death, the Germans, being before Acon, or Ptolemais, which they then besieged, chose for their leaders Frederick duke of Suabia, second son to the aforesaid emperor, and Henry duke of Brabant. Under these generals they behaved themselves so well, both at the taking of Acon, Jerusalem, and other places of the Holy Land, that Henry king of Jerusalem, the patriarch, and several other princes, thought themselves obliged to do something extraordinary in honour of the German nation. Hereupon they immediately resolved to erect an order of knights of that nation, under the protection of St. George, but afterwards they changed that saint for the Virgin Mary, by reason that she had an hospital already founded on mount Zion at Jerusalem, for the relief of German pilgrims; of the manner of building which, I am here told, that, in the time of the holy war, a wealthy gentleman of Germany, who dwelt at Jerusalem, commiserating the condition of his countrymen coming thither on devotion, and neither understanding the language of that place, nor knowing where to lodge, received them hospitably into his house, and gave them all manner of suitable entertainment. Afterwards obtaining leave of the patriarch, he erected a chapel for them, and dedicated it to the Virgin Mary; whence the knights that were established there afterwards came to have the title of equites Mariani. Other German gentlemen contributed largely to the maintaining and increasing this charitable work; insomuch that in a short time these knights became very numerous and wealthy, and gave themselves to military employments, and acts of piety and charity.

In the year 1190, they elected their first great master, Henry Walpot, and in the year following had their order confirmed, upon the request of the emperor Henry VI. by the bull of Pope Celestine III. under the title of Teutonick or High-German knights of the hospital of St. Mary the Virgin : vowing poverty, obedience, and chastity, and obliging themselves to receive none but Germans into their order.

After they had thus received confirmation from the papal

see, some rich citizens of Bremen and Lubeck joining with them, and making large contributions, another hospital was erected for them in the city of Ancon, or Ptolemais, in Syria. But after that city, together with Jerusalem and all the Holy Land, had been taken by the Saracens under the command of Saladin, having been in possession of the Christians for more than eighty-seven years, one Hermannus, then great master, with the remaining knights, removed into Germany, on whom the emperor Frederick XI. and pope Honorius III. (or, as some will have it, Conradus duke of Masovia, in 1220,) in the year 1229, bestowed the province of Prussia; where, having conquered that nation, and reduced it from paganism to Christianity, they built the city of Marienburgh, or Mary-town, and in the year 1340 fixed the residence of their great masters

there.

This country they enjoyed till about the year 1525, when Albert marquis of Brandenburgh, the last great master of this order in those parts, by a solemn renunciation, became feuda→ tory to king Sigismund of Poland, who raised Prussia to a dukedom, and made this marquis first duke thereof. But however, some of the knights, disliking this action, proceeded to elect another great master, which was Walter de Cronenburgh: and forthwith leaving Prussia, took their residence up in Germany, where they continue at this day, though in no great reputation, except that the younger sons of the German princes are commonly admitted into their order.

Their statutes were composed after the model of those of the knights Hospitallers and knights Templars, at this day the knights of Malta; but nevertheless, to distinguish them from these orders, their habit was ordained to be a white mantle, with a plain black cross on the breast. This cross they were also to have upon white banners, as likewise upon their shields in their coat of arms. They were moreover enjoined to live conformable to the orders and rules of St. Austin. Their first number was twenty-four lay brothers, and as many priests, though they are since increased to several hundreds.

They both were allowed to wear armour and swords, and might celebrate mass in that habit. None of them shaved their beards, but by their order were obliged to let them grow, and to sleep upon sacks of straw. But however, this, with other mortifying injunctions, were soon of no manner of

force.

This order being established after the manner which I have shewn before, all Christian princes endeavoured to give them encouragement; and among the rest, his holiness (as the people of this side of the world call the pope) and the emperor gave them particular proofs of their favour and liberality. Philip king of France also, being willing to do the like on his part, made them great presents, and moreover granted their grand master a liberty to wear the fleur de lis on the four extremities of their mantles or robes.

Their power and force in war will appear by the efforts which Albert marquis of Brandenburgh, and their thirtyfourth and last great master, there made to keep his footing in Poland. He was nephew to Sigismund I. and elected in the time of Maximilian the emperor and pope Julius. The chapter of this order chose him, in hopes that, being so near a kinsman, he might prevail upon his uncle to restore to them what had been taken from them by the Poles. But this great master was so far from answering their expectation, that, having refused to swear allegiance to the king of Poland, he fortified all his towns for his defence, and gave occasion to a war to break out between him and his uncle in the year 1519, whereupon some few places were taken and lost on both sides. But in 1529, Wolfang duke of Schonenburgh, general of the Teutonick army, which consisted of about twenty thousand foot and eight thousand horse, sat down before Dantzick, and from the bishop's hill (vulgarly so called) threw away near four thousand bombs into the town, to little or no purpose, while the besiegers were very much incommoded by the cannon from the town; for a man durst scarce shew his head, but he had forty shot at him. This so discouraged

the besiegers, that the major part of them soon discovered their inclinations to be gone, and for that purpose began to mutiny against their officers. Whilst they were thus wavering in their resolutions, and scarce doing any duty but by compulsion, the Polish army appeared, being twenty thousand horse, sent by the king to raise the siege. It was now high time for the besiegers to scamper; which they immediately set about with such precipitation, that the Poles found it no difficult matter to overtake them, and to kill and make prisoners great numbers of them.

After this, the king's army took in Dirschow, Stargardie, and the strong castle of Choinicz, and proceeded in their conquests with such vigour and diligence, that most of the cities and castles of the order surrendered themselves. By these means the Teutonick knights were totally expelled Prussia; which their great master Albert perceiving, as likewise that he was no longer able to contend with so powerful a monarch as his Polish majesty, (though his predecessors had formerly done it for many years, when they were in a better condition than he was,) resolved to submit himself and his order to his uncle's mercy; which he not long after did in the public market-place of Cracow.

A throne being erected for the king, much after the same nature of that wherein he is wont to take the oaths and homage of his subjects after his coronation, the marquis delivered up the ensigns of his order to the king, and swore all manner of allegiance to him. In consideration of which, his majesty returned him the ensigns of Prussia, quartered with the Polish, and at the same time created him duke of that part of the country which from thenceforward has had the name of Ducal Prussia, and continued all along in his family to this day.

The Teutonick order being thus expelled Prussia, they transferred their chapter to Marienthal, where they continued to choose masters as the vacancies happened; he that is the chief of that order now being the forty-fifth master, and

duke of Newburgh. The ceremony of creating one of these knights is after this manner. The person that is to be invested with that dignity is to be conducted by the great master and knights, out of which three commissioners, who have been to inspect the titles of honour, are to make their report upon oath, that they have examined, and found his honour to be unquestionable. After which, he is to be sworn to chastity, poverty, and to go to the wars against the infidels, whenever occasion shall require. When they give him the white mantle with the black cross, which are the ensigns of this order, they pronounce these words according to custom: "We promise to give you, as long as you live, "water, bread, and a habit of our order."

The Teutonick order at present consists of twelve provinces, which are Alsace and Burgundy for one, Coblentz, Austria, and Etsch: these four still retain the name of provinces of the jurisdiction of Prussia, as the eight following do that of Germany, being the provinces of Franconia, Hesse, Bressen, Westphalia, Lorrain, Thuringen, Saxony, and Utrecht; although this last is now altogether under the dominion of the Hollanders. Every one of these provinces has its peculiar commanderies of the commendadors, of which the provincial is chief. These commendadors compose the chapter of the electors; amongst whom the great master has two voices, and a decisive one in case the numbers are equal. This great master's place of residence is to be at Mariendal in Franconia, where these assemblies are held. Having carried you out of Poland into the heart of Gerand led you out of your way many leagues, give me leave to put you into the road again, and to bring you back to Dantzick, which is the last place I undertook the description of, and which I shall be the more particular in, on account of my longer stay there than in any other place.

many,

Dantzick (in Latin Dantiscum, or Gedanum) is the largest, strongest, and most wealthy city in all Royal Prussia, and is situated in one of the three islands (of which Regal Prussia