Chap. II. and its Inh 
Lead, Silver, Copper, and Iron, with other kinds of 
Minerals, as Quickfilver at ‘Tufian in Red Ruffia, and 
'Vitriol near Biecz in the Palatinate of Cracovia ; ,but the 
mofl: confiderable of all are the Salt Mines at Bochnta and 
Velifca in Lepr Poland^ which are the chief Riches of 
the Country. They work in thofe Mines as we do in our 
Coal-Pits ; the Salt is generally of a bluifh Colour, but 
fome of it white and tranfparent, like Cryftal j when it is 
new dug it has a brackifli Tafte, but when expofed to 
the Air becomes brittle, and more fweet ; they have 
alfo fome Veins of Sal Gemmis. The Woods are well 
ftored with Hares, Coneys, Squirrels, Deer, Foxes, 
Bears, Wolves, and Boars. The Mafovian Forefts have 
Plenty of Elks, wild Affes, Buffaloes, and Bifonets, 
which in Shape and Horns refemble an Ox ; have Mains 
like Horfes, Beards on their lower Jaws, Tongues rough 
like a File, and very hard, a Bunch on their Backs, and 
their Hair fmells like Mufic. They are incredible ilrong •, 
the Polijh Nobility hunt them, and efteem their Fleffi 
when powdered a great Dainty. I'he Urus, called by 
the Polanders Thur, is a kind of wild Ox *, bigger, 
ftronger, and fwifter than the tame ; he has a diort black 
Beard, a Bufh of Hair upon his Forehead, and Horns 
very wide and large : Pliny fays, the Romans made Lan- 
thorns of them. The Elk, called by the Poles Lois, by 
the Germans Elland, which ligniries miferable, becaufe 
of the Falling-Sicknefs, is about the Size of a large 
Horfe, bodied like a Stag, but broader, its Legs longer, 
and its Feet cloven and large •, their Hoofs are reckoned 
a Specific againft the Falling-Sicknefs. 
In the Deferts near the Nieper^ there is a Sort of wjld 
Sheep, called Solhack^ fhaped like a Goat, but with 
Ihorter Legs, and Horns growing ftraiter up. They are 
exceeding fwift, and leap very high. They have a Sort 
of wild Horfes in the Ukrain^ called by them Dzikie- 
konil, which their Nobles eat for a great Rarity. In 
Lithuania and Mufcovy there is a voracious unferviceable 
Beaft not found elfewhere, called Roffomoko, with the 
Body and Tail of a Wolf, and the P'ace of a Cat-, it 
feeds on dead Carcaffes, and eats till its Belly is fwelled to 
the utmoft Stretch, then it fqueezes itfelf betwixt two 
Trees, forces the Load from its Stomach, and returns 
to its Prey, devouring and difgorging fucceffively till all 
is confumed. 
3. The wefrern Parts of this Kingdom produce a great 
deal of Corn, of all Sorts, which is exported from Dant- 
zick -, as alfo Honey, Wax, Amber, Hides, tanned 
Leather, Mufcovite and Polifi Furs, Oak, Wainfcot, 
Mafts, Planks, Fir, Deal, Pitch, Tallow, Salt, 
Hops, Llemp, Bdax, Salt-petre, Pot-afhes, Opium, 
PruJJian Wool, for coarfe Manufadlures j Vitriol, Lapis 
Lazuli, Vermilion, Brafs, Lead, Iron, Copper, Glafs, 
and Earthen-ware, Oxen, Slieep, Flogs, IRc. to diffe- 
rent Parts of Europe. They import Stuffs, Silk, and 
Worked; Cloths, Tapeftry, Jewels, Sables, Salt- 
Fifh, Tin, Steel, Martens, Iron-ware, RheniJIo., 
French., Spanijh., _ and Hungarian Wines, Spirits, Aqua 
Vitse, Brandy, Spice, of which they make great Con- 
fumption. They might be much richer, if they were 
induftrioLis and frugal, and applied themfelves to Manu- 
fadlures ; but the Poles are little inclined to either ; for 
the Gentry are abfolutely forbid to iollow Trade, of any 
Kind, on Pain of forfeiting their Honour ; and the 
Commonality commonly want Funds, fo that all the 
Trade there is chiefly carried on by foreign Merchants ; 
befidcs, fuch of the Poles as have any Fortunes, fpend 
too much of their Revenues in coftly Habits and Luxury, 
to be able to undertake any confiderable Traffic. Nor 
have they any good Ports, except Dantzick.^ which is not 
enough to improve the Trade of fo large a Country. 
It is to this want of Commerce with other Nations, that 
the Poles owe mofl of their Defedls in their Government ; 
for if they were once convinced of them, there is not a 
Nation m Europe more capable of corredling them, as we 
may gather from a very familiar Inftance : One of their 
Monarchs being in Germany., and not having it in his 
Power to converfe with Strangers in Latin ; he was fo 
fenfible of the Defeft, that upon his Return to Poland^ he 
VoL. II. Numb. 104, 
ABITANTS. 509 
caufed a Graminar-School to be etet^ed in every Town 
throughout the Kingdom ; 'fo that now there is not a 
Country in Europe where Latin is fo generally underftood 
as it is here. 
4. From theTime of Lechus, the Kings oi Poland have be'eii 
defied to the Crown in a regular Defcent, though not by an 
hereditaryTitle. They have really been abfolute, and their 
Will went for Law ; for they made Peace and War when 
they pleafed, levied Troops as they thought fit, puniflied 
or pardoned at Pleafure ; and all the Adminiftration, ei- 
ther of public or private Affairs, was fo wholly lodged in 
the King’s Hands, that the Poles themffelves fay, 1 hat 
Sigifmund II. the laft King of the Jagellon Family, was, 
to the full, as abfolute as either the King of France dr 
Denmark is now. Whilfl; the Kings of Poland thus main- 
tained a fupreme Power over their Subjeds, they exceed- 
, ingly enlarged their Dominions, were feared Abroad and 
beloved at Flome, commanded numerous Armies, exe- 
cuted Enterprizes fpeedily, and were always fare of Suc- 
cefs ; and this, becaufe, they did not then, as now, 
depend upon the lingering and tedious Conclufions of a 
turbulent Dyet. But the Family of Jagello being once 
extinfl by the Death of Sigifmund II. who had refigned his 
Kingdom to the Senate and Polijh Gentry, and given 
them full Power and Authority, to difpofe thereof as they 
thought fit ; the Crown of Poland was declared once more 
'cleflive ; to the End, that ail the Princes of Chrijiendom, 
who had due Merits and Qualifications, might have a 
Right to afpire thereunto. 
This has given Occafion to mofl; of the Princes of 
Europe ever fince to court the Polijh Nobility, either to 
o;et the Eleflion determined in their own Favour, or elfe 
to have fome of their Friends advanced to that great 
Dignity ; but this commonly, with regard to their own 
private Interefts, rather than out of any Refped to the 
Perfon they defired to promote. The Gentry of Poland 
therefore obferving, that feveral Princes always afpired 
to their Crown ; and confidering that none of them had 
more Right than the reft, and that it lay altogether in 
their own Power to choofe whom they pleafed, refolved 
unanimoLifly to eledl none but fuch as could condefeend, 
nay fwear, to obferve the Terms and Conditions rhey 
propofed. By this means, the Poles have clipped and 
limited the antient Power of their Kings, and have re- 
duced them to the Bounds we now find them, that is, 
barely to a third Part of the Dyet. For the Poles knew 
that no Prince would be fo imprudent as to fcruple fub- 
mitting to any Conditions, to become Mailer of fo con- 
fiderable a Kingdom, to which he had no Right, either 
by Birth or any other Claim ; and more efpecially, fince 
thefe Conditions are neither rigorous nor dilhonourable, 
but fuch as are confiftent enough with the regal Charafter 
he is to be inveffed with. 
I'hus the PoUJo Gentry, of an abfolute monarchical 
Government, have in time made a perfedl Republic, con- 
fining of three Orders. The King-, Senate, and Nobi- 
lity. The Polijh Nation is divided into two Sorts of 
People. The Nobility, Gentry, or Free-born Subjedls, 
who are hardly a tenth Part of the Kingdom ; and their 
Vaffals, who are no better than Slaves ; for they have no 
Benefit of the Laws, can buy no Eflates, nor enjoy any 
Property ; and this, becaufe, fome Ages fince, the com- 
mon People revolting againfl; their Lords, and having 
driven them out of the Nation, the Gentry came with a 
foreign Power, and reduced them to greater Subjedlion 
than before, in which they have been kept ever fince : 
So that the Government of Poland^ at prefent, compre- 
hends only the King and the Nobility. By a Gentleman, 
or Nobleman of Poland^ is underftood, a Perfon, who 
himfelf, or his Family, has Poflefilons in Land, for they 
never intermarry wirh the common People. All the 
Gentry, from the King’s Sons to thofe . that are Mailers 
of an Acre, are equally noble, both by their Birth and 
the Conftitution of the Kingdom ; for nobody is bom 
either a Palatine, Senator, or Lord, but their Titles are 
always annexed to Employments, which the King gives 
to Perfons advanced in Age, and recommended by theit 
Merit, 
6 0 '^ The 
