Holland

Sources from old books

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

THE COVNTIE OF HOLLAND. (Book Holland) SOme derive the name of Holland from the many Woods and Forrests therein,* 1.1 for we cal a Wood Holt or Hout, and Hollant signifies a woody Countrie, for they report that heretofore all Holland was full of woods and bushes. Some suppose it was so called from the hollownesse thereof, as if it were Hol•landt. For the whole Countrie is Moorish, and loose under foote. Some suppose it was called from the Hay made there in Hollandia, as it were Hoylandia. But learned Iunius is of another opinion, that Holland and Zeland, are Colonies of the Gothish, and Danish Nations; and that the Danes and Normanes forsaking the Island of Oland and Zeland, did transmigrate into these places, and named them after their owne Country Holland and Zeland, as Virgill reporteth of Hellenus, the sonne of Priame, who built a little Towne in Epire called Troy, with a Castle, and made the resemblance of the gate, Scaea, and called the River Zanthus by a Troyan name: as the Europaeans did erect and make a new Spaine and new France in the Indies.* 1.2 The Brittish Sea doth encompasse it on the West, on the North the Cimbrian Sea beateth on the shoares thereof, on the East side it openeth a large Bay toward Friesland, on the North-East lyeth Trans-Isalana and Velavia, on the South is Trajectum. The compasse of it is nine miles, it is very narrow, so that a man may travell over it from one side to another in foure houres space, and in some places it is not above a mile over. This Countrie hath fruitefull fields, which doe yeeld excellent good Corne,* 1.3 but in regard the Countrie is very small and populous, therefore it cannot maintaine so great a multitude of inhabitants. But there are very fertile meddowes, in which infinite heards of Oxen doe graze: and very faire milch Kine. It is certaine that in some parts of Holland the Kine in Summer time, doe yeeld unto the Paile foure and forty quartes of milke.* 1.4 Also Iohn Beningus a counseller of the Court of Holland, as Guicciardine reporteth, doth finde by certaine observation and computation, that Assendelph only and foure neighbouring Townes have as much milke from their Kine, as there is Rhenish wine sent out of high Germany to Dordretch. Out of this great plenty of milke they make butter, which is an excellent daintie dish, not onely for barbarous Nations, as Pliny would have it, but also for Kings and Princes. They make Cheeses also which are not inferiour unto those of Parma and Placentia. The chiefe are the Tessalican, and Gravesandican Cheeses, the next to them are the Edammensian, which are best when they are old: It breedeth also excellent horses. On the sandie hills there are an infinite number of Conies. Also great store of Harts, Does, Hares; and in the Hagiensian wood there are heards of Goates, and great store of fowle especially Duckes. Also Geese, and in harvest time Woodcockes which we call Snipes. There are excellent turfes, which being digged out of the earth, and drawne out of the water, and so dryed in the wind and sunne,* 1.5 doe make very good fuell. There were heretofore Kings of Holland, of which Suetonius maketh mention in Caligula, cap. 44▪ But in the yeare of Christ 868 Charles the bald, King of France, reduced it into a Countie, and Theodore being descended of the royall stocke, was governour thereof. After Theodore the father there succeeded Theodore, the sonne, and after him Arnold, and after Arnold Theodoricke, and others after him, of whom you may have a Catalogue,* 1.6 in Munster and others. They were heretofore very famous for matters of warre, so that the Batavians were joyned in fraternitie and amitie with the Romaine Empire. And heereby they got the goodwill of other Princes. Now wee are to describe the Citties: which are Dordretch, Harlem, Delpth, Leyden, Amsterdam, Gouda, •a•rd••um,* 1.7 Muda, W•sopum, Edamam, Monachodamum, Purmerenda, •lm•••a, Eu•huysa, Horna, &c. Dordretch is the chiefe Cittie of Holland. The figure of it is long like a Gallie, it is very rich and plentiful•, and a Granarie or Storehouse for corne and all other provision. It hath outlandish commodities brought up the River unto it, and there layd in warehouses untill they be solde: and are carryed from thence againe in Hoyes. This Priviledge of storing of goods they call a staple. Harlem is a noble Towne, both for the largenesse of the Cittie▪ the fairenesse of the houses, and the pleasantnesse of the situation. It hath the fairest Church in all Holland, being built on strong Pillars by the marketh place. The River Sparnus glideth by the Cittie. It is thought it was built by the Prisians, about the yeare 506. In this Cittie the Art of Printing was invented. Another honour of this Cittie was the taking of Pelusium by a new device, which they call Damiata, and in remembrance thereof, they have two •acring bells of brasse, which they call aerae Damiatae. Next followes Delpth which is famous not for Apollo•s Tripos or Trevet, but for plenty of wine and corne. For the best beere is brew'd in this Cittie except it be English beere. It is so called from a Ditch, which the Batavians call Delph, which is brought from Mosa even to the Cittie. In the yeere a thousand five hundred 36, on the Nones of May, the beauty of it was much blemished by fire, and the better part of the Cittie was burnt down▪ but afterward it was built up againe more faire than before. Leyden which Ptolomie calls Lugdunum Batavorum, is a Cittie situate at the middle of the mouth of the River Rhene. It sustain'd and held out in the yere 1574 a grievous seige, but at last it was freed, and the enemies were enforced by the overflowing of the waters to raise their seige. Amsterdam is the noblest Mart Towne in all the world, it is so named from the River Amstela, as the learned Poet Nicolas Cannius hath noted, being a Cittizen of Amsterdam, in these verses.

Haec illa est Batavae non ultima gloria gentis,Amnis cui nomen, cui cataracta deditDicta prius Damum, raris{que} habitata colonis,Cum contenta casis rustica vita fuit.Hinc Amsterdamum jam facta celebrior, atqueFortunae crevit tempore nomen item.Vrbs benè not a propè, atque procul distantibus oris,Dotibus innumeris suspicienda bonis.Dives agri, dives pretiosae vestis & auri,Vt pleno cornu copia larga beet.Quod Tagus at{que} Hermus vehit & Pactolus, in unumVerè huc congestum dixeris esse locum. This Cittie Hollands glory, whose nameFrom the River, and the falling waters came▪It was called Damum first, and inhabitedWith Rurall Cottages, which here were spred.But growing famous, t'was call'd Amsterdam,And so increas'd in fortune and in name.It is a Cittie knowne both farre and neereAnd is admir'd for many gifts are here.Tis rich in soyle, in garments, and in gold,Plenty doth blesse her with guifts manifold,What Pagus, Hermus, Pactolus doth beare,You may truely say, that it is stoard up heere.

It consisted at the first of a few fishermens houses, and was under the jurisdiction of the Lords of Amstelium. After Gilbert Amstelius, about two hundred fourescore yeares since, fortified this Cittie with Bulwarkes, gates and Towers; which being burnt by the envious neighbours, it was walled about in the yeare 2482. And afterward, it was still enlarged, and belonged unto Holland. But now it is a place of refuge not onely for Holland but all the neighbour countries, even to the Sarmatians, and Gothes, and Cimbrians. For there are in this Cittie not onely Italians, Spaniards, Portugalls, Brittaines, Scots, French, Sarmatians, Cimbrians, Suevians, Norwegians, Livonians, and Germains, but also East-Indians, Americans, Moores, and others out of all parts of the world. Gouda is so named from the Cimbricke word ••w, which signifies a Ditch, and a Trench against it: it is situate neere Isela, being a plentifull Cittie, and abounding with all things. There are also some free Townes, the chiefe whereof is the Hage, in which the Councell of the States, and Princes doe sit, and there is Court for deciding of suites, and controversies. Concerning the Politicke state of this Countrie, it doth consist of three orders, the first are the Knights called Ridderheren, the chiefe whereof are the Earles Egmond and Ligne, under whom are these Dominions, Wassenar, Valkenborch, and the Viccountship of the Cittie of Leyden. I finde also these Counties in Holland, Maeslant, Texel, Goylandt, Kennemerlant, Steenberge. The Lords and Barons, are Brederode, under whom is the Lordship of Vianen, and the Barony of Lijfelt. I finde also in the Chronicle of Holland, that these Lordships are reckoned among the Baronies, Le•ke, Sevenbergen, Voorn, Isselstein, Stryen, Teylingen, Puttem, Harlem, Leerdam, Asperen, Arckel, Altena, Botterslo••. The second order is the Lords, the chiefe whereof that are wont to appeare at Hage, are these, the Lords of Poelgeest, of Polanen, of Lochorst, of Assendelfi, Warmont, Sparwoude, Matnes, Schooten, Noortwi••. Verdoes, or Does, Myne van Amstel, Spangen, Alkemade, Benthuysen, Keneborch, Raaphorst, Sweten, Heemskericke, Ruven, Duyn, and Sprangen. Moreover there are these Lordships in Holland, Ho•sden, Outhoesden, Papendrecht, Wijngarden, Ghissenborch, Ameyde, Woerden, Waterlant, Schagen, Purmerende, Goude, Naeldw•jc, Rijswijc, Schoonhoven, Wateringen, Soctermeer, Heemstede, Heuhtwoude, Merwen, Haestrecht, Dalen, Spijc, Hardischsvelt, Bardtwijck, Wijck. The third order are the sixe great Citties, which are called and summoned to appeare at the Hage, for all the rest: as Dordretch; this Cittie hath a Praetor and a Magistrate, whom the Cittizens obey, and a Bayly that governeth the whole Country round about, both in civill and criminall matters. Harlem hath a Praetor and a Magistrate within it selfe: and a Bayly for the Country, who hath jurisdiction in civill and criminall matters. Amsterdam hath also with it selfe a Praetor and a magistrate, and a Bayly for the Country to judge of civill and criminall causes. Gouda hath a Praetor and Major for the Cittizens, and a Baytiffe and a Governour of the Castell.