A Brief Description of the Whole World, Part 5
Of Denmarke, Sweden, and Norway.
AS Italy lie…h on the S…uelDenmarkes …. side of Germany, so Denmarke lieth on the North, i…to the middle of which Land, the sea breake…h in by a place called the Sound. The Impost of which pass…ge … g…eat riches, as an ordinary Tribu…e unto the Ki…g of Denmarke. This is a Kingdome, and ruled by an absolute Gove…nour.
O… the North and East side of Denmarke, lieth Suezia, commonly ca…led Sw…den or Swethe…; which…. is also a Kingdome of it self: Where the King professeth himself to be Rex Suecorum, Gothorum & Vandalorum: whereby we may know that the G…thes and Vandals, which in times past did waste Italy, and other Nations of Christendome, did come out of this Countrey.
This whole Countrey which containeth in it, … Su…zia, and some part of Denmarke is Peninsula, being very much compassed about with the Sea: and this is it, which in Ol…s Magnus, & Joannes Magnus, is termed Archiepisco… us Upsalensis; as also in some of the … ancient Writers, is called S…ā dinavia: on the North a…d We…t side of Sweden, lieth Nor…egia, or Norway, which is at this day under the Governme…t of the King of Denmarke, al…hough heretofore it hath been a …ee Kingd…me of it self.
Beyond Norway toward Russia on the Northern sea, lieth … via, beyond that Biarmia, then Happia or Hapland, a poor and cold Countre…, neare Sin…s B…ddicus: whereof there is little to be spoken but that it is said to be subject to the great Kn…z, or Duke of Moscovie. But of these afterwards.
Within the Sound, on the East part of the Sea, lieth Dantzicke, about which are the Towns of the Haustmen, Confederates and Allies unto the King of Denmarke.
These are very rich Towns by reason of Merchandize, which down the Rivers they rece…ve out of Polonia, and transport into other parts of Christe…dome, through the Sound of the King of Denmarke. They li…e … f…ee pe…ple keeping amity and … with the Kings of Sweden and Denmarke, and with the Empe…our of Germany: but within these late years, Stephen Bacour, the King of Polon, doth challenge them to be members of his Crown and Dignity, and by war…e forc…d them to cap…tulate …ith him.
There is no great thing to be noted in these Countries, but that from Denmark commeth much corn, to the supply of other parts of Christendom; and that from all these Countries, … brought great furniture for warre, or for shipping, as Masts, C…bles, Steele, Riches of Denmarke.Saddles, Arm…ur, Gunpowder, & the l…ke: And that in the seas adjoyning to these parts, there are fishes of much more monstrous shape than el…e-where are to be found. The people of those Countries are by theirTheir Religion. …rofession Lutherans for Religion.