A New Description of the World, Section 1 · Account of region 12 – Account of region 14
A Description of Poland, &c.
POLAND is a very considerable Kingdom, bounded on the East with the River Boristhenes, on the West with the Vistula; on the South with Hungary; and on the North with the Baltick Sea; and is for the most part plain and level, tho' in some places there are little rising Hills, abounding with Woods, and is properly divided into the Provinces of Livonia, Lithuania, Volhinia, Samogitia, Prussia, Massovia, Podalia, Russia Nigri, Podlassia, and Poland; and the chief Cities are, Guesna, an Archiepiscopal See, Posnavia, Cadissia, Siradia, Vladistavia, Crac…via, and Caminiec; the latter in the Possession of the Turks, who hold it as their Frontier in those parts; and in Cracovia is a famous University.
The Buildings in this Kingdom, and the Provinces that compose it, are for the most part of Timber and Loam; the Land full of Forrests, with many Rivers, yielding notwithstanding abundance of Corn, but is defective in Wine; Honey and Wax, are likewise found in great store, with Fruits of divers Kinds, and a great Number of Cattle and wild Beasts; there are also Salt-pits, and in some places Mines of Brimstone, Copper and Iron. The Polanders are generally Tall, well Proportioned, Courteous, and Pleasant of Behaviour; their Garments are rich, and of divers Colours, being much conceited of their own worth, and loving to be Praised, or rather Flattered: As for Lithuania, one of the Provinces of this Kingdom, though it is a very large one, yet it is so full of Fenns, and pestered by the over-flowing of Rivers, that it is not currantly passable, but when the Frosts are great, at what time they have no hindrance, neither by Rivers nor Fenns, and their greatest Wealth consists in Cattle, Honey, Wax and Furrs: As for the Language generally spoken, it is the Sclavonian; and in the North Extremities, where Villages and Towns are very scarce, the People dwell in Hutts of Straw and Loam, with Holes at the top of them to let in the Light, and give vent to the Smoak, living in miserable Poverty, as do (for the major part) the Peasants or inferiour People, being in a manner Slaves to the great ones, whose Tenants they are, though the Richer Sort are very Profuse and Expensive, rather Prodigal than Liberal, Impatient of Injuries, Delicious in Diet, and costly in Attire, often shaving their Heads, except one Lock, which they preserve with great care, being generally good Soldiers, and much Glory if they can kill a Turk in Battle, and bring off his Head, in Token of which, they wear Feathers in their Caps.
Theft in these Parts is very rare, especially to be committed by a Native Polander, and all Crimes are severely punished: As for the Religion they Profess, in Relation to the Government, it is that of the Romish Church, though the Reformed way of Worship is allowed and tolerated; and the King is of late Elective; the Women are tolerably Fair and well Proportioned, very Witty and Ingenious, great admirers, and observers, of their Husbands, and very neat in their Houses. A Peasant in this Country (unless in time of great Danger or Invasion) is not suffered to bear Arms; and when the Gospel is Read in the Churches, the Gentry and Nobility draw their Swords, in token that they are ready to defend it with their Lives. As for the Circumference of this Kingdom, and the Provinces appertaining to it, some Account it 2600 Miles, and is Scituate under the 8 and 12 Climates: So that the longest Day Southward, is 16 Hours, and Northward 18; bordering upon it are the huge Carpathian Mountains, where sundry Rivers have their Springs, that Water the Provinces, and pass through many Countries.
A Description of the Kingdom of Hungary, &c.
HVNGARY, one of the Fruitfullest Countries of Europe, before Wasted and Destroyed by a Tedious War, is bounded on the East with Transilvania and Wallachia, on the West Stiria, Austria, and Moravia, on the North with the Carpathian Mountains, on the South with Sclavonia, and some part of Dacia; accounted in Length 300 English Miles, and 109 in Breadth, lying in the North Temperate Zone, between the middle Parallels of the 7 and 9 Climates, so that the longest Day in the South is 15 Hours and a half, and 16 in the North, and was Anciently called Pannonia.
The People of this Country are strong of Body, boisterous of Behaviour, and have no great regard to Liberal Arts, or Mechanick Occupations, as giving themselves mostly to War, and taking it for the greatest Affront Imaginable to be esteemed a Coward, which they find no other way to obliterate, but by killing a Turk, after which they have the Liberty of wearing a Feather, as a Trophee of their Exploit; and though they are extreamly Covetous, they are no ways willing to Labour, but rather desire to live upon the Spoil: As for the Females they have no claim to any Inheritance, so that the Male Line failing, the Estate goes to the common Treasury; nor have the Daughters any other Portion given them, than a Wedding Garment, and are for the most part obliged to lie on hard Quilts, till such time as they are Married. As for their Cities and Towns, they are fortified for War, as having for upward of two Hundred Years been Imbroiled with the Turks, Transilvanians; and other Neighbouring Nations; the chief of which are, Presburg, Buda, Belgrade, Gran, New-hausel, Great Warradine, Alba Regalis, Raab, Commora, Temeswar, Gyula, Agria, Esseck, Pest, &c. which have strugled with various Fortunes and Success, though at present most of the strong Holds of this Kingdom, through the late good success are in the Imperialists hands; the Kingdom being Hereditary to the House of Austria, of which Joseph the Emperor's Son, and Arch-duke of Austria, is now Crowned King.
The Soil, though for the most part Untilled, is notwithstanding wonderful Fruitful, yielding Corn where they Till it, thrice in a Year, and in some places the Pastures are so rank for want of Feeding, that it rises the height of a Man; it abounds likewise with Fruits of all Kinds, especially abundance of Rich Vines, of whose Grapes rich Wine is made, and Deer, Goats, Hares, Conies, and wild Foul are here in great Plenty, though none be forbidden to take them; there are likewise Mines of Silver, and in some places Gold is found; and in time of Peace the Cattle so multiply, that they are obliged to send great store of them into divers parts of Europe, to prevent their over-running the Country.
The Religion Established in the Kingdom of Hungary, is that of the Romish Communion, though at present the Reformed Worship is Tollerated: The chief Rivers are the Danube, the Gran, the Waag, and the Nitrea; though many other Water this Fruitful Country; but for Mountains there are none considerable, the Country being generally plain, unless a few pleasant rising Hills, many of them Crowned with Vines; and here is the Famous Bridg of Esseck, 7 Miles in Length: passing over 3 Rivers, and divers Marshes, though lately it has been much ruined and destroyed.
The Description of Sclavonia.
SCLAVONIA is a considerable Country, bordering on Hungary, which bounds it on the North; as the Adriatick Sea does on the South; Carniola, Histria, and the Seignory of Venice on the West; and Servia, Epirus, and Macedonia on the East; accounted in Length 480 Miles, and in Breadth 325, of Italian Measure, Scituate in the North Temperate Zone, between the Middle Parallels of the 6 and 7 Climates; so that the longest Day exceeds not 15 Hours and a half.
This Country contains many small Provinces or Divisions, as Windishland, Croatia, Bosnia, Dalmatia, Contado-Dizara, and the Sclavonian Islands; and the chief Cities or Towns are, Zatha, Zacaocz, Windisgretz, Sagona, Ragusa, scituate on the Adriatick, being a place of great Traffick, Sebenicum or Sicum, Zara or Jadera, Scodra or Scutary, before which the Turks lost 100000 Men, Lissa, Gradiska, Buman, Novigrad, and Sisseg, or Sisseck, with others of lesser Note, scatter'd throughout the Provinces, which are partly in the Hands of the Turks, and partly in the Possession of the Imperialists and Venetians.
These Countries for the most part afford abundance of good Pasture, abound in Fruits, and are rich in Corn, yielding some Mines, and great store of Cattle, watered in many places by the Danube, Save, Drave, and other Rivers of note; and as for the People they are hardy, and inured either to War or Labour; and though they give themselves not much to Till the Ground, because the Turks and Venetians for the most part, reap the Benefit of their Labours, yet they want nothing that is necessary for the support of Humane Life; forasmuch as the Cattle and Sheep bring forth their Young twice in the Year; and although Corn be but barely cast on the Ground, without Tillage, it will bring forth Increase.
As for the People, though they are stubborn, and much addicted to Pride, yet are they put to many servile Labours, by their more proud Conquerors, who Lord it over them as if they were no other than their Drudges; for which reason the Word Slave, is derived from these Sclaves, through the unmerciful Usage they found at the hands of the Venetians, when they were first brought into Subjection by the Seigniory of Venice: As for their Religious Worship, it is in most parts according to that of the Greek Church, whose Patriarch they acknowledg Supream in Ecclesiastical Matters; and here they permit their Women very rarely to marry, till they are 24 years of Age, nor the Men till 30. And at this time, the Venetians have 3000 Sclavonian Horse-men Inrolled amongst their Militia, and have at all times drained this People to assist in their Wars against the Turks and neighbouring Christians: And as for the Native Sclaves, their Garb is half Sleeved Gowns, of violet Cloth, and a Bonnet of the same, much like to that of the Scots▪ shaving their Heads all but a Lock of Hair on their Crown, after the Fashion of the Turks; the Women likewise cut their Hair indifferent short, and if so it be not naturally Black, they use Art to render it of that Colour.