Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - Pages ...
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
252 REGNARD’S JOURNEY TO LAPLAND,
a lapfe of fifty fucceffive years, made the fame obfervation, he had now no doubt of the
truth of his opinion.
He alfo told us, that he had difcovered the libration of the moon, which no perfon
before him had been acquainted with, and the knowledge of which had been of great
ufe to him in all his works, the number of which exceeds all belief. He has dedicated
them to almoft every prince in the world, and the volumes are full of plates made with
his own hand: he fhewed us them all, befides fifteen large volumes, as thick as the
lives of the Saints, full of letters which the moft learned men of the whole world had
written to him on various fubjects.
The moon is a round body, full of depreffions and elevations. He has drawn a
thart of it feveral times, and has given particular names to the mountains and remark-
able places which he has obferved ; not that there is any water in the moon, but a cer-
tain kind of matter, which has the fame appearance with water. Heis at prefent con-
ftructing a globe of a f{pherical form, in which he intends to fhew all the fcientific dif-
coveries which have been during more than fifty years : he is aflifted by the king, to
whom he intends to dedicate his performance. He fhewed us the moft beautiful
geometrical inftruments that I have ever feen, and a piece of amber, on which, as foon
as it was drawn from the fea, heimprinted himfelf the impreflion of a feal, whilft it was
{till fufficiently foft to receive it: for the moment it has been expofed to the air it be-
comes hard, as we obferve it.
The Marquis of Brandenburg has made a prefent to the Emperor of a chair of am-
ber, which is faid to be the greateft curiofity in the world: and tothe Dauphin, a
mirror of it, which is confidered a mafter-piece. This prince is certainly the moft
powerful of all Germany; his territory is more than two hundred miles in extent;
and the province of Pruffia alone, of which he has only a part, produces of revenue to
him, more than twenty-fix thoufand crowns a-month. He gave a feaft this laft fummer,
when he was at Pyrmont, in which he expended, according to report, fifty thoufand
érowns: there were prefent forty royal perfons, that is to fay, defcended of royal
families or of fovereigns. The two Queens of Denmark and Prince George were
prefent. His court is more fplendid than any other in Germany, and if he be defti-
tute of the rank of a king, he is not deftitute of the heart, the court, and the revenues
of one.
The Eleétor of Brandenburg is called Frederic-William, Great Chamberlain of the
empire, and has married Louifa Henrietta, daughter of Frederic Henry, Prince of
Orange. He has a fon about fifteen years old, called the Court-Prince, he is of the
Calviniftic religion. We lodged at Dantzic, with Payen, inthe Schyher Gulden Haus.
We knew there M. Macé, watchmaker, who had refided long in Conftantinople, and
who purchafed his wife there, whois from Dantzic ; the ftory is very interefting. This
Pole is called —~-— and his brother is now agent at the Conftantinopolitan court,
where he himfelf had been with his father, who was ambaflador.
We kept up a correfpondence with the Tranfylvanian Michael Apaffei, whom France
bribed largely to grant a paflage through his territories to fixty thoufand Frenchmen,
and an equal number of ‘Tartars, whom we kept in pay during the late wars, and who
neceflarily diverted the attention of the Emperor. The Duke of Tranfylvania is chofen
by the ftates of the country, and is confirmed by the Grand Turk, to whom he pays
tribute. He fwears on his arrival at fupreme power, to maintain in the country the
free exercife of five religions, which are, the Roman Catholic, the Greek, the
Lutheran, the Calviniftic, and the Anabaptift. He receives tribute from the princes of
Moldavia and Wallachia.
2 The
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
