The present state of England. Part III. and Part IV. containing I. an account of the riches, strength, magnificence, natural production, manufactures of this island, with an exact catalogue of the nobility, and their seats, &c., II. the trade and commerce within it self, and with all countries traded to by the English, as at this day established, and all other matters relating to inland and marine affairs : supplying what is omitted in the two former parts ...

CHAP. LXXXIX. A View of the Kingdom of Poland, to∣gether with the Trade, Weights, Mea∣sures, and currant Coyns thereof.

POland is bounded on the East with Bo∣risthenes, on the West with Vistula, on the North with the Baltick Ocean and Sinus Trinicus, and on the South with Hun∣gary; and is divided into 10 Provinces, viz. Luconia, Lituania, Volinia, Samogita, Podolia, Russia Nigra, Prussia, Podtasia, Masovia, and Poland; these Provinces are Branched with several Navigable Rivers Vistula, Reuben, Bog, Mimel and others, and has for its Metropolis Cracovia. Into which I shall reduce the Trade of this King∣dom.

Cracovia is the Metropolis of Poland, Situate on the Banks of the River Vistula, which is Navigable for near 400 Miles, being as it were incompassed with distant Mountains, and fortifyed with strong Walls and fair Buildings; being the Seat of the Kings of Poland, and is found to produce the Commodities of the whole Kingdom, as Tar, Rosin, Pitch, Hemp,

Wax, Honey, Barly, Oats, Amber, Tal∣low, and Hides, which Commodities are sent up the River; and distributed to such Merchants as come to Trade for the Growth of the Kingdom. There are likewise found Furs of divers sorts, some Minerals, and the like; for which the Inhabitants re∣ceive the Commodities of divers Nations which are brought both by Land and Sea.

The Coyns of this City, and consequent∣ly of the Kingdom, are the Ducat of Gold called the Polander; which is accounted 70 Polish Gross. The Silver Guilden which is worth 30 Polish Groshe or 2 Shillings Sterling, a Dollar in Specie is worth 4 Polish Groshes, but in all contracts of buy∣ing and selling, the Doller is accounted 36 Groshe, a Crietszar is worth 3 Pot-chanels, 18 Deniers make one Groshe, a Groshe of Poland or Bohemia is worth 7 Whites, 16 Whites make one Ort, 4 0rts make a Dollar, and a Dollar is accounted 4 Shillings 4 pence. The Weight is the pound, 136 of which is accounted the Quin∣tar, which is found in London to render 114 pound, and the 100 of London yield∣eth 120 of Cracovia, but the common pound is reduced to a Stone of 40 pound, 10 of the said Stones being accounted the

Skip-pound. The Measure of Length is the Ell, 20 of which are 10 English Ells, but their Linnen they sell by the Shock, the Shock being 57 ½ English Ells.

And to this City it will not be amiss to add Elbin, once a Scale of Merchandise, where the English Merchants had a Facto∣ry, being here known by the Name of the Merchants of Elbin, but since this City has fallen into the Hands of the King of Poland, it has lost the great Trade it had upon the Abridgement of the Liberties and Priviledges it enjoyed, during its being in the possession of the Teutonick Knights, so that now it only is famous for what it has been, and not for what it at present remains, the Trade being dispersed into several Eastland Cities, or Hans Towns, but from Danzick especially are brought Soap-Ashes.

The Weights are the Pound and Stone, 40 pound making the Stone, and 40 of those Stones make the Ship-pound, which is 400 pound, and 100 pound of London is found to make 120 of Elbin. Their Last of Wheat is reckoned to weigh 5200 pound. Their Measure of Length is the Ell, 163 of which make 100 London Yards. In this Tract is found Coninsberg, Rhiga, Stetin, Stralesond, and Revel, from the former

of which the Amber is brought, as for the rest they little differ in Commodities and manner of Trade from Cracovia: Where∣fore for Brevities sake, I shall pass them over, and take a View of Hungary and the Trade thereof, &c.