Chap. V. through Austria, Bohemia, Moravia, 7S7 
A wild Mountain Cat of an extraordinary Size 5 five deemed the befl. This is melted in a pe^^iar Furnace, 
youncy Bears, five old black Bears; the Feet, Head and to feparate it from the Ore ; feme of which yields 
Neck° lono-er than thofe of the black, but not fo thick ; three Pound of Sulphur out of 100 Weight or Ore, 
twoLions°nd ten Lioneffes. which as it melts runs out of the Furnace into Water, 
The Italian Garden and Summer-houfe in the Suburbs, or the Exhalations of the Ore are condenled into ^rim- 
contained two noble Obelisks, two beautiful Fountains, ftone, by the Goldnefs mf the Surface or the Water 
a Theatre and good Landfkips. They were built by two placed to receive it. It is purified again, by melting it 
of the E\tcioih Eunuchs. It is not many Years ago a fecond Time. Some of this Brimftone Ore holds 
fince Brefden has been made a City. The Revenues of Silver, fome Copper, but in very fmall Quantities; 1 he 
the Eleftor of Saxony are very confiderable, arifing Remnants, after Sulphur is feparated from the Ore, is 
chiefly from his Impofitions upon Commodities, Excifes referved for a double Ufe ; eidier for the melting of 
upon Beer and Silver Mines. The chief Church of Silver, or the making of Vitriol _ In' the firft Cafe, a 
Brefden is very fair. They are reputed to fpeak the certain Proportion of it is caft into the Melting-Fur- 
beft High Butch here, and throughout all Mifnia, which nace of the Silver, which, as the Miners term k, helps 
is a pleafant, fruitful and populous Country. to make it Flux. In the rriaking of Vitriol or Copperas^, 
After I left Brefden, my Curiofity led me to Erie- they take the Ore from which the Brimftone has been 
herg, noted for many confiderable Mines, which are feparated, and burn it over again, or let it continue to 
within two Miles of the Place. Among thofe burn in the open Air, then putting it into a large Vef- 
I took particular Notice of three ; one call’d the High fel, pour as much Water upon it as is requifite to im- 
Hill, the deepeft in thofe Parts, being Seventy feven bibe the Vitriol ; which Water being afterwards boiled 
of theirs, or Two hundred and eight of our Fathoms to a certain Gonfiftency, is let out into Coolers, where 
deep, which Depth exceeded any of the Mines I faw in the pureft Part of the Vitriol adheres to Sticks fet for 
Hungary. The fecond Mine I faw was call’d the Prince that Purpofe, the reft fetling on the Sides and at the Bot- 
of Heaven, which not many Years ago, produced an tom. It is obfervable, that the Ore, after it is depriv- 
Ore fo rich, that an Hundred Pounds weight afforded ed of its Vitriol, has not the lead Virtue left in open- 
an Hundred and thirty Marks of Silver, or Sixty five ing Metals, or rendring of them fluid. 
Pounds in the hundred ; but it is a conftant Obfervation 24. The City of Frieberg itfelf is of a circular Fi- 
among uhe Miners, that where the Veins are richeft and gure, furrounded with ftrong Walls ; Its Streets are 
pureft, they are thinneft, and generally not above the handfome, and fo is the Market-place, The Elector’s 
Breadth of two Inches. The Ore, as it generally runs. Palace is a very beautiful Struflure ; it has five Gates, 
affords not one Ounce and a half of Silver in the Pound; But what exceeds all the reft, is the Church of. St. Pe~ 
and they work it, if it holds above half an Ounce, ter, famous for the Monuments of many of the Du- 
which may feem fomewhat ftrange to thofe who know cal Family, among which, that of Maurice, Duke and 
not, that even in the Silver Mines of Peru and Chili, Eleiflor of Saxony, excels, being accounted the nobiefl: 
they will work the Silver Ore, which affords not above in Germany, railed three Piles high of black Marble, 
four or five Ounces ; and the rich Ore in the Mines of with many fair Statues about; it in Alabafter, and white 
Potofi does not commonly produce above ten or Marble, which is the Reafon, that when this Town 
twelve Ounces of Silver; though this Hill alone, if was furrender’d, the 5th, 1632, to the Imperia- 
we may credit Alberto Alonfo, has produced in Silver lifts, the Eledor of Saxony paid 80000 Crowns to 
fince it has been dug, betwixt four and five hun- fave the Tombs of his Predeceffors, and the Robes, 
dred Millions of Pieces of Eight. They have here Jewels, Rings and other Enfigns of Honour, that were 
feveral Ways of opening the Ore to prepare it for buried with them. 
Melting ; as, by Lead, and a kind of Silver Ore There were^ certain Vaults and fubterraneous Paflkges 
which holds Lead. from the Mines into the City, which are faid to have 
The Sulphur Ore alfo which is found here, after its been difeover’d firft 1189, fince which time the Silver 
Calcination, proves no fmall Addition towards the melt- Mines at Schneeberg, Annebergh and Joachims have 
ing of Metals ; as likewife the Schlich, or pounded and been found, viz. in 1526. After having taken a View 
waihed Ore, and the Schlaken, being the Drofs, Sedi- of what I thought moft curious in and about Frieberg^ 
ment or Scum, taken cut of the Vortiegel {Pan) which I travell’d by Waltheim and Coldick to Leipfuk, feated 
received the melted Minerals, let out into it at the Bot- upon the River Filler, which having its Source in Vogt-^ 
tom of the melting Furnace. Their Freibjhearth, or land, paffes by this City, and afterwards falls into the 
Furnace of Separating, where tht Litharge is driven. River 
which I faw here, is more like that deferibed in Agri~ It is a very rich Place, celebrated for its three Marts 
c-ola, than thofe I faw in Hungary. Some of the Li- or Fairs every Year, when there is a great Refort of 
tharge is Green : They walk the pureft Ore, and fuch Merchants from all Parts. The Floufes are generally 
as is mix’d with Stones or Spars ; and they have this ftately Buildings, being for the moft part fix or feven 
Peculiar, that before they melt the Ore in the Melting- Stories high. It has a Caftle, but neither this nor the 
Furnace, they burn the pounded and walked Ore on Town are well fortified. The Church of St. Nicholas 
the Roapfing Hearth, as they term it. They make has the Reputation of being within one of the fineft 
much Ufe of the Virgula divina or Forked Hazel, to theran Churches in Germany. 
find out the Silver Ore, or any other Treafure. I ne- This City is famous for three Battles fought near it 
ver faw them ufe it in the Mines of Hungary, where I in our Age ; the tft. Between Gujiavus Adolphus, King 
was, but I took particular Notice of the Manner of Sweden, and Count 'Tilly.i the Imperial General, 
how they ufe it here ; yet as it is amply de- ,1631, in which the laft was totally routed. The id, 
feribed in fome Books, and is better feen than re- Some Years after, betwixt Torkienfon the Swedifh^ and 
prefented at a Diftance, I will not enlarge further Arch-duke Leopold William, the Imperial General, 
upon that Subjeeff. _ The 3A about a League and a half from hence, near 
The third Mine I vifited was call’d the Neckbreaker, Lutzen, fought between the fame King of Sweden, and 
about eighty of our Fathoms^ deep : The Ore it pro- Walletifiein Duke of Friedland, the Imperial General, 
duces is either Copper and Silver, or Silver and Lead, in which the Sweeds were again victorious, notwith- 
and fometimes all three ; but they work only for Silver, ftanding their King was flain before the Beginning of 
I found the Mines cold as far as the Air could pene- the Battle, as he was going to take a View of the Poff 
trate, but otherwife warm enough. Where they are ture of the Enemy. There is alfo a good Univerfity 
at the deepeft, they are full of Damps ; but that which at Leipfuk, ereCted there whilft the Troubles continued 
troubles them moft, is the Duft, which fettles upon the in Bohemia, with the Huffites, when 2o'oo German Schol- 
Lungs and Stomachs of the Miners. They have ex- lars came hither at once from Prague. 
cellent Engines here to prevent the Inconveniencies ari- From Leipfick I profecuted my Journey to Magdehurgh, 
fing from the Water. But I muft not omit a rich Sul- through a plain Country, betwixt the Rivers Sala and 
phur Ore, hard and ftony, that with, red Spots being Elbe, through Lansberg, and near Peterfiorff, and fo 
'V OX). II. CiKX^I. 9 
/ 
