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REGNARD’S JOURNEY TO LAPLAND. 213
The late Prince of Tranfylvania was called Ragotfki, of the kingdom of Hungary ;
and his predeceflor was Bethlem Cabor, who married Catherine of Brandenburg.
We fet out from Dantzic for Warfaw on Wednefday the twenty-ninth of October, in
a little covered chariot which we hired for four-and-twenty crowns current money of
the country, which amount to about twenty French livres. On our departure we
pafled through a very large fuburb, a German mile in length, which is called Schotland.
The road is very fine, the country very good, and the inns very wretched ; but one
does not obferve this wretchednefs, becaufe it is the cuftom in Poland for travellers to
carry every neceflary along with them, even their beds ; for in the inns nothing is to be
found but what one carries. This cuftom has its advantages and its difadvantages : one
difadvantage is, that it becomes neceflary for one to carry a great equipage ; but it has
this advantage, that one always has fomething good to eat, and that one always fleeps
in one’s own bed; which is undoubtedly a great convenience for a traveller, who is
very happy at enjoying repofe at night after the fatigues of the day : this confideration
alone is fufficient to make one fupport the toil of a journey.
The reafon why nothing is to be met with in Poland is, that the gentlemen take
every thing from the peafant, and pay him moft frequently with ftripes. All the pea-
fants are born flaves ; and fo great is the power of the lords of the foil, that it extends
even to the jurifdiction over life and death; and when a gentleman has killed one of
his peafants, he is acquitted by paying , which amounts to about feven francs
of our money, and this fum is employed to bury him.
The lands are not fold according to their value, but the number of peafants which
are upon them: they are obliged to work five days in the week for their mafter, and
the fixth for themfelves and their families, who are more wretched than it is poffible to
exprefs. It frequently happens that the lords, having need of money, fell to their flaves
their liberty for a certain fum of money; but without this they are not permitted to
remove their habitations: and a peafant who fhould be found in flight, would undoubt-
edly be maffacred by his mafter. This dominion extends over the women as well as
the men, and even fomewhat further ; and if the peafant has a handfome daughter, the
gentleman does not fail to take the privilege of the lord of the foil.
We pafled through Graudentz, a city fituated on the Viftula, which is a magazine of
the grain which is carried down this river to Dantzic and Culm, where we attended
mais, in a very fine church, on Touflaint’s day ; and we arrived at Thorn, a city finely
fituated, which for this reafon is called Die Schen/te, the handfomett.
Thorn is a free city, under the protection of the King of Poland, like Dantzic, and it
is the capital of Pruflia-royal ; it is almoft in the middle of the diftance betwixt Dantzic
aud Warfaw. The government is almoft like that of Dantzic, except that the four
burgomafters are changed every year, fifteen days before Eafter, on the Sunday of
Judica. ‘Thefe four burgomatters are elected ; but the burgrave, who is the chief, is
appointed by the King of Poland. We went to fee the town-houfe, which is very mag-
nificent; and in the magiftrates’ hall are portraits of the kings of Poland, from Cafimir
the Fourth, who reigned forty-five years. To him fucceeded John Albertus, who fat
on the throne eight years; and was followed by Alexander, who reigned five years ;
and after him Sigifmond the Firft remained on the throne forty-one years: Sigifmond
Augultus was next elected, who remained king four-and-twenty years ; but his fucceffor,
Henry the Third, who was afterwards King of France, reigned only three months.
This prince received two crowns, and had for hismotto, Manet ultima celo ; but others
changed ca@/o to clauftro. After him came Stephen, who reigned fix years; and Sigif-
mond the Third, King of Sweden and Poland, fucceeded him, The former kingdom
was
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