Brunswick

Sources from old books

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

THE DVKEDOME OF BRVNSWICK. (Book Brunswick)

THe Dukedome of Brunswick was so called from the chièfe Cittie Brunswick. And the Cittie it selfe was denomina∣ted from Bruno the Sonne of Ludolphus Duke of Saxonie.* 1.1 For he left his name to the Towne which he had begun, and so from him it was called Brunons Towne, which in the Saxon Language they call Wyc; but now it is called Brunsvicum, or Bruns∣weich.* 1.2 The Country of Brunswicke is very large, for it reaches from the boarders of the Dioeceses of Magdeburg and Halberstad, and from the wood Hercynia even to the River Albis. But about the yeare of Christ 1230,* 1.3 the Emperour Frederick did change the Earl∣dome of Brunswick into a Dukedome, and made Otto Duke of Brunswicke and Luneburg, who succeeded Henry Leon, who was Lord of all Saxonie. Frederick the second made Otto Nephew to Leon, Duke of Brunswick, and Luneburg, and gave him those Armes, which his Vncle had brought out of England, namely two Lions Or, for the Country of Brunswick, and another Lion Azure, with Er∣mines for the Countie of Luneburg; which armes did heretofore be∣long to Duke Herman, and his posteritie, with the Dukedome of Saxonie. Concerning the other Dukes, see Munster Lib. 3. of his Cosmographie. Brunswick is now not onely the Metropolis and mo∣ther Cittie of this Dukedome, but also of all Saxonie, which heere∣tofore from the builder thereof was called Brunopolis. Ptolomie calls it Tubisurgium according to the opinion of Francis Irenicus. It is a large Cittie being foure square, and adorned with many faire and beatifull buildings; very populous and well fortified with double rampires and ditches, by which there are divers sorts of trees plan∣ted: it hath fiue Praetorian Halls, and as many Magistrates. It was built by two brothers Bruno and Theodore, otherwise called Theo∣mar, the sonnes of Ludolphus Duke of Saxonie, in the yeare 961, as Hermann their owne Historian doth witnesse. The River Onacra glideth by this cittie, which rising in the Hartonican wood, doth divide the Cittie into two parts, and carrieth away all the filth of the Cittie with it, having many bridges built over it, and at last it joyneth with Visurgis. This Cittie hath no good water to drinke, and therefore they have a kind of made drinke, but they have little or no wine. This Cittie rising from small beginnings, yet in pro∣cesse of time encreased very much, both in strength and wealth, so that the Princes thereof were stiled Dukes of Brunswick. I will heere briefely make mention of those words which are praefixt and writ∣ten upon the Court of this Cittie, in regard of the frequent suites in law which are commenc'd in this contentious age. In controversijs causarum, capitales inimicitiae oriuntur: fit amissio expensarum: corpus quotidie defatigatur, labor animi exercetur: Multa inhonesta crimina con∣sequuntur: Bona & utilia opera post ponuntur: & qui saepè credunt obti∣nere, frequenter succumbunt. Et si obtinent, computatis laboribus & ex∣pensis, nihil acquirunt. That is, sutes in Law are the occasion of much enmitie, they put men to much charges: they weary the body, and trouble the minde: they learne craft by following them, they neglect their owne callings and more profitable employments, and those who are confident that they shall have the better, are oftentimes over∣throwne by oppression. And if they get the better, yet labour and charges being reckoned, they get nothing. Among other Citties of this Dukedome, Gostaria is not the last, being an Emperiall Cittie, which Henry the first, the father of Otto the great, did build and found in the yeare 1051, and the Emperour Henry the third did wonderfully adorne this Cittie, which the aforesaid Henrie did build, and aug∣ment, untill of a Keepers lodge it became a great Cittie as it is now at this day, in which the Emperour builded a royall and magnificent Pallace. The Towne Helmstad is in the middle way betweene Bruns∣wicke and Magdeburg: which William Duke of Brunswicke, redeemed from the Abbot of Werden, with a certaine summe of money, payd unto the said Abbot, and so reduc'd it into his owne power. Halber∣stad is an Episcopall Cittie, by which glideth the River Olte∣mia. In the middle of this Cittie there is a hill, which is two furlongs in length, and on the top of it there is a large plaine, at the two farthest Corners whereof, there are two Churches. In the middle there is a Market place which is encompassed round with Religious houses: but that part which is situate on the Mountaine is called the Cittie, and that part which lyeth at the foote of the hill, is called the Suburbs. The soyle round about this Cittie is very good, having standing Corne, which is higher than a man on horsebacke. Quedelimberg is an auncient Cittie and not farre distant from Magdeburg, which was built by the Emperour Henry Auceps. There is also the Towne Hannovera by the bancke of the River Leine, over against an ancient Castell be∣longing to the Earles of Lauwenrod, but now in the time of Henry Leen, about the yeare of Christ 1056, it was subject to this Castell, which because it stood on the other side of the River, the Courtiers called it Hannover. It is now a flourishing Cittie in Saxonie. For it is well for∣tified with ditches, and very populous. Hildesheimum, or Hildesium, which Ptolomie and Irenicus call Ascalingium, is an auncient Cittie, be∣ing at first divided into two parts, but afterward it was united. It hath a very faire Church, and the steeple is gilded. It is a pleasant Cit∣tie, and Ludolphus of Colen an excellent Mathematician was borne heere, being a Bishops seate, Irenicus doth reckon up the bishops thereof, which Crantzius also doth in his Metropolis, and Antonius Monch•acinus more accurately, Lib. 2. of the first beginning of Christi∣an religion. But the Bishopricke of Hildesheim was first founded and instituted in Saxonie by Charles the Great, King of France, and Empe∣perour of Germanie. Northausen is an Emperiall Cittie. There are also contained in this Table the Dukedome of Grubenhagen, which is a member of the Empire, and also the Principalitie of Anhalt: also Mansfielde and auncient Countie of auncient Saxonie, by the river Sala; so that Hegenus, who lived in the time of King Arthur of Brittaine, was Earle of Mansfeld in the yeare 542; it was so called from Mannus the sonne of Thuiscon. The chiefe Citties are Mansfeld, neere the Ri∣ver Wiperus, also Eislebia and Wypra. E•slebia is the Metropolis, be∣tweene the Rivers Sala and Wiperus: which was so called from Isis, who (as Tacitus reporteth) did wander after her husbands death through the coasts of Suevia. Neere unto it there are mettall Mines in the Mountaines Melliboci. It is supposed that the Tubantians did in∣habit these parts. This Countie hath under it these foure Counties, Wippra, Arnslein, W•tin, and Quernfurt. Also the Counties of Barby, Stolberg, Hohenstein, Regenstein, and Plesse. There are also these Eccle∣siasticall principalities: Meydburg, the Archbishoprick of Germanie, and primate of Germanie; the Bishoprick of Hildesheim, and Halberstat. Also the Bishopricke of Quedelborg, and Gernroade, and Stifien, which are in the eight circle of the Empire.

There remaineth in this Table the Bishopricke of Magdeburg. The Bishopricke of Magdeburg commonly called Meydburg, is so called from the cheefe Cittie. Charles the Great, having reformed all Saxonie, did institute twelve Bishoprickes in it, the chiefe whereof was the Bi∣shopricke of Magdeburg, whose seate was at the first in Styde, after∣ward it was translated to Valersleve, and thirdly to Vrese. And after∣ward in the yeere 1130 Otto did translate it to Magdeburg, who made it the primate of Germanie, as it appeareth by a great booke of Chroni∣cles which hath no Authors name set to it. Albeit the Archbishop of Saltzburg, and other Archbishops that are Electors, doe not yeeld prio∣rity or supremacy to the Bishop of Magdeburg, as Crantzius delivers i• his Metropolis. But Otto the first did make the Burggrave of Mag∣deburg, that he might sit in publike judgement, in the Emperours steede, both in this Country and Bishopricke, and in the adjacent Countries. Gero Marquesse of Lusatia was the first that bore this office by the or∣dination and appointment of Otto; whose memory is preserved by a Monument which is in the Friary of Geroden. After him they reckon some others who followed successively in this order, Hermann Duke of Saxonie, Lotharius Earle of Waldeck, Fredericke the sonne of Lothari∣us, Conradus his Nephew, Manfred halfe brother by the mother side to Conradus. He being slaine in the warres, Dittericus Earle of Plocen∣sium, had his honors, whose Daughter Vdo Marquesse of Brandenburg having married, and thereby got the Burgaviate, he left his sonne Hen∣ry his successor. After whose decease Lotharius did leave the same of∣fice to Burchard of the house of the Lords of Quetfort, from whom the Earles of Manifeld are originally descended. After whom there were the Lords of Schrapela, after whom the Emperour did translate it to the Dukes of Saxonie Electors for the Empire. The chiefe Cittie is Magdeburg, heeretofore called Parthenopolis, from Venus Parthenia who was worshipped there, situated by the River Albis; Iohn Capni• calleth it Domadum Pyrgum. Aeneas Silvius calleth it Magdeburg, and writeth that Virginopolis, was a famous Metropolitan Cittie in Saxo∣nie, memorable both for wealth and strength▪ Ligurinus calleth it the Virgin Cittie, and the habitation of Virgins: and Ptolomie calls it Mesovion. Otto builded this Cittie as Lupoldus writeth: Otto Frisin∣gensis did enlarge it and was buried there. This is a famous Emperiall Cittie, it is divided into three parts, and fortified with walls and Bul∣warkes, having strong Towers and Rampiers, also faire houses, large beautifull streetes, and magnificent Churches, especially the great Church of Saint Maurice, being built by the Ottoes of square free stone. The Magistrate doth keepe the civill law of the Romanes written in the Saxon language, which was confirmed and established by Charles the Great, so that the neighbour Nations doe thereby decide contro∣versies, and this law is much reverenced and esteemed. And let so much suffice concerning the Bishopricke of Magdeburg. And now to conclude this description, let us set downe the Rivers which are in the Countries contained in this Table: which are: Albis, Onacra, Olte∣mia, Sala, Wiperus, Inderst, Struma, Roide, Ruma, Vker, Fues, and others. It hath also the Mountaines, der Ramelberg, Meliborus, and others: and also divers woods, as Auff dem Hartz-waldt, Solingerwaldt, and others which you may behold in the Table or Chart.