Smolensko, City

1693. A geographical dictionary representing the present and ancient names by Edmund Bohun.

Smolensko, Smolentum, one of the principal Cities of Poland, and the Capital of a Palatinate. It stands upon the Borysthenes in White Russia in Lithuania, near the Borders of Muscovy. Great and very strong, surrounded by a Wall eight Cubits broad at the top, strengthened by fifty two great Towers, and a very strong Castle. It contains about eight thousand Houses and was once much greater: subject at first to a Russian Duke, who was the Sovereign of it; but conquered by Vitondus Duke of Lithuania, in 1403. Casimirus II. King of Poland subjected it to that Crown, in 1452. The Russ took it in 1514. The Poles after many other fruitless attempts, recovered it again under Sigismund III. in 1611. after a Siege of two years. The Russ besieged it in 1616. and in 1633. to their great loss: Being the last time, after a years besieging of it, defeated by Ʋladislaus IV. King of Poland; who obtained from the Pope the settlement of a Bishops See in it. In 1654. it was taken by them, October 13. under whom it now is: and by a Treaty in 1656. yielded to the Russ. It lies one hundred and fifty Polish Miles from Vilna to the East, and the same distance from Kiovia to the North.