which is a great Brick Building like the common Seats of the Barons of these Countries which are commonly call'd Castles Several of which we met with in our Journey and after the Model of some of our old Mannours in England and the whole is encompass'd by a broad deep Moat which was almost big enough to have serv'd for a Town Ditch We may say it is deep because it was of a great depâ—â— From the top to the Water that was in it The Foundation of this Tower down to the Water and somewhat above Ground was made of great square Free-Stone above this all the Building is Brick I do not remember that I saw any where in the Wall on the outside of the Court any Places to let in Light or from whence any could look out It is built very high but in Three Parts The lowest part goes up of an equal bigness to about the height of Three or Four good Stories round the top of that there seem'd to be a Battlement The second part above this is somewhat less than this lower one and stands as within it a little That also like the first goes up all of a bigness and seems as tall as the lower and to have a Battlement at the top The third and highest part is set a little within the second seems not so tall as the other and has Battlements at the top The whole Building seem'd compleat and sound and had no appearance of any ruine or decay about it The Building about the Court look'd decay'd We purposed it being now almost dark to come the next Morning and examine it a little further but our Foreman hurried us away very early and so disappointed us From the Circumstances of the Place I judge this must have been a Watch-Tower or a sort of Castle to view and command here a considerable Pass between it and the Rhine We left this wretched Place betimes in the Morning on the 3d. June and pass'd on for Emmerick The first part of our Journey for about an Hour and a half was over a vast wet moorish Common there were some Cattle feeding in it here and there up to the mid-leg in Water and it seem'd that the Places where the Water stood so were the best for them for these look'd the greenest Our Path through it was sunk a little below the rest sometimes and then full of Water After we left this Common our Way was but indifferent till we had pass'd about Two Thirds of our Journey towards Wesel and then we had a dry Way upon some Downs When we came to the River Lippe that and the Riuer Lippe Rhine were so swell'd with Rains that we could not use the ordinary Ferry here nor go the direct and usual Way to Wesel We waited a great while therefore for a Naken which could carry us where the Ferry-Boat could not and which was on the other side the Lippe and almost a quarter of a Mile above our Place When that was come we hung our Charrette at one end of it stow'd our Two Horses and above a Dozen People in it and mounted the Stream of Lippe which was now very broad till we came to the convenient landing Place This River call'd by Tacitus Luppia comes down from the Dutchy of Westphalia where it has upon it the City of Lipstadt It falls into the Rhine on the right side We had near an English Mile to go from the Place where we landed of this River to Wesel It is they say navigable a great way up into the Country Wesel call'd in Latin Vesalia is one of Wesel the chief Cities in the Dutchy of Cleve It stands upon the right Bank of the Rhine and the more convenient for Trade by reason of the Neighbourhood of the Lippe which is navigable up into the Country This City has been several times taken and retaken between the Armies of the Spaniards and of the States General At last Frederick Henry Prince of Orange Commander of the Armies of the States took it by Stratagem and Surpise in the Year 1629 in the Quarrel between the Marquis of Brandenburg and the Duke of Neubourg fore-mention'd It remain'd with several other Cities in the Dutchy of Cleve in the Possession of the States as a Pawn for Money lent the Electour of Brandenburg in that War And being thus as it were between Two Masters it was not so well look'd to or provided for as it should have been and so was easily taken by the French in the Year 1672 when they made their sudden and unexpected Invasion into Holland But this with the other Cities were restor'd to the Electour of Brandenburg by the Treaty of Nimeguen since which time it has remain'd under that Prince And now it seems better look'd too As we enter'd into it we observ'd a good Fortification about it There is a good Garrison of Soldiers in it they examin'd us strictly at the Gate what we were and whither we were bound The Streets are fair and large the Houses well built much after the Holland Fashion There appear'd in it abundance of Shops and they plentifully stor'd with all sorts of Commodities Many People were passing in the Streets and every thing look'd in a good Condition so that in general it seems at present to be rich populous and flourishing It seems to be chiefly inhabited by those of the Reform'd Religion We passed through a great part of it and saw no where any Marks of the Romish Superstion in publick Yet the Papists have here some of those they call Religious Houses and this is a pleasant and convenient Place for them We did not stay here but just long enough to eat a little Breakfast which we needed the more for having travell'd this Morning three or four Hours and for being disappointed of a Supper the Night before by reason of the Nastiness of the Provision that had been made for us so we had no Opportunity to view much or make any Enquiries concerning this Place Our Way from hence was through a low A Dyke on the Rhine rich Country all enclosed and used The bigger half of our Way to Emmerick was upon a high-rais'd Causway which runs along this part of the Country at some Places at a good Distance from the Rhine at some places just upon it We came upon it about an hour before we came to Rees For the most part as we pass'd this Dyke we had a great deal of Water on our left Hand which was from the Swelling of the Rhine which at this time covered along here some thousands of Acres of good Land some Meadows and some plough'd Ground In some places it came to the very Dyke so deep that it left nothing but the Tops of the Willows which run along by the Divisions of the Meadows to be seen And at the same time we were so far off the Channel that we could not see any thing like it Oftentimes we found the Land
deriv'd from the Latin Batavia and shows this to be the Country which the Romans call'd by that Name At that Point of Land is a large and regular Fortification call'd Schenckenscans Schenckenscans This belongs to the States-General and lies so as it Commands both these Channels of the Rhine Nimmeguen is situated on the left Bank of the Wael It is a large City the Area of it something more then half a Circle It is encompass'd with a good Wall and a Ditch and fortified with a convenient number of Bastions It stands upon a Ground which rises considerably from the River but very gradually But at that side which is uppermost upon the River the Ground stands very high and comes a steep Cliff to the Water Upon that Place is built a large and strong Castle which commands the River upwards and downwards and some of the adjacent Country This Castle they pretend was built by Julius Caesar or rather restor'd and improv'd by him The Streets of this City are generally broad and airy they are strait and some of them very long It seems to be a very sweet and healthy Place to live in and to have a good Trade They brew here a soft Small Beer which is in great Repute all over the United Provinces under the Name of Nimmeguesce Mol. It becomes pretty clear even while it Mol. remains soft whereas their other sorts of Peer are commonly very thick while they are soft and by that time they are a little fin'd they grow hard But this Drink is too a crude and very flatulent Drink it is wholesomest to drink it mingled with a little dash of French White Wine or Rhenish and then it becomes very Diuretick We went to see Domini Smetius one of the Calvinist Ministerâ— of the City for the sake of his Collection of Rarities which consists I perceiv'd chiefly in Medals and Coins of which he says he has of all sorts about Ten Thousand He receiv'd us somewhat â—â—iâ—â—ly but at length condescended to shew us what he had The oldest piece of History represented on those we saw was that of the Rape of the Sabine Women by the Romans I much doubt however whether it were made at the time or not We saw one of Tâ—tus Vâ—spasiâ—â— on which was commemorated his Conquest of Judea it was but Copper He show'd us a Gold Medal of Queen Elizabeth of an Oval Form which commemorated our Deliverance from the Spanish Invasion design'd in 1588. Several other ancient and modern ones we saw but while we were very busie in this pleasing Entertainment some good Women of his Acquaintance came in a Coach and call'd him out whom we thought at that time very impertinent This broke us off at present and we had not an Opportunity to come again The great Church of the Town is a stately and magnificent Building It is dedicated to St. Stephen the Protomartyr It was formerly a Collegiate Church 'T is now possess'd and used by the Calvinists which is the Religion of the Magistrates here as in all the Dominions of the States General And if any of those Magistrates should pretend to such a Liberty of Conscience as to go to any one of the Religious Assemblies of any other sort that are tolerated amongst them he would soon be deposed from his Magistracy This City was formerly subject to the Archbishop of Colen in Ecclesiastical Matters The Profession and Exercise of the Popish Religion is tolerated here but they have no publick endow'd Churches There are here some Convents of the Religious Orders for Men and for Women And there is a Congregation of Protestants who are allow'd a publick Church Passage from Nimmeguen to Rotterdam THE next Day we took the Ship which went for Rotterdam at Eight a Clock in the Morning It was very full of Passengers We paid for each Person one Guilder two Stivers for our Passage and at going off they spung'd something of us for our Portmantle and for the Ship Servants We could not be in the Roof the most commodious Room in the Ship because there was one of the Magistrates of Rotterdam with some of his Family in it and though they did not fill it yet they would possess it all and when we found every Body else gave way to his Worship with the Deference due to a Petty Prince we were forced to do so too and stow'd our selves but inconveniently in the Skipper's Kitchin For it was a Day of excessive Rain and forced us to be under cover We paid four times Passage Money between this and Dort At Nimmeguen a Stiver for each Person at Tiel a Stiver and half at Bommel two Stivers at Gorcum two Stivers and an Oâ—tie that is a quarter of a Stiver We were forced at each of the three last mention'd Places to stop till an Officer came on board us to gather this and this stay lost us usually almost an Hour We had a Gale of Wind but it was directly against us at North West This made our Way long by Reason of the frequent Tacks it forced us to make Towards Night it fail'd us and we could advance no faster than as the Stream drove us yet we got down before Ten a Clock at Night to Dort The Tide gave us little or no Hindrance because at this time it did not come up so far as usually especially with a Westerly Wind by Reason of the great Force of the River which was exceedingly swell'd with the great Rains and Land-Floods In a dry Season with such a Wind we were told the Tide will mount to Gâ—rcum or beyond whereas now it came not so high On this Occasion I shall take notice of what I have observ'd and learnt concerning the lowness of this Province of Holland The Rain and Snow which falls in the Winter-time lies upon their Ground and covers all their Meadows all over the Country with Water so that the whole Country looks like a Sea and no â—â—y Ground appears but here and there where a Village or a City stands a little above the Water and where there are high raised Banks which they call Dykes to go upon between them This Water must in Spring-time be all thrown out of the Meadows by Mills These throw it into the great Canals which are the usual Passages about the Country These Canals communicate with the Rivers by Sluces which are open'd at a low Tide and then the Water which they are fill'd with from the Meadows will some of it fall off But if there be at the time of dreining a westerly Wind especially a strong one It keeps the Waters of the Rivers so high that the Canals will not empty themselves into the Rivers at all or but very little at the lowest of the Tide For this Reason when there is a westerly Wind the Mills are bound to observe a Water Mark. And when the Canal which they throw the Water into is risen to that Mark they must stop and and work
our Labour we could sometimes hardly make head against the Stream we could therefore get but a little beyond Tolen this Night The Water comes into this narrow Channel from a Branch of the Schelde call'd the Ooster or Eastern Schelde The River Schelde Schelde in French Escaut in Latin Schaldis rises in the County of Picardyâ— it runs by Tournay Oudenard and Ghent after which having receiv'd the River Lyss it runs on to Dendermonde from thence to Antwerp and empties it self into the Sea among the Islands of Zeeland It divides it self here into two Branches one of which is call'd the Ooster or Eastern Schelde the other the Hondt or Western Schelde The Eastern Channel divides the Islands of Zeeland into two parts call'd the Eastern and the Western The chief and firmest of these Islands which make up the Province of Zeeland are Seven in Number Three of which lie on the East side of this Channel which are Schouwen Duyvelandt so call'd from the multitude oâ— Pidgeons it breeds and Tolen The Island Tolen has its Name from the City foremention'd Tolen It is a City well wall'd and compass'd with a good Ditch the Ramparts are high and planted with Trees in two Rows The City is but small the Houses are built with Brick after the manner common in Holland It seems to have but very little Trade or Business stirring in it It has had this Name from former times in which the Counts of Zeeland setled Officers here to take Toll of all Ships that past this way The other Four Islands which lie on the West side of the foremention'd Channel are North Bevelandt South Bevelandt with Wolversdyck between them this is now almost ruin'd by the two Waters which run on the two sides of it and Walcheren This last Island lies West of all the rest towards the Sea from which it is defended by such Sand-hills as lie along the Coast of Holland Besides these Seven there are several other little Risings of Ground which keep themselves always above Water scatter'd about among these Islands these bear good Grass but are not inhabited The Islands of Zeeland where they can be plow'd and sown bear excellent Wheat and in great plenty insomuch that 't is said An Acre of Land here will bear double the Crop of one in Brabant tho' one may also see very good Crops of Wheat in some Places there The Ground here is very rich but the Water is not sweet nor the Air good nor have they any Quantity of Wood for Fuel instead of which they burn Turf The Inhabitants apply themselves to the Sea and trade to all Parts a multitude of them employ themselves in Fishing and furnish their Neighbours with Fish they stock the plentiful Fish-Market at Antwerp Some think and the Daenish Histories pretend to it that the Islands of this Province were first possess'd and inhabited by a People out of Denmark where indeed there is an Island call'd Zeeland on which stands Copenhagen and 't is supposed the People came from thence and call'd this new Countrey by the Name of that from whence they came But if this were not so this Name might fitly be given to this Province for the Situation of these Islands They have been wont to reckon that there were Eight wall'd Cities upon these Islands one of these call'd Romers-wael is now no more the chief of all is Middleburg which stands upon the Island Walcheren a City rich populous and flourishing in Trade to all parts There were also reckon'd formerly upon these Islands 102 Villages but many of these are gone to wrack by the Sea They who go about to describe the Province of Zealand commonly say they can hardly pretend to give the present State of it because perhaps while they write the Sea may be making some considerable Alterations in it This is a thing which frequently happens sometimes the Sea joyns two little Islands together by throwing up a Bank of Sand between them sometimes it cuts off one part of an Island from the rest by throwing a Channel of Water in between them The People are forced to defend the Countrey with high Dykes or Banks of Earth rais'd up and these Banks themselves need a Defence to keep the Water from washing them away for they being but a loose Mold this very easily comes to pass if the Water can come at them To prevent which they make use of a Device which will seem strange to most People in England but which is very frequent here and on the Banks of many of the great running Waters in Holland They take the time of Low-water and lay and fasten upon the Shoar a Mattress of Straw which is two or three Inches thick which reaches from the lowest Ebb of Low-Water to the highest Rise of Spring-Tides and allows something more for the swelling of the Water by a strong West or North west Wind which usually raises the Water considerably here Out of the Vossemaer where we lay the second Night we sail'd the next Morning being the 15th of May into the Eastern Channel of the Schelde where we had the Land of Brabant still on our left side and the Island of South-Bevelandt on our Right In this Passage we sail along a Channel which is on both sides mark'd out by tall Boughs of Trees stuck fast in the Ground and which stand a good height above high-high-Water these are set the length of some Leagues and without them it were impossible to find the Channel which is but narrow and has no other Marks about it On the Right side of it is a large Tract of South-Bevelandt which has been long under Water It is so wide and the Land beyond it lies so low that one can hardly see any Land on that side This Tract contain'd 15 or 16 Villages of which nothing now is left but the Names of them still remain in the Maps in the Places where they stood On this drowned part of this Island stood the City of Romerswael Romerswael mention'd before opposite to Bergen-op-Zoom in Brabant and not above a League distant from it This was formerly the Capital City of this Island In this City to which it belong'd as a Privilege the States of Zeeland met to recognize and submit to a new Count of Zeeland in the Year 1549. The Water broke in upon this end of the Island and separated that part on which this City stood from the rest and since that time has so encroach'd upon it by degrees that the whole with the City is utterly ruin'd and drown'd there remains only where the City stood some pieces of the old Wall and a few Fishermens Cottages In this Passage we sail'd by Bergen-op-Zoom Bergen-op-Zoom but at a good Distance from it yet we have some Prospect of the Town and Fortifications because it stands upon a Ground which rises a little It is for this Reason call'd Bergen from Berg which signifies a Hill and op-Zoom for
a good Mold and full of Enclosures which are Plough'd and Sown and veild very good Grain The inside of this Hill is a Free-stone in which are a multitude of Caverns out of which they have dug Stone and passages wide enough for for Carts to come in and fetch it thence The Stone is white with a little yellowishness 't is in the Quarry so soft that I could make an Impression on it easily with the end of my Cane but when it is out it hardens and bears the Weather very well We went to see this place which they call the Quarries We took a Guide from one of the houses at the bottom of the Hill who furnisht himself with a Candle and several Matches and a good piece of Touch-wood fir'd We mounted about a third part of the height of the Hill and then at a Cart way went into it when we were in our Guide lighted his Candle We observ'd there were several passages which run from the way in which we went and in many places we saw great Caverns out of which the Stone had been dug we had a good big Candle yet the light of it did not reach the sides of them tho' they are whitish too He led us to one place where a round hole is cut for the Air down into the Quarry we had ascended considerably within the Quarry and this hole did not come down from the highest part of the Hill yet I believe it was of the depth of 3 or 4 good Stories The roof is every where dug in an Arch. There are so many passages and ways and wide Caverns here dug into the Rock that I believe if our Candle had gone out and we could not have lighted it again it would have been hard for our Guide tho' well acquainted with the place to have led us out He brought usto a place within the Hill where there is some Water but how it comes there I could not be inform'd he call'd it the Put which is Dutch for a Well A Wall was built up before it almost to the top of the Cavity which is here as high as a good lofty Ceiling so we could not see the manner of it But he convinced us there was Water within by throwing a piece of a Stone over the Wall this he did several times the Stones struck dry first and then quickly fell into Water I imagine this to be a Cavity in the Rock to which the Rain water that soaks through the Mold is gather'd He could not tell me whether it was a running Water or not and I listned but could hear no noise of any motion it had besides I judge it has no motion by the name they gave it for if it had been a subterraneous Stream they would have call'd it the Stroom or the Beeck not a Put or Well Sometimes we climb'd up by notches in the Rock out of which they had hewn Stone a good way and sometimes we descended by such notches When we had walked about half an hour under ground and were told there was nothing to be seen more but such as we had seen we desir'd to be led out He brought us after a little while to another Cart-way out at the side of the Hill which I believe was about another third part higher than that we enter'd at This Hill by Vertue of this Stone is a great advantage to Maestricht for they use it much in Building themselves and by the help of the River they convey it to their Neighbours Passage from Maestricht to Leige MAY the 22d we went on Board the Marckt-Schip as 't is call'd which goes from Maestricht to Leige being still desirous to see Namur There goes off such a Boat as this every day from hence for Leige about 9 a Clock in the morning We paid for our fraight going in the Roof 9 Stivers for each person We went on board about 9 a Clock to secure our selves places under the Roof for the Weather was rainy It is a large flat bottom'd Boat cover'd at each end and open in the middle the open part is more then one third of the Boat We were told it would be a passage of about 5 Hours but we went off before ten in the Morning and came not to Leige till 7 in the Evening I reckon this must be imputed to the swelling of the River by the great Rains which had fallen by reason of which it run with the greater force against us and our Horses were much the oftner in the Water and sometimes very deep in it at which times we mov'd very slowly We were drawn by 5 Horses fastned at the end of a very long Rope I believe we had for the most part about an hundred People on Board But all the way at several places we had some delays by some People going off and others coming on We had a Sail set up but it help'd us little because there was very little wind The Mountain in which were the Quarries that we were in runs to the Maese and butts upon it with a precipice for a great way together and we were close under it as we went up our Horses going on the brink of the River at the foot of it I could observe here the manner how the Stone lies in it I saw it was disposed in layings one over another of very different thicknesses one laying which was about the middle of the height as I remember was I believe 5 or 6 feet in thickness some others not above two The layings of the Free-stone were seperated from one another by a laying of Flints which run all along between them of the thickness I suppose of 4 or 5 Inches commonly After we had gone for some hours by this Mountain it left the River and turn'd up into he Country but continu'd and appear'd there very high with a gradual ascent and cloath'd with green Downs fit for Sheep It left a rich plain between it and the River of different breadths As far as the Mountain on that side of us run by the River the other side was a Flatt and we could see no rising ground but at a great distance from the River beyond the reach of a distinct View Afterwards when we came to have a flat ground on the right side of us as we went up we had a rising ground on the other the East side of the River this-began I think about Viset or Weset and continued all the way up from thence Sometimes the Hills rise gradually to a great height and show'd rich enclosed grounds a great many one above another in a mixture of Corn fields Orchards and pasture-Pasture-Grounds Sometimes the Hill stood up very high with a precipice almost hanging over the Water here appear'd a Rock of a sort of Marble it is a very hard Stone of a deep blew colour and will polish very smooth there is much of it in this Country and much is used for Stairs or Pavements where it never
being 1699. will be the Year of showing them I did not think it worth while to be so particular as to ask him at what time of the Year this mighty Favour is granted to the World The hot Springs in and about Aix are in a Hot Sp◠〈◊〉 very great Number but divided into three sorts as coming from three different Beds of Earth and impregnated with something a different Mineral The one sort are those within the inner City which are the Caesarian the Little Bath and the Bath of St. Quirinus Another sort are those which rise in the outer City which are the Cornelian Bath the Rose Bath and the Poors Bath The third sort are those that rise in a Neighbouring Village call'd Porcet from the multitude of Wild Swine which formerly had their Haunts there these Baths are at the distance of about an English Mile from those in the City and rise in a higher part of the Valley All these Springs are very plentiful insomuch that among them all they are judg'd to vent Ten Thousand Tuns of Hot Water in a day And they are so impregnated with Salts that they will yield for every Tun of Water a Pound of Salt They come with such a heat out of the Spring that they are forced to let them stand in Bathing-places a cooling Fifteen or Eighteen hours before they are tolerable or fit to Bath in Over the Places where the Springs rise they have built Houses which are divided into several little Rooms in one Room is the Pit or Cavity to Bath in and in a little Room by it is a Bed to Sweat in when they go out of the Bath One House will have three four or five of these Baths in it they are laid with flat Stones such as are on Floors at the sides and bottom are commonly about twelve or fifteen Feet long and eight or ten Feet in breadth and four or five Feet in depth at the deepest These Houses have also each of them a Room where they that need it sit to have the Water pump'd upon them The Drinking of these Hot Waters at Aix Drinking is within a few Years become a great and common Practice They drink only of the Water in the outer City A Pump is set for this purpose upon one of the Streams of that Spring which supplies the Cornelian Baths which from the Chymical Experiments made with it the Physicians call A Sulphureo-falso-Nitrous Water The Pump stands in the Street but is lock'd up so as that none can draw of it when the time of Drinking is over It has by it two Piazza's and an open Court for the Drinkers to walk in From it there are three Spouts on three sides of a Square which one Man who stands at the other easily keeps running for the greatest number of Drinkers The Water comes from the Pump as warm as Milk from the Cow and fit to drink It seems to have no ill Taste or Smell I think our Chalybeate or Purging Waters in England taste worse They drink of this Water rising gradually to about an Hundred Ounces at the most which may be computed at about four Quarts in a Morning It has in several Bodies several ways of Operation With some it passes chiefly by Sweat with some by Urine and with some by Stool and they are directed to follow the Inclination of Nature in the thing But if they sweat with it they must go to Bed and cover themselves warm and put on dry and clean Cloaths when they rise The Waters usually pass away in those whom they agree with in the space of three or four hours and then they are fit for Dinner They order the Drinking and Bathing of several People very differently according to the Necessity of several Distempers and as is found most agreeable to the Constitutions But that which seem'd the most general and frequent Method was to drink in the Morning betimes and to Bath in the Afternoon about four or five hours after Dinner We were told that the hottest of these Springs are at Porcet we went therefore to Porcet see them We took the lower way in going thither and had a very Pleasant Walk through some Meadows for a while We came to a good Stream which we saw had upon it an under-shot Mill which it could very well drive When we were above this Mill we found our selves upon a Foot Causway which had on each side of it a brisk Stream of Water We were told and putting our Hands into both found that the one of these was warm and the other cold they both come down from the Hills about Porcet and rise not far from one another These two Rivulets which hitherto run distinct had upon each of them a Mill which they drove by falling upon the Wheels which we call an over-shot Mill. Just above that Mill which the warm Water drove there is a large Mill-Pond supported with a Dyke on one side because of the fall of the side of the Hill and on the other side defended by a Dyke from the Brook of fresh and cold Water which runs close by it This Pond breeds excellent Carps and in great plenty They are not thought to eat so well taken immediately from hence and dress'd as from other Waters though they will grow very large and fat here Therefore they usually take them from hence young and put them to feed and grow in other Ponds The Miller makes of the selling these young Carps from hence for that purpose above an Hundred Rix Dollars per Annum We observ'd that a small Spout of Water from the cold Brook was continually running into this Pond to give it a dash of fresh Water yet for all this we could feel a manifest Warmth in the Water of the Pond and that although we were somewhat the warmer for our walking When we came to Porcet we found the hot Springs rise in a narrow Valley between Two steep Hills There are we were told above Thirty distinct Springs of hot Water here many of which run waste and we saw a Stream of smoaking Water tumbling down by us in the Valley with some Noise which smoak'd as much as boiling Water thrown down There are Fifteen bathing Houses built here and they have among them Thirty Baths We were guided to Two Pits of hot Water which are open to the Air which are reckon'd to have in them the hottest Springs of any in this Place The Pits were about Four or Five Yards over with Brick Walls round the sides of them which went to the bottom of the Pits and stood above Ground almost Breast high the Water in them seem'd to be about Five or Six Feet in depth It seem'd to have somewhatof a pale blueish Colour but was so clear that we could see the bottoms of the Pits very easily And from thence we saw innumerable little Bubbles continually rise up such as one shall see in Water over the Fire when it becomes
Juliers to Colen COnsidering them we got up very early the next Morning having a long and tedious Journey as the Ways were to reach to Colen We passed through a Valley for about the space of half an Hour upon a pav'd Cusway from Juliers between rich Pastures and Corn-Fields Then we gradually mounted to a higher Country but the Soil being a sort of Clay it was very wet still Soon after our ascending we enter'd a vast Wood which our Foreman or Charioteer call'd the Wood of Steintrasse from a Village of that Name which Steintrasse we pass'd through at the edge of it There was a very broad Track through the Wood which is the Road and it is pretty strait so that we commonly could see some Miles before us but as broad as the Road was we could hardly pick out a tolerable Path the Ground was every where so soft and full of Water The tall Wood was chiefly Oak and Beach there was a great deal of Underwood for the most part and that was Alder chiefly which grows on moist Grounds best all the Wood seem'd very flourishing and large in its kind There were cut in this Wood many Thousands of Pallisado's I suppose design'd by the Government for the Improvement of some Fortifications In all this Passage which was of several Hours through this Wood we saw to wild Beast though without doubt there are of several sorts here only one Deer walk'd cross the Road at a distance before us We spent I believe at our slow Rate of travelling Three Hours in and by this Wood. This Village of Steintrasse was all over Mud and Dirt. The People trod almost to the mid-Leg in Dirt when they stept out of their Houses The Walls of their Houses were unwhited Clay and the Cover Thatch and Clay mingled We saw on one side some plough'd Grounds belonging to the Village About Eleven a Clock before Noon we came to the River Erpe or Erffe which we Erpe River were to pass to Berghem on the other side of it This River rises on the Frontires of this Dutchy Southward and runs into the Rhine by Nuys in the Bishoprick of Colen It was now exorbitantly swell'd by the Rains and put us in some Care how we should get over it There is a Foot Causway rais'd a little through the Meadows which goes to a small bridge over the River but now Bridge and Causway both were cover'd with Water And though it was common for Charrettes with their Passengers to ford it conveniently enough we could not have done this now without being wet even in our Charrette almost to the Waste and besides our Horse who must for sometime swim would have been hard put to it to have had any thing more to draw besides the Charrette and Driver We therefore with the Company of Two other Charrettes went into a sorry Naken to be ferry'd over The River run very fierce but we went cross on the lower side of the Foot Causway which somewhat defended us from the force of the Stream We got over safe Thanks be to God and went to our Dinner at Berghen while we left our Foreman and his Horse to take theirs on the other side This is a small wall'd City but seems poor and inconsiderable but is the head of a small Jurisdiction about it Here is a Synagogue of Jews publickly tolerated After Dinner we pursued our Journey tho' very slowly because our Horse fell sick And besides this after we had gone a little way upon a Level we began to mount the Hills which we saw when we were on the other side of the River We could see this Ridge of Hills for a great length together both upwards and down the River and it seem'd to go on both Ways beyond our sight Northward and Southward It lies along very steep on this side towards this River which occasions a sudden shoot of the Water from it and by consequence the great swelling of this River These Hills are however in many Places such as that they are plow'd and sown and there are Orchards and Pasture-Grounds upon them to serve the Villages which are thick set upon them And these are shelter'd by frequent Woods which possess the steepest Parts of the Hills When we had mounted upwards above an Hour and observ'd that the Country rose still above us and that our Horse grew more faint we took pity upon him and contented our selves since we could not possibly get to Colen with him this Night to rest here that he might not be too far spent and might be the better able to carry us on the next Morning We were the rather induced to this because the Weather was now clear'd up and we were in hopes the rest of the Afternoon would be fair and we were got a good way up the Western side of the Hill on which the Sun now shone very pleasantly we could have a large Prospect about the Country and were upon a good dry Place for walking And to all this after we had enquired at several Houses in this scattering Village and were denied at length we came to one which promis'd us a Bed It was a new House too and so we supposed might not be so nasty as the old ones seem'd to be Besides we were promis'd here that if our Horse should not be able to travel next Morning the House would furnish us with a good Ichendorp one that should do our Business The Name of this Village is Ichendorp It lies scatter'd about in several Patches of Houses distant from one another on this side of the Hill They have a handsome large Church built of Brick I had a mind to see both the Country Parson and his Church It cost me a Mile's walk to find his Dwelling I came to a sorry House where they told me he lodg'd but he was not within so I could see neither I spent some time of the Afternoon in walking among the Woods which were near our Lodging and from thence had a large View of the Country Here Nightingales and other singing Birds abound and at this time fill'd the Woods with their charming Musick We went by Day-light to our Bed which we found a very sorry one and therefore lay down in our Cloaths as in like Cases we were often forc'd to do in this Journey We had one Relief in the Badness of our Lodging that if we could not sleep we were entertain'd with the Nightingales in the neighbouring Woods who sung sweetly all the Night We roused betimes and found our Horse somewhat recruited and thought able to carry us to Colen and in the space of Six Hours he brought us thither with much ado From our Lodging we ascended a good while Towards the top of the Hill we found our selves in a Wood and had several successive Ascents in that We were some Hours upon this Ridge of Hills before we came to look down on the other side of it and we pass'd through
at Juliers and Dusseldorp It may not be improper here to take notice of the Estates and Dominions of the Electour Estates of the Eâ—ectour of Brandenburg of Brandenburg which we are now enter'd upon There is no Prince in Germany whose Estates are of so great an Extent as those of the Marquis of Brandenburg One may reckon his Dominions to reach Three hundred Leagues beginning upon the Frontiers of the United Provinces and ending on the Frontiers of Poland He is Master of the Dutchy of Cleve the Counties of Ravensberg and Marck the Principalities of Halberstadt and Minden the Marquisate of Brandenburg which has the Title of an Electourate of the further Pomeâ—â—nia and the Ducal Prussia 'T is said his Reâ—â—nue is worth a Million of Crowns yearly in time of Peace and that besides the common Troops which he has in Garrison he can raise Eighty thousand Foot and Six thousand Horse and maintain them on his own Lands without any Assistance In this Extent of Dominion he has in some Countries all Protestants in oothers a good part Calvinists in others the greater part Papists as they are reckon'd to be in this Dutchy of Cleve The Electour of Brandenburg Electour according to the Golden Bull is Arch-Chamberlain of the Empire In solemn Processions he carries the Scepter before the King of the Romans therefore he bears a Scepter in his Coat of Arms. He has a special Privilege in his Territories and Dominions of laying new Taxes upon his People or encreasing the old ones and of building Mills upon any of his Rivers where he pleases The present Electour Frederick William the Third of that Name came to his Dominions by the Death of his Father in the Year 1688. Duysberg was the first City we came to within Ouysberg the Electour of Brandenburg's Dominions We reach'd it about half an Hour after we came out of the Wood. It is a wall'd City but very small and the Houses are mean It seems a poor Place and to have no Business or Trade It stands at the distance of about Two Mile from the Rhine on the River Roer It has Two Parish Churches in it which are pretty large ones These are possess'd and us'd by those of the Reformed Religion as the Magistracy of the Town are of that way In walking about it I saw no where any publick Marks of Popery in Crosses or Images in any of the Streets But the Papists have here the full Liberty of the Exercise of their Religion in Publick and there are several of those call'd Religious Houses of theirs in the City There is a small University in this City of the Reform'd Religion for the Studies of Philosophy and Divinity I saw about half a Dozen young Men stragling about in the City with a Book under their Arms. The Students here have Liberty to Hunt in the Wood of Duysberg and by the Mien of those we saw one would take them to be rather Animals of the Forest than Students in an University There are they say at present Two hundred Students here One Hulsius is the Professour of Divinity I saw in a small Booksellers Hands a little sort of a System of Divinity which he has written Our Foreman would stay here but a very little while so we had not Opportunity to converse with any one Soon after we were out of the City we were to cross the Roer This is the second River of River Roer that Name we met with in our Journey the former was at Juliers which runs into the Maese This River comes from the Dutchy of Westphalia runs through the County of Marck and falls into the Rhine a little below this City We cross'd this River in a good commodious Ferry-Boat It was very broad now but had been much broader a little before with the Rains It claims a good space on each side the common Channel here to use upon Occasion and has taken Possession of it with Sand and Gravel I could not observe or learn that any Vessels with any manner of Trade do come up this River from the Rhine When we had pass'd the River we found our Way in a low Country and very wet and dirty all along to Dijnslaeken where our Foreman Dijnslaekene would lodge us that Night This is reckoned one of the Cities of the Dutchy of Cleve but is the poorest vilest Place that ever I saw in my Life We came to it through a long Lane full of Water at the bottom of the Water were laid the Bodies of Trees as close to each other as they could lie and which reach'd cross the Lane This is a sort of mending absolutely necessary to the Wetness and Rottenness of the Ground here We jolted over these Trees for I believe near half a Mile together At length we came to a pitiful old and ruinous Wall which surrounds the City As we enter'd we saw within the City on our Left Hand Three tall Crucifixes standing upon a raised Ground and by them a little Brick Building like those Chappels or Oâ—atories to the Virgin Mary which we saw sometimes in the Fields and this had in it an Altar and Image of some sort or other The prevailing Religion then of this City we may suppose to be the Popish I did not ask whether they have any Religious Houses here for it were unreasonable to suppose that there are It would be true Mortification to those People to live in so miserable a Place therefore they would all be sure to avoid it We came in too late to see the Church but could expect to see nothing worth observing if we had been earlier There was a large Brook running through the Town with some Force and Noise over it lay a wretched wooden Bridge which seem'd broad enough for Carts to go upon but too rotten to bear them We went over it with some Care and Fear ' The Water of this was of a lovely Chesnut Colour which shows from what sort of Ground it is deriv'd Yet from a Well in the Town I got tolerable good Water to drink I reckon indeed that the Town it self stands upon firm Ground but at the edge of a Tract of marshy Ground and it is on that side of the moorish Ground which is towards the Rhine It is not I believe far from that River and I suppose the Ground between them to be more firm and passable I believe the Occasion and Original of the Town to have been at first a Roman Fort which is a usual thing in all the Countries conquer'd by that brave People For there remains here a very remarkable Building Raman Building concerning which I could learn nothing but that it was built by them about the time of our Saviour's Nativity It is a large and high Tower built perfectly round It stands with the Building adjoined in a Place a little elevated from the rest of the Town It is at one Corner of a large square Court about
within the Dyke on our right Hand full of Water too it being a low Country but such as that a great deal of it was plough'd and sown tho' â— doubt for little Advantage to the Husbandman this Year This Dyke was for the most part too narrow for two of our little Charrettes to go abrest but some places were made broader where if any met they might pass by one another and they could see one another at a Distance so that the first that came staid till the other was pass'd by The bad Weather was the Occasion that the Road upon the Dyke was a little broken and the Tracks of the Wheels sometimes deep on one side and sometimes on the other and there was no choice of Way by reason it was so narrow This put our Driver to a great deal of Care and us in a seeming Danger of being often tumbled over in which Case we must of Necessity have tumbled down the Dyke and have hazarded some Limbs where we had fall'n dry or drowning if we had fallen into the Rhine The River I said washes this Dyke in some places and that it may not wash it away the Country People fortifie it with wattled Boughs and Bushes stak'd down upon the Ground We did not go into Rees but our Foreman baited his Horse at a Place near it where we refresh'd our selves with a Glass of extraordinary good Mum. Rees appear'd to us a little City well fortified Rees This sort of Way lasted with us to Emmerick and by Reason of our slow and careful going upon it I believe it took us up four or five Hours We were glad and thankful to the good Providence of God when we came to Emmerick that we were got safe and without any ill Accident through so much appearing Danger Emmerick commonly call'd by the People of Emmerick the Country Embrick by the Latines Embrica Emmerica and Emmeriacum is one of the largest Cities in the Dutchy of Cleves This has followed the Fate of Wesel and is also now in the Possession of the Electour of Brandenburg It is a large City but seems not to be so big as Wesel nor in so flourishing a Condition It stands on the Rhine too on the right Side There were but few People that appear'd here in the Streets and it seems to have no great Trade or Business There was a Collegiate Church founded here by S. Willibroerd Bishop of Utrecht about the Year of our Lord 700 whether it remains such still or not I was not inform'd But the two Parish-Churches of the Town are both in the Possession of the Papists besides which they have also here six or seven Churches belonging to Religious Houses The Jesuits have here a College and a great School and are very rich I came too late to visit them and was now hastening homewards The Magistrates of this City under the Electour of Brandenburg are of the Calvinist Sort. These have however I was told but one Place of Worship It is indeed too little for them and therefore they are about building a larger The Walls and Cover of it are up It is a large square Brick Building The Protestants also have here one good Congregation and a Publick Toleration and Place of Worship We were resolved to go from hence to Cleve but were told it would be a Trouble and excessive Charge to go with a Charrette because we should have two broad Waters to pass over and the Road was not very good We enquir'd then what a sort of Foot-path there might be thither for we were by this time well aweary of the sorry Charrettes we had been so much in and this they said would be but a Walk of two Hours They told us the Foot-path was very good therefore we hir'd a sturdy Fellow for a Guilder to carry our Portmantle and resolv'd to walk it We set out about six a clock in the Morning from Emmerick At the Walls of the Town we took a Boat to cross the Rhine It was a large and deep Boat and I believe contriv'd to bear a little Tossing which it must needs be sometimes liable to by a Reason of the great Breadth of the River here We were so early that we had very few Passengers with us and no Horse nor Charrette By the help of a large Sail and a small Gale of Wind we cross'd the broad River in a little time Our Way was sometimes overflow'd with Water and we were forc'd to go about At the Middle of our Walk we were come to the second Water we had to pass which as it was now swell'd seem'd as broad at least as the Channel of the Rhine This is ordinarily no very broad Channel it comes out of the Rhine at some Distance above Emmerick on the left Side the River and goes into it again below near Griethuyseâ—â— the Country People call'd it to us the Old Rhine Here is I think a Ferry-boat which is ordinarily used near the Place where we pass'd this Water but this now could not be used We met more Company at the Water and loaded a Naken with People and Horses and a Charrette at one end of it so that it sunk almost to the Brim We were convey'd a good Way among Orchaâ—ds and between Hedges and Rows of Willows in this Boat which signified that a great deal of Ground was here overâ—low'd We were a great while a getting over but came safe and had a very dry convenient Walk on the other side and reach'd to Cleve by eight a Clock in the Morning CLEVE This is certainly a very ancient City and was perhaps first built and inhabited by the Romans who gave it the Name it has from its Situation 'T is very probable it might begin with a Castle or Fort as many Cities have done and the Tradition of the Place is that a Castle was built here by Julius Caesar The City is call'd Cleve by the French and Cleef by the Inhabitants and both these Names are evidently deriv'd from the Latin Words Clivis or Clivia which signifie the steep side of a Hill and such there is great deal of here The present Castle which they say is upon the Place where that of Julius Caesar was built and where they pretend to show some Remainders of his Building stands just upon the Brink of a deep Precipice From thence the Hill descends more gradually another way to a little River which runs by the City and falls into the Rhine not far below it and carries good large Boats for Goods or â—assengers to and from the Rhine On this gradual descent of the lowest Hill and partly up the side of another above it the City is built It is but a small City but is well peopled being a very pleasant and healthy Situation and though it is not the biggest it is nevertheless the chief City of the Province It gives the Name to the whole Dutchy of Cleef and has been the usual Seat and Residence of
no more till it is sunk below it again But if there be a good easterly Wind that drives the Waters of the Rivers so much out that the Mills are not bound to observe their Mark because every fall of the Tide will let out Water enough to empty the Canals sufficiently but at such a time I have seen the Canals Brim full by that time the Tide would give leave to open the Sluces and let the Water out Somewhat above Gorcum on our Left Hand as we come downwards we see the famous Castle of Lovenstein It is a very solitary Place Lovenstein and has no other Building â—ear it It stands on a small point of Land between two great Rivers This Castle is the Place where the States confine any considerable Persons who are condemn'd to be Prisoners for Life At this narrow point of Land the Maese comes into the Chanel call'd the Wael and from this Place the united Streams were anciently call'd the Merwe down to Ulaarding which is below Rotterdam and almost at the Sea but now the Name of the Maese prevails in common Use When we were near Gorcum we took notice of that large Track of Ground which suffer'd by an Inundation the last Winter in Innundations frosty Weather in which some People and many Cattle were drown'd The Water of the Maese being swell'd by a Bank of Ice which clogg'd the River it run over the Dyke on the right side a little above Gorcum at two Places and run over a great Compass of the Country within for with running over the Dyke it wore it away It was some time before the Mischief could be cured by clearing the Chanel of the River and a dangerous Work to go about it but the City of Gorcum were necessitated to adventure the Danger of it to save themselves from the Inundation which would soon have been at least in all their lower Rooms The Occasion of the stopping of the broken Ice at this Place seems to have been an Island which lies here in the middle of the River a good spot of which appear'd above the Water cover'd with Grass notwithstanding that at this time the River was extreamly swell'd The Breaches of the Dyke still remain'd when we came by which was at the beginning of June and the Water appear'd to lie all over the Country so that of Necessity the Ground must be lost for this Year and I cannot tell whether or no it will ever be recover'd A little below this a great deal was lost long since by an Innundation near Dort which is not recover'd to this Day When we came near Dort between several little Plats of Ground which have nothing on them but Grass we saw on the Left Hand of us that broad Water call'd Den Bies Bos which is all of it an old Inundation which happen'd in the Year 1421 at a time I suppose of a great Land-Flood meeting with a Spring-tide and that drove in from the Sea perhaps with a high westerly Wind which things concurring are very dangerous to these Countries The Wael and the Maese swell'd to that degree that they broke in upon this Country between Brabant and Holland and drowned Seventy Populous Villages and in them more than an Hundred thousand Persons The Tradition of the Country says there was no Person sav'd but a Child in a Cradle with a Cat and that the Cat help'd to save the Child by flying from one side to the other of the Cradle as the Waves threatned to overturn it Upon one of those Plats of Ground foremention'd there stands a piece of a tall Brick Wall the Remains of a great House which formerly stood there Some of the Lands adjoining to Dort have been since recover'd but far the greatest part remain still under Water We reach'd but to Dort this Day but we came time enough to get in and lodg'd in the City At six a Clock next Morning we set Sail again it was almost a Calm The breath of Wind that did move was against us We advanced so slowly that we fear'd we should make a Day of this Passage therefore as others did we went into a Boat with Oars which call'd on purpose at ours and at other Ships for such Passengers as were in hast We gave them six Stivers each Person for our Passage were about an Hour and half in their Boat and got to Rotterdam by ten a Clock some Hours before our Ship could arrive so I had by that time dispatc'd some Business I had to do and was ready to return to the Hague the same Day We were very thankful to Almighty God as we had Reason for the favourable Assistance and Protection of his Good Providence through this Journey which was such that we were never so much as in fear of being robb'd or abus'd by Thieves in a Journey of several Hundred Miles And though we sometimes apprehended several other Dangers yet we escap'd them all without suffering any unlucky Accident Deo O. M. Conservatori sit Laus et Gloria in Secula Seculorum Amen FINIS THE TABLE A. AIX la Chappelle Conveniency and Charge of passing from Liege thither with some Account of the Country between Page 246. It s Original 251. and Description ibid c. The Manufacture of Needles there 257. Religion there ibid. An Account of the Hot Springs and the use of them 279 Altar to our Saviour's Humanity expressly 325 Anna the Mother of the Blessed Virgin an Altar to her with an Altar-Piece and Inscription observable 325 Angels the Worship of them censur'd 131. How practised in the Church of Rome 134 c. Fraternity of the Guardian Angels in order to a happy Death 135 c. Antwerp Original 10. Situation 12. Prosperity and whence 13. Commodiousness for Habitation 15. Present Extent 17. Decay and the Causes of it 19. Practices of Religion there 21 c. The Conveniency and Rate of passing from thence to Brussels by Water 122 Assumption of the Blessed Virgin how represented 49. The Story censur'd 50 c. Publication of the Festival 52. Devotions on the Day 55 B BElls the Superstitious Use and Consecration of them 293 Benediction of the Holy Sacrament how perform'd 82 and 320 Borromeus St. Charles his Story 204. Patron against the Plague 205. To be honour'd with Alms for that purpose ibid Bouillon A Dutchy belonging to the Bishop of Liege and how it came to pass 232 Brandenburg Estates of the Electour 357 Brussels Canal of Brussels 123 c. City its Original and present Extent 125. Commodiousness 126. Civil State 127. Electour's Palace 128 c. New Buildings 131. Religion there 132 c. C MOunt Calvary imitated 32 Carmelites the Brothers of our Lady 81. Their present Contest with the Jesuites ibid. Rich Chappel and Image of the Virgin at Antwerp 83. Their House at Aix an Account of the Scapulary and the Brotherhood of it belonging to them 206 c. Charlemaigne his Residence and Chappel at Aix 276