Zurichgow

Sources from old books

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

ZVRICHGOVV, AND THE PROVINCE OF BASIL. (Book Zurichgow)

IHave spoken in generall concerning Helvetia; the parts doe follow. Which Mercator in the three following Chartes doth lively describe. In the first are those two Provinces which are called in their speech Zurichgow and Basil; in the second Wistispurgergow; and in the third Argow is delineated, of all which I will make a Chorographicall Description, together with the Lake Leman. As concerning the former Province which is painted forth in the first Charte, it is called in their owne speech Zurichgow, and Caesar calleth it Tigurinus Pagus. The soyle of this Country, and especially by the chiefe City Tigurum is very fruitfull, and bringeth forth great store of Wine and Corne; yet the Wine for the most part is tart and sharp, neither can it come to perfest ripenesse and maturity, because the Alpes are so nigh unto it. But the Wine ripeneth and groweth more pleasant after it hath beene kept some yeeres in the Vessell. The chiefe City of this Province is call'd in Latine Tigrum, and of late Thurogum▪ and in their owne speech Zurich. It is an ancient City and pleasantly seated, at the end of the great Lake, which sendeth forth the River Lindmagum, commonly called Limmat, which not farre from Glarona it receiveth againe, and devideth the City into two Cities, the greater and the lesser, which are joyned together with three faire Bridges, on which the Citizens doe often walke. It hach a very great Corne-market, in which great store of Corne is sold weekely. The Lake Tigurine doth furnish the City with great store of Fish. There is also a Market for all kinde of Provision, and the Lake is convenienter for carrying it to divers places. But albeit Tigurum was the fift that joyned it selfe to the Helvetian confederacy, yet neverthelesse it is held to bee the chiefe City both for beauty and strength, and still it hath the preheminence given it in publike Assemblies, in Embassages, and other publike actions: it hath had many brave famous men: as Conradus Pellican, who was very skilfull in the Hebrew, Chaldean, and Arabick tongues: also Theodore Bibliandrus: Conradus G•sner, that most excellent Historian, and many other excellent men The Canton Tigurum hath without the City greater and lesser Prefectureships. The greater are nine, Ryburg a County: the Prefectureship of Groeningia: also Regensp••g, Vadisvillana, Wadis•hwyl: Lauffa neere the Catracts of Rheneor, Lauffen: Andelfignen: Grifensce, and Egitsow a free Province, the lesser are 22. the Townes Vitodurum, Winterhur, and S•eina, doe belong to the Tigurinians, yet they have Magistrates of their owne, but they are governed by the Tigurinian Edicts, and doe serve them in their warres, but they beare their owne Colours in the Field. The Canton Tugium, commonly called Zugis reckoned to be in this Province, a Towne with a Country of the same name, lying Northward neere Su••ia▪ it is situate betweene a Middow, and a Hill planted with Vines, neere the fishfull Lake, which is called from the City, the Tugine Lake, which streatcheth Southward toward the Towne Arte•se. It hath a soyle fit for Pasturage▪ and it yeeldeth great store of Wine and Corne. The first Inhabitants thereof are said to be the •uginians, but Strabo Lib 7. calleth them the Toygenians, who entring into a league with the Tigurians and Cimbrians, did oppose themselves against the Romanes. See Plutarch in the life of Marius and Eutropius, Lib. 5. Tugium was sometime governed by the Nobles, but afterward it came to be under the power of the Austrians: Those, in the Helvetian warre did keep a continuall Garrison there, unto the great molestation of the Suitians and Tigurians. So that in the yeere 1352. the Tigurinians with foure other Cantons, made an expedition against Tugium. But the Garrison, not trusting to the Fortification of the Towne, forsooke it before the Helvetians comming, but yet the Citizens to shew their fidelity to the Austrians, did hold out the Siege for 15. dayes. At last they yeelded it to the Helvetians, and tooke an oath of them on this condition, that if the Duke of Austria within such a limited time brought an Army to free them from this Siege, they should be free from the oath which they had taken to the Helvetians, and might yeeld themselves up unto him. But when they saw there was no hope of the Duke of Austria's comming, they joyned themselves in confederacy with the Helvetians. The Canton of Tugium hath two parts, and foure hundreds in them, out of every hundred, eleaven Senators are chosen to governe the Country. The Towne it selfe standeth for two hundreds, the Countrie next unto it hath three, as Montanus, Vallis Eg•ria, or Aquae Regiae, and the Parish of Bara. But the Townes of Tugi••um by Prefects resident in the City doth governe these places: the Town Cham, Andrewes Village, Hunelbergo, Wa••h•ville, Steinhuse, S. Wolfargo. So much concerning the first Province of this Card, the other followes▪ namely Basil▪ so called from the famous City Basilea. It is called also •ung•nia, which name we may easily conjecture was derived from the Seqnanes, which Rhenanus also approveth in his third Book of Germany. The Country is fruitfull, and bringeth forth good Wine and Corne, so that it supplieth the Neighbour Countries that want Corne. There are also faire Pastures for Cattell. Those whom Ptolemy calls Rauricians and Caesar Rauracians (as Scudus witnesseth) did heretofore inhabit this Country, who as he reporteth taking example by the Helvetians, did burne up all their Townes, Villages, and Houses. Basil is now the chiefe City of the Country. Some would have it so called from a Basilisk found here, but their opinion is absurd. Others from Basilema the Mother of Iulian the Emperour. Rhenanus would have it call'd Basilea because it was a royall passage. And he addeth, it is likely that there was a passage in this place, while Augusta was yet standing, because here in regard of the Valley through which the Torrent floweth out of the Lake Byrsa, the banke is lower, and thereby more easily to passe, but neere Augusta it is more steepe.

But Munsterus doth reject this conjecture, by the authority of Marcellinus, who calleth that City by a Greeke word Basileian, that is a Kingdome, as it were Regnopolis, or the Royall City. This City is watered with the River Rhene, which devides it about the middle of it, where it is united and joyned together againe with a Bridge. The River Rhene is very commodious to the City, because it is Navigable, and bringeth up many great Vessels to it. Two hundred yeeres since it was much shaken with Earthquakes, but it was afterward re-edified, and Pope Pius in the yeere 1460. did adorne it with an University, which he endowed with all the Priviledges, Statutes, and Immunities which the Universities of Bononia, Coline, Heidelberg, Erdford, Lipsick, and Vienna doe enjoy▪ Basil hath these Prefectureships, Faren-Sperg Castle; Rinfeld seated on a high Mountaine: the Towne Wallenburg: H•mburg, Munchenslei•, •amstein, the County of Toggius, where I suppose is Tognyl, which is subject to the Abbot of S. Gallus, when the Citizens of Toggius belong to Suitia and Glaronia: also the County of Rapperswijl, which I suppose should be the County of Straesberg: and the Barony of Kil•h•erg. The other Townes of Tuginum and Tigurinum are in the Table of Argow. The Townes in the Country of Abbatium, which are neither mentioned in Suevia, nor in all Germany, are these, Reichenouw, Schaffusen, Kreutslinge, Pfeffers, or as I suppose Pfefficon. This Country is watered with many Rivers and little streames, all which the River Rhene at last receiveth. Among which are the Rivers Rhene, Byrsa, and Wiesa. Byrsa floweth out of the Mountaine Iura thorow many Valleyes even to Basil•a, carrying downe with it many Boat-loads of Wood. On the other side the River Wiesa doth part it from the Black wood, and much Timber for Building is brought downe this River, and afterward it filleth many Cisternes, and serveth many Houses in the lesser Basil with water. For it driveth a Mill which saweth Trees into Bards and square Studdes, it grindeth Corne, and Grindstones to sharpen Carpenters tooles, it serveth to draw Iron into thin Plates, and for many other uses, besides it hath excellent fish, especially Trouts. And though it be lesse than the River Byrsa over against it, yet it is fuller of Fish than it, & serveth for more uses, although Byrsa doth drive many Mills and is very commodious for ••ner-men, who have Houses by this River, or rather neere the little 〈◊〉 which parteth from it, and runneth even to the walls of the greater Basil. There are also here Tolde•us, Largus, and other Rivers▪ 〈◊〉 of this enough. It remaineth that wee should adde something ••ncerning the government of the Common-wealth in these Provi•••s. All that are admitted to publike Counsell, are chosen equally •ut of the severall Cantons, as well out of the Tugurians, as Basilians. But there are two publike Counsels which have chiefest authority in these Cities. The greater when many meete together in behalfe of the Commons, and this for the most part is called when there are some serious waighty affaires, which appertaine to the Common-wealth. the lesser is that which looketh daily to the government of the Common-wealth, and determines matters of controversie between the Citizens. The greater Counsell of Tigurum doth consist of 200. men, that of Basil of 244. The lesse Counsell of Tigurum hath 50. men chosen out of every Tribe, and Basil it hath 60. For 12. are elected out of every Tribe to make up the greater Counsell, besides at Tigurum there are 18. chosen out of the Nobles. To the lesser Counsell of Tiguri the severall Tribes doe send three men, at Basil foure men, and to these are added two Counsels in every City, who are the chiefe Heads of the City; and moreover at Basil there are so many Tribunes, whom they call the Heads of the Counsell in like manner as they doe the Consuls: besides at Tigurum there are 6. chosen out of the Nobility to make up the lesser Counsell, when there are but 3. chosen out of the other Tribes, and moreover 6. others are chosen by free Suffrages, out of any Tribe which the Magistrate shall thinke fitt. The lesser Counsell is devided into the old and the new: they call those the old Senate who have borne office halfe a yeere: the other although they are called when the Senate is held, yet they are not alwaies called, and there are some matters which the new Senate doth onely dispatch. The greater Counsell also at Basil is devided in the same manner, and of 12. men chosen out of the Tribes, 6. are joyned or added to the new Senate, and so many to the old. The lesser Counsell doth meete for the most part thrice, and sometimes 4. times every weeke. There is one Consull belonging to the Senates, whom in their speech they call Burgermeister, that is, the Master of the Citizens, and the greater Counsell doth choose him. The Tribunes are next to the Consuls in power, whom the Tigurinians call Oberistemeister, and those of Basil call Zunff•meister, there are 3. of them at Tigurum, and two onely at Basil, who together with the two Consuls are called the foure Heads of the City. But thus much shall suffice. He that desireth to know more let him have recourse to Iosias Simler, who discourseth copiously and learnedly concerning these matters, out of whom we have taken that which we have written here.