moravia which is undoubtedly of the same offspring with the
Regem honorasse dicuntur From all which it apears that there is something extraordinary in this Myrrh or call it what else you please which well merits the view and study of a curious Physiologist The Country Rusticks believe there is this strange vertue in this Mineral for so I think I may venture to name it that it puts to flight all manner of Serpents and amongst the rest that old Serpent the Devil Aeneas Sylvius who for having penn'd so many true stories was at last judg'd fit to sit in St. Peter's Chair 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 and become an infallible Pope calls the Moravians Gentem ferocem rapinarum avidam ut quae tum iter non nisi armato potentiorique praebeat And most Travellors brand their barbarous inhumanity or at least incivility to strangers The Hanaks especially or Bores that live along the banks of the River Hana are said to be notoriously guilty of this crime but these are by the gentiler sort of Moravians themselves contemn'd and scouted as a pack of barbarous and ill bred Lowts The true character of the Moravians in general is that they are men of exemplary obedience and fidelity to their Governors free and open in conversation and therefore apter to be deceiv'd then to impose upon they are not easily provok'd to be angry but when once enraged hardly appeas'd not guilty of too much wit in discourse but rational enough hardy in the Camp and valiant in fight faithful observers of their promises and compacts and abhorrers of baseness and meanness of spirit They are indeed too apt to give credit to old Prophesies a folly observ'd in the inhabitants of our own Island and a little given to drinking and carousing but are not so superstitious nor so great drunkards as they are represented to be by the satyrical pens of some Geographers Their language I mean that which is ordinarily spoken by the Country-Rusticks Langâ—â—â—â— for the Nobility and Citizens speak generally High Dutch is a Dialect of Slavonian and little different from the Bohemian of which more anon The Moravians are said to have been first converted to Christianity by St. Cyril and Meludius Religâ—â—â—â— assisted by some other pious Doctors and Fathers of the Church Soon after the Reformation had been set on foot in Bohemia by John Huss a good part of Moravia began to throw off the Pope's yoke and to profess the purer and undefiled Religion of the primitive Christians and Apostles But John de Praga at that time Bishop of Olmitz and afterwards Cardinal of the Church of Rome so vigorously oppos'd the endeavours of all that labour'd to carry on the Reformation in this Marquisate that during his time it never got any deep rooting Afterwards during the Reigns of George Vladislaus and Ludowic Kings of Bohemia Popish Idolatry and Superstition was wholly extirpated and the Reform'd Religion unanimously profess'd in all the Cities and great Towns of Moravia But to see the unhappy consequents of Toleration and Liberty of Conscience as soon as the Synod at S. Brinn which met in the year 1608 to settle the affairs of Religion had made this Edict Vt liceret omnibus credere prout cuique Deus dat cognoscere i.e. That every man should have power and license to regulate his Faith according to the measure of knowledg which God had given him each Cobler set up for a Preacher of the Word and an Expounder of Scriptures Whereupon the Church was immediately confounded and broken into an irreconcilable medly and hotchpotch of Sects and Schismaticks Hussites Picards Anabaptists Arrians Flaccians Trinitarians Photinians Lutherans Calvinists Dulcians Lugentians c. So that no less then fourteen several Conventicles had assembled themselves in one City each of them asserting peculiar Doctrines and Tenets of their own and denying all manner of Communion in Church-Ordinances with the other thirteen Now what could be expected from this Anarchy in the Reformation but the reestablishment of Popery which accordingly hapned For soon after Frideric the King of Bohemia's Forces were overthrown by the Emperor Ferdinand II. at Prague in the year 1620 Francis Cardinal of Districhstein and Bishop of Olmitz found it a very easie matter to root out the divided and mutinous members of the Reform'd Church and to replant his own Doctrines and Church-Discipline After which some scatter'd parcels of the Reformed party lay skulking amongst the Rocks and Mountains on the borders of Silesia for some years but durst never appear in publick and within a while after dwindled into nothing The Kings of Moravia for 't was anciently a Kingdom were once the greatest Potentates in this part of Europe having for some time under their subjection the Kingdoms of Bohemia and Poland About the year of Christ 700 Zuantacop King of Moravia being at the same time Lord of the Dukedoms of Bohemia Poland and Silesia refused to pay Tribute or Homage to the Emperor of Rome who falling in upon his Country to demand satisfaction for this insolence was forced to make a dishonourable retreat But resolving not to endure this disgrace he rallies up his scatter'd forces and calls in to his assistance the Hungarians an infidel people who before that time were aw'd by the Moravians and kept from committing any outrages upon the Christian-Countries By the help of these Heathens the Emperor routed Zuantacop's Army forcing him to fly for shelter into the neighbouring Woods where he associated himself to an Hermite with whom he spent the residue of his days By this means Bohemia Moravia and Silesia came to be disunited and parcell'd into four different Dukedoms which were reckon'd so many Provinces of the Roman or German Empire Some ages after the Dukedom of Moravia degenerated into a Marquisate which name it still retains altho a great part of it be at this day immediately fubject to the Crown of Bohemia and the rest broken into a few petty Baronies and Lordships The chief Cities and great Towns in MORAVIA OLMITZ 〈◊〉 or Olomutium which Ortelius with whom agree Stephanus and Bertius fancies to be the same place with Ptolomy's Eburum is the Metropolis of Moravia and the only Bishop's See in the Marquisate 'T is not very large but neatly and well built and seated in a convenient place on the banks of the River Morawa to maintain a Trade with the Merchants of Bohemia Hungary Poland Silesia and Austria The Antiquaries of this Country are of opinion that Olmitz or Olmutz is nothing but a corruption of Juliomontium and thence conclude that the Town was first built and so it was as sure as either the Tower at London or Castle at Leyden by Julius Cesar But how then came it to be call'd Velgrad as Boregius proves 't was when King Suatopluck built himself a Palace here St. Cyril the great Apostle of this Country who liv'd about the year 880 was the first Bishop of this Diocess He was the Author as Aventinus affirms of the old Wendish or Crcation
dedicated to him so stately and magnificent that by the relation of Johannes Magnus who tells prodigious stories of the Golden Roof c. the Temple of the Sun in Cuzco was but a poorly adorn'd Chappel to it In the middle of this stupendous Fabrick their God was set upon a bed or couch with a Crown upon his head adorn'd with twelve stars and a scepter in his hand Upon his right hand stood Oden or Othen arm'd like a soldier Cap a-pie not unlike the Roman God Mars On his left was plac'd the Goddess Freia their Venus holding a sword in one and a bow in the other hand These three Deities were had in special reverence amongst them Votaries coming from very remote parts every ninth year to visit the Temple and pay their devotions offering the most precious gifts they could provide and sacrifices for nine days together Pythagorean-like counting nine an auspicious number and on every day nine sorts of Animals three of every sort not sparing their servants friends children nor even their own selves from being part of such bloody victims This they did not by choice every votary striving to be presented a sacrifice to his God but by lots taking him on whom the lot fell tying a cord about his middle and so let him down alive into a large well dugg close by the Temple for that purpose if he expir'd quietly and without any great struggling or motion of the water they concluded that their god was pleas'd and their Petitions heard if otherwise and he seem'd to dye with any reluctancy they suppos'd their god was angry and thereupon presently made ready another such-like sacrifice to appease the wrath When the body was drawn up out of the well if a pleasing sacrifice they thought it not fit to bury it in the ground the ordinary way but hung it up upon a tree in the consecrated grove and for ever after suppos'd it to be instated in a place of happiness and esteem'd it as one of their Demi-gods In these cruel sacrifices their Kings themselves were not only present but sometimes when the lot fell upon them offer'd up to their Gods being attended to the place of execution with great joy and acclamations by the greatest part of their subjects who promised themselves great and lasting happiness by so Noble a victim Besides these three principal they worshiped many other inferior Deities upon different occasions as Methothim who presided over their Magical Arts Fro to whom they always offer'd black victims Vagnoft Hading c. with all the the Sons and attendants of their principal Gods Of which see Johannes and Olaus Magnus Adam Bremensis and Loccenius The many foolish superstitions to which their Ignorance and credulity made them subject as their arming themselves whensoever it chanc'd to thunder and shooting arrows up into the clouds to assist these Gods of their Country who as they suppos'd were waging war against those of other Nations Their using to sacrifice their horses before they engag'd with their enemies and setting the heads of them upon pales before the Army in manner of a Palisado and such like frequently met with in Authors are scarce worth mentioning only this may be observ'd that in their customs and ceremonies about their worship they had some faint notions of an Infinite power to which they owed their being and happiness that their soul did not dye with their body and such like common dictates of natural reason All which were clearly discover'd to them and the mists of Idolatry and Irreligion quite dispell'd by the happy plantation of Christianity amongst them In the year of Christ 780 〈…〉 Bero or Biorno III. King of Sweden desir'd Charles the Great Emperor of Germany to send some able Ministers into the North to plant Christian religion amongst them who accordingly sent one Herebertus surnam'd Belga a man of noted piety and learning in those times He succeeded well in his undertakings gain'd many proselytes and built a Church at Lyncopen in Ostro-Gothia where himself was Rector and afterwards dyed Ann. 814 Ludovicus Pius I. Emperor of Germany in the sixth year of his reign sent hither more Apostles one of which was nam'd Ansgarius a Monk of Corbey in France who brought with him from thence divers of the Monks and planted in Saxony a Monastery of the former name intending it for a Seminary to supply the want of Preachers in the North. But all this Emperors time Christianity was rather privately brought in hither Paganism prevailing and most of these pious men being martyr'd for their Religion then publickly countenanc'd or established till about ann 955 when Olaus Scot-konung desirous to enjoy the purity of the Gospel sent to Ethelred then King of England desiring him to furnish him with Ministers to preach Christianity to him and his subjects That there hath always been great friendship betwixt those two Crowns appears by many particulars one especially not to be forgotten is that the Kings of Sweden would never permit any of their subjects to engage with the Danes and other Northern people to exercise Piracy against or invade the English Dominions as 't is observed by Jo. Magnus and other Authors Ethelred readily consented to so pious a request and dispatch'd over one Sigfrid then Archbishop of York with divers other godly Priests and worthy labourers who at their arrival in Sweden found kind reception baptiz'd the King himself with all his Courtiers and prevail'd so far to have the Gospel propagated amongst his subjects that Christian Churches were built in every Province of the Kings Dominions This so happy a plantation was water'd by the blood of three of his Followers Vnaman Sumaman and Vinaman murther'd by the contrivance of a wicked woman and lye buried at Wexio a City in Smalandia After this Christianity was nurs'd up by their succeeding Kings Ericus especially who as was said before propagated it to the Finlanders Exercis'd it was according to the Ceremonies of the Church of Rome till about the year 1530 at which time Gustavus I. then King upon what motives Authors do not agree established the Lutheran Religion displacing all those that refus'd to subscribe the Articles he propos'd amongst whom was that elegant Historian and very learned person Jo. Magnus then Archbishop who refusing to comply with the King left his Country fled to Rome there wrot his History with an account of this Metropolis and dyed 1544. In the year 1537 the said Gustavus enter'd into a League with Christianus King of Denmark Philip Landsgrave of Hassia the Elector of Saxony and other German Princes to defend this Religion thus reformed against the Emperor and other Princes of the Communion of the Church of Rome In the year 1613 it was publickly consented to by the States of the whole Kingdom A. D. 1627 Gustavus Adolphus gave sactuary in his dominions to all those that were any way persecuted in Germany or elsewhere for this profession Confirm'd it was and agreed to by Charles