Bremes

Sources from old books

1635. Historia mundi: or Mercator's atlas. London. by Gerhard Mercator.

THE BISHOPRICK OF BREMES. (Book Bremes) THe Bishopricke of Rhemes, commonly called Stifi Bremen, so called from the Cittie,* 1.1 hath the shape and figure of a triangled Isosceles, whose almost equall sides are the Rivers Visurgis and Albis, which doe meete at the highest corner, nere the Peninsula, which is named after a Tower built there for the defence of ships that passe that way. The Base of it is a line drawne from the river Esta, through the borders of the Country of Luneburg, and Verdensis, a little beneath the mouth of the River Allera, which doth there discharge it selfe into Visurges. For the River Esta is the limmit of the Countrie of Bremes and Hamburg, which the River Sevena, (which is small at first, but afterward emptyeth it selfe into Albis with three Channells,) doth divide from the Dukedome of Luneburg. This Countrie is not every where of one soyle. For the two farthest parts of the Dioecese of Bremes, neere the bankes of the River Albis and Visurgis, are very fat and fruitfull. But the middle tract betweene Stada and Bremes, over which the Merchants doe usually travell, is full of barren sands, Marshes, and Bryars. So that the Dioecese of Bremes is commonly compared to a Cloak or Mantle, the two former parts whereof begin from the confluence and meeting of the River Albis and Visurgis, and so falling downe to the banckes of both those Rivers, are embrodered as it were with fruitfull fields and Meddowes: but the other part is woven of a courser threed. Heere the auncient Chaucians were formerly seated, who held all that tract of ground from Visurgis even to Albis, and Hamburg. The Metropolis is Brema,* 1.2 which Ptolomie, Plinnie, Appianus, Pencerus, and Ireni•us, doe call Phabiranum, it is commonly called Bremen. It is a Hanse Cittie neere the River Visugis, well fortified both by Art and naturall situation, having faire streetes, and being full of Cittizens, and rich by merchandising and traffique. It hath a faire Market place, where there are markets kept weekely for all kinde of provision. On one side of the Market place the Cathedrall Church standeth, and on the other side the Senate house, which hath a publike Wine Cellar under it, in which the Senate doth keepe their wine, and sell it for a reasonable price. Which is a common custome in many Citties of Wandalia, and Westphalia, that the Senate maketh that which is got by wine charges, defray publicke charges. Brema was at first a poore Towne, but as the Christian religion did encrease, so it did increase also; for which it is beholding to the Bishops thereof, who made it a Metropolitan Cittie, and graced it with the title of the mother Church of al the North, and walled it about. See the Catalogue of Bishops in M. Adams his ecclesiasticall history. There is the Citty Stada or Stadum, which is in the Archbishoprick of Breams, being situate nere Zuinga, on the Southerne banck of the River Albis, & it is the greatest Cittie in Saxonie. There is also the Towne Buxtchuda. This Country is watered with these Rivers, Visurge, Albi, Esta, which are full of fish, as Ecles, Lampryes, and Salmons, which those of Breames doe salt up and dry in the smoake, so that the Cittizens doe sell them for rarities, and make a greate gaine of them. The Bremensians are by nature warlike, industrious; and somewhat inclined to sedition. They love learning and liberall Artes, especially when they have gotten them abroad by studying in forraine Countries: but otherwise they are more addicted to merchandising than learning, for they get their wealth by traffique and trading, and by making long voyages. So that almost all the Cittizens are either skilfull Merchants, or Tradesmen, or Shipwrights.