Basel on the Rhine

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

Basil on the Rhine, a Town of Swisserland, Capital of a Canton; has an University and a Bishoprick depending on Besançon. Latin Authors call it, Basilea Rauracorum, but it is not the same with Augusta Rauracorum, which is Augst, a Village near Basil; Authors differ much about the Derivation of its Name: It is a rich, fair, great, and well situated Town, divided into two parts by the Rhine; the greatest of the two is on the Frnech side, built on the Declension of a Hill in form of an Amphitheatre; The other part streacheth into a fertile Plain, and both are joyn'd together by a good Bridge. The Rhine receives here the two little Rivers of Birs and Wics, whose Water serves to cleanse the Town, and to make several Mills go: It is much increased since the Ruine of Augst; it was fam'd in Ammianus Marcellinus's time, because this Author, who lived in the Fourth Century, speaks advantageously of it. The Emperor Gratian built two Forts in it to hinder the German Incursions, and it grew bigger and bigger every day until the Twelfth Age, wherein it became a Free and Imperial Town. In the latter end of the Thirteenth Age, its Inhabitants were divided into two Parties by Reason of a War that then began between Henry of Newcastell Bishop of Basil, and Rodolph Count of Hapsbourg, which is a Castle that lies between this Town and Zurick; but the News coming, that this last was chosen Emperor, them that were of the Bishops side Petitioned for Peace, which Rodolph generously agreed to. Afterwards Basil joyn'd it self to the other Cantons, and made up the Ninth. In the last Age they embraced Calvin's Doctrine, and drove their Bishop away; so that now that Republick is the Powerfulest, and their Town the biggest and fairest in all Swisserland, and of great Commerce too, lying between France and Germany. It has these Privileges by the Peace of Munster in 1648, That it shall be Subject to no Decrees of the Empire, but shall enjoy a perfect Liberty; and that no Fort shall be built on the Rhine between it and Philipsbourg; nevertheless Lewis the XIV. built the Fort of Hunninguen within Cannon Shot of the Town. Since the Protestants made themselves Masters of Basil, which happened under Philip Gandolphein: The Bishop thereof resides at Porentru, and are Princes of the Empire; And the Chapter is at Fribourg in Brisgaw. Oecolampadius in 1522. promoted the Reformation; And in 1529, when the Images and other Ornaments of Churches, being loaded on twelve Wagons to be distributed among the poorer Sort for private Uses, to prevent Quarrels that were like to ensue; for the Dividend, they were publickly burnt, and the Reformation was accomplished without any greater Tumult, chiefly by the prudent Management of their Consul James Meyer. Since that time this City has been a Place of retreat to Persons of the greatest Quality from France during their Persecutions. From this City Sebastian Bak and Volfgangus Meyer were sent to the Synod of Dort, in 1618. The Town-house is a very sumptuous Building, the Streets are large and fair, and there are very curious Paintings in the ancient Cloister of the Dominicans. Their University was founded in 1459, and had several famous Professors in it, as Erasmus, Amerbach, Buxtorf, Bauhin, and many others. Their publick Library, besides printed Books of all kinds, has many curious Manuscripts. The General Council held at Constance, that ended in 1418, decreed, That there should be such Ecclesiastical Assemblies called very often; and Pavia was agreed upon to meet in Anno 1423. but the Pestilence that hapned there, made it be changed for Siena, where the Council began on the 8th of November of that same year, and ended in February the year after. Pope Martin the Fifth presided in it, and ordered that another should be held in Basil seven years after, and accordingly he himself sent Cardinal Julien Caesarini to preside there in 1431; but this Pope dying soon after, Eugenius the IV. succeeded him, and began the Council on the Month of July of the same year. The first Session was celebrated on the 14th of December, and this Council held about eighteen years, either at Basle, or at Lauzanne; but notwithstanding all the Precautions that were taken, there never could be a perfect Intelligence between that Pope and these Fathers, for they maintained that the Council was above the Pope; whereupon they differed to that degree, that Eugenius declared the Meeting dissolved, and called another at Ferrara in 1437, which he afterwards removed to Florence in 1439, and thence in 1442 to Rome. All which time the Fathers of Basil continued their Sessions, which amounted to XLV. And though they were but few in Number, and at difference amongst themselves, they deposed Eugenius, and chose Amedaeus VIII. Duke of Savoy on the 5th of November 1439, who was then in the Wilderness of Ripaille; and at the same time they decreed, that not only such as had been married, but also those that actually were, might be chosen Popes. This took the Name of Faelix the Fifth, but yielded to Nicholas the 5th on the 19th of June in 1449. At the beginning of the Council in 1431, the Hassites of Bohemia were invited to Basle, and were admitted into the Assembly on the 9th of January of the year 1433, and debated for some days upon four Articles. This Assembly was approved by the Pope upon the request of the Emperor Sigismond, who came in Person and protected it, when the difference happened between the Pope and the Fathers thereof. The XLV. and last Session was held the 16th of May in 1443, yet the Council was not dissolved until the end of Faelix the Fifth's Schism. It was this Council that ordained the Pragmatick Sanction, or Decree, which was received by an Assembly of the Clergy of France held at Bourges in 1438, in Presence of King Charles the Seventh. The Art of making Paper was first found here in 1417, by Anthony and Michael Galicion, which gave great incouragement to Printers. Bernard Richel began to Print here in 1478. It's supposed to have taken its Name from Basiliane, Mother to Julian the Apostate. Dr. Burnet, who saw this Place, saith, it is a Town of the greatest extent of any in Switzerland, but it is not inhabited in proportion to its Extent. It stands upon a rising Ground on the Rhine from the Bridge, over which it shews like a Theatre. Little Basil, on the opposite Side of the River, makes about a fourth part of the whole Pile. It is surrounded with a Wall and a Ditch, but it is exposed on so many sides, and hath so dreadful a Neighbour of the Fort of Huningen, built by the present King of France within a quarter of a League of it, that it has nothing to trust to but its Union with the other Cantons. Their Fondness for their Priviledges, and refusing to share them with Strangers, are the Reasons why this City and Canton are no better Peopled. * In this Place lyes buried the great Advancer of Learning, Erasmus, who dy'd here, saith Hoffman, July 11th, 1536, in the 70 year of his Age. And in this City, Holben, the great Printer (about the Time of Henry the Eighth) was born. The Library here is the best in all Switzerland, and has a fine Collection of Medals and Manuscripts of Latin Fathers and Latin Translations of the Greeks in a Noble Room, and well methodized; most of the old Books were preserved here at the Reformation, and they believe the Council brought many hither which were never carried away. They reckon there is in this City 30000 Men able to bear Arms, and that they can raise in the Canton four more. It stands nine Leagues from Zurick, and twenty four from Nancy-Hoffman adds, that this City being excommunicated by the Pope for adhering to the Emperor Lewis of Bavaria, the Legat growing insolent thereupon, the Inhabitants drowned him in the Rhine, which obliged them to enter into a League with Zurick, Bern, &c. for mutual Defence. In the time of the Council of Basil, which Lewis XI. came with a great Army to dissolve, he defeated 6000 Swissers near this City. In 1444, they joyned with the rest of the Swissers against the House of Austria. The Nobility of the City was so enraged at the City's being Neuter, after the Victory obtain'd by the Swissers over the Emperor Maximilian, that they withdrew into Franche Comte, Alsace, &c. which adminstred Cause of continual Quarrel; but the City happily overcame. The ancient Government was by the Nobility, whose frequent Discords amongst themselves occasioned great Commotions, many of them were banished for siding with Catherine of Burgundy, and their publick Enemies in the time of the Council, and many left the City upon the General League of the Cantons, and such as remained at the time of the Reformation withdrew into the neighbouring Castles, from which time the Senate has been chosen by the People. This City has been often visited with Pestilence, Fire, and Inundations. An. 1400, Joannes Maulbergius, a Dominican, who inveighed sharply against the Errors and Vices of the Age, foretold the Reformation. Basil is 54 Miles South of...Strasburg, 120 North East of Genoua, and 256 East of Paris.