Moldavia

Sources from old books

1685. Geographia universalis: the present state of the whole world by Pierre Duval.

Moldavia has been sometimes known under the Name of Great Walachia, and of Walachia Cis-Alpina. It is rich in Wax and in Honey, out of which it raises every year about 2 hundred thousand Crowns, only for the tenths of the Prince. There are several Heaps of Stones which are said to have been set up by order of Darius King of Persia, who made war upon the Scithians. Its capital Cities are Yasi and Sockou. Choczin near the Niester, is the place where a Polish Army was defeated under King Sigismond-Augustus; and where King John Sobieski a little before his election, gained over the Turks a Victory, the most memorable of our age. The Eastern part, called Bessarabia, butts upon the Black Sea, and belongs to the Grand Seignior, who is Master of the Mouths of the Danube and of the Niester, and who takes all possible means to subdue those of the Nieper, and subject entirely the rich Province of the Ukrain. The Champaign of Budziac is twelve Leagues in length, ten in breadth, is possessed by the Dobruck Tartars, who are the greatest Robbers of all those parts. They are said to amount to above 15000. They inhabit the Country round about Bialigrod. About the year 1500. a Governour of Moldavia, called Estienne, rendred himself the Soveraign thereof, and at several times vanquished the Turks, the Lesser Tartars, and the Polanders. His Successours have played there as it were, at Bo-peep, and several of them have been massacred by their Subjects, upon the account of their Cruelties. Of a score of its Princes, which be there called Waivodes, not two of them succeeded their Fathers. They did for sometime hold of Poland, now of the Turk at disposal. The ordinary Tribute was a hundred and fourscore thousand Livers. The Port augments from time to time the Tribute of the Moldavians, as well as that of the Walachians, for the rendring them poor and obedient; if it protects in appearance their Princes, who are commonly of low Birth, it imitates those who defend Sheep, and suffer Bees to live, upon the account of the Wool and the Honey they afford.

1694. The great historical, geographical and poetical dictionary by Louis Moreri.

Moldavia, a Principality of Europe, known also under the Name of great Valachia, or Valachia Cis-Alpina, formerly Part of Dacia, and afterwards of the Great Kingdom of Hungary. It has its modern Name from a River, or from the Borough Moldavia. The Niester divides it from Podolia on the North; the black Sea, and the Danube divide it from Bulgaria on the East; it has the Rivers Danube and Serethe, or Missovo on the South; and the Mount Hemus divides it from Valachia and Transylvania on the West. It is about Ninety Leagues long from East to West, and Seventy from North to South. It is divided into Moldavia particularly so called, towards the West, and Bessarabia, where the Danube's Mouths are, and belongs to the Turks. The Country of Budziac is inhabited by the Tartars Drobuces, who are great Thieves. Sockhow is the Chief Town of Moldavia, and the Residence of the Prince named Vaivode. Moldavia is fruitful in Corn, Pulse, &c. The Air is very good. There is such plenty of Wax and Honey, that their Tithes are worth above 200 Thousand Crowns to the Prince. The Inhabitants are Christians under the Greek Patriarch, and the Tribute they paid formerly to the Turks was about 1400 Pounds; but the Port increaseth it from time to time, not caring how poor they make them, to render them obedient. In 1686 the Poles over-ran all this Country, and took their Principal Cities: They therefore since relinquished the Ottoman Interest and voluntarily put themselves under the Protection of the Emperour An. 1688. Cromer Hist, Polon. Ortelius, Le Laboureur, &c.

1695. Thesaurus geographicus a new body of geography by Abel Swall and Tim. Child.

MOLDAVIA, Moldavia, so call'd from the River Moldaw, hath Podolia and the Niester for its Northern Bounds, Transylvania and Valachia on the West, the Danube and the Sereth on the South, and the same River Danube, together with the Province of Bessabaria on the East. Its utmost Extent from North to South consists of about 60 leagues, and 80 from East to West. The Air is very healthful, and the Country extreamly fertil, affording the fairest and best Horses throughout the whole Continent of Europe. It is variously beset with Plains, Mountains, Valleys and Rivers, the chief whereof are the Moldaw, the Pruth, the Sereth or Missovo, which intermixeth its Waters with those of Bardalach, and at length dischargeth them, as likewise doth the Pruth, into the Channel of the Danube. This Province is govern'd by a Waywood, who is Tributary to the Grand Seignior, and enjoys a yearly Revenue of about two hundred thousand Crowns, arising only from the Tithes of Hony and Wax. Among 20 Waywoods that have presided in these Territories, scarcely two of them have succeeded their Fathers. The Sultan invests with this Dignity, him that engageth to pay the largest Tribute, which usually amounts to the Sum of 180000 Livres. The Moldavians adhere to the Rites and Ceremonies of the Greek Church as well as the Valachians, and are divided into many different Sects.

In the year, 1686. the Polanders over-ran the whole Country, and took the principal Towns, insomuch, that the Inhabitants relinquish'd the Interest of the Ottoman Port, and voluntarily put themselves under the protection of the Emperor of Germany in 1688.

ZOCKZOW or CZƲKAW, Soczova aut Sucidava, is a large and strong City, being the Capital of the Principality, and the ordinary Seat of the Prince or Vaywood, who assumes the Title of Lord of Moldavia. It stands on the Banks of the River Sereth, 54 miles from Cronstadt to the North-east, and 74 from Caminieck almost to the South.

TASSY or TAZY, a great and populous Town on the River Pruth, about 60 miles distant from Zockzow to the East. The Polanders took it A. D. 1686. and abandon'd it soon after, so that its now subject to its own Princes, under the Emperor's protection.