June i.
We set forward three Hungarian miles to Margarita, and in the way cross the Krasna, near which are the limits that terminate the parts of Hungary. The soil is here luxuriantly rich, well varied with pasture and intervening woods, and everywhere adorned with damask roses, growing wild on short shrubs. Part of my time was here employed in discoursing with the minister, Johannes Banki. But having now passed thro Transylvania, as well as the parts of Hungary subject to the same government, it is here proper to recollect some general observations relating to this province.
Transylvania, which for many years had been tributary to the Turks, and consequently under the protection of that empire, which still allowed them the choice and government of their own princes, was in the year 1687, under the conduct of the Duke of Lorrain, subjected to the arms of the Emperor; and thereupon by capitulation they resigned themselves to the Germans, under whom they have since continued, tho as yet the Emperor has assumed no distinct title from thence. He has ordinarily in garrison here about twelve regiments, which since the peace of Carlowítz serve rather to curb the inhabitants, than to awe the neighbouring Turk. To this end they are now preparing a strong citadel in Hermanstadt, and designing others in proper places, on pretence of charges due to these forts and the standing militia. The Emperor exacts yearly severe taxes, of which they generally complain, as being four times more than was exacted by the Turk. For whereas they then paid the yearly tribute and exaction of about two hundred thousand floreni Rhenenses, there is this year particularly demanded from them, in the present assembly of the government at Alba Julia, the sum of one million forty thousand six hundred, which is charged for the following particulars. The
| Quantum militare, | 750,000. |
| Ad fortalitia, | 100,000. |
| Debitum principis Duca[126], | 65,600. |
| Bonificationes superoneratis, | 60,000. |
| Ad salarium camellariae, | 15,000. |
| Inevitabiles extraordinariae expensae | 50,000. |
These subsidies are demanded at the assembly in the Emperor’s name, by his commissary, Count Seau; and the care of levying and raising it is incumbent on the governor, the chancellor, the treasurers, the assessores tabulae regiae, with other officers and members of the assembly. Thus the civil government of the province is committed to the Transylvanian nobility, distinguished by the officers abovementioned; but the military government is, in the hands of General Rabutin, who holds the province to a rigid and exact obedience.
Transylvania is in the hands of three distinct people. First the Szekeli, which are otherwise corruptly wrote Sciculi, Siculi, or Scytuli[127]. The second are the Saxones. And the third are the Hungari. The first and third of these speak the same Hungarian language, and are Hunns of the same original, only settled in this country at different times. The Saxons speak intirely the German Saxon language, from which nation they are a colony, and settled here under Geysa the second King of Hungary.
They have each of them their distinct laws, customs, and privileges, and are severally divided after this manner. First the Szekeli into seven szeks, namely: Meros-szék, Udvarhel-szék, Harom-szék, Kesdi Orba Sepsi-szék, Csik-szék, Gyorgy-szék, and Arangus-szék. Over each of these seats preside so many captains; and being a warlike robust people, still retaining the ferity of the Scythians, of which the whole body of the Hunni was at first a colony, they have been always exempted from taxes and duties to the government, except only the service of war upon occasion under their respective captains. But of late the Emperor has persuaded them to submit to the like taxes and duties, with all other his Transylvanian subjects. On account of their not holding their lands of the government, there is a peculiar custom obtaining among them, that in defect of heirs their estate escheats not to the government, but to the next neighbour.
The Saxons have in like manner their seven seats alloted from their first settlement, namely: Szerdaky-szék, Szeben-szék, Brassoy-szék, Medyes-szék, Segyvar-szék, Bestereze-szék, and Erdovidek-szék. Each of these seats have their capital city, called Regia et libera civitas. Over this city, and the seat or district belonging to it, presides a judex regius, called in their language, konings rickter. But the authority and prerogative of the Judex Cibiniensis, that is of Hermanstadt, extends itself over the several Saxon seats; except that he of Brassow or Cronstadt pretends in many cases an exemption, which has been allowed, because of its too great distance from the tribunal of Szeben, or Hermanstadt. Besides the authority of this judge, there is a subordinate government in each city by a senate, which ordinarily consists of about sixteen, and a centumvirate or commonalty, tho it seldom contains a complete hundred. Each in their several districts have the jus gladii, and all other prerogatives of an intire jurisdiction.
The third and richer part of Transylvania, possessed by the Hungarians, is supposed and called the seat of the only Transylvanian nobility; and accordingly it is divided into seven comitatus, or residences, of its several courts, namely: The comitatus Huniadensis, Albensis, Thordensis, Claudiopolitanus, Interior et Exterior Zolnokiensis, Doboczensis, and Krasnaiensis. Now each of these counties has four comites, of which two are called supremi, and two inferiores; in whose hands, together with other nobles under them, remain the whole jurisdiction and possession of their respective counties; the other inhabitants being not only tenants, but subjects, as they call them, and in some manner slaves to their respective nobles, to whom they ordinarily owe the work of three, and sometimes of more days in the week.
Besides these, the Valachi are every where in great numbers intermixted among the Transylvanian nations, but have no jurisdiction or dominion of their own; and therefore they remain as nourishers of cattle, and in that service slaves and subjects to the rest. And not only Valachs[128], but likewise (tho in lesser numbers) there are found up and down in Transylvania, Rascians, Muscovites, Armenians, Jews, and others.
Those called the received religions in Transylvania, that is, those who above the space of an age have obtained the protection of their princes under oath, and of the Emperor under articles upon their late subjection, are four; the Roman Catholic; the Lutheran; the Calvinist, which is here called peculiarly the Reformed; and the Unitarian. The first of these is more frequent in Szekulia, but yet not so prevalent as to possess even a tenth part of all Transylvania. The second, or Lutheran, is common to all the Saxon nation in this province. The third flourishes in Szekulia, and the comitatus Hungarici. The fourth prevails here and there likewise in the same countries, but those who profess it are not so numerous in either. However they have a flourishing college at Clausenberg, together with a large church; tho neither for beauty, nor the number of its communicants, equal to that of the Calvinist confession. These several religions are well known, and distinguished by their faith and principles, all over Europe. I shall therefore only say this concerning the discipline of the three last, that their several parishes collected into distinct dioceses are subject to their respective seniors; and these seniors, in their order, are likewise subject to a provincial bishop, who has his court, in which he judges matrimonial and other spiritual causes, and has also the sole power of ordaining, as likewise of calling and presiding over their yearly synod. And to this synod there is adjoined a consistory, which is in the nature of an upper house, and a council to the bishop.
The Lutheran churches are in many places splendid, adorned with organs and pictures, and little differing from the form of our larger churches, except that the altar is immoveable, and built of stone, and sometimes too profusely painted. Their worship consists of forms of prayers, then hymns, after these lessons and sermons, and lastly prayers and concluding hymns. The worship of the Unitarians exactly corresponds with that of the Calvinists. These latter have sermons twice a week, besides Sundays, as also morning and evening service throughout the week, at which appear large and devout congregations in many places. Their service is a metre psalm, a prayer from the pulpit, and then concludes with another psalm. They have a form of prayer, and an injunction of their bishop to make use of no other; but the custom of most ministers has introduced the use of their own premeditated devotions, and accordingly the people begin to disesteem those, who confine themselves to the form. The Lutherans, Calvinists, and Unitarians live peaceably with one another; but are not admitted to each others communion of Christ’s body, without a special declaration of conformity. The Lutherans in some places consecrate a wafer, and in other places leaven bread. They likewise have auricular confession, but abuse it not, as the Papists. Their main difference from the Calvinists consists in their avowed corporeal ubiquitarian presence. Among other known tenets of the Unitarians, by which they take away the force of the Christian sacraments, tho they generally use infant baptism not to give scandal to the Calvinists, yet they rather wish to delay it till the age of twelve years or upwards, and often practice accordingly.
These three protestant religions remain as yet in the undisturbed profession of their faith. But upon several late encroachments of the Jesuits, and other priests, in confidence of the popish government, to which they are subject; upon the withdrawing of the tithes usually paid to the protestant ministers from the salt mines, and now given to popish monks; and lastly upon the care, which is taken by the court of Vienna, to supply all offices of the province with papist ministers: upon these several accounts, I say, the whole reformed people of Transylvania, especially the Calvinists, begin to be under great apprehensions, and from the governor to the meanest gentleman, earnestly embraced this occasion of recommending their cause to the good services of his Excellency at the Imperial court; after which they implored the prayers and good wishes of the church of England, and in many places took a solemn melancholy leave of us, as if they were just entering upon a martyrdom.
The religion of the Valachs, Muscovites, Armenians, Rascians, and others, is that of their respective nations in their proper seats and countries. And it may be farther noted in relation to the religion of Transylvania, that as in Hungary, so here likewise, the Jesuits, who were before excluded by a positive article, have now an express liberty of entering and setling in this province. Nor can I omit to remark the great and blameable facility both of the Calvinists, and Lutherans, in matters of divorce.
After the religion of Transylvania, the natural soil of the country falls under consideration; which is luxuriantly rich, well cultivated, full of inhabitants, and conveniently distinguished with a sufficient quantity of wood, hills, and water. The surface of the earth is almost every where black, without the least stone to be observed in many places; and in several tracts so fertile, as not to require the advantage of dung, except only some parts of Siculia where it is used. Besides all kinds of grain, which grow on the surface of the earth, within it abounds with veins of metals, minerals, and fossils of all sorts, particularly of gold; so that, as I was informed by the Emperor’s inspector of his mines, there was last year dug here to the value of twenty five thousand zechins. But among other fossils the native cinnabar is most rare, and the quicksilver which is here found to perfection. Salt is dug in several places, in the manner described above[129]; by which a large revenue accrues to the Emperor, to whom the property of all mines belongs. But in the mean time the people suffer in the price of this commodity; for since their late subjection to the Emperor, a stone of salt weighing about an hundred pounds can scarce be bought for three florins, whereas heretofore three stones of salt were sold for one florin. The money current in Transylvania is that of the Emperor, the quarts of Poland, with some other coins. The reports related by some, who were eye witnesses, concerning diverse particles of gold found in the products of their vineyards, both here and about the celebrated mountain of Tokái, are very remarkable; of which I shall only mention these following. A piece of gold is said to have grown to a vine, instead of the green tendrel, by which it takes hold of the adjoining trees, or other substance that supports it. Pure gold was found in a grape, instead of its ordinary natural stone. Small gold drops were observed to adhere to the skin of a grape. And even an intire grape had been seen to consist of a perfect coat of gold.
As to the temper and disposition of the inhabitants, they appear cordial and hospitable, drink almost continually, and eat plentifully, are unpolite but importunate in their civility, and even the vulgar sort usually speak Latin; they are of a robust constitution, and principally the Siculians, who have likewise a fierce and stately mein. Their habit is a short waistcoat made very close to the body[130], and sleeves with flaps to them, that come over the backs of their hands. Their breeches are likewise close to their thighs, and from thence continued down in the form of a stocking to their feet. But on their legs they commonly wear yellow or red boots, to which are constantly fixed spurs, often three inches long. Over their waistcoat, when they go abroad, they throw a loose but short fur vest, which is either embroidered, or adorned with silver loops, on each side before. The habit of the women, who for the most part are beautiful and courteous, is a close narrow bodice, and from thence petticoats, as usual with us in England; but over their arms they wear loose linen sleeves, resembling those of a bishop’s rochet. Their head dress is low, and among those of the better sort richly adorned with pretious stones; much resembling some old English pictures, particularly those of Henry the eighth’s wives. They likewise wear over their shoulders the same sort of fur vest, as the men; but the inferior sort are usually drest, when abroad, in a long and loose black mantle, reaching from their shoulders down to the ground, and all round gathered into deep and numberless folds, not unlike the gowns worn by the islanders in the Archipelago. Maids likewise wear a black ring of velvet on their head, which they call a crown, and resembles the figure of an hat without brims. With regard to matrons, their law formerly admitted no proof of adultery, unless under the eye witness of twenty four persons at least; which in a virtuous age was an egregious testimony to the chastity of their women, but in a vitious one must needs prove too great an encouragment to that heinous sin. The Hungarians and Siculians have an odd fashion of shaving their head round the lower part, and leaving the hair at the top, which afterwards they tie into a knot, and let it hang over one or other of their temples. This custom they might possibly have received of old from the Sicambrians (who once built the city Sicambria, and settled a colony there) since they were antiently famed for the like manner of knotting of their hair[131]. We may further observe a certain infelicity of Transylvania, as well as the adjoining parts of Hungary, in persuading themselves at least, that they are infested with witchcraft. For women of all ages are yearly executed for that crime, and this commonly upon evidence of their having threatned mischief to their neighbours, their children, goods, cattle, or other effects, and some correspondent effect, which has seemed afterwards to happen. In the Saxon seats of Transylvania they often put them to that vulgar trial of water; and I have heard it avowed by those, who have declared themselves to have been eye witnesses, that some suspected persons could never sink below the surface of the water, when others immediately subsided to the bottom[132]. And in such cases the poor afflicted, tortured, and now perhaps distracted person, confesses the indictment, and then without the least repreive is committed to the faggot. But as ignorant places have been always reputed most subject to witchcraft, this very well suits the state of Transylvania; where every petty district is the seat of its own judicature, and the power of life and death is consequently lodged in illiterate and superstitious persons.