ment in fome of the cantons is aristocratical, and in others democratical. Of the former kind are, Bern, Zurich, Lucerne, Bafil, Friburg, Soleur, and Schaffhaufen; the other fix are de mocratical.

The Swifs have several districts and towns subject to them which they conquered. The chief of these towns is Baden, about ten miles north-weft from Zurich, where the deputies of the cantons and their allies meet annually.

The reformation in religion was begun at Zurich in Switzerland, by ZUING or ZUINGLIUS, much about the fame time as by Luther in Germany. It was afterwards completed by JOHN CALVIN, a native of Noyen in Picardy, profeffor of divinity at Geneva, who died 1564.

This country was long fubject to the houfe of Auftria; but being cruelly oppreffed by its governors, three cantons, Switz, Uri, and Underwalden, revolted, A. D. 1308. They are faid to have been prompted to it by the heroic behaviour of one WILLIAM TELL *. They were afterwards joined by the

other

(whence Juvenal, Quis tumidum guttur miratur in Alpibus? xiii. 162.) but not u niverfal; fuppofed to proceed from the noxious qualities of the water which they drink, (aquarum quæ potantur vitio, Plin. xi. 37. f. 68.

Near Geneva is Ferney, a village, where Voltaire paffed the last years of his life. At about thirty miles from Geneva near the other end of the lake, is fituate LAUSANNE, the capital of the country called Pays de Vaud, subject to Bern. BERN is a regular well built town, with fome air of magnificence. The houfes are of a fine white free-ftone. A fmall branch of the river Aar has been made to run in the middle of the principal street. Criminals are employed to keep the streets clean; the more atrocious delinquents, chained to carts or waggons, drive away the rubbish. From a walk along the bank of the Aar is a moft magnificent profpe&t.

The government of Bern is ariftocratical, the religion Protestant, the common people eafy and happy.

BASIL, the largest town in Switzerland, is washed by the Rhone, Dr Moore's Tour.

• GRISLER or Gifler, the Auftrian Governor of Uri, caused a pole to be erected in the market-place of Altorf, on which he put a cap, and commanded every one that paffed to pay it obeifance. WILLIAM TELL alone failed to comply, and was obferved always to pafs it with an indignant air; on which account he was apprehended, and commanded by Grifler, on pain of being hanged, to shoot an apple with an arrow from the head of his fon. While the apple was adjusting on the boy's head he is reported to have faid, Let me and my family perif, provided my country be free. He fhot the apple without touching his fon. A fecond arrow being obferved in his quiver, when he was asked the reafon of it, he faid, it was to have been lodged in the tyrant's heart, if he had killed his fon. For this offence Grifler determined to imprison him for life, and to fee him fecured in the dungeon himself. He therefore caufed him to be fettered, and put in a boat, that he might be tranfported to a caftle on the lake of Lucerne. The governor went in the boat, and being overtaken by a ftorm, was in danger of perishing; whereupon one of his fervants, the boatman, unable to manage the veffel, requested that Tell, known to be the most

other cantons and the allies at different periods. They were declared a free and independent confederacy by the treaty of Weftphalia, A. D. 1648.

NETHERLANDS, or LOW COUNTRIES.

THE

HE Netherlands, or Low Countries, are fo called from their fituation with refpect to Germany: they are divided into feventeen provinces: bounded by the German fea on the north, Germany on the caft, France on the fouth, and the British Channel on the weft; between 49 and 54° north lat. 2 and 70 east long. about 300 miles long and 200 broad.

In the time of Charles V. they were united to the empire of Germany, under the title of the Circle of Burgundy. After his death, these provinces defcended to his fon Philip II. who attempting to deprive them of their liberties, and to introduce the court of inquifition by the most fhocking cruelty, they revolted under the conduct of William Prince of Orange, and others, 1567. But factions afterwards arifing among them, only seven of the provinces fucceeded in establishing their independence, according to the famous union of Utrecht, which they entered into, A. D. 1579, whence they are called Belgium Fœderatum, or the Seven United Provinces. The other ten provinces were reduced to fubjection, chiefly by the valour and abilities of Alexander Farnefe, Prince of Parma; and were called the Spanish Netherlands. Upon the death of Charles II. King of Spain, 1700, they fell to the houfe of Auftria, and have fince been called the Auftrian Netherlands. Part of them being conquered by France, are hence named the French Netherlands. Part of them alfo belong to the Dutch. The United Provinces maintained a bloody war against the power of Spain for

expert boatman in the country, fho::ld be unbound, and fet to the helm. Grifler affented; and Tell, taking the command, fteered the veflel to a rock, leaped afhore with agility, and made his efcape through the mountains to Stauffecher; where he lay concealed, till the day for effecting the freedom of Swifferland arrived, when he joined his companions, 1ft Jan. 1308. Tell afterwards lying in wait for Gifler, as he paffed by a wood, killed him with an arrow. The Swifs, called alfo Switzers, protected by their inacceffible mountains, maintained the contest against their oppreffors with invincible fortitude for more than 300 years, often defeating numerous armies fent to fubdue them, till at laft they established their independence. The Swifs were long efteemed the best foot-foldiers in Europe, and for that reafon were frequently employed as mercenaries by foreign princes, particularly by the kings of France.

near

near fifty years, fitft under William Prince of Orange, firnamed the Silent; and he being affaffinated at Delft, by one Gerard, 1584, then under his fon Prince Maurice. They were strongly fupported by Queen Elifabeth, and likewife by Henry IV. of France, through whofe influence their independence was acknowledged by Philip III. of Spain, A. D. 1609.

The UNITED PROVINCES, or HOLLAND.

TH

HE united provinces are, Zealand, Holland, Utrecht, Guelderland, Over-Yffel, Friesland, and Groningen. 1. ZEALAND confifts of feveral iflands, formed by one of the two branches of the Scheld, the chief of which is Walcheren, -Towns, Middleburg, Campvere, and Flushing.

2. HOLLAND, South:-AMSTERDAM, north lat. 52° 23. caft long. 5° 4. at the top of Zuyder Sea; DORT, famous for a fynod held there A. D. 1618; and Rotterdam, on the Maefe, birth-place of Erafmus: Delft; Hague, where the StatesGeneral, or deputies of the provinces, affemble; Leyden, famous for its univerfity; Haerlem, near a remarkable lake called Haerlem-meer: Torgow, Ryfwick, Williamftadt, Naerden.

In North HOLLAND are, Saardam, famous for fhip-building, where Peter the Great of Mufcovy learned that art, by working with his own hands; Edam, Hoorn, Alcmaer, &c.

There are feveral iflands belonging to this province at the mouth of the Maefe: Voorn, in which are, Briel and Helvoetfluys; Goree, &c.: At the entrance of the Zuyder Sea, the ifland Texel, feparated from North Holland by a narrow channel, through which most ships bound for Amfterdam pass; Ulie, and Shelling, &c.

3. UTRECHT-Utrecht, famous for its univerfity, on the old channel of the Rhine; Montfort.

4. GUELDERLAND, and ZUTPHEN-Nimeguen; Harderwick; Loo, a palace of the Prince of Orange; Arnheim; Zutphen. Gelder, the capital, is fubject to the King of Praffia; and Ruremond, to Auftria.

5. OVER-YSSEL-Deventer, Coverden, Campen.

6. FRIESLAND-Lewarden, Dockum, Franker, &c. the ifland Ameland.

7. GRONINGEN-Groningen, Winfchaten, Dam, &c.

This

This country contains a greater number of inhabitants for its extent than any in Europe, or perhaps in the world. They are called the Dutch, or Hollanders, from the name of the principal province, and are computed at above two millions. To defend themselves against inundations of the fea, and land floods, which have fometimes done incredible mischief, they have conftructed, at an immenfe expence, prodigious dikes or banks of earth, in feveral places feventeen ells thick.

Befides the large rivers, there are in Holland numberless canals, along which people commonly travel from town to town in covered boats, called Treckfcuites, which are dragged by horfes.

The feven United Provinces are a confederacy of fo many feparate independent republics, united together for their common defence. The internal government of each is called the States of that province; and delegates from them constitute the States-General at the Hague. At the head of this council is the Stadtholder, which office is now hereditary in the perfon of William V. Prince of Orange and Naffau, who is also commander in chief and admiral of the Seven- United Provinces. The States-General are addreffed by the title of High Mighti nefes.

The established religion is the Presbyterian or Calvinism ; but all religions are tolerated.

AUSTRIAN and FRENCH NETHERLANDS.

1.

B

RABANT, Dutch-Bcifleduc, Breda, Bergen-op-zoom, BRUSSELS, north lat. 50° 50. eaft long. 4° 6. Louvain, Ramillies, Vilvorden, Tirlemont.

2. ANTWERP, fubject to Auftria, furrounded by Brabant -Antwerp was once one of the richest trading cities in the world; but in the ftruggle for liberty, it was plundered for three days, by the foldiers of the Duke of Alva, A. D. 1576. And the Dutch afterwards, in order to ruin its commerce at once, funk veffels loaded with ftone in the mouth of the Scheld, which runs paft it: thus fhutting up for ever the entrance of that river to fhips of burden.

3. MALINES, or MECHLIN, likewife furrounded by Brabant,

4 A

and

and subject to Auftria--The capital, Mechlin, is famous for the manufacture of lace.

4. LIMBURG, Limburg, fubject to Auftria: the other towns to the Dutch, Dalem, Valkenburg, and Wych.

5. LUXEMBURG-Luxemburg and Baftagne, fubject to Auftria; the other parts to France, Thionville, Montmedy and Danvilliers.

6. NAMUR, fubject to Auftria-Namur, Charleroy.

7. HAINAULT-Mons, Aeth, Enguien, fubject to Austria; Valenciennes, Bouchain, Conde, Landrecy, Chaṛlemont, and Givet, to France.

8. CAMBRESIS, fubject to France-Cambray and Vecœur. 9. ARTOIS, French-Arras, St Omer, Aire, St Venant, Bethune, and Terouen.

10. FLANDERS-Sluis, Axel, Hulft, Sas van Ghent, fubject to the Dutch; Ghent, Bruges, Oftend, Newport, Oudenard, Dendermont, Courtray, and Dixmude on the Lis, Ypres, Tournay, Furnes, and Menin, subject to Auftria; Lisle, Dunkirk, Douay, Mardyke, St Amand, Gravellines, and Mount-Caffel, fubject to France.

The inhabitants of Flanders are called Flemings. The Flemish language is a dialect of the German, but different from the Dutch. The cities of Flanders are greatly reduced in their opulence and number of inhabitants from what they were in former times. They still however carry on several manufactures, in which they are yet unrivalled; fine lawns, lace, and cambric, fo called from Cambray, the chief place of its manufacture.

The Auftrian Regent or Viceroy refides at Bruffels. Each of the provinces have a feparate governor under him, and courts of juftice for the trial of civil caufes.

The established religion, except in that part which belongs to the Dutch, is Popery. There is one archbishoprick, seven bishopricks, and three univerfities, namely, Louvain, Douay,

and St Omer.

GERMANY.

ERMANY is bounded on the north, by the German sea,

G Denmark, and the Baltic; on the caft, by Poland,

Bohemia, and Hungary; on the fouth, by the Alps and Switzerland; and on the weft, by France and the Nether

lands;