Geography anatomiz'd, or, The compleat geographical grammar being a short and exact analysis of the whole body of modern geography after a new and curious method / collected from the best authors and illustrated with divers maps by Pat. Gordon ...

§. I. SWEDELAND.

THIS Country (formerly Succia, a Part of Ancient Scandinavia) is term'd by the Italians, Suezia; * 1.1 by the Spaniards, Suedia; by the French, Suede; by the Germans, Schweden; and by the English, Sueden or Swethland; so call'd from its Ancient Inhabitants the Sueones, Suevi, or Suethidi, with the Addition of Land for Termination.

The Air of this Country is generally very Cold, but (if not too nigh some Lake or Marish) very pure and * 1.2 wholesome; yea, so healthful to breath in, that many of its Inhabitants do frequently live to an hundred years, especially they who abstain from excessive drinking, a thing too much pra∣ctis'd

by many of them. The Antipodes to this People, or the oppo∣site Place of the Globe to Swedeland, is that Part of the vast Pacifick Ocean, comprehended between the 220th and 230th Degree of Longitude, with 50 and 70 Degrees of South Latitude.

The Soil of this Country (it lying in the 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th Northern Climates) is not very fruitful, * 1.3 but yet where less fertile in Corn, that disadvantage is recompens'd with tollerable Pasturage. Its numerous Lakes are very well stor'd with various kinds of Fishes. Its Mountains are generally covered over with Trees, and several of them lin'd with considerable Mines of Silver, Tin, Brass, and Iron. The longest Day in the Northmost part of this Country is about two Months (the Sun being so long without setting when near the Summer Sol∣stice). The shortest in the Southmost, is about 6 Hours 1/••, and the Nights proportionably.

The Chief Commodities of this Country, are Metals, Ox-hides, Goat-skins, Buck-skins, and costly Furs, * 1.4 Pine trees, Fir-trees, Oales, Tallow, Tar, Honey, and such like.

The Chief Rarities of this Country may be reckon'd two Publick Clocks of admirable Workmanship; one * 1.5 belonging to the Cathedral Church of Upsal; the other to that of St. Laurence in Lunden, especially the latter, which (sup∣pos'd to be the Work of Casper Bartholinus) shews not only the Day, Hour, and Minute, but also all the remarkable Motions of the Coelestial Bodies, with all Festivals, both fixt and moveable, and several other pleasant Curiosities. To these add that famous Slimy Lake in the Southern Part of Gothland, which burns such things as are put into it. As also a certain Stone found in several Parts of Sueden, which being of a Yellow Colour, intermixt with several Streaks of white, (as if compos'd of Gold and Silver) affords both Sulphur, Vitriol, Alium, and Minium. Some write of a Lake in Lapland, which hath as many Islands in it, as there are Days in the Year.

Archbishopricks belonging to Sueden, are Two, viz. those of * 1.6

• Upsal,
• Riga.

Bishopricks in this Kingdom are Eight, viz. those of * 1.7

• W••steras,
• Strergnes,
• Wexioc,
• Lunden,
• Lindkaeping,
• Scaren,
• Abo.
• Wiburg.

Universities established here, are Two, viz. those of. * 1.8

• Upsal.
• Abo.

The Swedes (for the most part) are Men of big and strong Bodies; Men whose very Constitution doth fit * 1.9 them to be Soldiers, but generally they weaken Nature by extravagant excess in Drinking. Their Gentry are much given to Hospitality, very Affable and Civil to Strangers, and many of them become considerable Proficients in several Arts and Sciences. The Commons are generally esteem'd good Mechanicks, but lookt upon by all, as too much addicted to Laziness in point of improving their Country, by not cutting down many unnecessary Forests, and im∣proving that Ground to better advantage.

The Swedes speak a Dialect of the Teutonic, which is somewhat different from that us'd in Denmark and Upper * 1.10 Germany. Persons of Quality understand and speak the High-German Language in its Native purity. The Finlanders have a peculiar Gibberish of their own, For a Specimen of the Swedish Tongue, we shall here subjoin the Lord's Prayer in that Language, intending to observe the same Method in treating of all other Languages in Europe. Their Pater-Noster runs thus, Fadher war som est i himlem; helghat warde tiett namyn, till komme titt ricke, skee tin wilie sa comi himmelen, sa ock pa jordenne, wart dagliha brod giffosz i dagh; och forlat osz wara skuld, sa som ock wforlate them osz skyldighe aro; Och in leedh osz ickei frestelse uthan frels oszi fra ondo. Amen.

The Kingdom of Swedeland having suffered various turns of Fortune, being frequently disturb'd by the * 1.11 Adjacent Nations, at last got rid of them all, and be∣coming terrible to others, spread it self over a considerable Part of its Neighbours Territories. At present 'tis subject unto, and go∣vern'd by its own Monarch, who, since the last Age, is not only Hereditary, but by the late turn of Affairs in his Country, hath also attained unto, and now exerciseth such a Power over the Sub∣ject, that the same is really astonishing to any considering Person, who looks back unto the State of that Kingdom, only a few Years ago. He is stil'd King of the Swedes, Goths, and Vandals; Grand Prince of Finland, Duke of Estonia and Carelia, and Lord of Ingria, &c. The different Orders in this Realm are Six, viz. Princes of the Blood, the Nobility, Clergy, Soldiery, Merchantry, and Commonalty. These by their Representatives being assembled in Parliament, make four different Houses, viz. that of the Nobility, where the Grand Marshal presides. 2. That of the Clergy, where the Archbishop of Upsal presides. 3. That of the Burgesses, where one of the Consuls of

Stockholm presides. And lastly, That of the Knights of the Shir••, where one of their own Number elected by themselves presides. Chief Courts establisht in this Kingdom, are these Five, viz. (1) That commonly call'd the King's Chamber, design'd for the De∣cision of all Cases happening between the Nobility, Senators, or any of the Publick Officers, and here the King is (at least, ought to sit as) President. (2) The Court-Martial, in which all Matters re∣lating to War are determin'd, and here the Grand Marshal of the Army is President. (3.) The Court of Chancery, in which Edicts, Mandates, Commissions, and such like, are made out in the King's Name, and here the Chancellour of the Kingdom is President. (4) The Court of Admiralty, in which all business relating to Ma∣ritime Affairs are transacted, and here the High Admiral is President. Lastly, The Court of Exchequer, in which all Matters concern∣ing the Publick Revenue are manag'd, and here the Grand Trea∣surer is President.

The King of Sweden bears quarterly. In the First and fourth, Azure, three Crowns, Or, two in Chief, and * 1.12 one in Base, for Swedeland. In the second and third, Barry, Argent and Azure, a Lyon, Or, Crown'd Gules, for Finland. Over all quatterly, in the first and fourth, Sable, a Lyon, Or, crown'd, arm'd and langued, Gules, for the Palatinate of the Rhine. In the second and third, Lozenges, Bendwise of twenty one pieces Argent and Azure, for Bavaria. For the Crest, a Crown Royal, adorn'd with eight Flowers, and clos'd by as many Demi-Circles terminating in a Mond, Or. The Supporters are two Lyons, Or, Crown'd of the same. And his Motto is in these words, Domi∣nus Protector Meus.

Lutheranism is the establisht Religion of this Country, being universally profess'd by all Orders and Degrees * 1.13 of Men, (except in Livonia, where is a considerable Number of Papists intermixt; and Lapland, many of whose Inhabi∣tants are mear Heathens, usually worshipping the Sun, Fire, Ser∣pents, and the like) and that ever since the Days of the Reforma∣tion, which was happily effected in this Kingdom by Gustavus the First, upon his Accession to the Swedish Crown, since which time their Religion hath not been disturb'd from abroad but once, and since that Disturbance, never distracted at home by Non-Conformi∣ty; for Persons of all Ranks adhering to the Tenets of Luther, give constant attendance on Divine Service, and joyn in the same manner of Worship. Christianity was first planted in this Kingdom by the care and diligence of Ansgarius, Archbishop of Breme, the Apostle General of the North.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Name.
• * 1.2

  Air.
• * 1.3

  Soil.
• * 1.4

  Commodities.
• * 1.5

  Rarities.
• * 1.6

  Archbishopricks.
• * 1.7

  Bishopricks.
• * 1.8

  Universities.
• * 1.9

  Manners.
• * 1.10

  Language.
• * 1.11

  Government.
• * 1.12

  Arms.
• * 1.13

  Religion.