Leo Santifaller: Ergänzungsband 2/1. Festschrift zur Feier des 200 jährigen Bestandes des HHStA 2 Bände (1949)

IV. Quellen und Quellenkunde - 24. Geoffrey Barraclough (Liverpool): Briefe aus dem Reiche und andere Mitteilungen aus englischen Landesarchiven

Briefe aus dem Reiche.

401

of Saxony. Yc are all Lutherans here, and its ye drunckest coorte in all Germany; ye ducke himselfe, though seventy years of age1), gose never sobor to beed, nor doth hee care for the company of any, but those who will drink. Yc silver and gould cuppes, which upon perti- cular feastes he causes to goe round, houldes 3 full quarts a peece. All strangers that comes to see his coort and ye curiositys in itt, commonly drinkes ye duckes health in one of those gould gobletts, as wee did, but noe more then what wee pleased. There is noe time to relate y° curiositys of that coort, which are infinit; ye citty is very hansome and well built.

From thence wee weent for Lyepsicke, belonging to ye said duicke; here is a very antient university and yc citty itselfe is very fine. Within tow leagues of this place wee passed and saw where ye great Gustavus Adolphus was killed and ye renouned generali of ye Emperor, Popinham2), both great generalis and stoute commanders. To Jena and Weemar, tow pritty cittys and fine universitys but all Lutherans, and then came to Erford, a great citty belonging to ye Elector of Mence3) and famus for a great bell. Ye next iourny we made was to Nurinberge by Bamberge and severall other fine places. This Nurinberge is a free imperiali and a most famus citty, most Lutherans; wee saw in itt many curiositys. From this place, passing by Nwebeurge, famus for ye Ducke, who resides there, and his statly pallace, we came to Ausberge, a most magnificent citty, whose hall in y° townehouse is not to be equald in Europe except att Amstardame. In itt are severall fine things to bee seene. From hence wee weent to ye fine citty of Minicin, yc court of y° great Duke of Bavery, where is to bee seene ye duckes pallace — a most statly thinge — and infinit of other curiositys. Then wee steared oure course for Swisserland and soe on horsebacke — for all this time wee went in coatch — came to ye laike of Constance, a most renowned and large laike, having feirst passed severall fine and remarckable places. This laike, though sixty miles in compas, is adorned with many pritty neat townes, but ye chiefest is Constance, which gives ye name to ye laike and is famus for yc counsell held there and bourning of John Husse y° great heretick. Ye Rine rounes thorough this laike and then takes itts name of ye Rine.

From Constance immediately wee entered Swisserland and after 3 dayes arrived at Zuiricke, a chife Prodestant canton. They are all Swinglians. This towne stands pleasantly on a delicate laike; see Mr Lassells 4). From this place wee came after 3 dayes to Balle, another Protestant canton upon ye river Rhine. This is a pritty towne and hath good trading by reason of ye river. Then wee went to Solewr, a head towne of a Catholicke canton, a most antient towne. Thee inhabitants tells you that itt is as ould as Abraham, and in itt is a famus ould tower; loocke Lassells. Leaving that towne wee came to Murut, famus for yc defeat of ye Ducke of Burgundy; reed Mr Lassells. Then wee came to ye great canton of Berne. This is ye strongest of all yc cantons and all protestants. The citty is strongly built but not very bigge. Then wee passed a lile village called Pay erne, where wee weare shewed Caesars sadle hanging up in ye street. Yc next day dined at Lausanne, famus for yc death of Lile 5 6), one of the kinges iudges, who living here with Maior Generali Ludlow and his three companions and being light upon by an Irish gentilman, as he was going or coming from the church, was there killed by y° said Irishman, who being well mounted goot safe away into France. Since that Ludlow and his 3 companions are removed to Vivay, where now thee are, 8 Inglish miles of Lausanne. The next day, riding all by ye laikeside through severall villages, we came to Geneva, that goodly and holy citty; see Mr Lasselles. The

*) Herzog Johann Georg II. von Sachsen, geb. 1613, also tatsächlich erst 63 Jahre alt.

s) D. h., Gottfried Heinrich Graf zu Pappenheim (1594—1632).

*) Mainz.

4) Wohl eine Verweisung auf das Reisehandbuch von Richard Lasseis, The Voyage of Italy; or,

a compleat journey through Italy (Paris und London 1670).

6) John Lisle (? 1610—1664), einer der sogenannten Königsmörder (regicides) von 1649, nahm nach 1660 mit dem bekannten parlamentarischen General, Edmund Ludlow ( ? 1617—1692), Zuflucht auf dem Festland, wurde aber 11. August 1664 durch den irischen Abenteurer Semus Mac Emoinn Mhic Choitir (bzw. Sir James FitzEdmond Cotter) in Lausanne umgebracht.

26