and set up a Government for himself in this Province and Helsingia which lyes Northward in Suecia properly so call'd having on the East part of the Province of Medelpadia on the West the Dofrine Mountains on the North Angermannia and on the South part of Helsingia and Medelpadia This Province did anciently belong to the Kings of Norway though in the reign of Olaus Scotkonung it is said to have revolted from Olaus Crassus then King of Norway and become Tributary to the Crowns of Sweden In the year 1613 by a peace concluded between the Northern Crown it was by Gustavus Adolphus yielded up to the King of Denmark but A. 1642 repossess'd by the Swedes Pontanus in his Map of Scandia reckons up some places of note in it viz. Alsne Ron Aus Lidh Hamer-dal Vndersaker Oviken c. In the time of Olaus Magnus this Province was under the jurisdiction of the Arch-Bishop of Vpsal Near a small Village in this Country there are says Messenius several large stones with Gothick Inscriptions which are a prophesy of what for the future would befall the Scandians 5. Herrndalia Herrndalia call'd by Pontanus Herdalia and by most Authors reckon'd as a part of Helsingia contains the Territories of Nomedal Hellegeland Frostena Indera Heroa with some others all which belong to the Dioeceses of the Bishop of Nidrosia and are in the possession of the King of Sweden Of the Baltic Sea the Finnic and Bothnic Bays and the Swedish Islands contain'd in them THe Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea so called says Pontanus from the Saxon and English word Belt because it encompasseth the Kingdom of Sweden after the manner of a belt or girdle or as Jornandes would have it from Baltia or Basilia i. e. Queen of Islands the ancient Greek name of Scandia or Scandinavia or as Adam Bremensis is of opinion from the Wiso-Goths who inhabited upon the Coasts of it usually call'd Balts i. e. a stout and valiant people is the largest of any Sea in Europe except the Mediterranean containing in it five and thirty Islands of considerable bigness besides an infinite number of lesser note The whole Bay as some are of opinion is call'd by Mela Sinus Codanus q. Gothanus or Gothicus from Gothia that borders upon it or Caudanus from Cauda because it comes from the main Ocean after the manner of a tail of a beast by Strabo the Venedic Bay from the Venedae a people of Germany who liv'd upon the Coast of it and by the Danes and Swedes the Oost-Zee because as may be gather'd out of the History of Eric Eigod King of Denmark the Danes who went pilgrimage to the Holy Land used to pass into Russia and the Eastern parts by this Sea It beginneth at the narrow place call'd the Sund and interlacing the Countries of Denmark Sweden Germany and some part of Poland extendeth it self to Livonia and Lithvania It either by reason of the narrowness of the passage by which the Ocean flows into it or because of its Northerly situation whereby the Celestial influences have less power over it never ebbs nor flows From the several Countries and places that it washes it has diverse names given it and is distinguished into different Bays the most remarkable are 1. The Bothnic Bay The Bothnic Bay counted from the Island Alandia Northward to the River Kimi which falls into it at the very furthest Cape It has its name from Both signifying in the Swedish Language a Fenny Country or a Land overflown with water 2. The Finnic Bay The Finnic Bay so call'd from the Principality of Finland which it waters Some will have the Sinus Venedicus of Strabo and the Mare Amalchium of Pliny particularly to denote this Bay The Swedish Islands in this Sea concerning those that are under the Danish Power see Denmark to begin with the most Southerly first are 1. Rugen upon the Coasts of Pomeren given to the Swedes by the great Treaty of peace at Munster and Osnaburg A. D. 1649. Of which consult the Volume of Germany 2. Bornholm is situate more Northward then Rugen and lyes opposite to Blekingia it has one City in it nam'd Santwyk and thirty-two small Villages This Island was by a Ratification of Peace held at Copenhagen A. D. 1660 given up to the Danes under certain conditions of which mention is made in Denmark 3. Huena or Hueen a very small Island in the Oresundic Bay famous for the City Vraniburg built by that excellent Mathematician Tycho Brahe where the Pole is elevated 55 deg 54 min. This Isle was yielded up to the Swedes by vertue of the foremention'd Peace concluded betwixt the two Northern Crowns A. D. 1660. 4. Vtklippa 5. Vtlengia both lying over against Blekingia 6. Oelandia a fruitful and pleasant Island in which are said to be the best breed of Horses that are in all the Swedish Dominions This Island A. D. 1526 was taken by Christiern King of Denmark and shortly after regain'd by Gustavus I. King of Sweden A. D. 1613 it was put into the hands of Gustavus Adolphus and ever since retain'd by the Swedes See more concerning it amongst the Provinces of Gothia 7. Gotland lying over against Ostro-Gothia in length seventy-two miles and in breadth twenty For a long time almost torn in pieces by the continual Arms of Denmark and Sweden till 1648 by a Treaty of Peace betwixt Christina Queen of Swedeland and Christiern IV. of Denmark it with the City Wisbuy of which see amongst the Gothic Provinces was wholly yielded up into the hands of the Swedes to be held by them as a perpetual possession 8. Oselia call'd by Pliny Oserica opposite to Liefland and reckon'd by some as a District of Esthonia fifty-six miles in length and twenty-eight in breadth In it is the City Arnsburg fortifyed with a strong Castle 9. Daghoe Dachden or Dagheroort parted from Oselia by a very narrow Bay 10. Alandia lying in the middle Sea betwixt it and Vpland reckon'd by some as a part of Finland in it is the Fort Castleholm 11. Hogland in the Finnic Bay with severalothers of less note and importance REGNI DANIAE Accuratissima delineato Nobilissimo Amplissimo Consultissimoque Viro D. GERARDO SCHAEP I. V. D. Inclyti et Celeberrimi Ansterodamensium Emporii Consuli ac Senatori et ad Serenissimos SVECIAE DANIAque Reges Legato Dignissimo Fidelissimo D. D. D. Ioannes Ianssonius DENMARK SAxo Grammaticus deduces the name of Denmark Danmark or Dania from Dan 〈◊〉 the son of Humblus a Prince of these parts many years before the coming of our Saviour This opinion seems to have been an ancient tradition amongst the Danes and is confirmed by one of the old Chronicles of their Kings published by Wormius out of a manuscript copy of the Scanian Laws writ in Runick characters in the beginning of which we read Dan heet den forste cunung i Danmurk der var fore Christus borth Af hannom call is Danmurk i. e. The first
West-side whereof he sailed some days together with a good wind and therefore could not be a small Island as they describe this which H. Hudson could not find when he sought for it see a discourse of this in Purchas's Pilgrim l. 3. c. 1 15. We have nothing of this voyage but those imperfect or short notes which were found lying upon his table after his death wherein it is contain'd that they parted from Seynam Aug. 2. Aug. 14 they were 160 leagues North and Easterly from Seynam they continued sailing till Sept. 14 when they landed on a country high rocky and uninhabited from whence the cold and Ice forced them to return more South which they did till they reach'd Arzina a River in Lapland where the next Spring they were all found frozen to death in their Ship A few years after this about 1556 we read of Steven Burrows who searching a passage by the North-East unto the Indies arrived in 112 deg 25 min. of Longitude and 76 of Latitude and so sailed to 80 deg 11 min. and thence to Nova Zembla Now this cannot be any known place but Greenland which is also confirm'd because the Land was desolate the Ice of a blew colour and great store of Fowls All signs of Greenland But from this time began a great and familiar trade from England to all those Northern Regions and many trials made to discover the North-East passage so that no question but that they landed many times upon Greenland but took no notice of it as neither did the Dutch till many years after when a gainful fishing was there found out Before which none either gave it a name took possession of it or pretended to the discovery This trade was managed for divers years by the Russia company of English Merchants as will appear by the story of it which is this In 1553 the King and Queen Philip and Mary gave a commission to certain Merchants to trade into Russia and made them a corporation who presently not only began a very brisk and profitable negotiation into those Northern Countries but employed divers Ships for finding out a passage that way into the Indies Particularly Arthur Pet and Charles Jackman about the year 1580 rambled over all those Seas and it is very probable they also were upon Greenland but there is nothing particularly known concerning them No nation but the English frequented those Northern Seas till 1578 that a Dutch Ship came to Cola and a year or two after another to St. Nicholas by the solicitation of an English man that set himself against the company Afterwards they crept in more and more and in 1594 they employed Barents and others to find out a passage to the Indies and in 1596 the three Dutch Pilots aforenamed upon the same design who first light upon Bear-Island and thence to Greenland Barents separating from his company sayled to the Northeast of Nova-Zembla where he lost his Ship and himself died In 1603 Steven Benet was employed who went no farther then Cherry-Island whence he brought some Lead Oar. In 1608 Henry Hudson was sent forth to discover the North-pole who went to 82 deg as did also Thomas Marmaduke of Hull 1612 but saw divers Islands beyond that and gave names to divers places upon Greenland formerly discovered as Whale-bay Hackluits-Headland c. The company having been informed of the great number of Sea-horses Morsses and Whales that frequented Cherry-Island and Greenland first applyed themselves with one or two Ships to the killing of Morsses which in a short time made Morsses grow scarce In the year therefore 1610 they set out the Ship Amity Jonas Pool commander for Whale-fishing who fell upon the land formerly discovered though not regarded and called it Greenland whether because of the green Moss wherewith it was covered or mistaking it for Groenland a Northern Countrey formerly discovered or for some other reason I know not He called it also King James new-New-land but that name is grown obsolete He also gave names to many of the most eminent places upon the west side of the Country as to Horn-Sound because there they found an Unicorns-horn Ice-Point Bell-Point Lowness-Island Black-Point Cape-cold Ice-Sound Knotty-Point Fowl-Sound Deer-Sound And in Cross-Road 79 deg 15 min. variation 18 deg 16 min. northwest he seized upon the Country to the use of his Masters by setting up a red Cross and fastning a writing to it There also he made some quantity of Oyl and brought an Unicorns-horn as they called it from thence And this was the first time that any benefit was made by the fishing of that place In 1611 the company hired six Basques expert Fishermen and sent them with two Ships to fish for Whales in Greenland where the first Whale they killed yielded them twelve tuns of Oyl Some of his company looking about the Harbours for Whales discovered in Sir Thomas Smiths Bay a great number of Morsses The Master of one of the Ships taking with him some of his men went thither and killed of them 500 and kept 1000 alive on Shoar which afterwards they let go In 1612 two Ships more were sent when they killed seventeen Whales and some Morsses and made 180 tuns of oyl This year the Hollanders came thither with one Ship conducted by Andrew Sallows an Englishman Another English Pilot brought thither also a Spanish Ship the English Ships met with and threatned them but notwithstanding they made a good voyage In 1613 the company sent thither seven Ships who had a Patent to prohibit all strangers except the Muscovia company from frequenting those coasts Yet they met with fifteen Sail of Dutch French Flemish and some interlopers of our own Nation To some the General gave liberty to fish with others he made composition to have half or part of what they caught others he drave away from the Country after he had taken out the English that were in their Ships though themselves also by that means were not so well laden as they might have been this year they discovered Hope-Island and other Islands to the West In 1614 they set out thirteen great Ships besides two Pinnaces well armed and the Dutch eighteen whereof four men of war who being stronger stayed and fished there as did our men also but both parties made a poor voyage This land they fully discovered to 80 deg by Tho. Sherwin and Will. Baffin and by others divers Islands toward the East They also took possession of several parts of the Country for the King setting up a Cross and the Kings Arms in Lead the Dutch afterwards did the like in the same places for the Prince of Orange In 1615 they set out two great Ships and two Pinaces which by reason of fourteen Sail sent by the Hollanders came home not fully laden This year the King of Denmark sent three Ships men of war with an English Pilot James Vaden to demand Custom of the Ships for fishing upon his Island as he pretended the
it may be easily collected that even in his time tho the names were universally receiv'd yet the reasons of them were not known It should seem however that the division was made by the Grecians or by some neighbours to those Seas because to them and as far as their knowledge reach'd it seems very proper and useful The bounds of Europe are conveniently stated as to them but in other respects the division seems not so rational for Asia is much bigger than both the other nor is Europe an equal balance for Africa but Europe being least known to them and seeming a vast territory perhaps they might think that the whole Earth was not large enough to contain more than three such proportions Besides the Regions within both the Polar Circles seem not to be comprehended under any of these parts and tho the limits betwixt Europe and Asia seem to be well determined as far as Palus Meotis yet are they beyond that which is the greater part not so distinctly constituted by any natural limits nor any other certainty However tho perhaps the division of the Astronomers into Zones Climates c. may seem more accurate yet is this to us especially who consider not the spaces of ground only but the differences of Nations also and habitations much more commodious and therefore we shall follow it in these discourses beginning first with Europe Europe Europe tho acknowledged the least of the four parts of the world yet in many respects is by learned men preferred before the rest Strabo and after him many other Geographers have recommended it for the mildness of the air the fertility of the soil the multitude of navigable rivers and the abundance of cattel and all other things necessary or convenient for humane life but more especially for the valour ingenuity and beauty of the inhabitants To which may be added the magnificence of their Governments the freedom of their Subjects the equality of their Laws the arts and industry of the people and above all the sanctity of their Religion which is accompanied with a greater proportion and variety of learning and knowledge than all the world besides could ever pretend to Yet I do not perceive one part to have much advantage over another except from the industry and skill of the inhabitants which in one place is greater in one kind in others more signal in another and is able to convert a natural inconvenience to a greater pleasure and profit All the advantages we know Europe to have above other parts of the world are from its embracing Christianity so generally as it doth For if we reflect upon the ancient Inhabitants before they were Christians they were as barbarous wild faithless bruitish as any the most inhumane Nations of America Tho it cannot be denied but that the civility of the Romans possessors of the greatest part of Europe was a great disposition to their receiving of Christianity and that the extream barbarousness of some as well as the voluptuousness of other Nations renders them less prepared to embrace it It is in vain for us to search into the origine of the Name either from ancient fables It s Name or modern conjectures our first Historian as we already touched ingenuously confesseth he could neither discover who was the first imposer of the name nor for what reason it was given Notwithstanding if it may be lawful to adventure a conjecture grounded upon an observation of that excellent and ancient Historian Thucydides in his first Book it may probably have had its name from a Province called Europa near the Bosphorus Thracius to which place was the shortest and most usual passage out of Asia and where new Colonies arriving thrust forward the ancient Inhabitants who from Europa peopling the rest of the Regions westward might perhaps carry with them the name of the Country they quitted to make room for new plantations First Inhabitants Howbeit we must not conceal that the learned are of divers judgments in this matter For all those who hold Europe to be peopled by the posterity of Japhet do as we now mention'd maintain that the first planters came by Sea out of Asia but those who rather imagine them the offspring of Shem conceive that they came by land betwixt the Caspian Sea and Palus Meotis thence thro Tartary and ancient Scythia into the Northern parts as far as Scandia where their inundation being stopt by the vast Ocean they overflow'd into the Southern parts as Britany France Germany Thrace c. And this opinion seems to be confirm'd by the tradition of the Northern Nations in their Edda as the other pretension seems to be grounded upon Scripture but as this makes not much use of any arguments but what are drawn from the similitude of names so that tradition of Edda seems to suppose those places inhabited before Thor or Wodens migration which indeed seem to be but of later times even after the Trojan war Tho we suppose two Wodens Princes of Colonies the later being about our Saviour Methinks it is not improbable that Scandia Sarmatia and thence as far as Thrace were peopled from the North the Getae being originally Goths and the Daci Danes the Sarmatae Scythians nor is there any memorial of Nations ancienter than these in those places Besides their languages betray their original But the same reasons seem not to hold concerning Greece Italy and all the South-part of Europe nor is it likely that they who lived in a continual prospect of Europe even so near that they could swim over without the help of bladders should so long forbear to seize upon a plentiful and rich Country till they were prevented by those who successively peopled the Countries of the North and round about the Euxine Sea Wherefore it appears more probable that the Southern Europe was first planted from the Maritime Coasts of Asia which seem also to be inhabited by the posterity of Japhet It is bounded on the north by the Frozen Sea Bounds on the west by the vast Western Ocean on the south from Afric by the Mediterranean and on the east from Asia by the Archipelago and so on by the Black Sea and Palus Meotis or the Sea of Zabache and thence by the River Tanais to the most eastern winding thereof at the City Tuja and thence by an imaginary line to the River Oby and by that to the Frozen Sea Europe Situation and exâ—ent as describ'd on the Globe lies toward the Artic Pole mostly in the northern temperate Zone under the fourth and the ninth Climats and between the seventh and seventeenth Parallels which fall about ten degrees on this side the Tropic of Cancer and three within the Polar Circle It is extended in length from Cape St. Vincent to the mouth of the River Oby 71 deg on the Equator which reckoning 60 miles to a degree come to 4260 English miles The breadth of Europe from Cape Matagan in the Morea to
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
Tract in Latin containing its description and vertues The Oder is the chief of all the Rivers in Silesia Rivers It springs near the Town Oder not far from Teschen on the borders of Moravia and passes by Ratibor Cossel Oppelen Brieg Brieslaw Glogaw Beuthen and Crossen with some more Cities of less note before it leaves this Dukedom Other remarkable Rivers are the Bober Neisse Ohla and Queiss Besides these 't is the honour of Silesia that the Vistula the best River in Poland and the Elb spring out of its mountains There are also in this Country good store of Ponds and Lakes which yeild plenty of all manner of fresh water fish especially Lampreys which are caught in prodigious quantities in the Neisslish Sea and some other waters Other Commodities of the Land are Madder â—â—moâ—â—ies Flax sweet Cane or Galengal Wine especially in the Dukedoms of Sagan and Crossen Silver Copper Lead Iron and Chalk They have plenty of Salt-peter and some good Salt tho not so much as to be sufficient for their own use so that daily great quantities of this Commodity are brought in from Poland and other neighbouring Countries They have all the sorts of wild and tame Beasts that any other part of the German Empire affords Butter Cheese particularly a kind of pitiful stuff made of Ewe's milk Bacon Honey c. But the greatest trading Commodities they have are Wool and Flax. Silesia has bred several good Scholars and brisk Wits â—â—abiâ—â—ts tho the ordinary Rustics are look'd upon as a people of a shallow understanding and small sence They are commonly in way of derision stil'd by their neighbour Nations Eselsfresser or Ass-Eaters The occasion of which nick-name some say was this A blunt Country Rustic travelling from near Breslaw into the Dukedom of Crossen ' spy'd in a field an Ass feeding which the poor fellow having never before seen the like Creature mistook unhappily for an overgrown Hare Whereupon discharging his Blunderbuss he shot the strange beast and brought it home to his friends and acquaintance who being a pack of Bumpkins of no longer heads then himself roasted and eat up the outlandish Puss This is the relation which the common people of Silesia give of their Title Another story is that the Miners at Reichenstein not far from Glatz having discover'd a vein of Gold-Ore which they nam'd der guldener Esel lay at it continually being resolv'd that no strangers or foreigners should share with them in the Treasure And hence they got the name of Ass-eaters from stuffing their purses and not their carcases But this later narrative may possibly have been contriv'd by some of the Silesian Wits who by this means were in hopes to wear off the disgrace and ignominy of the former Some of them like the Bores of Italy and Bohemia have a custom of reckoning the hours of the day from the Snnsetting but few of the Nobility observe that method The Lieutenantship of Silesia was for some time committed to Matthias Corvinus King of Hungary but afterwards was conferr'd upon the Bishops of Breslaw until the Emperor Rudolf II. decreed that this charge should be committed to some of the Temporal Princes of that Nation who were to be nominated as well as the subordinate Lieutenants of the several petty Dukedoms or Counties by the Council Chamber at Prague to whom was also committed at the the same time the supreme inspection into all Law-Cases and the different administration of Justice in all Courts of Judicature in each particular Province Christianity was first planted in Poland and at the same time in Silesia Religion which was then a part of that great Dukedom about the later end of the ninth and beginning of the tenth Century In the infancy of Religion in these parts the Polanders and Silesians were wont to assemble themselves in Woods and other desert places of the Land for fear of laying themselves too open to the cruelty of their Magistrates who were men of another perswasion But at last Christianity was admitted to Court for Mieceslaus Duke of Poland having married Drambronica Daughter of Boleslaus Duke of Bohemia a Christian was himself baptized at Gnesna in the year 965. Whereupon he caused nine Bishopricks to be erected in his Dominions amongst which one was founded at Schmogra in Silesia which was afterwards removed to Bitschen and at length fix'd at Breslaw Soon after the Reformation begun by Luther the Augsburg Confession was brought hither and at last confirm'd by the Emperor Rudolph II. in the year 1609. But Ferdinand II. a bloody persecutor of the Protestants repeal'd that Charter allowing the public profession of the Lutheran Religion to the Citizens of Breslaw and some few Towns more and that too with several limitations and restrictions However that Emperor was sensible before his death how vain 't was to endeavour the extirpation of Protestants and the whole Empire some years after groaned under the dismal effects of his misguided zeal for the Church of Rome The Silesians are at this day generally Lutherans only some few of the Nobility with their Dependants adhere still to the Superstitions and Fopperies of the Romanists We have hitherto given the Reader a general account of the vast Dukedom of Silesia and proceed in the next place to a more particular survey of the several petty Provinces which make up this large Territory beginning with I. The Dukedom of CROSSEN IN the time that the Silesian Princes were Dukedom by the subtilty of John King of Bohemia set at variance and enmity amongst themselves of which stratagem we have already taken notice this Dukedom was first separated from the other parts of the Great Duke of Silesia's Dominions For in the year 1272 the City of Crossen was pawn'd to the Archbishop of Magdeburg but redeem'd within two years after by Henry Duke of Breslaw Four years after this the Citizens of Breslaw pawn'd it a second time to John Marquise of Brandenburg for four thousand Crowns towards the ransom of their Duke but with this proviso that the Marquise should not give assistance to Boleslaus Duke of Lignitz in his wars against their City Not long after Crossen was again redeem'd out of the Marquise's hands But John the Great commonly known by the name of Cicero Germanicus got possession of it a second time in lieu of fifty thousand ducats owing him for his wife's portion Again John Duke of Sagan deliver'd up this Dukedom into the hands of John the third Elector of Brandenburg with the consent of Vladislaus King of Hungary and Bohemia in the year 1391. Lastly Joachim II. and his Brother John Marquises of Brandenburg had the sole and entire possession of this Dukedom granted them by the Emperor Ferdinand the first King of Bohemia Since which time the Electors have always enjoy'd it and stiled themselves Dukes of Crossen in Silesia Crossen City in the language of some of the Natives of this Country signifies the outmost seam or selvidge
Esq Benjamin Woodroff D. D. Canon of Ch. Ch. Oxon Sr. Peter VVyche Lady VVymondesold of Putney Tho. VVyndham Esq Grome of the Bed-chamber John VVyvell Minister by Rochester RICHARD Ld. Arch Bp. of York ROBERT Earl of Yarmouth Robert Yard Esq John Yardley M. D. Col. Med. Lond. S. Hon. Tho. Yate D. D. Principal of Brazen-Nose Coll. Oxon James Young Esq Robert Young Canon of VVindsor ORBIS TERRARUM NOVA ET ACCURATISSIMA TABULA Auctore IOANNE à LOON HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE Serenissimo Potentissimoque Domino Domino CAROLO SECUNDO Magnae Britanniae Franciae et Hiberniae Reg Defensor Fidei Hanc tabulam totius Orbis D. D. D. 〈…〉 NOVA TOTIUS TERRARUM ORBIS GEOGRAPHICA AC HYDROGRAPHICA TABULA To the Right Reverend Father in God JOHN by divine permission LD. BISHOP of OXON this Mapp is humbly Dedicated Johannes Jansonius à waesberge and Moses Pitt and Steven Swart SEPTEM PLANETA LUNA ♋ ☽ MERCURIUS ♊ ☿ VENUS ♎ ♉ SOL ♌ ☉ MARS ♈ ♂ IUPITER ♠♃ SATURNUS ♑ ♄ QUATUOR ELEMENTAE IGNIS AER AQUA TERRA QUATUOR ANNI TEMPESTATES VER ♈ ♉ ♊ AESTAS ♋ ♌ ♠AUTUMNUS ♎ ♠♠HYEMS ♑ ♒ ♓ SEPTEM MIRABILIA MUNDI MURUS BABYLONIAE COLOSSUS PYRAMIDES MAUSOLEUM DIANAE TEMPLUM IUPITER OLYMPICUS PHAROS AMERICA SEPTENTRIONALISM TERRA AUSTRALIS INCOGNITA THE INTRODUCTION COSMOGRAPHY is a general description of the whole World The Intention of the whole Work consisting of Heaven and Earth of both which an account is intended to be given in this Atlas that of the Heavens is reserv'd to a peculiar Volume It being as we conceive of greater necessity that we begin with that of the Earth And first of this great Globe in general the description whereof belongs to Geography as that of particular Regions and Countries is called Chorography which is contained in their peculiar Maps Nor shall we omit such Topographical descriptions or the knowledg of lesser places as Cities Rivers Mountains c. where advantage may be to the Reader Now this Globe which we call of the Earth consisteth of Land and Water or Seas the description of those is properly nam'd Hydrography which sets forth the superficies of the Seas and mouths of greater Rivers the Havens Rocks Shallows Creeks and such other considerations as concern Navigation to this also an entire Volume in this Edition of an Atlas is designed And because that of ancient times the divisions and boundaries of Kingdoms and Countries were very much divers from those at present to avoid confusion which must needs happen by treating in the same place of things so different it is thought necessary to reserve the ancient Geography to a particular Tome to be put forth with the rest in its due time Thus you have an account of what is intended in the Edition of this Great Work But it is first necessary to explain such terms and lay such general grounds as are of use thro all the Volumes which is the subject of this Preface or Introduction First then it is to be noted Of the Globe of the Earth that the Earth and Water make but one body the figure whereof is round and therefore is best and most naturally represented by those we call Globes tho Maps also or plain Figures if carefully drawn are sufficiently exact This proposition tho it might be supposed rationally enough as now granted by all learned men yet may it be evidently proved both from Celestial and Terrestrial appearances whereof an account and reason may easily be given by this figure and not by any other The Sun and the Stars rise sooner to them who live Eastwardly then they do to us which could not be if the whole face of the Earth were plain 2. To those who live more or less Northward the Pole is more or less elevated for those inhabitants of Iseland Lapland c. who live about a thousand miles more Northward then we do see the Pole-star fifteen degrees higher then we can And those who travel hence towards those Countries do find that this variation is made gradually altering about a degree and a half at the end of every hundred miles which could not be except the body on which they moved were Spherical 3. The Shadow which the Earth casteth upon the Moon when she is partially eclipsed is seen to be circular and therefore the body which causes it must be so too To these we may add that many Propositions in Astronomy Geography and Navigation are founded on this supposition and when they are applyed to use they prove true and succeed according to expectation which certainly they would not always do if the very foundation upon which they are built were unsound The same also is proved by plain sense and experiment as well as by reason and consequence for we perceive that Ships which loose from their Harbours in calm weather disappear gradually first their Hulks then their Sails and after a few miles their highest Masts the natural convexity of the water interposing betwixt them and our sight Several also of our Country-men and Neighbours have sailed round about this Globe loosing hence Westwardly and returning again fromwards the East From which and other Navigations we may conclude not only that naturally no part of the Ocean is higher then another but also that we may sail from any part to any part of the superficies of the Ocean and that every Continent hath Sea about it and is indeed but a greater Island The controversie about the situation of this Globe whether it stand still in the midst Of the situation of the Earth and as it were center of the world as the ancients generally opined or whether it move upon its own axis and about the Sun as the center besides that it is not so much to our purpose in this as in the Volume of the Heavens the Maps and Descriptions being the same in both ways and that the learned are not come to any issue in it nor have we any thing to add to the common and vulgar probable arguments only we shall omit The parts of this Globe are naturally separated one from another by Seas ledges of Mountains Rivers Desarts and the like Which are very opportune for the distinction of Nations Kingdoms and Governments In the beginning of the Creation Of the Waters in this Globe the Waters being lighter then the Earth accordingly overspread and compassed it to some considerable height but whether there was in the beginning a greater quantity of Earth or Water created is an undeterminable curiosity On the third day the Almighty Creator separated them by causing the Waters to sink into the deep and open cavities of the Earth where by the height and strength of the shores they are restrained as in a Vessel from returning to overflow and drown the dry land But if the shores be weak as many times it happeneth the water breaketh thro and overwhelmeth so much of the
of which was at least six foot high As the Sun and day began to appear the Fowls and Foxes began to come abroad for which they set traps and springes Of Fowls they took a vast number and at several times they got about fifty Foxes which they roasted and found to be pleasant and wholesome food The Dutch relation of their men that wintred in Nova-Zembla saith that though they did not relish Bears flesh yet Foxes they liked well for by their Flesh they were much relieved in their Scurvies May the first it being somewhat warm they went abroad to seek provision where they light of great quantities of Willocks-eggs which was a great refreshment to them that day also came two English Ships into the Sound which sent forth to seek them and took them in and brought them safe and sound into England The effects of the cold upon them the like also being testified by those of William Barents company that wintred in Nova-Zembla are wonderful The wonderful cold as that it raised blisters on their flesh as if they had been burnt with fire if they touched Iron it stuck to their fingers whilst they sate by a great fire their stockings burnt yet their feet not sensible of heat and their backs were frozen Yet our men either had not such reason or will to complain as the Dutch in Nova-Zembla whose Shoos froze as hard as horn to their feet whose Sack was quite frozen as likewise a Barrel of Water became perfect Ice in one night that their Carpenter taking a nail out of his mouth the skin and flesh followed glued to it with Ice That they heated Stones at the fire to apply to their feet and other parts of their bodies in their Cabines to hinder them from freezing with many like miseries which I omit The last who hath brought us any news from this country is Frederick Martens an Hamburger Freder Martens Voyage who set out from the Elb April the fifth 1671. He hath printed a very large and accurate description both of the land and all things therein as Fowls Plants Beasts Mountains c. Which he did as may be supposed in great part to satisfy the curiosity of several Gentlemen of the Royal Society who intreated his diligence in answering such queries as they sent him We shall omit such things as we think not so useful and abridg the rest for fear of cloying the Reader He first arrived upon Charles-Isle of seventy Miles in length Harbours and Havens not above ten broad separated from Greenland by a narrow strait called Forelands-ford betwixt this Foreland and Muscle-haven are the highest mountains and though the greatest part of the mountains and rocks of Greenland are of a red soil and communicate that colour to the Snow upon them which makes them look like fire yet there are seven that are of a blew colour and betwixt them many sharp pointed rocks In South-haven they commonly repair their faulty Ships being a very large and commodious harbour wherein thirty and sometimes forty Ships have conveniently anchored at the same time Here also they take in fresh water which runs plentifully from the mountains upon the melting of the Ice and Snow for the Rivers at least as far as they can go are too brackish and there are not any Springs or Wells as yet discovered This Haven hath high Mountains on either side but especially on the left particularly one called the Bee-hive another the Devilshuck which is commonly covered with a thick mist and which when the wind drives it that way darkens the Haven Within this Haven also is the Island called of Dead-men whom they ordinarily bury here in Coffins heaping Stones upon them where the bodies if they escape the Bears are preserved entire a long time some say they have seen them so after having been dead thirty years Here are also several Islands called Fowl-Islands because of the vast number of Fowls that breed there Next follows a Bay called by the Dutch Mauritius-Bay where some have wintred the relation whereof because it contains nothing considerable besides what is before expressed I shall omit Near to this stand the only houses in the whole Countrey which are a few Cottages built by the Dutch for the making their Oyl with a great Gun to defend them and those they call Smearbourg and the Harlingish-Cookery All other nations burn their houses at their departure In the Northern-bay is an Island the Dutch call Vogel-sang for the great noise that the Fowls make when they take their flight Next is Monyers-Bay the furthest North of the Western part of Greenland then Roe-field so called for its abundance of Deer the Soil here seems to be all Slats set up edgwise Muscle-haven lieth at the mouth of the Way-gate North of which Martens sailed to 81 deg he saw seven Islands more farther North but the Ice permitted him not to approach them Walter Thymens Ford is by us called Alderman Freemans Inlet and is a large mouth of a River which is undiscovered The Soil Soil as much as has been discovered of Greenland is in most places nothing but Rocks or heaps of vast stones many of them so high that the upper half seems to be above the clouds and so steep that they seem as if they would tumble down as many times great pieces do break from the whole with a terrible noise The little valley between them is seldom any thing but broken stones and Ice heaped up from many generations About Roefield and Muscle-haven is the greatest quantity of low land yet is that also full of Rocks stony and for the most part cover'd with Snow and Ice which being melted as in some places it is in Summer discovers nothing but a barren ground producing heath moss and some very few plants These Mountains which are exposed to the warm air and Sun-beams are in some places clothed with the same and in these places and the holes of the Rocks nest infinite quantity of Fowls whose dung with the moss washed down by the melted Snow makes a mould in the valleys or rather clefts which if open to the Sun-beams when the Ice is dissolved produceth some few plants as a kind of Cabbage-Lettuce of a Cress-taste Scurvy-grass Sorrel Snakeweed Mousear Hearts-ease a kind of Strawberry divers sorts of Ranunculus and of Sempervives one like an Aloes another like our Prickmadam a third like our Wall-Pepper and some few others unknown to our Climate The Sea seems not so salt here as in other places The Sea It is generally so clear that one may see at least twelve fathoms under water and commonly of the colour of the air The course of it at Musclebay and some other places is observed to be Northward There hath been no particular notice taken of the Tydes and Martens thinks that it ebbeth and floweth not regularly according to the Moon for then it would drown the nests of the birds that build nigh the
added to the former because it was at twelve hours before noon his place at that instant was 2 deg 26 min. of Virgo whose declination is as before 10 deg 35 min. The Latitude of the place was 78 deg 47 min. whose complement was 11 deg 13 min. the declination being subducted from the complement of of the elevation of the Pole leaveth 38 min. four fifths of which is 12 min. being substracted from 38 leaveth 26 min. for the refraction which is more or less according to the thickness or thinness of the air But to return to Nova-Zembla Situation of Nova-Zembla There is lately a new Chart of Nova-Zembla put out in Holland which separates it from Samoiedia by the Streights of Nassau or Fretum Waygats but makes the North of it wherein Barents in 1595 wintered in the same parallel with part of Greenland and that Nova-Zembla is inhabited with people like in clothing stature and manner of life to the Samoieds that they are Idolaters as many of the others Barbarous c. Another Map joyned with the former also continues Groenland to Greenland on the South-west corner which also is contrary to all other Relations but the Map of Nova-Zembla is manifestly calculated out of the observations of them that wintered there with W. Barents and therefore I shall neither disparage nor approve it further trial may determine it A late Traveller a French-man Chyrurgeon in a Danish Ship saith That Nova-Zembla is a Continent joyned on the South to Samoiedia by a ledg of Mountains called by him the Pater-Noster-Mountains and on the North to Greenland which is contrary both to this new Chart and to the observations of all Marriners both English and Dutch He saith also that he with others went ashore upon Nova-Zembla and brought away some of the inhabitants into Denmark that they were more barbarous then any other nation he had ever seen A Groenland-Monk in the Chron. of Iseland saith that the Pigmies inhabited Nova-Zembla this Traveller indeed saith they were but short truss'd persons but not so little as to deserve the name of Pigmies nor indeed much lesser then his Countreymen the Gronelanders are described The Dutch who wintered there Beasts mention no other beasts then Bears Foxes and such other as live upon prey for that say they there is neither Leaves nor Grass for other Beasts to feed upon but Mr. Hudson saith that all the land they had seen of Nova-Zembla seemed pleasant much high-land and without Snow in some places also green and Deer feeding upon it nor were all the high hills covered with Snow But Mr. Hudson was there in Summer and it is probable that assoon as winter begins the Deer betake themselves to Samoieda or some other place Our Merchants that have lived in Russia say Fowls that upon Nova-Zembla is a great lake wherein a wonderful number of Swans and Geese do breed which moult their feathers about St. Peters day and at that time the Russes go thither to gather their feathers and to kill the Fowls which they dry and bring into their own Countrey for winter provision Both English and Dutch in their frequenting this coast have given names to several places And it is a remarkable inconvenience that the Dutch very rarely make use of a name given by another nation but had rather give new ones themselves that the world may take them to be the great discoverers and diligent observers In 73d was a land discovered by H. Hudson and called Hold-with-hope unknown as he conceived to any Christian till that time and as our late Navigators say to any since CHERRY and other ISLANDS OUr men conceive Greenland to be broken land Northern Islands or a great number of Islands at least very near to one another On the West-side they discovered as far as 82 deg the most Northerly point they called Point Purchas there they found very many Islands which they thought not worthy to give names to being careful only to take notice of those six or eight Harbours which were commodious for their fishing On the East-side they went no farther then 78 deg because the Dutch disturbed their trading on that side There are also many Islands some of which are named Hope-Island as Hope-Island discovered in 1613 which may be that the Dutch call Willoughbies-land or John Mayens-Island though indeed it corresponds well to neither but rather to the later It belongeth to Greenland and is but a small Island and lies North-east and South-west whereas the Countrey Sir H. Willoughby landed upon was a large Countrey in as much as he sayled many days by the side of it and lies North and South which must be Greenland Edges-Island was discovered 1616 Edges-Island Wyches-Island by Capt. T. Edge who had made that voyage ten times Wyches-Island so call'd from a Gentleman of that name was found out 1617 but there being nothing remarkable come to our knowledg concerning these we pass them over Only it is worth noting that both the Whale and Morss-fishing was known and practised 800 years ago as appears by the Relation which Octher the Norwegian made to his Lord Alfred King of England where he also saith that the Morsses were hunted for their teeth which were mightily esteemed Cherry-Island Cherry-Island when first discovered I know not but it received not its name nor was known to be of any profit till 1603 when a Ship set out at the charges of Sir Francis Cherry touched upon it and found there some Lead and a Morsses tooth but stayed not to fish because the year was too far spent However they called it in honour of Sir Francis Cherry for whose use they took possession of it Cherry-Island In 1604 Morss-fishing a Ship set sail Mr. Welden the Merchant and Steven Bennet the Master from London April 15 and arrived at Cola in Lapland May 1 they stayed in Lapland till July 1 and July 8 they came in sight of Cherry and they came to an Anchor on the South-south-east side but because of the stream could not land so that they sailed round about the Isle and at length anchored two miles from the Shore Going on land one of them with his Gun killed as many Fowl as almost laded their Boat July 9 they found on Shore nothing but store of Foxes that part of the Island was in 74 deg 45 min. July 10 they weighed Anchor and stood into another Bay and came to anchor in eight fathoms where they saw an incredible number of Morsses swimming in the Sea Coming to Shore they espied a vast company of them lying on the ground they shot at them with three Guns they carried with them but with all their weapons they could kill but fifteen of above 1000 that lay there like Hogs hudling together on heaps but they found as many teeth as filled an Hogshead Before the 13th they killed near 100 more making use only of their teeth In 1605 the
Island is not so much enclosed with Ice as that which lies in the North where it runs out into the Sea with a sharp point behind the Mountain of Bears for on this side all the year long the Ice never removes from the Shore above ten miles and in the Spring time so besieges it that there is no passage through it For which reason the Mariners who are bound for this Island use all the care they can to avoid the Eastern and to make directly to the Western Shore there to lie while the fishing season continues if by miscarriage they come upon the East-side they are then forced to fetch a compass about the North part of the Island whereby they are not only exposed to the terrible winds that blow off from Bears-Mountain but also to the dangers of the Floating Ice for here the Sea flows from South to North and ebbs from North to South At the Northern end of the Island appears the Bears-Mountain of a prodigious height and so perpendicularly steep that it is impossible to climb to the top of it This Mountain from the Bears there frequently seen called Beerenberg or the Bears-Mountain at the bottom takes up the whole space between the Eastern and the Western Shore on the North-side it leaves a little room for leveller ground to the Ocean and being of prodigious height may be descryed 30 miles off at Sea The Sea-coast lies thus 1 Noords-hoeck or the Northern Angle is the extream point shooting out to the North. 2 Oosthoeck is the most Eastern point Ysbergh mark'd 1. 2. 3. are three Mountains of Ice or rather vast heaps of congealed Snow which dissolved by the heat of the Sun falls from the top of Bears-Mountain but upon the Sun 's retiring freezes again 3 Zuydoost-hoeck is the Southeast Angle From this point the Shore extends it self from East to West to a little Island and then winds again to the West and South in some places not passable by reason of its steepness in others smooth enough 4 Cleyn Sand-bay or Little Sand-bay Eyerland or Eggland being certain Rocks full of Birds here about a Musket shot from the Shore the Sea is 60 fathom deep and a little farther the sounding line will not reach to the bottom 5 Groote Hoot-bay or great wood-bay by reason of the great pieces of rotten timber that are there found In this which is the narrowest part of the Island are certain Mountains not very steep from the top whereof any person calling them that stand upon either Shore may be heard by both 6 Cleyn Hoot-bay or Little Wood-bay 7 English Bay and several others to which the Dutch have given such names as they thought fit GRONELAND CAlled also Groenland Groinland The name and situation and more anciently Engroenland lies as the Islanders say like an Half-moon about the North of their Countrey at the distance of four days sailing But it seems not to lye so much East but rather on the North of America From Cape Farewell in 60 deg 30 min. on the South it is unknown to how many degrees in the North. The East and West are encompass'd by two great Oceans but at what degrees of Longitude is not yet discovered Only Mr. Fotherby found it near the Coast of Groneland in 71 deg and the South of Greenland to be above two hundred leagues It is said to have been discover'd first by a Norwegian Gentleman Ancient discoveries whose name was Eric Rotcop or Red Head who having committed a murther in Iseland to save his life resolved to adventure to another Country whereof he had heard some obscure flying reports He succeeded so well that he arrived in a safe Harbour called Sandstasm lying between two Mountainous Promontories the one upon an Island over against Groneland which he called Huidserken or White Shirt because of the Snow upon it the other on the Continent called Huarf Eric He winter'd in the Island but when the season suffer'd pass'd into the Continent which because of its greenness and flourishing he called Groneland Thence he sent his Son to Olaus Trugger King of Norway to get his pardon which was easily granted when he was inform'd by him of this new discovery Whereupon divers Gentlemen adventured to plant there who multiplying not long after divided the whole Country into the Eastern and Western and built two Cities Garde and Albe In Albe was a Bishops See and a Cathedral Church dedicated to St. Anthony The Seat also of the Vice-Roy sent thither from time to time by the Norwegian They write also of a great Monastery called of St. Thomas wherein was a Spring whose water was so hot that it dressed all their meat and being conveyed into the Cells and other Rooms in pipes heated all the Monastery as if it had been so many Stoves They say also that this Monastery is built all of Pumice-stones and that this hot water falling upon them mixeth with the outer parts and produces a sort of clammy matter which serves instead of Lime But what the Norwegians conquered By the Norwegians or possessed in this Country was an inconsiderable corner of that large Continent Themselves mention a Nation whom they call Skrelingers to have inhabited in the middle of the Land but what they were we know not But whether their paucity exposed them to the mercilesness of the Natives or whether it were an Epidemical disease which they called the black Plague which swept away not only most of that Nation in Groneland but also the Merchants and Mariners in Norway that maintained that traffique or whether it were some other reason which is now forgotten so it is that since 1349 little intelligence hath descended to us concerning Groneland till seeking the North-west passage to China occasioned more knowledg of it In 1389 they say that the King of Denmark sent a Fleet thither with intention to re-establish his dominion in those parts but that being cast away discouraged him from any further enterprise till now of late Christian IV renewed somewhat again of that navigation of which by and by In 1406 the Bishop of Drontheim sent a Priest called Andreas to succeed Henry Bishop of Garda if dead if alive to return and bring notice of the state of the Church there But Andreas never came back nor hath there been since any further care taken to supply Bishops or maintain Christianity there There is a relation in Purchas's Pilgrim part 3 of one Ivor Boty a Gronelander translated 1560 out of the Norweighish Language which gives a sufficiently particular account of all the places in that Country inhabited by Christians but nothing besides Afterwards another part of it is said to be discovered by Antonio Zani A. Zani the relation of whose adventures is at large in Hackluits third Volume I shall not insert them because not useful to our present purpose And tho there be grounds sufficient to make us doubt of some of these relations yet not to reject
that they could not endure their clothes but wrought in their shirts The south part of Hudsons Bay he call'd Mare Novum that part towards Groneland Mare Christianum He arriv'd in 63 deg 20 min. where he winter'd and call'd it Muncks Winter-harbour and the country New Denmark it seems to be near Diggs Island In that long winter he there endured little of note happen'd but that in April it rained and then came thither vast quantities of fowls of divers sorts to breed in those quiet undisturbed places Of all his company which was forty-six in one Ship and sixteen in the Pinnace scarce so many were left alive as were able to bring the Pinnace thorow very horrid dangers to their own country In 1636 The Gronelandish Society at Copenhagen sent two Ships which arrived at Fretum Davis near to which the Pilot found a black sand which he conceived to contain considerable quantity of Gold wherewith he freighted his Ship neglecting further discovery Returning to Denmark and his Sand after examination being found to contain no Gold at all he was so severely blamed by the President of the Society and so ashamed to be mistaken that he dyed with grief And since that nothing more known of any adventures that way from Denmark If any one desire to know what became of the eight Gronelanders Gronelanders 〈◊〉 Denmark brought at several times into Denmark the account is this The King commanded great care should be taken of them appointed certain persons to attend them to give them liberty enough so as they prevented their escape No necessary or convenience was wanting their food such as they could eat milk butter cheese flesh and fish but raw They could eat no bread nor boil'd meat but nothing so much abhorr'd by them as wine or brandy Their pleasantest beuvrage was train-oyl But whatever was done to or for them could never take away that melancholy and chagrin which they continually lived in for the want of their beloved country They could never be brought to learn much of the Danish language or to apprehend any thing of Christian Religion Three of them were sent back towards their own country 1606 the most towardly and hopeful who might serve for interpreters and brokers to the Danes but two of them Oxo and Omeg died in the Ship and the third because the Danes durst not land or trade by reason of the great numbers of natives that appear'd in arms on the coast ready to revenge them that had been before carried away was brought back into Denmark to his former treatment An Ambassador arriving there from Spain the King was pleased to shew him those Savages and their dexterity in rowing which was by all the spectators admired The Ambassador sending them money one of them had the courage to buy him clothes after the Danish fashion got a feather in his cap boots and spurs and all things ala cavaliere he came also to the King and desired to serve him but this fervor was quickly decay'd and the poor man returned to his sadness and complaints Some of them endeavoured to get to Sea in their little boats but being retrieved dyed of melancholy Two lived divers years at Koldingen in Jutland where they were employed in diving for Pearl-Muscles in which their skill and dexterity was such that every one that saw them believed they had practised the same employment in their own country Such success they had that the Governor promised himself great profit thereby and that in a short time he should sell Pearls by the quart if they continued But his covetousness destroyed his gain for not content with what they fished in summer he also compelled them under the ice in winter time where one of them fell into such a disease from the cold so contracted that he dyed After whose death the other never enjoyed himself but finding an opportunity he got his little Boat and before he was overtaken got to the main Sea But being brought back they represented to him the impossibility of his ever getting home to Groneland but he sleighted their advice and told them that he intended to go northward so far and when he was there the stars would direct him into his own country The country is mostly all high-high-land and mountains cover'd with snow all the year The Soil c. but the southern parts more than the northern They have very little or no wood growing there except some few bushes and not many plants or herbs consequently not many beasts there nourished but their chief subsistence is upon fishing There are divers mountains which promise rich mines of mettal and some have been found to contain it actually others only to make a shew The inhabitants know neither sowing nor planting tho the soil seem'd to be fertil and pleasant especially between the mountains The northern parts by reason of the terrible ice and cold are wholly undiscovered the southern consist of many Islands different in shapes and bigness which seems to be the reason that in these Seas are many and various strong currents and as Ivor Boty saith very many dangerous whirlpools towards the west and north none of which however have been found by our Mariners The country seems much subject to earthquakes else very healthful only it was observed that those who went thither infected with any Venereal disease grew worse immediately and could not there be cured Which they attributed to the purity of the air perhaps they might have done it more rationally to the cold Ivor Boty speaks much also of their great numbers of Cows and Sheep Beasts but our men found no beasts there but Bears Foxes very many of which are black Rain-Deer and Dogs whereof are two sorts a bigger which they use to draw their Sleds and a lesser which they feed for their tables Our men observed this peculiarity both in their Foxes and Dogs that their pizzles were of bone Tho it is very likely that there are the same sorts which are in Lapland and Samoieda but our men have not searched any more than the shoars both because of their short stay and the treachery of the inhabitants Of Fishes there is great both plenty and variety Whales Fishes Seals Dog-fish but in these are caught the greatest quantity of Sea-Vnicorns whose horns are so much esteemed and kept as rarities in the Cabinets of Princes The natives here are so well stored with it that they have sufficient both for truck and their own use They make of them besides other utensils swords and heads for their darts and arrows which they work and grind with stones till they make them as sharp-piercing as ours This horn grows in the snout of the fish and is his weapon wherewith he fears not to fight the Whale and to assault and sometimes endanger a Ship The fish it self is as large as an Ox very strong swift and hard to be caught except left on the shore by the tide or entangled
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
from Bructeri an antient people of Germany who say they conquered and peopled these parts The most probable opinion is that the Prussians are the same with the Borusci a people formerly inhabiting some parts of Russia about the Raphaean mountains whence they were driven out by excessive snows and cold For to omit the affinity there is among the three words Borusci Borussi and Prussi the antient language of the Prussians is onely a dialect of the Russian as we shall have occasion to shew by and by Who were the first inhabitants of Prussia is harder to find out then the etymology of the word Many as well ancient as modern Geographers think Eridanus and the Insulae Electrides so famous for the Electrum or Amber carryed all Greece and Italy over were in this country But who in those days peopled the land they dare not determine The most likely story is that the Venedi or Venedae a large branch of the Slavonian Nation were here seated This seems plain from the words of Ptolomy who tells us the Venedi upon the Vistula had on the South the Phinni and Gythones And Cluverius confirms the assertion from several places in Liefland which to this day retain the names of Wenden Windaw Vschewende c. Hence came the mistake of the Latin Poets who having read that Electrum was brought from the Venedi confounded these people with the Venetians of Italy and fancied Padus was the ancient Eridanus Besides the Venedi the Galindae and Sudini are here placed by Ptolomy and Hartknoch proves from the idolatrous worship used formerly in Prussia that the Goths were sometime masters of the country The Aelii and Aelvaeones reckon'd by some writers as the ancient inhabitants of Prussia were Goths At this day the Prussians are a kind of heterogeneous people made up of Swedes Polanders Germans and others of the neighbouring Nations The whole country is bounded on the North with the Baltick Sea for fifty German or two hundred English miles together on the East with Lithvania and Podlachia on the South with Masovia on the West with the Vistula which separates it from Cassubia and part of Pomeren The chief Rivers in it are the Vistula Nemeni Cronon called by the Natives at this day Mimel and near the mouth of it Russ Nogat Elbing Vuser Passar Alla Pregol Ossa Vrebnicz Lice and Lave By the help of these and the convenient havens which are every-where found upon the Baltick shore all the commodities of the country are easily exported and foreign wares brought in The inhabitants are generally strong-body'd and long liv'd Adam Brememsis in his description of Denmark and the Northern parts of Europe tells us the Prussians were grey-ey'd and yellow-hair'd The same opinion the ancients had of all the Northern Nations whence Sidonius Apollinaris speaking of the Heruli who doubtless came out of this country saith Hic glaucis Herulus genis vagatur Imos Oceani colens recessus Algoso prope concolor profundo And Ausonius speaking of Bissula a Swabish Virgin taken captive by the Romans says of her Sic Latiis mutata bonis Germana maneret Vt facies oculos caerula flava comis But since the Prussians have mix'd themselves with other Nations and admitted of the modish luxury of the rest of the European countries they are neither so healthy nor of the same complexion as formerly The apparel of the Prussian-Gentry is not much different from tho not altogether so gaudy as that of the more Southern Nations The Rusticks wear after the fashion of their forefathers long and strait coats of course wool or leather 'T is reckon'd an argument of more then ordinary riches if a Yeoman be able to purchase an holiday Suit of course English cloth Tho the Venedi as Tacitus witnesses were the first of the Scythian race that forsook their waggons which their ancestors were wont to live in and begun to build houses yet their successors are not yet arrived at any great curiosity in Architecture Near the Vistula indeed which is the ancient seat of the Venedi the houses are magnificent in comparison of the wooden huts which you meet with towards the wild confines of Lithvania Tacitus tells us the Phenni who dwelt in these parts had no other shelter from the injuries of the weather and wild beasts then the boughs of trees twisted together And to this day the invention is not much improved for the rude commonalty have yet no other habitation then hovels made of stakes interwoven with rods and cover'd with earth at best a little fern The many incursions which have been made into this country upon the several late quarrels of the Dukes of Brandenburgh with the Polander and Swede have forced them to raise some Castles and Fortifications of stone but otherwise a stone-house is as rare as a coat of English Freeze Nor is there any greater advancement made in their lodgings for the ancient Prussians lay on the ground or sometimes on the skins of beasts and these sleep on straw They are naturally content with spare diet and more given to sloth then gluttony or drunkenness The most ordinary food they have is fish their land abounding with great store of Rivers and Lakes to the number as they have been formerly reckon'd by some of their Monks of two thousand thirty and seven They never used to eat herbs or any manner of roots before the Teutonick order came among them So that it seems not so natural to man if we may judge of mans nature by the actions of these men who had never yet studyed luxury in variety of meat and drink to feed upon the fruits of the earth as Aristotle in his Oeconomicks would perswade us The drinks used heretofore in Prussia as well as the neighbouring Countries were water Mares-milk mixed sometimes with blood and Mead. This last is still much in use among them and made in such quantities that they can afford to send it into other Nations From the Germans they have learned the art of brewing beer They have been alwaies and are still both men and women much given to drunkenness seldome or never keeping holiday without a fit of it and judging they have not made a friend welcome enough except the whole family be drunk in the entertainment TRACTUUM BORUSSIA circum Gedanum et Elbingam ab incolis WERDER appellati cum adiuncta NERINGIA nova et elaboratissima delineatio Authore Olao Ioannis Gotho 〈…〉 To the â—orp WILLIAM PEACHEY Esq of New Grovâ— in SUssex This Mapp is Hum bly Dedicated The Prussians as we have said had little or no knowledge of the use of mony before the arrival of the Teutonick order among them in the year 1230. These men coming out of Germany brought with them the coin of their Country Among the rest of their peices of mony the broad Bohemian Gross was long currant both in Prussia and Poland But not judging that small stock they had brought with them sufficient to furnish the Country with
finished Herman de Salza Master of the Teutonic Order gave Laws and Constitutions Die Kulmsche Handveste for its government a specimen of which antient Canons is given by Lambecius out of an old Dutch Manuscript in the Emperor's Library at Vienna The City at present looks old and ruinous but is still a Bishop's Sec. The Lutherans were permitted the exercise of their religion in private houses by a publick edict signed and published in this City by John Malachowski Bishop of the Diocess the thirteenth of March 1678. 4. Thoorn built at the same time with Culm by the Knights of the Teutonic Order for a post against the Heathen Prussians but not in the place where it now stands Old Thoorn was seated a mile West-ward from the new where to this day are found the ruins of an old Castle and City By whom and when new Thoorn was first founded is not easily determined for when in the year 1454 this part of Prussia delivered it self up into the hands of the King of Poland the old and new Thoorn joyned interests and made up one entire Corporation betwixt them Whence it hapned that the records of the new City were neglected and lost Thoorn seems to have had its name from the German word Thor a gate because built by the Teutonic Order as a gate to let in such forces into Prussia as they should have occasion for Hence the arms of Thoorn are a Castle and Gate half open At present this City is the neatest and best built in Regal Prussia The streets are much broader and the houses statelier then at Dantzig It owes much of its beauty to Henry Stroband Burgo-master of the Town who died in the year 1609. He built the Gymnasium here and endowed it with a considerable revenue for the maintenance of several Lecturers and poor scholars He founded also the Hospital and public Library and built a-new the Town-hall which were it not of late out-done by the Stadthuis at Amsterdam might be reckoned the stateliest in Europe of its kind The rest of this Country comprchended under the general name of Ducal Prussia is subject to the Elector of Brandenburgh and therefore as a part of the Empire shall be treated of in the description of Germany The Great Dukedom of Lithvania WHence this large and noble Country should have its name is utterly unknown Lithvania 'T is ridiculous to bring the word from the Latine Lituus a hunting-horn because forsooth the inhabitants are much addicted to hunting Erasmus Stella an Historian of good credit tells us some Prussians under the command of Litwo one of their Kings sons came into these parts about the year 573 and called the land after their Captains name Litwania or Litvania The Polish Historians agree generally in this story That Palaemon flying the fury of Attyla left Rome and came with several Italians into this Country who gave it the name of La Italia which was afterwards corrupted into Lithvania The Lithvanians themselves glory in this derivation of the name of their Country and prove this story of Palaemon true by the Roman names of their Nobles Vrsin Column Julian c. But this etymology seems too far fetch'd Stella aims fairest tho he miss the mark a little For 't is certain the Prussians did conquer this land and seat themselves in it tho the additional story of Prince Litwo seems feign'd More likely it is that the Prussians not satisfied with their change call'd the Country Lithvania from Litwo which in the ancient Prussian language signifies a vagabond or wanderer The ancient inhabitants are thought to have been the Alani Antient inhabitants since the Lithvanians do still retain some footsteps of the name of these people in their Lithalani and Roxalani But he that shall compare the account which Ammianus Marcellinus gives of the manners of the ancient Alani with what the best Authors say of the old Lithvanians will easily perceive that they are not both one Nation Their language sufficiently proves them to be of the same original with the Prussians and what that is we told you before About the year 1235 Ringeld son of Gimbut Alteration of Government of the posterity of Palaemon is said to have first taken upon him the title of Great Duke of Lithvania In the year 1319 Gedimin who first built Vilna refused to pay homage to the Russian and entring Novogrod with an army took Volodimir and made all Volhinia swear fealty to the Magistracy of Lithvania How large the Dukedom is may appear from the vast territories he left to each of his seven sons at his death To Montvid he gave Kiernova and Slomin To Narimund Pinsko Mozyr and part of the Province of Volodimir To Olgierd Creve and the Country beyond as far as Beresine To Kieystut Samogitia and the territories of Troce Lida Vpide and Subsylvania To Coriat Novogrod and Volkowiski To Lubart Volodomir and Volhinia To his youngest son Javnut Vilna Osmia and Braslaw designing him for Great Duke But soon after when the Tartars begun to infest Volhinia and Kiow Javnut was deposed and his brother Olgierd made Great Duke in his place He in the year 1331 falls upon the Tartars and in a short time makes himself Master of Podolia which they had kept for some years About the same time Demetrius Duke of Moscovy sent an Ambassador into Lithuania to demand a restitution of all those Provinces which formerly belong'd to the Dukedom of Russia The Great Duke immediately upon his arrival commits him to close custody and marching forthwith in the head of his army towards Moscovy surprised the Duke in his Palace and forced him to accept of a peace upon this condition That for the future the bounds of Lithuania should reach as far as Mosco and the river Vgra When Vladislaus Jagello was chosen King of Poland in the year 1386 he promised that from thence forward the Great Dukedom of Lithuania should be annexed to that Crown At the same time the Lithvanian and Russian Nobility took an oath of allegiance to the King and Queen of Poland which was repeated in the years 1401 and 1414. But this obligation they afterwards shook off For when the Polanders desired to joyn Volhinia Podolia and some other Provinces of Russia to their own Kingdom the Lithuanians loath to part with so fair possessions opposed them with that vehemence That for several years there was nothing but continuall skirmishes between the two Nations At last in the year 1566 differences begun to be composed which were finally determined A. D. 1569 by articles drawn up and subscribed to by both parties in the presence of several Ambassadors of other Nations The principle Articles agreed upon were these That the Lithuanians should for the future disclaim all right and title to the Provinces of Podlachia and Volhinia and the Palatinate of Kiow That they should never by themselves elect a Great Duke but upon a vacancy repair to the place whither they
should be summon'd by the Archbishop of Gnesna as Interrex of Poland That in every such election the Lithuanian and Polish Nobility should have equal power in giving of voices That whoever by a majority of voices of both Nations should be elected King of Poland should at the same time be pronounced Great Duke of Lithuania That the election should always be had in some place near the confines of both Countries That the Parliament should sit in Poland and Lithuania by turns c. In the year 1654 the Moscovite made many and terrible incursions into Lithuania which were carried on with that success that A. D. 1655 he took Vilna This hold he kept till the King of Poland having made peace with the Swede who oppressed him on the other hand drave him out and made him retreat as far as the confines of Moscovy However the war ceased not till in January 1667 a truce for thirteen years was agreed on upon these conditions That Polockz Vitepski Duneburg and the hither Liefland should return to the Polander Provided that Nevel Vieliss and Sebisch be excepted from the Palatinates of Polockz and Vitepski That the Moscovite should retain Smolensko Sevir and all the Vkrain beyond Boristhenes That Kiow after two years should be restored to the Crown of Poland c. The Country is full of woods and Lakes Soil which yeild good store of Venison and fish The Forrests also afford them great quantities of honey and pitch The land is tolerably fruitful but the extreme cold too often spoils their harvest The greatest trade of Lithvania lies in Pitch Commodities Tar and Timber which is transported into Holland and other foreign Nations For these they receive in salt and Wines For all other necessaries they are well enough provided being well stockt with great herds of Cattel though they are not so large as in Germany and other their neighbouring Countries and considerable flocks of sheep Besides the woods furnish them with Ermins Sables and all manner of furs to defend them from the otherwise intolerable sharpness of the air The Lithvanians seem to have natures proportionate to their quality Temperâ—â— the peopâ—â— for the Nobles are as proud and domineering and the Commonalty as sneaking and mean spirited here as in any part of Europe The reason of such inequality of tempers proceeds from the unreasonable slavery that Landlords force their Tenants to undergo If you have but a good train of attendance you may uncontrolably plunder any peasant's house in the Land and if you please give him a kicking into the bargain He dares not open his mouth except to give you thanks for giving over when you are weary They are bound to serve the Lord of the Mannor five or six days in the week and if he spares them as is usually munday they must work on sunday for themselves If any ask them a reason why they labour that day they will readily reply Ought we not to eat on Sundays as well as other days In their wars with Poland they gave a sad testimony of their barbarous cruelty the usual attendant of a low spirit by denying quarter to all Captives ripping up women with child murdering of infants c. They are perfidious to their Prince and regardless of oaths and promises NOVA TOTIVS LIVONIAE accurata Descriptio Apud Janssonio-Waesbergios et Mosem Pitt The Rusticks eat bread made of the ears of wheat not winnowed nor thresh'd This they call Duonos a gift for the same reason that the Polanders call bread Bozydar and the Germans Gottes-gab the gift of God and no proverb is more ordinary in the mouthes of the Lithvanians then Dieva dave dantes Dosi duonos i. e. God that gave teeth will give bread The rest of their diet is flesh herbs and roots of which they have plenty The most general drink of the Country is a kind of Brandy made of Corn. Besides this they have some beer and a sort of mead boyl'd with Hops which is kept sometimes an hundred years together in Noblemen's houses Of late there has been brought hither great quantities of Spanish and French wines from Konigsberg and other places near the Baltick Sea The Lithvanians generally as well in Cities as Villages speak the Russian language and write all pleadings and proceedings of Courts-judicature in that tongue However there is a great mixture of Latin words in their talk which seems to confirm the story of Palaemon So for Ignis they say ugnis unda wanda aer oras sol saule mensis menuo dies diena ros rasa Deus Diewas vir viras c. Besides they have many Polish words though these two languages are not originally the same The Latin tongue is as common here as in Poland and you shall not meet a Lithvanian from a Duke to a plowman that cannot give you an answer in that language 'T is probable the Greeks first taught them how to write for they call letters Goomata 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unless perhaps they had them more immediately from the Russians who use the same word No Nation in Europe has been more besotted with Idolatry then Lithvania Among the rest of their false Gods they as well as the antient Egyptians Greeks Romans and Indians were great worshippers of serpents and many of them continued so till within these few years Of which Signismund Baron of Herberstein in Comment rer Muscovit P. 84 tells us this memorable story Returning says he lately from Masovia at Troki a small Town about eight English miles from Vilna mine host acquainted me that that year he had chanced to buy a hive of bees of one of these serpent-worshippers whom he with much ado had perswaded to betake himself to the worship of the true God and to kill his adder Within a while after coming that way he found the poor fellow miserably tortur'd and deformed his face wrinkled his mouth awry c. demanding the cause of his misery he received this answer from him That this judgment was inflicted on him for killing his God and that he was like to suffer heavier torments if he did not return to his former worship Nay to this day here are too great footsteps of this Idolatry for in many Villages both in Lithvania and Prussia you shall meet with poor Bores that keep Adders in their houses to which they though professed Christians pay a more then ordinary superstitious respect and fancy some great misfortune will befall them if these Laria take any harm Besides the antient Lithvanians had an Idol called by them Percune to whom they kept a continual fire burning with as much caution and diligence as ever the Vestal fire was kept at Rome For if the Waidelot or Priest that was to attend the Altar should happen to let the fire out he was sure to dy for 't The like ceremonies were performed in remembrance of Kiern one of their Princes on the top of a high hill near Dziewaltow These
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
Norwegian and Muscovitic Laps to be of the same original and extract are said to have descended from the race of the Finlanders and Samoieds The Inhabitants and their Original as may probably be gather'd from the likeness of their customs language and manner of worship and also from the very name of Laplanders i. e. banish'd men or Runnagado's for they are said to have been driven out of Finland once by the Tartars when they extended their dominions as far as the Lake Ladoga and afterwards by the Swedes And because such deserting of their Country was thought a disgrace to the whole Nation none of the Laplanders of any quality to this day will endure to be called by that name but give themselves some other compellation as Sabmienladti Sameednan c. And this opinion that they took their original from the Finlanders or rather were always of the same Nation with them seems to be confirm'd by those descriptions ancient Geographers give of Finland and the Finlandish people agreeing exactly to the modern Lapland and its inhabitants Saxo says that the Finlanders are the farthest people toward the North living in a Clime almost unhabitable good archers and hunters wanderers and of an uncertain habitation wheresoever they kill a beast making that their mansion and they slide upon the snow in broad wooden shoes all which holds true of the Laplanders as also do those descriptions of Finland set down by Tacitus and Jo. Magnus Besides all this the Norwegians and Danes call the Laplanders Finni or Finlanders in general and divide the whole Nation into Sioefinnar i. e. maritime Finlanders and Lappesinnar the same with the Laplanders The Russes also call them Kajienski as coming from Cajania a Province in Finland And as we may hence probably conclude the Laplanders at first to have come out of Finland so we may believe that the Finlanders more then once march'd out into Lapland which is evident from the several names of their Leaders whom some call Thinns-Rogre others Mieschogiesche The first and most ancient transmigration was that of the Biarmi whom some miscall Seridfinni so called from their going to dwell upon the mountains Varama signifying in their language a hilly country Which people was by Harald Harfager King of Norway almost all destroyed in battel and the Nation so scatter'd that for ever after both the name and credit of the Biarmi was quite abolished and forgot The second time of their deserting their Countrey was when the Russians enlarged their Empire as far as the Lake Ladoga which was about the sixth age after Christ For fearing the cruelty of these people they retired into Lapland and were called by the Russians Kajienski for the reason aforesaid To confirm what has been said give me leave to insert here a Testimony greater then all exceptions that is of the worthiest of all Princes Aelfred the Great who having himself represented Orosius or an antient Geographer and Historian in his own Saxon Language so as to add supplies where he is defective gives an account of these Northern Shores out of the Relation of a Norwegian Nobleman imployed by himself for the discovery of these Countreys The Testimony being more authentick then any one that hath written upon this subject so long ago we shall here set it down almost verbatim Otherus said to his Lord Aelfred that himself lived in the very Northerlyest part of Norway in the Country called Halgoland that Northwards of this Countrey was desert except some few places wherein a few Finns lived in Winter upon hunting and in Summer upon fishing that having sail'd Northward and Easterly with a good gale for seven days he arrived at a great River on the right hand whereof was the Country of the Ferfinni which was thinly inhabited by a few Fowlers Fishers and Hunters on the other side were the Biarmi a populous Nation so that he durst not land amongst them that they discours'd with him many things concerning their Countrey whether true or false he knew not but supposed that they speak the same language with the Finni That near this Countrey was the great fishing for Whales and Sea-horses which we call Morses whose teeth were then accounted of great value But there seems to have been another more general migration of these Finns into Lapland about the year 1150 and till this time we never find them called Lappi or Loppi and the occasion of this name seems to be about that time Ericus Sanctus King of Sweden subdu'd the Finlanders and brought them under the Swedish Government and also planted amongst them the Christian Religion whereupon they being subjected to Strangers and forc'd to be of a Religion different from that of their Ancestors many of them retired from their own Country and sought out a place where they might live more free and according to their own manner and those that stayed and submitted to the Swedes and embraced Christianity looked upon the departers as deserters of their Countrey whom fear of a good Government and better Religion had made Exiles especially when the King had put forth an Edict that all should be accounted banish'd that would not renounce Pagan superstition Being thus forc't out of their Native Countrey Their 〈◊〉 mannâ—â— of liviâ—â— at firâ— they liv'd for an age or more upon the Bothnic Coasts and in the Woods of Tavastia as a stragling and miserable people neither having Laws nor Governours till the year 1272 at which time they were made tributary to the Crown of Sweden under Magn. Ladulaos then King who to bring them under his subjection promised any one that could effect it the Government of them which the Birkarli i. e. those that lived in the allotment or division of Birkala undertook and having for a great while cunningly insinuated themselves into their conversation under a pretence of friendship at last set upon them unawares and quite subdued them and for their pains according to Ladulaos's promise they alone had the priviledge to traffique with them and receive Tribute from them which they constantly did till about Ann. 1554 when they were entirely united to the Crown of Sweden and in 1600 better discovered and more certainly known to the Swedes then formerly they had been and this was effected by the care of Charles the ninth then King who sent two famous Mathematicians M. Aron Forsius a Swedish professor and Hieron Birckholten a German with Instruments and all necessaries to make what discoveries they could of this Lapland This Countrey â—â—emâ—â— the 〈…〉 the 〈◊〉 lying under divers Climes has the Temperature of the Air and likewise the nature of the soyl very different In those parts that are most Northerly and within the Artick-circle the air is extream cold and the ground barren but without the Circle the heavens are somewhat more mild and benigne and the earth more liberal in her productions affording in those places near Bothnia some few sorts of Pot-herbs as Coleworts Rape-roots Parsnips
c. so that in those parts only they make Gardens and till their ground Through the whole Countrey the air though very cold and piercing yet is not inferiour to any of other Regions in healthfulness and pureness either because the vapours coagulated and so made heavier by the cold fall down or from the frequent winds which sometimes are so strong that they hinder all passengers from travelling and likewise root up all trees and Bushes that stand in their way so that on several of the Laplandish as well as Dofrine mountains there are no trees or shrubs to be met with therefore the Inhabitants make use of fish-bones for fuel but most terrible are those Tempests and Whirlewinds says J. Magn. which arise from the North sometimes taking away the waters of the Sea from under the Ships and carrying the Ships up into the air let them fall down again at far distant places sometimes also sweeping away with them both Stones and living Creatures and now and then meeting with great quantities of fish which the Inhabitants use to dry in the cold they hoise them up into the air and let them fall which the poor people gather as a gift sent from God In those parts nearest the Pole the Sun for some months never sets and on the contrary for so long time never rises and although in Summer it never sets and goes below the Earth yet neither does it rise more above it but as it were glides along the edg of the Horison for the most part and likewise in winter when lowest it is not much beneath it which is the reason that though they have one continued night for some months yet the Sun comes so near that it makes a kind of twilight Snows are frequent which last all the year long upon the mountains and many months upon the plains by the brightness whereof they travel with greater security and speed then otherwise they could do Springs and Rivers are so numerous in this Country 〈…〉 that together with the melted Snows and Frosts they make the ground all summer time generally loose and boggy The most noted Rivers are those whence the particular Marches and Regions have their names as Vmeao Pitheao Luhleao Torneao and Kimeao these all spring from the Dofrine mountains and being increas'd by several lesser rivers do at last unburthen themselves into the Bothnick sea In their course they run through many hilly and uneven parts of the Countrey and are stopt by several dams and weares and so violently forceing their way over precipices are not navigable Such are the sluces Muscaumokke Sao and Niometsaski i. e. Hares-leap so called because the River Lughla runs between two mountains so near that a Hare may leap over Besides these Lakes and other less remarkable rivers there are abundance of Pools or Lakes as Lulafraesk Lugga Sabbaig c. well stored with Salmons and such like Fish one there is named Stoorafvan in which there are as many little Islands as there are days in the year but the most remarkable is Enaresraesk near Kimus wherein the hills and islands are by some said to be innumerable and Torneus affirms that never any Inhabitant lived long enough to survey them all Some of these are small but fishy they call them Suino i. e. Holy and account it a sin to foul them Some of them have two Channels and when the Fish forsake the upper they account it an ill omen and use ridiculous sacrifices to the Demon of that March Here are Mountains most of them small and inconsiderable Mountains some also very high and almost unpassable especially towards Norway which the Swedes call Fiael or as the Northern English Fells and the Laplanders Tudderi they arise about Zemptland whence with continued ascent toward the North they reach a 100 miles in length till they come to Titus-fiord which is a bay of the frozen Sea Till of late no Mines of any Mettal were known to be in the Country Mines but in the reign of Queen Christina in the year 1643 there were veines found both of Silver and Lead by the Inhabitants of Pithalappia amongst Rocks so hard that they were forced to tear them in pieces with Gunpowder but in the wars 'twixt Sweden and Denmark in the year 1656 one Van Anen a Danish Governour so spoiled them that it is not thought worth the charge to open them again and since that also in the year 1668 another Silver mine but mingled with Iron was discover'd by a Native There are also known to be some Iron and Copper mines in Torne and Lulalapmark but not digged Scheffer mentions a report of the discovery of a Golden Mine in the year 1671 but nothing of certainty concerning it comes to our hands what further concerns them will fall more properly under the discourse of Sweden The Stones of this Country generally are extreamly hard of an ash colour and unworkable Stones some there are found on the shores which represent the shape of some animals which the Inhabitants esteem much and adore for Gods under the name of Storjunkare Some Authors speak of considerable quantities of Diamonds Amethysts and Topaz the Diamonds which are reported to be of an incredible bigness seem to be nothing but either Chrystals or Fluores and Scheffer gives the same sentence of the other Here are found in some few Rivers a sort of Pearl but neither so oriental nor so well shap'd as those that come out of the Indies In the whole Country there are none of those we call either Fruit or Timber-Trees Trees but store of Pine Firr Birch Willows and Alder. Plants most frequent among them are divers sorts of Berries Angelica highly valued by them for diet and medicine Sorrel c. Proper to the Country are Calceolus Lapponicus so call'd from the shape of its flower a beautiful plant but of no use great varieties also of Mosses the food of their Rain-deer This Country by reason of the many Lakes Fish and Fowl Rivers and Woods abounds much with Fish and Fowl of all sorts there is one sort of Bird called Loom or Lame because their feet are so short and plac'd so far behind that they cannot go upon land but always either swim or flie very numerous in and peculiar to this Country but no Bird abounds more than the White Partridge not only in the Woods but on the high Mountains even when cover'd with the deepest Snows they have a kind of hair instead of feathers which in the winter is white but when the spring comes they turn to their proper color which seems to be usual in all cold Countries they have hares feet whence they are call'd by some Lagopodes Fish are here in great abundance not only sufficient to supply the Inhabitants but frequently transported into other Nations although their constant victuals be nothing but dryed Fish such as abound most are Salmon and Pikes whereof some are found eight foot long Of
all the Beasts of Lapland the Bear is chief Beasts stil'd by the Inhabitants the King of the woods next to the Bear the Elk is remarkable call'd by the Swedes Aelg or Aelgar and by the Germans Ellend It differs much from the Rain-deer both in height being as high as any horse and in the make of it horns they being shorter then those of the Rain-deer above two handfuls in breadth upon the Palm shooting out not many lesser branches see a discription of this Creature among the beasts of Poland There is no great breed of them in Lapland but they have them from other places especially Lithvania and Russia whence twice a year they swim in great herds over the river Niva in the spring to go into Carelia and those parts and in Autumn to return into Russia Here are likewise besides these and the Rain-deer great plenty of Stags Wolves Gluttons Beavers and more sorts of Furs As for the Stags there are but few and little such as are call'd Damicervi or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which since they have nothing peculiar from those of other Nations let it suffice that they are named Wolves are here in great number distinguished from those of other Countries only by their colour which is commonly white a great enemy to the Rain-deer but are observ'd never to assault them if bound to a stake the Wolf being a jealous Creature and suspects every rope he sees to be a snare to catch him The next are the Gluttons so named from their rapaciousness an amphilbious Creature with a round head strong and sharp teeth like a Wolf a plump body and feet shorter then the Otters their skin is of a very dark colour some of them resemble Sables only they have a softer and finer hair Beavers also are very numerous here and generally by reason of the quietness of the waters which are never or seldomer troubled with Ships and Boats then the Rhine and Danow are all creatures that live in Rivers and feed upon Fish abound in this Country Beasts also that live wholly upon Land are in great number and variety as Foxes of several sorts and colours as the black brown ash-colour'd white and those that are mark'd with a cross all along the back and down the shoulders call'd Crucigerae Martrons or Martins a little beast not unlike a Ferret feeding upon Mice Birds and such like Ermins which are white Weesels with black tails feeding also upon Mice and the like little Animals Sables a kind of Martron the white are very rare and of extraordinary price of the rest the black are the better with some others whose skins are highly priz'd and reckon'd the chief commodity of Lapland There are also on the mountains of Lapland vast numbers of Mice which because they appear commonly after rain have I suppose given occasion to some Authors to think them generated in the Clouds and so rain'd down of these Mice are reported several incredible things as their waging war and drawing themseves in bodies like armies their oeconomy also and such like stories they are meat for their Foxes Rain-deer and their Dogs which eat only the fore part of them Cattel common to other Nations as Horses Oxen Sheep c. are not to be met with in Lapland the beasts proper to this and the Northern Countries are the Rain-deer an ancient name call'd by King Aelfred in his Saxon Periplus Hynas and the Latine name Rangifer seems to be derived from it they differ much from the Tarandus of Pliny and also from our common Stags they have three horns two branching out backward like our Stags horns sometimes five cubits in length and adorn'd with five and twenty branches the third spouting down their forehead by which they defend themselves against wild beasts The Doe has but two horns somewhat shorter one whereof is fix'd in her forehead Their feet are thick like Bulls feet of an ash-colour except under their belly and haunches which is white resembling more an Ass then a Stag. This beast when it walks or runs makes a noise with its joints like the clashing of Flints which is peculiar to these creatures Though their hoofs be cleft they do not chew the cud they are naturally wild but not difficultly tamed and made serviceable to men The males they imploy in drawing their Sleds and the Does they keep for their milk of which they make Cheese but not any Butter for they have none in the whole Country but make use of a kind of Tallow instead of it The Inhabitants both in figure and manners are not unlike the Samoieds of Muscovy The â—â—tureâ—â— inhabitants and the Description there given of that people may in several respects be said to agree to them They are generally short of stature and for the most part very lean and perhaps both by reason of the extream coldness of the Country They are observ'd to be very light of body which some perhaps not without reason attribute to their not eating any salt They have great heads prominent foreheads hollow and blear eyes short flat noses and wide mouths their hair is generally flaggy their breast broad slender wastes and though their legs be small yet are they nimble strong and swift of foot their usual exercises being running races and climbing high Rocks and Trees Though they are thus nimble and strong yet they never go upright but stooping which habit they get by frequent sitting in their Cottages on the ground or by bending their bodies as they slide along the snow in their scaits By reason of their living in woods among wild beasts and want of correspondence as well among themselves as with other Nations they are very superstitious fearful and mean spirited and above all things dreading war so that the Swedes seldom or never imploy any of them in their armies though it be falsly reported that Gustavus Adolphus made use of both them and their magick in his expeditions upon Germany but of late they begin to be more couragious and considerable and we are inform'd that this present King Charles the XIth in his wars with the King of Denmark had some Regiments of Lapps in his Army who for the good service they did him has given them better Lodgings then they had before and caus'd them to change quarters with some of the Inhabitants of Schonen who by reason of their treacherousness were not so deserving as they If they chance to be removed out of their own into a more Southern Country they frequently fall into deseases and dye being less able to endure a milder air and to feed upon Salt Bread and boil'd meat then other Nations are to live upon their raw Flesh and dryed Fish Formerly they were accounted plain-dealers and in bartering very honest but having been deceiv'd by strangers they took up cheating and cousening as well as others and are so far from being behind hand with them in it that they are notorious and infamous for deceiving
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
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-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
the Center of these four Cantons and the middle of the great Cross hangs a Scutcheon bearing Azure a Horseman in compleat armour Argent holding a Sword in his right hand of the same with the hilt Or his Horse covered with a Cloth of the second which are the Arms of Dithmarse The lower part of the Arms contains four more Coats Whereof the first is Gules three Pinks some call them nails of our Saviour's passion and three leaves of Nettles which are intermixed and meet in Angles at the heart of the Coat which is charged with a small Scutcheon Argent for Holstein The second which is the Coat of Stormaria is Azure a Swan Argent with a Coronet round her neck Or. The third belonging to the Earldom of Delmenhorst is Or two Barres Gules The fourth and last Coat which belongs to Jutland is Azure a Cross Patty at the bottom fetchet Or. Below the Arms is usually hung in a chain Or the Scutcheon of the Order of the Elephant The Helmet Or embroidered and damasked the sights covered and wanting barrs above which a Crown Or encircled with four Circles and adorned with precious Stones on the top of this a Globe Or and above all a Cross patty Argent The Crest is a Leopard passant over the Crown Or eight Streamers Azure a plain Cross Argent four spears bending to the Dexter side and as many to the Sinister Or. Supported by two Savages crowned and girt with Ivy proper armed with two pointed Clubs The Mantle Or sown with hearts Gules and Lions Azure doubled Ermine JUTLAND THO many of our modern Authors make a scoff at the relations the Danish Historians give of the Gyants anciently bred under the Northern Climates Cimbrians whence so called yet 't is certain both from the testimony of the most credible Roman writers and the inscriptions of ancient Graves and other monuments that there were formerly in these parts some people of larger sizes then are anywhere to be met with at this day either in this or any other Nation And what else can be meant of that Law of King Frotho mention'd by Saxo Grammaticus wherein 't was order'd that no ordinary Rustic should be bound to have any quarrel with one of these over-grown Kempers determined by Duel which was then the usual way of deciding all manner of controversies except the Warriour had fewer and lighter weapons then the Plebeian Those that endeavour to prove the ancient Danes men of greater dimensions then the modern from the bulk of their Grave-stones and Tombs do not consider that it was the custom of the Danish Pagans to burn the dead bodies of their deceased friends and bury only the ashes and that the ancients used to worship at the monuments of their Princes and great men which for this reason were usually considerable heaps of stones and earth cast up by the high-way side However to omit these kind of idle conjectures the Northern people had doubtless in their Armies good store of Kempers men of vast bodies and strength upon whose broad shoulders lay the heavyest and hottest service in every engagement From these Kempers the whole Nation were by the Romans called Cimbri by the Greeks Cimmerii and their Country Chersonesus Cimbrica which name was given to the whole tract of land beyond the Elb tho later Historians confine it to that part only which now goes under the name of Jutland Whence the Juti and Jutia which without all doubt is the same with the more modern word Jutlandia should come Jutland whence so called is harder to determine then to trace the original of Cimbria Venerable Bede speaking of those Nations who came to aid the Britains against the oppression of the Romans mentions the Vites as well as the Angles and Saxons Cambden and some others would have us read Jutes instead of Vites as saith that famous Antiquary one Manuscript Copy hath the word But the Learned Sir Henry Spelman observing in most Copies Vitae more then once and never Jutae will not admit of this alteration Ethelwerd who writ about the year 950 calls Bede's Vitas Giotos telling us that the Angles were a people that dwelt inter Saxones Giotos Tacitus places the Huithones so Pontanus reads the word and not as 't is usually printed Nuithones next to the Angli In other Authors we meet with the Vitungi Juthungi Guthungi Guthas Juthones c. which without question are all of one and the same original only variously corrupted either by the inadvertency of transcribers or unskilfulness of foreign writers in the idiom of the tongue of that Country which they described Arngrim Jonas an Islandian Author well skill'd in the Antiquities and Language of his own Country says Jaet in the Islandian and Norwegian dialect signifies a Giant Adding further that there is still a place in Norway call'd Risalandt i. e. the Land of Giants near which is Jaetumhaimar or The Giants dwelling Lastly he tells us Jutland is nothing but a corruption of Jaetumland So that Jutia has the same signification with Cimbria and the Guti Gothi Gotti Getae call'd in the English-Saxon monuments Geatun Vitae Jutae c. are the same men with the Cimbrians Jutland reaches no further then Sleswic 〈…〉 So that Holstein and the rest of the Provinces which lay between the Eidor and the Elb tho formerly a part of the Cimbrian Chersonese are not now reckon'd as any portion of this Country Northern Jutland THE Northern Jutland is much larger and better peopled then the Southern It is divided into nine some reckon fifteen great Lordships which says Lyscander being severed one from another by so many arms of the Sinus Limmericus Lymfiord gave occasion to that part of the King of Denmark's Arms which bears a Lion and nine Hearts in a field Or. There are in it four Bishopricks Ripen Arhusen Alburg and Wiburg In the further corner of the North Jutland lyes Wensyssel which has the names of Venulia 〈◊〉 and Vandalia in Latin Authors and is thought by some to have been the seat of the ancient Vandals Its inhabitants are the lustiest and hardiest of any of the King of Denmark's subjects The chief Town in this Tract is Wensyssel so call'd from the Province Schaghen seated on the Promontory between the Norwegian and Baltic Seas is much more frequented by Merchants from all parts of Europe then any other Town in Jutland and would have a far greater trade then now it has were it not for the dangerous coast it stands on Totius IVTIAE GENERALIS Accurata delineatio Apud Janssonis-Waesbergios et Mosem Pitt JUTIA SEPTENTRIONALIS in qua Dioeceses ALBURGENSIS et VIBURGENSIS JUTIA AUSTRALIS in qua Dioeceses RIPENSIS et ARHUSIENSIS DUCATUS SLESWICENSIS Nova Descriptio DUCATUS SLESVICENSIS Pars SEPTENTRIONALIS DUCATUS SLESVICENSIS AUSTRALIS PARS The Diocess of Wiburg lies in the very middle of North Jutland Lyscander calls Wiberg the Metropolis of Jutland It is indeed a place
of the greatest concourse of people who flock hither for justice in all causes Civil and Criminal It was formerly called Cimmersbeg as being the chief City of the ancient Cimbrians Tacitus calls it Civitatem parvam but withall that it had been a glorious and strong hold and the Metropolis of a terrible and warlike Nation Whence and when it got the name Wiberg is not easily determined Some tell us that after the many petty Principalities of the Cimbrians were united into one Monarchy by Wiglet this City lost its ancient name and was called after the Prince Wigburg corrupted by degrees into Wiberg Elnot in the life of St. Canutus says it had its new name from Wig an Idol worshipp'd in this place I rather think it the seat of the Danish Pyrats called formerly Wigs or Wikenger For it was the custom in the Northern Countries where the inhabitants were more then the fruits of the Land could sustain for young Noblemen to live of what they could catch abroad As the Lacedemonians thought Robbery so these fancied Pyracy lawful and glorious Whence Princes of the blood would often turn Pyrats and take upon them the title of Kings tho they had not the least dominion at land as the Norwegian History reports of St. Olaus The most notorious Pyrats mention'd by the Northern Historians are the Jomswikinger who dwelt in the City Wollin called anciently Jomsberg where they had established certain Laws and were subject to Magistrates and Governors chosen out of the Royal Family Cambden tells us that the Danes are usually understood by the name Viccingi in the Latin writers of our English History because says he they were professed Pyrats In our Learned King Aelfred's translation of Bede's Ecclesiastical History Pyrats are called Wicengas and Wicings and Mr. Cambden guesses probably that the inhabitants of Glocestershire Worcestershire c. were formerly called Wiccii from the Sea-robberies committed daily by them upon the mouth of the Severn The English-Saxons named a stout warriour Wiga skill in war Wig-chaept a fort Wighus c. In the old Francic History of the life of St. Anno Arch-Bishop of Cologne we read Ninus hiz der eristi mann De dir ie volc Wigis began i. e. Ninus is the first that ever made war And in Willeramus's Paraphrase upon the Canticles Wighuis is a Castle Wiigfimme the art of Combat c. Nial's Runic History says Gunnar var alra manna best Viigur deira sem de voru a Islande i.e. Gunnar was the best Champion that lived in Island in his days From what has been said it seems very probable that Wiberg signifies no more then Wigton the name of several great Towns in England and Scotland and the Scots still retain so much of the old Saxon word Wig as to call souldiers and pillagers of the Country Wigs or Wiganeers There has been for some years a quarrel between the Bishops of Alburg and Wiburg about precedency each pretending his Bishopric the more ancient 'T is very hard if not impossible to decide the controversie except we date the first institution of the Bishoprick of Alburg from the removal of the Bishops Palace to that City For the Bishopricks of Wiburg and Borlum were both founded in one year by Sueno Esthrith who made Heribert Bishop of Wiburg the same time that he gave Borlum to Magnus Witfield gives Wiburg the precedency but Alburg is reckon'd the better and more honourable preferment by other Danish writers From the high Court of Judicature holden at Wiburg the Jutlanders can make no appeal save to the King himself The most memorable Bays in this Diocess are Sallingsundt Virckesundt Hualpsundt Sebersundt and Othesundt The last of which had its name from the Emperor Otho the first who making an incursion into Jutland about the year 948 came as far as this Bay into which he is said to have cast his Spear and given it the name it retains to this day The most considerable and fruitful part of this Diocess is Salling a Peninsula in the Limfiord whence are brought the best Horses that are to be met with in the King of Denmark's Dominions The name of this Province seems to point out the seat of the old Sabalingi whom Ptolomey makes a people inhabiting some part of the Cimbrian Chersonese but more Southerly then Salling The chief River in the Bishoprick of Wiburg is Gudius Gutalus or Guddenus called by the Natives Gudden Aa and stored with plenty of Fish Arhuse is a neat and pleasant Sea-port Town on the coast of the Baltic Sea Arhusen whence Etymologists derive its name from Aar-hus i. e. the house of Oars Which is a much more probable conjecture then is brought by Pontanus who fetches the word Arhusen from Ptolomy's Harudes The greatest part of the Danish Historians are of opinion that it was first made a Bishops See about the year 1014. Tho if it be true that Poppo was made Bishop of this Diocess its original must be fetcht as high as the year 992. The Cathedral at Arhuse is a neat piece of Architecture adorned with several rich monuments of Bishops Noblemen c. The Bishops Palace has lain many years in its ruins which still retain marks of its antient splendour and grandeur It is seated in the heart of Jutland and furnished with all manner of necessaries that the Country affords at a very reasonable rate and what forreign Commodities either the need or luxury of its Citizens call for are brought daily in by the Mariners In this Diocess there are thirty one Judicatures Seven Cities three hundred and four Parishes and five Forts the strongest of which is Schanderborch or Schonderborch i.e. the neat Castle seated on the Gudden The rest of the Cities of note in the Bishopprick of Arhusen are 1. Horsen on the South of Arhusen 2. Randruse a place famous for the best Salmon in Jutland 3. Ebeltod on the Baltic Coast a Town of considerable trade The Bishoprick of Ripen Ripen bordering on the Southern Jutland contains in it seven Cities two hundred eighty two Parishes ten Castles and an hundred Noblemens houses It is seated upon the clear and sweet river Nipsaa which parting it self into three streams divides the Town into as many parts and gave occasion to the City's Arms which are three Lions Here abouts Ptolomy seems to place his Cimbros phundusios That this City should have its name from the Latin word Ripa upon its being situate on the banks of the river is no great wonder if we consider that whilst the Natives of these parts busied themselves chiefly in fortifying and peopling their great Ciities 't was ordinary for the Germans Romans and other Foreigners to give names to small Villages upon the Sea-Coasts which after a revolution of some years by the advantage of a brisk Sea-Trade grew bulky and were often advanced into large Corporations The Cathedral is a stately Fabrick of hewen stone beautified with a Tower of an incredible height which
divided formerly the Dukedom of Holstein from the Kingdom of Denmark BEfore the invention of Guns and other terrible Engines of war now used by all the Europeans and the greatest part of the known world the only fortifications and ramparts were strong walls and ditches which the ancients fancied as indeed they were sufficient to defend them from the arrows and battle-axes the only weapons then in use of their barbarous neighbours Hence it was that the Chinois thought their Empire secured from the incursions of their bloody neighbours the Tartars when their famous King Tzinzow had hedged them in with a wall of some hundreds of miles in length Thus the best expedient the Romans could find of putting the borders of their Brittish dominions in a posture of defence against the daily revolt of the Natives whom they had driven into Scotland was the building of Picts Wall and Severus's rampire which reach'd from Sea to Sea For the same reasons the Kings of Denmark having their Territories continually infested by the daily inroads of the Germans thought it highly requisite to block up their passage by walling up that neck of Land which lies between Hollingsted and Gottorp It is hard to determine from the account given by Historians when this work was first begun Paulus Aemilius a curious French Historian says Gothofred King of Denmark whom the Danish writers call Gothric was the first that made use of this stratagem to exclude the Armies of the Emperor Charles the Great about the year 808. The same story is told us by Aimoinus and Christianus Cilicius But Saxo Grammaticus Crantzius and the whole Class of the Northern Historians tell us unanimously That Queen Thyra daughter of Ethelred King of England and wife to Gormo Gamle King of Denmark was the Authoress of this fortification and that thence she had the surname of Danebode i.e. the Mistress builder of the Danish Nation bestowed on her I can scarce allow the latter part of the story to to be truth since we find that this surname was given her long before she had done any thing either towards the building or repairing of the Danewirk as they call'd this Fort. For upon a monument erected by King Gormo Gamle in honour of his Queen Thyra we find the following Inscription Gurmr Kunugr gerdi kubl dusi eft Turui Kunu sina Tanmarkur-bat i.e. Gormo the King erected this Tomb for Thyra his Queen Danebode or repairer of the Kingdom of Denmark This inscription cannot be an Epitaph writ after Queen Thyra's death seeing all the Danish writers assert positively that she outliv'd her husband Gormo many years and after his death took the Danewirk in hand So that its more then probable the surname of Danebode was given her for the many good offices she had done the Nation in repairing several old decayed Castles and Forts and building a great many new ones King Eric the Eighth in his Danish Chronicle says Thyra built the Fort of wood Which Witfield understands of the fencing the rampire with Stakes as bulwarks are guarded in our modern fortifications Others make Harald Blaatand Queen Thyra's son the first Author of this work after he had driven the Emperor Otho out of Jutland Which Erasmus Laetus the Danish Virgil alludes to when speaking of this King Harald he says Hic ille est solido primns qui Cimbrica vallo Munijt arva solique ingens e corpore dorsum Eruit immani quod se curvamine longos Incitat in tractus mediumque perambulat Isthmum Et maris Eoi ripas cum littore jungit Hesperio ac tenuem Sleswici respicit urbem King Eric decides this controversy by telling us That Thyra built a wooden fortification and afterwards advised her son to strengthen the work by Trenches and Rampires of earth Notwithstanding all these relations of other Historians both Pontanus and Wormius agree that 't is most likely the rude draught of this Fort was first drawn by King Gothric and only repair'd and improv'd by Queen Thyra King Harald and other succeeding Princes Waldemar the first built a wall of brick seven foot broad and eighteen high to strengthen it After so many improvements the fort was reckon'd impregnable For soon after King Waldemar's reparation when Henry Duke of Saxony surnamed the Lion intended to have endeavoured a breach through this fort into the King of Denmark's dominions he was disswaded from the enterprise by his chief Counsellor Bernhard Razburg who represented the undertaking as a thing impossible to be effected assuring him Danewirkae custodium Danorum sexaginta millibus mandatum esse i.e. That Danewirk was defended by a Garrison of sixty thousand Danes Hence King Sueno finding himself unable to force his way through so strong and so well man'd a Rampire endeavour'd to work his passage by corrupting the Keeper of Wiglesdor the only Gate leading through this wall into Jutland At this day there remain but sleight marks of so great a work At Schubuge and Hesbuge two small Villages upon the ruins of the wall the Inhabitants find reliques of old furnaces and brick-kilns whence the Danish Antiquaries conclude that King Waldemar had his bricks burn'd here tho he was forced to fetch mortar as far as Gothland Joh. Cypraeus tells us at Dennenwirch an inconsiderable Village in these parts may still be seen the ruins of an old Castle where Queen Thyra lodged The same Author says Wiglesdor was antiently called Kaelgate because placed in an open and plain part of the Country where the Enemy could have no shelter nor be in any probability of suprizing the Defendants HOLSTEIN ANtiently the whole Territories of the Dukedom of Holstein contained at present in the Provinces of Holstein properly so called Ditmarss Wagerland and Stormar went under the general name of Nortablingia or the country beyond the Elb Northwards Adam Bremensis and Helmoldus are the first that mention Holsatia which the former derives from Holts-geseten i.e. seated in a wood or forrest DUCATUS HOLSATIAE DESCRIPTIO NOVISSIMA Excudebant Janssâ—â—io-Waesbergii et Moses Pitt The fruitfulness of the soil convenience of trading in the Baltic and Brittish seas and industry of the Inhabitants render Holstein the richest Country in the King of Denmarks dominions and make the incomes of some of the Nobility exceed the treasure of many Princes in Germany The chief Cities and great Towns in Holstein are 1. Kyel Chilonium seated on the Baltic shore in a corner of land shut in betwixt the mouths of two rivers Whence some have fetcht its name from the German word Kiel which signifies a wedge It is furnished with a large and commodious haven which is continually throng'd with Merchant-Ships from Germany Liefland Sweden and all the Isles on the Baltic Sea There is yearly in this Town a meeting of the greatest part of the Nobility of Holstein who come hither to consult about the affairs of the Dukedom especially the concerns of the mint and value of money The Castle which is seated on the
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
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
minutes and then the Parallel betwixt Ptolomy's Thule and this Island will fail The manners of the inhabitants nature of the soil temperature of the air c. are the same in this Isle as in Iseland ISELAND ISeland is an Isle in the Deucalidonian Seas Situation situate 13 deg and 30 min. of Longitude and 65 deg and 44 min. of Latitude reckoning the situation of the whole Isle from Skalholt the chief City in it It is bounded on the East with the Northern Ocean on the South with the Deucalidonian Sea on the North and West with the frozen Sea of Groenland The Isle was first discovered by one Naddoc Discovery who sailing near the coasts of the Fero Islands was by an unexpected tempest driven upon the Northern parts of Iseland which from the great quantities of snow that then overspread the country he call'd Sneeland After him a Swedish Mariner nam'd Gardar made a second discovery of this Isle and after his own name call'd it Gardarsholm This hapned in the year 864. Not long after this one Flocco a Norwegian Pyrate made a third discovery of it not casually as the other two had done but by design He had heard some faint stories of the two former discoverers and questioned not but if he could meet with this Newfound Land to be better paid for his pains then his predecessors had been Whereupon he resolves on the adventure and instead of the Mariners Compass which at that time was never dream'd of made use of the following expedient to direct him in his Voyage he took with him out of Schetland three Crows and having sail'd Northwards for some days he let one of them fly which he perceiv'd return'd to Schetland Soon after he threw a second out of the Ship which finding no land to set her foot on return'd weary into the Vessel Within awhile after he sent out the third Crow which flew to this Isle Flocco following this leader landed safe in the Northern parts of the Isle and there winter'd Finding this country all the while he staid there oppress'd with intolerable frosts and snow he call'd the whole land Iseland or Iceland which name it retains to this day The next winter he spent in the Southern parts But meeting there with as cold entertainment as he had found in the North he hoised up sail the spring following and return'd to Norway where he was ever after call'd Rafnafloke or Flocco the Crow The first inhabitants of Iseland came into the Isle in the yeat 874 First Inhabitants brought hither by one Ingulf a Norwegian Baron who with Hiorlief his brother in-law fled or was banish'd his own Country for murdering another Nobleman The Islandic Chronicle which makes the said year its Epoch tells us that this Ingulf found the Isle wholly desolate and destitute of all manner of inhabitants Nor is there in this work any mention of any former discovery whatsoever made either by the English or Irish tho some of our Historians have asserted that Iseland was well known to both these Nations long before Ingulf brought in his Norwegians The Irish Annals go further and assure us that the ancient Iselanders call'd the Irish Papas and the Western part of their Isle as most frequented by Irish Merchants Papey Arngrim Jonas follows the Chronicle of his Country and is very passionate in asserting that before Ingulf no manner of inhabitants were heard of in this Island And in his specimen Islandicum he is extremely enraged at Pontanus and the Authors he follows for offering to assert that Iseland is the ultima Thule of the ancients For says he if our Isle be that Thule which Virgil and other Roman writes mention it must needs have been inhabited in the days of Augustus the Emperor and then what credit I pray can be given to our Iselandic Chronicle which tells us in plain terms that this Isle was never inhabited before Ingulf 's days But if that learned Author would give us leave to argue the case 't is possible he may not find any reason at last to be in so great a rage For in the work quoted he himself allows the story of the Irish being first call'd Papas by the ancient Iselanders If we enquire what those ancient inhabitants were that gave the Irish this name 'T will questionless be answer'd they were Heathens This Arngrim takes for granted and thinks the answer satisfactory enough And it is plain that the first inhabitants of Iseland were Heathenish Idolaters from one passage in the Iselandic Chronicle where we are told that in the West of Iseland there is a large piece of ground encircled with a ditch in the midst of which stands a great stone made use of formerly for an Altar whereon they used in the days of Idolatry and Paganism to sacrifice men to their God Woden But then if we consult the ancient monuments of the Northern Kingdoms we shall find the greatest part of Denmark and Norway converted to Christianity before Ingulf's time so that it will be found upon examination highly probable that there were inhabitants in Iseland before Ingulf brought over his Norwegians and those perhaps known to the English and Irish The Isle is for the most part mountainous and rocky Soi◠tho some valleys afford good store of Corn and pasturage Nothwithstanding there are so many and so vast mountains in this Isle there is no manner of mines either of mettals or minerals in the whole land except Sulphur Novissima ISLANDIAE TABULA Sumptibus Janssonio-Waesbergiorum Mosis Pitt et Stephani Swart DIOECESIS TRUNDHEMIENSIS PARS AUSTRALIS Ex Officina Janssonio-Waesbergiona et Moses Pitt Blefkenius speaks of a strange Lake and Arngrim says he has heard as much of a Fountain near Skalholt which immediately petrifies whatever is thrown into it Insomuch that if you take a long pole and stick part of it into the bottom of the Lake that part of the staff which sticks in the earth will in a short time be turned into iron the middle into stone and the uppermost part which never came into the water remain wood He further adds that the part of the staff which resembles iron will burn like a coal Another Lake he mentions which like the Grecian Aornon spoke of by Virgil sends out such pestiferous exhalations as poyson the birds which fly that way Several other strange stories he tells which because rejected by Anrgrim we omit In most places of the Isle you may meet with hot Baths and scalding Fountains the water of which if set to cool throws off a sulphureous scum Of all the affronts which Blefkenius 〈◊〉 in his scurrilous description of Iseland has put upon that Country none is highlier resented by Arngrim then the sleight and false account he gives of the Laws Manners and Religion of the inhabitants of that Isle Whoredom Theft Idolatry Witchcraft Sorcery c. are vices he accuses the whole Nation of We may rationally imagine
that the ancient Iselanders were men of the same temper manners and religion with the Norwegians from whom they were descended i. e. men of vast stature strong and valiant great duellers and pyrats But since Christianity was introduced into their Isle none of those barbarous qualities which that Dutch Satyrist lays to their charge can justly be reckoned among the catholick enormities of the Island ' tho 't is possible some few may still be found among several thousands that to this day retain a small tincture of the old Idolatrous superstition and ungentile demeanor of their ancestors Their temperance in meat and drink and the naturally strong constitution of their bodies enable them to last out commonly to a good old age tho I cannot but refer Olaus Magnus and Blefkenius to the Readers sentence the former of which tells us the Iselanders live ordinarily three hundred years the latter with more modesty and caution which in him are rare qualities reports that he saw a man in Iseland who told him that he had then lived two hundred years By the account which Blefkenius gives of the habitations of the Iselanders Habitations it must needs be concluded that either he never travell'd amongst them whatever he pretends to or else he mistook their houses cover'd with turf and grown over with grass for small hillocks and rampires For he says all their houses are underground and they their kine horses and sheep have all one cave Anciently the Iselanders like the Germans in Tacitus's days dwelt far apart according as every man took an affection to this field or that fountain this wood side or that plain They used neither mortar nor tyles but the whole fabrick of their houses consisted of timber and turf Their windows were most commonly in the roof seldom in the walls of their cottages Some of their Nobility had more stately Palaces built of large pieces of timber brought hither out of Groneland and Norway At this day their houses are most of wood cover'd over with turf except in their Cities Hola and Skalholt where instead of tyles they make use of fir-boards But since the trade between them and Norway began to decrease their buildings have lost much of their ancient splendour and the neatest of their Villages run daily to ruine Besides their traffick with foreign Nations is much abated and they seem to draw towards that degree of meanness which Krantzius speaks of when he tells us The Iselanders and their Cattel have the same lodging Arngrim confesses that upon the South-shore of the Isle near Skalholt there are three small Parishes in which the inhabitants are destitute both of wood and turf the only fuel of the country The poorer sort of these being not able to purchase fuel from abroad are constrained in the extremity of winter to betake themselves to a corner of their Ox-stalls and there borrow heat from their Cattel It is manifest from the ancient Laws of Iseland whatever Munster Frisius Diet. and Blefkenius say to the contrary that upon the first inhabiting of this Isle the ground was till'd and several sorts of grain sowed and reap'd 'T is a malicious slander to say as those Authors do That the Islanders feed upon carrion and unsavoury meats and want the use of bread The best and happiest of Nations are now and then upon some extraordinary occasions driven to harsh extremities in meat and drink and forced in spight of former plenty to submit to a famine And it may reasonably be supposed that the Seas about Iseland bound up by a long continued frost may sometimes bring the like calamities upon this Isle who have the greatest part of their food out of these waters But setting aside all such accidental casualties and extraordinary dispensations of Gods providence Iseland is as well provided for all manner of necessaries in meats and drink as any other Country whatever For the Iselanders have generally considerable stocks of Kine and Sheep besides large piles of dry'd fish of several sorts 'T is true a great part of the inhabitants want bread and salt which are reckon'd two of the great requisites in furnishing out one of our Southern tables But he that shall seriously consider the vast strength and healthy constitutions which these usually enjoy and the old age they ordinarily arrive at will be apt to conclude that dry'd fish would prove as trusty a staff of life as bread if we were used to it and that salt may probably be convenient in an hot Country to preserve our meat from corrupting but needs not be made use of at the table In short the Islanders have all manner of necessary and substantial food as Beef Mutton Geese Hens Partridges and all sorts of fowl They want only the delicacies of sauces which other Countries enjoy and the sharpness of their air furnishes them with stomachs which easily supply that defect The most general drink used amongst them is Whey Drink which is commonly so good that an ounce of it will very well bear half an ounce of water Sometimes they drink a kind of Mead made of a little Barley flower and an Honey-comb boiled in water Another liquor they have which is squeezed out of a certain reddish berry peculiar to this Isle The ancient Iselanders used to import Beer from Denmark Scotland Norway England and other foreign Countries but for many years last past the inhabitants have not been able to maintain any considerable commerce with these Nations and upon the decay of trade are forc'd to content themselves with such liquors as their own Land affords How poor and mean soever these liquors may seem to Southern palats used to the juice of the Grape yet with these the ancient Iselanders could make merry and keep banquets and revellings with the mean fare before-mentioned What grandeur their public entertainments wanted in the delicacy of the viand and richness of the liquor was made out in the length of their feasts and number of their guests Thus we read that Theodore and Thorwald brethren and Citizens of Hialtaedat in North Iseland solcmnizing the funerals of their father Hialta entertained twelve hundred persons for fourteen days together at a banquet and at their departure presented the chief of their guests with gifts answerable to their qualities After the same rate and for as long a time Olaus Pa a West Islander and his brethren entertained nine hundred men But I know not whether this be an instance of the generosity and gallantry or not rather prodigality of these people For the Northern Nations are generally strangely lavish in their entertainments at Weddings and Burials insomuch that 't is grown a proverb in some of those Countries Pay for thy fathers Coffin before thou thinkest of buying a Cradle meaning that the entertainments at the burial of a father and marriage of a new wife if they come together are sufficient to ruine a man in his estate and make his heir a beggar Before the
tell us of them contain as many incredible things as the most Romantic Popish Legends However the Saxon Commonalty have still their memories and names in great veneration and would as soon part with Christmas-day as St. Ansgar's which is the eighth of February out of their Almanacks St. Wilhad's day is kept on the eighth of November and St. Rembert's on the fourth of February 6. Rembert was succeeded by one Adelgar a Monk of Corbey of whom nothing is recorded worth the taking notice of 7. Hoyer who was elected into the Archbishop's See in the year 909 and dyed the year following The Bremen Chronicle reports that about an hundred and twenty years after his death his Grave was open'd where nothing was found but a Pillow which had been laid under his head and a Cross both fresh and uncorrupted Whereupon the Monks of Bremen concluded that his body was immediately after his death snatch'd up into Heaven 8. Reginward 9. Vnni who going to convert the Infidels in Sweden died at Birca in Gothland 10. Adaldag 11. Libentius an Italian 12. Vnwan call'd by some Wimar 13. Libentius II. 14. Hermannus 15. Bezeline 16. Albert Son of one of the Dukes of Bavaria 17. Liemar or Leimar a Bavarian Nobleman the fourteenth and last Arch-Bishop of Hamburg For when at the request of Eric King of Denmark the Pope had erected an Archbishops See at Lunden in Schonen the Bishops of Denmark Sweden and Norway were subjected to the Archbishop of Lunden and only Lubec Schwerin Lebus and Ratzenburg remain'd Suffragans to the Archbishop of Bremen who thereupon for ever quitted the Title of Archbishop of Hamburg 18. Humbert the first that ever stiled himself barely Archbishop of Bremen 19. Frideric 20. Adalbar 21. Hartwic 22. Baldwin whose successor some have made one Barthold but without any good authority 23. Sifrid Son to Albrecht Marquise of Brandenburg 24. Hartwic II. 25. Woldemar Duke and Bishop of Sleswic 26. Gerhard formerly Bishop of Osnabrug 27. Gerhard II. Earl of Lippe 28. Hildebold or Hildebrand Earl of Broch-hausen 29. Giselbert 30. Henry I. 31. Florentius de Brunchorst against whom appear'd Bernherd Earl of Wolpe whom some Historians make Archbishop instead of Florentius â—at lost the day 32. John Bishop of Lunden and Provost of Roschild in Denmark 33. Burchard 34. Otto Earl of Oldenburg and Delmenhorst 35. Gotfrid Earl of Arnsberg He had great quarrels with Maurice Earl of Oldenburg for the See which when he could not peaceably enjoy he resign'd to 36. Albrecht Duke of Brunswic chosen Archbishop in the life-time of his predecessor in the year 1359. 37. Otto II. 38. John II. 39. Nicolas Earl of Delmenhorst 40. Baldwin 41. Gerhard III. Earl of Hoga 42. Henry III. Earl of Schwartzburg 43. John III. 44. Christopher Duke of Brunswic and Lunenburg 45. Henry IV. Duke of Saxony Engeren Westphalia c. 46. John Adolph Duke of Holstein c. who after the death of his Father was Regent Duke of Holstein and thereupon quitted the See of Bremen in the year 1596 leaving the place to his Brother 47. John Frideric who was at the same time Bishop of Lubec and having enjoy'd the Archbishopric of Bremen for the space of thirty-eight years died in the Monastery near Buxtehude in the year 1634 and was buried in the Cathedral at Sleswic 48. The last Archbishop of Bremen was Frideric Duke of Holstein Son to Christian IV. King of Denmark and Father to the present Danish King Christian V. But before this Frideric came to the Crown of Denmark he had nothing left but the bare Title of an Archbishop For in the year 1644 the prevailing Forces of the Swedish King overran the Archbishopric of Bremen and Bishopric of Vehrden as they had before many other Provinces of the German Empire Afterwards in the Treaty of Munster it was agreed upon that ut satis fieret Serenissimae Reginae Sueciae pro locorum hoc bello captorum restitutione Pacique Publicae in Imperio restanrandae condignè prospiceretur as 't is worded in the Tenth Article of that Treaty amongst other places there mention'd the Archbishopric of Bremen and Bishopric of Vehrden should be for ever subject to the Kings of Sweden and annex'd to their own Territories and Dominions sub solitis quidem Insigniis sed titulo Ducatus And thus the Archbishopric was turn'd into a Dukedom which Title it still retains Whence the City of Bremen which gives name to the whole Dukedom is so call'd City of Bremen there are several different opinions amongst the Germans Writers some of which for the Reader 's diversion I shall hear repeat leaving it to himself to embrace any one or reject all as he shall see cause One tells us there was formerly a Ferry cross the Weser in the place where the great Bridg at Bremen now stands and therefore will have the City so call'd from the flat bottom'd Boats in the tongue of the Neder-Saxons nam'd Pramen wherewith they us'd to ferry over passengers Another fancies Bremen may be fetch'd from the abundance of Broom in their tongue Brame which grows in this Country M. Martinius a man of no contemptible parts and learning guesses that because the Land of Bremen is the outmost bounds of the German Empire towards the Ocean therefore the City was call'd ein Brame which word signifies properly the outmost seam or selvidge of a Garment To omit the impertinences of other Etymologists all agree in this that Ptolomy's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whence ever that word had its original is the same with Bremen Cluverius allowing of this opinion adds further Nec nomen omnino abhorret nam dempta priore syllaba reliquum BIRANVM satis aperta vestigia gerit vocabuli BREMEN Et quid scio annon apud Ptolomaeum M corruptum sit in N integrumque vocabulum fuerit FABIRAMVM Amongst the old rubbish of ancient German writers Antiquity and the small fragments of Antiquity which are at this day to be met with in that Country 't will be a difficult task to find out the first original of this City 'T is certain one great part of it which is known by the name of S. Stephani Statt is of a later foundation then the main body of the Town and another grand accession call'd Die New Statt or the New City has been added within these hundred years What time this City was first fortified we have no other account then in the general that the Cities of Saxony and in all probability Bremen amongst the rest were first wall'd round by the orders of Henry Duke of Saxony surnam'd Auceps or the Fowler about the year 1000. For this Prince had found by experience that his naked Towns were not able to withstand the fury and outrages of the Vandals who in those days miserably infested the Northern parts of the Empire All the modern Historians will inform us that the Suburbs of St. Nicolas which at this day make up a considerable part of the
that great Conqueror From his Loins after several generations descended Billiengus a potent King of the Vandals whose Mother say some was Charles the Great 's Sister He was the first that after his own conversion brought in the profession of Christianity into Mecklenburg tho afterwards at the instigation of his Son Micislaus both himself and all his Subjects turn'd Apostates The next famous Prince of Mecklenburg was Gottschalck surnam'd the Godly who would often himself take the pains to preach Christianity to his Subjects by whom he was at last for his Religion murder'd in the year 1066. From him descended amongst many others Henry II. who dying in the year 1228 left behind him two Sons Nicolot and John From the former of these sprang all the succeeding Princes of the Vandals until William the last Prince of that Line who died in the year 1430. From the later surnam'd Knese Janko or John the Divine because he had taken a Doctor of Divinity 's degree in the University at Paris are descended the present Dukes of Mecklenburg This John left behind him Henry who was six and twenty years kept prisoner by the Turks Father to Henry surnam'd the Lion whose two Sons Albert and John Dukes of Mecklenburg were by the Emperor Charles IV. created Princes of the Empire in the year 1349. Which is not to be understood tho I find this construction put upon it by several of the modern German Historians as if these two Princes before Charles's creation had been only ordinary Lords or Barons of Mecklenburg and by the Emperor advanc'd to the dignity of Princes or Dukes For from him they receiv'd no more than an admission into the number of the Estates of the Empire under whose protection they were brougth by making themselves members thereof upon condition they should be subject to its Laws and contribute to its necessities Albert's eldest Son Albert II. was chosen King of Sweden and not long after taken prisoner by Margaret Queen of Denmark by whom after several years imprisonment he was at last releas'd upon the payment of a vast ransom So that the management of the Dukedom of Mecklenburg was committed to his Brother Magnus a Prince that if we believe Chytraeus who in his first Book of the Saxon Chronicle has given him a noble character was nomine re Magnus endow'd with all the excellent qualities that are requisite to make a brave Prince His Son John who succeeded his Father in the Dukedom founded the University at Rostock in the year 1419. This Duke's Successors Henry the Fat and Magnus II. Founder of the Cathedral Church at Rostock upon the death of William the last Prince of the Vandals made themselves Masters of the whole Land of Mecklenburg After the death of this Magnus and his Son Albert II. the Dukedom came to his Grandchild John Albert in the year 1547 who first brought in the Lutheran Confession into his Dominions by demolishing Popish Abbeys and converting their Revenues to the use of the University at Rostock His Son John III. who died in the year 1592 left two Sons the eldest was Adolph Frideric who married Ann-Mary Countess of East Frisland by whom amongst other children he had Christian-Ludowic the present Duke of Mecklenburg-Swerin His youngest Son was Gustavus Adolphus who seated himself at Gustrow In the late Civil Wars in Germany the whole Land of Mecklenburg was overrun by the Imperial Army and the Dukedom conferr'd upon their ambitious and at last unfortunate General Albrecht Duke of Friedland However within a little while after the two Dukes Adolph Frideric and John Albrecht were reinstated in their Dominions by Gustavus Adolphus the victorious King of Sweden their Kinsman For a character of the present Dukes of Mecklenburg the Reader may have recourse to the following descriptions of Swerin and Gustrow the places of their residence The strength of these Princes would be considerable enough Militâ—â—â— strength sufficient to secure their own Territories and keep their neighbours in awe if firmly united Their equal pretensions to the sole government of the City and University at Rostock did formerly occasion some animosities between the two Houses but this quarrel has for some years last past been quite laid aside and now a difference in Religion the Duke of Swerin being a Romanist and he of Gustrow a Lutheran is the greatest cause of their mutual fears and jealousies Heretofore they thought it their chief interest to adhere to the Swedes and secure themselves under the wings of the potent Kings of that Nations but when after the many conquests of the brave Gustavus Adolphus the power of those Princes grew so formidable as to threaten an universal slavery to their neighbours round about them rather then the defence of any of their Liberties the Dukes of Mecklenburg thought it high time to relinquish that party and join with the Dane and Branburger in opposing their common enemy the King of Sweden They saw Wismar rent out of their hands without any probability of being ever recover'd and they had reason to fear that a great part of the adjoining Country would follow it if their ruin were not timely prevented by the strength of their new Allies The whole Land of Mecklenburg so much I mean as is now subject to the two Dukes which bear that Title is usually divided into these six parts Territries The Dukedomes of Mecklenburg strictly so call'd and Vandalia the Earldom of Swerin the Baronies of Rostock and Stargard and the Bishopric of Butzow In the Dukedom of Mecklenburg are reckon'd the Cities of Wismar to which is the neighbouring Island Poel Tempsin Gades Rhena and Bucow In the Dukedom of Vandalia Gustrow Sterneberg Malchin Stavenhagen Ivenack Neu-Calven Warin Pentzlin Rebell Wredenhagen Malchau Tetrou Goltberg Parchum Plage Lupsian Grabou Domitz Neu-Statt Eldenau and Gorlosen In the Barony of Rostock the City of Rostock Ribnitz Gnoien Tessin Laga Schwan Salines and Morlou In the Barony of Stargard Brandeburg Stargard Furstenburg Strelitz Mirow Fredland and Wesenberg And lastly in the Bishopric of Butzow the City of Butzow and the Peninsula of Swerin The most considerable Cities in the Dukedom of MECKLENBURG I. LUBEC Lubec This City is indeed situate in Wagerland and for that reason we have already given the Reader some short account of it in the Description of Denmark but because it is of it self an Imperial City wholly independant upon the Crown of Denmark and immediately subject to the Emperor of Germany we have reserv'd a more particular survey of it for this place And it cannot so properly be referr'd to any particular Province of the Empire as the Dukedom of Mecklenburg For altho the Citizens of Lubec do not pay any manner of tribute or homage to the Princes of Mecklenburg yet it may perhaps as justly be reckon'd part of that Dukedom as Bremen which never yet acknowledg'd any subjection to the Kings of Sweden may be esteem'd part of that Principality which now bears
the name of the Dukedom of Bremen The name of this City is fetcht by some from one Luba a famous Fisherman that heretofore pitcht his Tents upon the Sea-shore in the same place where afterwards the great City of Lubec was built But this fiction is of the same stamp with the frivolous Etymologies with which some of our English Historians have furnish'd us of Britain from Brutus and London from King Lud. Others tell us that Lubec in the old Wendish tongue signifies a Crown and therefore would perswade us that this Town had its name from the preeminence which immediately after its first foundation it might justly challenge amongst the other Cities of Germany Whence Lindebergius alluding to this Etymology concludes his Elogium in the praise of Lubec with this Distich Et decus Europae lumen sit totius Ansae Et sit Vandalici pulchra Corona soli But the most probable opinion is what we have before mention'd that the name is truly High-Dutch and signifies no more than Lob-eck or ein eck des lobes a corner of Land for upon such a plot of ground 't is situate commendable for something or other in it extraordinary and notable The Polish Historians particularly J. Ludowic Decius in his History of Sigismund II. King of Poland are very zealous in asserting that this great City owes its birth to the Princes of their Country who having made themselves Masters of all this part of Germany built a Fort and in some short time after a wall'd Town in that neck of land upon which Lubec stands But the Germans as vigorously oppose this assertion affirming that Godschalck a certain King of the Vandals laid the first foundation of the Town A. D. 1040 which small beginnings were enlarg'd into the bulk of a considerable City by Crito a Prince of Rugen in the year 1104 or as others 1087. But however this is certain that it was never a City nor had any Charter confirm'd to it before it had been once utterly ruin'd and laid desolate by Ratzo Prince of Rugen in the year 1134 and rebuilt by Adolph II. Earl of Holstein A. D. 1140 who being unable to defend any part of his Territories against the victorious Duke of Saxony and Bavaria Henry II. surnam'd the Lion was forc'd to yeild up to him Lubec amongst the other conquer'd parts of his Dominions Afterwards when success and pride had swell'd Henry to that height as to make him neglect his duty and allegiance to the Emperor Frideric Barbarossa and to side with the Pope in a quarrel against him he was by the said Emperor publicly proscrib'd and devour'd by the joint forces of his neighbour Princes every one laying hold of that part of his Estates which lay next him In this confusion Lubec was besieg'd and taken by the Emperor himself but after his death restor'd to the foremention'd Duke Henry Afterwards it was conquer'd by Waldemar Duke of Sleswic and Brother to Canutus King of Denmark But not long after the Citizens finding themselves too severely treated by their Danish Lords put their City under the protection of the Emperor Frideric II. who granted them several priviledges and immunities and restor'd them to the ancient Liberties which they had enjoy'd under their first Masters Since that time Lubec has continued an Imperial City being always reckon'd one of the chief in the Empire and the Metropolis of the Hans-Towns The Bishopric of Lubec which since John Adolph Duke of Holstein was elected Bishop of that See in the year 1596 has always been in the possession of some of the younger Brothers of that House was first founded by the Emperor Otho I. at Oldenburg in Wagerland and afterwards removed hither with the permission of the Emperor Frideric I. by Henry the Lion Duke of Saxony in the year 1163. There is not any City in the Northern parts of the German Empire which at this day excels or perhaps can equalize Lubec either in beauty or uniformity of its Buildings or pleasantness of its Gardens and Groves The Streets are generally strait and even the Houses being all built with Brick and cover'd with Tyles In the year 1238 a great fire hap'ning in the City burnt down many of their Streets which at that time consisted of Houses made of Timber and cover'd with Thatch whereupon the Senators of the City made an Order that thenceforward no such Houses should be built within the walls of the Town From the public Conduit they have water convey'd by pipes into every Citizen's private House according to which pattern the Conduits in London and other great Cities in Europe were first contrived The Streets are in several places graced with rows of Linden Trees planted on each side The Churches about twenty in number are generally well built and adorn'd with high Steeples or Spires especially the Cathedral dedicate to St. Mary which is a piece of as curious Architecture as most in Germany The River Trave on which Lubec is seated about eight or ten English miles from the Sea is large and deep enough to carry the largest Vessels that sail upon the Baltic So that daily Merchant-men of the greatest bulk as well as flat bottom'd Barges are brought up to the Walls of the City which with its neighbour Hamburg is thought to maintain near six hundred Vessels in continual traffick The City is govern'd by twelve Burgo-masters who are all of them either Doctors of Civil Law or some of the grave and experienc'd Nobility of the City The Common Council is made up of half Lawyers and Nobles and the other half Merchants Their Laws will not permit any Handicrafts-man two Brothers nor Father and Son to be of this great Council of the City supposing that illiterate Mechanics can hardly have so much skill in State-affairs as will render them fit for Government and that near Relations will be apt to side with one another and not act with such unbyass'd judgments as others that are nothing akin II. WISMAR Wismar Seated in the way betwixt Lubec and Rostoc at an equal distance namely seven German or one and twenty English miles from both those Cities Cromer and Vapovius zealous assertors of the honour of their Country derive the name of this City from one Wissimir its founder who they tell us was a Polish Prince descended from their Great Duke Lechus The grounds of their story they borrow from Saxo Grammaticus and Crantzius who report that Wissimirus a Prince of the Vandals march'd with a good Army into Denmark and there slew Siward King of the Danes and at his return built Wismar Now these men imagining that Princeps Vandalicus and Vendicus signifie the same thing conclude presently that this Wissimir must certainly have been a Pole and then the greatest honour they can do him is to bring him from the Loins of Lechus Whereas granting the main part of Crantzius's story which nevertheless is undoubtedly false that Wismar was indeed built by such a Prince as
D. 1066 was martyred by the Wendish Apostates in these parts After his cruel and inhumane death for his murderers are reported to have cut of his hands and feet and in that miserable condition to have left him alive for some days the Seat was vacant for 83 or 84 years until Eberhard was sent hither by the Emperour Conrad III in the year 1260. This mans successour Bruno Berno or Benno was removed from Mecklenburg to Swerin when Henry the Lion by the permission of the Emperor Frederick the First had built a new Cathedral and endowed it with considerable revenues Some of the Mecklenburgish Historians report that much about the time of the foundation of this new Cathedral the said Duke Henry caused the Infidel Mecklenburgers to be driven by thousands into the Swerin-Sea at a place not far from Fichel which from so remarkable a passage to this day retains the name of Die Dope or the Font where they were all baptized by Bishop Benno From this Benno there continued an uninterrupted succession of Bishops of Swerin who nevertheless kept their usual residence at Butzow a Fort and considerable Town not far from Gustrow until in the Treaty of Munster the Bishoprick was converted into a Temporal Principality and given up to Adolph Frideric Duke of Mecklenburg as before hath been said In this City is kept the Residence of Christian-Lewis Duke of Mecklenburg Swerin who was born the first of December 1623 and by being educated in France and under the protection of Romanists was brought up in the faith of the Church of Rome which he still professes He married at first his Cousin German Christina-Margaret daughter of John Albert Duke of Mecklenburg and widow of Francis Albert Duke of Saxen-Lawenburg But having upon some discontent got himself divorced from her he was the second time married in France A. D. 1653 to Elizabeth de Montmorency widow of Gaspard de Coligny Duke of Chastillon and Sister to Francis-Henry de Montmorency Duke of Luxemburg Piney V. GUSTROW A well fortified Town Gustrow about eighteen or twenty English miles distant from Rostock but remarkable for little or nothing save the residence of Gustave-Adolph Duke of Mecklenburg-Gustrow only son of John Albert Duke of Mecklenburg and Eleonor-Mary Princess of Anhalt He was born the six and twentieth of February A. D. 1633 and bred up a Lutheran of which perswasion he still continues a zealous assertor being a Prince of as great Learning as Gallantry and equally able to maintain his Religion in the Schools and Field THE DUKEDOM OF POMEREN IT matters not much whether we fetch the word Pomeren out of the High-Dutch or Slavonian Language since Pomeer in the former signifies the same thing as Pomercze in the latter i. e. A Country situate upon the Sea-shore such as the Dukedom of Pomeren is known to be That the Slavonian tongue was once commonly spoken in this Country appears from the termination of several names of great Towns in this Dukedom as Bugslaw Wratislaw Witslaw c. And Historians will inform us that the whole land was many years subject to the Princes of Poland and first annexed to the Empire of Germany by the Emperor Frideric Barbarossa The whole Tract of Land which was antiently comprised under the general name of Pomeren or Pomerland was of a much larger extent then the present Dukedom 〈◊〉 taking in Eastward all Casubia and Pomerellia But afterwards this vast Countrey was by the Princes of Back-Pomerland for by this name 't was antiently distinguished from the present Dukedom of Pomeren which in those days was called Fore-Pomerland was given up into the hands of the Princes of Poland in whose possession it has ever since continued Towards the South a great part of the Marquisate of Brandenburg was formerly subject to the Dukes of Pomeren For first in the Vcker Marck not only Prentzlow Angermund Aderberg Schweet and Vierraden but also Stargard and Friedland were both subject to that Duke until the whole Vcker-Marck was given to John I Elector of Brandenburg by Barminus I Duke of Pomeren for a portion with his Daughter And tho Prentzlow with the adjoyning Territories was afterwards wrested out of the hands of the Brandenburgers yet they could not long keep their hold but were forced to resign back their Conquests The Mecklenburgers made themselves masters of Friedland and having once taken possession could never be beaten out Again on the other side of the Oder the greatest share of the New-Marck was under the Duke of Pomeren's Dominion as part of the Dukedom of Stetin Westward Pomeren reached as far as the Warna and Rostock was almost the outmost bounds of the Dukedom of Mecklenburg Lastly the Territories of the Dukes of Pomeren reached much farther Northwards into the Baltic Sea which by degrees swallowed up a good part of their Dominions The Isle of Rugen as we shall have occasion to shew anon is thought to be scarce half so large as it was formerly and some whole Islands in the Baltic are at this day covered with the Waves which antient Historians mention as habitable Countreys So that Pomeren though at this day only a small Dukedom nay indeed no more then an inconsiderable part of the Marquisate of Brandenburg yet might antiently have passed for a Kingdom and its Dukes have vyed Territories with most of the great Monarchs of Europe At present the Countrey which bears the name of the Dukedom of Pomeren is a long and narrow tract of Land Division extending it self from East to West along the Baltic Shore which is usually divided into the Provinces of Stetin and Wolgast and the Bishopric of Cosslin In the Province of Stetin are reckoned the Cities of Old Stetin Stargard Stolpe Greiffenberg Treptow upon the Rega Rugenwald Pyritz Schlawe Golnow Gartz Wollin Camin Belgarten New Stetin Sam Zanew and Pohlitz together with the forts of Sazigk Zachan Jacobs-hagen Fridrichwald c. To which were fomerly added the Lordships of Lauenburg and Butou both which upon the death of Bugislaus the last Duke of Pomeren were annexed to the Crown of Poland The Province of Wolgast contains in it the Cities of Stralsund Gripswald Anklam Demin Pasewalk Greiffenhagen Wolgast Barth Trubsees Grimmon Damgarten Vckermvnd Loytz Gutzkow Franckenburg Richtenberg Lassen and New Warp with the forts of Weissen Klempenau Lindenberg and Torgelou Within the compass of the same Province are usually comprised the Isles of Rugen Vsedom and some others upon these Coasts There are every where almost large and navigable Rivers in Pomeren Rivers and Lakes by the advantage of which the Inhabitants are not only enabled to export the Commodities of their own Countrey and furnish themselves with the fruits and good things of their Neighbours but also have a great convenience of fortifying their Cities and securing them against the Incursions of any foreign Enemy Such as these are 1. The Rekenitz which separates this Countrey from the Dukedom of Mecklenburg making a kind
of Ocean near Damgarten and emptying it self into the Baltic at Dars 2. The Barte which springs near Stralsund spreads into the sea at Bardt a City borrowing its name from this River and soon after is lost in the Baltic 3. The famous Oder which as soon as it hath pass'd Gartz and Grieffenhagen and is come into Pomeren divides it self into several branches or Arms embracing therein many large and fair Meadows whereof some are above two English miles in breadth After it has pass'd by Stetin it dilates it self first into the Dammish Sea or Lake then into the Damantzke and Pfaffenwasser as the Natives call it and at last having passed betwixt Zegenorth and Schwantevitz spreads it self into a vast fresh-water Ocean known to the Neighbourhood by the name of Das grosse Frische Haff extending it self above sixteen English miles in breadth and as many in length This huge Lake afterwards disembogues it self into the Baltic Sea in three Currents which make as many safe harbours the Divenow Swyne and Penemunde for Ships that pass this way to Stetin Betwixt the Peene and Swyne ly the Island of Vsedom and the Liberties of the City of Wollin lye enclosed by the Swyne and Divenow Besides these and an innumerable Company of other Rivers which are lost in the Baltic Sea on the Coasts of Pomeren this Dukedom affords a vast number of standing Lakes as at New Stetin Lukow Sukow Verschem Dersenten Penckun with many others From what has been said the Reader will easily conclude Fish that the Dukedom of Pomeren is in all probability a Countrey as rich in all sorts of fish as any Principality of an equal extent in Europe but yet the strange Stories which some of their Historians relate of the extravagant plenty in this kind will a little stagger his faith They tell us That within the compass of one year above five thousand Rixdollars which allowing four Shillings and six Pence English for each Rixdollar will I am afraid amount to a greater sum then the whole yearly revenue which the Elector of Brandenburg has out of Pomeren was brought into the Duke of Pomeren's Treasury out of a six penny Custom demanded upon all fish caught in the Great Haff below Stetin and a three penny one upon those taken in the Lake at Lassan They add That although yearly out of the Lakes last mentioned above thirty thousand Rixdollars worth of fish be taken and vended yet there is never found any sensible decay of their stock The most usual sorts of Fish taken in the Haff are Salmon and Lampreys of both which kinds are sometimes caught Fishes of an incredible bulk and weight In the spring the Inhabitants of Gripswald Bardt Rugen and Wollin drive a good Herring-Trade but in other parts of Pomeren this sort of fish is never or rarely caught In the Lake Madduje near Colbatz the fishermen catch a large and broad Fish call'd in their language Musenen which like Charrs in some Lakes in the North of England is peculiar to this water and not to be met with in any other Province of the German Empire The Soil of the Country is in most places exceeding sandy and barren Nature of the Soil insomuch that sometimes the little crops which the inhabitants have sown in the fields near Damme Golnow Vckermund and several other parts of the Dukedom are suddenly overwhelm'd and stifled by huge drifts of Sand from the shore Howbeit you may here and there meet with a fruitful field especially near the City Pyritz which is seated in a rich Valley which supplies the wants of the neighbourhood so plentifully that seldom any Corn is brought into Pomeren out of foreign Nations but on the contrary great quantities in some fruitful years are exported thence They have very few Mountains of any considerable height but a vast number of large Woods and Forests well stock'd with all manner of Game as Deer wild Boars Hares Foxes Wolves wild Horses Bulls and Bevers Besides the Lakes and Forests furnish the inhabitants with all sorts of Water and Land-Fowl the former of which are so numerous that they pretend to reckon up no less then twenty-two different kinds of wild Ducks Besides the conveniencies and pleasures already mention'd Commodities the inhabitants are provided for almost with all other necessaries within the compass of their own Territories that Nature requires and the Ships of Stetin Stralsund and other Towns of Trade bring in the delicacies of foreign Nations to satisfie the demands of Luxury No Province in Germany affords greater quanties nor more different sorts of Fruit then Pomeren The inhabitants of Pomeren do not at all apply themselves to the planting of Vineyards Beer and if they should their Wine would prove but very mean and contemptible such as the Marquisate of Brandenburg affords of which hereafter However this want is sufficiently supplied by those vast numbers of Merchant-Ships which come hither laden with the Wines of other Countries Besides should the inhabitants which can now hardly be hoped for grow so temperate as to put a stop to the importing the luxurious Liquors of foreign Countries and content themselves with the drinks of their own Land they would quickly experience as many of their neighbours have done the delicacies of the many sorts of Beer in Pomeren Such are the bitter Beer of Stetin the Mum of Gripswald the Buckhenger as they term it we may English it Knock-down of Wollin with many others which are by the Mariners transported into other Nations and therefore look'd upon as questionless they are preferable to most Wines They have no kind of Mettals in any of their Mountains Minerals except only some few Mines of Iron in the Upper Pomeren In some places the Sea casts up Amber but not in such quantities as in Prussia So that here any man has the privilege of picking up and selling as much Amber as he can find which the Nobility and Magistracy in Preussen will by no means permit NOVA ILLVSTRISSIMI DVCATVS POMERANIAE TABVLA antea à Viro Cl. D. D. Eilhardo Lubino edita nunc iterum correcta per Frid. Palbitzke Pomer L. L. Studiosum Sumptibus Janssonio-Waesbergiorum Mosis Pitt et Stephani Swart BVGISLAVS IVNIOR XIV POMERANIAE DVX Notarum explicatio Urbes Urbes cum arcibus Ducalibus Pagi◠Tho the ancient inhabitants of Pomeren the Rugii 〈◊〉 Reudigni Longididuni c. were for many Centuries govern'd by Princes of their own yet the ignorance of the times wherein they liv'd has left us in the dark as to any satisfactory register of their names and actions The first Prince of Pomeren whom we meet with upon good record is Barnimus one of the ancient and noble Family of the Gryphones often mention'd in their Annals and so call'd probably from the Gryphin their Arms to this day who is said to have govern'd in the year 933. His Grandson Suantiberus divided his principality betwixt his two Sons Bugislaus and
in this Church forty-nine Altars whereof the High Altar in the Quire is of one piece of stone curiously wrought and of various colours It is nine Hamburg Ells each of which makes one foot and ten inches in length four in bredth and one in thickness and valued at above two Tun of Gold Magdeburg had once the supreme Jurisdiction in Civil Cases as well as Ecclesiastical over all the other Cities in Saxony Judicature and the Archbishop of this Diocess was like our Bishops of Durham a Count Palatine who had the sole power of determining all Causes brought before him But that grand Authority was lost by degrees and now the Citizens of Magdeburg have no other Courts of Judicature then such as are kept by the Burgomasters and Raedtsherrn of other Cities as well as this That part of this Dukedom which lies on the Western banks of the Elb is exceedingly fruitful in Corn but wants Wood and other fuel and on the contrary that part of it which lies beyond the River has plenty of Wood but wants Corn. There are contain'd in the whole Circle twenty-eight Towns which anciently paid homage to the Archbishops of Magdeburg and are now subject to the Elector of Brandenburg as their Duke ANHALT BEtwixt the Sala and the Elb lies the greatest part of this Principality the whole being environ'd by the County of Mansfeldt the Upper Saxony the Bishopric of Halle the Dukedom of Magdeburg and the Bishopric of Halberstadt MARCHIA NOVA Vulgo NEW MARK in March Brandenburg PRINCIPATUS ANHALDINUS ET MAGDEBURGENSIS Archiepiscopatus Apud Janssonio-Waesbergios Mosem Pitt et Stephanum Swart 'T will not in this place be amiss to inform the the Reader that Prince Lewis beforemention'd to the great credit of himself and Family was the first Founder of the Frucht-Barende Geselschaft as the Germans call it or Fructifying Society The story of which is as follows This Prince having travell'd over all Europe and observed the great advantages which the Nobility in France Italy and other Nations had in being furnish'd with store of excellent Books in their own Languages was resolved to try whether he could perswade any of his own Countrymen to set upon the Translation of the best Latin and Greek Authors into a more easie and intelligible stile then was ordinarily used among them In pursuance of this design he instituted the Society aforesaid whereof himself was the first President and succeeded so well herein that in a very short time after there were above twenty Princes and at least six hundred Lords and Noblemen who enter'd and enroll'd themselves in this College of Wits And how much the German Nation is beholden to the endeavours of these Virtuosi there is no intelligent man but what is abundantly sensible For besides the opportunity which every man has of reading the writings of foreign Authors in his own Language the Germans are able to spell their own tongue aright which before the Institution of this Society so few of them could do that Duesius tells us one main design of his publishing a German Grammar was to teach the Nobility of that Nation to put their words into writing The most considerable Towns in this small Principality are 1. Zerbst Seated on a small River about an English mile distant from the banks of the Elb. Dresserus fancies this a Town of great Antiquity Zerbst and had its name from the Servetii or Cervetii as he reads it an old Wendish people But Werdenhagen a better Antiquary rejects this frivolous assertion and proves that Zerbst in the Wendish Dialect signifies a strong Fort. 'T is at this day remarkable for nothing but a sort of strong heady Beer which the Citizens brew in Summer and send abroad into all the neighbouring Towns and Provinces 2. Bernburg Bernburg Another Residence of the Princes of Anhalt separated from the Palace by the River Sala On the eleventh of March in the year 1636 this Town was taken by the Elector of Saxony's Forces who put the whole Garrison that defended it with all the inhabitants excepting only those few that belong'd to the Prince's Court to the Sword and plunder'd the City 3. Dessau A well fortified Town on the Elb Dessau seated in a pleasant and fruitful part of the Country It had its name given as most of the German Etymologists imagine by the Jews who in their mungrel Dutch-Jewish Dialect call a fat soil such as this Town stands on Desse The Prince's Palace in Dessau was first built as appears by an old Inscription over one of the Gates by Albert and Waldemar two Brothers Princes of Anhalt in the year 1341. In one of the Chappels of this Town is to be seen the Tomb of Jeckel Rehebock whom some German Historians name Meniken von Belitz an old Miller who having for some time attended Waldemar Marquise of Brandenburg in the Wars took upon him to counterfeit his slain Master and carried on the design so cunningly that a great many believ'd him to be the very Marquise and follow'd him with as great respect as they had done his Master before He dyed in the year 1350. 4. Aschersleben or Ascania Ascania whence the Princes of Anhalt got the name of Principes Ascanii 'T is an old Town on the confines of the Bishopric of Halberstadt and for that reason seized on by Canons of that Church upon the death of Prince Otho's Widow in the year 1315. Since which time the Princes of Anhalt have often complain'd of the injustice of this action and hoped for a redress at the Treaty of Munster but in vain for the Bishopric of Halberstadt was by that Treaty granted to the Elector of Brandenburg who is too potent a Prince to be frighted into a resignation of any of the dependances upon that Diocess THE DUKEDOME OF BRUNSWIC THE Dukedom of Brunswic strictly so call'd comprehends only the Territories subject to the Dukes of Brunswic and Hannover or Calenberg The Principality of Grubenhagen with the Counties of Blanckenburg and Reinstein are indeed usually comprised under the same name because subject to the Dukes of Zell and Wolfenbuttel who are both entituled Dukes of Brunswic as well Luneburg but are however in themselves distinct Dominions and shall accordingly be separately described The Dukedoms of Brunswic and Hannever are exceeding populous and fruitful Soil The Wheat and Rye in this Country grows sometimes to that prodigious height that their ordinary Ears of Corn are higher then the tallest man on Horseback But yet we must not expect to meet with such pleasant and profitable Cornfields as these in every part of the Country A great share of the Hercynean Forest ran thro this Land tho that be now parcell'd out into smaller Woods and Parks In these the Inhabitants have besides the provision of Timber and Fuel great store of Deer wild Swine Hares c. with Fowl of all sorts Not to mention their rich Mines of Iron Salt and Coal-pits of which in
and a great many stately dwelling houses The chief trade of the Citizens is in Beer-brewing and making colouring and dressing several sorts of Linnen and some Woollen Cloth ZITTAU Zittau or Sittau which some will have to signifie as much as Susse aw and to have had its name from the fresh and sweet waters on which 't is seated But we need enquire no further after the etymology of the word if what Dresser reports be true that on a Grave-stone in this City was to be seen in his time the following Inscription Anno Christi 1021 Idibus Julii obiit pia illustris Foemina Zittavia Christianissimo Principi Manfredo nupta fundatrix dotatrix hujus oppidi de ejusdem nomine dicti There is hardly any thing at present remarkable in the Town except the old Franciscan Monastery which since the Reformation has been converted into an Hospital IV. LEIBA 〈…〉 Lobau Liben Loben or Lubben for all these names I find given it by Mercator and other noted Geographers is look'd upon as one of the oldest Towns in these parts And for that reason the other five confederate Cities of Lusatia used always to send their Deputies to consult at this place in time of any common calamity or danger It is seated on the bank of a small Rivulet about an equal distance betwixt Bautzen and Gorlitz girt round with a delicate plain and pleasant meadows We may judg of the riches of this little Town by the vast plunder which the Swedish Army confess'd they got out of it in the year 1639 which amounted to a sum of seventy thousand Ricxdollars in ready Cash besides other rich booties V. LUBEN on the Spree 〈…〉 the chief Town in the Lower Lusatia In this place the Elector of Saxony has a Palace in which sometimes in a progress for pleasure he keeps his residence for some short while What alterations were here in the late Civil wars of Germany may perhaps be remembred by some of the ancient Burgers of the Town but is not I think recorded by any Historian of note VI. GUBEN 〈…〉 A well fortified little Town in the Lower Lusatia seated on the River Neisse which contributes very much to its strength and security In the year 1631 immediately after the great battel of Leipsick the Imperialists fell in upon this City and took it but towards the later end of October were driven out again by Marquise Hamilton at that time a Commander in the Swedish Army who coming suddenly upon them put the greatest part of them to the Sword and routed the rest But the poor Citizens were harder put to it in the year 1642 when the Swedish General Stallhanss lay before it for three weeks together and the poor besieged Saxons lay block'd up and destitute of all manner of provisions and amunition being at last forc'd to surrender themselves upon what terms their merciless enemies would propose to them Camentz Lucken Calow with many others may pass for fair Villages but will hardly deserve the name of Cities THE Great Dukedome OF SILESIA MANY and various are the opinions of Geographers touching the original of the word Silesia or Schlesien to speak in the German language It is the opinion of some that it is deriv'd from Schless a small River which falls into the Oder but others are content to fetch it from the Elysii the ancient inhabitants of this Country not troubling themselves to dive any further into the original of that name Within the compass of that vast Tract of Land which now is comprehended under the common name of Silesia were contain'd anciently a great number of people of different names and government 〈◊〉 Pirckheimer tells us that the Country about Bresslaw was inhabited by the Lutiburi the Principality of Sagan by the Batini the Dukedom of Oppelen by the Sidones and that of Teschen by the Cogni To these Simon Grisbecius adds several others in the following distich Elysiam veteres Ligii Quadique Manimi Marsigni clari quam tenuere Luij And to these the learned Cluverius will have us to add the Semnones Osi Burii c. which I suppose are no more then so many distinct names taken from the different Villages these men inhabited or it may be from the names of the Rivers as was the peculiar fancy of these German people Now these names of places Rivers c. were as Cureus in his Chronicle of Silesia assures us quite lost and forgotten upon the admission of the Polish language into this Country Lignitz Libus and some few places more retain their primitive names but all the rest are as appears from their termination of a Polish extraction Pliny calls the Oder the chief River of this Country Guttalus and others think that River which has now the name of the Spree was by the ancients named Suevus From whence some Geographers not improbably have concluded that first the Goths and afterwards the Suevi or Swabes were formerly inhabitants of these parts That Silesia was a part of the Polish Dominions in the days of their first Prince Lechus or at least a good large share of it Ancient Government down as far as the banks of the River Oder seems probable enough from the testimonies of Adam Bremensis and Helmoldus the former whereof begins the Polish Nation from the Eastern banks of that River which the later makes the utmost bounds Eastward of his Slavi However 't is as manifest that the ancient Princes of Germany often invaded this Land and probable enough that 't was sometimes tributary to them Before Charles the Great 's days we have but little of History concerning these parts of the world which we may rely on But Cureus proves to us that this Emperor amongst many other his noble exploits subjected Silesia to himself And Eginhard means the same thing when he tells us that Charles the Great overran the whole Country betwixt the Rhine and the Vistula where by the Vistula 't is evident he understands the first original source or head of that River After Charles the Great 's days we have yet clearer testimonies of the Silesians paying homage to the Germans Adam Bremensis an Historian of unquestionable authority speaking of the Emperor Ludowic the Godly says Ipse Boemanos Sarabos Susos where by the way we are to take notice that instead of Silesii some of the ancient writers have Slesii others Sliusii many Sileucii and not a few Susi caeteros Slavorum populos ita perdomuit ut tributarios efficeret Whence it appears that they quickly threw of Charles the Great 's yoke as they did not long afterwards his Son 's too For Helmoldus tells us post mortem Ludovici Regis Bohemi Sorabi SVSI Slavi quos ipse tributis subjecerat tunc servitutis jugum excusserunt Another Rebellion the Annales Fuldenses mention in the year 874 Slavi qui vocantur Linones Sliusi eorumque vicini defectionem molientes solitum dare censum renuunt Quos
Moravia has written a particular Treatise entituled Historia Lapidum Gemmarum Bohemiae to which we refer the Reader for a further account of these Rarities Jaspers and Saphires they tell us are found near the source of the Elb in the mountains before mention'd call'd by the Bohemians Krakonosse Goldastus thinks the Hermiones were the ancient inhabitants of this Country Ancient Inhabitants a branch whereof he makes the Hermunduri who at first dwelt among the Riphaean mountains but afterwards descended lower These people were driven out of the Land by the Boii who made an inroad into this Country under the command of their General Sigovesus Nephew to Ambigatus an ancient King of the Celts Micraelius a learned Pomeranish Historiographer believes these men were not a branch of the Galli Senones as most modern Antiquaries imagine but rather of the Semnones the old inhabitants of Pomeren This people whensoever they came having about the year 600 setled themselves in these parts extirpated the Nation of the Hermiones so far as to call the Land after their own names Boien heimat or the dwelling-place of the Boii which was in time corrupted into the modern German name Boheim or Boheimb About the birth of our Saviour the Marcomanni or ancient Moravians rush'd in upon the Boii and so far over-power'd them as to make them quit their quarters and seek out a new habitation which they nam'd Boioaria and is now call'd Bavaria However they were not so totally routed but that a great many of them kept their old station and mix'd themselves with their Conquerors as no question vast numbers of the Hermiones and Hermunduri had done with them before The modern Bohemians call their Country Czechowe and themselves Czechowsky and these words the Hungarians and new Greeks make use of being utter strangers to the German names of Boheimb and Bohmische Those amongst them that do allow of this latter name derive it from Boy signifying in their language War or Buch that is God and Muz i. e. Man Intimating that they are a valiant and pious people See the like fancy in the derivations of the words Teutcsch and German p. 5 and 6. Answerable to this Etymology of their name are the manners of the present inhabitants of this Kingdom Manners if we may give credit to their own Historians and some late Travellers who have for some time convers'd with them and had the opportunity of observing their humours They are represented to be men of great Hospitality and Courage faithful observers of their promises and contracts They are exceedingly given to ape the manners and fashions of Foreigners according to the true character long since given of them Eosdem habet cum simia Mores ferox Bohemia Quae facta viderit facit Cultusque priscos abjicit And therefore 't was an ingenuous fancy of the Painter who having drawn the inhabitants of most Countries in Europe in their proper Habits pictur'd a Bohemian naked with a web of Cloth at his feet and all other requisites for the making up of a Suit Intimating that he could not tell what certain fashion to make his Clothes on but left it to himself to make them after the next new mode he should fancy That small handful of men that Zechus the Slavonian Commander brought into Bohemia 〈◊〉 some time for Authors cannot agree upon the year nor age in the fourth fifth or sixth Century from whom the modern Bohemians love to derive their pedigree were a company of poor and honest people folk that had nothing themselves and wanted the knavery to rob those that had Now as long as they continued in this state of innocence they had no need of Magistrates nor Laws but liv'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a sociable community and had their little All equally distributed among them In this condition they remain'd for some years after Zechus's death till the Moravians and Pannonians disturbed their quiet and taught them the first rudiments of Villany As soon as they were once initiated in wickedness they were forc'd to take new measures and to think of constituting some chief Magistrate to punish offenders Whereupon they pitch'd upon one Crocus an old Gentleman of a something longer head as 't was fancied then the rest of his neighbours to be their Governor They had not yet any written Laws amongst them but their Judg for so Crocus and some of his Successors are stiled by the Bohemian writers was to determine all controversies by the known Customs of the Land In extraordinary cases which would not easily be decided by this sort of Common Law there sat on the Bench with the Judg for fear of arbitrary and illegal proceedings if one man should be invested with the sole power of pronouncing sentence a certain number of Senators or Aldermen who had definitive Votes as well as himself With this kind of Pretorian Authority 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Justice was administred by Crocus his Son of the same name and his Grand-daughter Libussa until Primislaus whom Libussa had married took upon him a more absolute command and got the Title of Duke or Commander in chief This man was as Florus says of Lucins Quinctius Dictator ab arato a poor Country-Farmer whom Libussa advanced out of the dirt to her own bed and therefore like the foremention'd Roman General knew better how to keep the headstrong Bohemians like so many Oxen under the yoke Thus was the Land govern'd by the children and successors of Primislaus and Libussa about four hundred and fifty years until the Emperor Henry IV. having call'd a General Diet of the Estates of the Empire at Mentz created Wratislaus Duke of Bohemia King of the same Nation by settling with the Pope's permission a Crown of Gold upon his head This was done in the year 1082 tho some will have it 1072. From that time forward the Emperors of Germany always lay claim to the Right of Investing the Kings of Bohemia as their Vassals and made it their business to perswade the poor people of that Kingdom to rebel against any Monarch tho never so duly Elected into the Throne who had not receiv'd the Regalia as they call them or Badges of Majesty at the Emperor's hands So that Frideric V. Grandfather to the present Elector Palatine of the Rhine and Father to our Prince Rupert was never like quietly to enjoy the Crown of Bohemia however just his pretensions to it might be so long as the Emperor Ferdinand his Competitor refus'd to confirm him Most of the Catalogues of the Kings of Bohemia are so contradictory one to another 〈◊〉 that 't will be a difficult task to pick out of them a true Register of the names of these Princes The best account I know of which has been given of them is the ingenious Paul Stransky's in his Respublica Bojema printed at Leyden 1643. The present King is Leopold I. Emperor of Germany whose character must be reserv'd for another place The
which the former thought to put an end to by calling in the King of the Francks to their assistance and desiring him to plant a Colony of his Soldiers betwixt them and their enemies These proposals Clodomir then King of France readily assented to and immediately dispatch'd his Brother Genebald with a great Army to take possession of their promised Dominions Accordingly Genebald and his men fix'd themselves in Maingow the ancient name of the Territories round Wartsburg and in a short time made themselves masters of all that Country which from them retains to this day the name of Franconia The two chief Rivers of this Land are the Mayn and the Sala Rivers whereof the former springs out of two Fountains amongst the Hills on the borders of Bohemia and passing by Bamberg Hassfurt Schweinfurt Kitzingen Wurtzburg Wertheim and Francfurt is swallow'd by the Rhine at Mentz The German Geographers give this account of these Rivers Maenus Pater dicitur quia rubrum album Maenum generat Maritus Salae baec autem Vxor dicitur Maeni Mater quoniam octo liberos habet fluvios minores This Country is encompass'd with Woods and Mountains Soil but has not in it any Hills of extraordinary height There are in it several Forests and Parks well stockt with Deer wild Boares and other sorts of Game Most of the Hills especially along the banks of the Rivers Mayn and Tauber are cover'd with Vines which yeild as delicate and rich a Wine as the best Vineyards upon the Rhine The fields about Bamberg are wonderfully fruitful in all manner of grain besides their great plenty of Grapes Apples and other fruit Licorise grows so plentifully hereabouts that 't is ordinarily carried off the field in Waggon-loads The Bambergers have also great store of Saffron and Melons and hardly want any thing that 's pleasant or necessary The Circle of Franconia is usually divided into six lesser Principalities Division whereof four are subject to Spiritual and two to Temporal Princes The four Spiritual Princes are the Bishops of Bamberg Wurtzburg and Eeichstad and the Master of the Teutonic Order The first of these hath the preeminence and challenges a kind of Archiepiscopal Jurisdiction over the rest The Bishop of Wurtzburg is a more potent Prince then any of the rest tho inferior in place to Bamberg The Bishop of Eichstad has no large Dominions in Franconia the most of his Territories lying within the bounds of Bavaria and Schwaben The great Master of the Teutonic Order has now little left but the bare Title to a few Bailiwicks which seldom or never take notice of him for their Governour The two Temporal Princes are the Burggraves of Noremberg who are two Princes of the House of Brandenburg Besides these there are some more petty Counties and Lordships subject to other Princes of the Empire As Hennenberg is under the Government of the Elector of Saxony and the Duke of Weimar and several others places swear fealty to the Elector of Mentz The old Francick Dialect Language or Lingua Theotisca is the true mother of the modern High Dutch the word Theotisca being nothing else then a corruption of Die hogh Deutsch in opposition to Die nieder Deutsch spoken in Westphalia and the Lower Saxony M. Goldastus has taken care to preserve several fragments of Records Diplomata c. written many ages ago in this tongue and Martin Opitz the Virgil of Germany as he is usually stil'd publish'd the life of Anno Archbishop of Coln in the same Dialect A. D. 1639. Otfrid's Historia Evangelica written in old Francic near 900 years ago was published at Basil in the year 1571 and Willeramus the Abbot of Mersburg's Paraphrase upon the Canticles at Leyden A. D. 1598. Upon which the learn'd Fr. Junius F. F. published his incomparable notes at Amsterdam 1655. Since which time Mr. Lambecius the Emperor's Library-keeper at Vienna has made public several scraps in his curious History of some Rarities in the Imperial Library And Mr. Junius before mention'd has lately bequeath'd a noble Collection of the like monuments of Antiquity to our public Library at Oxford Amongst which the choicest is Tatian's Harmonia Evangelica illustrated with Mr. Junius's Notes and design'd for the Press WURTZBURG call'd by Bede Wirceburg Wurtzburg by Sigebert Wirtiburgum and Wirtziburgum by Trithemius Paepolis and Marcopolis but by most of the modern Latin Historians and Geographers Herbipolis is the Metropolis of Franconia and has its name as most imagine from the variety of all manner of Herbs Wurtzen growing in this place Conradus Celtes the first Poet Laureat in Germany calls this City Erebipolis which word some derive from a certain Pagan God named Erebus never heard of by any Francic Antiquary I rather think that Poet's Works corrupted and Erebipolis carelesly written for Herbipolis I cannot but here take notice of Champerius's mistake who tho a learned man tells us in his Treatise de Mirabilibus Mundi that there are two Bishoprics in Germany subject to the Archbishop of Mentz to wit Wirceburgensis and Herbipogenensis Which is something akin to the blunder of a late Geographer who made two distinct Cities of Strasburg and Argentina 'T is by some fancy'd that the Palace at Wurtzburg was built long before the City because in the life of St Burchard the Palace is call'd Old Wurtzburg and the Town New Wurtzburg Andrew Goldmayer a whimsical Astrologer in this Town has given us this punctual account of its age Wurtzburg says he was built A. M. 3782 three years before the birth of our Saviour in the two and fortieth year of the reign of the Emperor Augustus in the twenty-sixth year of the reign of King Francus on the twenty-seventh of February about thirty-three minutes past eleven a clock in the forenoon But men less skill'd in calculation tho of better understanding then this Gentleman say 't was built by Genebald about the year of Christ 236. Bede calls it Pagus but by that word questionless intends to render the German word Gow which signifies a Province or County as well as a Village The Bishop has supreme Jurisdiction over the whole Town in Temporals as well as Spirituals and sits at his pleasure Judg in all Causes Civil and Criminal When he appears in public there is a Sword carried before him with this inscription Herbipolis sola judicat Ense Stola And when he says Mass there lies before him on the Altar a drawn Sword to put him in mind that to him belongs the execution of Justice throughout the whole Principality of Franconia The most remarkable sights in the Town next to the Bishop's Palace a stately structure on the top of an high hill beyond the River the Hospital and great College in the Gymnasium both of which are mighty regular and uniform buildings and equal most of our new built Colleges in Oxford BAMBERG is said to have been at first nam'd Babenberg Bâ—â— from Baba the Emperor
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
there no small fish as Cods c. and few great ones nor any bones of Whales Morsses or the like found upon the shore nor any drift wood 3. Because in 65 deg 30 min. the ice lay all in rands which he believes to be produc'd as in the shoal'd Bays For had there been any Ocean beyond it it would have been broken to pieces as they found it coming thro the Strait into the Sea Eastward 4. Because the ice seeks its way out to the Eastward driving out at Hudsons Straits But if there be any passage it is very narrow and the voyoge very long nor can any large Vessels fit to merchandise be able to endure the ice and other incommodities as the long nights cold snows frosts c. P. 24. col 2. l. 36. till Vasile Ivanowitz about the year 1509. P. 36. col 2. l. 63. as 5509 â— 1679. ibid. l. 66 7188-5509 P. 36. col 1. l. 41. Hungary About the year 1188 Bela was King of Hungary perhaps the original of the Imperial Family of the Russes the time corresponding very well P. 39. col 2. l. 1. del whose name seems to have been Zac. Litspenow l. 67. He died in the forty-ninth year of his age and two and thirtieth of his reign in the year 1677 and left his son Feodor Alexowich a young Prince of about ninteen years of age who reigns this present year 1680. In the Description of Sweden The times of the Kings supply thus the 6th began his reign A. M. 2014 the 25th the times of the rest being uncertain began A. M. 2637 the 26th A. M. 2712 the 27th A. M. 2831 the 31th the intermediate being also uncertain A. M. 3031 the 32th A. M. 3060 the 33th A. M. 3125 the 34th A. M. 3174 the 35th 3252 the 36th A. M. 3551 the 46th A. D. 3916 the 47th Ericus III. A. M. 3929 in whose time according to Loccenius whose computation we have here follow'd conceives our Saviour to have been born A MAP of the NORTH-POLE and the PARTS ADIONING OXON At the THEATER MDCLXXX NOVA ZEMBLA In the Philosophicll Transactions of a o 1674 n 101 there is set down a Description of a Nova Zembla as it was sent to the Royall Society from a Russia Merchant and discovered by order of the Grand Czaar but there being not joyned to it either Longitude Latitude or other measure we though it better to follow the two newest Maps one printed at Amsterdam a o 1678 the other at Nuremberg 1679 and to place this by itselfe which shews it not an Iland but joyned with the Continent at the letter K. K. To the Right honble Charles Fitz Charles Earle of Plymouth Viscount Totnes and Baron Dartmouth This Map is Humbly Dedicated by M Pitt Letter C. stands for Cape I. Iland M. Mount P. Point R. River S. Sound OXON … UNIV DOMINUS ILLVMINATIO MEA GREENLAND GREENLAND â—â—e Siâ—â—ation of Greenland call'd by the Dutch Spitsbergen because of its sharp-pointed Rocks and Mountains lies from 76 Degrees of Northerly Latitude to 82 but how much farther as also whether Island or Continent is not yet discover'd for as much as no man hitherto is known to have passed beyond that Our Mariners generally conceive it an Island the Dutch only say that they believe the Land to reach more North because the Ice they found was not broken and floating as in the Sea but firm and stable as continued to the shoar The South part of it looks towards the Promontories of Finland and Lapland North-Cape North-Kin c. The next Land on the West is the large Country of Groenland and Nova Zembla on the East but these at so vast a distance that they cannot be reckon'd as its confines or neighbours The Dutch attribute the first discovery of it to three of their own Pilots The Discovery of Greenland and have given most of the names to the Creeks and Promontories according to their own fancy Which diligence had our men used from time to time as also been careful to make Charts as our industrious Neighbours oblige their Shipmasters to do divers discoveries had been asserted to this Nation which are now almost disputed from us L. 4. c. 17. The Dutch gave names saith Purchas upon this very occasion to places long before discovered by the English as if themselves had been the finders I shall instance only in these discoveries which strangers as you may see in Hackluit attribute to us Vol. 1. â— 512 513 c. But the Dutch tho following our steps endeavour to assert them to three of their own Pilots ann 1596 who searching for a passage to the East-Indies light upon Greenland these were Jacob Heemskerck William Barents and John Cornelis Ryp what these men effected will be best known by their own Journal recorded by Purchas June 7 1696 they were in 74 Degrees the water as green as grass by the way it were worth enquiry whether this be not the cause of the blue Ice which is by every one noted as peculiar to these Coasts June 9 they were upon Cherry or Bear-Island in 74 Degrees and 13 Minutes the variation of the needle was 13 Degrees June 13 they departed thence North and by East 16 Dutch miles June 14 15 they continued their course 20 miles June 16 17 18 they continued 30 miles June 19 they saw land at 80 Degrees and 11 Minutes and sailed Southward upon the Western Coast till 79 deg 30 m. where they found a good road but could not land because of Ice June 20 they kill'd a mighty Bear whose skin was 13 foot long they found also a very good Haven and good anchorage on the East were two Islands on the West a great Creek or a River where they found many Geese sitting upon their Eggs of a perfect red colour such as come once a year into some parts of Holland as it should seem from this place This land they supposed to be Greenland the Compass varied 16 deg June 23 they weighed Anchor but were forced back with Ice 25 They weighed Anchor again and sailed Southward coasting till they entred into a River whence they got not to Sea again till the 27th 28 They kept on their course Southward where there were so many Fowls that they flew against their Sails and Masts 30 They were in 75 deg July 1 they saw Cherry or Bear-Island This is all that I can find concerning their voyage To this I shall oppose two voyages the first of Sir Hugh Willoughby 1553 the other of Steven Burrows 1556. The Dutch do not allow Sir Hugh Willoughby to have passed Seynam Blaeu's Maps which is in 70 deg and that also in 1571. Yet in their Maps they call a small Island by the name of Willoughby's Land of which our men know nothing except it be the same with Hope Island a part of Greenland as it is most likely for the land he discover'd was a large Country by the