HOLL. BA NED: 
in the parts of Holland bordering on Germany. Both countries have a few birds 
which never appear in Britain, except forced by the violence of weather or purfuit 
of fome bird of prey. 
The antient Germany next fucceeds. Holland was a fort of neutral country, a 
retreat of the German Catti, and not Germany itfelf. As at prefent, the bordering 
parts were divided into petty ftates. The rivers which derive their origin far up 
the country, are the Ems, the JV¥efer, and the E£/é, the antient Amifius, Vifurgis, 
and Albis. 
Oppofite to the mouth of the eftuary of the e/er and the Ei, is the remnant of 
the Infula, Caftum Nemus, celebrated by Tacitus, with his ufual elegance, for the 
worfhip of HertHum, or Motuer Earth, by the neighboring nations. E/? in 
infula oceani, CastuM NeMvs, dicatum in eo vehiculum veffe contecium, attingere 
uni facerdoti conceffum. Is adeffe penetrali DEAM intelligit, vectamque bubus feminis 
multa cum veneratione profequitur. Leti tune dies, fefta loca, quacumgue adventu 
hofpitioque dignatur. Non bella ineunt, non arma fumunt, claufum omne ferrum, Pax 
et quies tunc tantim nota, tunc tantum amata. Donec idem facerdos fatiatam conver {a- 
tione mortalium Deamtemplo reddat. Mox vehiculum et vefies, et, fi credere velis, numen 
ipfum, fecreto lacu abluitur. Servi minifirant, quos fiatim idem lacus haurit. Arcanus 
hinc terror, fandtaque ignorantia, quid fit illud quod tantum perituri vidit*. Vhe 
worfhip was continued very long after that period, and the ifland was diftinguifhed 
by the name of Foffaland, Farria, Infula Sacra, or Heilgeland, or the Holy ifle, from 
the facrifices made there to the goddefs Fofta, or Fofeta, the fame with Veja, 
Herthum, or the Eartu. She was called by the Scandinavians, Goya. The 
victims to her were precipitated into a pit: if they funk at once, the facrifice was 
thought to be accepted: thereverfe if they fwam any time on the furfacet. This 
ifland was vifited, out of refpect to the goddefs, by people of high rank. Radbo- 
thus I. king of the Frifians, was here in 690, when Winbertus, and other Chri- 
ftian miffionaries, landed, overthrew the temples, and put an end to the pagan 
rites {. It had been an ifland of great extent; but by different inundations, be- 
tween the years 800 and 1649, was reduced toits prefent contemptible fize §. The 
great ifland of Nord/randt (one of the Infule Saxonum) not remote from this, in 
1634 was reduced, by the fame caufe, from twenty parifhes to one: fifty thoufand 
head of cattle, and between fix and feven thoufand fouls, were fwept away. Such 
are the calamities to which thefe low countries are liable. 
* De Mor. German. c. 40. + Mallets North. Antiq. Tranfl. i. 136. t Emmii Hift. Rer. 
Frixs 129, €d. Franck. § Bufching Geogr. i. 157. 167+ 
h Jutland 
InsuLta Sacra, 
QR 
HEILGELAND. 
