leave to put you into the road again, and to bring you back to Dantzick, which is the last place I undertook the description of, and which I shall be the more particular in, on account of my longer stay there than in any other place.

Dantzick (in Latin Dantiscum, or Gedanum) is the largest, strongest, and most wealthy city in all Royal Prussia, and is situated in one of the three islands (of which Regal Prussia consists) called by the Germans der Dantzicher Werder; this der Werder implying properly so many pieces of solid ground encompassed by fens and bogs.

By whom this city was first built, it remains as yet undetermined. Becanus will have the Danes to have been the founders of it, and from them to have been called Daneswick, i. e. Danes-town. But this derivation seems to have too much Dutch in it, and to be drawn in favour of a people that are not content with engrossing the trade of the world, but its very towns too; therefore it is more probable, that to the word Dan, Cdan, or Gdan, was added the Sclavonian term Scke, (signifying a town,) which made it Danscke, Cdanscke, or Gdanske, and which might very reasonably be supposed afterwards, for better pronunciation sake, to be changed into Dantzig, or Dantzick.

The town itself is watered by the rivers Rodawn and Motlaw, and divided by the former into two parts, the old and the new on the southern and western side, it is surrounded by high mountains, and has been well fortified against the incursions of the Swedes and others, ever since the year 1656. It has a large and high wall, so broad, that coaches may easily go round the ramparts; and so large in compass, that it is three hours' journey round, which I may very well compute at six English miles. At the entrance of the Rodawn, on the other side it, is a strong fort, wherein there is commonly a garrison of a thousand men; nor is it possible that this city should be bombarded from the sea, by reason of its distance from it; but from the neighbouring hills it may; and therefore some works are raised there, and always a certain number of soldiers, with store of cannon and ammunition, placed in them for its greater security.

It is also at present a very famous mart, and one of the principal of the Hans towns, scarce inferior to Hamburgh, being altogether governed by its own laws, though under the protection of the crown of Poland, from which it has a castellan appointed over it: half of the suburbs belong to that crown, and the other half to the city; for in some parts the crown lands reach to the suburbs, but in others the city lands go several miles together into the country.

There are twenty parishes in the city and suburbs. The houses are generally of brick, and the streets most commonly very wide, and well paved, though somewhat dirty in winter, as most of the streets in Poland are. The chief part of the city is called by the inhabitants Die rechte Stadt, and was built by Conrad Wallenrodt, master of the Teutonick order, about the year 1388. There are no gardens in the city, but several very fine and large ones in the suburbs.

The inhabitants are for the most part Germans, and computed to be upwards of two hundred thousand souls; whereof the greatest part have adhered to the Ausburgh Confession ever since the year 1525; and the Lutherans alone are admitted to a share in the government: yet all other sects are tolerated, and allowed a free exercise of their religion.

The public buildings here are, first, the churches; whereof there are two very famous, viz. St. Mary's and St. Peter's: the former of which is by much the stateliest and most exquisite fabric in all Prussia, being very high-roofed, and having in it a most melodious and well wrought organ. Besides it has forty-eight altars, three thousand seven hundred and twenty-two windows, and a font, made at Antwerp, which cost twenty-four thousand rixdollars, i. e. five thousand four hundred pounds of English money.

In the second place, the townhouse, where the magistrates sit for the despatch of public business, is a most magnificent structure, with an exceeding high spire. It has abundance of noble inscriptions in several rooms, into which it is divided; and the court of judicature surpasses any that I ever yet saw, being built all with freestone, and curiously

adorned on the outside with embellishments of fretwork, &c. as it is inwardly with original pictures and hieroglyphics by the best masters.

Three large magazines of warlike stores, ammunition, and provision are likewise kept in this city, capable of equipping more than forty thousand men at few hours warning; and a prodigious amassment of naval stores to fit out shipping.

But though there is no university, the professors of all faculties reside here in a very noble college, which is endowed with most academical privileges but that of giving the degree of a doctor. The exchange for merchants may likewise pass for a famous pile of building, if compared to any other but ours in London, or the stadthouse at Amsterdam: nor are the palace of St. Dominick or the college of Jesuits here any ways inferior to many beautiful edifices.

The jurisdiction of Dantzick extends to above forty miles circumference, and it sends two deputies to the diet of Poland.

The absolute government of it is in the hands of thirty senators, elders, or magistrates; whereof the greatest part are persons of learning, though some few are merchants, but of no other trade. None of the clergy can be of this magistracy, though any foreigners may; yet none of any other religion but the Lutheran, except the Calvinist, whereof there must be always four in the whole senate.

The senators, when once created, continue for life; and the first and chief of them are the four burgomasters, or, as they call them, proconsuls; out of which a president is chosen every year. Under these there are thirteen consuls, who choose the aforesaid burgomasters out of their body, as often as vacancies happen by death, &c. They likewise have the election of all other officers belonging as well to the city as the suburbs.

There are twelve scabins or judges for all manner of processes; from whom there lies an appeal to the thirteen consuls and four burgomasters, and from thence to the court of Poland. The thirtieth senator is their syndic or orator, who

is like a master of the ceremonies, to receive and compliment any foreign ministers or agents: he takes place of all the scabins, as the consuls and four burgomasters.

The king nominates every year, out of the consuls or burgomasters, a burgrave, to represent his person in the senate and all sentences of death must be signed by him in the king's name; for nobody can be executed here without such signing: and there is a very out of the way distinction in those executions; for natives must be always executed before Arlus-house, or the townhouse, and foreigners near one of the gates of the city, where the prison lies: all those that are executed in the city are beheaded; but all thieves and robbers (the others' crimes being offences against the state) are to be hanged about two miles out of town, at a famous gallows supported by four pillars of brick.

To represent the grievances of the people, and to maintain their privileges, there are an hundred burghers chosen, for inspecting the conduct of the senate. They have likewise a vote in electing the clergy, in conjunction with the senate. Within this city and its jurisdiction there are no bishops, but only a college of the clergy, who have no power, except to examine such as are designed to be elected priests by the senate and the centum viri; the manner of whose election is this.

The candidate first makes his application to the clergy to examine him; which done, they give him a certificate, setting forth that they think him capable, and allow him a liberty to preach. After which, the people or congregation of some parish present him to the senate and centum viri, desiring he may be elected for their minister; when, by plurality of voices, he is elected accordingly, and thereupon sent back to the college of the clergy to be ordained, which is formed by imposition of hands, reading of prayers, and some other ceremonies.

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In this city also there are four Roman Catholic churches; whereof one is the king's chapel, and the rest are for monks. There are also two for Calvinists, where the senate has no power to nominate the clergy. I may here likewise observe a particular custom relating to marriage; which is,

that there is a Roman Catholic official, a priest, who by his power can oblige any person to marry a woman that he has but promised, or given any present to whatsoever, though the party never meant any such thing as courtship for such a contract; which occasions a great deal of confusion and disorder.

As for the king's power in the city; he can save any body's life that he pleases, though condemned to die by the magistrates. To him half the customs of the port come: and one mill brings him in every hour of the day and night twenty-four gold ducats. This mill is moved by the Rodawn, which runs through the city. It grinds such a great quantity of corn all the year round, that its revenue amounts to 43207. sterling to the state and the king, besides the profit arising to the proprietors: and they are obliged to put the king's effigies on one side of their coin, though they commonly have their own arms on the other; and also to treat his Polish majesty and his whole court for three days, when he comes thither: but, however, he can bring but a few of his guards into the city. They are likewise to have a secretary always at the court of Poland.

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In relation to the city privileges; they can coin their own money without the king's leave, choose their magistrates, make their own laws, and determine absolutely in matters of debt to the value of five hundred gilders; but where the action exceeds that sum, an appeal lies to the tribunal of Poland. Yet in such case the appellant is obliged to lay down a hundred gilders in the townhouse before he can proceed: and this is to deter people from making such appeals; for the Dantzickers do not much care that of their money should get into Poland, but where they cannot help it. This city has always above two thousand soldiers in service, and can easily maintain twenty thousand; but in cases of necessity has been known to have raised sixty thousand. As for ships, they have none that they call men of war, but abundance of merchantmen of three or four hundred tons each, and thirty or forty guns apiece, which never trade so far as the East or West Indies, but into the Straits, and all the other parts of Europe.