parifon of the Value of all the rest of his Estate in Land, Houfes, or Goods.

I remember the late celebrated Archbishop of Cambray, in fome Part of his Book (called The Adventures of Telemachus) compares a rich and populous City, abounding with a great Number of ufelefs Artifans, and a barren uncultivated Country around it, to a Perfon that has a Head of an extraordinary Bulk, and prodigious Size, and all his other Parts extremely confumed, and almoft wafted to a Skeleton.

Wherefore no Perfon has Reason to overvalue himfelf on account of his imaginary Wealth, confifting in Heaps of hoarded Money, numerous Stocks, or costly Furniture; fince all these are but the Carcase of Riches, without the Labour of the People, and fo long as Covetousness eats out the Life and Soul of them.

As it is the undoubted Right and Privilege of every Subject of Great Britain, to feek and implore a Redress of Grievances, from the fupreme and illustrious Affembly of the Nation; with due Submiffion it is earnestly defired by many fincere and public-fpirited People, that fome peculiar and effectual Means would be used to prevent and fupprefs the Mischief of fraudulent Stockjobbing; either by declaring all fictitious Contracts hereafter illegal and void, which fhall not be immediately complied with, and punctually fulfilled; and by inflicting a proper Punishment on all Perfons affuming a falfe Power, and pretending to fell and buy Stock for themfelves, or others, who have neither Money to purchase, nor Stock to deliver; or by fuch other Ways and Means as fhall feem most adviseable and agreeable to the fage Council and confummate Wifdom of the Parliament.

At the fame time it is much to be wifhed, and further defired, that fome additional new Laws, by the fupreme Legislature, would be made and established, as well for the Advantage and Benefit of Trade, as for the Improvement of Manufactures, for the Enlargement of Hofpitals and Workhoufes, for the Relief and Support of the miferable Poor refiding and continuing in Gaols and Prisons (as being reduced to extreme Distress, and treated with greater Rigour and Severity in this Nation than other Countries.) But more particularly for employ

ing

ing the industrious Poor in tilling and improving fome Part of those wafte Lands within this fpacious Kingdom, which hitherto have lain neglected, and never been cultivated.

By which Means, and by the Favour and Protection of divine Providence, it is exceeding probable, that the public national Credit, which has lately been diminished by the unhappy Schemes, and unfuccefsful Projects of Stock-jobbers, at length would be restored to its former Luftre, and ancient Dignity; our Trade, and various Stores increase, and folid Wealth and Plenty, lafting Profperity and Happiness, be tranfmitted to future Ages, and fuccceding Generations.

[91]

An authentic Narrative of the late Proceedings and cruel Execution at Thorn; with two Letters written upon that Occafion by Britannicus, in the London Journal. To which is prefixed, An Account of the Rights and Privileges of the City of Thorn.

By THOMAS GORDON, Efq;

Anno 1725.

The INTRODUCTION.

T

or

O give a particular Account of Prufia, and the Privileges of its Cities, I must begin from the first Institution of thofe Knights who conquered it. This happened about the Year 1100, very little after; but fo inconfiderable was the Foundation, that no Notice was taken of them till the Year 1190 or 91, when an Expedition to the Holy Land was undertaken by Richard I. of England, and Philip of France; but thefe Actions are foreign to my present Purpose. I fhall juft obferve, that thefe Knights were called Fratres Hofpitii Hierofolymitani, for their great Hofpitality; Mariani, for their Devotion to the Virgin Mary; Teutonici, from their Nation, being all Germans ; Equites Cruciferi, from their Arms; and are still known by the Name of the Teutonic Order.

About the Year 1203, another Order of Knights, called Enfiferi, appeared in the North; and in 35 Years, the whole Time of their Duration, they took from the Danes, Revel, Estonia, and all that belonged to them in Livonia. But finding the Enemy too ftrong for them, and the fecond Great Mafter being dead, they propofed calling in to their Affiftance the powerful Teutonic Order, which was upon the Point of being

quite

quite driven out of Paleftine, as not having fufficient Forces to withstand the Saracens. These readily embraced the Offer, and in the Year 1238, they were united in the Prefence of the Pope, retaining the Name of the Teutonic Order.

Pruffia was at this Time inhabited by Heathens, who were very troublesome to Conradus, Duke of Majovia, who called the Teutonics to his Affiftance; and they readily engaged in a War against the Pagans: But notwithstanding all their Bravery, and several Crufadoes that were raised in their Favour, they were 53 Years before they conquered all Pruffia, and extirpated the Natives; but at length they effected it, and all that Tract of Land became fubject to the great Mafter of that Order.

But in Process of Time, thefe Knights, corrupted by Wealth and Power, grew very degenerate, and exercifed fuch Tyranny over the People, that Pruffia was ripe for a Revolt; and Uladislaus Jagello, the brave King of Poland, having in a ritched Battle, overthrown the Knights, the most adjacent Parts of the Kingdom fhook off the Yoke they groaned under, and put themselves under that Monarch's Protection; and all Prussia had done the fame, had not the Pope interpofed between them; and by his Mediation it was agreed, that feventy Towns and Caftles, which were specified, fhould be delivered to the King of Poland, and the remaining Part of Pruffia should be held by the Teutonic Order, as a Fief of the Kingdom of Poland. In which State it continued till 1657, when all that Tract called Ducal Pruffia, was, with Sovereign Power, transferred to the illuftrious House of Brandenburgh, and that Part called Royal Prufia was to remain to the Crown of Poland which, however, was not at that Time wholly under its Subjection, fome Part of it, particularly Thorn, being then taken from them by Sweden.

The Knights of this Order, or at least the Remains of them who were under a Heer-Meister, were obliged to retire to Livonia, where they again carried on feveral Wars. After the Reformation of Martin Luther, they accepted the Confeffion of Augsburg, as did the greatest Part of Prussia; and the full and free Exercife

of

of their Religion was granted them, provided they would tolerate the Roman Catholics amongst them; but the Knights being at last worsted by their Neighbours, were obliged to feek the Protection of the neighbouring Potentates. The Town of Revel, with Part of Estonia, made Peace with Sweden, and paid Homage to Ericus, whilft the Heer-Meifter and the Marquis of Brandenburg did the fame to the King of Poland, for themselves and all thofe Places which had formerly belonged to them, and which, as faft as they could be recovered from the Enemies, should also appertain to the Crown of Poland, and Great Dutchy of Lithuania; but upon Condition, that the King and his Succeffors fhould maintain them in the Confeflion of Augsburg, and not fuffer any Innovations to be made therein; but should confirm to all the Provinces their Privileges, Laws and Liberties in Temporal and Spiritual Things, &c. This Pacta Subjectionis being concluded, was fworn to on both Sides, at a Dyet held at Wilna, the 28th of November, in the Year 1561, and is confirmed by every King of Poland in the Oath he takes at his Election, when the Maintenance of the established Religion in the several Parts of his Dominions, is folemnly promised.

In the War between Charles Gustavus of Sweden, and John Cafimir, King of Poland, fome Part of Polish Prujfia was conquered; amongst others, the Swedes took Thorn in the Year 1655; but the King dying, and his Succeffor being but five Years old, the Treaty which had been begun in his Life-time was renewed, and the Monaftery of Oliva pitched upon for the Place, where it was at length concluded, and figned the 3d of May, 1660, between the Poles and Savedes as Principals, and the Emperor and Elector of Brandenburgh as Allies, each Party becoming Guarantee for the whole Treaty. The King of France too appeared as Mediator and Guarantee; but the Emperor refufing to accept him as fuch, he was not named in the Treaty exchanged with his Imperial Majefty. It was at the fame time ftipulated, that at the Exchange of the Ratifications, each treating Party fhould have the Liberty of naming other Guarantees, by which means the Elector of Hanover alfo be