GOT 



GOTHLAND, a country of Sweden, bound,od on the 

 N. by Sweden Proper, on the E. and S. by the Bahic, 

 and on the W. by the Sound, the German ocean, and Nor- 

 way. This country is inhabited by a people, w^ho derived 

 their origin from the Gct:E, or Tartars of the Crimea. The 

 Goths had kinps of their own, till the year 1 1 32, when 

 ihev were united to Sweden. The country is pleafant and 

 fertile, conlilling of paiUire and arable land-, and abounding 

 in lakes and rivers plentifully llored with fiih, and alfo %yith 

 forelts and mines. It contains 48 towns, and is divided into 

 Eait,.\Vell, and South Gothland. 



Eajl GothLwd is bounded on the N. by the provinces of 

 Nerieia or Ncrikc, aiid Sudcrmanlaijd, on the E. by the 

 ]3altic, on the S. by Hinoland or Sinaland, and on the W. 

 bv the Wetter lake, whieh feparatcs it from Weft Gothland. 

 It is about 80 miles long, and 70 broad. It produces wheat, 

 r-vc, barley, oats, pcafe, &c. in fuch abundance as to fupply 

 the neighbouring provinces. It has likewife many fine 

 orchards, v, ith meadows, paflurcs, lakes, and rivers abound- 

 ing with fifli, extenfive forefts, iron-mines and founderies, 

 aiid quarries of Hone and marble. The inhabitants are occu- 

 pied in huftandry, hunting, and fifhing, and alfo in fome 

 places in the mines. The chief towns of this proi'ince are 

 Nordkioping, Soderkioping, Linkioping, and Wadllena ; 

 which fee rei'peftively. 



South Gothland is divided into three provinces, •viz. Scho- 

 nen or Skone, Halland, and Blekingen, which have at 

 fundry tim.es changed their mailers, till at length Charles 

 Guftavus annexed them for perpetuity to the Swedidi domi- 

 nions, by the treaty of Rofchild, in the year 1658. 



Wejl Gothland is bounded on the N. by Warmeland, on 

 the E. by Nerieia, the Wetter lake, and Sm.aland, on the 

 S. by Sm:dand and H.illar.d, and on the W. by the Scag- 

 gerac. It is about 1 15 miles long, and 15 broad; like Eatl 

 Gothland it was under the adminiilration of its own kings 

 and laws. The foil produces corn, vegetables, and fruit ; 

 and affords excellent paftures, which enable the occupiers 

 to fupply other provinces with butter and cheefe. The 

 rivers, lakes, and fea-coaft abound with lifli ; and in feveral 

 places arc erefted iron -forges, alum-works, paper mills. 

 The inhabitants are chiefly employed in agriculture and 

 filhlng. The chief towns are Gothtborg, AVenneftorg, 

 Lidkioping, and Falkloping ; which fee refpeftively. 



Gothland, or Gottli:nJ, an ifland belonging to Sweden, 

 fituated in the Baltic, between N. lat. 56 54'. and 57 ' 56', 

 and E. long. 18' 6', and 19" 6'; about 70 miles long and 

 25 in its greateft breadth. It was formerly an independent 

 kingdom, but is now fubjeft to the fupreme court of juftico 

 at Stockhohri. Its iituation has gained for it the appropriate 

 denomination of the " Eye of the Baltic.'' The ioil is 

 fertile, and affords fine woods of oak and pine, and good 

 paftures ; and its breed of Iheep is accounted excellent. 

 It has large quarries of Hone, which is exported to Stock- 

 holm and other places, and fome curious fpecies of ilone 

 lorals, carnelians, agates, and beautiful petrifaClions. It 

 turnifnes likcv.-ife good lime-ftones, tar, and deal-boards. 

 Although it is not infelled with bears or wolves, it abounds 

 with foxes, deer, and hares. The inhabitants gain their 

 fubfiftence by tilling the ground, grazing, fifhing, working 

 in the quarries, burning lime, and other forts ot mechanic 

 trades, and navigation. The peafants are in a (late of ab- 

 folute dependence on the burghers, who fupply them with 

 neceffaries, and with money for paying their taxes, and to 

 whom they furrender the whole produce of their indullry, 

 jN'ithout ilipulating any pi ice. This iiland was at firfl fub- 



G O T 



ieft to the crown of Sweden, and afterwards to the Danes 

 for near two centuries, till the year 1645, when by the 

 treaty of Bromfebro, it was reftorcd to Sweden. The 

 capital of the iiland is Wifby, on the weflern coaft. 



GOTHS, a people, who came originally, accordincr to 

 Jornandcs (Rer. Get.) who abridges the Goihic hillory o£ 

 the learned Cafliodorus, coinprifed in 12 books, from the 

 vail iiland, or rather peninfula, called Scandinavia, and in- 

 cluding the prefeut Sweden, Norway, Lapland, and Fin- 

 mark. The learned Grotius, and after him Sheringham, 

 and moll of the northern writers, maintain by arguments, 

 which, as many conceive, have not been refuted, but which 

 are not convincing to others, that the Cimbrians (fee 

 CiMiiUf, Getes (fee Getx.), and Goths, were the fame 

 nation ; that Scandinavia was firll peopled by them ; and 

 that from thence they detached colonies into the iftands in 

 the Baltic, the Chcrfoncfus, and the adjacent places, yet 

 deftitute of inhabitants. Many velliges, which cannot be 

 aferibed to the arts of popular vanity, attell the ancient 

 refidence of the Goths in the countries beyond t!ie Baltic. 

 From the time of the geograplier Ptoleni)-, the fouthern 

 part of Sweden feems to have continued in the poirelTion of 

 the lefs enterprifing remnant of the nation, and a large ter- 

 ritory is even at prefent divided into Eall and Well Gothland. 

 (See Gothland.) The time wlien the Gotlis full fettled- 

 in Scandinavia, and the period at which they firll peopled with 

 their colonics the illands, the Cherfoiiefus, and the nei<^h- 

 bouring places, have not been afcertaincd. Some have faid, 

 that their firll ftttlem.ent was condui^ted by Eric, contempo- 

 rary with Sarach, grandfather of Abraham. However tliisbe, 

 the peopling of the ifiands in the Baltic lea,of theCherfonefus, 

 and of the adjacent places on the continent, is called by the 

 Northern writer.'^, the _;?;_// emigration of the Goths or Getes, 

 The attempt to crofs the Baltic was natural and eafy. The in- 

 habitants of Sweden (as we learn from Tacitus) were mailers 

 of a fufficient number of large vefl'els with oars ; and the 

 dillance is httle more than 100 miles from Carlfcroon to 

 the nearell ports of Pomcrania and Prnffia. At Icaft as 

 early as the Chrillian era, and as late as the age of the Anto- 

 nines, the Goths were cllablillied towards the mouth of the .' 

 Villula, and in that fertile province, where the commercial 

 cities of Thorn, Elbing, Koninglberg, and Dantzick were 

 hmg afterwards founded. Weflward of the Goths, the nu- 

 merous tribes of the Vandals were fprcad along the banks of 

 the Oder, and the fea-coail of Pomerania and Mecklenburg. 

 A llriking refemblance of manners, complexion, religion, 

 and language, leemed to indicate that the Vandals and Goth.s 

 were originally one great people. (See Vandals.) in 

 the age of the Antonines the Goths were ftill feated in 

 Pruflia. About the reign of Alexander Severus, th.ey made 

 frequent and dellruftive inroads into the Roman province of 

 Dacia. In this interval, therefore, of about fevcnty years, 

 we mull place the y^i-on^/ emigration of the Goths, from the 

 Baltic to the Euxine. To what caule this was owing is 

 matter of mere conjecture. Perhiips a pcftilencc or a famine, 

 a vidtory or a defeat, an oracle ot the gods, or the eloquence 

 of a daring leader, were fufficient to impel the Gothic amis 

 on tlie milder climates of the fouth. Befidcs the influence 

 of a martial religion, the nimibtr and fpirit of the Goths 

 were equal to the moll hazardoiis adventures. The ufe of 

 round bucklers and Ihort fwords rendered them formidable in ' 

 a clofe engagement ; the manly obedience whiihtliey yielded 

 to hereditary kings gave unconim.on uniim and liability to 

 their councils ; and the renowned Amala, the hero of that 

 age, and the tenth anceftor of Theodoric, king of Italy, 

 enforced, by the alccndant of perlonal merit, the prerogative 



of 



