A Brief Description of the Whole World, Part 8
Of Hungaria and Austria.
ON the South-East side ofHungary …. Germany, lyeth Hungaria, called in the Latine Pannonia, which hath been heretofore divided into Pannonia superior, & Pannonia inferior: it is an absolute Kingdome, and hath been heretofore rich and populous. The Christians that do live there, have among them divers sorts of Religion, as in Poland.
This Kingdome hath been a great obstacle against the Turkes comming into Christendome; but especially in the time of John Hunniades, who did mightily with many great victories repulse the Tu…ks. Here standeth Bunda, which wasBunda. heretofore a great Fortresse of Christendome: but the glory of this Kingdome is almost utterly decaied, by reason that the Turk who partly by policy, & partly by force, doth now possesse the greatest part of it; so that the people are fled from thence, and the Christians which remaine there are in miserable servitude: Notwithstanding some part of Pannonia inferior doth ye… belong to Christendome.
The Turks for the space of these forty or fifty years last past, have kept continuall garrisons, and many times great Armies in that place of Hungary, which yet remaineth Christned; yea, and sometimes th… great Turks themselves have come thither in person with huge Hosts▪ accounting it a matter of their re ligion, not only to destroy as many Christians as they can, but also to win their land, by the revenue… whereof, they may maintain some Religious house, which they think themselves in custome bound to erect: but so, that the maintai ning thereof is by the sword, to be wonne out of the hands of some of those whom they hold enemie… to them.
Hungary is become the onelyonly Cockpit of the World, where the Turkes doe strive to gain, and the Christians at the charge of the Emperor of Germany (who entituleth himselfe King of Hungary) doe labour to repulse them: and few summers do passe, but that something is either wonne or lost by e…ther party.
That corner of Germany which lieth neerest to Hungary or Pannonia Austria.inferior, is called Austria, or Pannonia a superior, wh…ch is an ArchDukedome. From which house (being of late much sprung) come many of the Princ…s of Germany, and of other parts of Europe: so that the Crown Imperiall of Germany, hath lately oft besallen to some one of this house.
In this Country standeth Vienna, Vienna.that noble City, wh…ch is now the principle Bulwarke of Christendome against the Turke: from whence S…liman was repelled by Ferdinandus King of Hungary, in the time of the Emperour Charles the fift. It was in this Country, that Richard the first, King of England, in his return from the Holy Land, was taken prisoner by the ArchDuke of Austria, and so put to a grievous ransome.
There were lately divers brothers of the Emperour Rodolphus the second, which were all called by the name of Arch-Dukes of Austria Arch Duks of Austria.…ccording to the manner of the Germans, who give the titles of the Fathers nobility to all the children. The names of them were Matthias, Ernestus, & the youngest Albertus, who for a good space held by dispensation from the Pope the Archbish oprick of Toledo in Spaine, although he were no Priest, and had then also the title of Cardinall of Austria, and was imploied for Viceroy of Portugall, by Philip the 2d. King of Spain: but after the death of the Duke of Parma, he was sent as Lievtenant general, & Governor of the Low-Ciuntries for the K. of Spaine, where since he hath attained to the marriage of the Infanta Isabella Eugenia Clara, eldest daughter to K. Philip the second, and last King of Spaine, and by her hath he the stile of Duke of Burgundy, although peaceably he cannot enjoy a great part of that Countrey.
Thorow both Austria and Hungary, doth runne the mighty River Danubius, as through Germany The River of ….doth runne the Rheinc: whereon groweth Vinum Rhenanum, com monly cal…ed Rhenisir wine.