it declared for the Augsburg confession, to which it has ever since adhered. The city, after a long siege, was taken by the French in May, 1807. The destruction of buildings and magazines during the siege amounted, according to the French bulletin, to 21,000,000 francs, or £825,000 sterling; and its losses were at least equal during the long siege of 1813. Its population in 1826 was 54,000, according to Balbi. The plain stretching out from Dantzic is traversed by the Vistula, which, for about 20 miles, is confined by banks above 20 feet of perpendicular height, and a mile asunder. The river is about one quarter of a mile in breadth. Dantzic lies in Lat. 54° 21' N., Long. 18° 38′ E. of Greenwich: 84 miles W. of Konigsberg; 382 road-miles E. of Hamburg: and 280 road-miles S.W. of Riga in Livonia. Near Dantzic, between the Weichsel and the Motlau, spreads the Danziger Werder,—a very rich and fertile district.-Oliva borough has a celebrated monastery, founded in 1178, and was the place where the treaty of peace between Sweden and Poland was concluded in 1660. Marienburg, on the Nogat, is a town of 5496 inhabitants.

Circle of Marienwerder.] The chief town of the circle, Marienwerder, ou the right banks of the Nogat, contains 4,895 inhabitants. It was from 1309 to 1525 the seat of the grand masters of the Teutonic order, the ruins of whose castle yet present a magnificent specimen of Gothic architecture. The Marienburger Werder, a district between the Vistula and Nogat, is of unparalleled fertility. Many peasants draw from 600 to 1000 crowns annually from their orchards.-Elbing, on the river of the same name, contains 18,534 inhabitants, and conducts a very important commerce, particularly with Poland.-Graudenz is a town of 6,700 inhabitants. At a little distance from the town of Graudenz, on the Vistula, is the strong fortress of Graudenz.-Thorn, on the right banks of the Vistula, contains 10,000 inhabitants. The great astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus was born here in 1513.

III. THE PROVINCE OF POSEN.

This province, once a part of Poland, was united by different partitions to Prussia. It is bounded on the N. by West Prussia; on the E. by the kingdom of Poland; on the S. by the province of Silesia; and on the W. by the province of Brandenburg. Stein and Hofmann estimate its surface at 538.5 German, or 11,568 British square miles.

Physical Features.] Posen is a complete plain, except on the boundaries of Silesia, where some small bills rise. The Vistula touches this province only in one district, and receives no other river but the navigable Brahe; but the communication with the canal of Bromberg is advantageous for the province. The second river is the Warthe, which receives the Proszna and the Obra; and the third is the Netze, which was made navigable by Frederic II. who also formed the canal of Bromberg. There are many lakes here, among which the Gopplo is the largest ; but they are not so numerous as in the other two Prussian provinces.

Climate.] The air is pure and healthy; the severest cold of winter never exceeds 26° 5′, and the greatest summer-heat 90° 5' of Fahrenheit.

with civic privileges beyond other foreigners; one of the suburbs is still called Scotland, in remembrance of Douglas' valour in defending the city, and was mostly inhabited by Scots. The arms of Scotland were also set over the gate whence Douglas and his countrymen sallied out upon the Polish army, and continued there till the gate, being ruined, was rebuilt.

The soil is partly very rich and partly sandy. Agriculture is still carried on in a very primitive manner.

Trade, &c.] The first weavers of broad cloth came here from Silesia under Wladislas IV. on account of religious persecution, and formed several towns, in which considerable manufactures of cloth still exist. Linen is another staple production. Posen is favourably situated for commerce on account of the two navigable rivers, the Vistula and the Warthe or Warte.

Inhabitants.] Stein estimates the population at 884,000. The stock of the nation are Poles; but there are many strangers, particularly Germans, whose number is probably above 140,000. The majority are Catholics. The Jews are very numerous; some statements say 120,000; but we are inclined to think this number exaggerated. The establishments for education are much behind all the other Prussian provinces, and the parochial schools are still much neglected. The poverty, ignorance, and drunkenness of the peasants is quite proverbial. Posen and Silesia form one military division.

Topography. The province is divided into the two districts of Posen and Bromberg. In the first lies Posen, the capital of the province on the Warthe, with 25,000 inhabitants.-Fraustadt, with 6,251 inhabitants, has some manufactures and commerce. In the circle of Bromberg, the chief town is Bromberg on the Brahe, with 6,028 inhabitants.-Gnesen is the seat of an archbishop, who was formerly Primas regni Poloniæ.— Zarnikow on the Netze, with 2.250 inhabitants, has some manufactures.

Authorities.] J. M. v. Liechtenstern stat. geogr. Uebersicht der Preuss. Erbmonarchie. Wien. 1804. fol.-Adam's Tour through Silesia, 1804. 8vo. Stein's Handbuch der Preuss. Erdbeschreibung. Berl. 1818. 8vo. -Heidemann Handbuch der Postgeographie der Koenigl. Preuss. Staaten. Weimar, 1819. Svo.-Jacob's View of the Agriculture, &c. of Germany. London. 1820.-H. H. Gottholdt Charte der Koenigl. Preuss. Staaten in 25 Bl. Berlin, 1817.-Wraxall's Memoirs.-Frederic the Great's Historical Works.

END OF VOLUME FIRST.

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