[depiction of the Sheldonian Theater]

OXON At the THEATER

MDCLXXX▪

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 Hon ^ble: 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

‘DOMI­NUS ILLV­MINA­TIO MEA’

GREENLAND.

GREENLAND, [...]e Si­ [...]ation of Green­land. call'd by the Dutch Spitsbergen, because of its sharp­pointed 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. [...]. 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 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, [Page 2]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-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 which was de­nied, and the Island affirmed to belong to the King of England. In 1616 the company sent eight Sail of great Ships and two Pinaces, which being all appointed to several harbours returned with full lading, besides an overplus they left on Shore. This year they discovered Edges-Island, where they killed 1000 Morsses, and other Islands North-eastward; The Hollanders sent four Ships, who made a bad voyage.

In 1617 the English sent out fourteen Ships, and two pinaces; they departed from Gravesend April 24, and arrived at Greenland, May 28 where they met with eleven Sail of Dutch fishing in Horn-sound, whom they forced away, and took from them what they had caught; as also the Kings Subjects, which were found in their Ships; this year they made 1900 tuns of Oyl. They sent also a small Ship north-eastward, which discovered Wyches-Island in 79 deg. and some other places; where they kil­led store of Morsses. This year the Hull-men sent a Ship or two to Greenland, and pretended that it was their discovery; which was by oath in the Ad­miralty proved to be false. The Dutch also did the same. In 1518 an Hull-man meeting with some Zelanders animated them to go to Greenland, and in Horn-sound to make a voyage perforce; but the English chaced them from thence, took some of their goods, besides some ordinance and am­munition, which was afterwards restored. A new company also of some English, Scots, and Zelan­ders procured a grant for setting forth Ships to those parts; which caused the former adventurers to joyn to them the East-India company; who set out that year thirteen Ships and two Pinaces, but were disappointed: and some of them fought with, robbed and worsted by a fleet of twenty-three Sail of Zealanders, who came thither on [Page 3]purpose: so that proved a very unfortunate voyage.

In 1619 nine Ships were sent, which by reason of the Hollanders being there before them, and driving away the Whales from the fishing places, made also a losing voyage. Besides another mis­fortune, for as one of their best Ships lay at an­chor under a mountain, a great piece of a rock of Ice, broke off, and fell upon the Ship, killed divers, and wounded more, and so broke the Ship, that she was very difficultly fitted up to serve home; and when they came home, the Dutch, who had fully laded, so much under­sold them, that they were very much discou­raged, and gave over their trading thither; But Mr. Ralph Freeman with a few more of the companions still continued, and in 1620 set out seven Sail; which by reason of so many Hollan­ders and Danes, returned half laden. And in 1621 eight Ships went out, which, notwithstanding all the harm the Dutch did them, brought a reasonable good adventure of 1100 tuns of Oyl.

In 1622, nine Ships were sent, one whereof was wrackt upon the Ice, the other brought home 1300 tuns of Oyl.

We find nothing worth relating till 1630, when the Company set out a Ship, [...]ut of the Relation Publisht by Dr. W. Wats. commanded by William Goodler; who landed in Bell-sound, and quickly made up his lading, sending for the Ship to come to take it in: the wind proved to be con­trary, so the Master set on shoar eight of his men to kill them some Deer; who took with them two Dogs, a Gun, two Lances, and a Tinder-box. The first day they killed fourteen Deer, but being wea­ry, and the night coming on, they laid them down to sleep in the convenientest place they could find. The next day proved very foggy, and so much Ice was got betwixt the shoar and the Ship, that the Ship was forced to stand so far off into the Sea, that they lost the sight of her. So they resol­ved to hunt till they came to Green-harbour, where they would stay for their ship. In this passage they killed eight Deer more, with which they laded their Shallop, and came to Green-harbour; where when they arrived they found that the Ships were gone thence: they resolved therefore to hasten to Bell-sound to their Captain, and for the more speed they cast their Venison over-board into the Sea: so they sailed all that night and the next day, but having no compass, they wandred to and again so long till the Ships were departed thence also. These eight persons seeing themselves in almost a desperate condition, resolved however not to be wanting to their own preservation; and therefore they presently went about to get provision for the long Winter. The first day they killed seven Deer and four Bears, the next six Deer; but the night coming upon them, and leaving their provision in their Shallop, there arose a very high wind, which sunk their Shallop, and in the morning they found a considerable part of their stores swimming by the shore, which with great labour and some danger they recovered, as also their Shallop; which by main force they haled upon the Shore. The next thing was to provide their habitation, for which purpose they made use of the tent wherein the Cooper used to work, which was made of Timber and boards covered with Flemish tile, which being unable to resist the cold, they built another tent or house within it twenty foot long and sixteen broad, and stowed the di­stance with earth, bones of fish, fritture of Whales, and such old timber as they could gather up of broken Shallops and the like; of which they made the best provision they could, laying it upon the beams that were under the tiles. They made also four Cabins, two to a Cabin, and furnished them with the skins of Bears, Deer, and Foxes they had caught, besides pieces of old Sails they found there. Having accommodated these things, they went out again to search for more provision; and up­on the Ice they found two Morsses sleeping, they killed them both, and rosted them in their tent, and eat them at leisure. Reviewing their provi­sion, they found it unsufficient to serve half the winter, and therefore they first limited themselves to one meal a day, and afterwards cut off one meal in a week more; and so many meals they fed upon the fritture of the Whales, reserving their Venison for sickness and Holidays; this they preserved by roasting and stowing it in their emp­ty casks which they found there. Before they were well provided, they began to want light; for from October the fourteenth, till February the third, they had not the sight of the Sun; but in clear wea­ther they wanted not the light of the Moon, which was a great advantage and consolation unto them. For looking out on a bright moon-shi­ning day, they espied a great she-Bear with her Cubs coming towards the Tent; they fought with and killed her, but the Cubs escaped; they haled her into their Tent, and fed upon her twen­ty days: her flesh was tolerably pleasant and whole­some, but the Liver made their skins to peel off: which was also observed by the Dutch that win­tered in Nova-Zembla. Many Bears afterwards came to visit them, at least forty, but they could kill no more then seven, one 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 [Page 4]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 surface of the water in the Islands) but rather that the high-water is caused by the winds.

The whole land is so encompassed with Ice, The Ice and cold. that it is difficult to be approach'd; and 1613, about the middle of June the Ice was so much and so strong, that the Ships which went from Holland to the Whale-fishing, were not able to come to the shore; nor was the Snow thawed from the Land. The Rain-Deer also, and other Beasts, were many of them starv'd for want of food. Though ordinarily the Ice breaks in May, yet if the Northerly or Easterly winds continue long (for those are the coldest) the Frost endures the longer. For though the Sun stay half the year, yet never arising above 33 deg. 40 min. above the Horizon, its beams are so few and scatter'd, that they are most-times insufficient to dissolve the Ice, much less to dispel the cold. From the weakness of the heat also it proceeds, that the vapours from the earth are neither hot enough to warm the air, nor thin enough to rise to any considerable height, but they hang con­tinually in thick dark mists upon the mountains, and sometimes upon the earth it self, insomuch that he which is at one end of his Ship cannot discern his companion at the other.

Concerning the Cold and Ice it is further re­markable, that the Ice is oftentimes raised above the water many (16) fathoms, and this is much fresher than the other; many-times also it is thirty-five fathoms underwater, which is more salt, and easilier melted. It is frozen sometimes to the bot­tom of the Sea. Freezing makes a great, and to them who have not heard it before, a terrible sound, as the Ice doth also at the breaking. Sometimes it breaks only into great pieces, which is very dangerous to the Ships, for then many times the Sea, beaten from one Ice to another, is turn'd into a whirlpool, which overturns the Ships. Some­times it shatters at once into small pieces, with more noise, but less danger. The Seamen de­fended their vessels at first with Ropes, Mats, and such like soft and loose materials hung down by the sides of the Ships, whereby they thought to break the force of the Ice; but they quickly found this too weak a defence. Now they use Poles, Hooks, and the like, to keep it at a distance, and that the Ship may drive along before it; which serves well in a calm, but an high wind often dashing the Ice against the Ship breaks it to pieces. Some­times it is crushed between two pieces of Ice; sometimes thrust up upon other pieces; William Barents found upon a great Ice 10 fathoms above water, much earth, and Fowls-Eggs lying upon it.

The Beasts of this Country, are only these: The beasts. 1. Foxes, white, gray, tawny, and black. 2. Rain-Deer, [Page 5]which by feeding upon the yellow Moss in three months grow to a prodigious fatness, above four inches upon the ribs; which seems to be the reason, why they are able to endure so long a winter; though sometimes also they dye for want of food. At the first discovery they did not fear or avoid our people; but when one of them found himself wounded with a bullet, he assaulted the shooter, threw him down, and had not his com­panions rescued him, the poor man was in danger to have lost his life; they are now as wild as other Deer. 3, Bears, chiefly white ones, which are of a wonderful largeness, 6 foot high, their skins 14 foot long, above an 100 weight of fat has been ta­ken out of one of them; and they have strength proportionable. When our men had killed so large a Bear that they were not able to bring him off; and went to call for more help: another Bear coming by accident, took him up in his mouth, and run away with him, and at a distance began to eat him. Our men coming when he had eaten near half of him, found the other half as much as four of them could tug to their tent. The Hollanders in Nova Zembla observed, that when the Sun disappeared, the Bears left them till the Sun returned: and in their stead the Foxes grew more bold. The largest sort of Bears are those they call Water-Bears, that live by what they catch in the Sea, where they have been seen swim­ming twelve miles from any shore. The Dutch Relation saith, that skins have been seen fourteen ells long, but they meant feet. Our men say, that the story of their bringing forth their young de­formed, and that they reduce them into shape by licking, is a fable: for that they have seen very young ones, and some also taken out of their Dams bellies, perfectly formed.

In this Country there doth not breed any great quantity of Land-fowls: [...]. there is one of the big­ness of a Lark, with a square bill, that feeds upon worms, and tasts not fishy. Another they call Snow-Fowl, of the bigness and colour of a Sparrow, with a white belly; being almost starved they flew into a Ship in great abundance, and were so tame that the Mariners took as many of them as they pleased; but as soon as they were fed with Hasty-pudding flew away, and would no more come near them. Of Water-fowl there is great variety, as Cuthbert-Ducks, Willocks, Stints, Sea-Pigeons, Sea-Parrets, Guls, Noddies, and in so great abun­dance, that with their flights they darken the Sun; and at their rising make such a noise, that persons talking together cannot hear one another speak. Particularly there is one called by the Dutch Raadt­sheer, all white as Snow except his Bill, (which is thin, small and sharp) his feet and eyes; he lives up­on what he can get in the water. 2. A Diver or Didapper (called by the Mariners a Pigeon, be­cause of the noise he makes) almost as big as a Duck, with a thin, crooked, sharp-pointed bill, two inches long, feathers black, legs and feet red: these swim very swift, endure long under water, and are tolerable good meat. 3. Like to this, but some­what bigger, is the Lumb, only his belly is white, and his noise like the croaking of a frog; these build in the Mountains, and carry their young ones in their beaks to the Sea to teach them to swim and dive; their flesh is not good. 4. The Mew (called Kutle-gehf, from the noise he makes) hath a crooked bill with a bunch under it, his belly is all white, his wings and back gray, with black pinions, legs and feet; and a red ring about his eyes; the Fishermen baiting their hooks with Whales-flesh, catch store of these Mews as if they were Fish. He is pursued by another fowl for his dung, which as soon as he hath dropt, the other eats and leaves him. 5. The Allen pursues and beats the other Birds till they vomit their prey, for him to devour, which when done he goes his way from them.

There are also great quantities of Fishes in these Seas, as Seals, Dog-fishes, Lobsters, Gernels, Fishes. or Shrimp-gurnets, Star-fish, Mackrel, Dragon-fish, Dolphins, Buts-head, Unicorns, and the like. But the chiefest profit, and that which draws men to those desolate and comfortless places, is the Whale-fishing. Of Whales there are several sorts: some unprofitable to the Fishers, Whales. as the Jubarta of a black colour, sixty foot long, with a fin upon his back: his fins are nothing worth, his back yeilds some, not much, Oyl: his belly none at all. Sedeva is of a white colour, bigger then the rest, his fins not above a foot long, scarce any Oyl. Sedeva Negra is of a black colour, with a great tumor upon his back, yields neither Oyl, Fins, nor Teeth. Sewria white as Snow, of the bigness of a Wherry, yeilds little Oyl, no fins, but is good to eat. Those which are more sought after, and profitable, are the Bearded or Grand-Bay, because first killed in Grand-bay in Newfoundland, black, with a smooth skin, and a thin shining membrane over it, white under the chaps; this is the best for Oyl and Fins, yielding an hundred Hogsheads of Oyl, and five hundred Fins; he is commonly about eighty foot long. Sarda is like the other, but lesser; so yeilds lesser Oyl, and Fins, hath growing things like Barnacles upon his back. Trumpa, as long, but thicker, then the former, of a grey colour, with one spout in his head, (the others have two) and teeth about a span long, but no Fins, in his mouth. In his head he hath a hole like a Well, wherein lies that they call Spermaceti; they also sometimes find Amber-grise in his guts like Cow-dung: his Oyl coagulates, and will be solid and white as Tallow: he will yeild forty Hogs­heads of Oyl. Otta-Sotta gray, having white fins in his mouth, not above a yard long; he yeilds the best Oil, but not above thirty Hogsheads.

These Fins are that we call the Whale-bone, and groweth in the upper jaw, on either side of his mouth, about three hundred of a side, but the short ones are not regarded. The Ancients thought that he lived upon the froth of the Sea, which he raised, and as it were, churned by violent beat­ing upon the water with these Fins, and after­wards sucked it up; and that because many times they found his stomach quite empty. O­thers say, that he feeds upon such plants and weeds as he finds in the Sea, for they have found great quantity of such in his stomack; but it is most like­ly that his chiefest meat are a certain sort of small Crabs, some call them Sea-Beetles, and Sea-Spiders, (whereof the Bays of that Sea are so cover'd that they seem black with them) of which sometimes his Fins hang full, which afterwards he sucks in. These he pursues continually, for they have both found the Crabs themselves, and also some­times great quantities (in some a Bushel) of those little Stones called Oculi-Cancrorum, in his stomach. That they devour not great Fishes it is manifest, because their throat is so very strait, not above half a foot wide. The Female hath her natural part seven or eight foot wide, (the young one being bigger than an Hogshead when first brought forth) and the Male's is equal to a little Pil­lar seven or eight foot long; she brings forth her Foetus alive, and nourisheth it with Milk, which is white and sweet, but tasting somewhat fishy: her Teats, two in number, are as it were sheath'd in her breasts, that they appear not till the young one comes to suck. Their skins the ancients used in­stead of Ropes, as also for covering their Houses, and defence against the cold; under the skin is that they call the Blubber, or Adeps, out of which [Page 6]being cut into thin slices, and put into hot Cop­pers, the Oyl is melted, the flesh is thrown away; the ribs are employ'd to make the houses of the Laps, Fins, Samoieds and the like; the other bones they burn. The Tail serves for a chopping block, whereupon to cut their blubber. For the man­ner of catching and ordering the Whale, Whale-fishing. it is this.

When they have discovered him, which is by his spouting water, which they can discern at a great distance (though where they see plenty of those small Crabs, they have good hopes of find­ing the Whales) seldom fewer then two Shallops well man'd make towards him; and row to him so near, that the Harponer hath opportu­nity to lance out his Harping-iron, which he doth with all his force; but strikes not at ad­venture, (for some parts of him, his head parti­cularly, are not vulnerable), but either upon a soft piece of flesh, which he hath near his spout, or under a Fin. The Beast as soon as wounded hasts down to the bottom of the Sea, they still giving him more Rope, whereof one end is fa­stened to the Harping-iron, then they diligently watch his rising again, when with their lances they wound him in the belly and such places as are softest, and deep as they can; taking heed always that he strike not them or their boat with his tail. When they see him spout up blood, they know he draws towards his death, and that shortly after he turns up his white belly; which as soon as they spy, they hale him close to the Ship, and with great Knives slice his sides, raising the blubber from the flesh; which they do by fixing in it strong Iron Hooks made fast to a Ship rope, which by a pully they lift up still as they cut and loosen the blub­ber; many of these great flakes they put upon a rope, and so drag them to the Shore; where they are heaved up by a Crane, and laid upon the Tail of the Fish, chopt into small pieces, after­wards sliced thin like Trenchers, so put into the Cauldrons or Coppers, which becoming brown with the fire are called Frittures, are taken out and cast away as having yeilded their Oyl. The Li­quor then is laded out into a Boat half full of water, both to cool and cleanse it (by suffering all the filth to sink to the bottom) and thence by long Troughs, that it may be more cooled, conveyed into the Hogsheads or other like vessels. The Whale­bone.

The head which is at least one third of the whole Fish, is cut off, and tug'd as near the Shore as they can bring it, then hoised up by a crane, and the Fins ( Bronchiae, Pinnae, or whatever you please to call them, their substance is like horn, but we call them Whale-bone), are cut out, dressed, and bound up by fifties; and the rest of the head, which yeilds Oyl, cut as the rest of the body. The tongue particularly; which being very great of the figure of a Wool-sack, is also fastened at both ends, and lifted up only in the midst, (with which he spouteth up the water) and about eight tuns weight, veild­eth from six to eleven Hogsheads. One Housson a Diep-man in 1634 got twenty six Hogsheads (Ca­dos) out of one tongue, and a hundred and twen­ty out of the body of one Whale.

The Whale hath many enemies; The Whales enemies. 1. A kind of lowse or insect that eats through his skin to de­vour the fat; he hath on each side four feet, an head like an Acorn with four horns. 2. The Saw­fish, which hath a long Snout, on either side set with teeth like a Saw; he seldome gives over the Whale till he hath killed him; he eats up his tongue and nothing else. 3. The Hay, from two to three fathoms long, round and small; a sharp snout and three rows of teeth in his mouth, with which he will bite great pieces out of the Whale, and sometimes eat up all the fat; the Fishermen have found Whales half devoured by them; they are taken with a bait fastened to an Hook, with an Iron Chain, for a Rope they will presently sheer asunder.

The Whales, when the Sea begins to freez, go Southward, dispersing themselves; some unto the coast of America, some few this way, and many keep in the deep and wide Ocean, where the Bas­ques, who say that the Whales follow the light, used to fish for them, before Greenland was disco­vered. And I have heard that the Dutch caught a Whale near Japan, that had sticking in her an Harping Iron lost at Greenland.

Nobilissimo Prudent. Domino[?] D. SIMONI VAN HOORN, Consulo et Senatori Vrbis Amstelodamensis,[?] [...], Ordinum Belgicae Feoderatae nomine[?] ad Magnae Britanniae Regem nuper Legato extraordinario.

Tabulam hanc D. D. Nicolaus Visscher

EUROPE.

THE Holy Scripture (a Monument ancienter, The peo­pling of the world after the Flood. and of greater authority then any among the Heathens) declares the whole earth after the Flood to have been o­verspread by the sons of Noah. Cham's poste­rity seems to have peo­pled Africa, and some parts of the adjoining Continent; yet not so universally, but that di­vers Colonies were there planted, both of the sons of Sem and Japhet. The posterities of Sem and Japhet were so intermingled, that even an­ciently, much less in these later times, there could not be any exact distinguishing of their limits. Tho the common opinion is, that Japhet's sons inhabited the greatest part of Europe. We must therefore omit this division, for want of evidence, and content our selves with that of the Ancients, dividing the then known world into Europe, Asia, and Africa; the modern discoverers have added America. The anci­ent divi­sion of the world. Now when this division of the Earth into Europe, Asia, and Africa, was first instituted, as also the reasons of it, and of the impositions of the names, is to us utterly unknown. That it is very ancient, appears by Herodotus, the first credible Historian that we have of the Heathens; and from what he says in his fourth Book, 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, Its 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 [Page 15] 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 ex­ [...]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 the most northern Country at the Polar Circle, con­tains about 44 deg. on the Meridian, which make about 2640 English miles.

Europe conteins in it several Kingdoms, Division. the greatest of which is the Empire of Muscovy or Russia on the north-east, comprehending seve­ral Nations more to the north-east, scarce known to us; and on the east Cazan, and other Coun­tries by the River Volga; and part of Lapland on the north-west. Next to Muscovy on the west lies the Kingdom of Sweden, containing great part of Finland on the east, and all to the mountains of Norway on the west. Again, to the east of Europe, by the Caspian Sea, lies the Country of the Circassi, and the Kingdom of the Lesser Tar­tary, and some other lesser Provinces. Thence south-west lies the Kingdom of Poland, extend­ing it self thro the midst of Europe from the Baltic to the Euxin Sea, comprehending on the north Prussia, Litvania, Lifland; on the east Vo­linia, Podolia; and southward Moldavia, Wala­chia. Northwest of Poland, lies Germany, under several Princes, the Emperor being the chief. North of Germany lies the Kingdom of Denmark; to the west Flanders, or the Low Countries, un­der divers Governments; and north-west of them, the Kingdom of Great Brittain, comprehending several Islands. South-west of Germany lies the Kingdom of France; more south, the Kingdom of Spain; full south Italy, under several Princes. South-east of Germany lies the greatest part of European Turky, as Hungary, Transylvania, and more south Croatia, Dalmatia, and all Greece.

There are in Europe, Empires, &c. three Empires, that of Muscovy, the Roman Empire, and the Empire of the Turks. Ten Kingdoms, Sweden, Denmark, Poland, Hungary, Bohemia, England, France, Spain, Portugal, and the Lesser Tartary. Nine Common­wealths, and about forty Principalities; of which when we come to particular Countries. [...]riginal Langua­ges.

The principal Languages spoken in the nor­thern and western parts of Europe, may be rec­kon'd these three, the ancient Gothic, the Anglo-Saxonic, and the Francic, which also seem to be near akin, or to have great affinity one with ano­ther, and the later to be made up of the two former.

From the Gothic, which differs little from the old Greek, are derived the ancient Cimbric, and the modern languages now spoken in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Iseland.

The Anglo-Saxonic may seem to have given birth to the Belgic, or Low Dutch, especially the ancient Frisic, and in great part to the English and Scotch,

The Francic is compounded of the other two, and seems to be the same with the Alamannic or Theotisc, whence the upper German language takes its original.

The ancient British, which seems also to be the Celtish or Gaulish, the dialects whereof are still spoken in some parts of Great Britain, and in Britannia in France. The Cantabric also, or the language of the Biscainers in the northern mountains in Spain, is not much different. And likewise the Irish, if not it self a dialect of the old Cimbric, as it seems to be, must be accounted an original language.

The Turkish language is generally spoken in European Turky, and also Arabic is well under­stood by their learned men, as being the lan­guage of the Alkoran; and is spoken in some of the Mountains of Granada.

The Inhabitants of the Lesser Tartary, that live between Tanais and the Neiper, speak the Tar­tarian language; as also the Cossacs, with some small difference.

The Fins and Laplanders seem to have divers languages, both from one another, and from all the rest.

The Paisan-Liflanders likewise have a different language to themselves.

The Sclavonic language, whether originally one or many, is still continued in divers Regions of Europe, as in the dominions of the Emperor of Russia, divers countries subject to the King of Poland, in some parts of Hungary (but the Hun­garian tongue properly so call'd, is by the learned accounted an original language), Bohemia, and Sclavonia, but with greater difference than dia­lects of the same language use to be.

The ancient Greek seems to have been the mother of the old Hetruscan, Oscan, Menapian, and such others as were spoken anciently in Italy, as may appear by those few remainders still extant of them; and therefore also of the Latin, in the opi­nion of many learned, as the Latin is of the present Italian, French, Spanish, Grison, and some other lan­guages. The Greek it self, tho with great alterati­on, is still continued in the Continent and Islands of Greece, and some places near thereunto.

The glory of Europe is its Religion, Religion. which in most parts of it is but one, tho diversly professed. Greece, with its Islands in the Egean Sea, and others as far as Corfu, as also some parts of Croa­tia, Dalmatia, together with Muscovia, Walachia, Moldavia, Podolia, Volinia, and some other parts of the dominions of Poland, with other neighbouring Countries, follow the Greek Church.

The Latin Church conteins, 1, Those of the Reform'd Religion, and 2, Those of the Roman.

1. The Reformed Religion is embraced in Great Brittain and Ireland, and the lesser Islands belonging to the Crown of England. And with some diversity in Sweden, Denmark, Holland, and the rest of the Ʋnited Provinces, and several parts of Germany, Transylvania, and some parts of the Kingdom of Poland.

[Page 16] 2. The Roman Religion prevails in Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, Poland, and the greatest part of the German Empire, and other Countries.

Mahumetanism is professed in European Turky, by the Great Turk and his Musselmen.

The great ledg of Mountains that has its be­ginning at the great Western Ocean, Moun­tains. first divides France and Spain by the name of the Pirenean Hills, and is thence continued thro the south parts of France, till it cover Italy, and is there call'd the Alps; a branch of which running thro the whole length of Italy, has the name of the Apennine Mountains; another branch is continued under divers names, as the Rhetian-Hills, thro the coun­try, now called, of the Grisons. Alpes, Graiae, No­ricae, Juliae, &c. all which have now divers names according to the several countries thro which they pass. From Italy they continue thro Stiria, Carinthia, Hungary, Transylvania, Moldavia to the Black Sea; and branch out into divers other countries; of all which we shall treat more ex­actly in the particular descriptions.

The Mountains of the north are not much discover'd; one ledg of them is continued from the Baltic to the northern Ocean, dividing Norway from the neighbouring Nations. Those in the utmost north, anciently call'd Riphaei and Hyper­borei, have at this day lost those names, conse­quently they are unknown, except they be those which are by the inhabitants call'd Welikicame­nopoias, i. e. Cingulum mundi, or the great Rocky Girdle; of which, as also of other Mountains not here mentioned, in their proper and particular places.

The Seas that coast Europe, Seas. are the Northern and Western Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Euxin or Black Sea, which also contein in them several lesser Seas, Bays, Streights, &c. and have different names from the different shoars they wash, as Mare Britannicum or Brittish Sea, Mare Germanicum or German Sea, &c. and are therefore to be look'd upon by us as belonging to those Countries whence they derive their names.

We defer to speak of the Rives that are com­prehended in one Country, Rivers. till we come to treat of that Country. The most noted which run thro divers Countries, are these: First, the Danubius, or Danow, which arising in the Alps, runs thro Germany, Hungary, by Transylvania and Walachia, into the Euxine Sea.

Next, the Rhine, which arising also in the Alps, not far from the head of the Danow, runs along by Germany and the Low Countries into the Brittish Ocean.

The next is Boristhenes or Nieper, which has its rise in the Confines of Muscovy, and runs thro Litvania, Volinia, &c. into the Euxine Sea.

And lastly, Don or Tanais, arising likewise in Muscovy, and running thro the lesser Tartary, and other adjoining Countries, falls into Palus Meotis.

We omit to speak of the Volga, till we come to Asia, to which it more properly belongs.

The dispositions of the Inhabitants cannot be easily reduc'd to one general character, Dispositi­ons. varying according to the Religions, the Governments, the customary employments, and the divers tem­perature of the air and soil in which they live.

The Arts peculiar to, Arts. and most practis'd in Europe, and there invented, may be reckon'd Print­ing, Painting, Statuary, divers particulars in the Art of War and Navigation, and most especially in the learned and scholastic Sciences, in which the Europeans have advanced to a much greater per­fection than either the Asiatics or the Africans.

Authore Isaaco Massa.

Doctrina et humanitate praedito D. Isaaco Bernart, rerum quae per Moscoviam maxime trahuntur mercator [...] peritissimo hanc Moscoviae tabula dedicat affinis finis.

Hen. Hon [...]ius

Wirst. [...]

[...] Germanica quorum [...]

Auctore Isaaco Massa▪

[blazon or coat of arms]

MUSCOVY, OR RUSSIA.

MEsech or Mosoc, [...] the son of Japhet, is generally supposed to have peo­pled this Country; the chief reason I conceive to be the similitude of the name. We find also in Strabo, frequent men­tion of the Moschi, tho it be uncertain from him where their Country was. Mela placeth them near the Caspian Sea; Pliny near Iberia, which is now called Georgia; Lucan, and since him Sidonius, near the Sarmatae; and it seems, that Sarmatia was a name better known than Russia. So that the Moschi seem to be some of those many Nations at this time under, and that toward the south of the Mus­covitish Empire. But the Annals of the Country acknowledg no other name they had anciently then Russes, tho some modern Latin-writers call them Roxalano's, quasi Russo-Alanos, but more Ru­thenos, and their Nation Rossia; which signifies dispersion or scattering, because they (tho very great and populous) yet lived dispersed, with­out certain government, in continual quarrels and dissentions one with another, till Genareta Daniel, or Ivan his son, surnamed Caleta or Scrip (because he always carried such an one at his girdle, with money to relieve such as were in necessity) gather'd and bound them together in one government and body. And for their better union, built amongst, and almost in the middle of them, the City Mosco, upon a River of that name; making it thenceforward the Metropolis of the Empire: from whence they begun to be call'd Muscovites, and by little and little have ad­vanced themselves into a very great and famous Nation.

It is true, [...]. that the name of Russes was ancient­ly further extended than now it ordinarily is, for the Russes were said to inhabit from the Weisel to Volga, and from the Black Sea to the Northern Ocean. And even yet the Polonians call a part of the Kingdom of Poland Red Russia; part also of the dominions belonging to Lithvania, Black Rus­sia; and that under the Grand Tzaar, White Rus­sia; as they say, because that people ordinarily woar white garments, but more universally white caps upon their heads. Of these alone in this place we are to treat.

The dominion of the Grand Tzaar lies between 46 and 66 deg. of Latitude, that is, from Astra­can to Fretum Waygatz, (tho part of his Empire lies some more South, and some more North) which allowing 60 miles to a degree, comes to 1260 English miles. And in Longitude from Bo­risthenes about 55 deg. to the Volga 80 deg. after the same rate about 1500 of the same miles, ac­cording to our best and newest Maps. The bor­ders toward the North are the Frozen Sea, and some part of Lapland; on the South are the Crim ­and Precop-Tartars; on the East we may account the Volga and the Ob to be his borders; and on the west, the dominions of the King of Poland, Sueden, and some part of Lapland. Tho these are not exactly set down, yet they may serve for a general direction; more preciseness must be ex­pected in the description of the several parts. But from this general notion, every one perceives that there must necessarily be a vast difference, as be­tween the length of days (some being not sixteen hours, others six months long) so to heat and cold, betwixt the several parts of this countrey; and consequently as great variety of seasons, soils, fruits, and productions of the Earth; likewise also of habits, customs, diet, and even of the very dispositions and manners, as well as the figures of the inhabitants, upon which heat and cold have no small influence. So that we shall omit these general descriptions, and reserve what we find concerning the particulars to their proper places. And of the Government and Empire in general, it will be best treated of when we come to the Seat, or Metropolitical City of the Em­pire. Mean while we shall proceed to speak of the several Provinces, as they lye in order, be­ginning at the North-East part. But we must be­speak the Readers first, not to expect any exact description of the bounds and limits of each Pro­vince, for besides that no Author hath so nar­rowly look'd into those things; it should seem, that the Emperor observes not always the same Commissions, but enlarges or diminishes his Go­vernments as himself pleaseth. But for the same reason neither have we an exact enumeration of the Provinces, some reckoning more, some fewer. Those who number them according to the titles of the Grand Tzaar, cannot find their count; for those places mentioned in his title, are some of them small places and inconsiderable, some again contain more Provinces then one, and some such Governments as are not at this time under the Grand Tzaar; but as they subdued any dominion, they united all the titles to their for­mer. But of this only by the by. In this we shall follow the tract of ground, proceeding from North-East to North-West, and make use of the best information we can find.

And before we enter upon Russia, we shall take notice of a certain people, that take up a great share of these northern parts, not as inhabitants, nor as strangers, but as a wandering people, living upon hunting and prey, wherever they can find it. In this tract of ground we find the names, but nothing else, of divers Nations, as Ʋgolici, Hugritsci, Voluhisci, Calami, and the like; all whom the Russes (who till of late had not any distinct knowledg of them) called by the name of Sa­moieds, or self-eaters; and since that, they have also called a great tract of land both of the West and East side of the River Ob, Samoiedia; I think erroneously, the Samoieds (as I said) not being a nation. But however it be,

We shall begin with these Samoieds, Of the Sa­moieds. tho not named amongst the Emperors Subjects, (except they be included in the title of Great Comman­der of Siberia, or Obdoria, neither of which is likely), partly because the Muscovites retain their ancient form in their title, partly because these peo­ple are only in part, and by their own free sub­mission [Page 18]under the Tzar. Part continue still in their ancient fierceness, barbarism, and heathenish­ness. Nor is their Country reduc'd into Towns and Governments, as Russia is.

They seem to be a Nation altogether distinct from the Muscovites, both in the make of their bodies, manner of living, language, &c. and to be rather akin to the Tartars, as are also the rest of those most Northern Nations, Laplanders, Gronelanders, &c. because of their low stature, full­chestedness, broad and flat faces, long black hair, little hollow eyes, short legs, and knees bowing outward.

They inhabit the confines of Europe and Asia, Their ha­bitations. and take up a considerable portion of the nor­thern tract of both those parts. They live on both sides of the River Ob (Obba, Oby); the Russians call them Sam-ieda, i. e. self-eaters, which is not improbable, both because at present they eat all manner of raw flesh, even the very carion that lies in the ditch. And those who live upon Way­gates, even till these times will not suffer the Russes to land upon their Country, but if they catch will kill any of them, and eat them. Of those also, who live beyond the Ob, the Russians re­port, that they, in hard times, do not make any difficulty to devour one another; that if a Merchant come amongst them to trade, they will, to make him an high entertainment, not stick to kill a child for his sake; and that if any one dye amongst them, they make the best of him, and eat him. But themselves give another reason even of the name Samoied, as if it signi­fied of themselves; that they were ab origines, and born in that place. However, as I said, this is not a name of a Nation, but an accidental diffe­rence from most other people, yet such an one as hath quite obliterated the true name. How far they extend beyond the Ob, is not yet disco­vered. On this side the River they reach as far as Petzora; or at least the inhabitants of the Coun­try betwixt those two Rivers, seem to be of the same original with the Saimoieds. Waygate and Nova Zembla in appearance are inhabited by the same Nation; as are Siberia, Borandia, Jugoria, and so was the greatest part of Northern Russia, till civiliz'd.

The Reader must not expect any exact rela­tion of their affairs and actions. Their dis­covery. They have not any thing of learning or records, nor so much as oral tradition of what hath been done amongst them in the very last ages. Nor do strangers mention any thing of them, save that they fre­quented, with their Furs and other commodi­ties, the free Fairs and publick Marts held in se­veral Towns of Russia, till their submission to the Muscovite. And the first that gave any notice of them to this part of the world, were our own Countrymen, who endeavouring the discovery of a passage that way to Cathay and China, happen'd upon their Country; who notwithstanding could not give any exact relation of them, because of their ignorance of the language, and the extream shyness and jealousie they have of all strangers and their conversation. The first that we find to have light upon them, was Stephen Burroughs an English man, 1556, in his voyage to discover the North-East passage. Before him also I find not any of our Geographers to have mentioned Way­gats (which he saith are Islands lying North-East of Pechora) and Nova Zembla; his relation (as also that of Rich. Johnson, who went the same voyage, are extant in Hackluit. Afterwards 1596, Will. Barents gave some small account of them; since that, divers others. What we can find con­cerning them, Their lan­guage and manner of life. we shall set down.

They have not all one language, but how many, or how differing, and in what places which language, we know not. Their manner of li­ving seems to be much according to nature. They have no Cities, but some of them have houses, whither they sometimes (when not convenient to travel) retire; which are (as the Groenlan­ders) in the foot of an hill, with passages to one another; the part that is not dug out of the ground, is of wood, meeting together at the top, and cover'd with bark and turf; with a hole in the top, which serves them for a chim­ney to vent their smoak, and door to creep out when the snow stops up their entrance. But the greatest part of them travel from place to place, where they can find best pasturage for their Rain-Deer, and best game or prey for themselves, and they would reckon it a curse to be confin'd to one place. Those next the Sea side abide upon the Sea commonly a month together, when it is seasonable fishing. When they wander, they carry wives, children, and all their wealth along with them; pretending no propriety in any place. They tra­vel upon Sleds, drawn by their Rain-Deer, with so great speed, that they are able to post two hundred Italian miles in one day. They bait and rest where is best provision for their beasts; and they travel commonly in company, ten Sleds fasten'd one to another, and to every of them one Rain-Deer at least, in which they carry their stuff and wealth, and call it Argish: but when thus laden, they make shorter days journeys, and travel not above thirty miles in twelve hours. At night they pitch their Tents, which are the largest Skins and Furs set and extended upon short poles or stakes (of which the Country is very plentifully stored), so covering the whole frame, except a hole at the top, which lets out the smoak, and they heap snow upon the outside; the fire they make in the middle, and round about it spread their Bears-skins and Furs, whereupon they sleep. It is the wives office to set up the Cabbans, and guide the Argish, or Convoy of Sleds; whilst the men bring in firing, and such provision as can be got for their Supper. From this their con­tinual changing places, it comes, that these Sa­moieds are the only guides for Merchants in win­ter time to all the great Towns near those Coun­tries; who rarely mistake their way, tho the wea­ther be never so misty. They are very nimble, and excellent archers; so that at Moscow, to shew their skill, they set a small round piece of Tin, from which retiring as far as they could discern it, they never missed to hit with their arrow. Their garments are all of Fur; that next their bodies (called by them Mallek, or a shirt) of young Fawns, Hares, or Swans-skins, very soft and well-dressed; the outward (called Parka) of stronger and thicker Fur. And they take care to have them very fit, and not too loose or big for their body, which I suppose they do for warmth; for which cause they are very careful of their caps, and coverings for their heads. The women also have the same garments as the men, and therefore are not easily distinguished from them; save that they suffer on either side a lock of hair to hang down below their ears, and make blew lines in their faces, by drawing a thred dip'd in blew paint, lightly under the skin. The fashion of their habits is not the same in all places. They have no Bread, Rice, or any thing like it; their food is flesh of beasts, of all sorts, (which they eat raw, if they have not the convenience of drying it in the Sun, or wind, or scorching it with the fire), fish also, and fish-oyl, and honey.

Of body they are very strong, active, swift, Dispositi­ons. and healthful; hardy, and able to endure very great labour, thirst, and cold. And the women not less then the men; for at their child-bearing [Page 19]the husband only is the midwife, and the good­woman, as soon as deliver'd, washeth her child in snow, and the next morning is able to con­duct her Argish. They seem also to be stout and bold spirited, tho wars seldom happen amongst them; but their weapons, besides bows and ar­rows, are long spears and short swords. They are of a very quiet and not-quarrelsom disposi­tion amongst themselves, but suspitious and jea­lous of all strangers, but this is because of their want of conversation. They seem not to have any government amongst them (those I mean who are not subjects to the Muscovite) every one follows his own fancy and employment; but when they want any directions, or are in diffi­culties, they apply themselves to the most anci­ent person in that company or hoard, and he also is their Priest, and his directions they fol­low. Their frequentest consultations are concern­ing the future, which way they shall remove, and to what place, what success in their hunting, whe­ther take such a journey, and the like. Contro­versies amongst them are not [...] frequent, but are determined by a certain oath [...]: They make an image of a man in snow, and lay before it a Wolves snout; he that is to swear, takes a sword, and rehearsing the names of his wives, children, and friends, desires that if he be not in the right, they may all be cut in pieces, even as himself doth cut that snow-image with that sword, which immediately he doth. Then he wishes that the Wolf may destroy his Rain-Deer, and that henceforward he may never kill any beast, if he speak not the truth; then he cuts the Wolves snout to pieces, and there is no more to be said to that controversie.

The Samoieds buy their Wives for Deer, and may have as many as they can purchase; [...]. the bet­ter sort have four or five. He is the richest man that hath most Deer and Daughters; selling them to such as will give most for them. Their mar­riages are not celebrated with any great cere­monies. The Bridegroom makes a feast to his friends, which (according to his ability) conti­nues perhaps seven days. The feasting being end­ed, the Bride adorned with many iron rings, bra­zen bells, fish-bones, &c. is deliver'd up to her hus­band, and all others depart the Tent till the next morning. If they like not their wives after half a year or a year, they return them back to their friends, and receive their Deer. When a rich man dies amongst them, that he may not be un­attended in the next world, they strangle one of his slaves (whom they bury with him) and three of his Deer, with which they feast themselves. If a young child dies, under seven years old, they hang it by the neck on some tree, saying, that it must fly to heaven.

It hath been reported by divers Authors, [...]. that these Samoieds and the Northern Russes exhibited great worship to an Idol they called Slata-baba, or the golden-old-wife, which was a great image of stone, representing a woman with a child in her arms. But our men say that is a fable; that there is indeed in one of the Islands in the mouth of the River Ob, a great Rock, which with the help of fancy, may seem to be somewhat like such a woman; and that the Fishermen do ma­ny times in storms shelter themselves under that Rock, and practise their sacrifices and sorceries there, but not to the Rock. They seem to ac­knowledg a God, but to apprehend and repre­sent him by such things by which they receive most benefit. They have been frequently ob­served every morning, as soon as they go forth, to fall on their knees, and hold up their hands toward the Sun. They have also many images, made as like men as their rudeness could work them; to which it is supposed that they use sa­crificing, for they have found them set upright, besmear'd with blood, and many bones and ashes before them, and sometimes a chopping-block, whereupon it is supposed the beast to be offered was killed and divided. But tho our men never saw them sacrifice, yet Richard Johnson (in Hackluit p. 283.) gives us a strange relation of their divi­nations and sorceries, whereof he was an eye­witness; and it was to be informed which way, and to what place they were next to remove. He saith in short, that the ancientest of the fa­mily or kindred is always the Priest, that he had on his head a garland, and a piece of a coat of mail, whereto were fastened fish-bones, and many other trinkets; that he first beat upon an instrument like half a drum, with a little mawl, afterwards he begins to whoop and hollow as our hunters do, and the people answer'd him, but he with so great violence that he became sensless, and so fell down, and lay for some space. Coming to him­self, he rose up and commanded three Ollens (or the largest Deer) to be killed; then he took a sword of near a yard long, and thrust it several times into his belly, but without any wound; af­terwards he heated it in the fire, and thrust it in at his navel and out at his fundament, when (saith Johnson) I laid my finger upon it, but no wound follow'd. The Priest being wearied, reposed whilst they heated a kettle of water, which being hot, they sang again, and brought in like the frame of a Sedan, into which the Priest, having put off his matters and his shirt, sat down, and put about his neck and under his left arm a small cord with a slip-knot, and gave one end to one lusty young man, and the other end to another; then they set the seething water before him, and cover'd both the frame wherein he sat and the kettle, that no man could see those dreadful mysteries. The people began to sing furiously, and the young men drew the cord close, whereupon hearing somewhat to fall into the water, I asked (saith Johnson) what it was, they told me, it was his head and left shoulder which the cord had cut off, but they would not suffer me to go see that it was so. After more ve­hement singing, he came from behind the cur­tain safe and well. I demanded what their God had said, and whither they were to go; but was an­swer'd, that it was not for them to know what their God said, but that they were to obey what their Priest commanded. This was before their submission to the Muscovite, for since that time the Emperor hath caused Christianity to be preached amongst them; and tho he forceth none of them to embrace it, yet many of them are baptized, and the worship of the Devil decreaseth and groweth out of reputation amongst them. God of his mercy grant, that these ends of the earth also may be reduced under the laws and government of his Son, our dear Lord. Amen.

Their submission to the Grand Tzaar I shall re­late somewhat more copiously, Their sub­mission to the Grand Tzar. to shew all the world, that the Russes are neither so barbarous, nor tyrannical as too many Authors (who measuring all men by themselves, account what­ever is different from those notions wherein them­selves have been educated, as barbarous and un­reasonable) represent them. In the time of Ivan Ba­silowich there lived upon the River Wichida, or Witsogda, an husbandman of a poor and vile de­scent, called Oneeko, or Onyka, who by his indu­stry in tilling the ground, came to very great riches, which he vastly encreased afterwards by trading. Amongst many children he had three sons, Jacove, Gregory, and Simon, who traded in common. These men, with their father, dealt [Page 20]chiefly with the Samoieds, that came yearly to the Fairs of Osel and Ʋstiug. Oneeka was not con­tent with the gain he reaped by his trade, but had also a great curiosity to know what country­men, and whence they came, that brought such rich Furs to these markets; conceiving that great wealth was there to be obtained. He began there­fore to insinuate into the conversation of these Samoied traders; by his inviting and cajoling them, he obtained that twelve of his servants might go with them into their country; to whom he gave strict and particular orders how to behave them­selves, and what to observe; which they did very carefully and faithfully. At their return with the Samoieds, he courted them much more friendly, and commanded also his own servants not to speak of what they had seen or discover'd. The next year he sent more of his servants, and some of the most trusty of his kindred, with such low priz'd Merchandize as he conceived most proper for that place. These went to the River Ob, where making acquaintance with the Samoieds, they found Furs there to be of small price; that the people lived barbarously and incommodiously, in companies, without cities, without houses, or bread; govern'd only by some of the anci­entest among them, without laws, without pro­priety; yet peaceably amongst themselves, and without envy to their neighbours, of whom they knew little. The Onykaes driving this trade awhile became very rich, built many Churches, and some Towns; and grew so rich, that they were esteemed worth in money, besides lands, cat­tel, &c. three hundred thousand Rubbles, or Marks. They set yearly at work ten thousand persons, besides five thousand slaves they had of their own; and paid to the Emperor yearly three and twenty thousand Rubbles for Custom, be­sides their maintaining several Garrisons on the confines of Siberia. But whether they were a­fraid, that their riches might breed them ene­mies and accusers at the Court, where they were sure to be worsted; or whether they thought this trade thus managed was too great for Subjects, and prejudicial to their Prince, they resolved to declare it to the Emperor, and to make the ad­vantage publick, and to the behoof of the Prince. Some of them therefore go to Moscow, and by rich presents insinuate into the favour of Boris Godenow, the Emperors Brother-in-law (and him­self afterwards also Emperor), who at that time govern'd under a weak Prince the whole Em­pire. After some time they discover'd to him the situation of the countries of Samoiedia and Sibe­ria, what they had seen, and observed therein, and what great wealth and advantage might thereby arrive to his Tzaaric Majesty. This no­tice was received of Boris with all the affection imaginable, as also by the Emperor himself Pheo­dor Ivanowich. And first of all, they confirmed to the Oneekaes so great priviledges and honours as a subject was capable of; then they sent certain Gentlemen and Soldiers in company of, and to be at the direction and discretion of the Oneekaes; they order'd them to be richly clothed, and to carry the garb of Ambassadors; and gave them presents of small value to be bestowed among the natives, according to discretion; enjoining them to observe all rivers, woods, passages, very diligently, and especially such places as might be most convenient for building Castles and Towns; as also to use the people with all gentle­ness and kindness, and if it were possible, to bring some of the people along with them. These mes­sengers, with those whom the Oneekaes joined to them, behaved themselves so discreetly, and were so liberal of their trifles, that in a short time they had obtained the affections of the natives; whom, by frequently insinuating the great power and majesty of the Grand Tzaar, making him almost a God upon earth, and the happy living of his subjects, they before their return perswaded them to submit themselves to his government, and to pay him as tribute for every head that was able to shoot, a pair of Sables every year; a thing not valued by the Samoieds, but arising to a prodigious advantage to the Muscovite. And because the Samoieds desired to see these great wonders with their own eyes, which these messen­gers had declared to them concerning Muscovy and the Emperor; they offer'd to take divers of them unto Moscow, and to leave divers of their own people, who might live and learn the lan­guage against the time the others returned. When these poor Barbarians arrived at Moscow, and saw all the gallantry of the Court, the majesty and pomp of the Prince, the greatness of his Armies, the conveniency also of their houses and house­hold-stuff, the regularity of their obedience; in sum, when they had tasted the Russes meats, and found them much better then their own, and per­ceived the civil life of the Muscovites to be in all respects preferred to their own barbarism, they intreated that they might be accepted into the number of his subjects; and have persons sent to instruct and govern them according to those excellent rules which themselves there saw. Which things were accordingly granted, and Governors sent, and Castles and Towns order'd to be built, and the people to be instructed, as they still con­tinue to do.

Besides others, these Towns are of most note, Soil-Camscoy upon the river Wisera, built for the refreshing and convenience of travellers, who from hence proceed on their journey into Sa­moiedia, and those places by land. The inhabi­tants are Russes and Tartars; there is also great store of cattel, especially horses, upon which they tra­vel over the great mountains Coosvinscoy-, Cirgin­scoy-, and Paduinscoy-Camen; places desert, and only frequented by Tartars and Samoieds in their hunting. Vergateria, the first Town in Siberia, begun to be built about 1590, where is resident a Governor and a Garrison for the Muscovite, who every spring by the several rivers distribute their proportions of corn and provisions to the fur­ther Garrisons, who live where the ground is not tilled. Japhanis, upon the river Toera, begun since Vergateria. Tinna, twelve days journey di­stant from Japhanis, where are in winter-time great markets for Furs, between Muscovites, Sa­moieds, and Tartars. Tobolsca, the chief City of Siberia, whither are brought all the tributes of of the Countries beyond, which thence are con­vey'd to Moscow. Here is also the seat of justice for all Samoiedia and Siberia, and all the Gover­nors are bound to obey this; it is situated be­tween the rivers Yrtis and Tobol. Pohemy, upon the river Tassa, in a very fruitful soil; most of the inhabitants are Siberians. Olscoygorod, which was afterwards razed down by command of the Governor of Tobolsca, because too near the Sea, and instead of it they built Zergolta, upon an Island in the Ob, and above that Noxinscoy, at first a Castle, now grown into a great City; from whence by the command of the Grand Tzaar Boris Godanove, they have discovered, and built divers Towns beyond the Ob, which more pro­perly belong to the discourse of Asia. They also built Tara, Jorgochum, Besobia, and Mangansoiscoi­gorod, with many others, of which besides the names we know nothing; and in truth, all these northern parts are as yet undiscover'd, and no­thing comes to our hands but imperfect relati­ons

[Page] [Page] Isaaco Massa

[blazon or coat of arms]

[Page] [Page 21]of particular persons, to whom we cannot tell what credit ought to be given; yet they say, that the Muscovites (the Emperor and his Coun­cil) are most exactly and particularly informed, and keep perfect registers from time to time, of all these both discoveries and buildings. One thing I shall add for their commendation, that wherever they come, they build Churches and Chappels, and take great care to set up the exercise of their Religion; to which they by divers artifices, as well as by example, (but not by force) endea­vour to draw in and instruct the Samoieds, Siberians, and other heathens under their dominion. It is also to be noted, that it is no wonder that the Straits of Waygats and Nova Zembla are so stopped up with ice, that no passage at any time, or very rarely, for great Ships, and only in some years for smaller Barks, can be hoped for thro those places; for so many huge Rivers discharging themselves into those Straits, in the spring when the ice begins to thaw, carry along with them vast mountains of ice, which is all gather'd into those narrow places, till the wind drives it into the open Seas. In 1612, Capt. Isa. Samer was sent to this discovery, who could not perform his design, but in the end of July measured ice there sixty fa­thoms thick; this ice melting first at the sides of the Rivers, and driven down with mighty violence by the great quantities of melted snow forcing it from above, carries down trees, and sometimes even whole woods fastened in it; which is the reason that they find so much floating wood in those Straits, and upon all the northern coast of Mus­covy, and the Islands adjoining; I dare not say so far as the north of Ireland, where is often taken up Pines and Firs, which grow not in any place neer them, and have given cause for some men to suspect, that there are some other Islands near the Hebrides, as yet undiscover'd.

CRIM-TARTARS.
The Country of the Crim-Tartars, containing Precop, and the Taurica-Chersonesus.

BEfore we treat particularly of this country, it is necessary that we speak of the Tartars in general; and shew the reason of their name, and how they came into these places. And be­cause this discourse doth more naturally belong to Asia, we shall here only give a brief account of them, reserving a larger treatise to its proper place. We must also premise, that since Histo­rians do so much disagree, especially the Western from the Eastern, in their relations concerning these people, the Reader must not here expect either the reconciling, or setting down, all their differences, much less the confutation of any; but we shall briefly, and with the best judgment we have, deliver that which seems to us most probable; and that also chiefly out of the Eastern writers, who seem to have more exact knowledg of these matters then our own people.

Martinius saith, that in the Chinese Histories mention is made of the Tartars four thousand years ago; but I cannot find them nam'd in our Historians till about twelve hundred years after Christ. That the Scythians anciently inhabited all the northern Regions, I think is out of doubt; as also, that these Tartars were a tribe of them, which subduing all the rest, abolished the former, and introduced their own name. They are by all the ancientest Historians called Tatars; and this seems to have been the general name of those Nations that inhabit beyond Imaus, the north-east parts of Scythia, and north of the wall of China; built (as some say) a few years before our Saviours time, tho our Historians make no mention of it till the greatness of these Tatars suggested to the Chinois to secure themselves by this defence from their fury. There are divers conjectures concern­ing the reason of the name; some derive it from a Syriack word, that signifies abundance, because of the populousness of that Nation; some from a word signifying remainder, i. e. of the twelve Tribes; others say, that it is the name of the Province they inhabit, or of the river upon which they are seated, and is the greatest river in all that tract. They are divided into many Tribes, and that which dwels upon this river, is particularly called Mogul, i. e. watery or fenny Tatars. Others say, that Mogul or Mongul is the name of the Nation, and Tatar of the Tribe; and that Tribe which lives on that river are called Su-Mogul, or Mohall; which is the Arabians opinion, Su-Mogul in their language signifying watry Mogul.

The great fame, and the first knowledg that we have of the Tartars, was from the victories of Gingis- (Jinjis-) Chan, whom our Historians call Chinchis, Changius, Cinguys, &c. Gingis, they say, signifies the sound of iron, and they gave him this name because he was a Blacksmith. Can is a title of the greatest honour in their Language, as Emperor in ours.

In the year of the Hegira 559, which is of our Saviour 1202, reigned over these eastern Tribes of Scythia, call'd Tatars, one Ʋng-Chan: in whose service was entertain'd (or as some say brought up with him) a young man call'd Tamugin, who became a person of very great prudence, valour, and good fortune, and arrived at so great esteem for his military services, that by the malicious suggestions of those who envied him, Ʋng-Chan conceived a very great jealousie against him, and resolved to apprehend, imprison, and proceed a­gainst him as there should be reason. The night appointed for this exploit was discover'd to Ta­mugin, by two of Ʋng-Chans servants. Who pro­viding against it, left his Tents standing as they were before, wherein were their wives, chil­dren, &c. but all the men of war he took with him, and placed himself and them in ambush; who rising up at the approach of Ʋng-Chan, slew him and all his followers; and presently seizing upon the Kingdom, caused himself to be called Gingis-Chan. and from the very beginning of his reign, either incited or encouraged (as all Au­thors agree, and himself always pretended) by some divine, or at least supernatural apparition, he designed wars upon all his neighbours, and the enlargement of the dominion and name of Tatars. He also set up a new Religion (if it was not the same which was begun by Sagomorbar-Chan, who was taken for a great Prophet, of whom we know very little), but wherein it consisted I find not any satisfactory account. He believed a Providence; and set up Mesquitas to comply with Mahometanism; but, as an Arabick Author saith, it was like a branch broken off the great tree of the Musselmans law, and is extremely detested by them. He compelled none to his Law, and gave greater indulgence, then they, to the Christians; and some of his successors (either Manga or Kub­lai) were actually baptized, with his whole fa­mily, and many of his chief Officers, who ob­tained great victories against the Saracens; but afterwards they returned to their former impiety, which is continued by them to this day.

The first thing Gingis-Chan did, His Victo­ries. was subjecting to himself all the neighbouring Scythians, which he easily did, partly by force, partly promise; and subdued to the Tatar Government, all Cathay eastward to the great Ocean, and as far as the Volga or Edil westward. He also extended his do­minion very far into India and Persia. Yet lived he not many years; but at his death divided his con­quests amongst his sons; and (after he had shew­ed them by a bundle of arrows, which as long as bound fast together none of them could break, but the youngest broke them all when severed) exhorting them to unity amongst themselves, and obedience to his eldest son, he gave him the an­cient kingdom, and of his conquests as far as Bactria or Chowaresme, and made him supreme over all.

His successor was Ogtai, His Suc­cessors. or as we call him Hoc­cota-Chan, whose life also was short; besides him he had many sons, particularly one called Tuschai, (whom some call Ken, others Cuine) the Father of Batuu or Baydo, of whom more by and by. Hoc­cota had also Cuina-Chan who succeeded him.

The next Emperor to Gina or China-Chan was Mango-Chan, who conquered China.

To him succeeded Cobila- (or Kublai) Chan, of whom M. Paulus Venetus, Haytho, and others write largely; he is said to have been baptized, and embraced Christianity by the perswasions of a King of Armenia.

The eleventh (or as some say the thirteenth) of this race, not in order of succession to the Chan, but to one of the brothers, was Timur­langh, whom we commonly call Tamerlan; who [Page 44]attributed all his victories to his observance of the Religion of Gingis-Chan, Of Tamer­lan. for which he was by the Mahometan-Doctors declared an Infidel, and by their writers call'd Devil, Plague, Cala­mity, Traitor, and Aldighall (which we corruptly call Degnal) i.e. Antichrist to the Turks; and in­deed he persecuted them with very great vio­lence, and mightily encouraged the Sect of Gin­gis-Chan.

Concerning these, Of Batuu. account must be given in due place; it is necessary for our purpose to speak only of Batuu or Baatu, or Bayto, whom our au­thors call Batus, son of Hoccota. He enjoyed the country upon the eastern banks of Volga or Edil; and to give a specimen of his disposition, when Ban (either his brother or brothers son) com­plained, that he saw no reason why Baatu should enjoy the fruitful pastures upon Edil, and him­self as near akin to Gingis-Chan, should be dri­ven into the dry and sandy wilderness; Batu sent for him, and tho the words were spoken in his drunkenness (which the Tartars are used to par­don), he cut off his head.

This Batu therefore (his son Sartach also pos­sesing northwards all betwixt Don and Volga) fell upon the Nations called Comani, His Wars. Alani, and Ga­zani, living between the Euxin and Caspian Sea, and wholly wasted their country; destroying all, except some few who fled into Hungary, and there got for awhile secure habitations. Afterwards he fell upon the Polowczi, seated upon the Tanais, and all along upon the north of Palus Maeotis. They are commonly said to have been Gothic Na­tions; but Polotwski are called by the Russes, such as live without houses, in waggons, wandring from place to place, as they can find pasture for their cattel. Whatever they were, they sent Ambassa­dors to the Russes, their ancient enemies, for assistance against the Tatars; as did also the Ta­tars, to advise them to be quiet. But the Russes put to death the Tatar messengers, and joined with the Polowczi. Some say, that Cottian their Prince had married his daughter to Miecislaus Duke of Kiow, and that this Miecislaus Romano­witz, Miecislaus Mscislawitz, with the Militia of Halicks, the Dukes of Czirnovia, Smolensko, and most of the Russes, joined all their forces to the Polowczi, and having march'd twelve days toge­ther, arrived at the river Kalcza. A. C. 1224, July 17, the Tatars (who were there encamped) perceiving them wearied with so long a march, immediately gave them battel, and made a very great slaughter; many of the Russians were slain and taken, and the rest flying homewards, were murder'd by the Polowczi, whom they came to assist. The Tatars pursuing their victory, abso­lutely destroyed the Polowczi, and seized upon their country, which is that which we call Tar­taria Precopensis. About thirteen years after, A.C. 1238, they fell upon Russia, part of which they absolutely wasted, as all the country about Kiow; part of it being full of woods and lakes, and not fit for the Tatars pasturage, they conquer'd, but gave them conditions, whereof we have given before a short account p. 37. thinking it more ad­vantagious to have tribute and dominion over the country, then to lay it waste. Not long after Batu divided his army; himself with one part fell upon Hungary, the other he gave to one Peta to march into Poland, &c. who the first year de­stroyed all as far as Sendomiria. The next year he entred again, and forced Boleslaus the Chast Duke of Poland, out of the country; who retired to the Monastery of Willehrad in Moravia. Peta then also burn'd Cracovia, all except St. Andrews Church, which was fortified and well defended against them. Thence they came to Breslaw in Silesia, which they found burnt to their hands by the soldiers and inhabitants, despairing to keep it. Thence they came to Lignitz, where Henry Duke of Silesia had got together a considerable army, besides those brought to him from Poland, Prussia, and many other places; and gave battel to the Tatars, who there obtained a very great victory. Henry, the Grand Master of the Dutch Knights, and many other persons of quality, were slain; and so many in all, as the Tatars, to shew the greatness of the slaughter, filled nine great sacks with their right ears; and the Arabian au­thors say, they amounted to 270000, which is manifestly false, if spoke of this battel; if of all the war, may have some probability. This battel was fought V. Id. Apr. 1241, at a place thence called Walstad, a mile from Lignitz. The Tatars also were so weakened, that they stirred not out of their camp for fifteen days space, to cure their men, and to deliberate whither they should march next; and they resolved upon Moravia, to be nearer to their General. The King of Bohemia raising what men he could, sent them under the command of a very valiant and expert soldier Jaroslaus a Sternberg, to defend such places as were most considerable. He with much labour and difficulty got into Olmutz, when the scouts of the Tatars appear'd before the Town. Trusting to the strength of his works, he forbore to fight the enemies so long, that they conceiving him a coward, began to despise him, and to keep their own guards more negligently; which Jaroslaus perceiving, after they had recommended their cause to God by fasting and prayer, chusing a dark night, march'd out of a postern, and with great silence fell into the Tatars camp, of whom they slew a great number; Peta was slain by Ja­roslaus himself; the rest drew off, and marched to Batu, into Hungary.

Batu had ravaged for two years together, not only Hungary, but Slavonia, Bosnia, Rascia, Bul­garia, and the countries on both sides the Danube. Some say, that after this, making an attempt upon Austria, and endeavouring to swim a great river, he was drowned; others, that going against the Greek Emperor he was overthrown; however it was, it is agreed, that his army returned back, and seizing upon all the country between the Bo­risthenes and Volga, and the Taurica Chersonesus, which before they very much wasted, there setled unto this day, being called Crim-Tartars, from the chief City of the Chersonesus, called Crim; and Precopenses from Precop, which in their language signifies a ditch; such a one being drawn cross the Isthmus, to cut of that Peninsula from the con­tinent. The Tartars at first were Lords, yet not ab­solute, for they acknowledged the superiority of the Great Cham, the chief heir of Gingis-Chan, till Lochtan-Chan, one of the descendants from Batu, refused obedience to him, and took upon himself the absolute dominion over all those places, except some few cities in Taurica: which notwithstanding their conquests, remained in the hands of the Genoueses, their inhabitants: till about the year 1574, when Mahomet II. Emperor of the Turks, took them. A little before that, they had forsaken their old religion of Gingis-Chan, by the practices of Hedegh, and Sida-hameth-Chan their Emperors, and embraced the Mahometan; yet the common people are not very zealous in it to this day; but make use of their little puppet-idols of felt, &c. and continue many other pagan cu­stoms of their former religion. Mahomet the Great fearing they should grow too powerful for him, under colour of taking in the City of Caffa, possessed by the Genoueses, made himself Master of the best part of the Chersonesus, and of the [Page 45]City of Azoph or Azek, a strong place at the mouth of Tanais. Afterwards the Crim-Tartar aided Selimus I. (who married his daughter) with an army of 150000 men against his father; and then the two Nations made a league, that the Tartars should assist the Turk when required with 50000 horse; that they should not make war, except against the Muscovite, without leave of the Turk; that they should yearly pay to the Turk a tribute of three hundred Christians, some furs, butter, and such other things: And the Turk should pay them 5500 ducats; and the Cham should succeed to the Turkish Empire, if the males of the Ottoman line should fail. But this lasted not long, for Amurath III. in the year 1584, quarel­ling Mahomet the Crim-Tartar, as if he designed to intercept Osman Basha in his return from Per­sia to Constantinople, authorized Osman to invade him; who taking him and his two sons, strangled them, and set up Islan the brother of Mahomet, under such conditions as the Grand Signior pleased. The Tartars did enjoy also all the coun­try of Budziak, which lies between the Niester and Boristhenes, as we shall shew hereafter, but the Turk hath seized upon that; so that now their dominion reacheth only between Dnieper or Bo­risthenes and the Don or Tanais; and of this, that Peninsula called Taurica Chersonesus is the chiefest part.

That Peninsula, [...] or Chersonesus, was called Tau­rica, becaused inhabited by a sort of Scythians called Tauri and Tauro-Scythae. Afterwards the Greeks mingled amongst them, and brought the country into great beauty and fame. But their names and actions belongs to the ancient Geo­graphy. The Genoueses taking advantage of the great feuds of the Greeks amongst themselves, in the year 1266 (or about the time of the Holy­war) took Caffa, and planted a considerable in­terest in the country, the Tartars either permit­ing them because of the gain they made by their traffick, principally of slaves (which they furnished to a great part of the world, but especially to Egypt, who generally had all their Mamalukes, as long as that government lasted, from this place): or not being skilled in besieging of Towns, especially such as could be perpetually relieved. And indeed it was very convenient for the Ge­noueses, for having besides this a great plantation at Pera near Constantinople, they thereby enjoyed the whole trade of the Black-Sea, till (as we said) they were ruin'd by the Turks; since which time I cannot find that it hath suffer'd any considera­ble alterations. We shall therefore describe it (be­ing by Christians an unfrequented country) out of Mart. Broniovius, who was sent Ambassador twice thither, from Stephanes Battori King of Po­land; from which such little informations as we meet with since do not considerably differ.

This Chersonesus then is about fifty leagues long, and thirty where broadest. The first Town at the entrance upon the east is Przecop, called by the Tartars Or, situate upon the Dyke, in the narrow­est part of the Isthmus, where it is not above a mile wide, anciently called Eupatoria, Pompeiopo­lis, besides other names. 'Tis now a small Town of about four hundred fires; it hath a stone Ca­stle, but not strong, wherein the Cham hath con­tinually his Beg or Palatine, who commands the guard upon the rivers of Boristhenes and Tanais, as also the Tartars in the plains betwixt; he also examines all strangers, suffering none to pass without the Chams letters. Sachingeri the Great Cham here overthrew the Nagay-Tartars, and raised seventeen forts upon the Dyke, some of them of the skuls and bones of the slain. Coslow, situate near unto the Black Sea, is a Town of traffick, having near two thousand houses, and is in the power of the Cham. Ingermen is now only a Castle, but hath been a great Town, as appears by the ruines, amongst which are many caves cut out of the rock, wells, and old buildings of the Greeks, witnessed by their inscriptions, there very frequent; it is now an inconsiderable place, inhabited by a few Turks. Sari-germen by the Turks, by the Tartars Topetarkan (anciently Cher­sonesus and Corsuna, the noblest and most ancient City of all the Peninsula) is still compassed with a strong stone-wall, and divers aquaeducts, and other noble buildings entire, but without inha­bitants; the Turks every day fetch away the marble and stones for other buildings. Volodo­mir, the Grand Tzar took this Town from Joan­nes Zimisces, and amongst other rich plunder, carried away two large royal brazen gates to Kiow; from whence Boleslaus II. King of Poland transferred them to Gnesna, where they still re­main. They say also, that Volodomir was here bap­tized. Balachey, or Balaclawa (by the Genoueses called Jamboli) or the tower of fishes, the Sea there being very well stored, situate under the mountain Baba. The Genoueses took it without any loss from the Greeks, and made it a very com­modious, beautiful, and strong haven. The Turks at this day build here their gallyes and ships; tho it be but a poor Town, at most but of an hun­dred and twenty fires, the inhabitants Turks, Jews, and Greeks. Mangut, or Mancus, was a very mag­nificent City, tho not by the Sea-shore; but first by the Turks, and afterwards by a great fire, it was so wasted that nothing now remains of it except one high tower, and a strong stone-house, whereinto the Cham thrusts the Russ-Ambassador as often as he hath a mind to quarrel his master. There are some few Turks, Jews, and Greeks that inhabit there, in all about sixty fires. There re­mains still upon the ruines of the walls of some of the Churches, the pictures of divers of the Greek Emperors, and other famous men. Cer­cessigermen is a small Turkish Fort, not far from Mancop. The Palaces of the Cham are situated in the middle of the country. Baciasaray (Baccasa­ray) is a Town of about two thousand houses, wherein is a Meschite, and divers sepulchers of the Chams, very magnificent, as is their Palace, built with great charges by their former Princes; besides that it is seated in a country very proper for hunting and fowling, and is nobly adorned with gardens, orchards, bathes, &c. Almasaray is another house whither he sometimes retires, in a Town of about seventy fires. There are also divers little Castles, where his own brethren, chil­dren, and their wives are kept. Sortasse is a Town where the Ambassadors of foreign Princes have many times liberty to divert themselves. At Creme, or Crim, anciently Taphros and Taphrae (from whence they are called Crim-Tartars) is his Mint, and a very strong Castle in possession of the Tartars, but the Town is most inhabited by Turks, in all about an hundred houses. Sidagios or Sudacum, was a very noble and strong City, situated in the mountains, taken by the Genoueses from the Greeks, so set one family against ano­ther, that they would not come to the same Church; the Turks by a long and difficult siege took it from the Genoueses; 'tis famous for the wine growing thereabouts. Caffa, or Theodosia, still the chief City of the Peninsula, hath be­twixt five and six thousand houses, inhabited most part by Christians, who have about forty-five Churches, Greeks, Armenians, and remainders of the Italians, some Turks, and few Tartars, all un­der a Turkish Sangiac. Slaves they reckon there about thirty thousand, a Town of great traffick, [Page 46]about two days sailing from Constantinople; yet is it nothing to what it was under the Genoueses. Kerky is a little Town of the Tartars, of about an hundred families, upon the Strait called anciently Bosphoras Cimmerius, which is here about three leagues broad. This Town is open, for the Grand Signior will not allow the Tartars to have any fortified Town besides Przecop. Over against this is Taman, a Town and Castle upon the continent, in the country called anciently Colchis, now the Circassians, or Petigor-Tartars. Karasu belongs to the Cham, and hath above a thousand houses. Tusla is amongst the Salt-works, and hath about eighty houses. Arabet, or Orbotec, is a double Ca­stle, near to which the Cham keeps his Stud or breed of horses, which are reckon'd to be about seventy thousand. The country towards the south is mountainous, and consequently well water'd; the rest plain, and good pastures, but wants wa­ter; for that near at hand is brackish, and their good water is drawn out of very deep wells, of which there is no want, dug by the former inha­bitants.

Thus much of the Chersonesus, The coun­try of Przecop. without this the Crim-Tartars enjoy all betwixt Boristhenes (Nieper) and Tanais (Don); which from Ossove upon the Don to the Nieper, in a strait line is accounted about four hundred English miles; but the Nie­per fetching a great compass eastward, in some places it is not so much. This is for the most part plain and even ground, and rich pasturage, without any Town, or constant habitation, or propriety. Only it seems that the Cham by his officers appoints what parts shall be tilled; and in February proclamation is made amongst all the Tartars, that if any have a mind to till any ground, they should get all their matters ready by such a day, when they will go to such a place, commo­dious for that purpose; and accordingly some do go, and the rest attend upon them, that they be not disturbed. Betwixt this plain and Russia lies waste a great country, (as they say) requiring twenty days to cross it; full of woods and lakes, and sometimes under-water, which is the great­est security of the rest of that Empire.

The government is wholly in the hands of the Cham. The Go­vernment of the Crim-Tartars. The Cadi's determine lesser causes, but capital and matters of greater importance are judged by the Cham himself, with his Council. He is of easie access, and reasonably just. He al­ways chuseth a Galga, who is next to him alive, and succeeds after death; this is commonly his son or brother, according to merit. If any one have better pretensions, he flies to the Grand Signior, who judges the cause. His younger sons are Soldans, and are brought up by such as have the custody of their wives, with whom they are educated, till of sufficient strength; and according to their fitness, they are furnished with commands, either in his own country, or are recommended to the neighbouring Tartars, who willingly re­ceive them. Part also are hostages with the Turks. When the family of Gingis-Chan was numerous and potent, they chused always the Chan, but Sachibgerei and Deuletigerei Chans made away with most of them, and setled the dominion in their own posterity.

The Chan hath many Officers and Counsellors. Hamiat are those who take care of the affairs of foreign Princes. Captains also, Coracei, Ʋlans, and the best of the Murses are called to Council. The Ʋlans are those of an ancient family of Chans, but were deprived of it by the Giereys, the name of the present Royal family; but if this be extinct, the Ʋlans have a right to return again to that honour. The most promising of the Tartar youth attend upon the Chams person. Most of the Courtiers and great persons are very rich, with the booties got chiefly from the Christians; are splendidly clothed, keep good houses, and live as well as the noblest Turks. They wear no sort of arms in the Court. They live in houses also, and upon their lands, which they husband by their slaves, and their herds in the country, which are govern'd by other Tartars their reteiners. The Tartars rarely merchandise, or exercise any ma­nual art; rather chusing to live miserably and poorly, then not idly.

The revenues of the Cham, are 1. The Dona­tives and Presents sent him yearly from all the neighbour-Princes by their own Ambassadors. 2. Tribute of Christians, Jews, Tartars, and in sum, all except the Turks under his dominion. 3. The Turk pays every day to the Cham twenty-five dollars, to the Galga twelve and a half, to the Sultan-hostage two and a half, besides lands. All the great persons also have salaries, but un­certain. 4. He hath the tenth of all the slaves taken, and for every one besides of better qua­lity three crowns, and for others each one dollar. 5. Every well pays him an horse. 6. The richer and better sort of Tartars furnish him with pro­vision, and in case of necessity all the Nation con­tribute. 7. He hath vast herds and flocks, kept by his factors. 8. He coins copper-money, which is only current in his dominions, and once in four or five years he calls it all in, and coins a new sort.

The forces of the Chan are esteemed in all (such as they be) to amount to three hundred thou­sand horse; foot he hath none, but what he bor­rows from the Turk, as he doth commonly a few Janizaries for the guard of his person when he goes to war.

The ordinary Tartars live miserably. It is by most authors reported, that it is some days after their birth that they first open their eyes. Their mothers or nurses wash them every day in salt­water, to harden and thicken their skins against cold (which some in Poland use also), and 'tis no more then necessary, for from seven years old, that they leave their Cantares (their walk­ing habitations) they never sleep in an house, but in the open air, tho frost and snow; nor eat they any thing but what they shoot down with their arrows; and at twelve or fifteen years old they go to wars with their fathers. Their clothing at best is a short shirt, with a pair of course draw­ers, and a sheeps-skin with the wool upon it over their shoulders; garments very insufficient against cold. Their walking Cabans or houses, are made of reeds, osiers, or the like, woven like baskets, twelve or fifteen foot wide, cover'd either with a course hairy felt, or cloth, incommodious e­nough in every respect. Their ordinary diet is flesh almost raw (tho dead of sickness, or putri­fied), without bread or salt, and sauc'd with the sweat and fome of their horses; only garlick they eat in abundance, which they think helps to di­gest their undress'd meat. A life certainly not de­sirable, nor to be embraced by any, but such as know no better. Which is the reason that many of them amongst the Muscovites, leave their bar­barism, and apply themselves to the civility and religion of the Russes. All of them intermarrying into their own Nation, renders them all like to one another; that is, they are of mean stature, yet square and big-limm'd, thick shoulders, short neck, great head, broad face, large forehead, large and black eyes, which they open but half, short nose (which some of them break when they are children), narrow mouth, tann'd co­lour, black and stiff hair. Each one when he goes to the wars, carries with him two or three [Page 47]horses at least, a sword, a bow and quiver with about twenty arrows, a knife, tinder-box, an awl to mend his bridle, &c. a dial with a needle, and a striag to bind his prisoners.

Their horses also, which they call Baquemates, are long, raw-bon'd, low, and very ugly, their mains and tails long and tufty; yet incompara­ble for service, usually marching twenty or thirty leagues without drawing bit. But the Cham, Myrza's, and great persons among them, have Turkish, Persian, and Arabian horses (which they buy at very great rates), as also good armour, coats of mail, excellent fire-arms, &c.

The chiefest thing for which they are remark­able, and what is least understood concerning them, is their manner of warring; which is not, as most suppose, by violence and open force, but by cunning and artifice, in this manner:

Suppose they would invade Poland; if the Cham go in person, he marcheth seldom fewer then eighty-thousand strong; if a Mirza com­mand, seldom more than fifty thousand. And they always chuse the winter, when the rivers are frozen; and the rather in a snow, the hard slippery ways beating their horses feet, which are not shod, except some few, which have pieces of oxes hoofs sowed to them. They make ve­ry short marches (ten or twelve miles a day), and they contrive that their return may be be­fore the rivers be thawed, which they seldom are till March. They march as much as is pos­sible thro valleys, low and unfrequented places, to conceal themselves from the scouts of the Cossacks; nor do they at nights make any fires; they continually send out scouts to catch some of the inhabitants, and get notice of the ene­my. They march commonly an hundred ( i.e. three hundred horses, each man having three horses) in front, which takes up near a thou­sand paces, and in file, when most close, they reach three large leagues; but when they march loosely, ten leagues; an army of eighty thou­sand having above two hundred thousand horses. They make an halt every hour at a whistle, and alight, that themselves and horses may urine. They divide their army into three tierces; two whereof march in a body, the other third is a­gain divided into two, which make the two wings. The body marcheth slowly, but with­out giving any more rest then an hour at a time, till they arrive at the utmost whither they design to go; nor do they much harm till they come thither. But when they return, which is by another way, the wings divide themselves into small troops, and ravage every way ten or twelve leagues, and then pillage, burn and kill all that resist; those that yeild they bind and carry away prisoners; all their cattel also they carry away, only the hogs they gather into an house, and set fire into the four corners, and so burn them as unclean creatures. As soon as these wings have ravaged so far, they return to the body, which is easily found by their track, and as many more are sent out in like manner; and after their return as many more. So that they all plunder, and the body never diminish­eth; nor ever marcheth more then a foot-pace, in very good order, to be always ready to de­fend themselves, (for they fight not willingly if the enemy should charge them). To prevent their mischief, the inhabitants have always either their own dwellings fortified, or have a Town, or the Landlords Mannor-house, or a thick wood, to which they retire in such hazards. The Cos­sacks, where they live, fill their grounds full of trenches and hedges, to hinder their march. They also keep very diligent watches, both be­yond and upon the river, that they may have timely notice of their invasion. Then, if they cannot overtake them, they repair to the known passages (of which there are not many) thro the Nieper, and there (as well as they can) am­bush themselves, to surprize them at their re­turn; as they do many times, and recover much of the prey. After they are return'd into a safe place of their own deserts; they put themselves in order, and divide the prey. And first, con­sideration is had of them who have lost their horses in the service, as also of the kinred of them who are slain; next the Cham, after him the Officers take their share; the rest is divided amongst the soldiers. The richest of their prey, are the persons they take; and of all them the most esteem'd are the Polish women, especially virgins, who are sold at very great rates, even into Persia and India, to be put into their Se­raglio's.

But the Tartars of Budziack have another man­eer of stealing. The Tar­tars of Budziack. They are less civil, but more va­liant then other Tartars. The country betwixt Danubius and Boristhenes, was sometimes under the Crim-Tartar; till the Turk planted Towns upon the convenient places of the Sea-coast, and along the rivers. Yet is the country still possessed by Tartars, yet not subjects either to the Turk or Crim; but (as the Cossacks amongst the Christi­ans) a Nation of theeves, and banditi, libertines; that in their lives acknowledg no superior, either God or man. These many times invade their neighbours in summer, but with lesser numbers (twenty thousand at most), lest they should be dis­covered; because the Cosacks are continually up­on the guard, even in these places; they march to their rendezvous (which they appoint in some valley, or obscure places upon the confines) in very small parties, lest they should be descried by treading down the grass. They observe the the same manner in the enemies country, ap­pointing certain places for their meetings, and separating again presently. So that it is very difficult to meet with a track, but if the Cosacks do happen upon such a one as will lead them to the place of rendezvous, yet except they surprize them eating, or sleeping (which is very difficult, because they keep such diligent sentinels), they know not afterwards which track to follow to overtake them again. The Tartars first divide into four bodies, which march east, west, north, and south. After they have gone a little way, each troop subdivides again into three, and af­ter that each troop into three again; so that at length they have not above ten or twelve toge­ther; and tho some take further compass then others, yet all know the time and place of meet­ing, which according to the occasion is after three, four, or more days. If they chance to be rencountred with the enemy, except they have very great advantage, they fight him not, but divide after their manner, and run away full­speed, yet shooting still if pursued; nor are the horses of Poland, or any other, able to over­take them. After they have thus dispersed for some leagues, they join again, and follow their design. All Authors take notice also of a great advantage they have over other Nations, that they can see better and farther, insomuch that a Tartar will discern a single Russ further then a Russ can a troop of Tartars; which they attri­bute partly to their natural constitutions, that they have little hollow eyes; partly to their cu­stom, that they use continually to half-close their eye-lids. When they would swim a river, each gets him a bundle of reeds, sedges, bulrushes, or the like, about three foot long, upon which [Page 48]they tye three or four sticks across, and two or three long-ways; upon these they make fast their saddle, clothes, arms, and such baggage as they have; the bundle they make fast to their horses tail; so that from a convenient low bank they go into the river, holding in one hand the bridle of their horse, with the other swimming themselves. Sometimes the Cosacks seek them in their own country, and then they march always in their Tabor, that is, in the mid­dle of their chariots, and send out sentinels on every side at a good distance. If they first espy the Tartars, they leave their Tabor and fall upon them, and commonly have the advantage; but if the Tartars first see the Cosacks, they assault them in their Tabor, but at a distance with their arrows, which tho they reach further then the Cosacks guns, yet is their Tabor so good a de­fence, that fifty Cosacks will not fly from five hundred Tartars.

• [...] Vrbs Antiqu [...]m Christian [...]m , • [...] Oppidum Turcae. , • [...] Pagus. , • [...] Ruinae. , • [...] Fons , • [...] Fl [...]ia , • [...] Signum quo Fl [...]ia decurrit. , • [...] Pagi Tartarum Homaijbiorum , • G. Mons , • [...] M [...]lendi [...] , and • [...] [...] Transitus. 
OF THE BORISTHENES, AND THE Cosacks of Ukrain.

WE have spoken before in general of the Bo­risthenes, as far as it continues in the Grand Tzars domi­nions; wherein is nothing observable, but what Cities and Towns are upon it; which appear suffi­ciently by the Map. But now we come to speak of the remainder, which is betwixt the domini­ons of Poland and the Tartars; which affordeth us greater variety of matter. We have also treat­ed in general of the Cosacks, and of those who live upon the Tanais, and are under the Muscovite; but we now come to the great body of them, who first assumed that name, and inhabit upon or near the Boristhenes, and are or were lately under the Polanders. We begin with Kiow, the place of the original of these valiant people the Cosacks.

Kiow, Kisovia, of Kijovia, was an ancient, beauti­ful, and strong City, even before it was the Me­tropolis of the Russes. Mieceslaus their Duke ha­ving married the daughter of the Prince of the Polowtzi, and assisting them, was himself slain in the battel, and the Town afterwards quite ruin'd, which was the reason why Volodomir (deeply en­gaged in that war, but escaping) made Volodo­mir the seat of the Russ-Empire. Kiow was situated upon an hill, near the Nieper, where still re­main the ruines of many Arcades, high walls, Churches, and Sepultures of divers Kings (an­cienter then those of the Russ-Princes) with Greek inscriptions. There remain in reasonable good condition two Churches, S. Sophia, (whose walls are lined with excellent Mosaick work, and the vault is earthen pots cemented, and filled with good plaister): And S. Michael, most conspicuous for its guilded roof. Betwixt this and the Nie­per, is New Kiow, along the bank of the river about three English miles, containing not above six thousand inhabitants, and encompassed with a silly trench of twenty-five foot broad. The Roman Communion hath four Churches, the Greek ten, which they call Cerkuils, and a kind of University, called Bracha Cerkuils. It hath a reasonable trading for corn, furs, wax, honey, tallow, and salt-fish. They have four jurisdicti­ons, that of the Bishop, of the Palatine or Sta­rost, of the Wovit, and of the Consuls of the City.

Half a league below Kiow, [...] is a large Village called Piecharre, where is a noble Monastery, the habitation of the Metropolitan or Patriarch. And under the mountain, close by it, are divers grots, dug like mines, wherein are conserved many bo­dies, buried very many years ago; amongst others there are (saith Beauplan) three heads in dishes, which every day distill an oyl soveraign for several diseases; the bodies are neither so black nor hard as Mummies; the place is a sandy-stone, but very dry; it seems to be of the same nature of that called Roma subterranea.

Below Piecharre is Stayky, Stayky. an ancient Town on the top of a mountain, as all those ancient Towns are, even in Italy, built so for strength and security. There is also a Ferry to pass men over the river. After that is Richow, where is an easie passage over the river. Lower is Tretemirof, a Monastery amongst inaccessible rocks. Here the Cosacks conserved the choicest of their wealth. A league below that is Pereaslaw, a strong Town of six thousand families. Here the Cosacks have a Regiment; as they have another and a Ferry at Kaniow, a little lower, but on the east bank of the Nieper. On the same side is Cirkacse, the center of all their retreats, burnt by the Polanders ann. 1637. On the same side is Krilow; and below that Kremierczow, the lowest Town upon the river, all below it being desart. A league from thence the river Pseczoll, and a little lower on Russia side, Omelnik fall into the Nieper; as also on the Poland bank Worsko and Orel, two rivers very full of fish. Here are divers dwarf-Cherry and Almond-trees; which one of our country-men (I doubt mistake­ingly) hath placed far on the north of Volga. Con­tinuing down the river are many Isles, most of them uninhabited, because overflowed in the spring, but much frequented by fishers. Divers ri­vers also encrease the Niester at Romanow, but chiefly Samar, which supplies not only much fish, but other commodities, as honey, wax, venison, and especially timber. The Cosacks call it the holy river, and in the spring here are said to be caught sturgeons and herrings. A little below that the Polonians built a fort in the year 1635 at Kudac, which is the first of the Porohi.

Poroui, or Porohi, called anciently Catadupae, Porouhi. in the Russ-language signifies a rock of stone; and of these there are thirteen chains, or as it were causeys, that cross the Boristhenes, and ren­der the navigation from the Ʋkrain to the Black Sea impossible; so that tho the Ʋkrain be a very fruitful country in corn, and all other commo­dity; yet the inhabitants, not being able to vend them, suffer much of it to lye unhusbanded, or at least not so well as it might be. Of these rocks, some are under, some above water ten foot, as big as houses, and very near to one another, so that stopping the course of the ri­ver, they make very great falls, some to fif­teen foot, when the water is low; for in the spring, when the river is swelled with the melted snow, they are all (except the seventh, called Nienashtes, which only there hindreth naviga­tion) covered with water. Betwixt Budelou and Tawolzany (which are the tenth and eleventh) the Tartars do often swim the river, the banks being shallow. A little below the lowest Porouhi, is an Island they call Kaczawanicze (or boil-millet) because here they make good cheer, when they have passed the Porouhi. Below that is a river, a Promontory, and the best passage for the Tartars (the river not being above an hundred and fifty paces broad), called Kuczkosow. Below that is the Isle Tomahowka, whither the Cosacks often re­sort and rendezvous. But their chiefest retreat is below the river Czertomelik, upon an Island [Page 50]where are some old ruines, but which is com­passed about with a vast number of small Islands, some dry, some overflowed in the spring, some marshes, but all cover'd with canes as big as pikes; which hide the passages between the Islands, and render it all a great labyrinth, known only to the Cosacks, who call it Scarbniza Woyskowa, or the treasure of the army. Here they lay up all their ordnance, their money, and whatever will not spoil by the water. The Turks have lost many gallies so engaged amongst these Isles that they could neither go backward nor for­ward, and were seized by the Cosacks. Here also they make their Cholna, of which more by and by.

From these Porouhi the Cosacks take their name of Zaporouski; which are the great body, in imi­tation whereof the Donski are lately set up. None can be a Zaporouski Cosack, who hath not passed in his little boat all the Porouhi's, i.e. who hath not made a course or voyage upon the Black Sea; no more then he can be a Knight of Malta that hath not made a Caravane. We shall first shew the original and actions of the Cosacks, and afterwards finish what concerns the Boristhe­nes, and the countries adjacent.

The Cosacks, Of the Cosacks. so called (saith a late author) from Cosa, which in the Slavonian language sig­nifies a sythe, their ordinary weapon; began in the time of Sigismund I. King of Poland, and were certain volontiers upon the frontiers of Russia, Volhinia, and Podolia, that troop'd toge­gether, partly to defend themselves from the Tartars, which they did by fighting them at the passages over the Nieper, as they returned with their prey; partly to rob upon the Black Sea, where they getting very rich booty, drew more into their association. At first they were about six thousand, under Eustachius Daskovicius their Ge­neral. But their numbers quickly encreased, their neighbours seeing the rich booties got by their pyracies, part whereof they laid in their Skarbniza Woskowa, the rest they brought home to their own houses; agreeing upon a time of rendezvousing the next spring upon the Isles and Rocks of Nieper, whence they again return to their pyracy.

Stephen Batory King of Poland considering the service which might be made of these thieves in defending the frontiers of his country from the inrodes of the Tartars, Their Establish­ment. (to which they were too much exposed), owned them, and formed them into an orderly Militia, giving them the Town and territory of Trethimirow, about eighty miles in length, in the Palatinate of Kiow, upon the Boristhe­nes; appointing them a General, to whom he gave power to chuse his under-officers, giving them many priviledges, besides some pay; he join­ed to them also two thousand horse; to the maintainance of whom he assigned the fourth part of his demesne, whence they were called Quartani. These forces had such effect against the Tartars, that the country beyond Breclaw, Bar, and Kiow began to be peopled, Towns and For­tresses to be builded, and colonies brought from the neighbouring places. But as their establish­ment and union was very proper to make head against the Tartars, so in short time it proved of great danger to Poland it self; for the Cosacks knowing their own strength, and of what im­portance they were, began to set up for them­selves; they would not obey the orders of their superiors, nor acknowledg the power of the Po­lonians over them. Their first rebellion was in the year 1587, under John Podkowa their Gene­ral, who was foiled, taken, and his head struck off. In the year 1596, Sigismund III. upon the complaints and threats of the Grand Seignior, forbad them to pillage any more upon the Black Sea; from which they indeed for awhile abstained, but it was that they might fall upon Russia and Lithvania, under the conduct of Na­levaiko their General. The Polanders, to secure their country, were forced to raise an army a­gainst them, commanded by Zolkiewski; whom the Cosacks fought at Bialacerkiew and worsted; but he returning, and forcing them into places of disadvantage, compelled them to give up their General, who in like manner lost his head. In the year 1637, certain Polish Noblemen ha­ving obtained the lands upon these frontiers, in the places appointed for the quarters of the Co­sacks, began to force these their new subjects to the same services as in other parts of the King­dom; which are, to work three days of the week, man and horse, for their Lord; to pay also, ac­cording to their Farms, so much corn, poultry, fowl, &c. at Easter, Whitsontide, and Christmas; to cart home his Lords wood; besides other du­ties, as paying so much money, the tenth of their cattel, honey, fruits, and every third year the third oxe; and these ordinarily, besides what the Lord pleaseth to impose upon them; for indeed the Lords are absolute, nor are they punished if they kill their paysants, who are little better then their slaves. These Noblemen also applied themselves to the King and Senators; shewing them, that the Cosacks only could frustrate their plantati­ons; (for the paysants, when they found them­selves to be oppress'd, listed themselves amongst the Cosacks), that they were a thievish, libertine sort of people, and hinder'd both by example and protection the obedience of their Farmers. It was therefore resolved, to build a Fort at Ku­dac, a place near their Porouhi, and therefore very convenient to bridle the Cosacks; who well un­derstanding to what this tended, first cut in pieces two hundred men that were set to guard the building of it; afterwards, when it was finished, resolving to take it, they fell into jealousie of their General Sawakonowicz, and having murder'd him, chused one Paulucus, a man of little con­duct and experience; and before they were got into their Tabor, being met by the General Po­toski, they were routed at Korsun, and forced to deliver up their General and four more of their chief Officers, who were put to death at Warsaw; notwithstanding that the General had promised them their lives. Presently followed the loss of their priviledges, and their Town Trethymirow, and the suppression of their Militia, which was new modelled into a more obedient form. This more irritated the Cosacks, who again tried their fortune with Potoski, but were worsted; and then fortified themselves upon the river Starcza, be­yond Boristhenes. After this, the Polonians, having lost so many in trying to suppress them, were forced to compound, and promise that their Mili­tia (of six thousand) should be re-established un­der a General appointed by the King. But these articles were not observed; for the Cosacks (as they returned every man to his house) were killed or plunder'd by the Polish soldiers; and another Militia set up, excluding the ancient and true Cosacks.

But the Tartars a little after ruining a great part of the Ʋkrain, shewed the necessity of the former establishment. For Ʋladislaus IV. pretend­ing to make war upon the Tartars, was very careful to set them up again, giving them for their General Bogdan (or Theodore) Chmielniski, son of a Polish Gentleman, enrolled young into the Mi­litia of the Cosacks, and by the degrees of Captain, Commissary, &c. brought to be General. This man was the spark that kindled that terrible war which endangered all Poland. Chmielniski in the [Page 51]year 1647, having received some injuries from a Po­lish Officer, whereof he could get no redress, be­gan to complain to his Cosacks, who unanimously resolved to stand by him, as did also a vast num­ber of the Rusticks, oppressed by their Landlords, who had farm'd out much of their lands to the Jews, who had also monopolized all the advan­tages of the country, as brewing of Beer, distilling Aqua-vitae, nay even the keys of the Church­doors, insomuch that a native could not be mar­ried, or Christen a child, without paying so much to a Jew; which so irritated the Rusticks, that they came in to Chmielniski, and made him an army of two hundred thousand. The King, who pretended to fight the Tartars, and endeavour the conquest of Crim, underhand favoured them; but the Commonwealth growing jealous, as if he intended to make himself absolute, because he had got together a considerable army of fo­reigners, caused him to disband that army, and disown the Cosacks. And sent against them an army, part of which turned to the Cosacks, the rest was wholly destroyed. Upon which, divers overtures of peace unsuccessfully proposed, Chmi­elniski called in the Crim-Tartar with an hundred thousand horse, and march'd into Poland; but were there so valiantly resisted by the Polanders both at Zbaras and Zborow (where the new King John Casimire was in person with an army) that the Tartar weary of the war, was very willing to hearken to a peace, as Chmielniski also pretended, and accepted of moderate propositions; this was in the year 1649. But Chmielniski fearing that the Poles would not faithfully observe that treaty, began more and more to fortifie himself by leaguing with the Grand Seignior, and forcing the Prince of Moldavia to a conjunction and al­liance with him. And at a Diet proposing such terms as intimated, that he intended to make himself an absolute Prince under the patronage of the Turks, by the Poles a new war was gene­rally agreed upon; which broke out very fiercely in the year 1651, when was fought a very cruel and decisive battel, wherein the Cosacks and Tar­tars were overthrown; yet not so but that Chmi­elniski found means to raise another army, and to make peace upon articles to him not very dis­advantageous.

What became of him and his Cosacks since that, we have little account, only that part of them have submitted themselves to the Musco­vite; part also, under Dorosensko their General, called in the Turks and Tartars against the Polan­ders; and that by the agreement in the year 1677 betwixt the Grand Seignior and the King of Po­land, Ʋkrain and the Cosacks were to be under the Turk.

Thus much of their Militia by Land, 'tis fit to give some small account of their exploits by Sea. Having assembled (commonly about six thousand) upon the Islands of Skarbniza Was­kowa, the first thing they do is to chuse their Ge­neral for that expedition; and to make their Boats which they call Colna, which are about sixty foot long, twelve deep, and as many wide; built very slight, pinning one plank upon the edge of the lower, and so widening as it heightens; they have at each end a stern, and about twelve or fifteen oars of a side; they have no deck, but (that it may not sink, tho full of water) they encompass it round about with a rowl of reeds as big as a barrel, tyed together and to their Boat with ropes. They have a sorry mast and sail, but seldom use them, except in fair weather. Their provision is a tun of biscuit, which they take out of the bung as they use it; a barrel of boil'd millet, and another of paste made with water, which they eat with their millet, and serves them instead of beverage. Every Boat carries about sixty persons, every man having two guns, with powder and ball necessary, and in each Boat five or six falconets. They wait for a dark night (about the beginning of June, so that they may return about the first of August) that they may pass undiscover'd by the Turks gal­leys, which ly at Oczacow to intercept them. With these Boats they course over all the Black Sea, and the coasts upon it, even to the very suburbs of Constantinople, pillaging and spoiling where­ever they come. If they spy a galley, they keep at a distance till night, and observing well the course of the vessel, when it is dark they imme­diately row up to it, and all together board it, and commonly carry it; they take out all the money, cannon, and merchandise that they please, and sink it, not having the skill or opportunity to use it. If a galley spy them in the day-time, they avoid fighting by rowing swifter then they, or retiring to shallows, or amongst reeds, where the galleys cannot follow them.

As long as they used this trade, they abstained from using violence against their Lords, living upon what they got from the Turks; till the Grand Seignior threatned Sigismund to make war upon him, except he redress'd the robberies and pyra­cies of the Cosacks; and then, wanting subsistence, they turned their arms against their own coun­try. The permitting them to chuse their Gene­ral and Officers, was taking the bridle out of their mouths; for he, having no power but precarious, and being many times displaced or murder'd without any reason, is forced to comply with all their violences. He is chose either by cla­mor, or throwing their caps at him. He hath four Counsellors (whom they call Assaul), a Lieu­tenant, General of the Ordonance, and all the same Officers that other Christian armies have. They are arm'd with guns, which they manage very dextrously; besides, they have many sythes set long-ways upon poles, with which they fight both fiercely and skilfully. Being all of them Far­mers, they understand all trades necessary for humane life, and are very capable to learn or perform any employment. But their greatest ex­cellency is in preparing Salt-peter, and making Gun-powder, which they do in great perfecti­on.

Their Religion is the very same with the Russ; Religion. (they also call themselves Russes, their country being nam'd sometimes Black, sometimes Red Russia), and delight to imitate them in manner of living. They have their Metropolitan of Kiow, who is consecrated by the Patriarch of Costan­tinople, and is subject to him immediately. Their chief observances consist in fasts and holidays. But the Nobility (of which there are some few amongst them) imitate the Polanders, and are most of them Roman-Catholicks.

Their manners are like those of soldiers; Manners. not careful of what's to come, spending freely what they have at present amongst their companions, and permitting the future to shift for it self; very inconstant, mutinous, and following their present advantage rather then their faith or promise. Potent drinkers, yet having by reason of their labour and hardship so great health, that Phy­sitians are not esteem'd amongst them.

The chiefest thing wherein the inhabitants differ from the Polonians, is their marriages; Marri­ages. That the maids in this country frequently woo the men; for if a virgin have an affection to a young man, she is not asham'd to go to the house where he lives with his parents; declaring her affection to him, and promising all love and obedience [Page 52]if he pleaseth to accept of her in marriage. If she be rejected by the young man, as being too young, not disposed to marry, or the like; she tells them, that she is resolved never to part out of the house till he consent; and there she takes up her quarters. To force her out of the house would be to provoke all her kinred; nor would the Church suffer them to use any violence unto her without inflicting heavy penances, and noting the house of infamy; so that after two or three weeks, the parents, or the young man himself, moved with the constancy of the woman, accom­modate matters as well as they can, and make up a marriage.

Thus much for the Cosacks; Of the Ʋkrain. let us now return to the place of their habitation, the Ʋkrain. The word signifies a frontier-place; which lying be­yond Volhinia and Podolia, containeth part of the Palatinates of Chiow and Braclaw, between 48 and 51 deg. of Latitude. A country water'd with so many rivers, that it must needs be fruitful both for corn, pasturage, as also for fish, honey, tim­ber, &c. Being a frontier, all the Towns and ha­bitations are fortified either with a ditch, or have some thick wood, where they make recesses with their goods in time of an invasion by the Tar­tars. The inhabitants glory much to be called Cosacks; and indeed many of them in these late insurrections, by the tyranny of their Landlords have been compelled to join with, and take arms amongst them. It is terminated on the East with the great river Nieper or Boristhenes, of the great­est part whereof (so much as concern'd the Co­sacks) we have already given an account.

Below Kaczawanicze is Kuczkosow, where is the best passage of the Tartars, the river not being more then an hundred and fifty paces broad, the banks easie, and the country all about plain, so that they fear not the ambushes of the Cosacks. Below that is the cape of Chortizca, an Island very proper to inhabit, and easily fortified against the Tartars. Next to that is Wielsky Ostro, and below that Tomahowka, an Island easily fortified, which Chmielniski chose for a retreat, and where the Cosacks first rendezvous'd when they began their insurrection in the year 1648. Kair and Wieleski­woda, Nosokowka, are three Islands very commo­dious for the Tartars passage into the Ʋkrain; the stream next Tartary they call Kosmaka, and there the Cosacks disguise themselves when they go into the Black Sea, for fear of the guard which is always kept by the Turks in the ancient ruines, which they call Aslan-Korodick. Tawan is the greatest and easiest passage of the Tartars, the river not being above five hundred paces broad, being all in one channel. The last pass, and at the mouth of the Nieper is Oczacow, where the river is three miles broad; yet both the Tartars and others pass it frequently in this manner; they furnish themselves with flat-bottom'd boats, at the stern whereof they fasten across poles of a good length, upon which they tye the heads of their horses, as many on the one side as the other, to balance them; they put their baggage in the boat, and row it over, and with it the horses. The Turks pass'd over in this manner forty thousand horse, when the Grand Seignior sent to besiege Azak or Azow, at the mouth of Don in the year 1643, which the Donski Cosacks had taken from him the year before. Oucze Sau­ram or Nowe Koniecpolsky is the lowest habitation the Polacks have towards Oczacow, which was be­gun to be built in the year 1634. Oczacow call'd by the Turks Dziancrimenda, is the place where the Turkish galleys lye, to keep the entrance into the Black Sea; there is no port, but good an­chorage, the Castle is well fortified, the Town not so well, there are in it about two thousand inhabitants. Below that is a platform with good ordnance, to guard the mouth of the river. About three miles below Oczacow is an haven called Be­rezan, upon a river called Anczakrick; it is suffi­ciently deep for galleys. Southward of that are two Lakes Jesero Teligol and Kuialik, both of them so abundant in fish, that the water (ha­ving no exit) stinks of them, yet they come above an hundred and fifty miles to fish there. Bielogrod is about three miles from the Sea, upon the river Niester, anciently called Tyras, by the Turks Kierman. This Town is under the Turk; as is also Killa, well fortified with a counterscarp; the Castle is above the Town upon the Danow; opposite to it, on the other bank of the Danow, is Kiha, where are seen divers ancient ruines. Betwixt Bielogrod and Killa are the plains of Bud­ziack, where the rebel or banditi Tartars refuge themselves, who acknowledg no superior, either Turk or Cham; they are always watching upon the confines of Poland, to catch what Christians they can, and sell them to the Turks; of these we have spoken before. There are also many Turkish villages along the south-bank of the Niester; but all the country betwixt that and the Danow, as also betwixt that and the Nieper, are desarts, and are inhabitated by those Tartars who there pasture their flocks, of whom we have spo­ken already. Such also was the Ʋkrain till of late, that the industry of the late Kings of Poland, and the valour of the Cosacks has render'd it as fruitful as it was before desart. We may judg of it by what Monsieur Beauplan saith, that in seventeen years that he lived in that country, him­self laid the foundations of above fifty colonies, which in a few year sprouted into above a thou­sand villages. But being so lately planted, the Reader cannot expect we should have much to inform him. Yet it is not amiss to give some account of animals which are almost proper to this country.

They have a beast which they call Bobac, Anim. not much unlike a Guiny-pig; they make holes in the earth, whereinto they enter in October, and come not abroad till April; within they have many little apartments, disposing severally their provi­sion, their dead, their lodging, &c. eight or nine families live together as in a City; each having his particular habitation. They are easily tamed, and are very gamesome in an house. When they go to make their provision, they set a sentinel, who as soon as he spies any one, gives a signal by making a noise, and they all haste to their caves; many more things are spoken of these little creatures, as that they have slaves and punish­ments, &c.

Sounaky, a kind of goat, is desired for his beau­tiful sattin-like fur, and white, shining, smooth, delicate horns. He hath no bone in his nose, and cannot feed except he go backward.

Thy have many wild horses, but of no value, only for their flesh, which they sell in the mar­kets, and think it better then Beef or Veal. When these horses come to be old, their hoofs so straiten their feet (being never pared) that they can hardly go; as if that beast was so made for mans use, that without his care he was unprofitable.

Nobiliss: & tam dignitate [...]ueris quan Meritis ac Patriam Honoratiis Viro▪ D. ^no NICOLAO PAHL▪ in celeberrimo Maris Balthici emporio. Vrbe GEDANENSI▪ Praeconsuli & vicepraesidi▪ bonarum artium Patrono ac fautori observantiae ergò D. D. D.
IOANNES IANSSONIVS.

POLAND.

POLONIA, or Poland, call'd by the Natives Polska, takes its name, as some conjecture, from Pole, which in the Slavonian language (here commonly spo­ken) signifies a plain and champain Country, such as this Kingdom for the most part consists of. Others suppose, that the inhabitants, from their first Captain Lechus or Lachus, being called Po-lachi, that is, the posterity of Lachus; and by corruption Polani and Poloni, imparted their name to their country. And in favour of this opinion it may be urged, that they call themselves Polacci, the Italians Polacchi; the Russians, Greeks, and Tartars call them Lachi, and Lechitae; the Hungarians Len­gel, probably for Lechel, the same with Po-lachi. But Hartknoch finding the Bulanes placed by Pto­lomy among the ancient inhabitants of Sarmatia, and observing the Poloni to be call'd Bolani and Bolanii by the German writers, thinks he hath made the fairest discovery of the original of the word. Nevertheless Cromerus affirms, that the pre­sent name either of the country or people, hath not been in use above nine hundred years. Cer­tainly in the time of Alfred King of England, about the year 880, this Country was called Weonod­land, and before that by the Romans generally Sarmatia, as being the best known part of that great Country. Only that branch of Poland which lies on the west-side of the Weissel, belonged to old Germany, and (as Ptolomy acquaints us) was inhabited by the Aelvaeones, the Luti, Omanni, Longi, Diduni, and Luti Buri, with other German Colonies. By some writers the same is assigned to Vandalia (and the Vistula called Vandalus) ha­ving been for a time in the possession of the Van­dals.

The people of Poland are the undoubted off­spring of the Slavi, Slavini, or Slavonians, seated in Justinians time, as Jornandes relates, on the north-side of the Carpathian mountains, from the fountain of the Weisel to the Niester, and thence ex­tending themselves westward to the Danube, and eastward to the Euxin Sea; from which parts they then made innundations into the Roman Empire. In their first expeditions they were joined with the Antae and Vinidae or Venedi; or rather, in the opinion of the foresaid Author, were but the same Nation differently called. The Venedi we find mentioned by Ptolomy, as a great people long before, seated in Sarmatia, upon the coast of the Sinus Venedicus (now Baltick Sea), which from them probably took its name, as did like­wise the Venedic mountains, scituate in their ter­ritories. And Hartknoch supposes the Bulanes, Gy­thones, Phinni, &c. placed also by Ptolomy over a­gainst these Venedi, in the inland countries of Po­land, to be of their colonies. Perhaps this people, after they had made themselves considerable by their conquests, took the name of Slavi from Sla­va, in their language signifying fame or glory; which their descendents (saith Cromerus) still retain in their compounded names, as Stani-slauus, Wence­slauus, &c. tho now writ commonly Stanislaus, Wenceslaus. Some writers would have the Ve­nedi to be originally a German Nation, yet they are by Cromerus and others sufficiently proved to be of the old Sarmatae or Sauromatae, which were of Scythian extraction, and probably brought forth in the neighbourhood of the Lake Maeotis, the fruitful womb of so many puissant Nations.

The name of Poland belongs properly to two Provinces alone, Situation. the Greater and the Lesser Po­land; from which, as the principal parts, the whole Kingdom hath taken its denomination. It lies, saith Starovolscius, between the 38th and 54th degrees of Longitude, counting from the Marquisate of Brandenburgh to the Nieper or Bo­risthenes, which amounts to 250 Polish leagues, every league containing about four English miles; but the Podolian and Russian are somewhat lon­ger. The highest elevation of the Pole in the most northern parts of Livonia subject to this Crown, is about 58 deg. The lowest in the Pa­latinate of Poccuce in Red Russia, 48 deg. So that the whole Country being situated between the seventh and thirteenth Climats, hath to its long­est day from 16 to near 18 hours.

This Kingdom is bounded on the North by the Baltick Sea, and the Swedish Livonia. Bounds. On the East by the Muscovian Russia, and the Desarts of Tartary. On the South by Moldavia, Transilva­nia, and Hungary, from which the Niester and the high and woody Carpathian mountains di­vide it. On the West by Silesia, the Marquisate of Brandenburgh, and the further Pomerane.

Poland is an even champain country. Tho the Lesser Poland, the nearer it approaches to the confines of Hungary, the more hilly and woody it is; but the farther it lies from thence, the more open and level. In the very middle also of the Kingdom, the Palatinate of Sandomir is moun­tainous and rocky. Formerly the country was all overgrown with woods, but by the care of Si­gismund the elder, and Sigismund Augustus his son, and the advantage of the long peace they both enjoyed, husbandry was cherished, and the Pro­vinces improved in tillage and pasturage; so that it is now accounted the Egypt of Europe, as ha­ving supplied the wants of most parts thereof with corn; whilst the Vistula (being navigable) serves to conveigh all the commodities of the country to Dantzick. Yet this good husbandry doth not hinder but that it is well stored with Trees, as Oaks, Beech, Fir, &c. not only profita­ble for the common advantages of Woods, but also for the vast quantities of Honey and Wax which they yearly afford; the hollow trees sup­plying hives, and the leaves and wild flowers nou­rishment to innumerable swarms of Bees.

The air is cold, even to that extremity, Air. that trees are oftentimes parch'd to the very roots, and water pour'd down freezes ere it fall to the ground. The Lakes and Rivers are often frozen five or six months together, and are passable by Coaches and Carts laden, at the end of March. This vehement sharpness of the air we may ra­tionally impute to the largeness of the conti­nent, and the opacousness of the over-spreading woods. Yet notwithstanding, Orchards and Gar­dens are very frequent, and plentifully stored with Fruits and Flowers, as excellent in their kinds, as in any other part of Europe.

This country being for the most part plain, Mines. abounds not in Minerals; yet some Mines there are, as of Lead and Iron in divers places; of [Page 2]Quicksilver at Tustan in red Russia; of Vitriol near Biecz in Cracovia. But the most considerable of all are the Salt-Mines at Bochnia and Velisca, in the Lesser Poland, which are the great enrichment not only of the country, but of the Kings Exchequer also. They descend into the Mine with long Ropes (as we into our Coal-pits), and there dig out great masses of Salt in streets, leaving so much interstitium as is sufficient to sustain the earth. 'Tis generally of a blewish colour, yet some is white and transparent like crystal; when it is newly got it hath a bitterish taste, but being exposed to the air becomes sweeter, as also more heavy and brittle. In these Mines are small foun­tains of salt water, which boil'd with pieces of the Rock, yeild great quantities of excellent Salt. They have also some veins of Sal Gemmae, and of another mineral resembling hard Pitch, call'd by them Carbunculus, as Cromerus saith, which taken in powder purgeth. In the deep caverns of the Mines, the workmen are said some­times to hear voices like those of Cocks, Dogs, and other animals, which they esteem a bad omen.

The chief rivers of Poland are 1. Rivers. The Weissel, mentioned in authors under the different names of Vistula, Visula, Visla, Justilla, Istula and Van­dalus: it rises in the Dutchie of Teschen in Silesia out of the mountain Carpathus (now Crapack) in the confines of Hungary; whence running to Cra­cow, the chief City of the Lesser Poland, and there becoming navigable, by the accession of other streams, it continues its course Eastward to San­domiria, and thence Northward to Warzaw in Masovia, afterwards winding for some leagues westward to Thorn in Prussia, it turns again to the North, and at the Island Grosswerder is divided into two streams, emptying it self by the one into the Bay Frisch-Haff, and by the other into the Baltick Sea. The head of this river lies in 49 deg. 20 min. of Latitude, and its mouth in 54, but both in 41 deg. of Longitude: its course is above 100 Polish miles. It divided antiently the Euro­pean Sarmatia from Germany. 2. The Warta; rising near Cromolow in the Palatinate of Cra­covia, under 40 deg. 50 min. of Longitude, and 50 deg. 30 min. of Latitude: and from thence taking a winding course to the North-west, washes the Towns of Olstin, Warta, Posna, &c. in the Greater Poland; and near Costrin, falls into the Oder. 3. Notez, which flows out of the Lake Goblo in the Greater Poland; and after a long course to the Southwestward, near Dresen dis­charges it self into the Warta. 4. The Niester, or Tyras of the ancients; which takes its rise out of the Sarmatian mountains, near the head of San, running at first to the North, then wind­ing Eastward, and enlarged with many lesser Rivers, waters the Province of Pocutia, sepa­rates both the upper and lower Podolia from Moldavia, and in the Province of Bessarabia, emp­ties it self into the Euxine Sea. 5. Bug or Bugus, rising in Red Russia, near the Town Olesco, at Stroczacz enters the Narva; nor is it long after that, ere the Narva it self rowls into the Weissel. This Narva is said to have this peculiar quality, that no venemous creature will live in its streams; insomuch that Serpents sticking to the sides of the Boats that come out of the Bug, as soon as they enter Narva will give a hiss, and scud away with all the speed they can. 6. San, rising out of the Sarmatian mountains and falling into the Weissel near Sandomiria. 7. Niemen, call'd by the Germans Memel, by the ancients Chronos, it rises in the Dutchy of Sluczko in Black Russia, runs also thro Litvania, and Prussia, at length flows into the lake Kurisch-Haff, and so into the Bal­tick (call'd perhaps from hence the Chronian) Sea. 8. The Dzwina or Dwina, named of old Rubon, and since by the Latins Duna, which springs in the Muscovian Russia, and after a course of an hundred and thirty leagues thro Russia, Litvania, and Livonia, throws it self into the same Sea two leagues from Riga, the Metropolis of Livonia. Besides these, we may reckon the river Bog, or Boh (the Hypanis of the Greeks), which takes its origine from a Lake in the confines of Podolia, and falls into the Nieper.

The bigger Poland, Cujavia, Laker. and the territory of Lublin, have several great and remarkable Lakes, abounding with fresh fish of all sorts. The chief of them are Goplo, five miles in length, and half a mile in breadth; and Briale, or the white Lake, so call'd by an Antiphrasis, because that in the months of April and May it dyes the skins of those that wash in it of a swarthy colour.

The Woods in Poland are well stored in most places with Hares, Conies, Squirrels, Beast. Dear and Foxes: and in many parts with Bears, Wolves, and Bores. Of amphibious beasts they have Castors, Otters, and as some of that countrey affirm, a sort of white Bears, which live very frequently in the water. The Masovian Forests are stored with Elks, Wild Asses, Ʋri, which Dr. Charleton interprets Owres, and the Bisontes Jubati by some rendred Buffs. These Bisontes, accor­ding to Aldrovandus, in their shape and horns re­semble an Ox, but have mains like a horse, beards on their lower jaws, tongues rough like a File, and very hard, a bunch upon their backs, and their hair smells like musk. They are of incredible strength, some affirm that they will toss a man and horse into the air. The Po­lish Nobility hunt them, and esteem their flesh powdred a great dainty. The Ʋrus or Owre cal­led by the Polanders Thur, is a kind of wild Ox, much bigger, swifter and stronger then the tame; hath a short black beard, a bush of hair upon his forehead, and horns excessive large and wide, of which Pliny saith the Romans made Lanthorns. Girdles of his skin are said to be helpful to women in travail. The Elk called by the Poles Loss, by the Germans Ellend, that is, miserable, because of the falling-sickness with which it is troubled; is about the bigness of a large Horse, bodied like a Stag, but broader, its legs longer, feet large and cloven; the hoofs where­of are accounted a great medicine against the falling-sickness. In the deserts near Boristhenes, Sig. Herberstein saith, there is a wild Sheep called by the Polanders Solhac, shaped like a Goat, but with shorter legs, and horns growing streight up. It is exceeding swift, and leaps very high. They have also a sort of wild Horses in the Ʋkrain called by them Dzikie-Konie, which the Nobles eat for a great rarity. In Lithvania and Muscovy is a vora­cious unserviceable beast, not seen in any other Countrey, as Mat. a Michovia tells us, called Rosso­maka, which hath the body and tail of a Wolf, the face of a Cat, and feeds on dead carcasses. When it hath found one, it never leaves eating till its belly is swelled to the utmost stretch; then seeks out some narrow passage between two trees, and by squeezing its body thro, forces out the load of its stomach; afterwards returns to its prey, devouring and disgorging successively till all is consumed. The Hart-like-Wolf, or European Lynx, call'd by the Latins Lupus Cervarius, and by the Natives Ris, with spots on its belly and legs, affords the best Furs in Poland, tho the country be well stock'd with Martrons. They have neither Camels, tame Asses, nor Mules; which beasts thrive not in cold countries: but are compensated with great plenty of excellent Horses; which are very fair and large, pace al­most [Page 3]naturally, and surpass the German Horses in swiftness, tho they come short of the Turkish. Those of Lithvania are inferior to the Polish in bigness, strength, and beauty.

Fowl, both tame and wild, is no-where more plentiful then in this Kingdom. 'Twere needless to reckon up their several kinds, since I find none peculiar to this Nation, save only the Quails of Podolia, which have green legs, whose flesh is very unwholsome, and if immoderately eaten, breeds the cramp.

The Polanders are generally of a good com­plexion, flaxen-hair'd, [...] and tall of stature. The men, for the most part, corpulent and persona­ble. The women, slender and beautiful, disdain­ing the help of art and fucus's to set them off. They are naturally open-hearted and candid; more apt to be deceived, then to deceive; not so easily provoked as appeas'd; neither arrogant, nor ob­stinate; but very tractable if they be gently and prudently managed. They are chiefly led by ex­ample; are dutiful to their Princes and Magi­strates; and very much inclined to civility and hospitality, especially to strangers; whose customs and manners they are forward to imitate. The Gentlemen (who are all noble) take delight in keeping great sore of Horses and Arms. They en­tertain a multitude of servants, many of which are only obliged to follow them, but disdain any mean office, and sit with their Masters at Table. The principal Senators march, whether on foot or horseback, in the middle of their retinue, put­ting the best clad before them. The Daughters always walk before their Mothers, as in Italy; and the unmarried Sisters before the married. The education of their youth is more loose and negligent then in other their neighbouring coun­tries; but for the most part good nature, and vertuous inclination supplies that defect. Tho they hate the Greek tongue, and will not suffer their children to learn it, lest they should imbibe also the Religion of the Greeks; yet they covet nothing more then to have them well instruct­ed in the Latine; so that in no part of Italy, not in Rome it self, shall a man meet with so many that are able to converse in Latin as here. Even the Daughters of the Nobility and weal­thy Citizens, at home or in Monasteries, are taught to write and read as well the Latine as their Na­tive Language. When they grow to years of maturity, and not before, they are put to learn 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 'tis 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 [Page 4]numbers of Oxen and Sheep. To which must be added the Salt-pits; whence springs the greatest revenue the King of Poland has.

The riches of Poland consist in the commo­dities of the countrey already mention'd; Traffick. which (though they are of several sorts and general use, yet) bring but little money into the kingdom, being counterpoised by the incredible quantity, and richer variety of foreign merchandize; so that they hardly suffice to pay for the Cloth, Silk, Jewels, Tapistry, the Fruit, Spice, Salt-fish, Wine, Tin and Steel brought in from England, Flanders, Portugal and Spain, &c. But to say the truth the people are neither industrious nor addicted to trade; the Nobility being forbid it by their own constitutions upon the forfeiture of their Honor: and the Commonalty for the most part wanting estates sufficient to promote it. Besides, those of better fortunes spend too much of their revenues in costly apparel and furnishing their tables; by which means, instead of saving and laying up, they become very poor, or at least always in a wanting condition. To which we may add that their Countrey lyes not commodiously for traffick, not having the advantage of any considerable Port Town, Dantzick only excepted.

The chief strength of Poland consists in their Cavalry which is very numerous and readily rai­sed; Military Strength. the Nobility being bound by the Laws of the Land, to attend the King in all expeditions for the security of the Kingdom. In such cases the King sends his summons-into all the Pa­latinates, which are proclamed three times, and at a months distance from one another. Upon the third Proclamation, the Nobility are obliged to repair to the paricular rendezvous of their own Palatine who leads them to the general rendezvous; and, in regard they are exempted from all other burthens, they bear their own charges all the time of the war. If there be any that refuse to appear, their goods are presently confiscated to the use of the Kings table. They all serve on Horseback, and are enrolled above 200000, yet in as much as they have very few fortified places on any side, for the security of their frontiers, they can hardly draw together a­bove 100000, without leaving their provinces too naked. But these forces, when assembled, serve only for the defence of their countrey, and march not beyond its limits above five leagues: wherefore when they have occasion to lead an Army further, it is decreed in the Senate (which is convoked before every war) to levy stipendiary Souldiers: and as they are composed principally of the Nobles, they frequently signalize them­selves by their valour, and successes against the much greater numbers of their enemies. Thus Zamoschius in the time of Sigismund the third with 3000 men worsted Carigereius the Scythian who with 70000, was making an inroad into Poland, and forced him with the loss of many thousands of his Tartars to return into his own countrey Tau­rica Chersonesus. And Zolkievi with 3000 horse, setting upon 80000 Muscovites unawares, put themselves all to flight: and brought away pri­soners three German Regiments that served a­mongst them. The Polish foot is of little esteem; and therefore although each City is bound to set forth a certain number, yet the King rather chuses such a sum of money as may be equal to the charges, and so makes provision of Foreign­ers taken chiefly out of Hungary and Germany. The Zeporensian Cossacks formerly served the Po­lish Kings in their wars, either as Volontiers or for very small pay. They came in some­times 30000 strong, arm'd with Lances or Sci­miters, and long Guns: each had his Horse, and as occasion required fought either mounted or on foot. They used their own discipline, and chose all their Officers out of their body: even their cheif Commander, whom they would de­pose without any fault, if he were not success­ful. Now although the strength of the Polan­ders may be said to equal, both in number and quality, most of the Kingdoms of Europe; yet it often falls out that they are unsuccesful in their undertakings, partly because of the slow­ness as well of their councils, (which consisting of all the principal Officers in the Kingdom, are not readily convened, nor without much ado kept together) as of their Nobles in their ren­dezvousing, who seldome come in before the last summons: partly also because the generality of the Souldiers depending more upon their par­ticular Patrons then the King, are apt to follow their inclinations tho to the prejudice of the pub­lick. Besides it being a difficult thing to furnish necessaries for so many persons any long time, having no publick Magazins provided towards the Seat of the war, they are inclined to muti­ny and disband before they have done their work. Fortified Towns they have but few, as we said before, believing their own courage fortification enough to defend their countrey; and unwilling by means of Garrisons, to give their Kings op­portunity of assuming an absolute power and arbitrary rule over them.

The government of Poland partakes more of Aristocracy then Monarchy; [...] and is shared a­mongst the King, the Senate and Nobility. Some would reckon in the Citizens and Kmetones (for so in old Charters are the Husbandmen called) who live dispersed in Villages: but they being never admitted to publick offices and employ­ments, ought not to be numbred among the or­ders and estates of the Kingdom.

At first the Kings of Poland were successive, [...] of the [...] as appears from the testimony of all their Histori­ans: and it was the custom that the reigning Prince appointed his successour. So Lescus the Third appointed Popielus: so also Boleslaus the Chast, did Lescus the Black. Nay oftentimes the Kings of Poland divided the Kingdom amongst their sons, which is not usual in elective govern­ments. This is evident from the example of Bo­leslaus Crivoustus; and is further confirm'd, in the Polonian Histories, by the precedent of Boleslaus the Curld. But in the reign of Sigismund Au­gustus, a Law was made that no King of Poland should presume to nominate, or impose on the Kingdom a successor: which law was not only renew'd in the interregnum after his death, but se­veral times afterwards: the custom of Elections having encroached upon the Scepter for some while before, for want of issue of the true Polish Royal Family. From this Electiveness it now comes to pass, that from the death of one, till the E­lection of another King, there are frequently too long Interregna; during which the Arch-Bi­shop of Gnesna performs all Kingly offices, acting in all things like their Soveraign; without any distinction, save that he is not crown'd with the Royal Diadem. And such an Interregnum may happen (not only by the death, but) by the Deposition or Resignation of the King. De­position of Kings was formerly more frequent in Poland, then now. Henry Valois is the last pre­cedent in that kind, who being elected King of Poland, when he heard of the death of his Bro­ther Charles the Ninth, withdrew himself pri­vately out of Poland by night, that he might not loose his right in France. Whereupon the Poles, after they had often besought his return, finding him not in the least inclin'd to forsake a succes­sive [Page 5]for an elective Kingdom, in a general assem­bly of the Estates discharg'd him from being King of Poland, and renounced their allegiance. The most memorable example of Resignation is that of John Casimir in the year 1669: of which a large narrative is given by Nicolas Chwalkowski (in his Treatise de Jure Publico Polonico) who was an eye witness of the whole Ceremony. The Interrex, or person who performs the Regal offi­ces during the Interregnum as was said, is the Arch-Bishop of Gnesna, a Legate born, the Primate and first Prince of the Kingdom, not suspected, as being a spiritual person, of affecting the Crown. Which dignity is not conferr'd upon him by E­lection, but is annexed to his Archbishoprick, least any delay in his nomination should endam­mage the publick. This office he takes upon him not only upon the death, but also in the Kings absence, or residence in another Coun­trey: as when Henry withdrew into France, and Sigismund the Third went into Swedeland. If there be no Archbishop of Gnesna, then this dignity belongs to the Bishop of Cujavia; or in his ab­sence also or vacancy of the See, to the Bishop of Posnania. At the beginning of the Interregnum the Archbishop betakes himself to Warsaw, whither all the neigbouring Nobility repair to him; by whose advice Proclamations are issued forth out of the Archbishops Chancery under his hand, with all his Titles annexed, whereby the Inter­regnum is proclamed by the publick Ministers in all the Palatinates and Districts of the Kingdom; and in the mean while all necessary orders are taken for the security of the people. The In­terrex also receives, opens and answers all the letters from Foreign Princes; gives audience to all foreign Ambassadours; and indeed all the publick affairs of the Kingdom pass through his hands. As for the Candidates, this is certainly agreed, that no Piasti or Native, is excluded from the hopes of Election. The Electors in the first place, are the prime Senators of the Kingdom, as well Ecclesiastick as Secular: next to them the Nobility, who have liberty to act either in their proper persons or by Deputies; and lastly, the Deputies of Cracow, Posnania, Leopolis and Vilna. For the Polonians believe that it very much avails both to the security of the Governour, and to confirm the allegiance of them that obey, that the King should be chosen by the Genera­lity, who can then have no pretence to com­plain of their own Act. The place of Election is in an open field not far from Warsaw, near the Village Wola, by reason of the multitude of them who have voices in the Election; it is mark'd out by the Marshals of Poland and Lithuania. When the day of Election is come, and the Se­nators all met, the Interrex asks the Question three times, Whether it be their pleasure to command that such a one shall be declared King? If by con­sent of voices, they return for an answer; It plea­ses us, Let him live; then the Archbishop declares him King in these words: In the name of God, I declare such a one King and great Duke of Lithuania, and beseech the King of Heaven to enable him for so great a charge, and through his mercy so to order that the Election may be prosperous for the Nation and happy for the Catholick Religion. After which the Marshals proclaim the Election in the follow­ing manner: King N. is unanimously elected, and so declared by the Interrex; him therefore all ye ac­knowledg your lawfully elected and declared King. If the King, so elected, be absent, his Ambassa­dours are obliged to confirm by oath the con­ditions, and receive the decree of the Election. After which the Marshalls make a second Procla­mation in these words; The Polanders have a law­ful King. On the other side, before the King is admitted, he is obliged by oath to preserve the Laws and priviledges of the Kingdom and the Cove­nants agreed upon by the Estates, in all their clau­ses, points and conditions, and to renew the said oath at his Coronation. But though he be now elected, the Interregnum does not cease till after his Coro­nation: for till then he assumes no other Title then that of King Elect; neither are his Letters to Foreign Princes seal'd with any other seal then that of the Chamber. So that though the present King was permitted to make use of the Seal of great Duke of Lithuania before his Coronation; that was only done upon the necessity of the Muscovitick Expedition. The usual place of Co­ronation is Cracow: where the Crown is kept in the cheif treasury, under the charge of the high Treasurer: and the person performing the cere­mony is always the Archbishop of Gnesna, if not prevented by sickness. The chief Ceremonies at the Coronation are the Questions propounded to the King, Wilt thou profess the Catholick faith delivered by Catholick men? Answ. I will. Wilt thou defend and maintain the Church and its Ministers? Wilt thou uphold, defend and govern the Kingdom by God committed to thy care according to Justice? Ans. I will. All which he confirms by the usual form of words and laying his hand upon the Evan­gelists. The Ceremony of anointing is perform'd with saying these words: I anoint thee King with the sanctified oil, in the name of the Father, Son and holy Ghost. The words of Confirmation are; Sit and possess the Throne appointed thee by God. Let thy hand be strengthned and thy right hand exalt­ed. The solemnity being ended, the King repairs to the grand Assembly for the Coronation; where the Interrex resigns his Authority, and the Sena­tours, together with the Nobility and Deputies of the Cities, take their oaths of allegiance to the new King.

The present power and authority of the Kings of Poland will more plainly appear by a recital of the articles to the observance whereof they bind themselves, as well before as at their Coro­nation: for they contain all the essential proper­ties of Regal Dominion under the name of Pacta Conventa. As to their power in Ecclesiastical af­fairs, the Roman-Catholick Kings of Poland have been so kind as to part with their chiefest prero­gatives in that particular, reserving only to themselves the collation of benefices. The King swears to maintain peace between the dissenters in Religion, of which there are many in Poland, and to compose the causes and differences among persons professing the Greek religion, as appears by the Pacta Conventa sworn to by John the Third, now reigning. As for foundations of Churches and Monasteries, whatsoever liberty the King may have to erect, they are to be confirm'd by all the orders at the general assembly of Estates: and thus the immunities and priviledges granted by the Kings of Poland to the Academy of Vilna were also confirm'd. The next preroga­tive is the legislative power: concerning which we find, that in the time of Lechus, the Kings of Poland had an absolute authority of making Laws themselves, as necessity required. But after­wards, when they had received the Christian faith, they began to make Laws with the con­sent of the Peers. Insomuch that Sigismund the Third, in the year 1570, enacted, That no Law should be of publick force till reviewed and sub­scribed by such a number of Deputies of the No­bility and Senators, whose consent was to be re­quired before-hand whether the Law should pass: which Law remains to this day. The determi­nation of Controversies was likewise formerly [Page 6]in the breast of the King as supreme Judg; till Ʋladislaus Jagello granted this priviledge to the Nobility, That they should not be punished or impri­son'd till convicted by Law. After him Bathor threw off the burthen of hearing causes from his own shoulders, and erected several courts of Judica­ture in Poland and Lithuania: reserving only to himself the judgment of such causes as concer­ned his Chequer and such Cities as were imme­diately under his jurisdiction. But now the No­bility create the chief Judg or Marshal, with his assistants in those tribunals; nor does the King sit alone upon causes that come before him by way of appeal: besides, the King swears to determine all Court causes according to the ad­vice and opinion of the Senators and Officers re­siding at Court; as also to call the causes in order as they are set down in the Register, and neither to retard nor further any cause for favour or interest. The power of making war did formerly without doubt absolutely belong to the King. But Casimir the third (in the year 1454) made a promise that he would undertake no war with­out the consent of the Senate. At this day the Kings of Poland, by the Pacta Conventa, promise not to admit or call in any foreign assistance with­out the especial consent of the Estates; not to encrease the number of the standing Militia, nor raise forces privately; not to send aid to any other Prince, without consent as aforesaid; nor to com­mit the trust of Forts or Castles to strangers or plebeians, but to men of worth and landed No­bility. Besides all these engagements, there is a Council of War, elected out of the Senate and Nobility, to attend and advise him in the field, according to the late Constitutions in the year 1676, and several others before. He is also ex­presly forbid to undertake any offensive war; as an affair wholly belonging to the General Assem­bly. Again, his power of making peace, and entring into new leagues, is so far limited, that neither shall be valid, unless approved and con­firm'd by the General Estates. Only ancient Al­liances may be renewed by the King, with the consent of the Senators resident at Court. What his power is in raising Tribute and Taxes, may be easily gather'd from the words of Konarscius in Fredo, p. 98. The Estates of the Kingdom, saith he, have exempted thee, speaking to the King, from all charges and expences. It is their business to pay the Soldiery, and to furnish the Magazines; thine, with their joint and mutual consent, to pro­claim war, overcome and triumph. The coinage of money is a Royal prerogative, and as soon as Poland knew money, was in the sole power of the Kings; but Ʋladislaus Jagello, in the year 1422, made a promise not to coin any money without the consent of his Counsellors: which law was renewed by Sigismund the third, in the year 1632; and inserted into the Pacta Conventa, sworn to by the present King. Nor was it with­out the consent of the Senate, that Casimir Ja­gello granted to the Cities of Dantzick, Elbing, and Thorn, the priviledg of coining money, which they keep to this day. The prerogative of con­ferring employments and honours still remains in the sole power of the King. He is supreme judg and arbiter of merit and reward; and disposes of all, as well Ecclesiastical as Civil, dignities. Yet this illustrious prerogative suffers some eclipses too; for first, the King can advance no foreigner, nor any person who has no lands in the Province where the preferment lies. Next, he can neither diminish nor increase the number of the Offices either of the Court or Kingdom. Thirdly, he is obliged to supply such as are va­cant by a time limited. Fourthly, he engages himself not to bestow the Office of Bishop, nor the Commands of Palatine, Castellane or Cap­tain, upon any of his Sons, Grandchildren, or other relations of the Royal Blood. Fifthly, he is restrained from conferring a plurality of high dignities upon one person. Lastly, he is bound not to seek any private advantage by the advancement of any man: and 'tis pro­vided, that all promises of preferment made in order to his advancement to the Crown, shall be invalid. But (granting his power to be consi­derable in conferring of Honours, yet) he is not able to deprive the same persons, tho ill deser­ving, of the honours once conferred upon them, without the consent of the Estates: and with their approbation he may remove from their employments, not only Seculars, but Ecclesiasticks. By the same permission he has also power to create Dukes, Earls, and Barons: but the reason why he makes so few is, because the Polish Nobility will not admit of any other superiority one a­mongst another, then what comes by birthright. And because they are very cautious of admitting strangers, he is not permitted to advance any foreigner into the number of the Nobility, by way of Naturalization, without the consent of the Estates first obtained, and the particular re­commendation of the General of the Army. It is in the Kings power to give Audience to the Ambassadors of foreign Princes, and to elect his own; but he cannot send them abroad, upon the concerns of Peace, War, or entring into new Leagues, without the consent of the resident Se­nators. Formerly the priviledg of hunting be­longed solely to the King; but now every one of the Nobility hath power to use that sport in his own grounds. The King cannot contract a marriage for himself, without the consent of the Senate. He is not permitted to enjoy or possess any lands of inheritance in his own Kingdom; nor is he suffer'd to stir beyond its confines, ex­cept the Senate agree thereto. He may not have any foreigners employed about him at Court: for all the Court-Officers are sworn to be true and faithful (not only to the King, but also) to the Senate, and are under the jurisdiction of the Marshal of the Kingdom. He is also obliged, by the Pacta Conventa, to take care that the Queen do not meddle with State affairs. To all these Articles the Kings of Poland most religiously swear observance. Nay, to keep their Kings the more in awe, the Nobility of Poland published the following Declaration in the year 1609, If any Nobleman, or Senator, observe that the King has acted contrary to the Laws and Priviledges of the Kingdom, he is to give notice thereof to the Primate and the Senators, who are to admonish the King there­of. If he slight the admonition, it shall be lawful publickly to declare the Kings neglect to the Senate; to the end, that the Deputies may be enjoin'd, in the name of the whole Nobility, to advise him to desist from acting so contrary to the established Laws of the Land. If the King take no notice of this second ad­monition, they are then to acquaint the General As­sembly of Estates. If the third admonition prevail not, then all the Orders are to proceed according to the Article of withdrawing their Allegiance.

The Revenues of the Kings Houshold, arising out of his Lands and Salt-pits, are computed to above three millions of Florens yearly. Of which Piasecius gives this account: That the allowance of the Kings of Poland is such, as is (not only sufficient to maintain the splendor of a Court equal to any Prince in Christendom, but also) large enough for all occasions of Royal munifi­cence. The truth of which many of the Nobi­lity experience, by the large possessions which the [Page 7]King often grants them during his or their lives. The publick Revenues of the Kingdom, are either ordinary or extraordinary. The ordinary Reve­nues are, the fourth part of the Rents of the Kings Lands, granted by him towards the payment of the Soldiery; Impost upon Wines; Custom up­on goods exported and imported; the fourth Gross out of Great and Little Poland, &c. The extraordinary Revenues are, 1. The Agraria, or a certain sum of money tax'd upon Lands and Farms. 2. Excise upon Beer; from which the Tenants of Noblemen, that keep publick-houses, are not free. 3. Capitatio Judaica, or the Jews Pole-money; which in the year 1671 was tax'd at 150000 Florens. The Jews in Lithvania, upon extremity, are tax'd at 40000 Florens. Sometimes they pay two Florens a head for themselves, their wives and children. 4. The Merchants Dona­tives; which in the year 1650 was raised to 40000 Florens. 5. The Chimney-money; which is doubled and trebled, as necessity requires. Sometimes a general Pole is laid upon the whole Kingdom; where every man, the Archbishop not excepted, pays according to his estate, and the Offices he holds. Nothing of all this belongs to the King, but 'tis all reserv'd for public uses; of which the Treasurers give an account to the General Estates, who have the only power to levy these new assessments and extraordinary im­positions, as the necessity of affairs requires.

The Kings of Poland, and its Dukes, may be distinguish'd into four Classes, or Orders of Suc­cession. The first contains a Catalogue of the Dukes of Poland, as follows.

A. D. 700] Lechus the First. Who built the City Gnesna, in the place where he found an Eagles Nest; and therefore gave it this name from Gniazdo, which in the Polish language sig­nifies a Nest: hence also the Arms of Poland are an Eagle. Their own Historians are not agreed about his extraction, whether he was a Native or Croatian; nor about the time in which he reigned, some affirming, that it was about the year of our Lord 550, others almost an hun­dred years later; and both parties speaking only by conjecture. Nor lastly, are they agreed about the children he left behind him; but they gene­rally acknowledg, that upon the faileur of his off­spring, the people made choice of twelve Pala­tines for their Rulers, calling them Woiewodes, i. e. Captains of War; and the Country being divided into twelve parts, each had his peculiar Province. But when they began to cherish pri­vate feuds, to the embroilment of the Com­monwealth, and thereby also invited their ill­affected neighbours to fall upon them, the peo­ple were constrained to seek their peace and safe­ty in a Monarchy. And with much solicitation perswaded Cracus, a person of great fortune and interest amongst them, to take upon him the en­tire Government; which he managed with sin­gular prudence and success. He (or his Subjects after his decease, in remembrance of his vertues) built a new City upon the side of the Weissel, which from his name was called Cracow or Cra­covia, and made the Metropolis of the King­dom.

His younger son Lechus II, succeeded him, having first slain his elder brother to make way for himself; but the murther being detected, he was deposed and banish'd.

750] After him reigned his sister Wenda, who chose rather to rule alone, then to be wife to a King. After she had repulsed Ridigerus, a Ger­man Prince (who not being able either by in­treaty or force to obtain her in marriage, killed himself for shame and grief), lest any adverse chance should sully her honour, she leapt from the bridge at Cracow into the Weissel.

Twelve Palatines again.

760] Premislaus, or Lescus the First. He was a Goldsmith, and created King, because he had by an unusual stratagem, overthrown the Hun­garians and Moravians: he died without issue.

804] Lescus II. The Polish Nobility having agreed to ride a Race for the Government, one of the Competitors strowed galltraps (tribulos) in the way, and thereby so disabled all the horses save his own, which he had shod for the purpose, that he won the prize. The cheat being disco­ver'd, he was torn in pieces by them; and this Lescus, a poor obscure man, who out-ran the rest on foot, from being the scorn of the mul­titude, was by the popular applause saluted Prince. He always after kept by him the course clothes he had formerly worn, to mind him of his ori­ginal.

810] Lescus III.

815] Popielus I.

830] Popielus II. He is reported to have been eaten up by Mice, thro Gods judgment, as is con­ceiv'd, for the murders committed by him. For he is said to have poyson'd all his kindred, that he might unite the Slavonian Principalities to his own Dukedom.

The second Classis, of which there is much more certainty then of the former, contains the following Princes.

843] Piastus Rusticus, a Citizen of Cruswic, of noted hospitality and charity.

861] Ziemovitus.

892] Lescus IV.

913] Ziemomyslus.

964] Mieceslaus. The first Christian King. He was born blind, and in the seventh year of his age, when at a publick banquet his name was to be given him, received his sight. He founded the two Archbishopricks of Gnesna and Cracovia, with divers Bishopricks; and gave the tythes of the whole Kingdom by a perpetual Edict to the Clergy.

999] Boleslaus I. He received the Title of King from Otho III. Emperor of Germany; his predecessors being no more than Dukes of Po­land.

1025] Mieceslaus II.

Casimirus I. Driven out of Poland in his mi­nority, by factions occasioned from his mo­thers ill government. He travel'd thro Hunga­ry, Germany, Italy, and at last in France was made Religious, and Deacon in the Benedictine Convent at Cluny; was invited thence to the Crown by the Poles, who to procure the Popes dispensation for his Vow, condscended to a perpetual tribute of an obolus per head upon all the Commonalty, for the maintaining Lamps to burn in St. Peters Church at Rome, called hence Peter-pence.

1059] Boleslaus II. surnamed the Bold; he murther'd Stanislaus Archbishop of Cracow as he was officiating at the Altar, for which he was excommunicated and deposed by Pope Gregory VII. His successors too were deprived of the Title of King, the Bishops being forbid to anoint any of them; which continued for 213 years, till the time of Premislaus.

1082] Ʋladislaus I.

1103] Boleslaus Krzywousci, or the wry-mouth­ed. He is recorded to have been a victor in forty Battels; but being forced to retreat out of the field at his last battel against the Russians, he dy­ed for grief.

1140] Ʋladislaus II.

[Page 8] 1146] Boleslaus IV. surnamed the Curld.

1174] Miecislaus the Old. So called for his prudence, tho but a young man. He was de­posed, by reason of his evil Counsellors, and twice by his cunning regain'd the Kingdom.

1178] Casimirus II. This Prince having re­ceiv'd a box on the ear from one of his Pages, whose money he had won at play, acquitted the boy, saying, That the Lad was transported with the loss of his money, and that he himself had been justly punished for prostituting his Dignity.

1195] Lescus the White.

1199] Miecislaus the Old, again.

Lescus the White, again.

1202] Mieceslaus the Old, a third time.

1203] Ʋadislaus Lasconogus, or small-shank'd.

1206] Lescus the White, a third time. In his reign the Teutonick Knights, or Knights of the Cross, took footing in Prussia, being call'd in by his brother Conradus, Duke of Masovia and Cu­javia, to assist him against the Prussians.

1226] Boleslaus IV. surnamed the Chast, be­cause he never knew his wife all the while he was married to her. In his time the Polanders received so great an overthrow from the Tartars, that the right ears only of the slain fill'd nine large sacks.

1279] Lescus the Black. During his reign the Tartars made another inundation into Poland, and carried away so many captives, that 'tis said above 21000 virgins were counted amongst them, at the division of their booty; the men they generally murder'd, and poisoning their hearts, cast them into the waters, from whence sundry new diseases were occasioned, amongst others, some say, the Plica Polonica.

1295] Premislaus. He reigned seven months, and in that time re-assumed the title of King, be­ing crown'd by the Archbishop of Gnesna.

1296] Ʋladislaus Lochius. So called from the shortness of his stature; Lokiek signifying an Ell.

1300] Wenceslaus the Bohemian.

1305] Ʋladislaus Lochius, again.

1333] Casimirus, surnamed the Great, and the last of the family of Piasti, to whom Poland owes all its beauty, grandeur, and riches.

1370] Lodowick, King of Hungary, and Ne­phew of Casimir the Great.

Hitherto the Crown of Poland was successive, except when the King dyed without issue. In the third Class it began to be elective, Ʋladislaus Ja­gello being obliged to swear (as Hartknoch ac­quaints us) that he received it by election, and not succession. This Class contains the Kings of the Jagellonian family, in the following order.

1386] Ʋladislaus Jagello, chosen Husband to Heduiges second daughter to Lodowic, and there­with King of Poland, upon condition that he should unite to the Crown his dominions of Lit­vania, Samogitia, and part of Prussia; become Christian himself, and endeavour the conversion of those Nations; and lastly, pay two hundred thousand Florens to William Duke of Austria, for­feited by Heduiges, who was before contracted to the said Duke. He was a pious Prince, and founder of the University at Cracow.

1434] Ʋladislaus III.

1447] Casimirus IV. 'Tis very memora­ble what Loccenius reports of this King, how that meeting with Charles King of Swedeland at Dantzick, he was forced to get a Monk to talk Latin with the said King, who understood no Polish, but talked Latin accurately. Hereupon Casimir being ashamed of the ignorance of him­self and his followers, returning home caused publick proclamations to be made, That from thence-forward no man should be advanced to any dignity, except he were able to speak Latin. Whence, saith the same Author, it came to pass, that the Polanders have ever since excelled in the Latin tongue.

1492] Johannes Albertus. In whose reign the Tartars laid waste Rusia, Podolia, and several other parts of the Kingdom.

1501] Alexander. This King is reported to have been such a prodigal, that had he ruled long he would have begger'd the Nation. His Queen Helena was not suffer'd to be crowned, because (being a Greek) she refused to conform to the Roman Church.

1507] Sigismund I. Reckon'd (by Paulus Jo­vius) one of the three Worthies ( Charles V. Emperor, and Francis I. King of France, being the other) who, had they not been contemporary Princes, deserv'd singly to have ruled the whole world. Besides the large endowments of his mind, he was a person of such vast strength of body, that 'twas ordinary for him (in his youth) to break asunder horse-shoes and strong ropes.

1548] Sigismundus Augustus. In his time the Lutheran Religion began first to take footing in Poland.

The fourth and last Class contains a Register of Kings elected out of divers families; which occasioned several Interregna. The order of these Princes is as follows:

1574] Henry Valois, Duke of Anjou. He fled from Poland into France upon news of his bro­ther Charles's death; and was thereupon deposed by the Estates. He reigned five months.

1576] Stephen Bathor, Palatine of Transylvania.

1587] Sigismund III. Prince of Sweden, who after the death of his father John III. was crown'd also King of Sweden; but deposed again by his subjects, chiefly for attempting to introduce the Roman Religion amongst them (in which he had been educated by his mother). His Uncle Charles IX. Duke of Sudermannia was chose in his place.

1632] Ʋladislaus IV. Famous for his many conquests over the Turks, and subduing Muscovy, of which he was elected Tzar in his Fathers life­time.

1648] John Casimir, designed for a Religious, and had lived two years of probation amongst the Jesuits, but (as Hartknoch writes) nominated Cardinal by Innocent X. before he took the vow of that order. Being elected King, he married his brother Sigismund's widow. He laid down his Diadem, and retired into France.

1669] Michael Koributh, Duke of Wisniowiec. An unfortunate Prince, who lost Caminiec to the Turks.

1674] John Sobieski, formerly General against the Turks; now reigning, A. D. 1679.

The Queen of Poland, except she be a Roman Catholick, is never crown'd; nor then, unless the King himself request it, who is always present at her Coronation. During his life, the charges of her Court are defrayed out of his Exchequer; but after his death she maintains her self out of the revenues of such lands as the King, with the consent of the Estates, made over to her upon marriage.

The Senate of Poland is famous as well for the Nobility, as number of persons. Among whom he that precedes all the rest (both in dignity and place) is,

The Archbishop of Gnesna; who always sits next the King, upon his right hand. He has, be­longing to his Court, a Marshal, who is also a [Page 9]Senator of the Kingdom, in the rank of the Ca­stellanes. This Marshal rides before the Arch­bishops Coach; and when he goes to Court, carries a staff before him upright, till he comes into the Kings Chamber, where he turns it down­wards. His authority is so great, that in the ab­sence of other Marshals, he bears the staff of au­thority before the King, when he goes to the General Assemblies. The Archbishop has also a Cross born before him, which the bearer holds upright behind his chair whilst he sits in the Se­nate. Next to the Marshal is the Chancellor, for the dispatch of publick affairs both in Church and State. The other Officers of the Archbishops Court, are the Chamberlain, Master of Requests, Steward of his Table, Treasurer, Chaplain, Li­brary-keeper, Master of the Horse, and Clerk of the Kitchin. As he is a Prince, while his meat is going up to table, whether at home or abroad, the drums beat. When he comes to Court, he goes directly to the King; never waiting his Ma­jesties leisure, or any prefixt time. And upon no­tice of his coming, he is met at the bottom of the stairs by the sub-Chamberlain; at the top by the Marshal of the Court. When he approaches the Royal presence, the King himself goes some paces to meet him. The title which the King gives him is, To the most Reverend Father in Christ. By others he is styled, Most High and most Reve­rend Lord, Lord N. by the grace of God and the Apostolick See, Archbishop of Gnesna, Legate born, Primate, and chief Prince of the Polonian Nobility. His prerogatives are so great, that he gives not place to any Cardinal; for which reason no Cardinal is ambitious of being sent into Po­land.

Next to him the Archbishop of Leopol, takes place.

After these two Archbishops, the Bishops are seated in the Senate, according to their dignity, in the following order:

1. Cracow. 2. Cujavia, who is also Bishop of Ʋladislow and Pomerania. 3. Vilna, and 4. Pos­nania, by turns. 5. Polockzo. 6. Varmia, and 7. Lu­ceorea, by turns. 8. Praemislia. 9. Samogitia or Mednic. 10. Culmo. 11. Chelmo. 12. Kiovia and Zernichovia. 13. Kamienieck. 14. Smolensko.

These Bishops sit on the right and left hand of the King, next the two Archbishops. Con­cerning the revenues and splendor of the Bishops of Poland, see Cromer. l. 2. descript. Pol. pag. 177. and Stanislaus Lubienski in vita Angelotti, fol. 310. Bishops by the Law are forbidden to hold Abbeys in commendam with their Bishopricks; only the Bishops of Kiovia and Kamienieck, having lost their revenues are now permitted that liberty, for their subsistence.

Next to the Bishops sit the Palatines or Woi­wodes, and Castellanes. The Palatines are Go­vernors of Dutchies or Counties, Commanders of their Militia in the general Expeditions of the Kingdom, appoint Conventions of the Nobles within their own Palatinate, and preside in them, and in Courts of Judicature, and have the patro­nage of the Jews, who are very numerous in Po­land. They are the first order of the secular Se­nators. The Castellanes are, as it were, the Lieu­tenants of the Palatines, commanding in time of war the Nobility under them; there are divers of them belonging to one Palatine, each of them having his District or Castellanate, and from hence his title, and generally some revenue, but no jurisdiction in time of peace, only as he is a Senator. The Castellane of Cracow was preferr'd before the Palatine upon the rebellion of Scarbi­mirus the Palatine against Boleslaus III. The Ca­stellanes of Vilna and Troco, together with the Captain of Samogitia (the only Captain in the Senate) had pre-eminence in consideration of their antiquity. The Palatines are seated thus:

1. The Castellane of Cracow. The Palatines of 2. Cracow, and 3. Posnania, by turns. 4. Vilna. 5. Sandomiria. 6. Castellane of Vilna. The Pa­latines of 7. Calistia. 8. Troco. 9. Sirad. 10. Ca­stellane of Troco. 11. Palatine of Lenschet. 11. Cap­tain of Samogitia. Palatines of 13. Bressic. 14. Kio­via. 15. Inouladislow. 16. Russia, formerly of Leopol. 17. Volhinia. 18. Podolia, formerly Ca­miniecz. 19 Smolensko. 20. Lublin. 21. Plock­zow. 22. Belze. 23. Novogrod. 24. Ploco. 25. Vi­tepz. 26. Masovia, formerly Culmo. 27. Pod­lachia. 28. Rava. 29. Brzecienski. 30. Culmo. 31. Mscislauia. 32. Mariaeburgh. 33. Breslow. 34. Pomerania. 35. Minsco. 36. Czernichow.

After these Palatines sit the Castellanes; di­stinguished into Greater and Lesser. The Grea­ter are these:

1. Posnania. 2. Sendomir. 3. Calissia. 4. Voynicz. 5. Gnesna. 6. Sirad. 7. Lenschet. 8. Samogitia. 9. Brestie. 10. Kiovia. 11. Inouladislow. 12. Leopol. 13. Volhinia. 14. Camieniecz. 15. Smolensko. 16. Lub­lin. 17. Belze. 18. Novogrod. 19. Ploco. 20. Witepz. 21. Czetne. 22. Podlachia. 23. Rava. 24. Brzescia. 25. Culmo. 26. Mscilow. 27. Elbing. 28. Breslow. 29. Dantzic. 30. Mirisco. 31. Czernichow.

The Lesser Castellanes are,

1. Sandecia. 2. Medirec. 3. Wislick. 4. Biecie. 5. Rogosnow. 6. Radan. 7. Zawichost. 8. Lenden. 9. Srim. 10. Tarnow. 11. Malagost. 12. Vielun. 13. Praemissia. 14. Halicie. 15. Senoc. 16. Chelmo. 17. Dobrzin. 18. Polaniecz. 19. Premetenski. 20. Kri­vin. 21. Czechow. 22. Nackle. 23. Rospir. 24. Bie­chow. 25. Bidgost. 26. Briesin. 27. Kruswic. 28. Os­wiecz. 29. Camienecz. 30. Spicimiria. 31. Inoulad. 32. Kowale. 33. Santoc. 34. Sochaczow. 35. Warsow. 36. Gostinin. 37. Visna. 38. Raciecz. 39. Sierpz. 40. Wysogrogende. 41. Ripin. 42. Zacochim. 43. Cie­chanon. 44. Live. 45. Slonsco. 46. Lubaczow. 47. Ko­nar in Sirad. 48. Konar in Lenschot. 49. Konar in Cujavia.

These are called the Lesser, as being more lately admitted into the Senate. To greater Castellanes they give the title of Wielmozni or Magnifici; to the Lesser that of Ʋrodzeni or Ge­nerosi: but by private persons all Castellanes are called Jasnie Wielmozni, or Illustrissimi. It is esta­blished by Law, that none may be either Pala­tine or Castellane in that Province in which he hath no lands.

The lowest in degree among the Senators are the Officers of the Kingdom and Great Duke­dom of Lithvania, in the following order:

• 1. The supreme Marshal of the Kingdom.
• 2. The Marshal of the Great Dukedom of Lithvania.
• 3. The high Chancellor of the Kingdom.
• 4. The Chancellor of Lithvania.
• 5. The Pro-Chancellor of the Kingdom.
• 6. The Pro-Chancellor of Lithvania.
• 7. The Treasurer of the Kingdom.
• 8. The Treasurer of Lithvania.
• 9. The Marshal of the Court for the King­dom.
• 10. The Marshal of the Court of the Great Duke of Lithvania.

The office of the supreme Marshal is, to call the Senate upon command of the King or Inter­rex; to command silence, and give leave of speak­ing therein; to promulgate their acts to the people; and to pronounce and put in execu­tion the Kings decrees in all causes of infamy and death. He prepares the place of the Diets, and hath the chief management of matters in those Assemblies; receives foreign Princes, and [Page 10]Ambassadors at their arrival, providing them with lodgings; performs also most of the functi­ons belonging to the Lord Steward of the Kings Houshold. In the publick assemblies, or when he goes before the King, he carries a staff upright. While the King resides in Lithvania, the Marshal of Lithvania has the same power there. The Chan­cellors are both secular persons; and the office of Chancellor and Pro-Chancellor is the same, only the Chancellor keeps the great, and the Pro-Chancellor the lesser Seal. In short, these two are the mouth and hands of the King in the dispatch of all business. The Treasurers are the Stewards of the publick Treasury, and masters of the Mint. When the King bestows this office upon any one, four Senators are appointed to deliver the Treasury to him by an inventory, of which there are three copies, one with the King, another with the Treasurer, and the third they keep themselves. This, by the way, take notice of in reference to all the Senators, that none of them are permitted to stir out of the Kingdom without particular licence of the Grand Estates; and upon some pressing occasion.

The rest of the Officers about the Court which are not of the Senatorian Order, as the Principal Secretary, Master of Requests, Captain Gene­ral, &c. I spare to mention, being much-what the same as in other Nations; only it is to be observed, that there are two of every sort, one for the Kingdom of Poland, the other for the Great Dukedom of Lithvania.

The Masters of Requests are always present when the King sits to determine controversies and differences among his Subjects; at which time it is their duty to lay open the nature and grounds of the controversie to the King. They stand fair, upon a vacancy, to be admitted Sena­tors. The Magistrates for the several Districts are of two sorts, that is, Land; or Camp-Magi­strates. The Land Magistrates are:

• 1. The Vice-Chamberlain, or Judg of bounds and limits.
• 2. The Standard-bearer.
• 3. The Land-Judg.
• 4. The Tribune.
• 5. The Land-Register.
• 6. The Keeper of the Treasury. Besides some other inferior Officers.

The Camp or Military Officers are:

• 1. The Captain with Jurisdiction, who is Go­vernor of some Town or Castle.
• 2. The Captain without Jurisdiction.
• 3. The Burggrave; who is Governor of some Castle, and takes care of the out-guards.
• 4. The Vice-Captain.
• 5. The Judg-Advocate.
• 6. The Field-Register.

The Councils, Councils. or Parliaments of Poland, are of two sorts: 1. Civil, to which the Counsel­lors come in their Gowns. 2. Military, to which they come in Military habit. The latter are only held in the time of an Interregnum. The former are frequently called: and are 1. Ordinary; which by the Laws are summon'd once in two years. 2. Extraordinary; which are assembled as the necessity of affairs requires. When either Or­dinary or Extraordinary Councils are to be con­vened, the King by his Letters summons the lesser Councils or Conventions, in the several Palatinates, larger Provinces, and certain Districts. These Conventions precede the general Assemblies of the Kingdom six weeks, unless upon some extraor­dinary accident: and are held in the proper Ci­ties of the Palatinates and Provinces, appointed for that purpose. Here, after they have chosen a Marshal (who seems to be much like our Spea­ker, as being the Director of the Convention) they first consider of such things as are pro­pounded to them by the Kings Deputies, dis­patched away to every Convention, and of what other business is to be motioned at the General Session. After that they choose the Land De­puties, or provincial Delegates, for the general Assembly. Every Province sends so many (al­most in the same manner as our Shires, save on­ly that they are not chosen by the people) till the whole number amount to about 300. These Deputies are generally elected out of such Ma­gistrates as are not of the Senatorian order: ex­cluding all Judges and their Assistants, Col­lectors, and all Officers of the Exchequer, un­less they have exact and full acquittances from the Treasurer. The Delegates, like our Bur­gesses, have a certain allowance from their re­spective Provinces, during the sitting of the ge­neral Assembly. The particular Conventions be­ing broken up (which by the Law are not to sit above four days) three weeks before the Se­nators and Delegates repair to the Grand Session, they meet at the general Committees for the several Provinces; where they again read over the Kings commands, the instructions given to the Delegates, and what was thought needful to be propounded for the publick good. The grand Assembly being met, the Deputies repair to their Chamber and choose their Marshal or Director; which done, they are all conducted to kiss the Kings hand: and after that ceremony perform'd, the Chancellours of the Kingdom and Dukedome, in order, declare to them the substance of those affairs which are to be the subject of their Debates. Before they depart, they put the King in mind of supplying such employments as are vacant with deserving per­sons; and desire an account of such Laws or Ordinances as have been made by the resident Senators since the sitting of the last grand Con­vention. Having so done, they return to their Chamber. The power of these Nuncii, or De­puties, is very great: for when they send any of their number to the King, they are presently admitted, let the King be never so busy, and have an immediate dispatch. If they clash in their debates, the King is careful to send some of the Senators to reconcile them; who then give them the Title of Mosci Panovoie Bracia or Gracious Lords Brothers. They have also power to impeach any great Officer of Misdemeanours, and to put the King himself in mind of his pro­mises touching the Laws and priviledges of the Kingdom; neither is any constitution valid, that has not its Original from the Chamber of the Deputies. And, which is yet more, if any one of the whole number of the Nuncii dissent, no­thing can be legally concluded. So that upon the protestation and departure of one Deputy, the whole Convention is ipso facto dissolv'd. Whilst the Deputies are thus consulting, the King and Senators have little to do, but to hear certain criminal causes appointed before hand for the first week, and some other civil contro­versies the second; till the return of the Depu­ties embodies the whole Senate together. Then every man has liberty to deliver his mind, with the leave and direction of the Marshal. The King suspends his own opinion, till the Senators and Deputies, or the major part of them agree. Then he endeavours to reconcile their different votes; or if he cannot prevail, concurs with that party which has voted most conformably to the Laws and priviledges of the Realm. These consultations by the Law, ought not to be con­tinued [Page 11]above fifteen days after the joyning of both Houses: though sometimes urgency of af­fairs causes farther prolongation. When the Session breaks up, the Deputies returning home, give notice of their return to the Captains with Jurisdiction, and the Palatines or Vice-Palatines give the same notice of the return to the De­puties to the Nobility, inviting them withal to the Post-Comitial Assemblies or Conventions of Relation; the meeting whereof the King ap­points. In these Conventions, the Deputies pro­duce the constitutions made in the last general Assembly of Estates, delivered to them under seal by the Chancellours, and take care that they be fairly transcribed into the Land and mili­tary Registers; not omitting, after this, to give a full account of what they have acted in discharge of their Trusts. If the grand Session break up in confusion, not having effected any thing to purpose; then certain Post-Comitial Councils are called, wherein the King prefixes a time for ano­ther grand Session. Nor is it a wonder that much disturbance should rise in the General Assemblies; considering the multitude of the Deputies, and the liberty of each member: for which reason, Cardinal Johannes Franciscus Com­mendonus, facetiously said, That Morbus Comitialis was the Epidemical distemper of Poland. Now, that the King may not want a Council in the interval of general Conventions, they, before they break up, appoint 24 Senators (8 Pala­tines, 8 Major, and as many Minor Castellanes) and four Bishops to wait quarterly (four at a time, one Bishop and three Senators) till other 28 are chosen. And these are bound so close to their duty, that they accompany the King to the Wars: for which they have a Stipend allowed and payed out of the Treasury.

The Courts of Judicature in respect of their division are the same as in other countreys, [...] that is, either Ecclesiastic or Secular; either for civil or criminal causes: but in respect of the Judges and manner of proceeding therein, not easily to be understood without a particular survey. The Nobles have a Court peculiar to themselves, cal­led the Court of Land-judicature, wherein all actions relating to estates in Land are tryed. Where also the Captains, and, by their permission, the Kings Tenants may sue the Nobles them­selves for wast done upon the Lands belonging to the Kings table. To this Court likewise be­long all actions of debt upon Contract. The Judges of this Court are, a chief Judg, a Judg, and a Secondary. Upon the death of any of these, the Nobility propose four landed men, whom they recommend to the King; who chu­ses one out of them into the dead place. All the Judges are bound to be resident at the Session of the Court; which is twice, thrice, and sometimes four times, a year. The next remarkable Court is that of the several Cap­tains jurisdiction, called Sudy Grodskie or Court­military. The chief Judg of this Court is a Captain, he sits alone, takes cognisance of Rapes, Burglary, Setting Houses on fire, Rob­beries upon the High-way. &c. Noblemen not Landed are here also tryed; and forreign Mer­chants coming to Faires. He has also power, without any noise of Law to condemn and pu­nish idle Vagabonds, Thieves, Proscribed per­sons, Fugitives, and people of infamous conver­sation. The writ of the Court runs Nos Capi­taneus &c. Tibi &c. Mandamus vigore Regio, & nostra, qua hac parte fungimur, Authoritate, &c. In Criminal causes it is to be served a fortnight, in Civil a week, before the Court sits. To the Judicia Campestria may be referred the Vice-Cap­tains Court: which takes cognizance of the di­vision of Estates between brothers; forcible e­jections; servants entertained without testimo­nial; exaction of customs; non-payment of pub­lick duties; &c. The Sub-Chamberlains Court is for settling the bounds of Noblemens Estates. The Commissorial Courts are erected for the same pur­pose, when the controversy happens between a Noble-man and one of the Kings tenants. For then the King sends down Commissioners to settle the limits of his own lands: who therefore issue out their writ after this form. Nos &c. Com­missarii per Majestatem Regiam specialiter deputati vobis Generosis &c. innotescimus, &c. The Tri­bunal-Courts are superiour Courts, which take cognizance of all causes removed thither by way of appeal from the Courts of Land-judicature, the Captains Courts, the Vice-Chamberlain and the Commissorial Courts. The Judges of these Courts are as well spiritual as secular. The spiritual Judges are elected by the several Chap­ters of the Provinces; the temporal Judges, by the most voices of the Nobility. These Courts are held only in two places for Poland, Petricow and Lublin. The Causes are heard in order: for three days are allowed to enter all causes that come; and whatever is not enter'd in those three days cannot be medled with that sitting. Here are tried all causes that concern Ecclesia­stical persons, and the revenues of Churches and religious houses. The writs issued hence run all in the Kings name, under the Seal of the Province where the Defendant lives. The De­crees of the Court are seal'd with the Seal of the province where the Court is held. From hence there lyes no appeal either to the King, or the General Session; unless where the Court is equally divided, or that the case in Contro­versy be not decided by the Constitutions. The Courts of the General Conventions are either Cri­minal, or Civil. The Criminal either for publick crimes, as High Treason, Treason, Robbing the Exchequer, Violation of the priviledges of the General Parliament, and adulterating or falsify­ing the publick Coin; or else for private crimes, as Murder, Poysoning, Incest, Adultery, and such like hainous offences. To the civil Conven­tional Courts belong all causes concerning the E­state of the Kings table; goods unlawfully re­ceived; extortion of custome; negligence of Magistrates; &c. all causes concerning the tenths of Noblemens Estates; profanation of Churches; Land-offices and Honours; &c. The Judges of this Court are the King and the Senatours. Whilst the Senatours and Deputies give their votes, the King absents himself; afterwards, when the de­cree is confirm'd by plurality of votes, he re­turns; and the Marshal having proclaimed the Sentence in the Kings presence, commands the person condemn'd to be clapt into irons, and takes care that execution be done. For causes that relate to the public Revenues there is the Court of the Exchequer usually held at Radom: and therefore called Tribunal Radomiense. The Judges of this Court, besides the Treasurer, are certain Senators, elected for this purpose in the general Parliaments of the Kingdom. Before this Court are examined and tryed all Sub-trea­surers and Collectors of contributions and Cap­tains which have not brought into the Treasury what collections were paid into their hands; as also all Merchants and others by whom the Treasury has suffer'd any dammage. This Court seldome sits above a fortnight or three weeks, and always adjourns before the meeting of the general Conventions. Nearly relating to this Court is that which they call The Commission for [Page 12]payment of Souldiers wages. Here are tryed such Souldiers as have not appeared after they have received their pay, or that have commit­ted any Acts of violence towards the Kings Sub­jects. The Judges of this Court are the chief Commission-officers of the Army, with certain selected Senators and Deputies to assist them. To omit the Military Courts which are the same in all well disciplined armies, the Marshal of the Kings house has also his Court; whose jurisdi­ction extends not only over the Kings servants, but also over the Senators themselves that live in the Court. The Captural Court is two-fold; either General, which sits during the Interreg­num to prevent disorders, having absolute power of life and death; whose Judges are chosen out of the prime Nobility: Or, Particular; in the several Palatinates of the Kingdom, the Judges whereof are chosen out of the Nobility at the several particular Conventions in the beginning of the Interregnum. They take cognizance of all causes tryable in the Captains Court, and of all injuries and batteries (but meddle not with ci­vil matters) being like a Court constituted to keep the peace during the Interregnum. All Cap­tural Courts cease three weeks before the Assem­blies for Election meet. After the Election is over, they sit again till the Coronation of the King. The Jews are every where tried and judg­ed by the Palatines, from whom there lyes no appeal except the sum exceed an hundred Florens. They that live in Towns or Villages belonging to Noblemen are under the jurisdiction of the Lord of the Royalty. In the Assessorial Court the Chancellour sits as supreme Judge, assisted by the Masters of requests, and the principal Secretaries of the Kingdom. Here are heard all causes remo­ved from the City Courts, as also from the Pa­latines when the controversy lies between a Chri­stian and a Jew. Of the Court of Relations the King himself is Judg, and hears all causes re­moved by way of appeal out of the Assessorial Court. Hence there lies no appeal, but only to the Parliament it self: and that but in two or three cases. As when the action relates to an E­state which the possessour affirms that he holds by inheritance; or that it concern the publick revenue of the kingdom. I do not find any Ec­clesiatical Courts particularly named; however most certain it is, that the Bishops have their se­veral Courts, where either they, or their offici­als, take cognizance of all ceremonies and insti­tutions Ecclesiastical, and are Judges of Heresy, Schism, Magick, Incantations, Usury, Simony, as also controversies about Tithes and Church-lands, of murder or violence offer'd to a reli­gious person, or upon holy ground. Moreover, they determine the rights of Patronage, Ma­trimonial differences and contests touching birth­right. As for Wills and Testaments, the diffe­rences about them are decided in the secular Courts as well as in these; unless in case of some Legacies left to the Church. From the Bishop's Court there lies an appeal to the Arch-bishop of Leopol; from him to the Arch-bishop of Gnesna; and thence to the Apostolick See. To the Spi­ritual Courts belong the Court of Nunciature un­der the jurisdiction of the Popes Nuncio, for that purpose always residing in Poland. However before he enters into his office, he is obliged to present to the King and the principal Ministers of State the Apostolick brief of his Nunciature, wherein he acknowledges the King as supreme. To conclude, it has been often controverted a­mong which of Aristotle's five sorts of govern­ment, the government of Poland may be rec­kon'd: which when the most learned have not been able to determine, they have all betaken themselves to the common Proverb, frequently in the mouthes of the Polonians themselves, Po­lonia confusione regitur: yet such a confusion, saith Coricinius, which has preserved the Virgin honour of the Nation safe and undefiled in the midst of so ma­ny cruel and bloody Wars.

At this day there is no less confusion in the re­ligion then government of Poland. [...] In the year 965 Miecislaus King of Poland, ( John the 13th. being then Pope,) received and entertained the Christian faith according to the ceremonies of the Church of Rome; which though it be still the most profest and reigning religion to this day, yet have other Religions and Sects got no small footing in the Realm. For in the year 1264 the Jews flock'd into Poland, planting them­selves whole Colonies together, in this King­dom. To whom Boleslaus Duke of Great Po­land, granted several priviledges and immunities, which Casimir the great (at the suit of another Jewish Esther, who was his Mistress) very much enlarged: by which means their number is now so encreased over all the Cities and Villages of Poland, that is now called the Jews paradise. In the year 1397, Vitoldus, grand Duke of Lithua­nia, having overthrown the Nagayan Tartars, tran­slated whole Herds of them into his own Ter­ritories; who to this day obstinately maintain the follies of Mahomet. Much about the same time, in the reign of Ʋladislaus Jagello, the o­pinions of John Huss brake forth, and (by the pains of Procopius Holy, Brederick Straznicz and William Kotska) prevailed so far in Poland, even among the Nobility, that though several severe Edicts were made against them, yet could they never be wholly extirpated. At length the Lu­therans and Calvinists invaded the Roman-Catho­lick Religion with more danger to the Papacy; their party being encreased by the Students of Cracow, through the neglect of the Magistrates in not revenging the murder of one of their Col­legiates. For they, thereupon dispersing into Bohemia and Germany, upon their return so large­ly propagated the doctrine of Luther, that Si­gismund Augustus himself, the Archbishop of Gnesna, with the Bishops of Culmo and Camieniek, lean'd very much to their party. Among these the Arrians intermixed themselves, and although so severely prosecuted by John Casimir and o­thers that Alexander the seventh, for their sakes, gave the Kings of Poland the Title of Orthodox, yet they still shelter themselves under the name of Dissenters. As for the Calvinists, how far they have strengthened themselves may appear by the late disturbances in Dantzick. The Russians, though a great part of them, in the year 1596, joyned themselves to the Roman Church; yet the more numerous party, which go by the name of Not-united, still retain the ceremonies of the Greeks, under Arch-bishops and Priests of the same profession. And their priviledges were confirmed by the agreement made in the year 1658. The Armenians, who are very nu­merous in Poland upon the account of Trade, profess the Roman Catholick religion, being wrought thereto by the zealous industry of John Casimir. Lately, for the better support of the Ro­man-Catholick Religion, there was an Article in­serted into the Pacta Conventa, to which this present King swore, That no Person should be elected to the Kingdom of Poland that was not of the Roman Ca­tholick religion; and that the Queen should be ei­ther a Roman Catholick born, or by conversion.

It is considerable that there was not any con­gregation of the Antitrinitarians continued from the ancient Arrians and Photinians; but the be­ginning

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[Page] [Page 13]of them was since the reformation: and they began to appear in Poland about the year 1560, by the suggestions of certain runnagate Ita­lians, refuging themselves in Countries where the Nobility have the liberty to set up and maintain what religion they please. These were Paulus Alciatus a Milanese, a fanatick and very unlearned person, Valentinus Gentilis, Bernardinus Ochinus, Paulus Orsacius, Franc. Lismaninus, &c. who at first, all of them, professed the reformed Religion; but afterwards fell, some to Arrianism, Photinia­nism, Anabaptism, Judaism, Mahometanism, and some set up new sects of their own. The first person of quality that appear'd in their de­fence was Georgius Blandrata, (a Physitian, sustained first by Nic. Adzeo surnamed the Black, after­wards by the Battori) Petrus Statorius, and some others. These men having long lurked up and down these Countries, sowing their Tares where they found opportunity, at last were disco­vered and cited to a Synod of the Reformed: where they answered so ambiguously and cun­ningly, that they deceived the Synod, and were embraced as Orthodox. In 1565, the King of Poland permitted a disputation between the Re­formed and them; the sum of which is set down by Possevinus ( De Atheismo haereticorum hu­jus seculi c. 13.) the success was, that both parties departed with the same opinions they brought thither. But the Reformed in divers Synods drew up out of their several Confessions, Augu­stan, Bohemian, and Helvetian, Articles of their belief concerning the Trinity; which being ap­prov'd by King Stephen, he allowed them a Church publickly in Cracow. But the Antitrinitarians lurked and sheltered themselves here and there under such Nobility as they could perswade to befriend them; nor were they ever established, for when any of their Patrons died, there succeeded most times one of another perswasion; so that they were forced to remove; till they settled at Racovia under the protection of Sienjenius: there they set up a School, Press, &c. But not this till after the coming of Socinus; who being known by the divers books he had printed, was sent for by Blandrata about 1579. He learned his opi­nions from his Uncle Lelius Socinus, who was the first in that age that revived those doctrines concerning our Saviours mediatorship. So­cinus at his first arrival was taken up with dis­putes against the dissenters, such as Franc. Davidis, Christ. Francken, Farnesius, Greg. Pauli, and others, particularly with Petr. Stoinsky, a very eloquent man; who openly yeilded the cause, and went over to Socinus; and afterwards assisted him very much in reducing all those that held either Arrianism, or wilder opinions concerning our Saviour. It should seem that Socinus was most of all favoured by Morstinius, Blonscius and o­ther Noble-men; and that they were not yet setled in Racovia; till, Greg. Pauli who had got in there with his Anabaptists, and called it New Jerusalem, was by the Magistrates thence dispos­sess'd. There succeeded Socinus some persons of more eminent learning, such as Crellius, Schli­tingius &c. whose authority kept the party uni­ted till the year 1638; when certain of their Scholars thinking themselves strong enough to exert and defend their zeal, put off their mode­sty, and threw down a cross near unto their Schools in Raconia. Of which complaint being made to the Diet, it was commanded, that their Temple, School, and Printing-house should be taken from them, and their Pastors and School-masters banished, which being executed, their Patron Sienjenius died for grief.

What has been hitherto said, has related to Poland in general; which, according to the opinion of the best modern Geographers, may be di­vided into the following Provinces. 1. The Greater Poland; which contains the Palatinates of Posnania, Calissia, Lancicia, Bresta, Inouladi­slavia, Sirad and Rava, and the Territories of Vielun and Dobrin. 2. The Lesser Poland; in which are contain'd the Palatinates of Cracow, Sendo­mir and Lublin; the Dukedomes of Oswiec, Ta­bor and Aever, and the County of Scepus. 3. Li­thuania; which consists of three Palatinates of Vilna, Troco and Brescia. 4. Masovia; to which belong the Palatinates of Masovia, Ploco, and Podlachia. 5. Prussia Regia; which is divided in­to the Palatinates of Culmo, Mariaeburg and Po­merania, and the Bishoprick of Varma. 6. Samo­gitia; in which are no Palatinates: but the whole Province is subject to one Governour or Cap­tain. 7. White Russia; which borders upon the great Dukedome of Moscovy, and contains the Palatinates of Novogrod, Micislavia, Viteps, Polo­co, Smolensco, Czernichovia and Kiovia: of which at present a great part is in the hands of the great Duke of Moscovy. 8. Red Russia; in which lay the Palatines of Russia, Podolia, Volhinia, Belze, and Braclavia. Lastly, the Southern tract of Li­vonia is also reckoned among the Provinces of Poland. But of all these we shall treat more fully in the following Order.