The Hiftory of Vandalia. Containing the antient and present State of the Country of Mecklenburg; its Revlutions under the Vandals, the Venedi, and the Saxons; with the Succeffion and memorable Actions of its Sovereigns. By Thomas Nugent, L L. D. and Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, vol. II. 4to. 11. s. in Boards. Nourfe, &c. 1769.

A Summary account of the first volume of this undertaking

was given in the XXXV vol. of the Review, p. 169. to which we refer, to avoid recapitulation.

*

The original plan was to have comprized the work in two volumes; but the Author informs his Reader, in the preface to this fecond volume, that finding it neceffary to vifit the duchy of Mecklenburg to acquire the neceflary materials on the Spot, where he had free accefs to the ducal archives as well as refpectable perfonal information and affiftance at the courts of Strelitz and Schwerin, he found it neceffary to extend his history to three volumes. But it may be doubted by fome of his readers, whether the contingence which occafioned Dr. Nugent to turn his attention to the affairs of Mecklenburg, will altogether juftify fo voluminous a detail, which, if extended with equal diligence and minutenefs to all the states which compose the Germanic body, would be apt to call to mind the reflection made by an Evangelift on another occafion +.

The first volume ended, as we remarked in our laft article, with the overthrow and exile of Pribislaus, prince of the Venedi, the ancestor of the prefent princes of Mecklenburg. This volume opens with his reftoration, by the policy of his conqueror, Henry the Lion, who employed him as an auxiliary against a confederacy of German princes, whom his fucceffes had rendered jealous of his power. After repeopling his territories, Pribislaus, now a convert to Chriftianity, piously drew the fword, and engaged in a crusade against his idolatrous neighbours the Rugians: and Pribislaus might act consistently, by offering the fame arguments to others, which had operated fo effectually on himfelf.

The principal part of this volume, which brings the history of Mecklenburg down to the æra of the Reformation, confifts like the former, of the tranfactions of the furrounding ftates of Germany, Denmark and Sweden, with whom the princes of the houfe of Mecklenburg were in any measure occafionally connected the variety of which from time to time refumed,

The Dr published an account of his journey to Mecklenburg, for which fee Review vol. xxxviii. p. 481.

↑ John XXI. 25.

bccafions many interruptions to the regular progrefs of the hiftory. The events of this period confift, in great measure, of thofe cruel and treacherous outrages fo common in uncivilized ages, which however the Author renders agreeable by fuitable reflections: fometimes indeed his remarks are too univerfal, or too obvious, from a fondness of deducing general principles from particular inftances. Mentioning the conduct of the prime minister of Mecklenburg, who under the infant duke's fanction, confirmed the choice of fenators made by the citizens of Wismar, in a dif urbance which happened in that city in the 15th century; he adds Thus is the welfare of a nation, oftentimes facrificed to the private interefts of thofe, whom the prince has been fo unhappy as to entrust with the helm of government :'-An obfervation too true and too obvious to convey information, or to pafs for an illuftration of an event of no confiderable importance. The Author has amplified the fame fentiment in the following extract, which occurs within a few pages of the former :

During the minority of the two brothers, a war broke out with Brandenburg, which feems to have had its rife from a private quarrel between Matthias Axkow, the duchess's prime minifter, and baron John Gans of Putlitz. The contempt in which the latter held the former, encouraged him to invade the territory of Mecklenburg. And thus it frequently happens, that the quarrels of nations proceed rather from the private dif putes or interefts of individuals, than from any contention, pique, or animofity between the fovereigns themfelves. On the contrary, princes are often difpofed to live upon good terms with their neighbours, when the rapacity of their ministers unfortunately fets them at variance.'

If these reflections feem trite, and infipid, what fhall we fay to those which want the confirmation of experience? fuch, for inftance, as the following: speaking of the treaty of Laholme in 1394, he adds, it must be owned, that in thofe days princes and ftates had honour enough to obferve their treaties; and it is only of late years, and by a gradual corruption of manners, that the European powers have learnt to elude the most folemn engagements.-How late the Dr. may refer to, does not appear, but history will fhew us, that while civil policy continued in a rude ftate, and more especially when the feudal policy was in its decline, and no other as yet regularly formed or generally ad mitted, treaties were at leaft as often violated as at prefent; and while much oftener eluded, more fcrupulous princes eafily got abfolved from their obligations by the Roman pontiff, when it was no longer their intereft to conform to them: a fanction for breach of faith, which is now worn out.

It is not meant to extend these remarks to a general condemnation of a work of great labour, and confiderable learning; and which contains feveral curious articles of infor mation; agreeably furprizing and frequently relieving the Reader, in the midst of a dry uninterefting narrative. Among thefe are accounts of the origin of chivalry, the ceremonies of conferring knighthood, those observed at tournaments, the deaths of John Hufs, and Jerome of Prague, a fhort hiftory of the reformation, remarks on private wars, the laws of fingle combat for the decision of judicial caufes; with other inciden tal particulars. The principal object of the history is indeed of mere local importance, the respective princes of Germany being connected in a fubordinate fyftem of policy among themselves which does not often operate beyond the empire. The hiftory of the Mecklenburg princes will therefore be more interesting there, than in other parts of Europe: accordingly our Author informs us, that the first volume is now tranflating into German, by order of his ferene highnefs the duke of Mecklenburgh Strelitz.

Among other curious particulars in this volume, we find the following account of the origin of the Hanfeatic league or alliance; a remarkable though very natural confederacy of trading towns, in the infancy of commerce, to protect themfelves againft feudal oppreffion, and the ravages of pirates and robbers:

The year 1241 was diftinguifhed by an alliance between the cities of Lubeck and Hamburg, for the fecurity of their refpective commerce. The Hamburghers took upon them to keep the road between the Trave and their town clear from robbers, and at the fame time to prevent the river Elbe from being infefted by pirates; on the other hand, the inhabitants of Lubeck. agreed to defray half the expences required for effecting both thefe purposes. It was at the fame time ftipulated, that in all matters conducive to the improvement and advantage of the two cities, they fhould confult together; and with their joint forces affert and maintain their civil rights and privileges. This is generally supposed to have been the origin of the famous confederacy of the Hanfe towns, which afterwards rose to such an amazing pitch of power and opulence.

It is a difficult matter to trace the etymology of the word Hanfe; fome derive it from the German term "an zee," which fignifies near the fea, as the alliance at firft was confined to maritime towns: but others, with a greater appearance of probability, deduce it from the Saxon word "hanfeln," which imports to admit into a fociety or alliance. The example of Lubeck and Hamburgh was afterwards followed by a confiderable number of trading cities, (efpecially at the time of the

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great

great interregnum in 1264,) which joined in the confederacy for their mutual defence and fupport. The feveral cities that entered into this affociation were at a distance from each other, and fubject to different governments; but as the confederacy first took rife on that part of the Baltic fhore, which had been formerly inhabited by the Vandals, the fix commercial towns within that tract were connected by a ftricter alliance: these were Lubeck, Hamburg, Roftock, Wilmar, Stralfund, and Luneburg, diftinguished in the middle ages by the appellation of the Vandalic cities. Two of thefe, viz. Roftock and Wifmar, were fubject to the princes of Mecklenburg. The fitua-' tion of the fix Vandalic cities, being to the east of England, France, and the Netherlands, the inhabitants of the above cities were generally ftiled in thefe countries Ofterlingi, or Eafterlings. The number of cities that entered into this affociation gradually increased, till at length they amounted to fourfcore. Befides the towns on the Baltic, and in other parts of Germany, the Hanfeatic league was extended to Antwerp, Dort, Amfterdam, Bruges, Oftend, and Dunkirk in the Netherlands; London in England; Calais, Rouen, St. Maloes, Bourdeaux, Bayonne, and Marfeilles in France; Barcelona, Seville, and Cadiz, in Spain; Lisbon in Portugal; Leghorn and Naples in Italy; and Meffina in Sicily. During the most ourishing period of their affociation, they had four general comptoirs for the direction of their affairs, and the fale of their commodities; one at London, another at Berghen in Norway, a third at Novogrod in Ruffia, and a fourth at Bruges in Flanders. This alliance, which was formed at firft with no other view than to secure commerce against the depredations of robbers and pirates, in process of time gave rife to a formidable republic, which, intoxicated with profperity, filled the north of Europe with the terror of its arms, and ventured to wage war with the greatest potentates. But when the kings of England, France, Spain, Sweden, Denmark, &c. began to erect trading companies in their respective dominions in the fifteenth and fixteenth centuries, they forbad their subjects to enter any longer into this confederacy; and in confequence of this prohibition, the power of the Hanfe towns was confiderably diminished. They, however, ftill continued to keep up their alliance;

* It is faid, that in the reign of king John, fome of those Eafterlings were invited into England, in order to reduce the money to its due ftandard, in which they were more fkilful than the English; and that the money they coined, was diftinguished by the name of Eafterling or Sterling, that is, made by the Eafterlings, and therefore purer than the former coin.'

and to their ancient laws added fome new regulations; by one of which they excluded from their fociety all towns but those of Germany, or fuch as depended upon the empire. They then ranged themselves under four metropolitans, Lubeck, Cologne, Brunfwick, and Dantzick. Since that period, the confederacy has been conftantly upon the decline, and is now reduced to the cities of Lubeck, Hamburg, Bremen, Roftock, Dantzick, and Cologne. At the head of thefe is Lubeck; the general affemblies are fummoned in that city, which is also entrusted with the treasures defined for the public fervice. The ordinary affemblies are held once in three years, and the extraordinary upon emergent occafions. Such was the rife and decline of the Hanfeatic alliance, which, like most human institutions, owed its fall to that pride which grandeur and fuccefs fcarce ever fail to infpire.

It may be hinted that the Dr. had juft before given a better reafon for the decline of this famous confederacy, from the ope-, ration of external caufes, than the last, from the pride of the members of which it was compofed. The riches collected by trade an industry would naturally be coveted by the immediate fo reigns and reighbouring princes, the oppofition to whofe claims is what our Author ftigmatizes. When the potentates of Europe, then, began from thefe examples to see the advantage of patronizing commerce in their respective dominions, it is natural to fuppo'e they would detach their subjects from foreign connexions, that they might cultivate their national interefts more affiduously; the members of the league were thus reduced, whil their rivals in commerce multiplied.

We shall conclude this article with the following extraordinary ftory:

About this time [1322] happened an event among the Venedic peafants, in the duchy of Luneburg, which strongly proves the barbarity of that ignorant age. The count of

Mansfeld's lady, who was daughter to the count of Luchow, had cafion to pay a visit to her relations. In her way through the country of Luneburg, as he was upon the extremity of a wood, he heard the cries of a person who seemed to be imploring mercy. Startled at the difmal found, fhe ordered one of her domeitics to inquire into the cause of those lamentations. Lat her humanity rendering her too impatient to wait his return the orde.ed her coachman to drive to the place from whence the voice iffued; when lo! to her great aftonishment, heheld a decrepit old man, with his hands tied, begging for mercy, and entreating a perfon that was digging a pare his life. Struck with this moving fpectacle, con teis afked the grave-digger what he meant by once to the helpiefs old man. The digger, not

at