. Ill L ow-CouNfRiES, Germany, 
Chap 
mrnphen, both inhabited by Lulherans. What diverted 
US moft in all this Journey was, a Meeting of the Ma- 
Eiftrates of the little City of Palemhurgh, which hap- 
pening to be in the fame Inn where we dined, we were 
well diverted with the Sight of twelve or fifteen Peafants 
with hic^h-crown’d Hats, cover’d with green and yellow 
Ribbon” with red or blue Veils, Ruffs of black Taffata, 
their Hair cut round clofe juft below their Ears, and 
their Beards like thofe of the Capuchins * In this Habit 
we faw them fitting together, with their Elbows refting 
on a Table, and explaining the Law (after their Man- 
ner) each with a good Glafs of Wine in his Hand, 
every one ftriving to get the better of another more 
by Strength of Voice than of Argurnent. 
It is not to be wonder’d, that Drinking fhould be fo 
common in this Country, confidering the Temptations 
they lie under here, for you buy four great Pots of Wine 
for a Penny ; and if a Paffenger happens to ask for a 
Cup of Wine, they bring him a large Jack, fcarce 
knowing what a little Meafure is. As you travel from 
the mountainous Country into the Plains that 
Nurenhergh, the Tobacco and Hops fucceed by De- 
erees the Vineyards : We had a fair Profped of this 
beautiful City at a confiderable Diftance, as we were 
travelling along the Banks of the River Pegnitz, which 
runs from it, but ferves only to turn fome Mills, whereas 
without any great Difficulty it might be made navigable, 
and confequently much increafe the Grandeur of this City, 
fo that the Coft of making it fo would be amply repaid. 
However, this Defed does not hinder Nurenbergh 
from being a Place of great Trade, great Riches, and 
well peopled ; and for its Bignefs it is reputed to be 
twice as large zsFnanckfonl upon the and contains 
under its Jurifdiiftion leven other Cities, and four hun- 
dred and eighty Boroughs and Villages : It has fix 
Gates, two hundred twenty eight large Streets, and one 
hundred and eighteen Fountains and Wells : Fortifica- 
tions after the ancient Manner, which are of no great 
Confideration, its Situation in the very Heart of 
.Germany being its chief Security, and indeed this little 
Republick generally enjoys Peace. Nurembergh is a 
very handfome City, its Houfes being generally lofty 
and ftrong, of hewn Stone, and many adorn’d with 
Pidtures on the Outfide, after the Gothick Manner, and 
confequently not very regular : Befides this, it has ma- 
jiy good brafs Fountains, one whereof we faw at the 
Artificer’s Houfe, the Statues of which alone coft fe- 
venty thoufand Crowns. The Streets are broad, clean, 
and well paved, but not ftreight. One of the Towers 
of the Caftle bears the Name of Nero*^ whence 
'Ibme would look for the Original of this City as far as 
J<lero^ whereas ’tis more probable, that Noriberga.^ or 
J^ons Noricoruniy as it is called in Latin, has its Etymo- 
logy from the Norici, the old Inhabitants of the Coun- 
try and Berg, i. e. a Mountain. The Caftle is feated 
on a high Rock, though all the reft of the City be very 
flat; it IS irregular, being built according to the une- 
qual Shape of the Rock. They fliew’d us a Well, 
which they affirm’d to be fixteen hundred Foot deep, and 
that the Chian of the Bucket weigh’d three thoufand 
Pounds, but we did not believe them. 
In one of the Halls of this Caftle are to be feen four 
Corinthian Pillars forty five Foot high, which were 
brought (fay they) from Rome by the Devil, upon a 
Challenge which a Monk made him. On the Stones 
of the Parapet of the Caftle, they ffiew the Print 
of a Horfe’s Shoe, where they fay a Conjurer leap’d 
over the Ditch. The Ornaments ufed at the anointing 
of the Emperors are preferved in the Church of the 
Hofpital •, the Diadem of Charlemagne (called the Infu- 
la) is of pure Gold, weighing fourteen Pounds, and 
covered with precious Stones, being not clofed on the 
Top, as the Imperial Crowns are generally reprefented, 
but fuppofe, inftead of the Fleurets on Ducal Coronets, 
you fae Plates rounded on the Top, which, being join- 
ed by the Sides, make the Compafs of the Bonnet j of 
thefe there are feven, that before exceeding the reft in 
|he Luftre of the precious Stones on the Top of all 
is a Crofs, and a Semicircle, fupported by the two 
Head-plates behind, raifed above the Bonnet, and join- 
VoL. II, Numb. 105, 
520 
ed to the Top of the Croft. The Scepter and Globe 
are of Gold, and the Sword is faid to have been 
brought from Heaven. The Robe of Charlemagne is of 
a Violet Colour, embroider^ with Pearls, and the Im- 
perial Cloak edged with the fame^ and ftrewed with 
Eagles of Gold, and a great Number of precious 
Stones. Here are alfo the Cope, the Stole, the Breeches 
embroider’d with Stones, the Stockins and the Buskins 
cover’d with Plates of Gold. 
Amongft divers other Relicks^ they keep in this 
Church the Iron Head of St. Longinuses. Launce •, and be- 
caufe they are not ignorant that the fame is fhewn in 
above ten other Places in the World, they fay all thefe 
are Counterfeits, and that theirs was found by St, An- 
drew, and brought from Antioch to this City. 
Their Arfenal is one of the moft renowned in Ger^ 
many ; in the two great Halls (each two hundred and 
fifty Paces long) we faw three hundred Pieces of Can- 
non, and among them many of a very large Bore, the 
Biggeft whereof carried a Ball of three hundred Pounds 5 
but to Ipeak the Truth, the reft, being Arms of more 
Antiquity than Ufe, ferve only for a Shew. The pub- 
lick Library is in a Cloyfter formerly belonging to the 
Dominicans, and contains, as they fay, twenty thou- 
fand Volumes : The moft ancient Manufeript is of nine 
hundred Years, being a Copy of the Golpels, with the 
Prayers and Hymns formerly ufed in the Greek Church i 
the Charafters are very different from what is ufed 
now : They alfo ffiew’d us a Book printed at Spires 
144^, but it feems as- if there had been an Error in 
the Cyphers ; for at the fame Time we were fhewn ano- 
ther of the Impreffion of Faujtus at Mentz in 1459, 
which had, by way of Advertifement, annexed to it, 
Fhat this Book was not written by the Hand, hut was 
printed by an admirable Secret newly invented. They keep 
in this Library many Rarities, but the Cabinet of Mr. 
Viati exceeds them, it being almoft impoffible to con- 
ceive how a Man of a private Fortune could heap to- 
gether fo many Things brought from all Parts of the 
World. There is one great Apartment fill’d with the 
divers Arms of all Countries ; from whence you go 
into another ftored with excellent Piflures, Medals, cu- 
rious Works both ancient and modern, Idols, Shells, 
Plants, Minerals, and other natural Productions. He 
ffiew’d us a Wind-Gun, wherewith confiderable Mif- 
chief may be done at a Diftance w ithout any Noife. 
The Town-houfe is a fpacious Fabrick, with a beau- 
tiful well-proportion’d Front, but no Court before it. 
And from hence we were carried to the publick Cellar, 
which is two hundred and fifty Paces long, and con- 
tains twenty thoufand middle- fiz’d Tuns (they call them 
Auns) of Wine, a Provifion the Germans always take 
extraordinary Care of; for it muft be confefs’d, that 
the Germans are the moft civil and obliging People in 
-the World, but exceffive Drinkers. You fcarce enter 
. a Houfe to make a Vifit, but before you can fpeak 
three Words, you are faluted with a favoury Collation, 
and large Jacks of Wine : To refufe a Health, or to 
leave a Drop in your Glafs, is a capital Fault ; by 
which Means the Cup never ftands ftill. This made 
the Duke of Rhoan fay pleafantly of the Germans, That 
they had found out the Perpetual Motion in their Cups,, 
which puzzled all the Mathematicians in the W mid : 
Hence it is that Glaffes of all Sizes are in fo high an 
Efteem with them, that they are ranged in good Or- 
der in fome of their beft Apartments, and make a P art 
of their ornamental Furniture. 
In the Evening we had the Opportunity of feeing 
Part of the Celebration of a Wedding : The Bride- 
groom, attended by his Friends and Kindred, march’d 
firft on Foot from a Houfe to the Church, which was 
not above two hundred Paces diftant, his future Spoufe 
following fpon after, with her Friends, from the fame 
Houfe. Being come into the Church, the Bridegroom 
fate down with his Relations on one Side, and the 
Bride on the other oppofite to him ; over each of their 
Heads againft the Wall, being painted the Figure of 
Death : From thence they both approach’d to the 
Minifter, who ftood in the Midft of the Choir, who 
had no fooner perform’d the Ceremony, but four or 
6 T 
