M. b,
Gc
929.7201
H15g
1385407
GENEALOGY COLLECTION
,LEN COUNTY PUBLIC L
lilllll
3 1833 00726 8276 ■
^
^^muB©^s ®jp jgf^
GENERAL HISTORY
THE HOUSE OF GUEEPH.
OR
ROYAL FAMILY OF GREAT BRITAIN .
FROM THE
EARLIEST PERIOD IN WHICH THE NAME APPEARS UPON RECORD,
TO
THE ACCESSION OF HIS MAJESTY KING GEORGE THE FIRST
TO THE THRONE.
APPENDIX
AUTHENTIC AND ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS
By ANDREW HALLIDAY, M. D.
DOMESTIC PHYSICIAN TO HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUKE OF CLARENCE.
LONDON:
PRINTED FOR THOMAS AND GEORGE UNDERWOOD,
TBooheelUxs to I&ct Eosal I^icl)ne00 tijc 25utc|)C00 of ttlatcnce,
32, FLEET STREET.
1821.
LONDON :
PUlNTLl; DV J. MOTl.S, Gf. L V I I.IX STIIEKI.
HIS MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY
GEORGE THE FOURTH,
OF THE
UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND
KING;
DEFENDER OF THE FAITH;
? KING OF THE KINGDOM OF HANOVER;
d
■5; AND
■ ^ DUKE OF BRUNSWICK AND LUNEBURG,
ciL S^-c. Sic. 8;c. ^-c.
o 1385407
^ SIRE,
^ During the twelve months which His Royal
jj7 Highness the Duke of Clarence lately passed in your
^ Majesty's kingdom of Hanover, and in the different States of
"i^ ' Germany, the History and Antiquities of your Majesty's
■< Royal House occupied a considerable share of his attention.
^ His Royal Highness collected a number of valuable docu-
ments, relating chiefly to objects which had in some measure
DEDICATION,
escaped the notice of preceding inquirers; and finding them or
great importance, as illustrating many doubtful points in the
family records, I besought and obtained permission to lay them
at your Majesty's feet in their present form.
The historical Memoir which accompanies these documents
has been compiled from the best authorities ; and gives a correct
though short view of the lives of your Majesty's illustrious
Ancestors. I most humbly hope it will be found not
altogether unacceptable to your Majesty, nor uninteresting
to the great body of your Majesty's loyal subjects. A history
of the House of Brunswick has long been desired by the
British public : the appearance, therefore, of the present
volume may induce some of our eminent writers to undertake
such a work; and the records it contains cannot fail to
facilitate their labour. With the most profound respect,
devotion, and loyalty,
I have the honour to be,
SIRE,
Your Majesty's most dutiful and most faithful ^
Subject and Servant,
ANDREW HALLIDAY.
Lo^fDON, December 20, 1820.
CONTENTS.
PAGE
ScYRRi, Gothic tribe, first mentioned by
Pliny 2
Guelphlll. of Altdorf .
IV.. blstnrv nf.
PAGE
.. 19
. . 20
T/ie Header is requested to correct thefoUowin
£• Errata.
Page 15, line 2,/or writer, read writers.
46, h, — court, reud coiist.
75i 17, — authority, read authenticity.
89, 24, — latter, read former.
ib. 2.5, — former, read latter.
90, 4, — Luneburg, read Brunswick.
107, 22, — bad been, read was subsequently.
119, In the Genealogical Table, between " Bernhard" and " Otho,
1478 ; " and between " Otho" and " Ernest, duke of Celle," insert '
died 1.532."
122, line 3, for sister and both daughters, read the sister and daughter.
274, 3 from bottom, after " prrssul" insert a period ; and/or fil.
Lambert, marquess of Tuscany, history of ib.
Otbert I., account of 13
Otbert II., history of 14
Judith of Altdorf, empress 15
Conrad of Altdorf, history of 16
Ethico of Altdorf, brother of the empress
Judith 17
Ethico II. of Altdorf ib.
Guelph II. of Altdorf 17
Heury of Altdorf, styled of the Golden
Chariot, history of , . . . . 18
Altdorf, situation of ib.
Ravensberg, situation of r ib.
Conrad, bishop of Constance ib.
Rudolph I. of Altdorf 19
Henry II. of Altdojf, death of • . • • ib.
insert '' Frederick died
Henry the Younger, who
read filius.
of
.. ib.
.. ib.
the
.. 2.5
.. 26
.. 27
.. 28
.. ib.
.. ib,
.. 29
.. 31
.. ib.
^......g., ........... o. 32
Lothaire, emperor 33
Henry the Proud, history of ib.
Albert the Bear 37
Leopold of Austria ib.
Henry the Lion, history of 39 — 56
Frederick I. Barbarossa 40
Obotrites, account of • 46
Lubeck, history of 48
Prebeslaus of Swerin 47
Richard Coeur de Lion 55
Henry of Saxony 57
Otho of Saxony, emperor 58
William of Winchester 61
Genealogy of the Guelphs, from Guelph
VI. to Otho the Child 63
Otho the Child, history of 64—68
DEDICATION.
escaped the notice of preceding inquirers; and finding them oi
great importance, as illustrating many doubtful points in the
family records, I besought and obtained permission to lay them
at your Majesty's feet in their present form.
The historical Memoir which accompanies these documents
devotion, and loyalty,
I have the honour to be,
SIRE,
Your Majesty's most dutiful and most faithful ^
Subject and Servant,
ANDREW HALLIDAY.
London, December 20, 1820.
CONTENTS.
PAGE
ScYRRi, Gothic tribe, first mentioned by
Pliny , 2
Wlpli (Guelph) princes of the Scyrri- • • • ib.
Edico, leader of the Scyrri 3
Odoacer, king of the Heruli ib.
Guelph, dux or leader of the Bavarii- • • • 4
Adelbertus, count of Bavaria ib.
Otkarius, duiie of Burgundy ib.
Ruthardus, missus regius in Bavaria • • • • ib.
^oniface I., count of Lucca • 6
Boniface II., ditto, history of • • • • 7
Adelbert I , marquess of Tuscany 8
Adelbert TI., history of • 9
, his epitaph 228
Adelbert III., succeeds his cousin Lambert 12
, history of 13
Berta, account of 10
Guido, marquess of Tuscany, history of • • 11
Lambert, marquess of Tuscany, history of ib.
Otbert I., account of 13
Otbert II., history of 14
Judith of Altdorf, empress 15
Conrad of Altdorf, history of 16
Ethico of Altdorf, brother of the empress
Judith 17
Ethico II. of Altdorf ib.
Guelph II. of Altdorf 17
Henry of Altdorf, styled of the Golden
Chariot, history of »»•••• 18
Altdorf, situation of ib.
Ravensberg, situation of • ib.
Conrad, bishop of Constance ib.
Rudolph I. of Altdorf 19
Henry II. of Altdorf, death of • • • ib.
PAGE
Guelph III. of Altdorf 19
IV., history of 20
V. of Altdorf, duke of Bavaria,
duke of Carinthia, and marquess of
Verona ib.
Cuniguiida, marriage of ib.
Tabular view of the genealogy of the
Guelphs, from 476 to 1055 25
Azo II., marquess of Este 26
, history of 27
Hugo, prince of Este 28
Fulk, prince of Este ib.
Guelph VI. of Altdorf, history of ib.
Guelph VII., history of 29
Henry the Black 30
Wulfildaof Billung 31
Conrad the Monk ib.
Billungs, the history of 32
Lothaire, emperor 33
Henry the Proud, history of ib.
Albert the Bear 37
Leopold of Austria ib.
Henry the Lion, history of 39 — 56
Frederick I. Barbarossa 40
Obotrites, account of • • > 46
Lubeck, history of 48
Prebeslaus of Swerin 47
Richard Coeur de Lion 55
Henry of Saxony 57
Otho of Saxony, emperor 58
William of Winchester 61
Genealogy of the Guelphs, from Guelph
VI. to Otho the Child 63
Otho the Child, history of 64—68
PAGE
Albert the Great, duke of Brunswick, 69—72
John, duke of Luneburg 73
Henry the Wonderful 74
Henry of Greece 75
Otho, duke of Grubenhagen 76
, prince of Tarentum 77
Joan, queen of Naples ib.
Albert the Fat 80
Otho, duke of Gottingen ib.
Magnus the Pious ib.
Albert of Saxe-Lawenberg 81
Magnus Torquatus, history of 83
Genealogy of the Guelphs, from Otho
the Child to Magnus H. 85
Frederick of Brunswick, emperor 86
Bernhard c^ Luneburg 89
Henry of Brunswick ib.
William, duke of Brunswick 90
Henry, duke of Brunswick, surnamed
the Bad 91
Erich, duke Calemberg 93
Henry the Younger, history of 94 — 105
Julius, duke of Brunswick 106
Henry-Julius ib.
Frederick- Ulrick 108
Otho the Lame ib.
Frederick the Just ib.
Otho, duke of Luneburg 1 09
Henry, duke of Luneburg ib.
Otho, duke of Harburg Ill
Henry, duke of Gifforn ib.
Ernest, duke of Celle, history of •• 113, 114
Francis-Otho, duke of Celle ib.
Henry, duke of Danneberg 115
William, duke of Celle ib.
Julius-Ernest, duke of Celle ib.
Augustus, duke of Wolfenbuttle ib.
Rudolph, duke of Brunswick 117
Anthony-Ulrick - ib.
PAGE
Louis-Rudolphus, duke of Blaukenburg- 117
Augustus- William ib.
Ferdinand-Albert, duke of Brunswick • • ib.
Genealogy of the Guelphs, from Mag-
nus IL to Ernest the Confessor •••• 119
William, duke of Luneburg, history of- • 120
Ernest, duke of Luneburg 121
Christian, duke of Luneburg, history
of 121.^125
Augustus, duke of Luneburg 125
Frederick, duke of Luneburg 127
George, duke of Luneburg, history of, 128-132
Christian- Louis, duke of Luneburg 1 32
Treaty of Osnaburg 1 33
George-William, duke of Celle 1 34
John-Frederick, duke of Hanover ib.
Ernest-Augustus, bishop of Osnaburg ■ . ib.
Duke of Hanover 138
Elector of Hanover 141
Sophia, electress 148
, death and character of 165
George-Louis, elector of Hanover 143
, history of 143_171
, king of England 172
Genealogy of the Guelphs, from Ernest
the Confessor to George L 173
Genealogy of the dukes of Brunswick,
from Ernest the Confessor to the pre-
sent time 1 74
Past and present state of the kingdom of
Hanover 175—202
Genealogy of George IV., from the first
Saxon king of England, and first king
of Scotland v* 203
Guelphs, account of the 207 — 211
Altmunster, account of 212
Princes buried at « 215
Etthal, account of • > ib.
Altdorf, account of 218
PAGE
Altdorf, princes buried at 219
Weingarten, account of ib.
, princes buried at • • 220—224
Steingnaden, account of 224
, princes buried at 225
Tours, account of 227
, empress buried there 227
Lucca, account of 228
Epitaph of Adelbert II. ib.
Berta, epitaph of 229
Padia, La, account of 230
Cunigunda, epitaph of 231
Padolerone, account of 232
Matilda, countess, epitaph of 233
Bari, account of 235
Neuburg, account of • ib.
Schonan, account of 236
Walserode, account of ib.
Ancestors of the Guelph Saxons-. 237—241
, sepulchres of 242, 243
Gandersheim, account of 244
, persons buried at 245
Ebstorff, account of 246
Aix-la-Chapelle, account of 247
Quedlingburg, account of 248
, princes buried at 250
Henry the Fowler, epitaph of 249
Magdeburg, account of 250
, princes buried at 251
Kbnigs-Lutter, account of 253
, princes buried at. • 253 — 255
Nordlieim, account of 256
, princes buried at 257
Stade, account of 258
Cologne, epitaph of bishop Bruno • • • • ib.
Bunfelde, account of 259
Brunswick, monuments in St. Blase's
church 261
, list of illustrious persons in-
terred there 263—300
PAGE
Wolfenbuttle, account of iUustrious persons
interred there 300—307
Tubingen, monument of bishop Rudolph,
account of 310—318
Strasburg, monuments in the minster
of 311—315
Nordlingen, account of 215
Versa, account of 316
, princes buried there 317
Schleussingen, account of 318
Nurnberg, monuments there 319
Verden, princes buried there • • • • 321 — 330
Bremen, princes buried there 331
llildesheim, princes buried there 333
Osnaburg, princes buried there 335
Gottingen, princes buried there 337
Hardegsen, princes buried there 338
MUnden, princes buried there 339—343
Epitaph of Henry the Lion 365
in the old vault at Brunswick, by
Eberhard Finen 268
in Rudolph's chapel 270
of Ferdinand- Albert, duke of
Bevern • 274
■ of Christine of Hesse 275
■ of her children 276
— of duke Augustus-Ferdinand"" 279
■ — of Ferdinand-Christian 281
of Henry-Ferdinand 282
of Sophia-Eleonora 284
of Ferdinand-Albert II. 285
of Ernest-Ferdinand 286
of Louis-Rudolph 288
of Frederick-William 290
of Augustus ib.
of George-Louis-Frederick • • • • 293
of six infants 294
Inscriptions on the windows of the old
cathedral of St. Blase, the glass of
which has been destroyed 299
o
CONTENTS.
PAGE
Epitaph of duke Rudolph, bishop of
Halberstadt 310
of Henry, duke of Danneberg,
311—313
of Bruno, duke of Saxony • • • • 321
Inscriptions on the monuments at Verden,
321-330
at Osna-
burg 335
Nienburg, account of 346
Celle, princes and princesses buried
at 347, 348
-, list of coffins and inscriptions in
the town church of 349—364
Wienhausen, account of 364
, princes buried at" - 365
Isenhagen, letter from 366
Uelzen, account of 367
Oberkirchen, account of 368
Stadthagen, letter from 369
, epitaph in the church of •• 37)
* Luneburg, princes and princesses buried
at 373—386
Wittenburg, account of 386
Scharnebeck, letter from 387
Herzberg, memoir respecting the princes
who resided at 389—391
PAGE
Herzberg, princes and princesses buried
at 392—406
Osterode, princes and princesses buried
at 407—417
Harburg. account of 417
, princes and princesses buried
at 418—424
Dannenberg, letter from 424
, record of the princes who
resided at 425, 426
Giffbrn, princes buried at 427
Eimbeck, account of sepulchres at, 428 — 433
Wiebrechtshausen, account of • • • • 433, 434
Uslar, extract of a letter from 435
Vienna, princes and princesses buried
at 437—449
Darmstadt, letter from 449
Minden, account of 450
Eisleben, account of • • • •• 451
Schwartzburg, house of 454
Salfeldt, account of 455
Altenburg, princes buried at 456
Meissen, princesses buried at- • • • 458 — 460
Hanover, princes and princesses buried
at 460—467
Charter of the dutchy of Brunswick and
Luneburg • 468
INTRODUCTION.
There are two remarkable periods in the early history of Ger-
many, which have attracted, in a particular manner, the attention
of antiquaries, and to which may, in some measure, be traced the
establishment of the various nations and families of Germany.
The first, the reign of Attila, the Hun, who formed the
many barbarous tribes of the north into one united body, and
directed the swords of those innumerable, and often hostile
nations, against their more civilized neighbours of the south. The
second, that of Charlemagne.
The death of Attila dissolved the union which his power
had effected. His extensive empire was divided among his sons ;
who, possessing little of the genius or military talents of their
father, were soon involved in quarrels that led to the total
extinction of their authority : while the formation of so many
separate kingdoms, and the wars which ensued, were productive
of great and lasting changes among the nations of the continent.
The chiefs who had submitted to the power of Attila, no
longer regarded the commands of his degenerate sons. Each
became the sovereign ruler of that portion of the country
his tribe occupied; and a new dynasty of princes commenced
in every city or province to which the exigencies of the cam-
paign had conducted the head quarters of a general. From this
period, therefore, we must date the settlement of many of the
tribes of barbarians in those countries from which they after-
wards took, or to which they gave, their name, and where their
leaders held regal sway, when the overwhelming power and
b
INTRODUCTION.
enlightened policy of Charlemagne succeeded in forming them
again into one great empire.
The antiquaries of the continent have been able to trace, with
every degree of probability, the origin of the present Royal Family
of England, and Dukes of Brunswick, to the days of Attila, the
Hun. The Sc]/?-ri, of whom the first Guelph is stated to have
been the leader, were a people of some consideration at that
early period. Edico, the coadjutor of Guelph, and, as some
think, his father or brother, was the colleague of Orestes in
his embassy to Constantinople, and one of the representatives
of Attila at the court of Theodosius the Second. But in their
subsequent wars with the Ostrogoths, the Scyrri were either
altogether extinguished, or became incorporated with other
nations. Their name was lost ; and it is believed that they finally
settled in the country, and adopted the name and laws of the
Bavarii.
The whole of the provinces which now form the kingdoms
of Bavaria and Wirtemberg, the electorate, and other territories
of the house of Hesse, together with the grand dutchy of Baden,
were comprehended in what was anciently called Oriental France.
Switzerland was subject to the same crown : and at the com-
mencement of the reign of Charlemagne, these countries were
governed by the deputies of his father, the 7nissi regii, or domi-
nici, of the Latin records ; in the character of one of whom the
first certain ancestor of the house of Guelph makes his appear-
ance in history. All that is known of the origin of this family
will be found in that part of the present work which it is wished
should bear the character of an authentic record; and these
introductory observations will therefore be confined to a few
remarks on the origin of the name, and to the connexion of the
direct line with the ancient and modern reigning families in Europe.
The origin of the name Guelph, or, as it was originally spelt,
Wlph, is still more obscure and more involved in fable than
that of the family. The learned author of the " Origines Guelficse"
INTRODUCTION.
tells us, that the word is considered by some as a transla-
tion of the Latin Catulus ; that among the Saxons it was
written and pronounced Woelpe, among the Belgians Welpe,
Wolpe, and Wiilpe, and among the English Whelp. Others
again consider it to be a translation of the Latin Lupus, the
wolf, or canis sylvestris. The monk of Weingarten, whose chro-
nicle is often quoted in the following pages, but who lived in
an age when no family could be accounted great or honourable
that was not descended from, or in some way connected with,
a Greek or Roman Hneage, informs us, that one of the ancestors of
this house married the daughter of a senator of Rome, whose
name was Kathalina ; that from her their descendants were called
Catuimi ; which being translated into German, the Latin name
was rejected, and Welp or Welf, the translation, became the
patronymick of the family.
Another learned monk, Theodore Damaidanus, abbot of
the convent of St. Mary and St. Martha at Venice, A. D. 1685,
compiled a work, which he presented to the elector Ernest-
Augustus; and in which, from the circumstance of Azo the Second
being styled marquess of Este, he has ingeniously traced his
descent from Actius Novus, a Sabine chief, the friend and com-
panion of the founder of Rome. If we are to believe this learned
fabulist, the first emperor of Rome, and the first elector of Hanover,
were descended from the same father.
A more humble origin is assigned to the counts of Altdorf in an
amusing fable respecting their name, which is found in the records
of the bishoprick of Cologne, and extracted from the writings of
one John Tambacus, a professor of theology, who, in the eighteenth
chapter of his eleventh book de Consolatione Theologica, has stated,
" that the wife of a certain knight having borne, at one and the same
time (simul et semel) twelve sons ; and being afraid, on account
of her husband's poverty, that they would be unable to bring
them up ; and fearing also that he might be offended with her
for proving so prolific ; she bribed her hand-maiden to carry them
INTRODUCTION.
to the river and to drown them." The remainder of the story may
perhaps be better given in the words of the professor : — " Ilia
itaque ancilla hac de causa se cum illis infantulis ad ripariam con-
ferente, et circa factum sibi comm.issum an perficeret hcesitante,
accidit, quod archiepiscopus Coloniensis, cum patre puerorum, de
quodam loco equitans supervenit; qui videns a remotis dictam ancil-
1am circa littus fluvii occupatam, uni de comitiva mandavit, ut illuc
equitaret, et quid ibi ageretur adverteret ; quo reverso, et dicente
se tot similiter infantulos invenisse, ipse ad fluvium ilium celeriter
episcopus equitans, et videns duodecim pueros, ac cognito toto
facto, sciensque patris et matris inopiam, dixit se velle esse patrem
eorum, et nutritium ; et assumsit eos in suam curam, et processu
temporis ad scholas posuit; qui omnes tandem in nova canonia
propter eos in civitate Coloniensi instituta, et juxta duodenarium
eorum numerum ad apostolos nominata, volente Altissimo, in
canonicos profecerunt." The professor then adds, " Ecce cele-
berrimum Augustali et vere regia trium sanctorum regum Colo-
niensi in urbe duodecim geminorum monumentum, celeberrimam
collegiatam sanctorum duodecim apostolorum Basilicam, ut milla
sit causa cur in dubium revoces duodecim uno partu gemellorum
Guelporum historiam." It is added, that the maiden, when ques-
tioned by the bishop's servant as to what she carried in her
apron, answered, Wlielps ; and that afterwards having taken a
pride in being so denominated, the young men adopted it as
the name of their family.
Another conjecture as to the origin of the name is stated in
the " Origines Guelficae;" and is that to which we believe a
learned professor, who has investigated, with great diligence
and ability, the early history of the Guelphs*, is inclined to
give the preference. According to this opinion, which is both
ingenious and probable, Guelph, or Welf, is a corruption of
the ancient Saxon word huelpe ; written in German hiilpe ;
* . Professor Eichorn, of G6ttin2:en.
INTRODUCTION.
which signifies aid or assistance; and is the same as the
English word help. Hence it is argued that Wlph, the son or
brother of Edico, was so denominated because he was the
lieutenant or helper of that prince in his command, or govern-
ment, of the Scyrri. Our own opinion, if we may be allowed
to hazard an opinion on such a subject, is simply, that this
name is derived from the animal which was painted on the
standard of the chief, and was the rallying war cry of the tribe
they commanded. The symbols of animals, painted on their
war flags, were the only distinctive marks of chiefs or nations
before the adoption of proper names ; and as many of the
ancient princes of this house have the catulus sculptured on their
tomb, it is probable that it was the bearing of the first counts
of Bavaria, or of their ancestors, the leaders of the Scyrri. The
first Christian count of Altdorf may have assumed it as the family
name when he submitted to the rite of baptism. Welf, the father
of the empress Judith, from the period in which he lived,
was, in all probability, a Christian. He, as has been already
observed, is the first certain ancestor of the house, and must there-
fore be accounted the founder of the present Guelphic dynasty.
The country in which he lived was so unsettled, and so fi-e-
quently overrun by its pagan neighbours, that for two centuries
after his time there are few documents illustrative of its history,
and no means of ascertaining that of a name which originated in
a period still more barbarous.
At the accession of Charlemag-ne to the undivided throne
of Pepin on the death of his brother, Carloman, the inhabitants of
the south of Germany were, for the most part. Christians, and, as
has been stated, vassals of that kingdom ; but those of the north
and west were still pagan, and independent. Their conquest
and conversion became the great business of the active life of the
French king ; and before it was accomplished, he had undergone
the labour of thirty-three campaigns, and resided in their country
INTRODUCTION.
during an equal number of years. On the consolidation of
the western empire, a still greater change took place, among the
reigning dynasties of that country, than on the dispersion of
the Huns; and about the same period, too, those titles of
rank were established, which, with little variation, have con-
tinued to the present day. The Dux, in German Herzog, was
the military commander, or general of the troops of a particular
district or province; while the Comes, or Gi^af, was the civil
governor. The situation or nature of the country led to the
more definite appellation of landgraf, markgraf, phalzgraf,
or rhingraf; and there are grounds for believing, that the
comes, or graf, was a rank, in the first instance, superior to
that of dux or herzog. But in proportion as the feudal system
became perfect, and military honours were more coveted than
civil, the title of duke gained the ascendancy, and was that of
which princes were most ambitious.
It was one of the leading maxims of Charlemagne, to send
the princes of one province to act as his Comites, or generals,
in another, with which they were little connected, or where
they were altogether strangers : and although these appointments
were considered temporary, they were often continued to the
son on the death or removal of the father; and, finally, towards
the decline of the Carlovingian race, became hereditary. The
German comes, therefore, who had been sent into Italy, or
the southern provinces of France, as a military or civil governor,
became the founder of a new dynasty of princes in these countries ;
while the native chiefs either sunk into oblivion, or had been
transferred to a province in the north. In the countries which
Charlemagne acquired by conquest, many of the ancient families
had become extinct, their male issue having been cut oflf during
the war ; though, in some cases, their name and inheritance were
conveyed by a female heiress to the rising house of the new
commander, or covies. This happened more particularly in
INTRODUCTION.
the country of the Saxons, and in the kingdom of Lombardy.
But, with respect to the family, the history of which is here
investigated, except the establishment of one of its members
in the government of Lucca, nothing remarkable took place till
after the death of the emperor ; when the marriage of the daughter
of the count of Altdorf with Louis, his son and successor, brought
them into more immediate connexion with the affairs of Europe.
The records, though meagre, which have come down to us ;
the extent of their possessions ; and the well arranged and
princely establishment of their court, afford sufficient evidence
to warrant the assertion, that the counts of Altdorf had existed,
as a powerful dynasty, long previous to the time of Charlemagne ;
though their true history only commences with the reign of
his father, and does not assume importance till that of his
son. In the first chapter of the following work the reader will
find some account of the marriage of Louis, the son and suc-
cessor of Charlemagne, with Judith, the daughter of Welf,
count of Altdorf, and its effects upon the fortunes of the younger
branches of that family. But to proceed in a general review of
the history of the direct line.
The changes that took place in the empire during the
lifetime and after the death, of Louis the Pious, had little effect
upon the affairs of the elder branch of the counts of Altdorf.
Ethico the First was nothing benefited by the exaltation of
his sister, and took little interest in the fluctuating fortunes
of his younger brothers. Henry, the fourth in descent from
Guelph L, is the first who emerged from the seclusion
of his ancient castles of Altdorf and Ravensberg, and mingled
with the world at the court of the emperor. During the
lifetime of his father he attached himself to Louis, the son
of Arnold, and was bribed by that monarch to become a
vassal of the empire, by a grant of as much land as he could
surround with a chariot (jnit et/tiem gulden tvagen bevaren konde)
INTRODUCTION.
in the course of twenty-four hours. Henry took advantage of
what may be considered a want of precision in the terms of
the grant, and instead of riding in a chariot, as was intended,
he had a little carriage made of gold, which he carried with him
upon his fleetest horses ; and in the time allowed he encompassed,
(and, as he proved, with a chariot,) a territory of four thousand
mansi. If we suppose the German mansus equal to what was
formerly called a hyde of land in England, or what, as Gibbon
supposes, was sufficient to maintain a peasant and his family, it
will be allowed that the young count of Altdorf gained, by his
stratagem, no inconsiderable territory. Yet the reader will be
amused with the effect which such a proof of his degeneracy
in sentiment and independent feeling produced upon his high-
minded father, as stated in the text and the records, from the
report of the monk of Weingarten. In addition to that extent of
territory, it is almost certain that this prince obtained the title
of duke of Lower Bavaria ; and his interest in that country
was greatly strengthened by his marriage with Beata, or
Hatta ; who, according to the authority of Leibnitz, was a
natural daughter of the emperor. Henry was cotemporary
with Adelbert the Second, marquess of Tuscany, who was the
fourth in descent from Boniface, count of Lucca.
The next remarkable event in the history of this branch of
the family, is the failure of heirs male. Guelph, the fourth of
the name, and eighth prince in succession from the first count
of Altdorf, married Irmitrude, or Imiza, daughter of Fre-
derick, count of Luxemberg, and niece of Cunigonde, the
empress of Henry the Second, afterwards St. Cunigonde. By her
he left only one son and one daughter. The son received
his father's name, and the daughter was called after the
empress. He had received, as a marriage portion with
the princess Irmitrude, a large tract of country in Italy;
and on the marriage of their only daughter, Cunigunda, with
INTRODUCTION.
Azo the Second, marquess of Este, he conveyed it to that
prince. Guelph, his son, having attached himself to the fortunes
of the third Henry, was rewarded for his faithful services with
the dutchy of Carinthia, and marquesate of Verona. On the
death of this Guelph, unmarried, his Italian states returned to
the emperor; and, by a death-bed will, he gave his hereditary
possessions to the monastery of Weingarten. His mother, how-
ever, was still alive ; and aware of the undue influence practised
upon her son by the monks who surrounded him, sent to Italy
for her grandson, the only issue of her daughter. As a Guelph,
he was hailed their chief by the vassals of his house ; and
having, without much difficulty, set aside the will of his uncle,
the last of the direct male line of Altdorf, took possession of his
states in Swabia and Bavaria. His father's patrimony had been
secured to him also by marriage settlement, and he rose to be
one of the most powerful princes of his day.
Soon after his establishment in Germany, this, the first of the
Este Guelphs, married the daughter of Otho, count of Nordheim,
who held the government of Upper Bavaria, with the title of
duke. On Otho's removal by the emperor, Henry the Fourth,
in 1070, Guelph received the investiture of the whole dutchy,
in a diet held at Goslar, in 1071. Gibbon imputes to this prince
a great want of virtue, in having repudiated his first wife : but
nothing was more common at that early period. It was even
a duty often imposed upon the reigning prince by the general
voice of the nation. The right of a son to succeed his father
could not be doubted nor disputed ; but if the succession fell
into any collateral branch, the claims of the relatives were
generally decided by the sword. In default, therefore, of issue
in the existing marriage, it became a matter of state necessity,
in order to preserve the tranquillity of the country, that a
divorce should take place. Custom and the canon law had
so arranged it, that neither party suffered any disgrace from
c
INTRODUCTION,
such a separation : nay, instead of proceeding from a want of
virtue, it was often a severe sacrifice made to public duty, and
only submitted to from the most urgent necessity. In the
present instance, so far from either of them being injured by
this measure, the divorced Ethelinda was immediately married
to the count of Westphalia; and the duke of Bavaria selected
for his second consort, a princess who had been intimately
connected with England. In 1071 he married Judith, daughter
of Baldwin, earl of Flanders, and widow of Tostos, son of
Godwin, earl of Kent, who had been created duke of Northum-
berland by Edward the Confessor.
The sons of the earl of Kent might consider themselves as
having some claim to the crown of England, their mother
being a daughter of Canute the Great : and as Tostos was the
elder brother, and not the younger, as stated by Gibbon*, he
no doubt felt that he was injured by the election of Harold.
He had recourse to his brother-in-law, William, duke of Nor-
mandy, from whom he naturally received every encouragement
to dispute that election. William had already resolved on mak-
ing an attempt to secure the crown of England for himself; and
any measure which might tend to distract the attention of
the nation, or weaken the power of his rival, was an advantage
gained on his side. Tostos having collected about sixty vessels in
the ports of Flanders, put to sea; and after committing some
depredations in the Isle of Wight, and on the south and east
coasts, sailed for Northumberland, his own county; where,
although he had been expelled from the government on account
of his tyranny and bad conduct, he had still, it may be supposed,
many adherents. He was joined off the mouth of the Humber
by Harold Halfager, king of Norway, who had arrived with an
armament of three hundred vessels. Their combined fleets sailed
* Antiquities of the House of Brunswick, note, p. 160, quarto edition.
INTRODUCTION.
up the river ; and their forces having landed, began to commit
depredations on all sides. Their army was superior to that of
the English in the north, and they attacked and defeated the
king's brothers-in-law, Morcar, earl of Northumberland, and
Edwinj earl of Mercia; but having been met by Harold in
person, near the town of Stamford, a most bloody action ensued,
in which the English were completely victorious, and the ambi-
tious Tostos lost his life. There is no mention of any issue
of this nobleman by the Flemish princess ; yet it is probable
she had been a mother, or she would not have been chosen
as the consort of the duke of Bavaria. Tostos, before his death,
assumed the title of king ; and his widow, on her second mar-
riage, is styled the dowager queen of England.
Previous to the commencement of the 11th century the pro-
vincial honours of the elder branch of the house of Guelph
were those of a private, though illustrious family ; but, from this
period, they became the principal actors in every revolution of the
empire. Their lives and actions, as Gibbon observes, are deeply
impressed on the annals of the times, and intimately connected
with the general history of Europe.
The power and influence the duke of Carinthia had
acquired, were fully confirmed, and greatly enlarged, by his
nephew and successor, the duke of Bavaria. Within a year
after his second marriage he became the father of a son ; and
there being no longer any doubt of an heir to his name and
possessions, entered with more earnestness into the affairs
of the empire, and took a decided part in all the differences
between the representatives of St. Peter and the sovereign
of the West.
The popes, from their weakness and licentious conduct, had
long been mere passive tools in the hands of the emperors, by
whom they were appointed; and by whom, on every dispute,
they were insulted, if not deposed. But about tliis time, Gre-
INTRODUCTION.
gory the Seventh, a man of virtuous conduct, austere manners,
and unbounded ambition, had obtained the government of the
church. Neither to be terrified nor trampled upon, he gained
to his party several powerful princes of Italy and Germany,
and bade defiance to the threatening commands of Henry the
Fourth.
The duke of Bavaria was one of those who joined the party
of the pope, and heartily supported the independence of the
church. He was more than once degraded and proscribed by
the emperor; but his power was so great, that instead of the
imperial sentence of those days having any ill effect upon his
fortunes, it frequently became necessary to purchase his alle-
giance by some new favour, or an additional grant of territory.
His influence was not a little increased by the marriage of his
eldest son with Matilda, countess of Tuscany, a Guelph also by
'birth, one of the richest heiresses of Italy, and a staunch sup-
porter of the rights of pope Gregory. Although altogether a
union of political interests, and the marriage was in a few
years dissolved, it had the effect of giving a decided
superiority to the duke of Bavaria in the assemblies of the
German princes, and got that son associated with him in
his lifetime in the government of the Bavarian states. We
have noted in their proper place the principal actions of his
life, which, like that of his father, the marquess of Este, was
prolonged to an unusual period, and we believe was only
brought to a close by the hardships he underwent in his
pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
In his seventy-ninth year, the duke of Bavaria, with a
long list of nobility and a numerous retinue of tried warriors,
set out on a religious mission to Jerusalem. In travelling
through Hungary and Asia Minor they suffered severely from
the attacks of banditti; and before he reached the coast of
the Archipelago, his followers were almost all cut off in their
INTRODUCTIOX.
engagements with the barbarians, had fallen victims to the
diseases of the country, or the fatigues of their ill-conducted
march. Many of them too were taken prisoners, and sold
for slaves. The aged duke, unable to continue his journey
by land any longer, took ship in a very bad state of health.
He accomplished the object of his mission, and beheld the holy
city; but had scarcely reached the island of Cyprus, on his
return, when he expired.
To pass over his eldest, who reigned for a few years after
his father's death, we proceed to Henry, his second son, the
next in the line of descent, who succeeded to the whole of the
Guelphic possessions in 1120. This prince, known in history
by the surname of " the Black," had in a manner formed an
establishment for himself, previous to his father's death, by his
marriage with Wulfilda, the eldest daughter of Magnus, the last
duke of Saxony, of the Billung family.
On the death of duke Magnus without male heirs, the
emperor gave the investiture of the dutchy of Saxony to
Lothaire, count of Supplingenburg ; but it is evident that the
duke of Bavaria received the greatest share of the Billung posses-
sions. His influence was now so preponderating in the empire,
that he may be said to have acted as a dictator in the
assembly of the princes : and the reader cannot fail to observe
the patriotism of his conduct on the death of Henry the Fifth,
when the crown was contested by the dukes of Saxony and
Swabia. Henry the Black did not reign more than six years.
He died at the castle of Ravensberg, in December 1126, and
his dutchess is said to have survived him only one day. He
left a family of three sons and four daughters. Conrad, his
eldest son, became a monk; Henry, his second, succeeded to
the states of Bavaria, and carried on the succession; while
Guelph, his third, rose to wealth and power in Italy. Judith,
his eldest daughter, married Frederick, duke of Swabia, the
INTRODUCTION.
unsuccessful candidate for the purple. Sophia, the second-
daughter, married Berchhold, duke of Zaringhen ; Matilda, the
third, Theobald, marquess of Voheburg, and after his death,
Gerhard, count of Sulzbach ; and Wulfilda, the fourth, became
countess of PhuUendorf. Henry the Second, duke of Bavaria,
styled " the Proud," married the only daughter and heiress
of Lothaire, emperor of Germany, duke of Saxony, and count
of Supplingenburg. This led to his being invested with the
Saxon dutchy, and secured to him the possession of the
states of Supplingenburg and Nordheim. It also gave him a
claim to the imperial crow^n ; but his party was outvoted by
the supporters of Conrad, duke of Franconia, a Gibelline, who,
with his brother Frederick, duke of Swabia, had contended for
that crown during the lifetime of Lothaire.
The Swabian family acquired the name of Gibelline from the
village or castle of Wublingen, where they were first established.
They rose into power by their marriage with the daughters of the
Franconian emperors, whose titles and territories they inherited.
The enmity between the two houses, which commenced at an
early period, was much augmented by the conduct of Henry the
Black at the election of Lothaire, and also by the opposition
of Henry the Proud. The elevation of Conrad to the purple
in preference to that prince, was the beginning of dissentions
in the empire and in Italy, and gave a name to a faction which,
in after ages, proved the ruin of many cities and provinces;
and, in a great measure, that of the Guelphic power in Germany.
Conrad was no sooner confirmed in his dignity than he began
to humble his rival. The question was agitated. Whether
two dutchies could be vested in the same person? and the
Guelph being too proud to enter into any compromise, it was
decided that they could not ; and he was divested, by an imperial
senteiace, of both : a decision which affords a sample of the
imperial justice in those days, when able to act with impunity.
INTRODUCTION.
Saxony was given to Albert, margrave of Brandenburg, surnamed
the Bear; and Bavaria to Leopold, margrave of Austria.
Henry fled from Bavaria to Saxony : on the banks of
the Elbe his vassals flocked to his standard, and he vi^as soon
at the head of an army sufiicient to drive the intruders from
his hereditary states. Conrad marched against him in person;
but his army w^as more than a match for the imperial force,
and instead of bringing him to action, the emperor found it
necessary to negotiate. Henry died at this time rather sud-
denly, which led to a suspicion of his being poisoned, and the
cause of the Guelphs was left in the hands of a child only
ten years of age. The dowager empress Richenza remained
faithful to the interests of her grandson; but he was forsaken
by his own mother, who, soon after the death of Henry the
Proud, gave her hand to Henry of Austria, the successor
of his brother Leopold in his claims upon the dutchy of
Bavaria. By the advice of his mother, the young Henry was
induced to cede the dutchy of Bavaria to his father-in-law ; upon
which he was acknowledged by the emperor and empire as the
rightful heir of the states of Saxony.
Guelph, the younger brother of Henry the Proud, and only
surviving uncle of the young prince, though fixed in a distant
country, was not inattentive to the concerns of his family in
the north of Germany : he appealed against the imperial decree,
and maintained, that though the father might be proscribed,
and the son renounce the dutchy of Bavaria, still, if these Avere
admitted as legal acts, he must succeed to the inheritance of his
grandfather, and be entitled to Bavaria as the patrimony of his
ancestors. Aided by the subsidies of the kings of Sicily and
Hungary, Guelph was able to lead a powerful army against the
enemy of his house; and though sometimes crushed by the
weight of imperial power, his invincible spirit rose more terrible
from every defeat.
INTRODUCTION.
This first Guelph and Gibelline warfare continued for ten
years ; and the favours of the imperial court were, in the end, the
reward of the long opposition of the seventh and last of the name of
Guelph. He received the titles and possessions of duke of
Spoleto, marquess of Tuscany, prince of Sardinia, and lord of
the patrimony of the countess Matilda.
The son of Henry the Proud, on attaining the age of man-
hood, was so distinguished for his valour and prudence, as to
be honoured with the surname of " the Lion." The surrender
of the Bavarian dutchy, which had taken place in his childhood,
was no longer considered binding, and was an act not to
be justified. The death of Conrad, and the accession of
Frederick-Barbarossa, opened a channel for negotiation : but
though the claims of the duke of Saxony could not be denied,
the reader will observe they were for a long time evaded,
and that it was not till Henry the Lion was in his twenty-
eighth year that he regained possession of the original patrimony
of his ancestors. This was the period when the House of Guelph
possessed the greatest degree of power, and was certainly
the most renowned of any of the princely houses in Europe.
Henry the Lion was more than the equal of the emperor in
every thing but the title ; and in wealth and power he was raised
far above the other princes of Christendom.
It is in vain to search the history of his life for any crime
that could warrant the severe sentence pronounced against him
in 1180, or any act that could justify the measures then resorted
to, to deprive him of his legitimate honours and hereditary
possessions. The family quarrel between him and the emperor
seemed to be forgotten during the first years of the reign of
Frederick the First, and the friendship which existed between
them was of the most intimate kind. It was at the desire and
command of the emperor, that the first marriage of Henry the
Lion was cancelled, and his second, with the princess royal
INTRODUCTION,
of England, concluded. It was the anxious wish of Frederick
that Henry should have issue to succeed him in the imperial
throne, if his own should fail. Yet, extraordinary as it may
appear, Frederick no sooner saw Henry the father of a family
of sons, than his friendship was turned into enmity. He tampered
with the duke of Spoleto, and deprived Henry of his uncle's
patrimony — a circumstance not likely to conciliate the proud
spirit of the Guelph ; and though apparently friends, there was
little cordiality between them from that moment. We must
observe, however, that the ruin of Henry the Lion was as
much owing to the envy of the other princes of the empire,
as to the enmity of the emperor. The overgrown power and
wealth of the Guelphic princes had long been objects of jealousy
to their less fortunate neighbours ; who no doubt saw, that
if once they could get a sentence of outlawry pronounced against
Henry the Lion, the boldest of the adventurers might be made
powerful princes out of his spoils. The emperor was therefore
beset on all sides. Every man that approached him was the
enemy of the rival he disliked ; and many a family rose to
wealth and power by the downfal of Henry.
His immense estates were divided among laymen and prelates ;
and never was there such a general muster of the forces of the
empire, as was brought against this individual prince, when the
ban was published against him. The reader will find in its
proper place the issue of this contest, and the ineffectual struggle
Henry made, during the last fifteen years of his life, against the
forces by which he was overwhelmed. The wreck of his estates
he left, in a great measure, to two of his sons, Otho and
William ; as his eldest son, Henry, was amply provided for by his
marriage with the heiress of the palatinate of the Rhine.
In the history of the family, some account is given of the
several princes of this ancient house whose illustrious deeds
d
INTRODUCTION.
brought them conspicuously before the world; but these intro-
ductory remarks are strictly confined to the individuals by
whom the line of descent was regularly carried on.
William, the youngest son of Henry the Lion, never had any
other title than that of prince of Brunswick. At the age of
eighteen he married Helen, daughter of Waldemar the First, king
of Denmark. On liis father's death he was invested with the states
of Luneburg and the dutchy of Lawenburg, of which he took
possession after his return from the court of Leopold, duke of
Austria, at which he had resided as an hostage for the ransom
of Richard the First, king of England. William died in 1213,
when only twenty-nine years of age, leaving his widow and
only son, Otho, to the protection of his elder brothers, Otho,
then emperor of Germany, and Henry, count palatine of the
Rhine. Henry, it will be seen, on the death of the emperor,
took possession of the whole of the Brunswick states, to the
great prejudice of his nephew; but finding he was not likely
to leave any male issue of his own body, he resigned all claim to
the remaining Guelphic possessions, and Otho, the only son of
William, was regularly declared the sovereign of Brunswick.
Otho was nine years of age when his father died ; and
at this period he is styled Dominus de Luneburg, and Otho
Puer. Otho " the Child" was, as is elsewhere stated, only
forty-eight years of age when he died. The reader will find
in detail the principal events of his life, and some account of the
marriages of his daughters, in the thii'd chapter of the History.
Albert, surnamed the Great, his eldest son, is the next in
the line of succession; and from the division which took place
in the states of the family during his reign, he has been called
the patriarch of the old house of Brunswick ; while his brother
John is styled the founder of the old house of Luneburg. Albert s
second dutchess, by whom he left issue, was a princess of Italy,
INTRODUCTION.
of the house of Montferrat. This gave his family a new con-
nexion with the princes of that country, and led, as will be
found in the history of the collateral branches, to the attain-
ment of the high rank and sovereign principalities which were
held there by several of his descendants. Albert the Great died
in 1279, and was succeeded by his son, Albert the Second, or
the Fat. He was the second son ; and is the first of the family
who was created duke of Gottingen, that principality being the
portion of the Brunswick possessions which he inherited.
The divisions and subdivisions of their hereditary states, which
took place after the death of the sons of Otho the Child, reduced
the power of the Guelphic princes almost to a level with the
ordinary class of nobles ; and their succession was regulated
more by family compacts, than by any regard to the rights of
primogeniture. Besides the first grand division, by which a
dutchy of Brunswick and a dutchy of Luneburg were established,
it cannot fail to be observed, that not less than three sovereign
principahties were formed out of that of Brunswick, for the
three sons of Albert the Great ; Grubenhagep, Wolfenbuttle, and
Gottingen. Albert the Fat died on the 22d September, 1318 ; and
the prince who comes next in the succession is Magnus, his
seventh son, and ninth child.
After the death of Otho, their elder brother, in 1344, Magnus
and Ernest, the two youngest sons of Albert, divided the country
between them : Magnus got Brunswick and its dependencies,
and Ernest took Gottingen. Magnus acquired the title of the
Pious ; and, we may suppose, spent his life in quiet and retirement,
as little is known of his history. He married Sophia-Agnes,
daughter of Henry, landgrave of Brandenburg, by whom he had
six sons and four daughters. Otho, his eldest son, died on his
return from a pilgrimage to the Holy Land ; Ernest, the second,
died young; Albert, the third son, was elected archbishop of
INTRODUCTION.
Bremen ; Henry, the fourth, was provost of the holy cross at
Hildesheim; Louis and Magnus, his fifth and sixth sons, suc-
ceeded him in the government of Brunswick. Matilda, his eldest
daughter, became the wife of Bernhard, duke of Anhalt ; Helen
and Agnes were married to counts of Hoya ; and Sophia to the
count of Holstein. Magnus the Pious died in 1369, and was
succeeded by his youngest son, Magnus, surnamed Torquatus.
The contest in which he was engaged for the recovery of
the Luneburg division of the family possessions, and the trans-
actions of that period, are so fully gone into in the following
pages, that the present remarks will be confined to what more
immediately concerns his family. Magnus married Catherine,
the daughter of AVoldemir, prince of Anhalt, and margrave of
Brandenburg, by whom he had four sons and seven daughters.
His three sons, Frederick, Bernhard, and Henry, reigned conjointly
for some time ; but when the dispute regarding Luneburg was
settled, they divided the country. Otho, the fourth son, was
successively bishop of Verden and archbishop of Bremen. Agnes,
the eldest daughter of Magnus, married Albert the Second, duke
of Mecklenburg, who succeeded to the crown of Sweden. His
second daughter, also Agnes, married Albert, one of the princes
of the Grubenhagen branch. His third daughter was married
to the count of Mansfeldt ; his fourth to the duke of Holstein ;
his fifth to the count of Oldenburg; his sixth to the count of
Hoya ; and his seventh to Erich, duke of Saxe-Lawenburg. The
reader is referred to the 83d page of the History for the manner
of this prince's death. The next in succession is Bernhard, his
second son, who, in the division of the property, got Luneburg
for his portion.
Bernhard is called the patriarch of the middle house of
Luneburg ; and his brother, Henry, was the founder of the
middle house of Brunswick. In the history of the two sons of
INTRODUCTION.
Magnus Torquatus there is an error ; Luneburg and Calem-
berg are given to Henry, and Brunswick to this prince.
Bernhard married Margaret, daughter of Wenzelaus, duke of
Saxony, by whom he had two sons and one daughter. His
sons, Otho and Frederick, both succeeded him ; but the first left
no issue ; and the last, therefore, is the prince who carried on the
line. Margaret, the only daughter of Bernhard, married Casamir,
duke of Pomerania.
Frederick, the youngest son of Bernhard, succeeded his,
elder brother as duke of Brunswick-Luneburg, in 1446. He
had married, in 1430, Magdalaine, daughter of Frederick the
First, elector of Saxony, and had three children, two sons
and a daughter. Both sons died before their father; but as
Otho, the youngest of the two, left issue, he is the prince
that comes next in succession. Margaret, their only sister,
married Ulrich, duke of Stutgard.
Otho was born in 1439. In 1467 he married Anne, daughter
of John, count of Nassau-Dellingburg, by whom he had one
child ; fortunately for the succession, a son. This prince, named
Henry, was only three years of age when the government of
the country devolved upon him by the death of his grandfather.
At the age of nineteen he married his cousin, Margaret, daughter
of Erich the Fifth, elector of Saxony, and by her had three
sous and three daughters. Elizabeth, his eldest daughter, married
ELgmont, duke of Guelders ; Apollonia, his second, was abbess
ofWeinhausen; and Johanna, his third daughter, married Barnim,
duke of Pomerania. His sons, Otho, Ernest, and Francis,
divided the country amongst them. Otho, the reader will find,
became duke of Harburg, and Francis acquired the principality
of Giffbrn.
Ernest, the second son, is the prince who carried on the
line of succession. He got Luneburg and its dependencies.
INTRODUCTION.
and is known in history as the Confessor, and duke of Celle.
Ernest was born in 1497, and married, in 1528, to Sophia,
princess of Mecklenburg. By her he had four sons and six
daughters. Francis-Otho, Henry, and William, divided the
country amongst them ; and Frederick, his other son, died of
the wounds he received at the battle of Silverhausen. Margaret,
his eldest daughter, married John, count of Mansfeldt ; Ursula,
his second, died unmarried ; Catharine, his third daughter,
died young; Elizabeth, his fourth, married Otho, count of
Schaumburg ; Magdalaine, his fifth, Arnold, count of Bentheim ;
and Sophia, his sixth, Poppe the Eighteenth, count of Hen-
neberg.
Henry, the second son of Ernest the Confessor, got the
principality of Dannenberg, in the division of his father's states ;
and William, the youngest, got Luneburg and Celle. The
latter is the prince who carried on the succession in the royal
family of England ; and the former is the ancestor of the present
reigning duke of Brunswick.
Henry married Ursula, daughter of Francis, duke of Engern,
in Westphalia, and by her had four sons and three daughters.
His eldest son, Julius-Ernest, succeeded him at Dannenberg,
but left no male issue; and at his death, that portion of the
states came to his younger brother, Augustus, who had been
originally portioned off with the castle of Hatzacher ; but who,
in ] 634, had succeeded to the principality of Wolfenbuttle, on
the death of Frederick-Ulrich, the last male issue of the second
duke of Wolfenbuttle, who was William, styled the Victorious,
the eldest son of Henry, the son of Magnus Torquatus, to
whom this principality had reverted in 1473.
The title of Wolfenbuttle was first granted to the third son
of Albert the Great ; but, as he left no issue, was not restored
in the family till the division which took place among the grand-
INTRODUCTION,
sons of Magnus Torquatus, when it fell to the share of Henry,
the youngest son of Henry, duke of Brunswick, the youngest
son of Magnus Torquatus. The principality of Calemberg
belonged, at that period, to the same branch of the family ; and
when Henry got Wolfenbuttle, his elder brother, William, got
Calemberg; and only succeeded to Wolfenbuttle upon his
brother's death, without male heirs.
Augustus, duke of Dannenberg- and Wolfenbuttle, had three
wives. His first dutchess, Clara, princess of Pomerania, left no
issue ; his second, Dorothea, princess of Anhalt-Zerbst, left two
sons and two daughters; and his third, one son and one
daughter. The sons by the second marriage reigned together
at Brunswick, and were styled dukes of Brunswick-Wolfenbuttle ;
but Ferdinand-Albert, who is the prince next in the line of suc-
cession of the Brunswick branch, got the small territory of Bevern
for his portion, and was styled duke of Brunswick-Bevern.
This prince married Christina, daughter of Frederick, land-
grave of Hesse-Eschwage, by whom he had seven sons and two
daughters. Ferdinand-Albert, his fourth son, succeeded to the
states of Wolfenbuttle on the death of his cousin, Louis-Rudolph,
duke of Blankenburg, in 1735, whose youngest daughter, Antoi-
nette-Amelia, he had married in 1712, and by whom he left a
family of six sons and six daughters. His eldest son, Charles, suc-
ceeded him as duke of Wolfenbuttle; but the principality of
Beveni was given to Ernest-Ferdinand, the younger brother of
Ferdinand- Albert, and continued in his descendants till 1809;
when, by the failure of heirs male of the body of Charles-Fre-
derick-Ferdinand, a field-marshal in the Danish army, it reverted
to the elder branch.
Charles, duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbuttle, married Charlotte,
daughter of William the First, king of Prussia, and was the
father of seven sons and five daughters. Charles- William-Fer-
INTRODUCTION.
dinand, his eldest son, succeeded him. He married the princess
Augusta of England, sister of his late majesty, king George the
Third, and was the father of four sons and two daughters.
He justly merits the title of the great duke of Brunswick,
both from his rank as a prince, and his talents as a general.
The eldest son died without issue, while his father was still
alive ; and in consequence of this event, the estates were settled
upon the father of the present duke, his youngest son, the gallant
Frederick-WiUiam, who was killed at Quatre Bras, in Belgium,
1815.
Prince Ferdinand, who commanded in the seven years' war,
was the son of Ferdinand-Albert, the second of that name in
this branch, and the grandson of the first duke of Bevem :
Frederick-Augustus, the brother of the great duke Charles-
William, married the heiress of the last duke of Oels; and
there being no issue of this marriage, the principality, at
his death, was devised to Frederick- William, his nephew,
who came to be known in his father's lifetime as duke of
Brunswick-Oels. By a family arrangement, after the death
of the hereditary prince, Charles-George, in 1806, it was set-
tled, that the duke of Oels should succeed to the government,
in preference to his two elder brothers, George-William and
Augustus, as the situation of the country at that period required
a more active prince at the head of the state, and one more fit
to command in the field, than was compatible with the weakly
constitution of the former, and the blindness of the latter. Duke
George- William died in 1811; but duke Augustus has survived
the loss of his gallant younger brother ; and, though long afflicted
with blindness, is the cheerful companion of his young nephews ;
a prince who takes a deep interest in all that concerns the glory
of Brunswick. To return to what may more properly be called
the British branch of this illustrious family.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 189*
Every prince, though nominally a subject of the empire, was chap. vi.
virtually and absolutely a sovereign in his own dominions ; could "'■^^''"V^
enter into foreign and domestic alliances ; and pursue, by all
political measures, his own private interest as much as any
other monarch could do. When an imperial war was declared,
he might remain neuter if the safety of the empire was not con-
sidered at stake ; and even then, if he furnished his legal quota
of supply, he might by alliances furnish as many troops as he
pleased to any other power. Each state formed as it were an
imperium in imperio, as the government of the smallest princi-
pality resembled, in most instances, the machinery of the empire.
The prince had his states, who met in the several provinces of
his dominions, and were under the management of his privy
council.
When the dictum of Buonaparte put an end to the German
constitution, and the Csesar of the West was obliged to content
himself with the title of emperor of Austria, this feudal compact
was broken; the larger states became independent kingdoms,
and a number of the minor principalities were deprived of
their right of sovereignty. According to the present consti-
tution of Germany, as settled at Vienna, in 1815, the mediatized
principalities are incorporated with the Austrian empire, Prussia,
Hanover, or others of the newly formed kingdoms ; and these
princes, though retaining their rank and privileges as to blood,
have sunk into the first class of nobility. The states which are
not of sufficient extent to form a kingdom, are made grand
dutchies; others again retain their former rank of sovereign
*190 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. VI. dutchies, and the ruler of Hesse Cassel is the only prince that has
^"^^^^-^ the title of elector under the new arrangement. The diet of the
confederation sits at Franckfort; and every sovereign prince,
whether emperor, king, elector, grand duke, or duke, has a repre-
sentative at that diet. Each state is obliged to keep ready for
service its regulated quota of troops, and to support by its in-
dividual means the general welfare of the whole confederation.
Buonaparte's arrangement extended only to a number of the minor
German states, and was called the confederation of the Rhine ;
but the present settlement of the constitution comprehends the
whole of what is known as Germany.
The great improvement in the representation of Hanover since
it became a kingdom, has been the formation of one general
assembly from the several provincial states, which is called upon
to decide in the enactment of laws, and to advise the sovereign in
matters of policy ; and where one uniform system is adopted for
the whole kingdom, instead of the jarring and often incompatible
regulations of the states of every petty province, formed solely for
their own guidance and advantage, and, as was occasionally the
case, in direct opposition to the general good. His majesty, how-
ever, has wisely continued to the provinces their former states, for
the management of their internal affairs; and there has been
no attempt to push the improvements in legislation beyond the
wisdom of the age, or to divert it from the known and approved
channels of antiquity. In no instance has the count de Miinster
shown more good sense and sound discretion, than in adapting
the new constitution of the kingdom, in matters of form, to the
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 19V
established and well understood proceedings of their ancient chap. vi.
provincial states; and in limiting the power and prerogatives of ^•^^'^^^^
the new representative body to the as yet bounded knowledge
in general politics of those who compose a majority of the
chambers.
The established religion of the country, with the exception of
two provinces, is the Lutheran ; and the government of the church
is under the direction of pastors, and general and special super-
intendents. But every religion has free toleration, and all deno-
minations of Christians are eligible for the highest offices of the
state. The Jews, who are in a great measure the bankers of
the kingdom, are in some degree restricted as to residence in
particular cities, but are equally under the protection of the
laws as the other citizens.
The Lutheran clergy are all resident, and form a most respect-
able body of men, highly distinguished for their learning and moral
conduct. A certain number of parishes form a special superin-
tendency, which is under the inspection, in spiritual matters, of
an intendant, who is also the simple pastor of a parish, and has the
duty of his own cure to perform. The special superintendencies
of a district, or province, are under the direction of a general
superintendent, a member of the same body, and who possesses no
other temporal powers or prerogatives than what belong to the
humblest of the parish priests. The affairs of this church, in a
national point of view, are managed by a general court, called the
Consistorium ; of which there are four in the kingdom. These
courts are composed of a certain number of the clergy, and some
192 THE HISTORY OF
sjHAP. VI. laymen appointed by the king*. The members are called coun-
""^^ sellers of the consistory, and have the direction of all matters con-
nected with the property of the church, the settling of tithes and
stipends, and the examination and ordination of candidates for the
ministry. The tithes in some instances have been valued, and are
paid at a fixed rate in money ; and, while many of the salaries are
scarcely sufficient for the decent support of the ministers of the
temple, there are few who can be said to have more than is
required for their respectability and rank in life. The heads
of one or two of the reformed convents enjoy some kind of
hereditary rank ; thiis the abbot of Loccum is considered the
head of the consistorial court of the district of Hanover, and
sits, by right, in the first chamber of the legislative assembly ;
but in other respects the church government of Luther partakes
much of the presbyterian system. "What is called the reformed
church in Germany is purely presbyterian ; and several congre-
gations of this church exist in different parts of the kingdom.
The reformed convents, or cloisters, though a part of the church
establishment, are governed in temporal and spiritual matters by
a separate jurisdiction; each has its own abbot or abbess, and
sends its representative to the general states. The general
government is vested in what is called the cloister chamber; and
their revenues are expended in the support and education of a
number of young men and women, who are elected by the heads
of the convent, or presented by the king. They resemble the
foundation schools or endowed colleges of England.
* There are four consistories, ten general, and ninety-two special superintendencies
in the Lutheran church, and two catholic consistories.
INTRODUCTION.
William, the youngest son of Ernest the Confessor, suc-
ceeded, on the death of Francis-Otho, his eldest brother, to
the states which had been the more immediate portion of their
father, and became duke of Luneburg or Celle. He married,
at the age of twenty-six, Dorothea, daughter of Christian the
Third, king of Denmark ; who, in an union of thirty-one years,
bore him seven sons and eight daughters. The reader will find,
in the lives of these princes, some account of the most remarkable
events of the thirty years' war, in which they were all more or
less engaged, and in which several of them acted a conspicuous
part. Sophia, the eldest daughter of duke William, was married
to the margrave of Brandenburg- Anspach ; Elizabeth married
Frederick, count of Hohenlohe ; Dorothea, the phalzgrave of
Birkenberg ; Clara, the count of Schwartzburg ; Margaret, John
Casmir, duke of Saxe-Coburg ; and Sybilla, Julius-Ernest, duke
of Brunswick-Dannenberg : Anne and Maria died unmarried.
George was the prince of this family who carried on the
succession. He married, in his thirty-fifth year, Anne-Eleonora,
daughter of Louis the Fifth, landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt ; by
whom he left four sons, and one daughter, who became the
queen of Frederick the Third of Denmark. Previous to joining
the protestant confederation, George had served in the army
of the emperor, in which he held the rank of colonel ; but after
he became united with the king of Sweden, he continued firm
to that cause as long as he lived. He was the father, as we
have said, of four sons, and also of four daughters, though
only one survived him; and, by a family arrangement, it was
settled, that the states of Luneburg should be divided into two
dutchies after the death of his surviving brothers. His eldest
son. Christian -Louis, got the dutchy of Luneburg; and his
second son, George -William, the principality of Calemberg,
which was then formed into a dutchy ; and, from his residence
e
INTRODUCTION.
in the capital of this province, he took the title of duke of
Hanover. As Christian -Louis died soon after his accession,
George -William, the next brother, removed to Celle, and
became duke of Luneburg ; w^hile the third brother, John-
Frederick, succeeded him as duke of Hanover. John-Frederick
died also soon after his accession, without male issue; and was
succeeded by his youngest brother, Ernest-Augustus, who, for
some time previous to his brother's death, had been sovereign
bishop of Osnaburg. This prince, therefore, is the next in the
line of succession.
When twenty-nine years of age, Ernest-Augustus married
Sophia, the youngest , daughter of Frederick the Fifth, elector
palatine of the Rhine and king of Bohemia, then in her twenty-
eighth year ; and by her had six sons and one daughter.
In the lifetime of this prince the states of Hanover were
constituted an electorate ; and in his sixty-third year, 1692,
Ernest-Augustus was raised to the rank of an elector, and ap-
pointed hereditary standard-bearer of the Holy Roman Empire.
Christian-Louis, the eldest son of George, duke of Luneburg, was
married to Dorothea, daughter of Philip, duke of Holstein-Gliick-
stadt; but left no issue. George- William, who succeeded him,
married Mademoiselle d'Olbreuse, a Frenchwoman of low ex-
traction ; but being ennobled by the emperor, their issue, an
only daughter, became legitimate : and by a family arrangement,
which appears as an anomaly in the history of this house, it was
settled that she should inherit the states of Luneburg at her
father's decease.
To guard against the bad effects of an arrangement by which
so large a portion of the family possessions might be conveyed
to an alien, perhaps an enemy of the house, it became necessary
that her union with one of the princes', her relations, should be
secured ; and state policy directed that this must be effected in
INTRODUCTION.
her own branch, if possible. The electoral prince of Hanover
was of an age to marry ; but it is said his affections were
engaged, as were those of the princess of Celle. An union,
however, was effected between the two cousins, which was
productive of misery to both, though it reunited the states of
Luneburg and Hanover, after the death of George-William,
in 1705.
George-Louis, the eldest son of the elector, is the first of the
present dynasty of the kings of England ; as he succeeded to the
crown of Great Britain in 1714, and was succeeded by his only
son, George the Second, in 1727. Frederick, prince of Wales,
who died in 1751, was the eldest son of George the Second, and
the father of his late majesty, George the Third. Such, then,
is the direct descent of his present majesty, George the
Fourth, through a series of thirty-three generations, and the
long period of a thousand years.
Thirty-three generations, and a thousand years, occupy most
certainly a small space even in the historical period of the world ;
but all greatness is relative : and it may be added, that there
is not one family in Europe which can establish, by clear and
contemporary proofs, a similar antiquity. The House of Guelph
appear as sovereign princes from the earliest period of their
history. If, therefore, antiquity and illustrious birth are entitled
in any degree to respect. Great Britain may be proud of her
present Sovereign : and although George the First owed the crown
more immediately to his female parent, the reader will find, by
consulting the genealogical tables, that he was the only lineal
descendant of the Plantagenet stem. The blood which warmed
the heart of Bruce, flowed also in the veins of the elector of
Hanover. It cannot fail to be remarked, in the history of this
family, that while its sons acquired wealth and honours by their
union with the daughters of emperors and kings, the daughters
INTRODUCTION,
adorned the thrones of the greatest potentates in Europe and
Asia.
Could the conjectural evidence of the German antiquaries be
admitted, not less than five centuries might be added to the
period of our history, and fifteen generations more, of probable
ancestors; but the highest ambition of human pride may be
satisfied w^ith what is certain in the pedigree of the House of
Guelph. There is no sovereign house in Europe, ancient or
modem, that has not been connected w^ith, or sprung from,
some branch of this family.
H I STO R Y
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH
CHAPTER I.
1 HERE are few subjects which can be of more interest to a
Briton, than the history of that Family which bears sovereign
sway in the land ; yet there is not in the English language a
single work that can be called a history, not even a true genea-
logical account, of the Royal Family. When George the First
came to England, several treatises were printed as histories of
the House of Brunswick, &c. but they are merely translations
of the ancient Brunswick chronicles, full of fiction and falsehood ;
and their authors seem to have been so little acquainted with
the subject, that they are a disgrace to the age in which they
appeared. Nothing, therefore, excepting Gibbon's fragment,
(which, from his want of authentic materials, is not altogether
correct,) remains for the English reader to consult, with regard
to the antiquity and history of the present race of our kings.
It is, however, not only important, as a subject peculiarly
British, it is interesting as a general historical record, to trace
the annals of the Guelphs to their first origin, and then to follow
THE HISTORY OF
the fortunes of this illustrious Family through a series of nearly
two thousand years. Much, indeed, of fable is connected with
the early history of this name : and when we consider the want
of a written language and of records among the tribes of the
North, little can be known of the people among whom, or of
the period when, it first occurs. Yet the diligent inquirer will
discover some traces to guide his researches during even the
darkest ages of the world : and at a period when the present
reigning Families of Europe were unheard of, or merely emerging
into notice, the Ancestors of George the Fourth of England were
already reigning in their greatest splendour.
Pliny is the first of the ancient writers who gives us a distinct
account of the Gothic tribes, and among these the Scyrri* are
particularly mentioned. In the days of the Roman historian this
tribe occupied the southern shores of the Baltic at its western
extremity, and some of the Danish islands in the Great Belt.
As a body of warriors, they must often have changed their
residence, as well on account of the campaigns in which they
happened to be engaged, as from the success which might
attend any particular expedition. About the middle of the fifth
century, the name Wlph, or, as now spelt, Guelph, first occurs,
as a leader or prince of this tribe ; and we find that they were
then in possession of what was called Noricum, the ancient
Rhoetia, and present country of the Tyrol. The Scyrri are
enumerated as one of the nations that fought under the banners
of Attila the Hun ; but after his death we find them in the pay of
• Nat. Hist. lib. iv. cap. 27.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH.
the Romans ; and Jornandes, in his History of the Goths, chap.
53, 54, has expressly told us, that " tunc super Danubium con-
sidebant, et cum Gothis pacific^ morabantur." This expression,
cum Gothis, would lead us to suppose that they were considered
as a tribe of the Huns, or, at any rate, as a distinct people from
the Goths. They are next found with the army of Hunnimund,
leader of the Suevi, and engaged in a war with Theodemir, the
brother of Walemir, king of the Goths — a war which ended in
their ruin ; as " ut pene de gente Scyrrorum," says Jornandes,
" nisi qui nomen ipsum ferrent, et hi cum dedecore, non remanis-
sent." What did remain of the people after this war continued
to serve the Suevic prince ; and " cum Edico et Wlpho, eorum
Primatibus, quasi ad ultionem suam, acrius pugnaverunt."
Although we have no certain information with regard to the
ancestors or successors of these Primates, we have this positive
evidence, that the first Guelph upon record was one of the
chiefs of his nation.
Edico and Guelph are said by some to have been brothers :
other chronicles state that they were father and son : there is,
however, a want of historical authorities on this point. The rank
of prince, or primas, might be hereditary, but that of dux, or
leader, was only temporary. There is some probability that
Odoacer, king of the Heruli, who extinguished the Roman empire
in Italy and the West, was the son of this Edico mentioned by
Jornandes, but no proof that Guelph was his brother, though
certainly his equal as to rank, and one who accompanied him in
the conquest of Italy, and assisted in the establishment of the
kingdom of Lombardy.
4 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. I. In 590 we find a Guelph commanding the Boiavarii, or Bava-
""T^^spT '■i^^S' under Cliildibert, king of the Franks, and acting as an
auxiliary of the Romans against Autharis, king of the Lombards.
But for a century afterwards the name chiefly occurs among the
princes of the Bavarian nation and the nobles of Lombardy, or
as one of the great officers of the Court of France.
A. u. 613-635. From 613 to 635, a Guelph was the chamberlain of Dogabert,
king of France, and employed by him in collecting and arranging
the laws (leges alemannkcE) of the Gothic nations. This prince
is said to have married a German, and to have settled in Bavaria ;
and it is from him, either as sons or grandsons, that the follow-
ing illustrious individuals are descended : — Guelph, count of
Bavaria, 670, who is mentioned by historians as the friend of
Bertrard, king of the Lombards ; Otkarius, duke of Burgundy,
" qui novem comitatus in Bavaria possidebat ;" Adelbertus, count
of Bavaria, ancestor of the marquesses of Tuscany ; and Ruthar-
dus, ancestor of the counts of Altdorf and kings of Burgundy or
Aries, who was missus regius of France, and who, with a count
Warinus, during the lifetime of St. Othmar, 759-768, " totius
Alemanise curam administrabant."
That Otkarius and Adelbertus were brothers, we have certain
proof* ; but that Ruthardus was another brother is not so evident,
though there is no doubt of his being of the same nation and
family, and a near kinsman. Of the two first, we are informed
that their mother was of Bavaria, and their father a Burgundian :
and although there is not the same positive proof, there is abun-
* Historia Fundationis Monasterii Togrensii, ann. 756.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH.
dance of circumstantial evidence, to show that Adelbertus and
Ruthardus were the immediate ancestors of the two illustrious
houses, which, after a separation of more than two centuries,
were again united by the marriage of the eldest son of the one
with the only daughter of the other. The labours of Leibnitz,
and the learned editor of the Origines Guelphicce, have thrown
much light upon this part of the genealogy of the Guelphs.
Previous to the appearance of their works, the marriage of Azo
of Este with Cuniga, or Cunigunda, of Guelph, was supposed
to have been the first connexion of these two houses, though it
was known, and had indeed been proved, that the founder of
the house of Este in Italy was a Bavarian prince, and not a
descendant of the Aetii of Rome, or of any Italian family, as the
fabulous chronicles had generally stated, and is still currently
believed by many in England.
In the early ages of Christianity, and in the then unsettled
state of society, the right of primogeniture was neither ascer-
tained nor regarded. The inheritance of the children depended
altogether upon the will of their father, and not unfrequently
upon the number of their respective followers. It is not, there-
fore, of any consequence whether Ruthardus or Adelbertus,
allowing them to have been brothers, was the eldest son of the
Bavarian prince : all that we know with certainty is, that the
former settled in Bavaria, and carried on the line of Altdorf,
while the latter took up his residence in Italy ; and that Otkarius,
the other prince of the same house, obtained a dukedom in Bur-
gundy, and in his old age retired to a monastery, which he had
founded and endowed.
THE HISTORY OF
Wolfhardus was the son of Adelbertus. His name in Ger-
man, signifying the " Doer of Good Works," was literally
translated into the Latin records of the age ; and Bonifacius,
count or governor of Lucca, and of the whole province of Tus-
cany, makes no contemptible figure in the days of Charlemagne.
The grandmother of Adelbertus was an Italian of the house of
Friuli : we therefore find his descendants settled upon the states
of that family in Italy, where they professed to live according
to the laws and customs of the Bavarians.
That the government of Lucca and Tuscany was a charge
bestowed upon count Boniface by the emperor Charlemagne,
is highly probable. That emperor was proud to_ consider himself
a branch of the Guelphic race, and would naturally choose a
German and a kinsman for so important a trust. Boniface,
though highly connected in the country, could not be considered
as a native, and was therefore the better fitted for the command
of such a province. " The eye of the vigilant and sagacious
emperor," says Gibbon, " was able to pervade the vast extent
of his dominions, and to discover the merit of every subject, in
whatever country or condition he had been cast, so that he was
assigned that station most beneficial to himself and to the state."
Boniface appears to have been worthy of the trust reposed in
him, and to have merited the honours which his sovereign con-
ferred upon him. At his death his states and authority were
usurped for a time by a relation named Ilderraud, who is
also styled count of Lucca ; but Boniface the Second, who was
a child when his father died, having attained the age of manhood,
soon recovered his rights and possessions : and not only as the
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH.
heir of his father, but as a prince and a commander, he appears chap.
with great splendour in the records of his time. Nothing could ^^^^
tempt him to swerve from his loyalty to the son of Charlemagne,
Louis the Pious ; and while the empire was relaxed by weakness,
or agitated by discord, Boniface asserted the glory of the French
and the Christian arms.
He was intrusted with the defence of the maritime coast
and of the isle of Corsica against the Mahometans of Africa.
With a small fleet he sailed from Pisa, and after providing-
himself with expert pilots at the island of Corsica, he steered
for the African coast, and landed between Carthage and Utica.
The Aglabites, who reigned there as the nominal vicegerents of
the caliphs, were astonished and provoked at the insolence of
the Christians. It was boastingly said, that they should soon be
made to repent their temerity. Their camp was surrounded
by a formidable host of Arabs and Moors. It was assaulted
five times, but each time the Infidels were repulsed with slaughter
and shame. The field was covered with the bodies of their
slain ; and in their retreat they were pursued to a great distance
by some of the adventurous Franks, who unfortunately became
the victims of their own rashness. Boniface was satisfied with
the victory. He embarked the troops, the captives, and the
spoil, and, returning in triumph to the port of Lucca, left an
example of successful enterprise, which was long remembered
by the Moors of Africa, and but seldom imitated by the
Christians of Italy. His cousin and empress, Judith of Altdorf,
was at this time confined in the monastery of Tortona, in the
power of her rebellious step-son Lothaire, who, it was probable.
THE HISTORY OF
would have made her a sacrifice to his disappointed ambition.
Boniface perceived her danger, and flew to her reUef. By his
celerity and the courage of his followers she was rescued from
prison, conducted over the Alps, and restored to the embraces
of an impatient husband. This gallant act exposed him to the
displeasure of Lothaire, though it deserved the gratitude of the
emperor : but, as the rebellious son still held possession of the
kingdom of Italy, he was compelled to retire to the court of
France, where the most honourable employments were bestowed
upon him.
In the civil wars which ensued after the death of Louis, there
is reason to believe that Boniface was restored to his estates in
Italy, and died in the possession of the government of Tuscany.
His son and successor was named Adalbert, in memory of his
great-grandfather (another strong proof of the Bavarian connexion),
and is the first of the family who is styled duke and marquess of
Tuscany. The decay of genius and power in each of the imperial
generations had confirmed the independence of the hereditary
governors : hence the titles of duke and marquess or margrave of
Tuscany became fixed in the family of the counts of Lucca.
Adelbert, first duke of Tuscany, is chiefly known for his pious
zeal in founding churches and monasteries ; and, as the historian
remarks, " it is only by the glimmering of old charters that his
existence during thirty years is visible :" yet it would appear from
some existing documents of the church, that he was joined with
the duke of Spoleto in soliciting the aid of the Saracens in an
invasion of the Ecclesiastical States. They were excommunicated
by pope John the Eighth, and declared the enemies of God
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH.
and man. He is styled a robber, and his wife an adulteress ; but chap.
some political change having restored his holiness to a better "'^^■'^
frame of mind, the excommunication was taken off, and both
the prince and his spouse are recommended by the same pope,
in his subsequent epistles, to the love and protection of all the
friends of the church.
In the dignity of duke and marquess of Tuscany, Adelbert
the First was succeeded by his son Adelbert the Second, styled
the Rich. He married Berta, daughter of Lothaire, king of
Austrasia or Lorraine, and great grandson of Charlemagne.
It was a maxim of policy with the Italians to entertain the
competition of two kings. The dukes of Friuli and Spoleto long
disputed the crown; and while Berengarius reigned at Verona,
his rivals, Guido and Lambert, were seated on the throne of Pavia.
These last-mentioned princes, father and son, were the uncle
and cousin of the duke of Tuscany; but he supported, or
deserted their standard with a licentious perfidy rarely equalled
even in that age.
It is reported, that during one of these desertions he marched
to surprise his cousin Lambert, who was hunting without suspicion
in a forest near Placentia. The tents of the Tuscans, who deemed
themselves secure of their royal game, resounded with drunken
and lascivious songs during the greater part of the night ; but
when their intemperance subsided into sleep, they were surprised
by the watchful Lambert at the head of no more than a hundred
horse. Adelbert, who could neither fight nor fly, was dragged
from his hiding-place among the mules and asses of the baggage
train. His shame was embittered by the rude pleasantry of
c
10 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. I. the conqueror, who told him that his wife Berta had said he
should be either a king or an ass. " A king thou art not," said
he, " but thy second title I shall not dispute ; and wisely hast
thou chosen a place of refuge among the animals of thy species."
The death of Lambert restored Adelbert to liberty ; but the state
of Italy long fluctuated with the vicissitudes of his interests or
passions. Berengarius, who was oppressed by his service,
sometimes accused and sometimes imitated the example of his
ingratitude. Louis, king of Aries, was defeated and dismissed,
and recalled to the crown of Italy, again established, and again
dethroned, as he was the friend or enemy of the marquess of
Tuscany.
Adelbert the Second died at a good old age in his palace of
Lucca, and his real or imaginary virtues are inscribed upon
his tomb. He was formidable to his enemies, liberal to his
soldiers, just to his subjects, and charitable to the poor. His
memory was embalmed in the tears of a grateful people, and
the public happiness was buried in his grave. He left two
sons, Guido and Lambert, the eldest of whom was acknowledged
as duke and marquess of Tuscany.
The pride and power of Berta were not impaired by her
husband's death. They hurried her into an unequal contest
with the emperor and king of Italy, and she was imprisoned
with her sons in the fortress of Mantua; but by the firmness
of her faithful subjects a treaty was negociated, and the captives
relieved.
In the murder of the emperor Berengarius the marquess
of Tuscany had no concern ; but in the election of a successor
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 11
he took an active part, and his voice had a decisive weight chap. i.
in favour of Hugo, count of Provence, the son of his mother by
a former marriage. Rodulph of Burgundy, the other pretender,
was driven beyond the Alps; and Hugh, by the unanimous
choice of the nobles, was invited into Italy, and proclaimed
king. He landed at Pisa, and the sons of Adelbert were proud to
salute their brother as king of Italy. But the new monarch
betrayed a faithless and ungrateful character. The death of
the mother dissolved the union between the children of her
first and second marriage.
The mild and moderate Guido died in the prime of life;
and though he had been married for some time to Marozia, a
woman of infamous character, it does not appear that he left
any children. He was succeeded by his brother Lambert,
who became duke or regent of Tuscany, in 932.
In a hasty and indecent marriage with Marozia, the widow
of his half brother Guido, Hugh, king of Italy, trampled upon
all the ordinances of the church as well as on the prejudices
of mankind. Regardless also of his mother's fame, he invented
and propagated a report that her obstinate barrenness had
tempted her to procure and impose two male infants upon her
second husband.
The arbitrary sentence of the king, who refused to acknow-
ledge Lambert as a brother, denied, of course, his right as well
as that of his heirs to the succession of Tuscany. But the
undaunted Lambert threw down the gauntlet, and challenged
to single combat the false accuser of his own and his mother's
fame. The challenge was accepted, and an easy victory was
12 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. 1. obtained by the marquess of Tuscany in this appeal to the
'^'^^^^^ judgment of God. But the still impious monarch, in his pride
of power, loaded his victorious brother with irons, confiscated
his dominions, and put out his eyes ; while the nobles of Italy
most basely acquiesced in this act of cruelty as well as injustice.
His titles and estates were given first to the brother, and
afterwards to the bastard of the tyrant.
The death of Lambert seems to have ended the direct line
of the descendants of Adelbert, count of Bavaria, the founder
of this branch of the Guelphic Family, but a collateral stem
was still in existence. The tyrant Hugh was at last driven
from his kingdom, loaded with the curses and treasures of the
Italians. His son Lothaire was too feeble to maintain the
royal authority after him; and accordingly we find, that with
Berengarius, marquess of Friuli, and grandson to the emperor
of that name, the family of the marquesses of Tuscany is
restored, in the person of Adelbert the Third, the first cousin
of the marquess Lambert, and the grandson of Adelbert the
First, by Boniface, a younger brother of Adelbert the Second.
There was long some doubt as to the connexion of this
branch of the family, authors being convinced that the marquess
Guido left no male issue by his wife Marozia; nor is it men-
tioned by any writer of that day that he had any other family.
The marquess Lambert, his brother, certainly left no issue.
But the doubt has now been removed ; and it is ascer-
tained that Adelbert the Third succeeded as the rightful heir
to his cousins, his descent being from their immediate ancestor
Adelbert the First, duke and marquess of Tuscany. Adelbert
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 13
the Third was evidently an old man when he came to the chap. i.
succession ; we therefore know little of him, or of the individual '"■^'^"^'^^
he married : but he was succeeded by his son Otbert, sometimes
called Albert or Adelbert, and who is styled the well-beloved
and trusty friend of the king Berengarius. It appears, however,
that in character with the unsettled period in which he lived,
this friend and counsellor of Berengarius was soon found as
a fugitive and a rebel at the court of Otho the First, emperor
of Germany, whom he accompanied with a powerful army into
Italy, and aided in the overthrow of his sovereign and, as we may
suppose, benefactor. His services were rewarded by Otho with
the title of count of the sacred palace, and with many states
both in Germany and Italy.
The tyranny and vices of Berengarius are a sufficient excuse
for the conduct of the marquess of Tuscany, or rather, as he
was now called, the marquess of Liguria and count palatine.
The dutchy of Tuscany, as we have stated, had been given
by the tyrant Hugh to his bastard, and was still in the possession
of the son of that illegitimate branch, whose title was respected
by the emperor. As Otbert, in his official capacity of count
palatine, represented the judicial character of the emperor,
and pronounced finally in all civil and criminal appeals, he
resided chiefly in the city of Pavia and castle of Lomello. He
retained this important office for twelve years, and retired from
it to a convent, which he had richly endowed ; and in the habit
and character of a Benedictine monk laboured to expiate the
sins of his secular life.
After the resignation of the count palatine, his estates were
4 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. I. inherited by his son, who is known as Otbert the Second, and
who, as Gibbon says, " was rich in land, in vassals, and in four
valiant sons, Azo, Hugh, Adelbert, and Guido." On the failure
of the direct line of the Saxon emperors, the kingdom of Italy
again split into factions ; and at the diets of Mentz and Pavia
the hostile parties elected each a king; viz. Henry the Saxon,
and Arduin the Lombard. The German, after a war of ten
years, prevailed, and Henry was declared emperor, while Arduin
the Italian became the inmate of a monastery. Otbert took
part with Arduin, as did his four sons, and his grandson Azo
the Second. They made a noble stand near Pavia, jaised a
formidable insurrection in the city of Rome, and finally were
overthrown and made prisoners at Apulia. They were all con-
victed of treason, and sentenced to be beheaded ; but their lives
were spared by the clemency of Henry, and their confis-
cated estates were restored, excepting such portions as had been
dedicated to the pious purposes of the church. They remained
faithful to Henry, their sovereign and benefactor, as long as he
lived ; but after his death they opposed the election of Conrad,
duke of Franconia, and, in hopes of foreign aid, offered the
iron crown and the empire first to Robert, king of France,
and, upon his refusing it, to the duke of Aquitain. But it
would appear that they joined latterly the more powerful com-
petitor.
Azo, who, according to some authors, was the eldest son,
and according to others the second, married Valdrada the
daughter of Laudianus, doge or duke of Venice, and niece
to Hugh, marquess of Tuscany, the son of the bastard of the
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH.
king of Italy : and as he resided chiefly in the ancient castle
or fortress of Este, he came to be styled by the writer of that
age the marquess of Este. He had one son, who succeeded
him as Azo, the second marquess of Este, and whose name
and character shine conspicuous through the gloom of the
eleventh century. But we must leave the consideration of his
various qualities, until we have traced through the same series
of ages the descendants of the other branch of the same family,
which remained stationary in their native soil, and retained the
name and designation of Guelph.
Ruthardus, the brother of Adelbertus, with a count
Warinus, as has been already observed, had the command
of the whole of Germany under Pepin and his sons in 759.
He took up his residence in the castle of Altorph or Altdorf,
in the centre of his paternal domain, where he and his imme-
diate successors retained the friendship and maintained the
authority of the German emperors. They are called counts,
dukes, and princes indiscriminately, in the writings of that period.
They held the situation, as well as supported the character, of
independent chiefs, and were known and esteemed as the noblest
race of the Bavarians. The count Ruthardus was succeeded
by his son Guelph the First, of Altdorf, who was the com-
panion in arms of Charlemagne, and afterwards his comes in
Bavaria.
After the death of Charlemagne, Louis the Pious, who suc-
ceeded him, being then a widower, determined on a second
marriage. The fairest and noblest dames of the empire were
invited to his court; and the beauty and accomplishments of
16 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. I. Judith, daughter of Guelph, count of Altdorf, and the grand-
daughter of Ruthardus, were rewarded with what Gibbon calls
" a fond and feeble husband," in the person of Louis. During
ten years,- from 819 to 830, this daughter of Guelph enjoyed
and embellished the feasts of an itinerant court ; and after passing
through many vicissitudes, she died in peace and honour in 843,
leaving a posterity which reigned in France for a century and a
half, 840-987.
The eldest son of Guelph, father of the empress, remained
stationary at his hereditary seat ; but two of her younger brothers
accompanied her to the court of the empire, and shared her
happy as well as her adverse fortunes. These princes were
Conrad and Rudolph. When Judith was surprised and con-
fined by Lothaire, her unnatural stepson, her brothers were
shaven as priests ; but they stood beside the throne as priests
of the blood royal. Conrad had two sons — Conrad the Second,
and Hugh, so named after his relations in Italy, and who, from
his church preferment, was called the abbot. Their ambitious
spirit maintained their hereditary rank ; and they are conspicuous
in the annals of the period as governors of provinces, and as
commanders in peace and war.
Conrad the Second was created marquess of Burgundy
trans-Juram ; or, we should rather say, succeeded his granduncle
Otkarius in that title; and in this dignity he was again suc-
ceeded by his son Rudolph, who, on the downfal of the Carlovingian
race, assumed the royal crown, at the abbey of St. Maurice, in 888.
His independence was confirmed by two victories, and at last
acknowledged in a diet of the German empire. His son, Rudolph
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 17
the Second, twice attempted the conquest of Italy in 912 and 937 ; chap. i.
and both times his retreat was purchased by a fair equivalent.
His dominion extended over the French or western part of
Switzerland, Franche Compt^, Savoy, Dauphine, Provence, and
the country between the Rhone and the Alps ; and was known
as the kingdom of Burgundy, or Aries. His son Conrad reigned
for upwards of 56 years, from 937 to 993, and enjoyed the friend-
ship and support of Otho, emperor of Germany: but after the
death of his son and successor, Rudolph the Third, surnamed the
Lazy, the sovereignty of this kingdom of Aries, or Burgundy,
devolved, as a fief or legacy, to his nephew, Conrad the Salic,
who was elected emperor in 1024. But to return to the elder
branch, the immediate ancestors of our Royal Family.
Ethico, or Edico, the elder brother of the empress Judith,
was succeeded, 830, by his son Guelph, who again, 876, was
succeeded by his son Ethico, who was alive in 900, and whose
son was Henry ; of whom it is recorded, that being much at the
court of the emperor Arnulph, and having consented to receive,
and to hold as a fief of the empire, as much land as he could
surround in one day with a chariot, he had a little vehicle
made of gold, with which he mounted his fleetest horses, sta-
tioned at proper distances, and so acquired about four thousand
mansi, or measures of land, in the twenty-four hours. As these
states lay in Upper Bavaria, he was created duke thereof, and
engaged to perform the homage of a faithful client. From this
circumstance he is styled, in the records of that period, Henry of
the Golden Chariot. This degradation, for so it was considered,
so disgusted his free and independent father, that, in the height
18 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. I. of despair, he retired, with only twelve of his lords, to the forest
^^'^^^^ of Ambergau, where he erected thirteen single cells, and where he
lived and ended his days, without ever seeing or forgiving his
degenerate son*.
The principal seat of this branch of the family was in Swabia,
in the neighbourhood of the Lake of Constance ; and their chief
castles were Altdorf and Ravensberg : but their power extended
from the mountains of the Tyrol to the plains of Alsace, and
several free communities of the Grisons were once the vassals of
these powerful princes. In their household they displayed the
pomp and pride of regal economy; and, from the first records
of their name, the offices of their courts were filled by counts,
or nobles of equal rank. The cathedral churches of Frisingen,
Augsburgh, Constance, and Coire, were endowed by their devo-
tion with liberal grants of land and peasants ; and the monasteries
of Altomunster, Weingarten, and HoiFe, were founded by their
munificence : but they were bound to offer at the shrine of St.
Othmar a humiliating tribute, as an atonement for the guilt of
their ancestor Ruthardus, who, with his colleague Warinus, in the
eighth century, had abused his power as governor of Alemania,
and had persecuted that saint.
Henry of the Golden Chariot, the first duke of Upper, or
rather Nether Bavaria, had two sons — Rudolph, who succeeded
him as count of Altdorf; and Conrad, bishop of Constance; a
prelate, who, after having filled the episcopal chair for a period
of forty years, was translated to heaven, and numbered among
* Vide Appendix, No. I. Monastery of Etthal.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 19
the saints. His life and miracles have been recorded with some chap. i.
care, as more worthy of preservation than the actions of a ^^
temporal prince ; and while almost every occurrence, however
trifling, in the life of the good bishop, is related and commented
upon at great length, the transactions of his elder brother, a duke,
a prince, and a count, have scarcely been noticed.
Rudolph the First died in 940, and was succeeded by his
son Guelph, who is the third of that name as count of Altdorf,
but the first as duke of Bavaria. We know little more than
that he died in 980, and was succeeded by his son, Rudolph
the Second. By the grand- daughter of the emperor Otho the
First, this Rudolph had two sons, Henry and Guelph ; and
because the following miracle was to be recorded, we know more
of these youths than perhaps we should otherwise have done.
We have stated that the Guelphic princes were bound to
present annually a degrading tribute, as a sin-offering, at the
shrine of St. Othmar. This the young Henry refused to do ;
but the denial was soon followed by his untimely death. After
hunting the roe in the mountains of the Tyrol, he was reposing
under the shadow of a rock, when a huge fragment of the
stone fell upon his head, and killed him on the spot. His
brother Guelph was more pious and submissive ; he paid the
annual tribute ; and accordingly, as we are told, he was blessed
with a long and glorious reign. Guelph, the fourth of Altdorf
and second of Bavaria, succeeded his father after the death of
his elder brother Henry, in 1009. He married Imiza, daughter
of the count of Lucemburgh, and niece of the empress St. Cune^
gonde. He accompanied the emperor Henry the Second, duke
20 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. I. of Bavaria, at his coronation at Rome, and afterwards joined
^^^'''^^ in a rebellion against him, and assisted in the establishment
of Conrad the Salic.
Guelph died in 1030, after having bestowed his daughter
Cuniga, or Cunigunda, upon his kinsman Azo, now marquess of
Este, with a dowry of eleven thousand mansi of land in the
valley of Elisina, in Lombardy ; and he was succeeded by his
only son, Guelph, the third of Bavaria and fifth of Altdorf.
Guelph, the brother of Cunigunda, was invested with the
dutchy of Carinthia and marquesate of Verona, aw important
province, which included the country of the Tyrol, and com-
manded the passage of the Rhoetian Alps ; " and," says Gibbon,
" the servant of Henry the -Third maintained the vigour of his
character and the pride of his birth." An Italian diet was sum-
moned, according to custom, in the plain of Roncaglia, where
Guelph waited for three days, without seeing or hearing from
the emperor. On the 4th he sounded a retreat ; and though
he met Henry on the way, neither threats, prayers, nor promises,
could prevail on him to return.
When an arbitrary tax of ar thousand marks was imposed
upon the citizens of Verona, he flew to their relief with a powerful
army, and scarcely could the concessions of the emperor purchase
for him an ignominious escape. He died childless, in the prime
of life, 1055, and is the last male issue of this branch, which
had long been considered the chief of the House of Guelph.
The monks of Weingarten, a monastery that had been built and
endowed by his ancestor, persuaded him to leave his lands and
vassals to them ; but Imiza, his mother, immediately despatched
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 21
a messenger into Italy for the son of her daughter Cunigunda, chap. i.
who, on his arrival, annulled the donation, and asserted his own ^^^^^^^
right as the true and legitimate heir of the ancient Guelphs.
We have now, in this hasty sketch, brought down the
history of these two branches of the House of Guelph to that
period when they were reunited, and to a period, too, pregnant
with important events, of which more documents have been
preserved and transmitted to us, and when a clearer light is
thrown around those who acted a conspicuous part in the great
drama of life. But before we proceed to consider the character
and actions of the marquess A/n and his descendants, who in-
herited the estates and assumed the name of their immediate
ancestor by the mother's side, it may not be improper to re-
consider the several steps by which we have advanced through
the preceding pages, and cite the proofs which have led us to
the conclusions there drawn.
Previous to the middle of the eighth century, the only proofs
which can be adduced are the frequent occurrence, in general
history, of the name Wlph, or, as now spelt, Guelph, as a leader
of a northern tribe of barbarians, and more particularly as a
prince, or piimas, of the Scyrri.
Having assisted in the conquest of Italy and the establishment
of the Lombard kingdom, there is a strong presumption that
some of the family sat upon that throne, and positive evidence
that they ranked high at the courts of Lombardy and France ;
and we are rather inclined to think that they resided in Italy, and
that, as powerful princes of the age, they had estates in Lombardy
as well as in Burgundy and France. From their princely origin
22 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. I, and existing German connexion, they were always chosen as the
^"^^^^*^ representatives of the French kings, or the royal inquisitors, in
Germany. About the period when we are able to fix upon
a particular individual, and can continue to trace his posterity
with some degree of probability, we find in the general records
that a Guelph was the friend of Charles Martell, and the missus
regitis of Pepin, the father of Charlemagne.
The name is common among the dukes of Friuli and Spoleto,
with whom we know they were connected ; and, from 750 to 756,
a Guelph Aistulphus was king of Lombardy. About this period
also, we find, by documents already referred to, (the History of
the Foundation of the Monastery of Togrensee, in Bavaria,) that
there were at that time (746) two brothers, " principes Noricorum
ex patre Burgundi, ex matre Bavari ;" that they were " consan-
guinitatis affinitate proximi" of king Pepin. Their names are
expressly stated to be Albertus and Otkarius : " Albertus novem
comitatus possedit in Bavaria, alter ver6 Okarius, qui et setate
provectior ducatum tenuit in Burgundia." From Albertus, or
Adelbertus, we have traced the marquesses of Tuscany and of
Este ; and from another prince of that age, supposed to have
been another brother, Ruthardus, or Rodoardus, whose existence
is also proved by charters* of as early a date, we find the counts
of Altdorf, and dukes of Bavaria and of Carinthia, as also the
kings of Burgundy, were lineally descended. Of the descendants
* 1. Placitum Pepini regis compendiense, cui assedit Rothardus comes, ann. 750.
2. Charta venditionls a Rhothardo comite Julrado abbati facta, 765.
3. Charta sub Rodharto comite scripta, ann. 768.
4. Charta Caroli regis memoraus venditionem illam, ann. 790.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 23
of duke Otkarius we know little ; but it appears that, in his old chap. i.
age, he, with the permission of Charlemagne, retired to a monas-
tery which he had richly endowed, and that he ended his days
among the monks of St. Faro at Meldos, where his tomb still
exists, and his effigy is placed by the side of that of St. Benedict.
He had one son, Rochus, who was educated with Charlemagne
at the court of France, and who was killed in a fit of boyish
passion by that afterwards great potentate. Now, though there
is positive evidence of the existence of these several individuals,
it must be confessed that there is no existing document which
absolutely states that Boniface was the son of Adelbert, or that
the first Guelph owed his origin to Ruthardus : the collateral
proof, however, is very strong ; and there are documents of a
later period that abundantly prove this descent, or at least prove
that it was believed a thousand years ago. From Boniface the
First, and Guelph the First, I find no doubt or difficulty in tracing
their genealogy to the period at which we are now arrived. It
is also very probable, we may further remark, that the grandsons
of Ruthardus, the brothers of the empress Judith, took possession
of their granduncle's dutchy in Burgundy, when they quitted
Bavaria in the train of their sister, and that it was on this account
they became so powerful in that country, and at last were raised
to the regal dignity.
There is, however, another account, which has been stated
by some authors, namely, that Guelph, the father of the empress
Judith, and Boniface the First, count of Lucca, were brothers,
and the sons of Adelbertus, the founder of the monastery at
Togrensee. They certainly lived at the same period, and died
24 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. I. within a few years of each other : but there is stronger evidence
'^^^"''^^ of their being first cousins than that they were brothers.
In the tables which are to be found in the records, and which
illustrate these remarks, we have not gone to a higher source
than the father of the empress Judith, because it is only from that
period that we can trace with perfect certainty the descent of this
illustrious race ; but we have added here a tabular view of that
descent, as detailed in this chapter, in order that the reader may
have it more immediately under his eye*.
* The reader may consult, as authorities : —
GoLDASTUS Scriptores Rer. Alemann. edit. 1606, torn. ii. pp. 43,46, 54, 58, 74.
Mabillok Rei Diplomat, lib. vi. cap. 44, pp. 493, 494, 502 ; torn. iii. pp. 680,
690, 867 ; Elogium S'' Odonis, p. 135, et seq. ; S<i Benedicti, pp. 71, 72, 217.
CoiNTius Annales Eccles. Francorum ad Ann. 831.
Labeus Curiositat. Miscellanse, cap. vi. sect. 6 ; Concilia, torn. viii. pp. 95,
100, 861.
DuRANDUs Thesaurus Anecdotorum, torn. i. pp. 42, 67, 140 ; Veterum Scriptor.
et Monumentorum Collectio Ampliss. torn. ii. pp. 292, 330, 400, 523.
Balusius Capitularium, torn. ii. pp. 1492, 1536 ; Miscellanea, torn. ii. p. 161.
Dacher Chronica Centul. tom. ii. p. 316, lib. c; torn. iii. pp. 375, 379, 380,
386, 391.
MuRATORius Antiquit. Italic, tom. ii. pp. 41, 122 ; tom. iii. pp. 55, 156 ; tom. vi.
p. 325; tom. i. pp. 47, 276, 415, 417 ; Antiquit. Estens, part i. pp. 6, 47.
Crusius Ann. Suevicse, part ii. lib. iv. p. 138.
HuNDius Metropolit. Salisburgense, tom. i. pp. 55, 172, 191, 395 ; tom. i. p. 316,
ScHEiDius Origines Guelficse, tom. ii. lib. iv. v. vi.
Gibbon's Antiquities of the House of Brunswick, passim.
JoENANDES de Reb. Geticis, cap. 53, 54.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH.
25
GENEALOGY OF THE GUELPHS,
FROM THE FIRST RECORD OF THE NAME TO THE MARRIAGE OF AZO
WITH CUNIGUNDA.
GUELPH, prince of tbe Scyrri, 476.
2.
GuEiPH, prince or leader of the Bavarians, 590.
GuELPH, chamberlain of France, 613-635.
4.
ria, 670.
1, RuTHARDUs, governor of 2, Otkarius, duke of
Germany under Pepin, Burgundy trans-
759-768. Juram, 756.
GuELPH, count of Altdorf.
Edico. 2, Conrad. 3, Rudolph. 4, Judith, empress.
1, Conrad, duke of Burgundy, a, Hugh, abbot
Rudolph, king, 888.
Henry of the Golden Chariot, 925. Rudolph 2d, king.
GuELPH 2, 830.
EiHico or Edico 2, 870.
Adelbert 2d, duke of
Tuscany, 916.
3, Adeleertus, count of Bavaria,
who had the government of some
provinces in Italy, 756.
WoLFHARDus, ex Wol, bonus, and
fahren, facere ; translated Boni-
face, count of Lucca, 823.
I
Boniface 2, count of Lucoa in 850.
Adelbert 1, duke of Tuscany in 871.
int of
1, Rudolph 1. 2, Conrad, bishop, Conrad, king.
I 940. I
Guelph, 1st duke of Bavaria, Sd Rudolph 3d, last king of Burgundy,
count of Altdorf, 960.
I
Rudolph 2, 995.
BONIFACE, connt
Lncca, 884.
GuiDO, 931. 2, Lam- Segisfrede, prince
BERT, 960; successively Lucca, 900.
dukes, iS;c. of Tuscany, |
bnt left no issue.
1,Henrv, killed voung. 2, Guelph, 4th couui
of Altdorf, 2d duke of Bavaria, 1030.
Adelbert 3d, marquess
of Tuscany, count of
Lncca, 952.
Otbert, count pala-
tine, 974.
Otbert 2d, marquess of
Liguria, 1014.
1, Guelph, 5th count of Alt-
dorf, 3d duke of Bavaria;
also duke of Carintliia and
marquess of Verona, last
male issue of this brauch,
, CUNIZA, or CUNIGUNDA,
manied to Azo, sjd mar-
quess of Este. -
1, Azo, marquess of Este, 1030. 2, Hugh. 3, Adelbert. 4, Guit
-Azo 2, marquess of Este, 1097.
Guelph, 6th connt of Altdorf, 3d duke of Bavaria*.
above table i
26 THE HISTORY OF
CHAPTER II.
CHAP. II. There are few individuals in any age, or in any country,
^^"^"^^^"^ that hold a more conspicuous place in history than the marquess
Azo the Second ; and he claims our attention more particularly
as the common father of the German and Italian princes of the
Brunswick and Este lines of the House of Guelph. As the
representative of the emperor, he was officially recognised in
Italy ; but the progress of Italian liberty had reduced his power,
in a great measure, to the empty name of marquess of Liguria.
Eighty-three fiefs, or manors, are enumerated, which he held
of the empire in Lombardy and Tuscany — from the marquesate
of Este, the residence of the family, to the county of Luni :
besides the terra Obertenga in the counties of Arezzo, Pisa, and
Lucca, and the immense possessions which he received as the
dowry of Cunigunda of Altdorf. He was therefore designated,
among the princes of his time, by the epithet of Rich.
A. D. 1012. At the age of seventeen, Azo the Second was proscribed
as a rebel, with his grandfather, his father, and his three uncles ;
but in his fiftieth year we find him governing the cities of Milan
A.D. 1045. and Genoa as the minister of the emperor. He was the friend
and servant of pope Gregory VII., and is styled by that pontiff
the most faithful and best beloved of the Italian princes.
In every war between the emperor and pope, Azo and the
countess Matilda led the powers of Italy. With their aid the
pope maintained his station in the fortress of Canossa; while
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 27
Henry the Fourth, barefoot on the frozen groimd, fasted and chap. ii.
prayed for three days at the foot of the rock. At this perioxl 'A^.'me!^
Azo must have been m his eightieth year; but in the twenty
following years he was still alive, and active amidst the vicissi-
tudes of peace and war. The last act which he subscribed,
is dated above a century after his birth ; yet in that act he has a. d. loge.
shown that he possessed the command of his faculties, his
family, and his fortune.
At the age of forty he married, for the first time, the only
daughter of his kinsman Guelph the Fourth, of Altdorf ; whose
brother, we have already remarked, had been invested with
the dutchy of Carinthia and the marquesate of Verona, on the
confines of the Venetian states of the Este branch of this house.
This marriage was productive of one son, who received at his
baptism the name of Guelph. Cunigunda died in the flower
of her age; but her son, on the death of his uncle, 1055, the last
male heir of the house of Altdorf, having been sent for by his
grandmother, became the head not only of the Italian but also
of the German branch of the Guelphic family.
Azo married a second time. His choice was the widow
Garsenda, daughter and afterwards heiress of the counts of
Maine. By her he had two sons, Hugo and Fulk; the latter
of whom was the acknowledged parent of the dukes of Ferrara
and Modena. His third consort (for he had three wives) was
his first cousin, also a widow of noble birth ; but from her he
was divorced in his seventy-eighth year, by the stern impartial
justice of his friend Gregory VH. Besides his three sons, he
had one daughter, Adelaide ; but it does not appear that he left
28 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. ir. any other issue. The fortunes of his eldest son are now to
^"■^"^"''^ be traced : but, before quitting Azo the Second, we may remark,
that Hugo his second son was married to the fourth daughter
of Robert Guiscard, the conqueror of Apulia and Sicily; and
that the descendants of this marriage became extinct in the
second generation. The descendants of Fulk, the third son,
existed till of late, and were mingled with most of the royal
houses in Europe ; but their states have now merged, by a
female heir, in the house of Austria.
A.D. io5o. Guelph the Sixth succeeded to the patrimony of his
mother, and, by the marriage settlement, his father's states
were also secured to him. " His fortune," says Gibbon, " was
adequate to his birth, and his warlike ambitious spirit soared above
his fortune." In a diet of the empire held at Goslar, (1071) he
was invested by Henry the Fourth with the dutchy of Bavaria,
a title first assumed by his ancestor Henry of the Golden
Chariot, in 900. By his first marriage with Ethelinda, daughter
of the duke of Lower Bavaria, he had acquired a right to
the whole of these states, and, though afterwards divorced
from the Bavarian princess, he retained possession of that
entire dutchy, which in those days extended to the confines of
Hungary.
His second marriage was with Judith, daughter of Baldwin,
count of Flanders, widow of Tostus, the son of earl Godwin,
and brother of Harold, king of England. By her he had two
sons. The eldest is known as Guelph the Seventh, who, being
A. D. 1089. sent into Italy at the age of seventeen, was married to his
cousin Matilda, countess of Tuscany, then in her forty-third
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 29
year*. They lived together for six years; but, as their union chap. ir.
gave no hopes of issue, a divorce took place in 1095. The ^'"'^'^^^''^
second son vv^as Henry the Black.
In the differences between the emperor and pope, Guelph
the Sixth arranged his forces on the side of the church, and
w^as, therefore, not unfrequently declared a rebel. In his old
age he went with a considerable force to the Holy Land ; but
the greater part of his army was buried in Asia Minor, and
he himself died, on his return, at Paphos, in the isle of Cyprus,
1101. He survived his father only four years; and though well
inclined to see the settlements of his parents in his behalf most
strictly executed, he was so effectually opposed by his younger
brothers, Hugo and Fulk, who with their followers had seized
on the passes of the Alps, that he was obliged to yield to a
more equal treaty of partition.
On the death of his father, Guelph the Seventh, in right of a.d. noi.
primogeniture, took possession of his dominions, and governed
the states of Bavaria from 1101 to 1120. His power gave a.d. 1120.
him a rank among the first princes of Germany ; and when
he appeared in state, a sword was carried before him. The
Bavarians applauded the mildness of his sway, and his paternal
care in the education of the young nobles of his court. At
Rome he often appeared as a mediator between the emperor
and pope. He was remarkable for his sonorous voice and
* Matilda, called indiscriminately dutchess and countess of Tuscany, was the
grand-daughter of Atto, count of Modena, a younger brother of Adelbert the Third,
and the only daughter and heiress of Boniface, marquess of Tuscany, 1033, one
of the most powerful princes in Italy.
30 ■ THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. 11. great corpulence, which, however, the historian remarks, were
~'^''~*~ not in him the attributes of manhood. On his death, 1120, the
whole of the allodial estates and subordinate fiefs of the family
in Germany and Italy, were reunited in the person of his only
brother, Henry the Black, a prince well calculated to maintain
the dignity and increase the power of this illustrious house.
A. D. 1125. On the death of the emperor Henry the Fifth, Henry the
Black, with the sacerdotal and noble attendants that had met
at his funeral, subscribed a writ of summons, which speaks
what Gibbon calls " the language of freedom and resentment."
A diet was held in the neighbourhood of Mentz, while the
followers of the different chiefs, amounting to nearly sixty
thousand soldiers and freemen, were encamped on either side of
the Rhine. On the recommendation of the archbishop of Mentz,
the scene of election was removed from the camp to the cathe-
dral ; and through his influence the previous nomination of
the emperor was intrusted to a committee of ten princes
and prelates, which formed the first rudiments of the electoral
college.
Three candidates for the imperial purple appeared at this
diet, — Leopold, marquess of Austria ; Lothaire, duke of
Saxony ; and Frederick, duke of Swabia. The evasions of the
latter betrayed a secret and offensive presumption of hereditary
right; for though the son of Frederick of Stauffen, a soldier
of fortune, his mother Agnes was the daughter and sister of
the two last emperors. He had shared with his brother Conrad
the rich inheritance of the Franconian, or, as they were afterwards
better known, the Ghibelline house ; and his ambition might find
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 31
countenance from the examples of preceding reigns. The electors chap. ii.
determined at once to crush this ambition by the free election
of Lothaire, duke of Saxony ; but, while they were ignorant
of the sentiments of the duke of Bavaria, they were afraid to
declare their choice. Henry they knew was personally attached
to Frederick, for he had given him his daughter in marriage;
and they were aware that the votes of his dependent bishops,
and the swords of his military vassals, could give the crown
to whichever candidate he selected.
To the honour of Henry the Black, the public interests
prevailed over his private feelings ; and appearing in the cathe-
dral of Mentz, and having declared in favour of the Saxon, soth August.
Lothaire was proclaimed in triumph, and Frederick fled in
despair. Henry did not survive the diet of Mentz many months.
He died in 112G, having reigned little more than six years.
By Wilfilda, daughter and heiress of Magnus, the last
duke of Saxony of the Billung race, Henry the Black left
seven children. Conrad, the eldest son, preferred the quiet
and security of the church to the pomp and bustle of the
world ; and to escape the honours and powers which, from
his rank and connexions, must have been bestowed upon him
had he remained in his own country, he fled to the abbey of
Clairvaux in France, pronounced the vow of a Cistercian
monk, and lived under the austere discipline of Saint Bernard.
In a pilgrimage to the Holy Land he buried himself for some
time in the cell of a hermit of the desert; and when the decay a.d. 1126.
of his health compelled him to return to Europe, he found a
grave at Bari, on the sea coast of Italy.
32 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. II. As the eldest son was dead to the world from the moment
^^■^"^V^^ he entered the convent, the states in Germany and Italy were
divided between his two brothers, Henry, surnamed the Proud,
and Guelph the Eighth. Henry, as the first-born, succeeded
his father as duke of Bavaria ; and, as the heir of his mother's
house, he also succeeded to those states of Saxony, which
comprehended the present dutchy of Luneburg and that of
Lawenburg, with the neighbouring provinces on the Elbe. The
title of duke of Saxony, on the demise of Magnus the last Billung,
the father of the dutchess of Bavaria, was given by Henry
the Fifth to Lothaire, count of Supplingenburg ; who, by the
decisive vote of Henry the Black, was now raised to the throne
of the Csesars.
The Billungs were a race of free and independent chiefs,
who long held sovereign sway between the Elbe and the
Weser, and had risen from being counts or military go-
vernors under Charlemagne, to the rank of hereditary dukes
of Saxony; a title first granted them by Otho the Great,
960. Henry the Proud, in right of his mother, was now the
representative of this noble family ; and this is the first of the
many sovereign houses which centered in him and his descend-
A.u. use. ants. By his marriage with Gertrude, the only daughter and
heiress of Lothaire the Second, and the empress Richenza,
who was also the only daughter and heiress of the last count
of Nordheim, and, in right of her mother, the heiress of Eckbert,
second margrave of Saxony and Thuringen, and prince of Bruns-
wick, the last of the Brunonian family, he acquired not only
a right to the remaining Saxon states, but also to the title of
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 33
duke of Saxony, and became the sovereign of Supplingenburg, chap. ii.
Nordheim, and Brunswick*. The marriage of Henry the Proud ^^^^^
was not accomplished till after his father's death : but as it
was celebrated with great splendour, a full account of it has
been preserved in the records of the period.
The nuptial feast was held on the banks of a pleasant river
in the plain of Lechrain, and that extensive plain was covered
with tents and wooden edifices. A general invitation had col-
lected twenty or thirty thousand guests, consisting of princes,
barons, and knights ; who, with their numerous retinues, conti-
nued to keep up a festival, which, by the profuse hospitality of
the bridegroom, was prolonged for several weeks. In all the
tournaments of chivalry Henry bore off the prize.
The restless spirit of Frederick of Swabia, the disappointed
candidate, and brother-in-law of the duke of Bavaria, was not
long in stirring up feuds in the empire. He and his brother
Conrad took up arms ; and by the discontented the latter was
elected king. Their adherents were numerous in Italy and in
Germany, and they seduced the fidelity of Albert, archbishop a. d. 1130.
of Mentz. The political sagacity of Henry was not less advan-
* By this marriage with the only lineal descendant of Wittikend, the last Saxon
king, Henry also acquired a right to, and assumed, the armorial bearings of that
sovereign ; and the white horse was adopted as the crest of the Guelphic princes.
The banner of Wittikend bore the emblem of a black horse, but when he changed his
religion, and became a Christian, Charlemagne, his conqueror, and through whom his
conver^on was effected,, permitted him to retain his ancient ensigns, but requested
he would change the colour ; and for the future the horse was painted white, from
respect to the pure faith by which he had been rescued from the power of the devil,
whose colour was supposed to be black. The descent of the dutchess Gertrude is
given in Table I. B.
34 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. II. tageous to his father-in-law, than his sword was powerful in
^"""^'''^ quelling the rebellion. Though the power of the Swabian
princes extended from the Upper Danube to the Lower Rhine,
the cities of Ulm and Spires, on which their chief reliance
was placed, were reduced by the valour of Henry. He sur-
prised and vanquished Frederick on his march to the relief of
Spires, and the walls and buildings of Ulm were levelled to
the ground by his irresistible assault. The brothers were obliged
to resign their pretensions to the crown, and to implore the
pardon of the emperor; so that Lothaire remained without a
rival, the sole monarch of the German empire. These are amongst
the first quarrels, and indeed may be considered the origin of
that jealousy between the Guelph and Ghibelline lines, which
for ages kept the Christian world in alarm, and was the ruin of
many of the finest provinces of Italy.
The reward of Henry's faithful services was the title and
power of duke of Saxony, which was conferred upon him by
his father-in-law. " Few Christian kings," says Gibbon, " in the
twelfth century could vie with the power or dominion of the
duke of Saxony and Bavaria, supreme governor of the Danish,
Sclavic, and Hungarian borders." The celebrated Matilda, countess
of Tuscany, had bequeathed her estates to the church ; but this
donation, Lothaire, as the representative of the Caesars and king
of the Lombards, thought proper to dispute ; but, as a com-
promise, he accepted of the investiture of her patrimony, which
extended from the Adriatic and the Po to the Tiber and the
Tuscan sea. An annual quit-rent of one hundred marks of silver,
declared the supremacy of the pope ; and the reversion was
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 35
granted to Henry the Proud, on condition that he should swear chap. ii.
fealty and perform homage to the holy see. '^-•-v-*^
The eldest son of the House of Guelph was now raised above a. d. 1133.
the level of a subject. He was addressed by his august father
as the presumptive heir to the crown, to which there was every
prospect of his succeeding. When the emperor went to Rome
(1133) to be crowned, Henry was left behind, to maintain peace,
or prosecute war, in the Teutonic kingdom. In 1136, fifteen A.D.tise.
hundred knights and men at arms marched under the banners
of the duke of Saxony, who accompanied the emperor in his
expedition to vindicate the altar and the throne from the schism
of an anti-pope and the rebellion of a king of Sicily. Henry
the Proud appeared as the second person in the army of the
powers of Germany. On descending from the Rhoetian Alps,
he stormed the castles and took the strong places situated on
the borders of the lakes and on the mountains ; and as the su-
perior lord of the patrimony of his ancestors, he granted the fief
of Este to his cousins, the descendants of the younger branch.
From Verona to Turin, and from Turin to Ravenna, he led or
followed the royal standard, repressing the proud, and interceding
for the humble. XOOD jrO /
After celebrating the festival of Christmas with the emperor,
he was detached with a body of three thousand German horse,
with which he crossed the Appenines, and reinstated the bishops
and magistrates who had been expelled by the popular insurrec-
tions. He besieged Florence, pardoned Lucca, and forcibly entered
the gates of Sienna. The whole of these provinces were reduced ;
and to his German titles was now added that of duke of Tuscany.
36 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. II. He conducted pope Innocent the Second from Pisa to the
*^'^^'^^ siege of Bari, a distance of five hundred miles, through an
enemy's country, and filled with garrisons of Norman and Saracen
soldiers, in the pay of Roger, king of Sicily. The force under
his command was not equal to the siege of Rome ; but in his
march southward he compelled the abbey of Mount Cassin,
the principality of Capua, and the ecclesiastical province of
Beneventum^ to acknowledge their lawful governors. His pru-
dence and valour were conspicuous in the sieges of Bari and
Salernum ; and it was owing to his activity that the infidels
were driven from Italy.
Lothaire was not so fortunate in his expedition. He retreated
from Apulia ; and, at a nameless village on the confines of Bavaria,
he breathed his last on the 3d of December, 11 37. It was natural
to suppose that he would be succeeded by his adopted son ;
and Henry's claims were founded, not only on his having married
the only daughter of Lothaire, but on the very superior advan-
tages of his merit and ample fortune. But he had not risen
to such wealth and power without exciting the envy of many,
and his proud and haughty demeanour had given great offence.
* The conspiracy of the ecclesiastical and secular princes, which
was formed against him, was fomented by the policy of Rome ;
and Conrad, the brother of Frederick, the elder of the Ghibelline
brothers, was elected in a hasty and irregular meeting, which
anticipated the summons and forms of election. Their choice
was sanctioned and ratified by the consent of the nation ; and
even the empress dowager Richenza was compelled to attend the
diet, and to renounce the cause of her own son-in-law.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 37
As any attempt at resistance seemed vain, Henry desisted chap. n.
from a fruitless contest ; and the ensigns of royalty, which he ^'^^Tiss
had received from his dying father, were delivered into the
hands of his rival. But the pride and power of Henry could
neither stoop to obey, nor expect to be forgiven ; and the rival
of his house, now in power, was determined that the Saxon
influence should be lessened as much as possible. The question
was agitated, whether two dutchies could legally be vested in
the same person, and of course decided in the negative, by
those who wished to oppress, and those who had hopes of
succeeding the reigning duke. Had Henry quietly submitted
to part with one of the dutchies, he might probably have been
allowed to retain the other ; but as his proud spirit scorned
the humiliating option, he was at once, in a diet composed
chiefly of his enemies, stripped of all his possessions, and, as
a rebel, put under the ban of the empire.
The dutchies of Bavaria and Saxony were respectively granted
to the first and most powerful relations of Henry, or, we should
rather say, to those who were in greatest favour at the court
of the emperor. Saxony was bestowed upon Albert, surnamed
the Bear, margrave of Brandenburg ; and Leopold, margrave of
Austria, the half-brother of Conrad, was created duke of Bavaria.
Albert's mother was a younger sister of the mother of Henry the
Proud ; he therefore claimed, with some right, a share of the
property of duke Magnus of Saxony, and perhaps was entitled to
a part of the inheritance of the Billungs. So universally was
Henry deserted when the ban was proclaimed against him, that
he fled with only four followers from the banks of the Danube to
38 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. 11. those of the Elbe and Weser ; where, however, he soon found
^^"^"''"^ support. The states of Brunswick and Luneburg poured forth
a swarm of soldiers ; and as soon as they had recovered from
their first alarm, the Guelphic vassals of Swabia and Bavaria
resorted in immense bodies to the standard of their lavdul sove-
reign. Henry was a veteran in the art of war : his pride was
stimulated by shame and resentment. The margrave of Branden-
burg was driven from the Saxon territories, and obliged to take
refuge at the court of the emperor. Conrad marched against
Henry at the head of an imperial army ; but on a nearer view
of his strength, he desisted from hostilities, and had recourse
to negotiation. A diet was announced : but Henry, alike pre-
pared to defend his cause by arguments or by arms, was
suddenly seized with a severe illness, which in a few days ter-
minated his earthly career. A report was prevalent that he had
been poisoned ; and it must be confessed that there is something
suspicious in the time and manner of his death.
A. D. 1139. Henry died in 1139, leaving an only son, also named Henry,
in the tenth year of his age. The young duke was soon aban-
doned by his mother; for, in 1141, she married the enemy of his
house, Henry, margrave of Austria, the brother and successor of
Leopold, who had been invested with the dutchy of Bavaria.
But his grandmother Richenza took care of his interests ; and
as she possessed the affections of the people, she assumed the
regency of the country. The faithful Saxons showed themselves
ready to protect the child of the nation. Being persuaded to
give up his claim to Bavaria, the youthful prince was acknow-
ledged as duke of Saxony by the emperor and the empire — an
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 39
act which secured some years of domestic peace, without at all chap. ii.
injuring the rights of the minor. '^■^•V^h^
Henry was a prince of most wonderful promise. While yet
a child, he had displayed an extraordinary degree of energy
and decision of character, delighting in the most noble and
manly exercises ; and so conspicuous was he for fortitude and
courage, that he very early got the surname of the Lion. His
uncle, Guelph, the younger brother of his father, who had been
portioned off with some fiefs in Italy, took a great interest in
his welfare, and supported his rights and claims at the court of
the emperor with all the influence of his name and all the power
of his vassals. His education was that of a Saxon and a soldier ;
to support the inclemency of the seasons, to disdain the tempta-
tions of luxury, to manage the horse and the lance, to contend
with his equals in the exercise of military and even civil virtues,
and to disguise the superior gifts of fortune, perhaps of nature,
under the winning graces of modesty and gentleness*. At the age
of eighteen he was admitted into the diet at Frankfort, composed A. d. m?.
of men and princes, and received the order of knighthood, which
had been newly instituted, instead of declaring him of age by
the national custom of delivering the sword and spear. Europe
was then agitated with the preparations for the second crusade ;
but as the northern states of Germany, with their allies of Den-
mark and Poland, preferred a holy warfare less remote, a hundred
and sixty thousand soldiers of the cross were speedily enrolled
to convert or exterminate the idolatrous Sclavi of the Baltic.
* Vide Gibbon's Antiquities, passim.
40 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. II. The young duke of Saxony, with a numerous body of
and followers, formed a part of this army ; and though the first
campaign was neither successful nor glorious, he showed himself
on a splendid theatre to the Christians and pagans of the north.
On the return of the emperor from the Holy Land, Henry
endeavoured, but without success, to wrest Bavaria from his Aus-
trian competitor ; and while he was detained on the Danube, it
was announced to him that Conrad had entered Saxony with a
numerous army to deprive him also of that dukedom. " Com-
mand my vassals," replied the dauntless Henry, " to assemble at
Brunswick on Christmas day : they will find me at their head."
Though the time was short, the distance long, and all the passes
guarded, yet the young duke, disguising his person, with only
three attendants, darted swiftly and secretly through the hostile
country ; and appearing on the fifth day in the camp at Brunswick,
forced his imperial adversary to sound a precipitate retreat.
After the death of Conrad, the unanimous election of his
nephew, Frederick Barbarossa, (1152) seemed to open a new
prospect of concord and peace. The young monarch embraced
the margrave of Austria and the Guelphic princes (uncle and
nephew) as his friends and kinsmen, and laboured with sincerity
to terminate their Bavarian quarrel by an amicable compromise or
a judicial sentence. Henry, as the claimant, pressed for a speedy
decision ; but the actual possessor proposed so many delays and
evasions, that the final settlement was postponed till the return
of the emperor from his coronation at Rome. Frederick passed
the Alps with a court and army not unworthy of the successor
of Charlemagne ; and as the Guelphs were desirous of shewing
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 41
their power and proving their loyalty, the gallant squadrons that chap. ii.
marched under the banner of the Lion were equal in number a. d. 1154
to those of the emperor himself. At the siege of Tortona, and
in the camp at Milan, the young Henry greatly distinguished
himself.
Notwithstanding the apparent harmony which seemed to exist
between the emperor and the holy father, the crown had scarcely
been placed on the head of Frederick when the alarm bell rang
from the capitol, and the august rites were disturbed by an assault
of the Romans from the bridge of St. Angelo. The Germans
flew to arms, and stood in battle array. After a conflict of some
hours, they slew or drove into the river a thousand rebels, without
losing a single man ; and the glory of this aifair was ascribed to
the duke of Saxony, who fought in the foremost ranks. So much
influence did he gain by his gallant conduct, that the pope was a. d. 1155.
induced, at his entreaty, to relax in some measure the strictness
of ecclesiastical discipline ; and the emperor declared him the
firmest pillar of his throne. On his first entrance into Italy,
Henry had exercised the rights of primogeniture and dominion,
by renewing the preceding grants of his father to his cousins,
the marquesses of Este.
Without involving Germany in a civil war, the restitution of
Bavaria could no longer be delayed. The emperor had pledged
his word, and the diets had declared their sentence. The per-
formance was therefore imperiously urged by the arguments,
the services, and the power of Henry the Lion, who had already
received the homage of the nobles, and the oaths and hostages
of the city of Ratisbon. Yet a fair compensation was yielded
G
42 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. II. to his father-in-law as soon as he had abdicated, after a possession
Tl>!n56^ of eighteen years. The margrave of Austria resigned the seven
banners, or symbols of the Bavarian dutchy, into the hands of
the emperor, at a public assembly in the plain of Ratisbon ; and
Frederick immediately transferred them to Henry the Lion, who
returned two of them, which were used by the emperor in the
investiture of the margrave, who was created an independent
duke, and his territories, with three additional counties, for ever
enfranchised from the dominion of Bavaria.
By this act the circle of the duke of Bavaria was circum-
scribed : but the bishops of the province still attended his
courts ; and he held a real or nominal jurisdiction over the three
remaining marches of Tyrol, Styria, and Istria, as far as the
Adriatic Gulf. Guelph, the uncle of Henry, received the titles
and possessions of duke of Spoleto, marquess of Tuscany, prince
of Sardinia, and lord of the house or patrimony of the countess
Matilda. These estates had been dilapidated by waste and
rapine ; but the power of the emperor, and the prudence of
Guelph, soon reduced them into the form of a well-governed
and productive domain.
A. n. 1157. The prosperity of Henry the Lion had now reached its summit.
His power extended from the shores of the Baltic to the Medi-
terranean Sea, and he was certainly the most opulent sovereign
of the age. But he was destined to experience a sad reverse of
fortune. The emperor was naturally jealous of so powerful a
competitor ; and there were not wanting many who, from envy,
or fear for the liberties of Europe, as they boastingly affirmed^
were anxious to see the Guelphs extinguished.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 43
The parsimony of Henry the Lion was in some measure his chap. ir.
ruin. After the premature death of his cousin, the only son of ah',
the duke of Spoleto, the eyes of the old man were naturally
turned to his nephew as his heir, and the only representative
of the Guelphic name. A will was made in his favour ; but being
in want of money, he required, for the assurance of so many
provinces, the grateful retribution of a gift, a loan, or a fine.
This demand could not be refused ; yet Henry hesitated so long,
that his uncle, already peevish from age, was offended at the
delay. So fair an opportunity of supplanting his cousin was
seized by the dexterous Frederick ; he stepped forward with an
immediate offer of the money. The pride of family yielded to
the influence of passion ; and Guelph surrendered to a Ghibelline
heir the whole of his feudal and allodial estates in Italy and
Swabia, reserving only the enjoyment of them during his own
life. The mortification of Henry was embittered by a tardy
sense of his own folly ; and while this deep animosity rankled
in his breast, he was summoned to attend the emperor beyond a. d. 1174.
the Alps, and to draw his sword against the rebels of Lombardy.
He disobeyed the summons, because, as it is said, the emperor
refused to grant him, as the reward of his military services, the
city of Goslar, which would have given him the command of the
silver mines of the Harz.
The disasters which were occasioned by the long blockade
of Alexandria, and his total inability to cope with the league of
Lombardy, obliged the emperor once more to solicit the aid of
Henry, who, it is said, smiled at his distress. They had an
interview at Chiavenna, near the lake of Como. The Lion was
44 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. II. still inexorable ; and after trying every argument in his power,
the emperor threw himself at his feet. The vassal raised his
sovereign from the ground with secret joy and apparent confusion,
when one of his companions whispered rather audibly in his ear,
" Suffer, dread sir, the imperial crown to lie at your feet ; speedily
it must be placed on your head." The duke departed with some
vague professions of loyalty, but without acceding to the emperor's
views. From this moment, it may be said, his doom was sealed,
and his destruction determined upon. The empress, who had
been a witness of the scene so degrading to her husband, desired
him, with all the bitterness of female passion, to remember what
had passed ; and added, " God will remember it one day." All
the subsequent misfortunes of the emperor were attributed to
the desertion of Henry ; and he was even accused by Frederick,
in a public assembly, of an indirect conspiracy against his life
and honour.
The ruin of the Guelphic House was the first aim of the
policy and revenge of Frederick Barbarossa; yet for near thirty
years (11 50-1180) the duke of Saxony and Bavaria maintained
a lofty station, and was second only in dignity and renown to one
of the most illustrious of the German emperors. But we are
anticipating events, and must therefore return to the regular
order of time.
The chief residence of Henry the Lion was at Brunswick ; but
he visited Bavaria as often as he was called to redress injuries and
suppress tumults ; and Munich, the capital of the present king-
dom, owes its foundation to his discernment and munificence. The
working of the silver mines of the Harz mountains was greatly
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 45
improved in his day* ; and the quantity of the precious metals chap. ii.
which he drew from this source rendered him one of the richest ^ ^
sovereigns in the world. The emperor, therefore, was ably
seconded in his desire of revenge by many of the ecclesiastic
as well as secular princes, who were jealous and envious of his
greatness ; yet for a while he was able to overcome every attempt
to reduce his power. In 1147 he married Clementia, daughter
of Conrad, duke of Zahringen, and by her had one daughter,
who married first a duke Frederick of Swabia Rotenburg, but
who, in 1169, was given a second time in marriage to Canute,
king of Denmark. In 1162 Henry was divorced from his first
wife; and, in 1168, the imperial ambassador demanded the hand
of the princess royal of England for the duke of Saxony and
Bavaria. The fame of Henry the Lion, his birth and merit, his
riches and dominion, obtained from Henry the Second an easy
consent and an ample dower. Matilda of England embarked
for Germany with a splendid train. The marriage ceremony was
* The Harz mountains, or, as pronounced by the natives, the Haartz, compre-
hend a district of country in the north-west part of Germany belonging to Hanover,
Prussia, Brunswick, and some minor states. It has long been celebrated for its
romantic views, as well as for the rich mineral productions which are found in the
bowels of its mountains, and which form one of the greatest sources of the wealth
of his majesty's continental dominions. The Goslar or Rammelsberg mines were
discovered so early as A. D. 900, and have been constantly wrought since that
period. It is reported that they were discovered by accident, and that the first
portion of silver ore, or native silver, was dug up by the pawing of a horse during
a hunting expedition in these mountains. The reader will find a short account of
the Harz mines in the Appendix. In the days of Julius Caesar these mountains
formed one continued and impenetrable forest, called the Sylxa Bacenis. " Silvam
esse ibi infinitee magnitudinis, quae adpellatur Bacenis, et pro nativo muro objectam
Chiruscos a Suevis, Suevosque k -Cheruscis, injuriis iucursionibusque prohibere."
46 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. II. performed at Minden, when the princess was not more than
^ ^^ twelve years of age ; the consummation was therefore delayed.
1160-1170. p(jj. |.gj^ years, from 1160 to 1170, Henry was engaged with the
king of Denmark in a holy war against the pagans of the Baltic
court ; and the alternative of death or baptism was presented to
these Sclavic idolaters. At length the whole of these tribes, not
excepting the Obotrites, the most powerful and most obstinate,
were reduced to accept the laws and religion of the Saxons.
It was not, however, till after much blood had been shed, and
many doubtful battles fought.
The Obotrites possessed the country now known as the
grand dutchy of Mecklenburg. In the open field and fair battle
they could not struggle with the arms and discipline of the
Germans, but they often prevailed in the surprise and stratagem
of desultory warfare. The impervious woods of the country,
and the deep morasses with which it abounded, rendered pursuit
impossible ; and so dexterous and daring were they at sea, that
they ravaged with impunity the isles of Denmark, as well as
the shores of Saxony. To the first summons the prince or leader
of the Obotrites returned an answer of ironical submission, " that
he would adore Henry the Lion, and that he might adore his
Christ." In a rash sally this daring prince was killed, and his
head sent as a grateful offering to the Danish king. He had
three sons. Two remained faithful to their father and their
gods ; but the third became a Christian, and joined with the
Christiaas against his brothers. The elder brother, Wertislaus,
was taken prisoner by Henry, and sent to Brunswick in chains ;
but, having been discovered in stirring up his people to a new
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 47
war, he was carried into his own country, and hanged on a gibbet, chap. ii.
The younger brother, Prebislaus, finding further resistance vain, ^^^\^
submitted to the yoke of necessity, and became a Christian "^o-ii-d.
with apparent sincerity. Henry, who esteemed his valour,
restored to him the greater part of his states ; and the present
grand duke of Mecklenburg is the descendant of this the last
heathen king of the Obotrites, and first Christian vassal of Henry
the Lion.
The Sclavic provinces beyond the Elbe were possessed by
Henry, not as a portion of the Germanic empire, but as an
absolute and independent conquest, which he alone had been
able to achieve. Three bishopricks were established in the
country of the Obotrites ; and the bishops received from his
hand the pastoral crosier ; a prerogative which Rome had denied
to the greatest emperors of Germany.
War is certainly accompanied with its many horrors, and
humanity shudders at the wanton and often barbarous de-
struction of our species during the existence of the conflict :
yet it must be confessed, that such destruction is generally
the forerunner of prosperity, and, in those ages of which we
are treating, it was productive of knowledge and civilization.
The Saxon castles of Henry and his vassals were gradually
incorporated into flourishing towns. The barren desert was
replenished with industrious colonies, who have almost extin-
guished the manners and language of the Sclavic race.
Near the mouth of the river Trave there was a small settle-
ment of pirates or fishermen. Its convenience as a harbour
had been discovered, and it had been frequented by some
48 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. II. Christian merchants ; but this settlement was repeatedly de-
^ "^^ stroyed by the pagans, until Henry the Lion acquired the
1100-1170. (jQjj^ijjJQjj of lY^Q gQii^ when, under the shadow of his power,
Liibeck arose on a broad and permanent basis. It was made
the seat of a bishop, had a mint and a custom-house ; and the
grant of a municipal government secured the personal, and pre-
pared the way for the political rights of the burghers.
By a proclamation, addressed to the Danes, Norwegians,
Swedes, and Russians, Henry invited them to frequent his
harbour of Wisby, with an assurance that the ways should be
open and secure by land and water. They were told that they
should be hospitably entertained, and free to depart; that the
imposition of duties should be light and easy, and their persons
and property guarded from injury; and that, in case of death,
the effects of the stranger should be carefully preserved for
the benefit of his heirs. This judicious policy was rewarded by
a rapid and large increase ; and, before the end of the thirteenth
century, Lubeck rose to be the metropolis of the Hanseatic
league, which then numbered in its circle no less than sixty-
four cities. .
As an imperial city it was enfranchised from the dominion
of the house of Saxony. But Henry the Lion was revered as
its founder; and his grandson Albert obtained from Henry the
Third (1266) the first Enghsh charter of the Hanseatic towns.
A. D. 1172. In 1 172, the dutchess of Saxony became pregnant ; and Henry,
who was now at peace with all the world, and in the height
of his power, determined to make a pilgrimage to the Holy
Land. The young dutchess was appointed regent of the country.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 49
with a council to assist her, during his absence. He chose chap. ii.
for his companion the newly converted king of the Obotrites, """^'^"^
'■ '' ^ ' A.D. 1172.
who, as Gibbon remarks, " exhibited to the world his own faith,
and the fame of his conqueror." He was accompanied by the
bishop of Worms, the imperial ambassador, as far as Constanti-
nople, and by various other eminent persons of the clergy and
nobility. A train of horses and waggons transported their
baggage and provisions, and the camp was guarded by twelve
hundred veteran knights, who had been well exercised in the
use of arms. On leaving Bavaria, Henry had a meeting with
his father-in-law, Henry of Austria. Their former quarrels
seemed altogether forgotten, and they mingled their tears at
the tomb of a mother and a wife. The duke travelled by water
from Vienna to Belgrade ; but his progress on the Danube was
measured by the march of the caravan along its banks, and he
joined his followers every evening. In the journey from Belgrade
to Nissa, the camp was often attacked in the morasses of Servia
and Bulgaria; but the wild inhabitants of these districts were
easily repelled by his vigilance; and, considering the objects of
his mission, he had no temptation or desire for revenge. After
Nissa, their march was through a civilized and friendly province,
and the emperor of the east*, who had sent an embassy to
Brunswick, received Henry as the equal of kings. A stout ship
was provided to convey the duke and his retinue from Con-
stantinople to St. Jean d'Acre, from which, after a short journey
by land, they reached Jerusalem.
Manuel.
H
60 THE HISTORY OF
c:hap. II. Henry the Lion visited the holy sepulchre, and all the cus-
^'^^''**^ tomary places of devotion in the city and country. The churches
were adorned with the silver offerings from his rich mines, and
he presented the Templars with a thousand marks for the service
of their perpetual crusades. On his return he followed the sea
coast of Syria to the northward. The vessels of the prince of
Antioch conveyed him from the harbour of Seleucia to the river
Tarsus in Cilicia ; and from thence to Constantinople, his march
intersected in a diagonal line the extent of Asia Minor. The
sultan of Iconium, Kilidge Arslan the Second, embraced him
as a friend, and claimed on the mothers side an affinity with
the house of Saxony. The ambition of Henry during this pil-
grimage was confined to the acquisition of holy relics, and of
A. D. 1173. these he imported an ample store from Palestine and Greece.
On his return to the capital of his dominions, he commenced
building a magnificent cathedral, which, when finished, he dedi-
cated to St. Blasius, the apostle of Brunswick; and in which
were deposited, with great solemnity, the whole of his holy,
and, as it was no doubt considered, invaluable collection.
Notwithstanding the many revolutions and changes that have
taken place in the ages that have passed since this memorable
pilgrimage, the church of St. Blaze still stands a proud monument
of the piety and power of Henry the Lion, and many of his
relics are yet in existence. At the beginning of the present
century, when the French invaded and took possession of
Hanover, these relics, with other valuables, were sent to England,
and lodged in the Tower of London. They have since been
restored to the king's German dominions, and are now shown
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 51
as curiosities by the clerk of the chapel royal in Hanover, chap. ir.
A part of them are still valuable for their curious and costly ^^''"^'^^^
ornaments.
Henry vi^as absent about twelve months, and, on his return,
he found his dutchess in health, his name illustrious, his servants
faithful, and his enemies silent. His dominions were in a peaceful
and prosperous state, and a princess had been added to his
family.
The religious zeal, or rather bigotry, of the duke of Saxony,
rendered him (unfortunately for his temporal v^^elfare) but too
favourable to the interests of the church; and he was at all
times a ready and powerful engine in the hands of the popes,
when ambition or envy tempted them to sow dissension among
the princes of the German empire. The scene at Ciavenna
was not forgotten ; and though the spirit of revenge had slumbered
for a short time, Frederick lay ready to seize upon the first
favourable opportunity. By engaging too openly in some of
the intrigues of the times, and by his refusal to join the emperor
in Italy, Henry laid himself open to the censure of the empire, a.d.ht*.
A diet was called, and he was summoned to give an account
of his conduct. He disregarded the summons; was again called,
and again refused to attend, under the pretence that his life was
in danger. He was now declared a rebel and an outlaw, and a.d. uso.
the ban of the empire was put in force against him. Saxony
was given to Bernard, the younger son of Albert the Bear;
and Bavaria to Otho of Wittlesbach, count palatine of the
Rhine, of the house of Bavaria. His other states were also a.d. 1 122,
disposed of; and the country occupied by a powerful army.
52 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. II. The archbishops, bishops, and princes of Germany accom-
^"^"^^'^^^ panied the emperor in this expedition ; the king of Denmark
also sent his fleet to Lubeck, and the Mecklenburgers, then
called Sclavi, united their army to that of the Dane. The
dutchess Matilda fled to England with her family, and Henry
shut himself up in the strong fortress of Stade. GunseUne,
count of Swerin, undertook the siege of this fortress: it was
surrounded by his troops, and all the resources of that period
put in requisition to effect its reduction.
Finding himself abandoned by those he had considered
friends, and overwhelmed by the whole forces of the empire,
Henry had recourse for the first time to entreaty. He sent a
messenger to the emperor, to beg that he might be permitted to
wait upon him at Luneburg, in hopes that when he heard his
defence in person he would show him some mercy. Frederick
listened to his request, and they had a meeting; but, after dic-
tating the terms upon which he might expect pardon, he refused
to grant it until the whole had been discussed and sanctioned
in a diet of the princes. The terms were too humiliating for
the proud spirit of the Lion, and he returned to the few troops
which still remained faithful to his cause, and resolved to
defend himself to the last. The king of England sent ambas-
sadors to Frederick ; but could only obtain permission for
his son-in-law to leave Germany with as many of his vassals
as chose to accompany him. The emperor, however, to show
his love for the king of England, agreed that the dutchess Matilda
should have the government of the whole of the patrimonial
states of the family, and that they should be restored to
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 53
her and her children, to be freely and peaceably enjoyed chap. ii.
for ever. The duke of Saxony, accompanied by his little ^^^^^^^
garrison, left Stade, and proceeded to join his father-in-law, then
in Normandy. He was kindly received, and every exertion
made to sooth his wounded spirit. But in a short time he dis-
missed his faithful barons. They returned to Germany, and
he proceeded on a pilgrimage to the shrine of St. James of a.d.ii84.
Compostella, in Spain. On his return, he accompanied Henry
the Second to England. The palace of Winchester was
assigned for his residence ; and there William, his youngest son,
was born. The king of England sent an embassy to Rome to
interest the head of the church in the welfare of his son-in-law ;
and the king of France was also applied to ; but nothing
favourable could be obtained ; so deep-rooted was the spirit
of revenge in the heart of Frederick Barbarossa. At length,
in 1185, Henry was once more permitted to enter Saxony,
and, with his dutchess and family, to take up his residence at
Brunswick.
In 1187, the emperor, moved by the prayers of the pope a. d. us?.
and his own zeal in the cause, engaged in a crusade to retake
Jerusalem, the loss of which had just been announced in Europe.
Having received the banner of the holy cross at Mentz, he pro-
ceeded to Goslar, where a diet of the empire had been summoned
to regulate the expedition and decide on the affairs of the empire.
Henry the Lion was anxious to be present at this diet, in order
that the dispute between him and Bernhard of Saxony might be
settled by the decision of the college of princes. But when it was
communicated to him that his fate was already decided, and
M THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. II. his sanction all that was required, he preferred a second exile
^■^^/'^^ to the abandonment of any of his just rights. Matilda was left
as regent of Brunswick ; but she did not survive the absence of
her husband more than twelve months*. On the death of his
A.D. 1189. dutchess, Henry returned to Saxony, to try once more the chance
of war. Richard the First, who had succeeded to the throne
of England, furnished him with a fleet and some forces, and he
also received assistance from Canute, king of Denmark. He
sailed for the Weser, and landing his troops, attacked and re-
covered the fortress of Stade, which had been given to the
archbishop of Bremen. He also conquered the dutchy of
Holstein, but was unable to retain possession of it. Bardewick,
a town of some consequence, having refused to acknowledge his
authority, he caused it to be levelled to the ground, and in its
A.D. 1190. place built (1190) Luneburg, the present capital of that dutchy.
Lubeck was besieged and capitulated, and in a short time he was
in possession of all the strong places in the country. Henry, king
of the Romans, and acknowledged successor of Barbarossa, was
greatly enraged when he heard of the return and successes of the
Lion. He assembled a diet at Goslar, and, to prove that he was
not to be despised on account of his youth, he ordered a powerful
army to march, under his immediate command, against Brunswick.
This city was gallantly defended by Henry, the eldest son
of the duke of Saxony; a youth as ambitious of fame as
the king, and who conducted the defence with so much
spirit and judgment, that the imperialists were obliged to
* Appendix, Brunswick Moiiumeuls.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 55
withdraw from the contest*. A peace was concluded, and chap. ii.
Henry of Brunswick joined the standard of the king of the ^A^.'Ti^r'
Romans. In 1191, he accompanied the king into Italy, with
a train of fifty knights ; and while on this tour they received
the news of the death of the emperor. Henry resolved on
being immediately crowned at Rome ; but before they could
reach that city, Clement had departed this life ; and it was
some time before the ceremony could be performed by his suc-
cessor, pope Coelestine. Through the exertions of the prince
of Brunswick, Coelestine was consecrated on Easter Sunday,
and next day Henry and his empress Constantia were solemnly
crowned : a ceremony at which this young prince bore a con-
spicuous part. The Saxon entreated of the emperor his fathers
pardon and restoration. But too many competitors were interested
in the ruin of Henry the Lion to allow his son's voice to prevail :
he therefore left the court in disgust, and returned to Brunswick.
Henry the Lion was now determined, if it was possible, to effect a
reconciliation with the successor of Frederick ; but so powerfully
was he opposed by those who had got possession of his states,
that his efforts for a long time were altogether in vain.
In the year 1192, Richard Coeur de Lion, king of England, a. d. 1192.
returning from the Holy Land, was travelling in the habit of a
pilgrim, with a small train, through the states of the duke of Austria.
At Vienna he was seized by order of the duke, and, in 1193, con-
veyed a prisoner to the head-quarters of the emperor, and there
kept in close custody. Such an act was considered barbarous even
• The Chronicle quaintly remarks, that the king of the Romans " amaro animo
reversus est in locum suum."
5G THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. II. in that barbarous age. The gallant Richard was able to refute all
A D 1193. *^^ calumnies that were brought against him ; yet it was decided
that he could not be liberated until a ransom of a hundred and
fifty thousand marks of silver was promised, two thirds of
the money paid, and hostages given for the payment of the
remainder. The duke of Austria demanded seven, and the
emperor sixty, nobles. Among the illustrious princes who came
forward in behalf of the king of England, Otho and William of
Brunswick stand conspicuous. He was their uncle and their
nearest kinsman ; and they voluntarily offered themselves as
hostages for the payment of his ransom. During the cap-
tivity of Richard, he was often urged to sanction the imperial
A. D. 1194. sentence against his brother-in-law; but, convinced that Henry
the Lion had been as unjustly deprived of his states and
sovereignty as he had been of his liberty, he refused to listen
to any proposals on the subject, though sensible that his own
liberty depended in a great measure upon his acquiescence.
Henry the Lion negotiated the treaty for Richard's liberation,
and his promise was accepted for the payment of the remaining
part of the ransom. Richard, on his part, did not leave Germany
until he had extorted a promise of forgiveness from the emperor
in behalf of Henry, and had got the sovereignty of all the
provinces beyond the Elbe restored to him. It does not appear
that Henry engaged in any further hostilities ; and the last few
years of his life were spent at Brunswick in works of piety
and benevolence ; and, though shorn of his hereditary titles and
A. D. 1195. possessions, he continued till his death to hold the first rank
among the princes of Germany.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 57
By Matilda, princess royal of England, Henry the Lion* had chap. ii.
four sons and two daughters. Lothaire, his second son, and X'^^^^is
Richenza, his eldest daughter, died young ; but Henry, Otho,
and William, and a daughter, Matilda, who was married in
England to Jeffrey, earl of Perth, survived him, and must now
engage our attention.
We have already detailed some of the actions of Henry, the
eldest son of the Lion. In 1193 he married Agnes, the only
daughter and heiress of Conrad, count palatine of the Rhine,
and brother to Frederick Barbarossa the First ; and, in conse-
quence of this connexion, he not only obtained the sovereignty
of the palatinate, but also the friendship of the emperor. By
the will of his father, he was excluded from the succession in
Brunswick, but he still retained the rank and title of duke of
Brunswick and Saxony. When recruits were raising for the
third crusade, Henry, with many other princes and nobles,
enlisted under the banner of the cross. During his absence, his
younger brother William was intrusted with the regency of the a. d. 1195.
palatinate. In Asia he conducted himself as a gallant knight;
was at the capture of Joppa and many other places ; and not
more distinguished for his valour in action, than for his clemency
in the hour of victory. On his return from the Holy Land he
visited Venice and other cities in Italy, claiming the sovereignty
of the states that belonged to his family, and renewing the charters
which had been granted by his ancestors to the descendants of
* Morena, iiijine Rerum Laudensium, thus describes Henry the Lion : — " Henricus,
dux Saxonise, erat mediocriter magnus, bene corapositus, viribus corporis valens,
magnus facie, oculis magnis et nigris, capillis quoque quasi nigris."
I
58 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. II. the younger branch of his house. He was absent when Henry the
^iTafugT^ Sixth died, and therefore his second brother was put in nomina-
tion for the crown. In 1200 he accompanied his brother William
to England, to demand from king John the legacies which had
been left them by their uncle Richard. He was the great sup-
porter of his brother Otho ; and while he continued firm to his
cause, Otho was able to maintain his ground against Philip ; but
he also being induced to acknowledge the claims of the latter,
withdrew from his brother's interests. In 1204 he became a
widower ; and, in 1205, assisted at the coronation of Philip, as
king of the Romans. In 1215 he had a quarrel with Frederick
the Second, was publicly proscribed, and the palatinate given to
Louis, duke of Bavaria ; but in a few years he was restored ta
favour, regained his title and possessions, and, at a diet held
at Goslar in 1219, he took his place as duke of Saxony and"
count palatine of the Rhine. From that period he does not
appear to have taken much interest in the affairs of Europe, as
his name is seldom found in the records of the period. He died
in 1227, leaving only two daughters ; one married to Herman,
margrave of Baden ; and the other to Otho, duke of Bavaria.
On the death of the emperor Henry the Sixth, three candidates
24tii April, were put in nomination for the crown : Philip of Swabia, a Ghi-
belline ; Berthold, duke of Zeringen ; and Otho of Guelph, the
second surviving son of Henry the Lion. Berthold having been
chosen by the electors, refused the dignity. Otho was then pre-
ferred to Philip, and immediately declared king of the Romans.
It was through the influence of his uncle, Richard the First,
that this was accomplished ; and when the counts of Dacksburg
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 59
and Leiningen arrived in London, where he was then on a visit, chap. ii.
and announced his election, he returned with them to Germany, ^^^■^"'*^
and, with the aid of his brother Henry and the forces that could
be collected together in a hurry, he seized upon Aix-la-Chapelle,^
whei-e the archbishop of Cologne crowned him emperor.
The partisans of the late emperor were not inactive ; and at
another diet, in which the archbishop of Mentz presided, Fre-
derick, the only son of Henry the Sixth, then a child of three
years of age, was declared the head of the empire ; and Philip,
his uncle and guardian, elected king of the Romans. The head
of the church declared for Otho, and sent his legate to Cologne a. d. 1198.
to confirm his election, while Philip and his adherents were
excommunicated for disturbing the peace of Europe.
During some years the war was carried on with great vigour
by both parties, and often with doubtful success. Some of the
finest provinces of Germany were ruined and laid desolate ; but
fortune having at last declared in favour of Otho, he convoked
a general diet of the princes of the empire at Metzburg, where a. d. 1200.
he was a second time crowned by the hands of the pope's legate,
who confirmed, and again approved, the first election. Philip,
however, soon found more ample support ; and the struggle con-
tinued for several years, until, through the mediation of the pope,
a reconciliation was effected. Philip agreed to bestow his daughter
Beatrix upon Otho, and to secure him in the succession, and he
consented to wave all his pretensions to the crown during the life-
time of Philip. The untimely end of this emperor, who was mur-
dered by the count Otho of Wittelbach, left the son of Henry the a.d. vmb.
Lion in the undisputed possession of the imperial crown within
60 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. II. the year after this family compact had been made, and before
^-^~'^~*- ^[^Q marriage ceremony had taken place, Beatrix gave her hand
A. D. 12)2. to Otho four years after her father's murder, but only survived
the ceremony four days.
He performed the usual journey to Rome for the purpose of
being crowned ; and though Innocent the Third had declared his
satisfaction at the advancement of Otho, he refused to perform
the august ceremony unless he resigned all right to the patrimony
of St. Peter, and restored to the church the possessions which
had been left to it by his ancestor, the countess Matilda. Otho,
finding himself unable to resist this demand, consented to the
terms proposed, and was accordingly crowned. During his resi-
dence at Rome, a quarrel, as was usual on such occasions, took
place between the Italians and Germans ; and it is reported
that a thousand of the imperialists were left dead under the
walls of that city. As it is unnecessary to follow out the
contests of the emperor with the pope, we shall only observe,
A. D. 1214. that he was excommunicated, and the princes of Germany
instigated to rise up against him. The claims of the young
Frederick were brought forward, and were supported by the
money and troops of France. Otho collected an army, and
marched into the low countries ; but being beaten by Philip in
a general action near Tournay, he withdrew from the contest,
and lived for some years in retirement at Brunswick, where he
A. D. 1128. died, in 1218.
Otho (says the historian) was pious, without being super-
stitious ; a lover of the clergy, and leading a most exemplary
life. He was careless of his own affairs, but a strenuous
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 61
defender of the rights of the empire. He was at all times chap. ii.
desirous of peace, when it could be properly maintained ; but '^-'"v"*^
bold and forward in battle, when war called him to the field.
His dispositions were mild ; and so attached was he to the in-
terests of the church, that he entered with extreme reluctance
into any controversy with the pope.
William of Winchester, an Englishman by birth, was the
youngest son of Henry the Lion, and born while his father was A.u.nai.
an exile in England. When only ten years of age, he was sent
as an hostage for his uncle, king Richard, to the court of
Leopold, duke of Austria, where he resided for some months.
His father, at his death, bequeathed to him the states of
Brunswick ; and some old chronicles mention that Richard
created him duke of Northumberland, and gave him the in-
vestiture of that province. He married, in 1202, Helen, daughter
of Waldemir, king of Denmark, and is the only one in this
family that left male issue. He was not so much engaged in the
transactions of his time as to attract particular notice ; and died a. u. ms.
in the flower of his age, leaving a son, Otho, then in his eighth
year, under the guardianship of his widow, Helen of Denmark*.
* Vide Chronicon Recchenberg. p. 252.
Chronicon Weingartense, apud Scheidei Origines Guelficas, torn. v.
Historiam Penitentia2 Conradi, apud Balusium, torn. i. Epistol. Innocentii III.
p. 19.
Rethmeyer Antiquit. Eccles. Brunsuicens. part. i. p. 32.
EccARD Genealog. Principum super Saxoniae, p. 23.
MuRATORl Antiquit. Estens. part i. p. 343.
Codicem Wibuldinam Epist. 233, apud Marteneum, Collect. Anipliss. torn. ii.
p. 417.
62 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. II. Cartam Fred. Imperat. qua Henrico Leoni Bavariee Ducatum restituit, apud
v.^*->Y-^-^ DuMONT, Corpor. Diplom. torn. i. p. 81.
Epistolam Adrian! IV. P.P. ad Fred. Imper. apud Urtisium Scriptor. Rer.
German, torn. i. p. 490.
Deplomatoria Lubecens. apud Lunig Spicil. Eccles. torn. ii. p. 292.
Stemmatoria Bavariee, apud Hund, torn. i. p. 4 ; Documenta Monasterior. Wur-
temburg, apud Besoldum, torn. i. p. 453.
Rymeri Acta Anglican, torn. i. pp. 83, 84, 85, 900.
Leibnitz Scriptor. Brunsuic. torn. i. ii.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 63
GENEALOGY OF THE GUELPHS,
FROM GUELPH THE SIXTH TO OTHO THE CHILD.
GUELPH VI. count of Altdoif, duke of Bavaria, died llOl.
I
, GuELPH VII. duke of Bavaria, died 1120. 2, Henry the Black, duke of Bavaria, died ii27.
I
Conrad, a monk, died 1126. 2, Henry the Proud, duke of 3, Guelph, duke of Spoleto
Bavaria and duke of Saxony, and duke of Tuscany, died
died 1139. I 1191.
Henry the Lion, duke of Bavaria and duke of Saxony, died 119.'>.
Henry, duke of Saxony, count 2, Otho, duke of Saxony, 3, William of Wintou, duke of
palatine of the Rhine, died emperor of Germany, Saxony, duke of Lunebarg,
1227. died 1218. died 1213.
I
I ■ '^ 1
Otho the Child, created duke of Bruuswick and Limebiirg 21st August, 1233.
6'4 THE HISTORY OF
CHAPTER III.
We are now arrived at a period when the descendants of
the Guelphic race, robbed of their hereditary states, and deprived
of the titles of their ancestors, appear in the ordinary rank of
German princes. Otho, the only son of William, duke of Saxony
and Brunswick, was only eight years of age at his father's death ;
but, as he was considered a child of the empire, Frederick the
Second took him under his special protection, though his uncles
Otho and Henry considered themselves his immediate guardians,
and the former at his death declared him the heir of that part of
the Brunswick possessions which he had held. Henry, however,
taking advantage of the youth and incapacity of his nephew,
appropriated to himself the states of his brother, and kept pos-
session of them for several years. At last, moved by the injustice
of such a proceeding, he delivered them up to Otho, in 1223, as
appears by a deed which still exists in the archives of Brunswick.
On the death of Henry, duke of Saxony, the last of the Guelphs
who enjoyed that title, the emperor made an attempt to wrest
the sovereignty of Brunswick from the young Otho ; but the
fidelity of the citizens defeated this attempt.
The feudal system had now become universal throughout
Europe ; and to hold of the empire was considered as not only
necessary, but honourable. Otho, though considered the child
of his adoption, had been cruelly treated by the emperor, because
he had rebelled against the general system, and wished to possess
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 65
in full sovereignty the allodial states transmitted to him from his chap, hi
ancestors. "^^
Otho had two female cousins, the daughters of his uncle
Henry. The eldest, who was married to the margrave of
Baden, laid claim to that part of the Guelphic possessions
which had belonged to her father ; and in order that the emperor
might have some pretence for his usurpations, he purchased for
his son this claim of the margravine to the city and territories
of Brunswick. The citizens, however, were still faithful to the
legal heir, and refused to acknowledge any other sovereign. They
repelled a second attack, which the son of the emperor made in a.d. i«27.
person, and obliged his army to retire from the walls of the city
with defeat and disgrace.
During this invasion of his country, Otho was a prisoner at
Rostock. He had joined his uncle, Waldemar, king of Denmark,
in a war against the count of Swerin; and after a hard fought
action near a place called Bornhoved, was captured with a sTthjniy.
great part of his army. Henry the Third of England, who
was much affected with the captivity of his young relation,
addressed letters to the pope, soliciting his interference, and
strongly urged the other princes of Germany to take up arms in
his behalf. But Otho could only obtain his enlargement by the
payment of a ransom, and was obliged to give the whole of
his estates on the north side of the Elbe as a pledge for the
money demanded. On his return to his capital he granted many a. u. isss.
privileges and immunities to the citizens of Brunswick, as a
reward for their fidelity during his confinement ; and soon after
his marriage with Matilda, the daughter of the margrave of Bran-
denburg, was celebrated with all the splendour of royalty. The
K
66 . THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. III. king of England wrote several letters, congratulating him on
^^'^'''^'■^ having obtained his liberty, and on his marriage; and on all
occasions he addresses him as his " dilectus consanguineus," and
" amicus specialis." In his letter to the pope, Henry not only
demanded the interference of his holiness in obtaining Otho's
release from prison, but in the strongest terms recommended him
as a fit person on whom to bestow the imperial throne, then vacant
by a sentence of the church. Otho, we may believe, was well
disposed to subscribe to any measure that could annoy his enemy,
yet he was too fully sensible of the danger of entering into a com-
petition for the crown, with only the thunder of the Vatican for his
support, to accept of such a gift ; and he strenuously refused to
render himself in any way an auxiliary to the vain threatenings
and excommunications which the representative of St. Peter was
daily issuing against Frederick the Second.
On his return from the Holy Land, Frederick found his
influence in the empire as strong as ever. But he was
not ignorant of the manner in which Otho had been tam-
pered with; and, though that prince had done nothing to
warrant his displeasure, he resolved that his title to the crown
in future should be less on an equality with his own. He com-
menced a system of harassing warfare against the states and
vassals of Brunswick, which involved them in great misery ; yet
he was unable to drive the young prince into any act of open
rebellion. Otho appealed to the pope and the king of England
against the unjust aggressions of the emperor, but they could
aiford him no effectual aid ; and at last finding it in vain to
contend any longer with the enemy of his house, whose power
was now at its height, he repaired to a general diet of the empire
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 67
at Mentz; and on the 21st of August, 1235, resigned the whole chap. hi.
of his possessions into the hands of the emperor. This was all ^^^Tsss^
that Frederick required. They were restored the next minute,
as a henejichmi to be held of the empire ; and by a deed, which
still regulates the succession in the house of Brunswick, they
were formed into one dutchy, and Otho received the title of
duke of Brunswick and Luneburg. Thus the lineal representative
of the dukes of Bavaria and Saxony, the heir of the lords of
Brunswick and of the king of the Saxons, of the conqueror of
Holstein and Mecklenburg, and of the most powerful of the
princes of Italy — he whose ancestors had created princes and
ordained bishops — was reduced to the rank of a feudal duke,
whose territories scarcely exceeded one fiftieth part of the states
governed by his grandfather.
On his return from the diet at Mentz, Otho, now duke of
Brunswick and Luneburg by charter, instead of allodial right,
entered into alliances with the princes and feudal lords in his
neighbourhood, and commenced a system of reform in his
dominions. He was active in suppressing the banditti that were
organized in almost every province, and in correcting the disorders
which had arisen in the government during his minority, and
in consequence of his quarrels with the emperor. He was re-
markably successfid in all these undertakings. Order began to
prevail in the several departments of the state, and a just adminis-
tration of the laws succeeded to anarchy and confusion. In 1238 a. d. lajs.
he entered upon a crusade against a colony of infidels that still
existed in Prussia, and is highly extolled for the effectual assist-
ance which he was able to render the Teutonic knights in the
conquest and conversion of these pagans. He afterwards levied
THE HISTORY OF
troops for the purpose of marching against the Tartars, who had
penetrated into Hungary. He received the banner of the cross
from the bishop of Hildesheim in 1241 ; but though great pre-
parations were made for the expedition, it did not take place,
and Otho returned to the settlement of his domestic concerns. A
long existing quarrel with the landgrave of Thuringen was put an
end to, by the marriage of his daughter, Helen, with the nephew
of Henry, the then landgrave, previous to his expedition in
Prussia. This marriage was of advantage to both houses ; and
when Henry of Thuringen was elected emperor, on the deposition
of Frederick by pope Innocent the Fourth, in 1246, Otho was one
of his firmest supporters in the diet. On the death of the land-
grave next year, Otho was equally zealous in promoting the
interest of William, count of Holland, with whom he lived in the
strictest habits of friendship.
In 1251 William espoused his daughter Elizabeth, one of
the most celebrated beauties of her day ; and who, by her noble
conduct, proved herself an ornament to the high station she was
called to occupy in the empire. During the gaiety of the mar-
riage feast the palace in which it was held was set on fire,
and it was with difficulty that the king and queen escaped from
the flames. William resided, during the greater part of the year
after his marriage, at the court of his father-in-law; and his
public acts during the whole of that period are dated from
Brunswick.
Early in 1252, a diet of the empire was ordered to be held
at Franckfort; but Otho, while preparing to attend his son-in-
law to that city, was taken unwell, and expired rather suddenly,
in the forty- eighth year of his age. Previous to his death he
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 6£
had purchased from his cousin, the margravine of Baden, a right chap. hi.
which had been reserved to her in the mines of Goslar, so that ^-^^""''^'^
he left his dutchy of Brunswick and Luneburg in an unem-
barrassed and very flourishing state.
Besides his two sons, Albert and John, who succeeded him a.d. 1252.
in the government of the dutchy, Otho left five daughters. His
dutchess also survived him, and was alive in 1263. The seal
which he used, as lord and duke of Brunswick, was a lion rampant,
proper, in a field, gules ; and the money which he coined bore the
same emblem, with a ducal coronet. Helen, one of his daughters,
we have seen, married the landgrave of Thuringen; Adelaide
married the landgrave of Hesse; and the celebrated Elizabeth
was married to William, king of Germany; Matilda, a fourth
daughter, married Henry, count of Ascania ; Helen, who was
the eldest, married Albert, duke of Saxony, after the death of
her first husband ; and Agnes, the youngest, married Wenselaus,
prince of Rugen. Otho had a third son of his own name, who
was bishop of Hildesheim, but killed by the overturning of
his carriage, in 1279; and a fourth, Conrad, who was arch-
bishop of Bremen.
Albert, the eldest son of Otho, succeeded to the government
of the dutchy at his father's death, 1252. He took his place
in the diet at Franckfort, and received the investiture of his
states from king William, his brother-in-law. He admitted his
brother John to a share in the administration, and very soon
afterwards had the dutchy of Luneburg erected into a separate
sovereignty for that prince.
Albert, in the records of his time, is styled " the Great,"
but whether from his size or noble deeds is not altogether certain.
THE HISTORY OF
The empire at this period, being without a legitimate head, was
in a state of great turbulence and confusion. Albert therefore
took advantage of the disorders of the day, and began to levy
war upon some of his weaker neighbours. He besieged and
conquered the castle of Wolfenbuttle, the residence of an inde-
pendent noble ; and that principality was ever afterwards annexed
to his hereditary possessions. Gottingen, one of his fiefs, having
been invaded by the archbishop of Mentz, and a count Everstein,
he waylaid and took them prisoners. The count of Everstein,
as a rebellious vassal, was executed ; but his treasury was con-
siderably enriched by the ransom he received for the prelate, from
his cousin Richard, earl of Cornwall; who, through the influence
of the archbishop, expected to be elected king of the Romans.
After the death of Frederick the Second, the splendour of
the empire was for many years obscured. William of Holland,
Richard of England, and Alphonso of Leon, who were successively
raised to the throne, were merely the sovereigns of a faction; and,
though they exercised many of the prerogatives of kings, their
authority was never perfectly established, nor were their com-
mands at any time implicitly obeyed. Albert, amidst the disputes
of the empire, continued to attend to his private affairs. The
nobles of Assemburg excited his displeasure by emblazoning
his arms, a lion and a wolf, on their standard, with the wolf upon
the lion's back pulling his ears. Albert made them pay dear
for this pleasantry. He invaded and took the strong castle of
Assemburg, and added the territories of these nobles to his own
dominions. During the year 1260, he invaded the dutchy of
Holstein, and took the castle of Ploen. In this expedition he
was assisted by the people of Lubeck, who, in gratitude to the
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 71
memory of the founder of their city, were long the faithful allies chap. in.
of the princes of Brunswick. Albert was led into this war from '^-^''''*^
his attachment to Margaret, the dowager queen of Denmark,
whose son Erick had been supplanted in the succession by his
cousin, the duke of Jutland. He was the guardian of the young
king, and therefore bound to support his cause against the pre-
tender, and his uncles, the dukes of Holstein. The matter,
however, was settled by treaty, the dowager queen and her son
returned to their own country, and were accompanied by the
duke of Brunswick, who exerted himself greatly in reducing
the refractory nobles to order, and in settling the government
of his young ward. He had the command of several of the
Danish islands and provinces conferred upon him; and as the
tranquillity of his own dominions admitted of his absence, he
remained for a considerable time at the court of Denmark. In
1263, he accepted of an invitation from the town of Hameln, a.d. i263.
on the Weser, to become their protector. This town, on the
division of the spoils of Henry the Lion, had been given to the
abbey of Fiilden ; but the abbot had sold it to the bishop of
Minden ; who, by suppressing its commercial privileges, had
reduced the inhabitants to a state of slavery. Albert undertook
their defence ; and having subdued the bishop's garrison, he con-
firmed to the inhabitants their ancient privileges. He also took
the city of Stade from the archbishop of Bremen, and constituted
himself the guardian of the rights of the city of Eimbech. In his
latter years he extended his authority to the shores of the Baltic,
having conquered from the counts of Swerin a great part of their
country on the north of the Elbe. His last conquest was the
72 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. III. principality of Grubenhagen, which remained from his time an
integral part of the Brunswick possessions.
A.D. 1279. Albert died in 1279, after a reign of twenty-seven years. He
was almost always engaged in war with his neighbours ; and being
in general successful, added greatly to his dominions, and left
the government of the country in a very settled state. At the
recommendation of Henry the Third, of England, he married,
1254, Elizabeth, daughter of Henry the Fifth, duke of Brabant ;
and received from Edward the First, Henry's successor, not only
a sum of money as the dower of that princess, but also a charter,
granting a free commercial intercourse between his subjects of
Bremen and the citizens of London. Albert had no issue of this
marriage; and after the death of Elizabeth, 1261, he married,
1265, Adelaide, daughter of Boniface the Fourth, duke of Mont-
ferret, by whom he left six sons and one daughter. At the com-
mencement of his reign he committed an error fatal to the
independence of his house, by dividing his states with his younger
brother ; and, at his death, he still further subdivided the portion
he had retained among three of his sons. Henry, his eldest son,
was made duke of Grubenhagen, a conquered province ; Albert,
his second son, got the principality of Calemberg ; and William,
his third son, had the provinces of Brunswick and Gdttingen.
The death of this latter prince, without issue, soon after his
father's decease, was the cause of a civil war between Henry
and Albert, as they considered themselves both equally entitled
to the property of their younger brother. The good fortune of
Albert prevailed: he made himself master of the cities of
Brunswick and 'Wolfenbuttle ; and being favoured by the citizens.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 73
/
compelled his elder brother to remain contented with his original chap. hi.
patrimony. Conrad and Lothaire, two other sons of Albert the ^-^^""^^
Great, were commanders of the order of the knights of Malta ; and
Otho, his sixth son, was a commander of the Templars. Matilda,
his only daughter, married a duke of Schleswich-Glagau ; and
his widow married Gehard, count of Schaumberg.
John, the younger brother of Albert, after the division of
the dutchy, is universally styled duke of Luneburg. He makes
no figure in history, and we only know that he built and resided
in the castle of Celle. He married a princess of Holstein, in 1265,
and left one son, Otho, who succeeded him in 1277, and four
daughters. Otho, the second duke of Luneburg, married, in 1287,
Matilda, daughter of Henry, duke of Bavaria, count palatine, by
whom he had four sons and one daughter. John, his eldest son,
became administrator of the bishoprick of Bremen, but died before
his father. liOuis, his second son, was elected bishop of Minden
in 1324, and died in 1346. Otho and William succeeded him
in the government. This prince was remarkable for his severity
in the execution of the laws ; and, in a contest with the count of
Swerin, he conquered the castle and principality of Danneberg,
and added them to his hereditary possessions. Otho, the second
of the name, and third duke of Luneburg, succeeded his father
1330, and is styled the Younger. He married a princess of
Mecklenburg, and had one son, Otho, who was drowned while
a boy; and one daughter, Matilda, who married Henry, count
of Waldeck. At his death, in 1352, he was succeeded by his
brother William, the fourth duke of this line. This prince
married, first, Hedewig, daughter of Otho, count of Ravensberg ;
secondly, Sophia, a princess of Sweden; and, thirdly, Maria,
74 " THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. III. daughter of Erich the First, duke of Saxe-Lawenburg. William,
^•^""^'^^ duke of Luneburg, left no male issue, and with him this branch
of the family became extinct, in 1365. Elizabeth, his eldest
daughter, married Otho, duke of Saxe-Lawenburg, and had a
son named Albert, of whom more hereafter. Matilda, his second
daughter, married her cousin, Louis, duke of Brunswick; and,
after his death, Otho, count of Schaumburg. Albert, surnamed
the Fat, the second son of Albert the Great, is the prince that
claims our more particular attention, as by him the male line
was continued. But we cannot pass over the descendants of
Henry, his elder brother, styled the Wonderful; particularly as
this branch of the family continued to flourish for many gene-
rations, and several of its princes were too illustrious in their
day, to be altogether omitted in a general history of the house
of Guelph. Henry the Wonderful, the first duke of Grubenhagen,
was so styled, we should suppose, from his possessing a greater
share of general knowledge than was common to the princes
of his age, and in the pursuit of which he had spent more time
than was compatible with his temporal aggrandizement. He
travelled much, and visited the different courts of Europe. In
1282, he married Agnes, daughter of the landgrave of Thuringen,
and had a family of four sons and five daughters. Bonifacia,
one of these daughters, under the name of Irene, was married
to Andronicus the Second ; and was for several years the ornament
of the eastern empire. Small as this prince's possessions must
have been, they were again divided at his death. Henry, the
eldest son, succeeded in the principality of Grubenhagen ; Ernest,
the second son, got the city and county of Osterode ; and William,
a third son, had he lived, was to have had the county of Hertzberg ;
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 75
but, as he died before his father, that portion reverted to the elder chap. hi.
brother. John, the youngest son, was provost of the church of ^^"^v^^
Emden.
Henry the Second, duke of Grubenhagen, inherited with his
states the passion of his father for travelling. He spent more
than two years at the court of France, and upwards of three
with his relation, Edward the Third, of England. He after-
wards made a tour through Italy and Greece, resided for
some time with the emperor, his brother-in-law, and visited
the Holy Land. Like his ancestor, Henry the Lion, he was
fond of collecting relics ; and a charter has been preserved, by
which he grants to the monastery of St. Pauline, a piece of the
wood of the true cross, a quantity of oil consecrated by St. Catha-
rine, and two thorns from the wreath with which our Saviour
was crowned ; all of which he states he obtained while on his
travels, and by his seal and signature he guarantees their
authority.
This prince was so renowned for his travels and love of
learning, that he acquired the surname of the Grecian. He
married, first, a princess of the house of Brandenburg, from whom
he was divorced ; and, secondly, Maria, a princess of Cyprus,
who proved the mother of six sons. It is evident that the princes
of this branch of the Guelphic family were more attached to
the refinements of Italy and Greece than to the rude barbarity
of their own country. The connexion of the second Henry with
the royal family of Cyprus naturally drew his children to the
south ; and we must remember also that his grandmother was
of the house of Savoy, the daughter of Boniface the Fourth,
duke of Montferret. Otho, his eldest son and successor, was
76 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. III. selected as the fourth husband of Joan, queen of Naples and
^'^'^^'^^ Sicily. Balthazar married the daughter of count Honoratus, of
Fundi ; while Phihp, a third son, was united to a dowager queen
of Cyprus. Melchior was the only prince that remained in
Germany ; he was bishop of Osnaburg and of Swerin, but died
by poison or gluttony at a village near Rostock. Redday and
Thomas were monks, and died in Italy.
Joan, queen of Naples, was the last of the direct line of
Charles, count of Anjou, the brother of St. Louis, and the con-
queror of Naples and Sicily. Being arrived at an age when
there was scarcely a hope of an heir of her own body, Otho
persuaded her to adopt her relation, Charles, count of Duras,
as her successor in the two kingdoms. The gratitude of this
prince was not commensurate with the duty he owed to his
sovereign and his patron. He intrigued with the pope and the
king of Hungary, stirred up a rebellion in the country, and got
the investiture of the kingdom of Naples from Urban the Sixth.
The queen, irritated at the conduct of her cousin, endeavoured
to cancel the act of adoption, and to transfer the succession to
Louis, duke of Anjou. This rendered the ambitious Charles
still more regardless of appearances, and induced him to take
the field openly against her. Otho commanded the queen's
forces, and for a while was able to blockade the city of Naples,
of which Charles had got possession ; but, with his brother Bal-
thazar, he was betrayed into the hands of the usurper. Balthazar
had his eyes put out, and Otho was confined for three years in
the castle of Minerva. But being allowed after a time to
enjoy the exercise of hunting, he escaped from his guards during
one of these excursions, and fled to Avignon; from whence he
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 77
returned to Sicily. Joan, during Otho's confinement, had been chap. hi.
taken, and murdered in her prison by her unnatural kinsman, '^'^'^^'^^
who was now quietly in possession of the throne; and, although
Otho soon had a powerful army at his command, and got pos-
session of the city of Naples, he desisted from hostilities, and
remained satisfied with the principality of Tarentum, which had
been given him by the queen.
This prince in his youth had a quarrel with the duke of
Lancaster, the great grandson of Henry the Third, in consequence
of some disrespectful language used by the latter in the cathedral
church of Cologne. A challenge ensued ; and they were to have
decided the matter by single combat, after the manner of the
times, in presence of John, king of France. Among the Cotton
manuscripts there is a curious document in the form of a judicial
sentence of the French monarch, by which it appears the affair
was honourably settled without coming to action. This docu-
ment, which is of considerable length, narrates the whole of
the proceedings, and affords us an example of the solemnity
with which the disputes of princes in those days were discussed
and decided. It is dated at Paris, the 11th December, 1352.
Otho died in 1387.
As this prince left no issue, the Italian dutchy reverted to the
crown of Naples ; and his portion of the Grubenhagen estates was
inherited by his grand-nephew Erick, the son of Albert, and
grandson of Ernest, his younger brother.
The territory of Osterode, which Ernest inherited as his
part of the Grubenhagen states, on the death of his father,
Henry the Wonderful, was neither in extent nor revenue adequate
to the support of a sovereign prince ; and unless we suppose that
78 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. HI. he had a share of the rich mines in his neighbourhood, his esta-
^-^"^^^^^ blishment could not be greater than that of the ordinary class of
nobility. In 1322 he married Agnes, or Adelaide, the daughter of
the count of Eberstein, and was the father of six children. His
sons, Albert and Frederick, succeeded him. Albert married one
of his own family, Agnes, the daughter of Magnus the Second,
duke of Brunswick, He received the town and district of Eim-
beck, while Frederick, his younger brother, remained at Osterode.
This latter prince married, first, a countess of Anhalt ; and,
secondly, the heiress of Hesse-Homburg. He had one son, Otho,
who succeeded him, but who died without issue. Albert had
only one son, Erich, who succeeded him at Eimbeck in 1384,
and who also succeeded to the dutchy of Grubenhagen in 1387,
on the death of the prince of Tarentum. This prince married in
his own family ; and by Elizabeth, daughter of Otho, called the
Strong, duke of Gottingen, he had a family of three sons and five
daughters. Ernest, his eldest son, entered the church, and was
provost of Eimbeck and Halberstadt ; but Henry and Albert
divided the states betwixt them, Henry received the dutchy
of Grubenhagen, while Albert got the portion of his cousin Otho,
of Osterode, Henry, duke of Brunswick-Grubenhagen, married
Margaret, princess of Sagau-Silesia, and left one son, Henry,
the fourth of the name, and sixth in succession, as duke of
Grubenhagen. This prince married Elizabeth, princess of Saxe-
Lawenburg, but left no issue, Albert, who resided at Herzberg,
married Elizabeth, countess of Waldeck, and had five children.
Erich, one of his sons, was successively bishop of Osnaburg
and Munster; and Philip succeeded him. This prince, on the
death of his cousin, Henry the Fourth, 1526, became sovereign
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. ' 79
of the whole of the Grubenhagen states. He married Catharine, chap. iii.
daughter of Ernest the Third, count of Mansfeldt ; and had a ^"^^"^^^
family of eight children. Albert, one of his sons, who served
with the army of Maurice of Saxony, was killed in an action
near Giengen, in 1546. John, another son, died of the wounds he
received in the battle of St. Quentin, 1557, where he commanded
a corps in the army of Philip the Second, of Spain. Ernest, his
eldest surviving son, succeeded him in the government; and
having joined the protestant confederation, he had the command
of the troops of Luneburg, after the death of his relation, the
great Ernest of Celle, and was taken prisoner with the elector
of Saxony, at the famous battle of Miilberg, or Miilhausen.
Ernest died in 1567, without issue; and was succeeded by his
next brother, Wolfgang. This prince reigned till 1595; when
dying, without issue, his younger brother, Philip, succeeded
him, but did not survive more than twelve months. Philip died
in April 1596, and with him this branch of the family ended.
The three last mentioned princes lived during the most eventful
period of the reformation. We rather think their father, Philip
the First, had adopted the tenets of Luther, and had introduced
the protestant religion into his states ; and his sons, we know,
were firm supporters of the doctrines of the reformed church.
During the existence of the Grubenhagen branch of the house
of Brunswick, it acquired several valuable provinces, which after-
wards fell into the general mass. Eimbeck, Rudolphausen, and
Lutherberg, with the town and rich mines of St. Andreasberg, are
particularly mentioned ; and they were acquired by their right of
sovereignty, in consequence of the failure of male heirs in the several
baronial houses, to which they had originally been granted as fiefs.
SU THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. III. We must now return to Albert the Fat, duke of Brunswick,
the ancestor of the royal family of England. This prince married
Richenza, a daughter of Henry, prince of Werle, in Mecklenburg,
and had a family of nine children. His states were divided, at his
death, in 1318, between his sons, Otho, Magnus, and Ernest. Otho
got the principality of Gottingen ; but, as the guardian of his
younger brothers, he governed the whole of the Brunswick states
for several years. He died in 1344, without issue; and was suc-
ceeded by his youngest brother, Ernest, whose patrimony had
been Calemberg. Ernest married a princess of Hesse, and
left a son, Otho, surnamed the Strong, who succeeded him
as duke of Gottingen in 13C7. Otho the Strong married a
princess of Holstein, by whom he left a son, Otho, called Cocks,
from being blind of an eye. This prince did not leave any
issue ; and the title of Gottingen became extinct at his death,
in 1463.
Magnus, called the Pious, the second son of Albert the Fat,
succeeded his father at Brunswick. He married a princess of
Brandenburg, and had a family of ten children.
Albert the Fat had another son, Albert, who was elected bishop
of Halberstadt, in opposition to the representative of St. Peter ;
and who, notwithstanding the intrigues and troubles of the times,
kept possession of the see for thirty-five years. If we are to
credit the annals of that period, he was mor-e distinguished as
a general in the field, than as a divine in the pulpit. He recovered
the castle of Gattersleve, which had long been alienated from
the church. He curbed the power of the marquess of Misnia,
and for a while kept the counts of Regenstein in subjection : but
being worn out with the tumults and civil wars, which so much
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 81
prevailed, he resigned in favour of Louis, a prince of Misnia, chap. in.
who had been nominated bishop by Innocent VI. '^^^'^m^
Magnus, the Pious, died in 1369, and was succeeded by
his eldest son, Louis, who had married his cousin, Matilda,
youngest daughter of William, duke of Luneburg : but as there
was no issue by this marriage, the sovereignty of Brunswick
devolved upon his brother, Magnus the Second, surnamed Tor-
quatus, who was married to Catharine, daughter of the prince of .
Anhalt. Before, however, we pursue farther the history of this
branch of the family, it may be proper to revert once more to
the other descendants of Otho the Infant, who had lived and
reigned as dukes of Luneburg.
John, the younger brother of Albert the Great, we have
already stated, had Luneburg and its dependencies for his por-
tion ; and by the failure of heirs male in the third generation,
it naturally reverted to the elder branch, now represented by
Magnus Torquatus. But as William, the last duke of Luneburg,
wished to enrich the children of his eldest daughter, who had
married Otho, a prince of Saxe-Lawenburg, he solicited the
emperor to institute their son Albert his heir, in preference to the
elder branch of his own family. Albert was the youngest of
all the branches of the house of Saxony ; the emperor there-
fore refused to raise him above his brethren. But he consented
to invest the sons of the princess of Luneburg conjointly, with
the states belonging to their grandfather; and, in 1355, Charles a. d. 1355.
the Fourth granted the reversion of the dutchy of Luneburg to
Rudolph, and Albert, of Lawenburg, and Wenselaus, their uncle,
M
82 " THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. III. who was duke and elector of Saxony, and, on the death of duke
^"^^^^^-^ William without male issue, to their heirs.
In a short time the emperor saw the injustice of such an
act, and caused it to be cancelled : yet the duke, in his dotage,
made a will, by which he constituted Albert his heir. But
this aged sovereign again altered his mind, as, previous to his
death, we find that he ordered it to be officially notified to his
nobles and vassals, that he wished duke Magnus to succeed
him, in the event of his dying without male issue ; and he com-
manded them to take the oath of allegiance to the said duke
immediately after his own decease.
This indecision during the latter days of the sovereign, led,
as might have been expected, to much misery after his death.
Magnus Torquatus, by usage as well as by the constitution and
laws of the empire, was the heir to his cousin's possessions ; but
Albert of Lawenburg had many adherents, and the consequence
was a civil war, which devastated the country for the space of
nineteen years. The emperor favoured the princes of Lawen-
burg, and granted them letters patent, requiring the nobles,
knights, burgesses, and vassals of Luneburg, to acknowledge them
as their sovereigns. The senate of Luneburg permitted Albert to
make a public entry into their city ; and the subjects of Hanover
. and Altzel also paid him homage. But Magnus advancing with
a considerable force against his adversary, he was obliged to
retire beyond the Elbe. Magnus was put under the ban of the
empire for presuming to take possession of Luneburg by force
of arms.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 83
In 1372, it was agreed that the dispute between duke Magnus chap. hi.
and the princes of Lawenburg should be decided by the emperor
in person ; and they were summoned to appear before his majesty
at Pyrna, a town in Misnia. Duke Magnus failed to appear.
Judgment, therefore, was given against him ; and Albert of
Lawenburg was confirmed in the government of Luneburg. The
investiture, which had formerly been given to his elder brother
and uncle, was again renewed, and the ban of the empire a
second time declared against Magnus of Brunswick. Magnus,
however, had got possession, and he determined to keep it.
Albert collected a force ; and, with the aid of Otho, count of
Schaumburg, who had married the youngest daughter of the
duke of Luneburg, the widow of Louis duke of Brunswick, he
reduced some of the strong holds of the country, and destroyed
their fortifications. The rivals at last met in the field of battle,
where, having discovered each other, they engaged in single
combat; and during this rencounter duke Magnus was basely
murdered by one of the attendants of the count of Schaum-
burg, who stabbed him in the back.
Thus died Magnus Torquatus, or the Chain-bearer, on the
feast of St. James, 1373. The reason why he was called Tor-
quatus, or Chain- bearer, is thus stated by the chronicler: —
" This prince, in his younger years, being very insolent and
troublesome to his subjects and neighbours, it was made known
to his father, who sent him many letters and divers messages
to reclaim him, but in vain ; so that at last he was obliged to
use threats, and let him know, that if ever he took the field
84 ■ THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. III. again in a hostile manner, he would hang him at the next tree.
^'''"^'^"*''^ The son, who was of a very active spirit, and daring, only
laughed at his father's menaces, and in derision always wore
a silver chain about his neck, that there might, as he said, be
no lack of a thing to hang him with*."
* Vide Origin. Guelficas, torn. iv. lib. 8.
GoTTiNGENS. Geschichtbeschreibung, passim.
Rethmeyeri Chronicon.
Letznebi Chronicon, Accessiones Histor. apud Leibnitz.
PfeffinctERi Historiam de Bruns. et Luneburg.
Maderi Antiqiiit. Brunswicens. p. 248.
Professor Eichorn's History, passim.
Memoirs of the House of Brunswick, by M. B. London, 1716.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH.
85
GENEALOGY OF THE GUELPHS,
FROM OTHO THE INFANT TO MAGNUS TOKQUATUS.
OTHO the Boy or Infant, created 2lst Aug. 1235, duke of Brunswick and Luneburg, died 1252.
, John, duke of Luneburg, died 1277. 2, Albert the Great, duke of Brunswick, died 1279.
Otho, duke of Luneburg, died iSSO. i, Henry the Wonderful, 2, Albert the Fat, duke
I dnke of Gnibenhagen, of Brunswick, died
I died 1322*. 1318. I
, Otho, duke of 2, WiLLtAM, duke
Lnnebnrg, died of Luueburg, died
1352. 1369.
Magnus the Pious, duke of
Brunswick, died 1369.
Elizabeth, dutchess of Saxe
Lawenburg, died 1362.
1, Louis, duke of 2, Magnus, theChain-
Bruuswickjdied bearer, dnke of
1367. Brunswick, and,
after the death of
William,1369,duke
of Luneburg, killed
1373.
• This branch became extinct i
THE HISTORY OF
CHAPTER IV.
lAP. IV. The death of Magnus, the Chain-bearer, did not put an end
^^TsTs! to the contest respecting the succession to the states of Luneburg.
His sons, Frederick, Bernhard, and Henry, were in the prime of
life ; they had agreed to reign conjointly, and were determined
to maintain their right to the inheritance of their ancestors.
But, in order to put an end to the horrors of this lengthened war-
fare, the friends of the contending parties interfered, and through
their mediation it was settled that the dukes of Saxe-Lawenburg
and the sons of Magnus, and their heirs, should reign alternately
over the dutchy of Luneburg, and that the towns and vassals of
that state should pay equal homage to both parties.
This treaty of partition was not much attended to by either
party, and in a short time they again had recourse to arms. The
sons of Magnus Torquatus collected a considerable force, and
invaded the territories of Luneburg. They met the army of their
D. 1374. opponents near Winhausen, and a general action took place. The
Lawenburghers and their allies were so eager for the contest, that
they drew up, with a river in their rear ; and when in the middle
of the engagement they found they had no means of re treating, they
became panic-struck, and the victory was easily gained by the
princes of Brunswick. The slaughter was very great, and among
the prisoners were the counts of Hoy, Vander, and Schaumberg,
and Otho, bishop of Minden. A renewal of their former agree-
ment was the consequence of this victory. The town of Lune-
burg took the oath of allegiance to the princes of Brunswick ;
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 87
and the senate agreed to pay them eight thousand marks of silver, chap. iv.
as the ransom of Bernhard, who had been taken prisoner by ^^^^^^^
the forces of Lawenburg. Tranquillity, thus restored, was in some a. d. 1376.
measure continued till 1384, when differences having arisen
between the dukes of Brunswick and the senate of Luneburg,
the latter agreed to pay them fifty thousand marks, as the price
of their freedom, and to secure their protection.
In 1375, Albert of Lawenburg had died, without issue, of a
wound he received in an action before the town of Ricklingen ;
but Wenselaus, his uncle, continued to enjoy the title of duke
of Luneburg, conjointly with that of elector of Saxony, and trans-
mitted it to his son Rudolph. The claim of Rudolph of Law-
enburg, the elder brother of Albert, was purchased for three
thousand marks of silver : and Rudolph of Saxony resigned his
claim immediately after his father's death, in 1388; so that the
sons of Magnus, duke of Brunswick, remained in possession of
the undivided sovereignty of the country from that period.
About this time the emperor*, having purchased the mar-
quesate of Brandenburg from his son-in-law, sold it for a large
sum to the marquesses of Moravia. The dukes Bernhard and
Henry objected to the introduction of a foreigner on the borders
of their territories. They marched an army into Brandenburg,
took several of its fortresses, and laid the country waste, a.d. issy.
They also quarrelled with the bishop of Osnabruch, invaded and
devastated his states ; but having been attacked by the inhabitants
of Vecht, their army was routed, they lost their booty, and
narrowly escaped with their lives.
THE HISTORY OF
While the younger brothers were occupied in extending their
northern frontier, Frederick, the elder, was engaged in a war with
the people of Hildesheim, who had treated his authority with con-
tempt, and were in open rebellion. He marched an army mto
their country ; and having met them in battle array near Goslar,
a severe action was the consequence. The issue was for a
long time doubtful, and Frederick's soldiers were beginning
to give way, when a body of horse, commanded by a count
of Gadestene, arrived most opportunely, and turned the scale
in his favour. The greater part of the troops of Hildesheim were
either killed or wounded ; and what, perhaps, was of more conse-
quence in those days, the ransom of the prisoners amounted
to a large sum ; a sum which, as the chronicle states, repaid
him for the expenses of his brother's ransom in 1376.
Frederick duke of Brunswick was esteemed one of the ablest
princes of his day; and when Wenselaus, by his bad conduct,
forfeited the crown of the Csesars, and was removed from the
throne, he, by the unanimous voice of the empire, was elected
king of the Romans. Being called to Franckfort to receive the
crown, he set out from Brunswick with a small train. Near
Fritzlar he was attacked by an armed band, his attendants were
killed or dispersed, and he received so many wounds, that he
expired almost immediately. The leader of this band of mur-
derers was named Hardengshusen ; but the instigators of the
plot were the archbishop of Mentz and Henry count of Waldeck.
Frederick, says the chronicle, had all the accomplishments of
a prince. Possessed of great magnanimity and a considerable
share of learning, of a strong body, valiant in war, but prudent
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 89
and indefatigable in promoting peace and justice. He was mar- chap. iv.
ried to Anne, daughter of the elector of Saxony, but left no ""^^
male issue to interfere with the acknowledged sovereignty of
his younger brothers. Hardengshusen, the murderer, was taken
and delivered up to the dukes of Brunswick, who put him to
death by quartering.
Bernhard, who was attending his brother, the emperor elect,
to Franckfort, was also wounded, and robbed of his arms and
baggage, by the assassins of Frederick. He returned to Bruns-
wick, collected an army, and declared war against the arch-
bishop of Mentz, the supposed author of the murder. This
war was carried on for three years, was injurious to both
parties, and ruinous to many towns and villages in the arch-
bishoprick. During one of the many battles which ensued,
duke Henry of Brunswick was taken prisoner, and a hundred
thousand florins were demanded for his ransom. This large sum,
when the necessary expenses of the army had already drained
their treasury, inclined the dukes to listen to terms ; and through
the mediation of friends a peace was concluded. The ransom,
however, was never paid, as Rupert of Bavaria, then king of
the Romans, acquitted him of his oath and promises, and the
pope granted him full absolution.
In 1409 Bernhard and Henry agreed upon a division of their a. d. uop.
states. The latter took Luneburg and Calenburg for his share ;
while the former had Brunswick, including Hanover, Everstein,
and other provinces. They had another brother, Otho, who
entered the church, and was successively bishop of Verden
and archbishop of Bremen. Bernhard is the prince whose
9P THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. IV. posterity aj'e in existence : but, before we consider his descend-
'^^ ants, we shall, as in the former case, treat of that branch which
hjas become extinct.
Henry duke of Luneburg married Sophia, a princess of Pome-
rania, and by her had one son, William. He married, secondly,
Margaret, a princess of Hesse, by whom he had another son,
named Henry. After a life of great activity, and much trouble, he
died in the year 1415, leaving his states to his sons by the first
and second marriage, who reigned conjointly for some years.
William, the eldest son, was a prince of considerable spirit, and
was almost always engaged in the quarrels of the time. In 1421
he quelled an insurrection of the Hussites, and next year reduced
the bishoprick of Hildesheim to subjection. In 1424 he com-
manded the army of the emperor Sigismund against the Turks,
and in 1427 fought for the Hanse towns against Denmark. In
1456 he defeated the archbishop of Mentz. In 1462 he overcame
Maurice count of Oldenburg ; and in 1469 took the town of
Eimbech, then a part of the Hanseatic league. His success in
war gained him the appellation of the Victorious; and as he
lived to the age of ninety, he was well entitled to that of
Veteran.
Henry, the younger brother, commanded the troops of his
cousin, the duke of Austria, in a war between Philip duke of
Burgundy and Charles king of France. The Burgundians, with
the aid of the Austrians, gained several victories ; and in every
action the young duke of Brunswick behaved with great valour.
He married Helen, a daughter of the duke of Cleves, and had
the states of Wolfenbuttle for his portion ; but dying without
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. _ 91
male issue, they reverted to the elder brother and his de- chap. iv.
scendants.
William the Victorious married Cecilia, daughter of Frederick,
elector of Brandenburg, and by her had three sons, William,
Frederick, and Otho. The two eldest reigned together at Bruns-
wick ; and Otho had the principality of Wolfenbuttle, but died
before his father, without issue. Little is known of the life of
Frederick : he is called the Turbulent ; and we find that he died
while a prisoner at Munden. Frederick was married to his cousin, a.d. 1495.
Anne, daughter of Erick duke of Brunswick-Grubenhagen, but
left no issue. He acquired the principality of Gottingen on
the death of his cousin Otho, Codes; and the whole of his states
were inherited by his only surviving brother, William, the eldest
son of William the Victorious, who was married to Elizabeth
countess of Stolberg-Wernigerode. His deeds also are buried
in oblivion; and we only know, that at his death, in 1503,
William left Brunswick and Wolfenbuttle to his son Henry, and
Calenburg, with Gottingen, to Erick.
Henry of Brunswick-Wolfenbuttle is the only prince of this
house, which we have as yet met with, to whom the title of
Bad is annexed ; but for what reason does not appear. Before
his father's death he had joined the archbishop of Magde-
burgh in a war against the inhabitants of Hildesheim, and had
shown considerable talents as a general. Brunswick had joined
the Hanseatic league, and was in consequence declared a free
city : but the privileges and immunities which it claimed were
incompatible with the rights of the sovereign. Henry remon-
strated, but was not attended to. He threatened, but his threats
93 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. IV. were despised : it therefore became necessary to have recourse
to compulsion, and he marched against the city with a considerable
army. The Brunswickers, proud of their wealth and their num-
bers, beheld his advance with indifference, and without making
any preparations for their defence. The duke arrived before the
place about the beginning of winter. The citizens now saw their
error in not providing against such an occurrence. They had
few regular troops in the city, and but a poor supply of pro-
visions. The siege, or rather blockade, lasted the whole of the
winter, the next summer, and great part of the autumn, as the
duke's success depended more upon his starving the garrison
into a compliance with his terms, than on the capability of his
army to take it by assault. The allies of Brunswick were not
idle ; they collected a strong force and a large quantity of pro-
visions at Hildesheim, which they conducted in safety to the
town of Peyna: from thence they communicated with the
. ^ besieged. A concerted movement was agreed upon ; which
Henry being aware of, determined to prevent. He drew off his
troops from the siege, and marched to attack the army at Peyna.
These forces, with the Brunswickers that had sallied from the
city, advanced upon the duke, and an action ensued. They
were much superior to the duke in numbers ; and had they not
committed a fatal mistake, by taking up a position where they
had not sufficient room to manoeuvre, they might have gained an
easy victory. As it was, they succeeded in getting their supplies
into Brunswick, though not without a considerable loss and much
hard fighting. The citizens were now relieved from their greatest
enemy, famine; and duke Henry, after his losses in the action.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 93
was Still less able to carry the place by storm. A negotiation chap. iv.
was commenced, which ended in a truce, and they agreed to ^■^^^^^^
submit their differences to the decision of two independent
princes. The cause was solemnly heard before the electors of
Saxony and Brandenburg ; but there is no evidence that Henry
gained any thing more than a nominal submission to his sovereign
authority on the part of the city. His next warlike exploit was
an attempt to take the city of Hanover by surprise, it having also
foiled him when he endeavoured to take it in the regular way,
during his war against Hildesheim. He marched quietly upon
the town during the night, concealed his soldiers in the suburbs,
and had resolved that they should rush into the city as soon
as the gates were opened next morning. But a countryman
gave the alarm, the citizens were upon their guard, and Henry
was obliged to retire without obtaining his object. In 1514 he
was killed by a cannon ball, while engaged in the siege of Lecropt,
a town in East Friesland.
Erick, the younger brother of Henry the Bad, had Calenburg
and Gottingen. He was long engaged in a contest with his
nephew about some parts of the succession, but does not appear
to have made any figure on the great theatre of the world. He
died in 1540, and, by Catherine, princess of Saxony, left one
son, Erick, who succeeded him, and with whom this branch
ended, in 1584.
Erick the Second lived during that period when the opinions
of Luther and his disciples had brought about a revolution in
the sentiments of mankind, which was the greatest, as well as
the most beneficial, that has happened since the promulgation
94 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. IV. of Christianity ; and when the emperor and the pope had recourse
'^-^^^^"^ to arms, instead of arguments, to overthrow the doctrines of the
reformed church, the princes of the house of Brunswick-Lune-
burg were, for the most part, converts to the new doctrines.
A. D. 1530. But Erick appears to have remained faithful to the church of
Rome, and to have been a constant ally of Charles the Fifth.
He raised a considerable force for the service of this emperor,
and after his abdication commanded a division of the army in
the Netherlands, under the duke of Alva, in the service of Philip
king of Spain. Having married, for his second dutchess, a
princess of Lorraine, whose mother was the widow of a duke
of Milan, he retired to Pavia, where he resided during the latter
years of his life.
Henry, surnamed the Yovmger, was the only son of Henry the
Bad of Brunswick-Wolfenbuttle, who was not a bishop, or con-
nected with the church. He succeeded his father in 1514, and
was not only a zealous, but a bigoted defender of the Roman
catholic faith, and a staunch member of the holy league. We
may apply to him what Robertson has recorded of duke Albert
of Saxony, " That from the first dawn of the reformation he had
been its enemy, as avowedly as the other princes of his house had
been its protectors ; and had carried on his opposition, not only
with all the zeal flowing from religious prejudices, but with a
virulence inspired by personal antipathy to Luther, and embit-
tered by the domestic animosity subsisting between him and
the other branches of his family*." When Christian king of
Denmark, and several protestant princes of the empire, had met
* Vide Robertson, Charles V. 8vo. vol. ii. p. 89.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 95
at Brunswick to concert measures for their mutual defence, he chap. iv.
refused a safe conduct to the elector of Saxony and landgrave ^^^^CsT^
of Hesse, who were obliged to pass through his territories, and
prevented their attendance. In 1539 he went to Spain, on a
visit to the emperor Charles, and is said to have accused the
whole of the princes, who were favourers of Luther, of a
design to overturn the constitution, and dethrone the sovereign.
In his letters to the emperor he called the great elector of
Saxony abundance of evil names ; and asserted, that he con-
sidered Luther as his God. He sent emissaries into the country
of the protestants ; and many villages were set on fire and burnt
down by these assassins. Some of them were taken, and con-
demned, who with their last breath asserted that they had been
hired for such infernal purposes by Henry of Brunswick. His
youngest brother, William, commander of the Teutonic order
at Mirow, in Mecklenburg, having changed his religion, was
taken a prisoner, and confined by him for many years. His
infamous conduct was brought before the emperor in a diet
at Ratisbon; but Charles paid little attention to the complaints
of the protestants. Brunswick and Goslar, as free towns, had
both joined the Smalkalde league. They were therefore obnoxious
to Henry : he attacked them with his forces ; and, though com-
manded by the emperor to desist, he continued to annoy their
citizens and commerce. It had now become necessary to put
an end to his marauding; and the elector of Saxony and land-
grave of Hesse took the field against him, with a considerable a. d. 1543.
army. They soon overran his states, took his capital of Wolfen-
buttle, and obliged him to take refuge at the court of Bavaria.
THE HISTORY OF
A diet was called at Spires, to which the elector and landgrave
stated in writing their reasons for levying war against the duke
of Brunswick; and in this document, which still exists, they
declared that he had forfeited his right to a seat in the college of
princes, and that they would not sit and vote with him. Henry
took his place in the assembly, allowing them to protest, and,
in his turn, produced an accusation against the elector and land-
grave, and their confederates; asserting, that in defiance of all
law, both of God and man, in opposition to the constitution of
the empire, and contrary to public faith and peace, they had
by force of arms deprived him of his country ; for which they
stood indicted before the imperial chamber, and, therefore, ought
to have no place in the diet of the empire. To prevent further
disputation, Charles agreed to decide their quarrel himself, and
he fixed the 5th of April for hearing both parties at full length.
The charges brought against duke Henry were numerous ; but the
principal part of them were drawn from the letters found in his
castle of Wolfenbuttle, when it was taken by the confederates,
and his open attack upon the cities of Brunswick and Goslar.
There was also another charge brought against this prince, which
the reader may be gratified by perusing in the words of the
chronicle* : —
" The duke had married the lady Mary, sister to Ulrick,
duke of Wirtemburg, who, among other ladies that waited on
her, had one Eve Trotting, a young lady of extraordinary beauty
and noble family. The duke began to be desperately smitten
* Vide History of the House of Brunswick. Printed by J. Pemberton, opposite
St. Dunstan's Church, 1716, p. 104, et seq.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 97
with her, and at length prevailing, had some children by her : chap. iv.
but that the intrigue might not be discovered, and that he might
still enjoy her company, he put a stratagem into her head, that
she should pretend to return home to her parents ; and he fur-
nished her with a waggon and horses, and all things necessary
for her journey : but when people thought she was really returned
home, she was conducted another way to a castle of his, whereof
the governor was beforehand instructed by him what to do, and
had a woman or two, in whom he most confided, to assist him
in the plot. Some days after Eve came there, she took her bed,
pretending to be very sick. Now, the duke had before prepared
an image to be made of wood, representing the head, neck, and
breast of a dead body ; the other parts of the body were done
and shaped in linen, which the women stuffed with dust or earth,
that so it might seem to be solid, and then fitted the wooden
head and bust to it, which was likewise covered over with the
linen cloth. Being thus ordered and wrapped in a shroud, it
was laid on the floor, and presently one of the women ran to
the governor's parlour door, crying out thiat Eve was dead : upon
which he presently ordered a coffin to be made to put the body
in : and to scare people from approaching the corpse, it was given
out that she died of the plague ; and juniper berries and other
odoriferous things were burnt to perfume the room. Afterwards
the corpse was carried in funeral pomp to the Grey Friars' church,
where it was honourably buried ; the Franciscans performing all
the usual ceremonies, and praying for the soul of the deceased, as
they did for a whole year after, and in their sermons exhorted the
people to do the like. There was also, by the duke's order, a
o
98 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. IV.
A. D. 1544.
funeral office performed for her in the chapel of the castle, where
it was said she died, priests being invited thither from the neigh-
bourhood : the same was done in the castle of Wolfenbuttle. His
wife, the dutchess, was present at this office, with her women and
maids all in mourning. Many priests were invited to it, who had
afterwards a dinner, and every one of them a piece of money in
gratuity, according to the ancient custom observed among the
papists.
" In the meantime. Eve, whose death was lamented by so
many, was in the castle of Stauffenburg, where she was still
visited by the duke, who since that time had seven children by
her: he also persuaded his dutchess to write to Eve's parents
and relations, to acquaint them with her death.
" But when afterwards a rumour was raised that she was still
alive, and kept in Stauffenburg, the dutchess's jealousy put her
upon making a strict inquiry of the servants about the truth
thereof; but the duke gave orders, that none of those should
come near her that could give any information. However, her
suspicion stuck to her as long as she lived, which put her upon
writing many letters to him, to lament her misfortune."
The duke was not present while the accusations against him
were read, but he was furnished with a copy, and commanded
to answer them. On the 13th of April his answer was produced,
and consisted of assertions, that all the wars, conspiracies, and
rebellions, that had occurred in the empire, were occasioned by
the confederates. He failed, however, in gaining possession of
his dutchy, as it was determined that it should be put into
the hands of the emperor until the question could be legally
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 99
decided. Henry was not satisfied with this sentence. He had ch.4p. iv.
obtained a large sum of money from the king of France, under ^"^"^^^
pretence of raising a subsidiary force for that sovereign, to assist
him in his war against England; and having collected an army
of fifteen hundred horse, and eight thousand infantry, instead
of sending them into Flanders, he ravaged the countries of
Brunswick and Luneburg, and demanded satisfaction from the
cities of Brunswick, Hanover, Minden, Bremen, and Hamburgh,
for the injuries he had received from them, and threatened to
destroy them unless they renounced the league of Smalkald.
" The confederates," says Robertson, " were not more sur-
prised at this unexpected attack than the king of France was
astonished at a mean and thievish fraud so unbecoming the
character of a prince."
The landgrave of Hesse assembled an army for the pro-
tection of his allies ; and at Nordheim he was joined by his
son-in-law, Maurice, duke of Saxony, as also by Ernest, duke
of Brunswick-Grubenhagen, with a thousand horse and three
thousand infantry. Henry was at this time besieging his own
castle of Wolfenbuttle ; but he withdrew from the siege, and
resolved to meet his enemies in the open field. He encamped
at Calfeld, within a mile of the landgrave's head quarters. An
attempt was made to treat; but the landgrave stated, that he
had no power to enter into terms without the advice and consent
of the confederate princes ; and some skirmishing took place
between the two armies. At last, through the mediation of
Maurice of Saxony and Ernest of Grubenhagen, the landgrave
consented, that if he would disband his troops, surrender himself
100 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. IV. to Maurice, and abide by his award, he might have peace.
A.D. 1.554. Henry rejected these terms, and in the middle of the night
detached a part of his forces, with the view of surprising the
camp of his enemy. A severe action was fought ; and Henry
was so completely beaten, that he was glad to sue for peace
on any terms. The landgrave would not listen to any proposals
until he and his eldest son had surrendered themselves prisoners,
which they were obliged to do. When brought into the presence
of the prince of Hesse, the landgrave addressed him in these
terms : " Were I in your power as you are in mine, I should
not have long to live ; yet I will use you more generously than
you deserve. Had you submitted to the decision of the emperor,
you would have been to-day a happier man, and might
have provided for yourself and your posterity*." The duke of
Brunswick and his son were put under a guard, their army
was disbanded, and the landgrave transmitted an account of
all that had taken place to the emperor, then at Ghent.
A.D. 1546. The emperor, who had tampered with the protestants
while it suited his interests, at last threw aside the mask, and
declared openly the part he intended to act. Preparations were
made for war; and when the confederate princes required to
know whether these preparations were carried on by his com-
mand, and for what end, and against what enemy, Charles
owned the order which he had issued ; and professing not to
molest, on account of religion, those who should act as dutiful
subjects, he assured them, that he had nothing in view but to
• Vide Commemoration succinct, hujus Belli, apud Scardium, torn. ii. page 307,
et seq.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 101
maintain the rights and prerogatives of the imperial dignity ; chap. iv.
and, by punishing some factious members, to preserve the ancient ^^^^'^^^
constitution of the empire from being impaired or dissolved by
their irregular and licentious conduct.
The emperor did not name the persons destined to be the
objects of his vengeance ; but it was clear that he had in view
the elector of Saxony and landgrave of Hesse. The greater
part of the protestant confederates also clearly perceived that
nothing short of the overthrow of the reformed religion was the
end and aim for which Charles was about to take up arms.
They resolved, therefore, to prepare for their own defence.
Their deputies met at Ulm, and their deliberations were con-
ducted with vigour and unanimity. They solicited the aid of
the Venetians, of the Swiss, and lastly, of France and England ;
but gained little by their negotiation with these courts. So
popular, however, was their cause in Germany, that in the course
of a few weeks they had collected an army of seventy thousand
foot, and fifteen thousand cavalry, with a train of a hundred
and twenty cannon, eight hundred ammunition waggons, eight
thousand beasts of burden, and six thousand pioneers*.
Henry of Brunswick, during these preparations, was still in
close confinement, though several of the confederate princes,
his relations, had interceded for his release. At last the want
of union among the confederates, the division and dispersion of
their army, gave the emperor the power of dictating terms ;
but this prince did not obtain his liberty till after the fatal
battle of Mulhausen, the defeat and imprisonment of the elector
* Vide Thaun. Chron. lib. i. page 68.
102 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. IV. of Saxony ; and when the landgrave of Hesse having, by the
"^^^^^ persuasion of his son-in-law, Maurice of Saxony, placed himself
in the emperor's power, was obliged to subscribe to any terms
which he might impose. The first and most galling command
which he received, was to liberate Henry of Brunswick, without
ransom, together with all the prisoners he had taken during
the war.
A. D. id5o. It was now the turn of Henry of Brunswick to triumph over
his adversaries. He commenced a suit against the confederate
princes in the imperial chamber, for the injury which he had
suffered by the sequestration of his states, and renewed his
claim to the sovereignty of the city of Brunswick. But the
emperor interfered, and put an end to his dispute with that city ;
and by a treaty concluded at Passau, in Bavaria, commissioners
were appointed to settle all differences between him and his nobles,
and also between him and the cities of Brunswick and jjoslar.
But he continued still to make war upon the protestant princes
A. D. 1553. in his vicinity: and in 1553 he joined Maurice, now become
elector of Saxony, against the margrave of Brandenburg, whose
turbulent ambition had excited commotions, and disturbed the
empire during this year.
The margrave's troops having shared in the calamities of the
siege of Metz, were greatly reduced in number : but the emperor,
prompted by gratitude for his distinguished services ; or, per-
haps, (as Robertson observes,) " with the view of fomenting
differences among the princes of the empire*," having paid up
all the money due to him, he was enabled to hire so many of
* Vide Robertson, Charles V. vol. ii. p. 368.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 103
the soldiers dismissed from the imperial army, that he was chap. iv.
soon at the head of a body of men as numerous as ever. a^ i.'jss
The bishops of Bamburg and Wurtzburg had obtained a deci-
sion against him in the imperial chamber, annulling the con-
ditions he had imposed upon them ; and he was enjoined to
renounce all claim to the performance of these conditions : and
if he did persist in such tinjust demands, all princes of the
empire were exhorted to take arms against him, as a disturber
of the public tranquillity. To this decision Albert opposed the
confirmation of his transactions with the two prelates, which
the emperor had granted him; and in order to intimidate his
antagonists, as well as to convince them of his resolution not
to relinquish his pretensions, he put his troops in motion to
secure the territory in question. Various endeavours were made,
and many expedients proposed, in order to prevent the kindling
of another war : but that warmth of temper which rendered
Albert turbulent, inspired him with the most sanguine hopes of
success, and he disdainfully rejected all reasonable overtures of
accommodation.
The imperial chamber now issued a decree against him ; and
the elector of Saxony, with other princes, among whom was
Henry duke of Brunswick, were required to take arms, in order
to see it carried into execution. There was some reason to
suppose that the emperor gave encouragement to the margrave
of Brandenburg, and therefore Maurice and his associates were
the more willing to comply with the requisition of the chamber ;
and they were joined by many of the most powerful princes
in the empire. Albert endeavoured, by his activity, to deprive
104
CHAH. IV.
A. I). 1553.
THE HISTORY OF
this league of the power which it would acquire by the union of
their forces. He marched directly against Maurice of Saxony,
the enemy whom he dreaded most. Their armies were nearly
equal in number, about twenty-four thousand each. They met at
the village of Silverhausen ; and the animosity which reigned
between the two leaders did not suffer them to remain long
inactive. The troops, inflamed with the same hostile rage,
marched firmly to the attack.
The battle was long and obstinate. Both generals were ac-
customed to command, and both capable of availing themselves of
every error on the part of his adversary, and of every advantage
which was gained on his own side. Victory, which was for a
considerable time doubtful, at last declared for Maurice, whose
cavalry turned the scale. Albert's army fled in confusion, leaving
upwards of four thousand killed on the field, a number of
wounded, with their camp, baggage, and artillery, in the hands
of the conquerors. But this victory was dearly bought: three
princes of Brunswick, (two of them sons of Henry,) fell, while
gallantly leading their troops to the conflict : and Maurice himself,
while rallying a body of horse that had been broken, and leading
them a second time to a charge, received a wound in the belly
from a pistol bullet, of which he died two days after the battle.
After the action at Silverhausen, Albert took refuge in the
city of Brunswick, whither he was pursued by Henry, who
laid siege to the place; but being bribed by the citizens with
a promise of eighty thousand crowns, he raised the siege, and
marched into the territories of John-Frederick, duke of Saxony,
who was the friend and ally of the margrave of Brandenburg.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 105
The successor of Maurice, elector of Saxony, now interposed, chap. iv.
and through his mediation their diiferences were accommodated, ^■^^♦^'^
and Henry returned to the prosecution of the war against Albert.
He took Lichtfelze, a town in the bishoprick of Bamberg, which
was garrisoned by the troops of Brandenburg, and afterwards
marched against Sweinfurt, in Franconia, where Albert had his
head quarters: but as this town was in a condition to defend
itself, and the winter was approaching, he returned to Wolfen-
buttle.
In the spring Albert withdrew his troops from Sweinfurt; a. 0.1554.
but was pursued by Henry, and overtaken on the banks of
the Mayne, where he suffered a second defeat ; and being obliged
to swim across that river, he narrowly escaped with his life,
but lost all his baggage and cannon, and the greater part of
his troops. In 1556 Henry took for his second wife, Sophia,
daughter of Sigismund, king of Poland ; and, having retired
from the bustle of the world, spent the last two years of his
life in arranging his private affairs. He died in 1558 ; and by
his first dutchess, Mary of Wirtemburg, left one son, Julius,
who succeeded him, and who also succeeded to the states of
Gottingen and Calemburg on the death of his cousin, Erick the
Second.
Julius was a prince of a mild disposition. He became
early in life a convert to the doctrines of the reforma-
tion ; and on his accession to the government of his paternal
states, he subscribed to the confession of Augsburg, and took
care to have it propagated throughout his dominions. He entered
into an amicable arrangement with the city of Brunswick, and by a
public act confirmed their privileges ; leaving the disputes which
106 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. IV. had existed between that city and his father on minor points, to be
^^'^'^^^ decided in the courts of law. He raised Wolfenbuttle, which was
hitherto a village dependent upon the castle, to the rank of a city,
and, in memory of his father, gave it the name of Henreichstadt.
He was a great encourager of learning, and founded a college at
Gandersheim, which was afterwards transferred to Helmstadt,
and, by favour of the emperor Maximilian, constituted a university,
with many privileges.
Julius does not appear to have engaged in any of the contests
of his time, and he died, at the age of sixty-one, on the 3d
of May, 1589. In 1560 he married Hedwig, daughter of Joachim
elector of Brandenburg, and left a family of eleven children.
Henry-Julius, his eldest son, succeeded him.
When only two years of age, Henry-Julius was chosen bishop
of Halberstadt, a Roman catholic see, with the view, it is sup-
posed, of preserving him from the heresy of his father: but
this did not succeed, as he adopted the creed of the reformed
church; and at the same time obliged the chapter to pay his
revenues as bishop. His brother, Philip-Sigismund, was bishop
of Minden ; and Charles, another brother, provost of Strasburg.
The existence of free and independent cities in the centre of
their states was at all times a subject of great jealousy to the
sovereign princes : the relation which existed between these cities
and the princes in whose territories they were situated' was
seldom well defined, and never properly understood ; they were
constantly quarrelling about some grievance or other, or the
imaginary infringement of some right or privilege. The insolence
of the Hanseatic league not unfrequently provoked their superiors
to take vengeance on its members, and to compel them to
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 107
acknowledge the paramount authority of their superior lords, chap. iv.
The Brunswickers above all were a turbulent set; and not- '^^"^^-^"^^
withstanding the kindness with which they had been treated
by the father of Henry-Julius, they soon rebelled against
his authority, and forced him to have recourse to arms for their
subjection.
With his own subjects, and a subsidiary force which he
took into his pay, he laid siege to that city. It was sup- a.d. leoe.
ported by the other towns of the league ; who, by way
of diverting his attention from the conquest of Brunswick,
marched a formidable army into the territories of the duke. The
circle of Saxony interposed by its ministers, a reconciliation
was effected, and by command of the emperor both parties laid
down their arms ; though the rabble, which constituted the
Hanseatic army, did not disperse until they had devastated a great
part of the states of Brunswick. They attempted to waylay the
duke when he had separated from his army; but he happily
escaped, and arrived safe at Wolfenbuttle. In 1599 he had
acquired the countries of Regenstein and Blankenburg, by
the failure of heirs in these houses; but the elector of
Brandenburg laid claim to Regenstein, as sovereign of the
bishoprick of Halberstadt, which had been granted to him by
the treaty of Westphalia; and his claim was considered good
by the imperial chamber.
Henry- Julius died at Prague, in 1613. He was twice
married : first, in 1585, to Dorothea, daughter of Augustus, elector
of Saxony, who died in child-bed of her first child, a daughter ;
and secondly, in 1590, to Elizabeth, princess of Denmark, by
108 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. IV. whom he had eleven children. Christian, one of his sons, who
'-^^'^^ was bishop of Halberstadt, was a great favourite with James the
First of England, and by him made a knight of the Garter. On the
AD. 1596. failure of heirs male in the Grubenhagen branch, Henry-Julius
seized upon those states, under the pretence that he was heir, in
preference to the descendants of the elder brother; but Fre-
derick-Ulrick, his eldest son, who succeeded him in the govern-
ment, was compelled to restore the'm to the dukes of Luneburg.
Frederick-Ulrick spent a great part of his youth in England
and France, and was possessed of all the accomplishments of
the age in which he lived. On succeeding to the sovereignty,
a quarrel with the city of Brunswick engaged him in a civil
war ; and, though baffled for several years by the intrigues of the
Hanse towns, he at last compelled that capital to do homage to him,
and put an end to a controversy that had existed for centuries.
He married Sophia, daughter of Sigismund, elector of Branden-
burg, but died, in 1636, without issue; and with him. this branch
of the family ended.
We must now revert to the elder branch, the descendants
of Bernhard, second son of Magnus the Chain-bearer. Bernhard
left two sons, by Margaret, princess of Saxony ; Otho, styled
the Lame, and Frederick the Just. The first succeeded his
father in 1434, and reigned twelve years. He was actively
engaged in the troubles of his time, and appears to have served
in all the campaigns of his cousin, William the Victorious. He
married a countess of Eberstein, but left no issue; and at his
^ death, in 1446, he was succeeded in the government of Luneburg
by his brother Frederick, who, from his peaceable disposition
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 109
and upright conduct, a rare quality in those days, was called chap. iv.
the Just. By Magdalen, princess of Brandenburg, Frederick ^■^^'^'^
had two sons ; to whom, on their attaining the age of manhood,
he delivered up the government of the dutchy, and retired
to the privacy of a convent. His eldest son, Bemhard,
the second of this branch, reigned for a few years. He married
a countess of Schaumburg; but leaving no issue, Otho, the
younger son, became the head of the state.
From 1464 to 1471 we find this Otho engaged in a contest
with his nobles, who, under the mild sway of his father, had
become turbulent and presumptuous, and in a great measure
usurped the sovereign authority. The most powerful of these
barons were Schulenburg and Berteslaw, chiefs possessed of
considerable estates, and allied to almost all the noble families
in the country. Otho pursued them into the most difficult of
their fastnesses; and at length compelled them to submit and
sue for mercy. But he died also in the prime of life, and his
deeds have not been such as to find a place in history. He
had married Anne, a princess of Nassau, and by her had one
son, Henry, who at his father's death, in 1471, was only three
years of age. Bemhard now emerged from the cloister, and
again assumed the reins of government, as the guardian of his
grandson. His second reign was as peaceable as his first had
been; and he died in 1478, leaving the young Henry, then ten
years of age, sovereign of the country.
This Henry was both an active and an enterprising prince. He
seceded from the church of Rome, and was a great promoter
of the reformation; a circumstance which involved him in war
with his cousins, Erick and Henry, of Brunswick Wolfenbuttle,
110 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. IV. the two catholic princes whose history we have already detailed.
^^""^^ Fabricius mentions a severe action fought near Peyna, in which
Henry commanded the troops of Luneburg and Hildesheim
against those of Brunswick.
The duke of Luneburg, with a force much inferior to his
adversaries', obtained so complete a victory, that he took both
Erick and William of Brunswick prisoners, with their ally, the
bishop of Minden. Charles the Fifth interfered, and com-
manded him not only to desist from further hostilities, but
also to set his prisoners free. This command was not obeyed ;
he was therefore put under the ban of the empire; and Erick,
who had been ransomed, was ordered, with his brother Henry,
to 'see the ban enforced.
Henry, to avoid the , effects of this prescription, resigned
the dutchy to his three sons, and fled to France, where he re-
mained an exile for several years. On making proper submission,
however, he was allowed to return; and we find him, in 1526,
engaged in suppressing the insurrection occasioned by the ex-
travagancies of Muncer of Stollberg, the apostle of the ana-
baptists. Muncer was taken and beheaded, his followers were
dispersed, and for a while this sect of fanatics was suppressed.
But it appeared again with renewed vigour; and few are unac-
quainted with its history in the city of Munster, where John
of Leyden was elected their king, and where, when besieged
by the bishop, they endured the utmost rigour of famine, and
suff'ered hardships at which humanity shudders, rather than
accept of the terms which were offered to them*.
* Vide History of Charles V. vol. ii. p. 20, et seq.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. HI
Henry of Luneburg married Margaret, daughter of Ernest, chap. iv.
elector of Saxony; and by her had three sons, Otho, Ernest, ^^^^""^
and Francis. Otho succeeded his father in 1531 ; but pre-
ferring retirement to the parade of a court, he resigned the
government to his brother Ernest, and took up his residence
at Harburg, and there he was succeeded by his only son, also
Otho, in 1549.
Otho the First, of Harburg, was married to Matilda, a
daughter of the baronial house of Camp6 : and his son, Otho
the Second, married a countess of Schwartzburg, who died in
1557 ; and, secondly, a countess of East Friesland : by the
first he had three, and by the latter eleven children; but only
one son, William, survived him; and, as he died unmarried,
this branch ended in 1642. Francis, the youngest son of Henry
of Luneburg, and brother to the first duke of Harburg, resided
at GiiForn : he married Clara, of Saxe Lawenburg, but left no
male issue.
Ernest, the second son of Henry duke of Luneburg, was a
prince of more spirit and greater ambition than either his
elder or younger brother. He was educated at the university
of Wittenburg, where he attended the prelections of Luther,
and early adopted his sentiments in religion. In the records of
that period he is styled the Confessor, from the active and zealous
part which he took in the establishment of the reformation. He
was the intimate friend and constant companion of the great
elector of Saxony. In the diet at Augsburg, his voice had a a.d. i^so.
powerful influence in persuading the princes to support the
cause they had adopted, and to reject the flattering and tempt-
112 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. IV. ing promises of the emperor ; and in the second meeting at
^^*^''^*^ Smalkalde, he ably supported the exhortations of Luther, and
was amongst the first to propose the league for their mutual
defence against all aggressors, and by which the protestant states
of the empire were formed into one regular body. At his sug-
gestion, they resolved to apply to the kings of England and
France to implore them to protect the new confederacy. Both
these sovereigns, we may observe, were well disposed to any
measure that could weaken the power of their ambitious rival ;
but Henry was so much engaged in the negotiations for effecting
his divorce from his queen, that he had no leisure for foreign
ajflfairs, and all they could obtain was a small supply of money ;
and Francis having received no provocation, could not violate
a treaty of peace which he had himself so lately solicited. Yet
the king of France listened with the utmost eagerness to the
complaints of the protestant princes, and determined secretly
to cherish those sparks of political discord which might be after-
wards kindled into a flame. He sent William de Bellay, one
of his ablest negotiators, into Germany, who visited the several
courts of the malcontent protestants, and concluded an alliance
between them and his master; which, though kept secret at
the time, and productive of no immediate effects, laid the founda-
tion of an union that on many subsequent occasions was fatal
to the ambitious projects of Charles.
Ernest of Celle was one of the leading members in the
A. u. 1531. negotiations, which ended in the pacification that was agreed
upon at Nuremberg, and ratified in the diet at Ratisbon; and
he accompanied the elector of Saxony and landgrave of Hesse,
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 113
with a considerable body of troops, when they took the field chap. iv.
against Henry of Brunswick, his cousin, compelled him to raise ^^'^'"^^
the siege of Goslar, and afterwards drove him from his dominions, a. n. 1543.
His second son, Frederick, commanded the troops of Lune-
burg, under the landgrave of Hesse, in the hard fought action
of Silverhausen. This gallant youth was killed in leading his a. d. 1545.
troops to one of those desperate charges which succeeded in
gaining the victory, and his father did not long survive him.
Ernest died on the 11th of January, 1546. From the influence
which he had acquired among the confederate princes, we must
consider his death as a severe loss to the protestant cause. He
was an able negotiator and a sound politician; and his com-
manding eloquence could at all times confirm the wavering spirit
of the elector of Saxony, or calm the violence of the landgrave
of Hesse, the acknowledged heads of the protestant league. After
his death his troops were commanded by his cousin, Ernest, duke
of Brunswick-Grubenhagen, a pupil of his own, and one equally
zealous in the defence of the cause they had undertaken to support.
At the fatal battle of Mulhausen these troops formed a con- a. 0.1547.
siderable portion of the confederate army ; and when the Saxons
were routed and fled, they remained firm and kept their ground.
Among them the elector fought in person ; and with them he was
taken prisoner, after being surrounded on every side. But not till
he was wounded in the faceand exhausted with fatigue, and fully
satisfied that all resistance was vain, did he command them to lay
down their arms. Ernest of Grubenhagen was conducted, with
John Frederick, a prisoner to the emperor, and accompanied
that prince in bondage during his progress through the country.
114 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. IV. The name of Ernest of Celle appears as one of the first sub-
^•^^''"^^ scribers to the confession of Augsburg, and he protested against
the decrees of the diets of Ratisbon and Spires. He married, in
1528, Sophia, daughter of Henry, duke of Mecklenburg, and had
a family of ten children. In his days the house of Luneburg
enjoyed some degree of its ancient splendour; and Ernest was, in
many respects, a prince worthy of his descent from the Lion of
Brunswick. He resided in the castle of Celle, and took the title
of duke of that city in preference to that of duke of Luneburg.
The whole of the Brunswick and Luneburg states centered in
him or his immediate descendants, and he is therefore considered
the common father of all tlie existing princes of that house. He
was succeeded by his eldest son, Francis-Otho, in the dukedom of
Celle. Henry, his second surviving son, received the principality
of Danneberg; and William, the youngest, had the dutchy of
Luneburg.
The states of Luneburg were anxious to form a powerfid
alliance for the eldest son of Ernest the Confessor, and they
A. D. 1549. sent a formal embassy to England to demand the hand of the
princess Mary for their young sovereign. This embassy was
favourably received; but as a treaty was then on foot for the
marriage of the princess with the Infant of Portugal, their request
could not be acceded to. For what reason, or on what account,
is not stated, but about this period Edward the Sixth granted
a pension of three hundred pounds sterling to Otho, duke of
Luneburg, payable annually on the eve of the feast of St. John
the Baptist. Francis-Otho, in his thirtieth year, 1559, married
Elizabeth, daughter of Joachim, elector of Brandenburg ; but.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 115
dying within a few months after his marriage, left no issue, chap. iv.
Henry, his next brother, who resided at Danneberg, agreed to
reign conjointly with his brother "William, and the country was
governed in their names for several years. But, having married
a princess of Saxe-Lawenburg, a division afterwards took place by
mutual consent. Henry, fond of retirement, accepted the small
territory of Danneberg, and William had the dutchies of Celle
and Luneburg. Henry had several children; and at his death,
in 1596, was succeeded by his eldest son, Julius-Ernest.
This prince married, first, a countess of East Friesland, by
whom he had one daughter ; and, secondly, he married Sibylla,
the daughter of his uncle William ; but, leaving no male issue,
his states were inherited by his brother Augustus, who also
succeeded to the states of Brunswick- Wolfenbuttle, in 1634, on
the death of Frederick- Ulrick, the last prince of that branch.
Augustus of Daimeberg, and, as he was afterwards styled, duke
of Brunswick- Wolfenbuttle, was a prince of great learning, and
the patron of learned men. He travelled much in his younger
days, and resided for some time at the courts of England and
France. On succeeding to his cousin, Frederick-Ulrick, he
made Wolfenbuttle his place of residence. There he formed
a magnificent library, which still exists, and is a noble monument
of the zeal with which he cultivated literature and the sciences.
It contains many scarce and valuable manuscripts and produc-
tions of the first ages of printing, and several treatises of con-
siderable interest that were composed by the prince himself. His
great object seems to have been the improvement of the German
language, and to inculcate a purity and correctness of expression
116 THE HISTO'RY OF
CHAP. IV. in speaking as well as in writing. He died in 1666; and by his
'■^^"'■^^^^ second dutchess, Dorothea, daughter of Randolph, prince of
Anhalt, he left three sons and two daughters. By his third
dutchess, Sophia-Elizabeth, princess of Mecklenburg, he left
one son and one daughter. Rudolphus-Augustus, the eldest
son by the second marriage, succeeded him at Brunswick.
Anthony- Ulrick, the other brother by the same mother, obtained
Wolfenbuttle ; and Ferdinand-Albert, the only son of the third
marriage, had the principality of Bevern.
Though the city of Brunswick had been stripped of its
freedom in a great measure by duke Frederick-Ulrick, in 1596,
it still possessed many immunities, which were considered
derogatory of the authority vested in the sovereign. In 1671,
Rudolph collected a force, and besieging the city, compelled it
to renounce all connexion with the Hanseatic league, and to
content itself with the title of capital of his country. This
conduct is said to have been the ruin of its commerce, and to
have reduced it from being one of the richest and most flourishing
cities in Germany, to a state of great poverty and wretchedness.
It was much favoured, however, by succeeding princes, and,
possessing many of its ancient rights, Brunswick still holds a
very distinguished rank among the commercial cities of the
continent. Its situation on the Ocker river, which communicates
with the Weser, and in the immediate neighbourhood of the
Elbe, gives it great facilities for trade ; and while it continues
unshackled by restrictive imposts, it will always form the central
mart for the introduction of British and foreign merchandise
into the continent. *
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 117
Rudolph, duke of Brunswick, was twice married, but left chap. iv.
no male issue. During his reign the troops of Brunswick were '^^^^'^^^^
united with the imperial army, and he served several campaigns
against the king of Sweden and Louis the Fourteenth of France.
At his death, in 1704, he was succeeded by his brother, Anthony-
Ulrick, who had been joined with him in the government for
several years.
Anthony-UIrick was fond of the sciences. He was a candidate
for the bishoprick of Hallerstadt ; but that having been ceded
to the elector of Brandenburg, by the peace of Westphalia,
he was named a prebend of Strasburg, a:id director of the
protestant convents : but the troubles of the times prevented his
enjoying either. He married Elizabeth-Julianna, princess of Hol-
stein, and left a family of eleven children. Augustus-William,
his eldest son, succeeded him in 1711, at Wolfenbuttle ; and
Louis-Rudolphus, his youngest son, in the principality of Blanken-
burg. Augustus married his cousin, Christina-Sophia, daughter
of his uncle Rudolph, but left no male issue : he was therefore
succeeded by his brother Louis, who, in his latter years, became
a Roman catholic. Louis was married to Christina, daughter of
the prince of Oetingen, and left a family of four daughters.
Ehzabeth, the eldest, married Charles the Third of Spain, after-
wards emperor, and was the mother of the celebrated Maria-
Teresa.
Ferdinand-Albert, the only son of duke Augustus, by Sophia
of Mecklenburg, now succeeded to the whole of this part of
the Brunswick states. He makes some figure as a scholar and
a traveller; but there are few incidents in his life that merit a
118 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. IV. place in general history. He was married to Christina, daughter
^^^^^^^ of Frederick, landgrave of Hesse, and left a family of nine
children. His sons, Ferdinand, Albert, and Ernest-Ferdinand,
succeeded him in 1657. Albert had Brunswick and Wolfen-
buttle, and Ernest the territory of Bevern. The present reign-
ing duke of Brunswick and Wolfenbuttle is the fourth genera-
tion in lineal descent from the former, but the latter branch
became extinct in 1800*.
* Vide Rethmeyri Chronicon.
TiiAUNi et Fabricii Chronica.
Robertson'-;. History of Charles the Fifth, passim.
Hume's History of England.
Memoirs of the House of Brunswick, London, 1716.
Origin Guelf. Prsefation, vol. iv.
Leibnitz Scriptor. Brunswicens. torn. iii. p. 676.
Beiirens, Acta German. Eruditor. p. 95 — 83"2.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH.
119
GENEALOGY OF THE GUELPHS,
FROM MAGNUS, SURNAAIED TORQUATUS, TO ERNEST DUKE 01
CELLE, STYLED THE CONFESSOR.
MAGNUS TORQUATUS, killed in 137S
1, Frederick, duke of Briins-
wick-Lmiebiirg, elected em-
peror of Germany ; assassi-
nated 1400.
RNHARD, dnkeofLmie- 3, Henry, duke of Wolfen-
burg, died in 1431. bnttic, died in 1416. This
I Iwanch became extinct in
1634.
Beknharo, diike of Lune- 2, Otho, diike of Liinebnrg,
l)urg, died, witliont issue, after liis brother's decease,
1464. died in 1471.
Otho, dukeofHarbnig.died
in 1549. This branch became
extinct in 164-2.
2, Ernest, duke of Ccllc,
styled the Confessor, born
in 1497, died in 1546.
I
Francis, duke of Giffor
died in 1549, without issue
N'cis-Otho, died, with- 2, Henry, dukeofDanneberg, 3, William, duke of Lune-
out issue, 1559. ancestor of the present reign- burg, ancestor of George
ing duke of Brunswick- the Fourth, king of Great
Luneburg-Wolfenbuttlc,died Britain, &c. died in 1592.
in 1598.
120 ■ THE HISTORY OF
CHAPTER V.
Having brought to a conclusion the history of the various
collateral branches, we have now^ to follow that which gave
a sovereign to Great Britain ; and being the branch of this
illustrious house in which we are chiefly interested, it must
naturally occupy a greater share of our attention.
William, the youngest of the four sons of Ernest the Confessor,
had the dutchy of Luneburg, including Celle, as his portion of
the general states, and fixed his residence in the magnificent
and almost impregnable castle of Celle. The failure of male
issue in the baronial houses of Hoy and Deipholz, added greatly
to his possessions ; and, in regard to territory and power, he
was much superior to the other branches of his house.
His aUiance, by marriage with the king of Denmark*, gave
him considerable weight in the political affairs of Europe ; and
when he died, in 1592, he was the father of fifteen children,
seven of them sons. On his death-bed the prince called his
sons around him, and explaining to them the fable of the bundle
of sticks, he exhorted them to reign in union ; and, in the
history of their own family, pointed out the disadvantages which
had arisen from the frequent division of the country into petty
sovereignties, and the impossibility of their either acquiring
power or influence, or even of maintaining their hereditary
* William married Dorothea, daughter of Christian the Third.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 121
dignity, unless they governed the country as one state. The chap. v.
advice of the aged father had a povi^erful effect upon his gallant ^^^^^^^
sons. They agreed that the sovereign pow^er should be vested,
without restriction, in the elder brother; vvfho, on his death,
should be succeeded by the next in seniority. To prevent
any future division, they bound themselves, by a solemn oath,
that only one should marry ; and that they should leave it to
the determination of chance which of them should be that om.
The lot was cast, and it fell upon George, the sixth son.
On the death of William, in 1592, Ernest, his eldest son,
as had been agreed upon, succeeded him in the government,
and lived and reigned till 1611. At his death. Christian, the
second brother, who was bishop of Halberstadt, assumed the
government; and by the decision of the imperial chamber in
regard to the principality of Grubenhagen, which had been
usurped by Henry-Julius of Brunswick, another valuable posses-
sion was added to the dutchy of Luneburg. In 1615 he was
elected bishop of Minden, which also gave him the command
of the states of that see ; so that, in point of wealth and power,
he had few superiors among the princes of Germany.
When the states of Bohemia determined, in 1616, to throw
off the Austrian yoke, and asserted their independence by electing
their own king, their choice fell on Frederick the Fifth, elector
palatine of the Rhine. This prince hesitated for some time to
accept a dignity which was beset with difficulties, and attended
with danger. The ambition, however, of the electress, Elizabeth
Stuart, overcame all his scruples ; and he assumed a title which
led to a destructive war, and ended in the suppression, for a time.
122 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. V. of his hereditary rank. Elizabeth of England, and, as she was
^-'^^•^^^'^ now called, queen of Bohemia, and Christian of Luneburg, were
near relations. Their mothers were sisters, and both daughters
of Frederick the Second, of Denmark: he therefore entered
warmly into her cause, and supported the new elected king
with all the resources of the dutchy of Brunswick. " A reign-
ing prince (says Schiller) abandoned his territories, which he
ruled in peace, in order to try the uncertain fortune of war for a
stranger. And after him, a new knight errant, poor in estate,
but rich in ancestry, undertook the defence of a cause in which
the former despaired of success. Christian duke of Brunswick-
Luneburg fancied he had learnt from count Mansfeldt the secret
of maintaining twenty thousand men without money. Urged on
by youthful impetuosity, and burning with the eager desire to
create himself riches, and a name in war, at the expense of the
catholic clergy, whom he detested, he drew together a consider-
able army in Lower Saxony ; to which the defence of the king of
Bohemia and German liberty must lend an excuse*." His army
was augmented by the disbanded troops of Denmark; and by
attacking the states of Westphalia, belonging to the emperor, he
was able to make a powerful diversion in favour of the elector.
He took the town of Paderborne, and coined the costly orna-
ments of the cathedral into money, for the pay of his troops.
" God's friend and the enemy of priests," was the motto which
this money bore.
He afterwards attempted to join count Mansfeldt ; but being
* Vide Schiller's History of the Thirty Years' War, vol. i. p. 143.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 123
pursued by the imperialists under Tilly, an action took place chap. v.
near Hoechst, on the banks of the Mayne, in which he suffered
the loss of nearly the whole of his infantry, by the breaking-
down of the bridge over which they were attempting to pass
that river: and it was only by having found a ford, that he
escaped with his cavalry, and joined the elector at Darmstadt.
The desertion of England and Denmark obliging Frederick
to lay down his arms, the duke of Brunswick and count Mansfeldt
withdrew from his service. But they felt no further embarrass-
ment on this account, than the necessity of an excuse for keeping
their troops together. War was their end, no matter in whose cause.
Mansfeldt tried to get into the service of the emperor, but in this
he failed : they then offered their forces to the states general of
Holland, and were accepted. In crossing the dutchy of Luxemburg,
to join the army of the prince of Orange, and to relieve the fortress
of Bergen-op-Zoom, then besieged by the duke of Spinola, they
were attacked, in the plain of Fleurus, by the Spaniards under
Gonsalves de Cordova, and defeated with a loss of three thousand
men. This defeat was owing in a great measure to the mutiny of
their troops, many of whom had refused to join them in this
service. The duke of Brunswick had his right arm shot off in
this action : he therefore retired to Celle, for the recovery of
his health, and occupied himself in reorganizing his army.
Though suffering from the effects of his wound, duke Christian
headed his army on its return to Luneburg. He had become
personally acquainted with his cousin in Holland, and was so
enamoured of her charms, that he wore her glove in his hat, and
bore on his colours " Alles fur Gott und sie."
124 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. V. As soon as his wounds were healed, he again took the field,
^^^^^'^^^^ -writh a force amounting to sixteen thousand infantry, five thou-
sand cavalry, and a large train of artillery. His design was to
join the prince of Orange : and William duke of Weimar served as
the lieutenant-general under him. Count Sturme was his general
of cavalry, and count Isemberg commanded the ordnance.
In his march to the low countries Christian endeavoured to
avoid the army of the emperor under Tilly, which had been
directed to watch his motions ; and, in order that his army might
be the better supplied on its march, he divided it into three corps.
He gave the command of one, which was the advanced guard,
to the duke of Weimar; general Kneiphusen commanded the
centre division ; and the marquess de la Tour, a Frenchman,
the rear guard. These generals, we are sorry to add, had been
purchased by Tilly : they therefore deceived him as to the
movements of his enemy ; his orders were disobeyed, and,
through their cowardice and treachery, he was surprised and
beaten in the passes near Newburg.
Christian joined prince Maurice near Cleves with a small
remnant of his army, and endeavoured, but in vain, to bring
his cowardly generals to condign punishment. For his gallant
conduct in the Dutch wars, as well as his zeal in the cause
of the queen of Bohemia, James the First rewarded him with
the order of the Garter; an honour then but seldom bestowed
upon the highest princes in Christendom.
In 1626, Christian the Fourth of Denmark undertook to vin-
dicate the liberties of Germany, and for that purpose marched
a large army into the heart of Westphalia. He was supported
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 125
by Christian duke of Luneburg ; but that prince being seized with chap. v.
a fever at Wolfenbuttle, when on his way to unite with the ^^"^^^^
Danish army, expired on the 10th of June of this year, at the
age of thirty-six, leaving the government of Luneburg, and the
command of the army, to his next brother, Augustus.
The Luneburg troops having united with those of Denmark,
they were attacked by the imperialists under Tilly, at a
village called Luther, in the territories of Brunswick. This was
one of the hardest fought actions during the thirty years' war.
The protestants, by the fierceness of their onset, routed and put
to flight four regiments of the imperial guard, and got possession
of the enemy's cannon. The greater part of Tilly's army was
thrown into disorder and retreating ; but the victors having
become scattered in their pursuit, they were attacked by a
column of veterans which had kept its ground ; and some of
the fugitives having rallied, the contest was renewed. The
Danish cavalry unfortunately got involved with their own-
infantry, and before the confusion which this had caused could
be remedied, they were attacked, and in their turn routed; so
that the victory remained with the imperialists. The king of Den-
mark had three horses killed under him. The duke of Lune-
burg displayed much gallantry, and with his cavalry covered
the retreat of the Danes.
The elector of Saxony having seceded from the protestant
cause, a peace was concluded between him and the emperor
at Prague. Duke Augustus, from the misery which the con-
tinuance of the war had produced in his country, was inclined'
to accede to that treaty ; but in this he was opposed by
126 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. V, his brothers and the other princes of his house. Much time
^"^"^^^"^^ was spent in canvassing the matter, and on all occasions he
seems to have acted as a general mediator. He met the ministers
of the emperor at Goslar, where it was proposed to him that
he should accept of the peace of Prague, and accede to the
decree of the diet at Ratisbon ; that he should withdraw from
the emperor's enemies, and renounce all treaties and commu-
nication with them ; that he should recall his forces from their
army, and unite them with that of Ferdinand ; that the city and
bishoprick of Hildesheim should be restored to the elector of
Cologne, and that he should bear a share in the contributions
and common burdens of the war. Augustus demanded, on his
part, that he should be excused from contributing to the expenses
of the war, and that a neutrality should be granted to his states ;
that the decree of the states of Lower Saxony, in 1628, should
be the basis upon which they negotiated; and that the treaty
of Prague should be no further binding, than as it was in con-
formity to the laws of the empire. He declined to acknowledge
the decision of the diet at Ratisbon; but agreed at once to
withdraw his troops from the Swedish army, provided all foreign
garrisons were removed from his cities and towns : and he stated,
that as soon as these demands were agreed to, the affairs of
Hildesheim should be settled in an amicable manner.
These terms were further agitated at Vienna, and afterwards
at Brunswick ; and at length settled and ratified by the emperor.
The landgrave of Hesse, and the whole of the princes of Bruns-
wick, were included in this treaty.
The obstinacy of the Swedish generals, who refused to eva-
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 127
cuate the places in which they had garrisons, prevented the chap. v.
country for some time from enjoying the fruits of its neu- '^^'^^'^^^
trality. The princes of Brunswick sent an embassy to Christina
of Sweden, on her succeeding to the government, to implore
her to withdraw her troops, and deliver up the garrisons which
they occupied in Brunswick and Luneburg, as the country was
ruined by their demands of contributions, and unable to support
them longer. The queen returned a friendly answer ; stating,
that as the circumstances of the war did not permit her to
withdraw her force, she had given strict command to her generals
to avoid injuring the country or the people, and to refrain from
all imjust exactions. She agreed to the demolition of the forti-
fications of Hoy, from which she ordered her troops to be with-
drawn; and, as some compensation for their sufferings, she
allowed the duke of Luneburg's subjects to trade on the Weser
without paying custom, and to import their merchandise duty
free.
We have thought it right to state these particulars in the
life of duke Augustus, though some of them occurred after his
decease ; because, as the senior and most powerful prince of the
house of Brunswick, he took the lead in all the political discus-
sions of the day — a rank to which he was entitled, not more
by his influence as a sovereign, than by his knowledge and
abilities as a statesman. Augustus died on the 1st of October,
1636, and was succeeded by his next brother, Frederick,
Of the history of Frederick of Luneburg we know little.
He adopted the politics of his brother Augustus, and managed
128 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. V. the negotiations which ended in the treaty already mentioned.
^"■^^-^^^ He died in 1648, without legitimate issue.
George duke of Luneburg, who had married, in December 1617,
a princess of Hesse-Darmstadt, was sent, in 1631, with two
regiments of infantry, and four of cavalry, to join the army of
Gustavus-Adolphus of Sweden at Wurtzburg. He was afterwards
intrusted with a separate command, and his first campaign was
in Lower Saxony. At the siege of Calenburg he defeated the
imperial general Groensfeldt, and would have taken his whole
force prisoners, had they not destroyed the bridge on the river
Leine, and prevented his pursuit. He took possession of the city
of Hildesheim, and defended it against the attacks of Papenheim ;
and on the retreat of the imperialists he put garrisons into Peina
and Steinbrucke. He also took Duderstadt, a place of some
consequence ; but was foiled in an attempt to surprise Wolfen-
buttle. After these affairs he was ordered to unite with the
main body of the Swedish army ; but being unable to force his
way through the enemy's posts, he was not at the memorable
battle of Lutzen, where Gustavus fell.
In 1633 he took the castle of Pyrmont, and afterwards
laid siege to Hildesheim, which was now in the hands of the
emperor. Waldeck attempted to relieve this city, but was
attacked and beaten ; chiefly through the gallantry of the duke
of Luneburg and a colonel Frank, who commanded his cavalry.
Hildesheim soon surrendered, as did the town and castle of
Minden. In the convention concluded at Pirnaw, between the
emperor and elector of Saxony, the duke of Luneburg and
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 129
his troops were included ; but being guided by the advice of chap. v.
the landgrave of Hesse, he remained firm to the cause of Sweden, ^■^^'^^^
or rather to the protestant interest.
In a consultation between him and the landgrave, at which
"William duke of Weimar assisted, it was agreed, that if a peace
could be negotiated which included all parties, they would not
object to it; but if the elector of Saxony attempted to force
upon them the terms which he had acceded to, and which they
considered prejudicial to the common cause, they pledged them-
selves to adhere firmly to one another until they had obtained
a sufficient security for the protestants. This meeting of the
princes created some jealousy on the part of the Swedish generals,
and they began to tamper with the officers and troops of the duke
of Luneburg. These officers held a meeting at Brunswick, and
came to a resolution to continue in the service of the king of
Sweden until a peace was concluded advantageous to them-
selves and to the Swedish nation. When the duke of Luneburg
was made acquainted with this determination of the chiefs of
the corps under his command, he called them together, and
explained to them the folly of their conduct. He assured them
that he had no intention of taking part against the Swedes, but
wished, by an appearance of withdrawing from their cause, to
induce them to listen the more easily to terms.
In those days of mercenary warfare, a regiment was the
property of its /-colonel; the soldiers sold their services to him
for a certain pay; and he was at perfect liberty to dispose
of those services to the highest bidder. There was, therefore,
nothing incompatible with the usages of such a service in this
s
130 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. V. resolution of a part of the duke's army to withdraw from
'"'^"^^^^^ under his command.
Fourteen regiments left his standard ; and in his letters to
the Swedish general Oxensteirn, he made this a pretext for
seceding from their cause. But, in fact, he was tired of the
war, and accepted of the treaty of Prague, from a conviction that
peace, even on unfavourable terms, was preferable to interminable
hostilities. He now desired that his letter of adherence to the party
of Gustavus might be returned to him, and that the town of
Neinburg should be evacuated by the Swedes, and Stoltenau
left without fortifications. Oxensteirn replied, that the letter
of adherence had been sent to Stockholm, and could not be re-
turned ; and that the exigences of the war did not admit of his
complying with his request in regard to Neinburg and Stoltenau.
But he used every argument in his power to induce the duke
to remain with the army, and even tempted him with the offer
of the supreme command.
The duke of Luneburg replied, that by withdrawing so
great a body of his troops from his standard, the Swedish com-
mander had forced him to accept of the peace of Prague, from
which he could not then recede ; that although he must decline
taking the command of the army, he should always retain a sincere
regard for the Swedish people; and if it became evident that
the emperor had other views than a fair and honourable peace,
he should take such measures as would be conducive to the
general interests of that nation^ He further engaged to defend
the passage of the Weser against the imperialists ; but required
that the Swedish army might not enter his territory, as by
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 131
their doing so his enemies would have an excuse for doing chap. v.
the same.
Oxensteirn did not approve of these terms ; and he sent the
Scottish general Lesley with a force across the Weser, who took
Minden; and Banier, with another division, took possession of
Luneburg; so that the country suffered as severely while he
remained neuter as it had done during the war.
George met the king of Denmark and the duke of Holstein
at Stade, where they had a long conference on the subject of
a general peace, and more particularly on the best manner of
obtaining an efficient neutrality for the states of Luneburg;
but nothing definitive resulted from this conference. The duke,
therefore, with the other princes of his house, continued to act
with the utmost caution, in order that neither party might have
cause of complaint.
When a convention of the German states was held at a. d. i639.
Nuremburg, to consult on the affairs of the empire, George
attended that meeting; but that Sweden might have no cause
of jealousy, he communicated his intentions, and explained his
sentiments very fully to general Banier, who commanded in
Lower Saxony. Finding, however, that the opinions expressed
by the members of the Nuremburg convention were in opposition
to tlie general wishes of the protestants, duke George returned
to the cause of Sweden, and openly espoused it. He took the
field towards the end of the year 1640, and laid siege to Wolfen-
buttle, which was in the hands of the imperialists ; but, in con-
sequence of the fatigues which he underwent before that city,
he caught a fever, of which he died, on the 2d of April, 1641.
132 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. V. His death was considered a great loss to the protestants.
His brothers had long confided to him the arrangement of the
military affairs of the dutchy ; and his talents as a general were
held in the highest estimation by his enemies, and were of the
utmost importance to his allies.
Previous to his death he had entered into an alliance with
France, and concluded a treaty with the duke of Longueville,
by which it was stipulated, that Louis the Fourteenth and the
princes of Luneburg should join their forces, and unite with
Sweden and her allies against the house of Austria. France
was to agree to no peace or truce in which the hou^ of
Luneburg was not included, and in which the independence
of their states was not secured ; and the supreme command
of the army was vested in duke George.
By Anne-Eleanora, of Hesse Darmstadt, this prince left
four sons and four daughters; and by an agreement with his
brothers, it was settled that the states should be divided into
two dutchies after their decease : that the eldest of his surviving
sons should have Luneburg or Celle ; and the second, Calemburg,
then called the dutchy of Hanover : but this arrangement did not
take place till after the death of Frederick, the last of the seven
brothers, in 1648.
Christian-Louis, the eldest son of George, resided during
his uncle's lifetime in the castle of Herzberg ; but, on succeeding
to the sovereignty of his portion of Luneburg, he removed to
Celle. He was a party to the treaty of peace concluded in 1642,
though not then a sovereign prince ; and was one of those who
applied to the queen of Sweden in 1646 : and it was in a great
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 133
measure through his influence, that the very favourable treaty chap. v.
of Osnaburg was obtained. v^^^
In that treaty it was stipulated, that in consideration of the
house of Brunswick and Luneburg having resigned their claims
upon the archbishopricks of Magdeburg and Bremen, and the
bishopricks of Halberstadt and Ratzburg, the alternate nomi-
nation to the bishoprick of Osnaburg should be in the catholic
bishops and in the protestant branches of the house of Luneburg.
The following conditions are copied from this treaty : — " Gustavus,
count of Wasseburg, senator of Sweden, being willing to renounce
all the right he had obtained by conquest to the bishoprick of
Osnaburg, Francis- William, the then bishop, and his successors,
were to pay him the sum of eighty thousand rix dollars annually,
for four years. All things connected with religion were to remain
upon the same footing as they were in 1624; and, upon the
decease of the then bishop, Ernest-Augustus, the youngest son
of George, duke of Luneburg, should succeed him in the govern-
ment of Osnaburg ; but in case of his death before the existing
bishop, the chapter should choose another prince of the same
family for their bishop. After the death or voluntary re-
signation of prince Ernest, or the other member of this family
that should be chosen, they were to elect a Roman catholic
prelate." It was further provided, that if there were more
than one prince descendants of duke George of Luneburg, the
chapter should choose one of the younger sons ; but if only one,
he was to be chosen, though a reigning prince : and also on the
failure of issue of duke George, the princes of the other branch
of the Brunswick family should have the alternate nomination.
134 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. V. It was in terms of this treaty, that Ernest- Augustus, the father
^-^"^^^^^ of George the First; Ernest- Augustus, brother of George the
First ; and Frederick, duke of York, son of George the Third ;
have reigned as sovereign bishops of Osnaburg. But in terms
of the treaty of Vienna, 1815, this bishoprick now forms an
integral part of the kingdom of Hanover,
The same treaty declared that the property of the monastery
of Walhenreid, of which Frederick-Lewis was administrator,
should be transferred by the emperor and empire, as a perpetual
fief, to the dukes of Brunswick and Luneburg ; as also the monas-
tery of Groeningen, then in the possession of the bishop of Halber-
stadt. A debt, contracted by Frederick-Ulrick of Brunswick, with
the king of Denmark, was cancelled : and it was further settled,
that the prebendaries of the bishoprick of Strasburg should be
given to Anthony-Ulrick and Ferdinand-Albert, the younger
sons of duke Augustus of Brunswick- Wolfenbuttle. Christian-
Louis was married to Dorothea, princess of Holstein-Glucksburg,
but left no issue. On his death, therefore, in 1665, George-
William, who had resided at Hanover, was to remove to Celle, and
to be succeeded in the latter dutchy by his next brother, John-
Frederick; and Ernest-Augustus, the younger brother, suc-
ceeded, in terms of the treaty of Osnaburg, to the government
of that see.
George- William was absent in France when his elder brother
died : John, his next brother, therefore seized upon the dutchy of
Celle, in defiance of the family compact, and for some time refused
to give it up : but the matter was settled amicably ; and the
arrangement, as it had been settled, took effect.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 135
France and England having entered into a secret league chaf. v.
against the states of Holland, Louis the Fourteenth sounded ^"^'^^■^^
the princes of Germany on the subject; and in 1671, prevailed
upon the dukes of Brunswick and Luneburg to remain neuter
for two years ; and a treaty was signed, by which they engaged
not to allow any troops to be levied in their territories, or to
furnish any force to the enemies of the king during that period.
The king of France agreed to pay the bishop of Osnaburg a
subsidy of five thousand crowns per month ; and in the event
of his troops being obliged to march through the states of the
bishoprick, they were to pay for their supplies in ready money,
but on no account to remain in winter quarters in these states.
Ill case the bishop was attacked on account of this treaty, the
king of France further engaged to support him with men and
money, and to conclude no peace or truce until he was fully
indemnified for any injury he might have sustained.
Nothing contained in that treaty was to be construed as
infringing upon the bishop's fidelity to the emperor and empire,
and he was to be at liberty to join with any of the princes
of the house of Brunswick that might be attacked by any power
whatsoever, during the continuance of the agreement. In a
separate article, Ernest- Augustus reserved to himself the liberty
of furnishing to the quadruple league a force of two hundred
horse and four hundred infantry, in terms of the treaty of 1666.
In 1672, the war was carried on with great vigour against
Holland; and as the elector of Brandenburg had taken part
with the states, the duke of Hanover was bought over to France,
136 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. V. and engaged to levy a force of ten thousand men, to act as a
^"■^^^"^^ diversion, and watch the motions of the elector.
Though the other princes of Brunswick endeavoured as much
as possible to maintain their neutrality, the war at last became
too general to admit of their continuing in that state. The dukes
of Celle and Wolfenbuttle joined the states of Holland, or, as
it was called, the confederate army, with a force of fifteen or
sixteen thousand men. The duke of Celle commanded this
force ; and having united with the grand army under the duke
of Lorraine, they had a severe action with the French near
Strasburg, 1674.
The troops of Luneburg were engaged singly for a con-
siderable time, and suffered severely ; but, as night put an
end to the battle, neither side could claim a victory. In 1675,
the bishop of Osnaburg also joined the allies, and took the field
in person, with a force of five thousand men. This campaign
was more successful than the last. The French were beaten
on every point ; and the marshal de Crequey with difficulty saved
himself, and got into Treves.
When the duke of Celle sent one of his officers (count Lippe)
to make a report to the emperor at the end of the campaign,
he transmitted at the same time seventeen standards and colours,
out of seventy-two, which his troops had captured from the
enemy. The eldest son of the bishop of Osnaburg, George-
Louis, afterwards king George the First of England, served
under his father during this campaign; and though only fifteen
years of age, his gallantry was conspicuous in every action.
THEi HOUSE OP GUELPH. 137
The allies besieged Treves ; and pressed it so hard, that the chap. v.
town and garrison capitulated, in opposition to the wishes of "-^^"^
the marshal commanding, and contrary to his' orders. In 1676,
the duke of Celle and his allies were chiefly occupied in the
siege of Philipsburg. This place was defended with great
spirit, and the garrison made several desperate sallies, during
one of which, Augustus-Frederick, the eldest son of the duke
of Brunswick- Wolfenbuttle, was killed. Philipsburg, though
bravely defended, was obliged at last to surrender, and the allied
army marched against Maestricht ; but, though the siege of that
city was ably conducted by the prince of Orange, afterwards
William the Third, supported by the forces of Brunswick and
Luneburg, they were unable to take it.
During these campaigns, the king of Sweden, who was in
alliance with France, attacked and took the fortress of Stade,
and overran the dutchy of Bremen. The duke of Celle, therefore,
returned to the north, and uniting his forces with the elector
of Brandenburg, not only drove the Swedes from Stade and
Bremen, but followed them into Pomerania, and took the city
of Stetin.
This destructive war was brought to a conclusion in 1679,
by the peace agreed upon at Nimeguen ; and the dukes of
Celle and Wolfenbuttle, with the bishop of Osnaburg, dis-
banded their forces.
John-Frederick, duke of Hanover, having adopted the Roman a. d. i679.
catholic religion, found his residence in a protestant country
rather unpleasant. He set out on a journey to Rome, where
he intended to remain, but died at Augsburg; and his body
was brought back, and interred in his capital. As he left no
T
138 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. V. male issue, Ernest- Augustus succeeded him, and immediately
^^^''^^^^ assumed the government of the states of Hanover, in conjunction
with the bishoprick of Osnaburg. Europe was now in profound
peace ; but William, prince of Orange, aware of the political state
of England, had already formed his plans in regard to that
kingdom. In 1680, he paid a visit to the princes of Brunswick,
with whom he lived in strict friendship. At Celle he was enter-
tained in a magnificent manner, and waited upon by all the
nobles of the country. He afterwards visited the elector of
Brandenburg, and his niece, the dutchess of Hanover.
The eldest son of Ernest-Augustus availed himself of the
peace to visit the courts of France and England. It is reported
that he paid his addresses to the princess Anne, but met with
a refusal. On the 25th of February, 1680, he visited Oxford,
and was made a doctor of laws of that university. Anthony
Wood, in his Fasti, has recorded the ceremony that took place
in the following terms: —
" This person, who was now commonly called prince of
Hanover, and had come to Whitehall on the 16th of November
going before, purposely to pay his respects to the lady Anne,
daughter of James, duke of York, was, the day before he was
created, received in the university with solemnity at his coming
thereunto ; and being lodged in Christchurch, he with his retinue
were conducted the next day by the bishop. Dr. Fell, to the
public schools ; and being habited in scarlet, in the apodyterium,
was thence conducted by three of the beadles, with the king's
professor of laws, to the theatre, where the convocation was
then held ; jind coming near the vice-chancellor's seat, the pro-
fessor presented him, (the prince being then bare) ; which done.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 139
the vice-chancellor then standing bare, as the doctors and masters chap. v.
did, he created him doctor of laws. v^^V^k/
" This being done, the prince went up to his chair of state,
provided for him on the right hand of the vice-chancellor's seat ;
and when three of his retinue were created doctors, the orator
complimented him in the name of the university. He left Oxford
the next day ; at which time was presented to him, in the name
thereof, ' Historia et Antiquitates Universitatis Oxoniensis,' with
the cuts belonging thereto."
George, duke of Celle, during his travels in France had fallen
in love with a lady of that country, and married her ; but as she
was not of princely rank, the marriage, according to the laws of the
empire, was not considered legal, and her children were debarred
from the succession. The ceremony of marriage, which was per-
formed, was what is called in Germany, a " left handed contract."
The merits of this lady, however, were so considerable, and the
affections of her husband so sincere, that he prevailed upon the
emperor to raise her to an equality with himself; and they were
afterwards married in a regular manner. The issue of this
marriage was an only daughter, in whom it was known the
possessions of her father would ultimately centre. She was,
therefore, an object of some consequence; and several princes
had solicited the honour of her hand.
The duke and dutchess of Hanover were aware of the injury
that would be done to their house if these states were con-
veyed to a foreigner; and, to prevent this, it was settled with
the father of the young princess, that she should be united
with their eldest son; a measure by no means agreeable to
140 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. V. the parties more immediately concerned. They however sub-
mitted, and their marriage took place in 1682, and was cele-
brated with great solemnity. In 1683 they had a son, and in
1687 a daughter. But as they had been brought together
from state policy rather than affection, they lived most unhap-
pily, and were accordingly separated in 1688. These circum-
stances we have thought it proper to state here, that they might
not interrupt our future narrative.
In the memorable campaign of 1683, when the Turks were
driven with disgrace from the siege of Vienna, George-Louis,
prince of Hanover, commanded the troops of Luneburg in the
imperial army, and was greatly distinguished for his gallantry.
In 1684, a force of ten thousand men, furnished by the states
of Luneburg and bishoprick of Osnaburg, joined the army of
the emperor, under the command of Frederick-Augustus, the
second son of the duke of Hanover. These troops served in
Hungary during the campaign of 1685 ; and this prince and
his brother Philip continued in the Austrian service, and were
both killed in action while serving with the imperial army.
Ernestr Augustus, duke of Hanover and bishop of Osnaburg,
had married, in 1658, Sophia, the youngest daughter of Frederick,
king of Bohemia, and elector palatine, by Elizabeth, daughter
of James the First of England. This princess possessed all
the ambition of her family. She was endowed with a very
superior understanding, and no small share of political sagacity.
She had been educated in the strictest principles of the protestant
religion, and was the chosen favourite of the prince and princess
of Orange, (her uncle and aunt). Their accession to the crown of
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH.
14]
England opened new prospects of aggrandizement, which were chap. v.
most gratifying to her aspiring mind. Her husband was a '"^"^^^^
protestant bishop, and their eldest son had already distinguished
himself in the protestant cause. It was therefore probable, that,
on the failure of issue in the more direct line, he might be called
to the crown ; and the whole tenor of the duke's political conduct
shows, that he had calculated upon this as almost certain.
While his troops, under the command of his gallant sons,
were serving with the army of Austria, or maintaining the in-
dependence of the Venetian states, Ernest- Augustus spent his
time in travelling with his dutchess. He visited Rome and the
other cities of Italy, where he was every where treated as a
sovereign, and received as the equal of kings. The powerful
interest of William the Third, who had already fixed upon his
family as the heirs of the crown of England, and the commanding
influence which he had himself obtained in the Germanic body,
induced the emperor, in 1692, to raise him above his kindred,
and to confer upon him the dignity of elector; to which was
attached the hereditary office of great standard-bearer of the
empire.
This promotion was strongly opposed by some of those who
already enjoyed that rank, and also by the princes of his own
house. It was carried by a majority in the electoral college ;
but it was asserted, in the second college, that the emperor had no
power to create a new elector without the unanimous consent of the
princes of the empire, as it was in direct opposition to the esta-
blished form of the German constitution. The princes of Bruns-
wick- Wolfenbuttle, who considered themselves the elder branch of
142 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. V. the house of Guelph, were amongst the most strenuous opposers
^-^'^■•'^^^ that the new elector had to contend with; but he had the
countenance and support of his elder brother, the duke of Celle,
whose grandchildren were to succeed to this regal dignity.
In 1692, we find that the elector of Hanover had a force
of six thousand men serving with Austria in Hungary, and
between nine and ten thousand in the low countries ; an army
which, considering the extent and resources of his dominions
in those days, cannot fail to excite our astonishment. At the
sieges of Steinkirk, Laudau, and Namur, the troops of Luneburg
were greatly distinguished for their bravery and discipline ; and
their conduct on the field of Waterloo, in the same country, is
a proof that they have not degenerated.
When the treaty of Ryswick was negotiated, the elector of
Hanover assisted, by his minister, at the conferences, and was
allowed to treat as a separate power. Though almost always
engaged in war, and obliged to keep large armies in the field,
he found time and sufficient funds to adorn the capital of
his states with several magnificent and princely buildings.
Indeed the city of Hanover owes all that remains of splendour
to the taste and munificence of Ernest-Augustus.
He improved and enlarged the castle that had been built
for his uncle and brother in the city, and built the palace of
Hernhausen in the suburbs*. The latter was the favourite
* The palace of Hernhausen was left in a most ruinous state when the French
army evacuated Hanover; but, through the representation of his royal highness the
duke of Clarence, who took great delight in visiting this favourite residence of his
great ancestress, the electress Sophia, it has been completely repaired, and is now a
magnificent building.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 143
residence of the electress. It was built by the architect of chap. v.
Hampton Court, and much after the same manner; and the ""^^■^^
gardens and pleasure grounds are equal to those of any palace
in England.
No court in Germany, nor indeed in Europe, was more
splendid than that of Hanover; and the courtiers of Ernest-
Augustus may be said lo have rivalled those of Louis the Four-
teenth in the politeness of their manners, and also in their
vices. The old duke of Luneburg lived in great retirement
in his castle at Celle, and seldom appeared in the splendid
circle of his younger brother.
The elector died at Hanover, on the 23d of January, 1698.
He had never been allowed to take his seat in the college of
electors, on account of the opposition which was continued
against his being raised to that dignity ; but his title had been
acknowledged by all the courts of Europe, and he had been
allowed the precedence due to that rank. His son, George-Lewis,
succeeded him in his titles and estates, and continued to reside
with his mother at Hanover.
In 1698, king William paid a second visit to his old friend
and ally the duke of Celle ; and at the castle of Goerde he
had a meeting with the electress Sophia and her son, where,
there is reason to believe, their future measures with regard
to the succession in England were determined upon. A
constant intercourse was ever afterwards kept up ; and the duke
of Celle, or his nephew and son-in-law, always met the king
on his visits to Holland.
In 1700, the elector and duke of Celle were obliged to take
144 . THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. V. the field, with a considerable force, to preserve their states from
^*~^~*~ the ravages of the Danes, who had invaded Holstein, then
belonging to the crown of Sweden, and governed by a prince
of that family, with the title of duke of Holstein-Gottorp.
They obliged the Danes to raise the siege of Tonningen ; and
though the armies continued in sight of each other for sevefal
days, they retired without coming to action. The only affair
in which they were engaged during that year, was the dis-
persion of ten thousand Saxons that were on their march to
join the king of Denmark. But the peace of Travendale allowed
them to disband their troops, and to give theit undivided atten-
tion to a subject, which, from being merely possible, had now
become almost certain.
The death of the young duke of Gloucester, the son of prince
George of Denmark and the princess Anne, which happened in
July 1700, while king William was in Holland, attended, as usual,
by the old duke of Celle and the electress Sophia, afforded them
an opportunity of pressing upon his majesty their claims, as the
next protestant branch of the royal family, in the event of no
issue being left by him or his sister-in-law. The king was hearty
in their cause ; and at the meeting of the first parliament in
1701, the subject was introduced in the speech from the throne.
" Our present misfortune," says king William, " in the death
of the duke of Gloucester, hath made it absolutely necessary
that there should be a further provision for the succession of
the crown in the protestant line after me and the princess. The
happiness of the nation, and the security of our religion, which
is our chiefest concern, seems so much to depend upon this.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. I45
that I cannot doubt but it will meet with a general concurrence ; chap. v.
and I earnestly recommend it to your early care and effectual ^'^^''^^^
consideration."
The subject, though new in parliament, was not new to
the nation; and the friends of the house of Hanover were not
only ready to propose, but able to carry the measure in their
favour. They knew that it was the wish of the king, and they were
certain of the support of the true friends of the constitution. On
the 3d of March the house of commons resolved, " That for a. d. 1701.
preserving the peace and happiness of the kingdom, and the
security of the protestant religion, as by law established, it was
absolutely necessary that a further declaration should be made
of the limitation and succession of the crown in the protestant
line, after his majesty and the princess, and the heirs of their
bodies respectively ; and that a further security should be made
for the rights and liberties of the people." This resolution called
forth the remonstrances of all the branches of the house of Stuart.
The dutchess of Savoy, grand-daughter of Charles the First, being
the nearest in blood, appealed to the nation, and protested against
her claims being injured by any decision of the lower house.
There were about forty descendants of James the First alive
at this period; but all of them, with the exception of the
electress Sophia of Hanover, were Roman catholics. Their
claims, therefore, passed unheeded; and on the 12th of June,
the act for the further limitation of the crown, and better
securing the rights and liberties of the people, received the
royal assent.
In this act it is declared, " That the most excellent princess
u
146 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. V. Sophia, electress and dutchess dowager of Hanover, daughter
"-^^■^'^ of the princess Elizabeth, late queen of Bohemia, daughter to
James the First, should be next in succession to the crown of
Great Britain," The earl of Macclesfield was deputed by the
king to carry this act to Hanover. He was received by a
deputation of the nobles of that country on the frontiers, and
conducted in great state to the capital. One of the best houses
in the city was allotted to him as his residence, and his retinue
were lodged and maintained at the expense of the elector.
" They were entertained," says the Chronicle, " with balls and
plays; and every person made it his business to oblige them."
The earl visited the veteran of Celle in his strong hold ; and,
on taking leave of the electress, he was presented with her
picture set in diamonds; and the elector bestowed on him a
basin and ewer of massy gold.
On the death of James the Second, the declaration of the
court of France in favour of his son caused some alarm among the
friends of the protestant succession ; but it united the adherents of
the king in defence of the measure recommended by him, and which
they had sanctioned ; and, upon the whole, was beneficial to the
cause of the electress. When his majesty again met his par-
liament, he told them, " That he need not press them to lay
seriously to heart and to consider what further means might
be used for securing the succession to the crown in the pro-
testant line, and extinguishing the hopes of all pretenders, and
their secret and open abettors."
An act was immediately passed, declaring the attainder of
the pretended prince of Wales ; and further provision was made
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 147
for the better security of his majesty's person and government, chap. v.
This was the last act of king William's reign. He died on the ^^^*^^^
29th of March, 1702; and was succeeded by his sister-in-law,
the princess Anne.
When England declared war against France, at the com-
mencement of queen Anne's reign, the duke of Celle, who was
still alive, and the elector of Hanover, raised a large body of
troops, for the avowed purpose of supporting Great Britain ; but
it was necessary, in the first instance, to employ them against
the princes of their own house, the dukes of Brunswick- Wolfen-
buttle, who, contrary to their engagements to the emperor,
had entered iiito an alliance with France. The elector surprised
and took Peyna, one of the Brunswick fortresses ; and blockading
Brunswick and Wolfenbuttle, compelled them to renounce that
alliance, and to join the emperor.
Parties now ran high in England. The deposed house of
Stuart had many supporters, particularly in Scotland, where a great
proportion of the nobility were Jacobites : the act of succession,
therefore, did not pass so easily in the parliament of that king-
dom. In the first parliament of queen Anne it could not be
carried, from the opposition of the duke of Hamilton and his
party, who protested against their compatibility to sit and act
as a parliament : and, even in a subsequent one, an attempt was
made by the earl of Roxburgh to have it declared, " That the
successor to be named by the meeting of estates, on the demise
of her majesty, should not be the successor to the crown of
England, unless there were such conditions settled and enacted
in that session of parliament, as would secure the honour and
[48 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. V. independency of the kingdom of Scotland, the freedom, fre-
'^^^^^"'^^ quency, and power of its parliament, and the religion, liberty,
and trade of the nation, from the English or any foreign
influence."
This proposition was rejected : upon which the earl of March-
mont brought in an act, to declare the electress Sophia, and
her heirs, to have a right to the crown of Scotland, after the
demise of the queen, without heirs of her body. This bill was
passed ; but in consequence of the many and absurd limitations
which it imposed upon the heirs of the crown, it did not receive
the royal assent.
A. D. 1704. When the parliament met, in 1704, lord Tweedale was
appointed high commissioner ; and we observe that the queen,
in her letter to the assembled states, says, " The main thing
that we recompiend to you, and which we recommend with
all the earnestness we are capable of, is the settling of the suc-
cession in the protestant line ; as that which is absolutely neces-
sary for your own peace and happiness, as well as our quiet
and security in all our dominions, and for the reputation of our
affairs abroad ; and, consequently, for the strengthening the
protestant interest every where.
" This has been our fixed judgment and resolution," says
her majesty, " ever since we came to the crown; and, though
hitherto opportunities have not answered our intention, matters
are now come to that pass, by the undoubted evidence of the
designs of our enemies, that a longer delay of settling the suc-
cession in the protestant line may have very dangerous conse-
quences ; and a disappointment of it would infallibly make that
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH.
our kingdom the seat of war, and expose it to devastation and
ruin. As to terms and conditions of government, v^^ith regard
to the succession, w^e have empowered our commissioner to give
the royal assent to whatever can in reason be demanded, and
is in our power to grant, for securing the sovereignty and Uberties
of our ancient kingdom." These sentiments were enforced
by the commissioner, and supported by the lord chancellor
Seafield.
The duke of Hamilton and the earl of Rothes were again
the leaders of the opposition ; and on their suggestion it was
resolved, 1st, " That the parliament would not proceed to the
nomination of a successor, unless they had a previous treaty
with England for regulating their commerce, and other concerns
with that nation. Secondly, That the parliament would proceed
to make such limitations and conditions of government, for the
ratification of their constitution, as might secure the religion,
liberty, and independence of the nation, before they proceeded
to the said nomination."
As it was found impossible to carry this ziieasure in the
separate parliament of Scotland — a measure which, notwith-
standing the language of the queen, it is well known she never
had seriously at heart — the whole influence of the court, and
the friends of the protestant religion, was brought to bear upon
the union of the two kingdoms. The act of security was passed
and agreed to, but the subject of the succession was dropped.
In 1707 the union was carried; and in the second article of
that treaty it is expressly declared, " That the succession to
the monarchy of the united kingdom of Great Britain, and the
149
150 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. V. dominions thereunto belonging, after her most sacred majesty,
'^"^'^''^^ and in default of issue of her majesty, be, remain, and continue
to the most excellent princess Sophia, electress and dutchess
dowager of Hanover, and the heirs of her body, being protestants ;
upon whom the crown of England is settled, by an act of parlia-
ment made in England in the twelfth year of the reign of his
late majesty, king William the Third, entitled, ' An act for the
further limitation of the crown, and better securing the rights
and liberties of the subject,' That all papists, and persons marry-
ing papists, shall be excluded from, and for ever incapable to
inherit, possess, or enjoy, the imperial crown of Great Britain,
and the dominions thereunto belonging, or any part thereof: and
in every such case the crown and government shall, from time
to time, descend to, and be enjoyed by, such person being a
protestant, the same as if such papist, or person marrying a
papist, was naturally dead, according to the provision for the
descent of the crown of England, made by another act of parlia-
ment in England, in the first year of the reign of their late
majesties, king William and queen Mary, entitled, ' An act
declaring the rights and liberties of the subjects, and settling
the succession of the crown.'" The queen, on giving her assent
to the union of the two kingdoms, said, " That she could not
but look upon it as a peculiar happiness, that in her reign so
full a provision was made for the peace and quiet of her people,
and for the security of their religion, by so firm an establishment
of the protestant succession throughout Great Britain."
We have entered into these particulars of a more general
nature, because we considered them intimately connected with
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 151
this part of our subject : but we return to the personal history chap. v.
of the house of Hanover.
At the commencement of the war with France, in conse- a. d. 1704.
quence of the Spanish succession, the elector of Hanover joined
cordially with Great Britain and her allies ; and from his own
states, and those of his uncle and father-in-law, the old duke
of Celle, a subsidiary force of ten thousand men was furnished
to the army under Marlborough in the low countries, besides
his quota as a prince of the empire.
Prince Maximilian of Hanover, the elector's brother, com-
manded the cavalry of the right wing of Marlborough's army at
the ever memorable battle of Blenheim, and was greatly dis-
tinguished for his judgment and gallantry. He afterwards entered
the Austrian service, rose to the rank of a general field-marshal,
was colonel of a regiment of horse, and a knight of the Golden
Fleece. He died at Vienna in 1726, a member of the Roman
catholic church.
The jealousies which prevailed about this time between the a. d. 1706.
courts of England and Hanover prevented the active co-opera-
tion of the electoral troops during the campaign which led to
the battle of. Ramillies, and they were not present in that great
action; a circumstance which seems to have been keenly felt
by George-Louis, who was a prince not only ambitious of
military fame in his own person, but also justly proud of the
well-merited laurels of the troops of Luneburg. From that
moment he rose above the petty cabals of the cabinet, and
evinced the same cordiality as formerly to the common cause.
His contingent with the allied army was considerably augmented ;
152 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. V. and he sent his eldest son, the electoral prince, to learn the
^"^'^''"'^ art of war under the great Marlborough. At the hard fought
A. D. 1707. battle of Oudenarde this young prince charged the enemy
several times at the head of a squadron of dragoons. One of
his aides-de-camp was killed at his side, and he had a horse
shot under him. The English general had such confidence in
the firmness of the Hanoverian infantry, that he often placed
himself at their head, and led them to the charge against the
troops of France ; and it was allowed by all parties, that their
steady bravery contributed, in no small degree, to the victory
A. D. 1709. of Malplaquet. Few officers stood higher in the opinion of the
duke of Marlborough than the Hanoverian general, count Schu-
lemburg, who commanded the electoral troops during the cam-
paigns in the Netherlands.
The success which attended the campaigns of Marlborough
and prince Eugene during this war, had little effect upon
what was called the army of the empire, which was scarcely
ever in a condition to keep the field. The margrave of Bareyth,
who succeeded to the command on the death of Louis duke of
Baden, had neither the talents as a general, nor that influence as a
prince, to preserve that unanimity and confidence in a force,
composed of so many independent corps, which were necessary
to render it in any measure efficient; and therefore it became
requisite to select a leader more fitted for so important a
trust. Marlborough had long fixed upon the elector of Hanover,
whose talents as a commander were very great, and whose
experience in war had been considerable ; and as his services
in the allied cause had given him a claim to be heard, he
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 153
endeavoured to impress upon the emperor the propriety, if not chap. v.
the necessity, of offering the command of his army to George- ^■^"^'■^"^^
Louis. But, notwithstanding the elector's thirst for military
fame, he was too well convinced of the badness of the materials
he had to work upon, to undertake with pleasure such a charge.
After the command was offered to him, Marlborough had
great difficulty in persuading him to accept it; and it was
only in consequence of a pledge that all opposition to his
taking his seat in the college of electors should be with-
drawn, that he consented. The margrave of Bareyth left the a. d. 1707.
army on the 3d of September, and the elector of Hanover arrived
at Philipsburg on the 13th. On the 15th he joined the army
at Etlingen, and assumed the command. His first care was to
issue such orders as were necessary to restore the troops to some
degree of discipline, and correct the licentious habits which had
so long prevailed. His next was to hold a council of war, to
ascertain whether it was advisable to attack the enemy in the
then state of the army, or to wait for the expected reinforce-
ments and improved discipline of the troops. It was suggested
by the elector that the Rhine might be crossed, and the enemy's
lines of Lauterberg threatened, with the view of inducing them to
recross that river ; or, if this should be considered impracticable,
he proposed the securing of various convenient posts, with
the intention of covering the country from the invasion of the
enemy.
As the French were superior in numbers to the imperialists,
and as the latter were destitute of magazines for their subsistence
154 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. V. on tlie opposite side of the Rhine, it was decided that a general
^■^"^"^^^^ attack could not be ventured upon ; but it was resolved to form
A. D. 1707. '■
a line of posts from Daxlant to Etlingen, and that the enemy
should be harassed as much as possible in his several canton-
ments, while orders were sent to hasten up the reinforcements
from Franconia and the other states.
The elector having ascertained that the French had a con-
siderable force in a camp near OfFenburg, under general Vivans,
and that a body of infantry was on its march to join them, for
the avowed purpose of retaking Homburg, he detached count
Mercy, with a small corps, to surprise their camp before it was
reinforced. Mercy was an officer of great experience, and had
often distinguished himself; and, from his intimate knowledge of
the country, was well fitted for this duty. His detachment left
the army, with great secrecy, on the evening of the 19th of Sep-
tember ; and at the same time a movement was made in a different
direction, with the view of deceiving the enemy's spies. Count
Mercy conducted this affair with great judgment ; and marched
with so much expedition, that he surprised the enemy on the
morning of the 24th, when a considerable body of their troops
were detached on a foraging party. Their entrenchments were
attacked and carried, and they lost upwards of a thousand men,
and several of their best officers. General Vivans found great
difficulty in making his escape, and his force was completely
routed and dispersed.
The victors were rewarded with four standards, a number
of prisoners and horses, a large quantity of specie, and the
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 155
whole booty of the camp. The affair was scarcely ended, when chap. v.
the advance of the infantry, which was to have joined that day, ^^^^"^^
appeared in sight.
The French were unwilling to acknowledge their loss on this
occasion ; but it was sufficient to inspire the Germans with fresh
spirit, and augured well for their future success under the com-
mand of the elector. Marshal Villars recalled the detachments
which had been sent towards Provence ; but, though his army
was greatly superior to that of the empire, he was not able to
obtain any advantage which could compensate for his severe
loss at Offenburg.
When the armies went into winter quarters, the duke of
Marlborough joined the electors of Mentz and Hanover, at
Frankfort; where, with the deputies of the states of Holland,
and the imperial plenipotentiary, count Wratislaw, a conference
was held on the arrangements necessary for the- ensuing cam-
paign. The elector of Hanover, as generalissimo, laid before
the deputies of the imperial circles the following propositions,
which had been sanctioned and approved of by the English
commander.
In the first place, he recommended, " That the whole body
of the army, during the winter, should be quartered as near as
possible to their present camp, and by that means remain in readi-
ness to oppose any sudden irruption of the enemy ; and that for
this end, quarters, subsistence, and forage, with the necessary
magazines, should be provided for the next year; as from the
want of these they had suffered much inconvenience during the
last campaign. Secondly; " That new lines of defence should
156 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. V. be immediately commenced ; and that four thousand pioneers
^^^^^^ should be placed at his disposal, for the purpose of carrying
on these operations during the winter." Thirdly ; " That the
states should provide, at their joint expense, for the support of
the troops of Saxony, a regiment of horse belonging to the king
of Prussia, and one belonging to the duke of Brunswick-Wolfen-
buttle ; as also for a regiment of infantry, furnished by the bishop
of Munster ; and two regiments of horse, and one of infantry,-
furnished by his electoral highness ; as these troops had been
furnished by the respective princes, for the good of the common
cause, in addition to their stipulated quota : and he suggested
the expediency of appropriating for this service, a part of the
Roman taxes." Fourthly ; " It was earnestly recommended to
the circles, to contract for all supplies with persons who were
capable of furnishing them in proper quantities, and at the times
and places they might be required. He further recommended
to the circles, the necessity of having the recruits for the army
raised in time to join the head quarters by the month of February,
and that the regiments might be completed, as it was of the
last importance that the campaign should be opened early in
next spring : and, as a concluding demand, " he requested that
the military chest might be furnished with two hundred thousand
rix dollars, as it was then almost in a state of bankruptcy."
The diet was well disposed to carry on the war with that
vigour which suited the temper of their new general. They
acceded to the demands of the elector ; and, with regard to the
money he required, they resolved that the circles of the empire
should each furnish their due proportion of the said sum of
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. I57
two hundred thousand rix-dollars, and send it to the imperial chap. v.
city of Frankfort within a month after the imperial ratification """^^^y^
of their present resolution. The disposal of that sum was left
to the discretion of his electoral highness, and the imperial city
had only to issue the money according to his orders, and to
keep a regular account of the disbursements.
His imperial majesty was most humbly entreated, on the
part of the empire, as the affair would admit of no delay, to
issue with all expedition the requisite orders to the several
circles, to the end that within the prescribed period of four
weeks, each might pay in their proportion to the city of Frank-
fort, and receive a discharge for the same; and, in as much
as this was a pressing affair, that no state of the empire should
be exempted from contributing its proper contingent.
Among the papers which have been preserved, as connected
with the history of this period, we find a letter from the elector
to the diet, dated the 6th of November; in which he informs
that body, that he had regulated, with his imperial majesty's
consent, the winter quarters for the army, and given the com-
mand to field-marshal baron Thunegen ; that he had caused
necessary lines to be made for covering the troops in their winter
quarters ; and that the present circumstances of his affairs in
his own dominions not admitting his longer absence, he had
resolved to begin his journey on the 8th. " We could have
wished," says the elector, " that the disposition of the affairs
of the army of the empire put under our command, had been
such, that this campaign might have been ended with greater
advantage to our country, and the war have been carried into
158 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. V. the enemies' territories. And we hope that all the electors,
princes, and states of the empire, being inspired with zeal for
the honour, welfare, and prosperity of their country in general,
and of every member in particular, will not be wanting to put
the said army early in a condition to act offensively against
the enemy, who pretend to reinforce theirs, and to drive them
within their due limits.
" We desire you to make urgent instances on this subject
to your principals ; to recommend it to them on our part ; and,
especially, to represent to them the necessity there is that the
military chest should be well supplied, and that what has been
granted by the empire to that end, may be effectually paid in
the manner prescribed, without abatement or delay. For the
rest, we refer you to what we have formerly written, and to
what we have caused our envoy to represent by word of mouth,
and remain with constant good will to serve you.
(Signed) " GEORGE-LOUIS, Elector."
The minister of the elector of Mentz, who presided in the
diet, earnestly exhorted all the other representatives to send
copies of this letter to their several courts, and to press their
masters, on the part of the diet, to comply with all diligence
with what the elector had desired of them.
The change for the better, which had taken place in the manage-
ment of the affairs of the imperial army, was considered of suffi-
cient importance to be noticed in England in the speech from the
throne : and queen Anne, on meeting her parliament in November,
observes, that " the weakness and ill posture of affairs upon
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 159
the Rhine in the beginning of the year, has given an opportunity chap. v.
to the Fi'ench to make themselves stronger in all other parts ; ^^'^'^^
but this defect seems in a very promising vi^ay of being fully
remedied against next campaign, by the conduct and authority
of the elector of Hanover, whose seasonable acceptance of that
command has strengthened and obliged the whole confederacy."
The elector returned to Hanover to regulate the aflfairs of
his own states during the winter; and, in conformity to the —
promise which had been given to him the preceding year, we
find that the imperial decree, by which his father had been
raised to the dignity of elector, dated iOth December, 1692;
and another decree, establishing a ninth electorate in the house
of Hanover, dated 21st July, 1706; were taken into consideration
in the college of princes in the month of February. After being a.u. nnB.
read, examined, and their full tenor debated in the accustomed
forms, it was unanimously agreed and concluded, " that, in con-
sideration of the special reasons alleged in these decrees, and
other important motives, the college consented, on the part of
the whole princes of the empire, without any reserve, to the
new electoral dignity conferred by his late imperial majesty,
Leopold ; and to the establishment of a ninth electorate, in the
most ancient, powerful, and of the holy Roman empire, so well
deserving house of Brunswick, Luneburg, Hanover; that is to
say, in the first line of that house in the order of primogeniture :"
but it was not until the 30th of June that the elector was
permitted to take his seat and to vote in the electoral college.
Notwithstanding the fair promises of the princes, and the exact
decrees of the German diet, their army was slowly reinforced,
160 THE HISTORY OF
GHAP. V. badly supplied, and ill paid. The elector, therefore, was obliged
^^^^^"^^^ to commence the campaign with a very inadequate force, and
with a total incapability of entering upon offensive operations.
Yet, in spite of the difficulties which he had to contend with,
he found means to keep the enemy in check, and to prevent
his detaching any considerable numbers to the low countries,
or to Dauphiny. He kept the elector of Bavaria, with ten thousand
men, inactive upon the Rhine ; and prevented his either marching
into Brabant, or even returning to his own territory. But,
upon the whole, he had every reason to be disgusted with
the conduct of the states of the empire, as to the manner in
which his army was recruited and supplied. It was ill calcu-
lated to give satisfaction to a general, whose ambition was to
attack his enemies, and not to wait to be attacked.
When the army went into winter quarters, the elector returned
to Hanover, where he found the court of his mother in alarm
on account of the death of prince George of Denmark ; and the
probability of queen Anne being induced to marry again, in
consequence of the addresses of parliament. The elector rather
shunned the bustle and intrigues of the electress and her courtiers,
and gave himself little concern about an event which had long
been paramount to every other, in the anxious mind of his mother.
It is believed that he left the army this season with the in-
tention of resigning the chief command ; but as the period for
taking the field drew near, he was prevailed upon to continue
for another campaign. Marshal Thunegen had been inde-
fatigable during the winter and spring ; and his exertions
were crowned with success; as the army was in a much
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 161
better condition this year, than it had been in the two preceding chap. v.
campaigns. ^.Q^
The elector did not join the army till the end of July, when
he detached count Mercy, his favourite general, with a strong
corps, towards the Black Forest, and with orders to pass the
Rhine and execute a concerted attack upon the enemy's posts
in that direction.
The count left the army on the 12th of August, at Villingen ;
on the 19th he was at AUesvied; and, by continuing his march
through Switzerland, he arrived on the morning of the 21st at
Otmersheim. The 22d and 23d were occupied in forming a
bridge, in passing the river, and in throwing up works for their
protection ; and for the security of the bridge of boats which
he had formed. These works were continued during the 24th
and 25th ; but on the 26th he was attacked by the enemy, under
count de Bourg, and routed, with the loss of all his infantry,
the bridge, baggage, and almost all the material of his little
army. The account of this defeat was brought to the elector
when he was marching to support the count, and had advanced
beyond Rastadt ; but, dreading an attack from the enemy under
marshal Harcourt, who was hanging upon his flanks, he returned
to Meckensturm, and took up a position on the other side of the
Murg. The armies continued to watch each other during the rest
of the autumn ; and, when the time for going into winter quarters
arrived, the elector took his final leave of the imperial army,
and was succeeded in the chief command by prince Eugene,
duke of Savoy
. As it is not our intention to enter into the intrigues and cabals
y
162 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. V. which agitated the courts of England and Hanover during the
^-■^'^^'^^^ four years which intervened between this period and the acces-
sion of the elector of Hanover to the crown of Great Britain,
we shall hasten to the conclusion of this genealogical history.
His highness did not live on good terms either with his mother
or his son, and seemed to view with indifference the splendid
prospects which the former had secured for him. He was
attached to his native country, and contented with the rank
which he held as a sovereign prince of the empire, and a member
of the electoral college. His lukewarmness, therefore, was dis-
couraging to his friends in England, and gave serious offence
to his aged parent. She, however, did not relax in her endeavours
to secure the succession. Her name was inserted in the liturgy,
and she was regularly prayed for after the queen of England.
Her grandson was created duke of Cambridge, and invested
with the order of the garter; and it became a favourite part
of her politics to have his residence established in England.
The residence of the electoral prince was a circumstance
equally desired by the whigs and friends of the protestant succes-
A.D. 1714. sion in England. They succeeded in obtaining a writ for his being
summoned to parliament as duke of Cambridge, and the same
was transmitted to Hanover with all expedition. But these
transactions gave great offence to the queen, whose mind had
long vacillated between a wish to relieve her conscience from
a load of ingratitude to her injured father, and what she con-
sidered her duty to her God and the nation. To her last moment
it is believed that she sincerely wished for the restoration of
her brother, while all her public conduct and royal declarations
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 163
held forth a very different language. But the idea of having chap. v.
a prince of the house she so thoroughly detested near her person,
was a subject to her, of all others, the most distressing.
Lord Paget was selected to follow the messenger that carried out
the writ, and by him she wrote to the electress in these terms : —
" Madam, sister, aunt; Since the right of succession to my
kingdoms has been declared to belong to you and your family,
there have always been disaffected persons, who, by particular
views of their own interest, have entered into measures to fix
a prince of your blood in my dominions, even whilst I am yet
living. I never thought till now that this project would have
gone so far as to have made the least impression on your mind.
But, as I have lately perceived by public rumours, which are
industriously spread, that your electoral highness is come into
this sentiment, it is of importance, with respect to the succession
of your family, that I should tell you that such a proceeding
will infallibly draw along with it some consequences that will
be dangerous to that succession itself; which is not secure any
other way, than as the prince, who actually wears the crown,
maintains her authority and prerogative. There are here (such
is our misfortune) a great many people who are seditiously dis-
posed; so I leave you to judge what tumults they may be able
to raise, if they should have a pretext to begin a commotion.
I persuade myself, therefore, you will never consent that the
least thing will be done that may disturb the repose of me
and my subjects.
" Open yourself to me with the same freedom I do to you,
and propose whatever you may think will contribute to the
164 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. V. security of the succession : I will come into it with zeal, pro-
''''^^^■^^'*^ vided it do not derogate from my dignity, which I am resolved
to maintain; and I am, with a great deal of affection," &c.
To the prince she addressed herself also, by the same mes-
senger, as follows : — " Cousin; An accident which has happened
in my lord Paget's family having hindered him from setting
forward so soon as he thought to have done, I cannot defer any
longer lettmg you know my thoughts with respect to the design
you have of coming into my kingdoms. As the opening of this
matter ought to have been first to me, so I expected you would
not have given ear to it without knowing my thoughts about
it. However ; this is what I owe to my own dignity, the friend-
ship I have for you, and the electoral house to which you belong,
and the true desire I have that it may succeed to my kingdoms ;
and this requires of me that I should tell you, that nothing can
be more dangerous to the tranquillity of my dominions, and
the right of succession in your line, and, consequently, more
disagreeable to me, than such a proceeding at this juncture. I
am, with a great deal of friendship, your affectionate cousin,
" ANNE, R."
These letters made a powerful impression upon the aged
electress, whose feelings were not in a state to be thwarted
in any of her political arrangements, particularly in this which
she had so much at heart. She directed copies of them to be
sent to the duke of Marlborough, with whom she had constantly
corresponded, and who was then at Antwerp: and we learn
from the letters of Mr. Molyneux, who was at that time his
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 165
grace's political agent at the court of Hanover, that the result chap. v.
was more fatal than was at first apprehended. The electress ^^'^^'^^
was so deeply affected with the anxiety of the moment, that
her feeble frame sunk under contending passions.
The letters were delivered on Wednesday, the 6th of June, at a. d. i714.
noon ; and although she continued her usual occupations, and con-
versed on indifferent subjects, she complained of being unwell on
Thursday, and was confined to bed. On Friday she was able
to dress and dine with the elector, and in the evening took
her accustomed walk in the orangery, behind the palace; but
being caught in a shower of rain, she walked rather quickly
to get under cover. Her attendants remarked to her, that she
was walking too fast: she answered, " I believe I do;" and
immediately dropped down in uttering these words, which
were her last. Thus died Sophia, electress and dutchess-dowager
of Brunswick-Luneburg and Hanover, on the 8th of June, 1714,
in the 84th year of her age.
Sophia, princess palatine of the Rhine and princess of
Bohemia, was the youngest daughter of Frederick the Fifth,
elector Palatine, aad Elizabeth Stuart, princess royal of
England, and only daughter of James the First. She was
born on the 13th of October, 1630. Her unfortunate father
died when she was three years old, and her early days were
spent in misery and in exile. Though many of her family were
rigid members of the Roman catholic church, she was educated
a protestant, under the care of her cousin, the princess of Orange,
and remained firmly attached to the doctrines and principles
of that faith. At the age of twenty- eight she married Ernest-
166 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. V. Augustus, duke of Brunswick-Luneburg, and sovereign bishop
^-'^^'^^ of Osnaburg ; and became a sharer in the prosperous fortunes
of that illustrious prince.
She was a woman of uncommon beauty, and of a mas-
culine understanding. A cotemporary writer relates, that at
the age of seventy-three she possessed all the beauty and
vigour of youth, stept as firm and erect as any young lady,
and had not a wrinkle in her face, nor one tooth out of
her head; she read without spectacles, and was constantly
employed. The chairs of the presence chamber were all em-
broidered with her own hands, as also the ornaments for the
altar of the electoral chapel. She was a great walker, and
generally spent two or three hours daily in perambulating the
garden and pleasure grounds about Hernhausen. She possessed
great general knowledge, and was the firm friend and protector
of the learned men of her day. She was the first to discover
the genius of the immortal Leibnitz ; and her munificence and
condescension attached that philosopher to her court during the
greater part of his life. Her most happy hours were spent in
his society; and she took a warm interest in the success of
his discoveries in science, and in the promulgation of his well
merited fame. She spoke five languages so well, that, by
her accent, it was doubtful which of them was her native
tongue. The low Dutch, the German, the Italian, French,
and English, were all equally familiar ; and she would discourse
in the last with an ease and fluency that few foreigners have
ever attained. She made the laws and constitution of England
her peculiar study, from the moment it became probable that
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 167
she might be called to the throne, and none understood them chap. v.
better. ^.^^,'-^•
She had a genius, says her biographer, equally turned
for conversation and business, that rendered her not only the
delight and ornament of a court, but able to manage and sup-
port its highest interests. The greatness of her soul bore equal
proportion to her illustrious birth, and the exalted station which
she filled ; but withal was tempered with so much sweetness
and affability, that the duty of those below her became all one
with their pleasure. The knowledge of her virtues added to
the lustre of her titles, and respect grew upon familiarity. No
one ever gave liberties with a better grace, or could act without
reserve to greater advantage ; and she acted her part to admira-
tion, as a daughter of England and mother of Germany.
Her wit was sprightly, curious, and surprising ; her judgment
solid and penetrating, founded upon the best maxims of reading and
study, and corrected by observation and experience. Nothing
could exceed the brilliancy and beauty of her conversation but
her letters ; and both were easy, entertaining, and instructive.
She had a fund of happiness within herself which made retire-
ment pleasant ; but her care in her domestic economy, and in
the general government of the country, showed that she had
a just sense of her being born for the good of others.
Her piety was exemplary, without affectation ; and her religious
sentiments were neither perplexed with doubts nor enslaved by
superstition. She was studious to prevent, sedulous to oppose, and
active to suppress, every little quarrel or party intrigue, that grew
up or ripened where she had any influence. No one had a higher
168 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. V. idea of what was due to birth and majesty, or maintained better
^-^^^''''^^ lliQ dignity of the royal lineage from which she was descended.
She had experienced, when young, the misfortunes of her own
and her mother's house; and no temptations could weaken her
attachment to the blood of the Stuarts.
It may be objected to this princess, that ambition made her
prefer her own aggrandizement to the claims of her exiled
relations : but when we find that the children forgot their duty to
their father and their sovereign, we have a sufficient excuse
for the conduct of the electress Sophia in urging her claims to
the throne which they had forfeited.
The death of the electress made a considerable alteration
in the state of parties in England, and gave new vigour and
firmness to the friends of the elector, now the presumptive heir
to the crown. Her death also relieved him from considerable
difficulties ; being no longer controlled by her authority, he was
able to adopt an uniform and consistent plan of conduct.
" Although he placed his principal reliance on the Whigs, (says
Mr. Coxe*,) yet, being of a prudent and cautious temper, he
did not neglect the Tories. Declining to irritate the queen,
by permitting his son to accept the invitation to England, refusing
to spend his treasure in strengthening his interest, or to interfere
in factious cabals, he appeared almost too indifferent to stretch
out his hand to the sceptre that was within his grasp, and
adroitly left his interests to the management of his adherents
and agents." When the queen transmitted her letters to the
electress and prince, the earl of Oxford also addressed the
* Vide Coxe's Memoirs of John Duke of Marlborough, vol. vi. p. 284.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 169
elector ; and the reader will find in a note his letter on that chap. v.
occasion*. " Oxford, by his artful duplicity, (continues the '-^^•^^^
author already quoted,) in paying court successively to every
party, had rendered himself equally contemptible to all. He
had offended the queen by his overtures to the electoral family,
and had not succeeded in obtaining their confidence." But what-
ever may have been the political maxims of this minister, it
* " MAY IT PLEASE YOUK ROYAL HIGHNESS,
" Though I expect Mr. Harley every moment in return from
your court, and thereby shall have another opportunity of doing myself the honour
to present your royal highness with my most humble duty, and the assurance
of my utmost service ; yet I cannot slip this occasion of the queen's messenger
attending your royal highness with her majesty's letter, to lay myself at your feet.
I have no enemy that knows me who is not just enough to allow me to be inviolably
attached to your succession, nothing coming into competition with that; because
I know I please the queen when I am zealous for the service of your serene house.
I hope, therefore, I shall find credit with your royal highness when I humbly lay
my sincere opinion before you. The queen is most heartily for your succession : if
there be any thing which may render it more secure, which is consistent with
her majesty's safety, it will be accomplished. It is not the eager desires of
some, nor what flows from the advice of others, whose discontents, perhaps, ani-
mate their zeal, can balance the security you have in the queen's friendship, and
the dutiful affection of her faithful subjects; for, as I am sure your royal high-
ness's great wisdom would not choose to rule by a party, so you will not let
their narrow measures be the standard of your government. I doubt not but the
accident that happened about the writ, may be improved to increase the most
perfect friendship between the queen and your most serene family. I still study
to do every thing to demonstrate the profound veneration and respect wherewith
I am,
" May it please your Royal Highness,
" Your Royal Highness's
" Most dutiful, most humble, and most obedient servant,
--' OXFORD."
170 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. V. is certain that the cabinet of queen Anne never became alto-
^■^^^^^ gather Jacobitkal till after his dismissal.
It was fortunate for this country that the lord Bolingbroke and
his party had not time to organize the measures they had in
contemplation. The queen, on the 27th of July, was a witness
to the disgraceful scene which took place between him and lord
Oxford. Her feelings were deeply affected, and she retired in
great agitation. This agitation was considerably increased on the
29th ; and it began to affect the discharge from the sore on her leg,
which M^as checked. Her constitutional gout flew to her brain,
and she sunk into a state of stupefaction, broken by occasional fits
of delirium.
Bolingbroke employed this awful interval of suspense in
accelerating his political arrangements, and the most alarming
apprehensions seized upon all the well-wishers to the pro-
testant succession. The Whigs, however, were not inactive.
They had already entered into a formal association, nominated
officers, collected arms and ammunition ; and were preparing to
take the necessary precautions, on the death of the queen, to
obtain possession of the fortresses and out ports of the kingdom,
to seize the tower, and adopt every possible precaution for pro-
claiming the constitutional king. In the midst of these mutual
exertions the indisposition of the queen increased ; and a com-
mittee of the privy council were sitting in a chamber of the royal
palace at Kensington, to make the most prompt and effectual
arrangements on the event. Fortunately, as Mr. Coxe observes,
the duke of Shrewsbury was among the members present ; and
his patriotic conduct at that important crisis compensated for
his former duplicity.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 171
In the quarrels between the rival ministers he had often chap. v.
acted with indecision, though he adhered generally to lord ^-^^^"^^
Oxford, whom he considered the least dangerous. But he
now saw that the moment was arrived when he must adopt
a decided line of conduct. The Hanoverian party astonished
this assembly of the privy council by their firmness and promp-
titude. In the midst of their discussions the dukes of Argyll
and Somerset suddenly entered the council-chamber, and said,
that understanding the danger of the queen, they had hastened
to offer their assistance. In the pause of surprise which ensued,
the duke of Shrewsbury rose and thanked them for their offer ;
and having taken their seats, they proposed an examination of
the physicians. The report was, that her majesty was in immi-
nent danger ; and it was resolved that the post of lord treasurer
should be filled without delay. The duke of Shrewsbury was
recommended to that office.
Bolingbroke and his partisans were thunderstruck, and made
no opposition ; and, with the approbation of the medical at-
tendants, a committee waited upon the queen, and declared the
unanimous opinion of her council. Her majesty was incapable
of exertion ; faintly approving the choice, she delivered the
staff to the duke, and bade him use it for the good of her
people. The same afternoon lord Somers shook off his bodily
infirmities and repaired to Kensington. He was accompanied,
or followed, by many privy councillors of the same party ; and
by their impulse a sudden revolution took place in the counsels
of government. Troops were ordered to march to the metro-
polis. Ten battalions were recalled from Flanders, an embargo
172 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. V. was laid on the ports, and a fleet sent to sea, under the com-
'^^^ mand of the earl of Berkeley, and strong measures adopted
to maintain the public tranquillity in every part of the empire.
A request was sent to the states of Holland to guarantee
the protestant succession ; and an express was sent to the elector
of Hanover, entreating him to repair, without delay, to the Hague,
where a fleet would be ready to convey him to England, should
it please God to call the queen to his mercy.
The queen having relapsed into a lethargy, and the physicians
despairing of her life, the hei-alds at arms, and a troop of the life
guards, were then summoned on duty ; and by these and other
judicious arrangements, the death of the sovereign, which hap-
pened at seven o'clock in the morning of the 1st of August, was
instantly followed by the proclamation of the elector of Hanover
as king, under the title of George the First. Thus, observes the
author we have followed, by the blessing of divine Providence,
the protestant succession was secured*.
* Vide Annal. German, apud Struv. passim.
Eichorn's History of Brunswick.
Robertson's History of Charles the Fifth.
Schiller's Thirty Years' War.
History of the Revolutions in Holland.
Coxe's Memoirs of John Duke of Marlhorough.
The Life of Queen Anne.
Debates of the Scottish Parliament.
Journals of the House of Commons.
M'Pherson's Hanover Papers.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 173
GENEALOGY OF THE GUELPHS,
FKOM ERXEST, THE CONFESSOR, TO GEORGE THE FIRST,
KING OF ENGLAND.
ERNEST, duke of Celle, styled the Confessor, died 1546.
Henry, duke of Brunswick, 3, William, duke of Luneburg,
ancestor of the present died 1592.
reigning duke, died at I
Danneberg 1598. |
Ernest, 2,Christian, 3,Augustus, 4, Frederick, 5, Magnus, 6, George, 7, John,
duke of duke of duke of dukeofLune- died died died
Luneburg, Luneburg, Luneburg, burg, died 1632. 1641. 16'28.
died 1611, died 1633, died 1636,
without without without issue. |
issue. issue. issue. |
Christian-Lewis, 2, George-William, 3, John-Frederick, 4, Ernest-Augustus,
duke of Celle, died duke of Celle, died duke of Hanover, bishop of Osnabura,
1665. 1705. died 1679. duke of Hanover,
elector of Hanover,
1692, died 1698.
George-Lewis, elector of
Hanover, king of England,
1714, died 1727.
174 THE HISTORY OF
GENEALOGY OF THE GUELPHS,
FROM HENRY, DUKE OF BRUNSWICK-DANNEBERG, TO CHARLES-
WILLIAM-FERDINAND, THE PRESENT REIGNING DUKE OF
BRUNSWICK AND LUNEBURG-WOLFENBUTTLE.
HENRY, duke of Danneberg, died 1598.
^ A ^
Augustus, duke of Wolfenbuttle, died 1666.
Ferdinand-Albert, duke of Bevern, died 1667.
I
Ferdinand-Aleert, duke of Wolfenbuttle, died 1735.
I
Charles, duke of Wolfenbuttle, died 1780.
I
Charles-William-Ferdinand, duke of Wolfenbuttle, died of the wounds lie received in the
battle of Jena, 1806.
J ^
Frederick-William, duke of Wolfenbuttle-Oels, killed at Quatre-bras, 16th June, 1815.
I
Chahles-Wilham-Ferdinand, the present reigning duke.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 175
CHAPTER VI.
The history of the most ancient and illustrious house of
Guelph, in as far as it is separated from that of England, naturally
finishes with George the First. He added the crown of Great
Britain to the sovereignty of their hereditary states in Germany ;
and became king of England as well as elector of Hanover, and
duke of Brunswick and Luneburg. We shall, therefore, conclude
this part of our undertaking with some account of their con-
tinental possessions, and endeavour to give a general view of
the past and present state of the people and kingdom of Hanover.
It is, however, a difficult task to ascertain with certainty the
inhabitants of any particular district of Germany, during the
first years of the Christian era, as the successive hordes of
barbarians who descended from the unknown north, and who,
in the first instance, narrowed the limits, and afterwards effected
the ruin of the Roman power, may be said to have made this
country only a halting place. They continued to advance to
the south, and their place was occupied by a new tribe or nation
of the same people. The exterminating warfare which was too
often carried on among these savages themselves, was also suffi-
cient to change the face of the country, with respect to its
inhabitants, in a very few years ; and hence it is that we find
in the ancient writers so many differences of opinions with
regard to the names and numbers of the tribes who inhabited
the north of Europe.
176 , THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. VI. About the period when Ccesar conquered Gaul, and advanced
^"^'^"'''^ beyond the Rhine, the sea coast between the Elbe, the Weser,
and the Ems, was occupied by a people called Chauci and
Cherusci. The Chamavi and Longabardi dwelt more inland, and
divided amongst them the greater part of the country about
Hanover and Brunswick. The Angli are placed in that district
now known as the dutchy of Lawenburg. The Hessians are
said to be the descendants of the Catti or Chassi of that time.
And what constitutes the kingdom and country of the present
Saxons was then possessed by the Suevi, Hermunduri, Ubii,
and Sedusii.
In the interval between the time of Caesar and the reign
of Trajan, many of these nations had changed their position,
but in general they retained their ancient names. As a whole
people, they had obtained the appellation of Goths and Vandals.
The former were established towards the mouth of the Vistula,
and in that fertile province where the commercial cities of Thorn,
Elbing, Konningsberg, and Dantzic, were long afterwards
founded ; while the more numerous tribes of the latter ex-
tended to the westward. But a striking similarity of manners,
' complexion, religion, and language, clearly indicated that they
were originally one great nation.
In the age of the Antonines the Goths were still seated in
Prussia ; and in the reign of Alexander- Severus the Roman pro-
vince of Dacia began to experience their proximity, by frequent
and destructive inroads. It was about the year 240 that the inha-
bitants of the Lower Rhine and the Weser formed a confederacy,
under the title of Franks, or freemen. This union, which was
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 177
effected, in the first instance, by tacit consent and mutual advantage, ch ap. vi.
was gradually cemented by habit and experience. The Franks ■'-'*^'"'*^
were no sooner aware of their combined strength, than they
entered upon foreign conquest. They encroached upon the pro-
vinces of Gaul ; and, though often repulsed, were at last able to
take and to retain possession of these provinces ; and their leaders
laid the foundation of the present French monarchy. Similar con-
federacies were formed, and other conquests made, by various of .
the German nations. Their names have been perpetuated in the
countries which they subdued, and their descendants have reigned
as sovereigns in almost every state in Europe.
The accounts which we have of the first Gothic tribes, are
such as are common to all savages. They were a warlike people,
without either cities, letters, arts, or money. They carried with
them what they most valued, their arms, their cattle, and their
women. Among some an hereditary monarchy was established ;
but the greater number obeyed a leader of their own choice.
In the dull intervals of peace, they were immoderately addicted to
deep gaming and excessive drinking ; and they gloried in jaassing
whole days and nights at table. Their habitations were nothing
more than low huts of a circular figure, built of rough timber,
thatched with straw, and pierced at the top, to allow the light
to enter and the smoke to go out; and " each barbarian," says
Gibbon, " fixed his independent dwelling on the spot to which
a plain, a wood, or a stream of fresh water, had induced him
to give the preference." In war they were early renowned ; and
many of the German tribes, from their numbers and improved
state of military discipline, were formidable rivals of their Roman
invaders. Varus, with the best troops of Augustus, was defeated
178 THE HISTORY, OF
CHAP. VI. near Pyrmont, by Arminius, the leader of the savage Cheruscians,
""■■^^^^^^ about the beginning of the first century (A. D. 9) ; and when,
in the process of time, they had learned from their invaders the
more perfect use of arms, and accident had convinced them of
the power of union and numbers, these savages ravaged Italy
and the south ; they marched boldly to the attack of the imperial
city itself, and Attila the Hun was able to dictate terms to the
mistress of the world. But there is a long period of darkness
between the fifth and the ninth century, which is but rarely
illumined with the light of historical truth; and our principal
sources of information respecting persons and places in those
unsettled ages, are from the collections of miracles and traditions,
made by the credulous monks of the tenth century ; and which,
fortunately for the world, escaped the sword of the destroyer
in the sanctified seclusion of the privileged convent.
The historian of the present day owes much to these pious
recluses ; and when they treat of the transactions of their own
time, or of the generation immediately preceding them, the
outlines of their detail, and also the greater part of their specific
statements, may be taken, when divested of their superstition,
as generally correct.
Meroveus, the leader of the Franks, was the first of their
kings in the newly acquired provinces of Gaul, and must have
lived about the year 400. The country was often divided into
separate kingdoms, but his descendants continued to reign in
France for more than three centuries and a half.
The grand master of the palace had, previous to the end of the
Merovingean race, enjoyed much of the power of the sovereign, and
was at last able to usurp the crown, Pepin, the son of Charles
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 179
Martel, the master of the palace to Childeric the Third, was chap. vi.
crowned king of France in 752 ; and his son Charles, animated by "-^^ "^-^
a desire of conquest and zeal for the true religion, overran the
greater part of Germany, and compelled its pagan inhabitants to
submit to Christianity or death.
When Charlemagne began his reign, the north-west part of
Germany had obtained the general appellation of Saxony, and
the people were united under one sovereign. Wittikend, their
king at this period, was a prince of no ordinary talents, and was
well entitled to rank as the rival of Charlemagne. The war
between these sovereigns was carried on with various success
for many years, but at last the Christian arms prevailed ;
Wittikend was converted, and acknowledged the authority of
the king of France ; and his states were merged in the western
empire. Monks and military governors were spread over the
country, and religion and strict discipline went hand in hand
in civilizing the people.
The cathedral churches of Paderborne, Minden, Osnaburg,
Bremen, Verden, and others, were built, by command of the
emperor ; and bishops were appointed to these sees. The tem-
poral welfare of the people was equally consulted, and freedom
of commerce was granted to Bardewich and Celle, towns of
some consideration in that part of the country which constitutes
the present dutchy of Luneburg. Wittikend, though conquered,
was still allowed, as duke of Saxony, to retain the government
of his country. It comprehended the whole of the present
kingdom of Hanover and circle of Westphalia ; but as we believe
we follow the best authorities when we state that he left no male
180 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. VI. issue, the greater part of his possessions passed into tbs
hands of the nobles who had been left by Charlemagne as the
military governors or protectors of the frontiers, and who were
either the descendants of the ancient families of the country,
or strangers transferred from a distant part of the empire.
A small portion, however, must have remained to Gisela, the
daughter of Wittikend, who married Bruno, one of her father's
generals, as their grandson, Ludolph, had a conspicuous rank
in the empire, as duke of Saxony, in the reign of Lewis the Second
and Charles the Bald. The counts of Supplingenburg and Nord-
heim were amongst the most ancient of the Saxon nobles, and held
some of the finest provinces in the present kingdom of Hanover.
The country on the Ocker belonged to the Brunones, the descend-
ants of a brother or son of the first Bruno ; and Luneburg was the
property of the family of the Billungs. Gertrude, the only sister of
Eckbert, the last margrave of Brunswick of the line of Bruno, con-
veyed that territory to Otho the Fat, count of Nordheim, whom
she married in 1092 ; and their only daughter and heiress, Richenza,
married Lothaire, count of Supplingenburg, whose female ancestor,
it is believed, was the daughter of the emperor Otho the Second.
Gebhard, the father of Lothaire, who is styled count of Sup-
plingenburg and count of Blankenburg, also count palatine, fell
in battle in 1075; and Lothaire, in 1106, got, in addition to these
honours, the investiture of the dutchy of Saxony from Henry the
Fourth, on the death of Magnus Billung without male heirs ; but
the greater part of the hereditary states of the Billung family
were conveyed to Henry the Black, duke of Bavaria, as the
marriage portion of Wulfilda, the eldest daughter of duke Magnus.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. Igj
Henry the Proud, duke of Bavaria, the son of Henry the chap. vi.
Black and Wulfilda of Bilking, married Gertrude, the only "^^^-^^^
daughter and heiress of Lothaire, now emperor of Germany, and
of Richenza, heiress of Nordheim ; and having been invested with
the dutchy of Saxony, his only son, Henry the Lion, in right of his
mother and grandmother, became sovereign of the united posses-
sions of Brunswick, Luneburg, Supplingenburg, and Nordheim ;
and is the first of the Guelphs of Bavaria who made Brunswick his
fixed place of residence. Henry's dominions, we have seen, were
too extensive for a subordinate sovereign, and his power too
great for a subject of the empire. In 1180, he was deprived
of his hereditary titles of duke of Bavaria and duke of Saxony.
These countries were conferred on other princes ; and he was
compelled to be content with the possessions that had belonged
to his ancestor, Wittikend, and which were not of greater extent
than the present Hanoverian kingdom and Brunswick dutchy.
The sons of Henry the Lion enjoyed the nominal title of dukes of
Saxony, but possessed only that portion of the country which
had belonged to their female ancestors ; and in 1235, the states of
Brunswick and Luneburg were erected into a feudal dutchy,
and conferred upon Otho the Infant, his grandson.
The divisions and subdivisions of their property, which so
generally took place among the descendants of this Otho, were
not only ruinous to the Guelphic power, but most injurious to the
country which they governed. The princes of Brunswick and
Luneburg were very frequently engaged in civil wars and domestic
broils ; and the glory of their name and lineage was too often
sacrificed to the petty ambition of possessing a town or a princi-
182 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. VI. pality that belonged to a brother or a cousin. It was not till a very
^^ late period that minor considerations w^ere allowed to give place to
what was obviously for the general good ; and Ernest- Augustus,
elector and duke of Hanover, in the 17th century, was the first to
establish the right of primogeniture in his family ; and to unite in
his own person, and in that of his descendants, the greater part
of the Guelphic possessions in Germany. Since his day these
possessions have been considerably augmented ; and for the future
we shall treat of the kingdom of Hanover, as it was established by
the treaty of Vienna, in 1815.
Hanover, as a kingdom, contains about eight hundred and
twenty German (eighteen thousand English) square miles*, and is
divided into the following provinces : — Calemberg, Grubenhagen,
Luneburg, Gottingen, Lawenburg, Osnaburg, Hildesheim, and
East Friesland; all of which have occasionally been sovereign
principalities ; Bremen and Verden are dutchies ; Hoya, Diep-
holz, Lingen, Danneberg, Hohnstein, Bentheim, and Spiegelberg,
are counties. It also comprehends the circle of Meppen, the
district of Emsbiihren, with the land Hadeln, and Upper and Lower
Harz. The population amounts to nearly a million and a half.
To the north of the city of Hanover, the present capital,
the country in general is low, with immense tracts of sandy
plain, and a number of impenetrable marshes ; but to the south
and east of the city the soil is better, and well cultivated.
Agriculture and the breeding of cattle are the chief employ-
ment of the people.
* The German miles are now established at fifteen to a degree.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 183
The mountains of the Deister, Soiling, Siintell, and innumerable chap. vi.
hills of lesser note, give a diversified appearance to the face '"^
of the country ; and are, for the most part, covered with rich
and extensive forests of oak, beech, and pine. These forests are a
source of never-failing wealth to the king, from the superior
manner in which they are managed, and of great comfort and
convenience to the inhabitants of the kingdom. The rivers afford
many facilities for trade and manufactures; and although the
natives of this kingdom are more an agricultural than a commercial
people, they are not deficient in a spirit for speculation. Osna-
burg has long been celebrated for its manufacture of linens ;
particularly for a species which has obtained the name of Os)ia-
bargs, and of which more than a million of ells are annually
exported. The wool of the country, which is abundant in quan-
tity, and some of it of excellent quality, is also manufactured
into broad and other cloths, which in durability, though not in
fineness, rival the produce of England. They are chiefly used for
home consumption.
The produce of the Harz mines, including the gold and
silver coined into money, may be taken at an average of two
millions of dollars annually ; but the greater part of that sum
is spent in the district, in improving the works of the mines,
and in supporting a population of thirty thousand souls, who
are connected with the different mining establishments. Lead
and copper are the principal metals exported ; to which may
be added a small quantity of cast and wrought iron. But when
the iron foundries now building at Rottfe Hiitte are finished,
the construction of which does so much credit to baron Meding,
the director-general of the mines, and his deputy, baron de
184 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. VI. Redeii, there will be a considerable increase in the quantity
''■'^'*^^^^^ of this metal for exportation, and some improvement also in its
quality.
There is a very extensive and well-conducted manufactory of
fire-arms in the town of Hertzberg ; and while the proprietor con-
tinues, as at present, by the superior quality of the article brought
to market, to merit the support of the government and the public,
it cannot fail to be a profitable concern. There is a large esta-
blishment near Celle for the dressing and spinning of flax ; and
the peasants of that province have a profitable trade in the
rearing of bees, and supply a great part of the continent
with bees' wax, for candles, &c. There is a large glass manu-
factory in the Soiling mountains, established by a private
individual; and the government also carry on a similar establish-
ment at Osterwald. There are several extensive salt springs
in different parts of the kingdom ; and the manufacture of salt
is a source of great profit to individuals and to the public revenue.
Earthenware, and even china of tolerable fineness are manu-
factured at Duingen ; and gunpowder, of the very best quality, is
made at Aerzen and Bomlitz. Cattle and sheep are in great
abundance in the kingdom, the horses are in general good ; and
the king's stud is one of the finest in Germany. Last year a
hundred and seventeen stallions, of the best blood, were sent
from his majesty's stables into the different provinces of the
kingdom, for the purpose of improving the breed. The farmers
understand the cultivation of the soil ; and have, in general, most
abundant crops of corn, hemp, flax, and tobacco, which are their
chief articles of growth. The taxes, in the present times of
peace and plenty, are, comparatively speaking, very trifling.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 185
and scarcely felt. But the people are still, in some measure, chap. vi.
suffering from the horrors and oppressions of the late war. Un- ^-^"^^^^^
fortunately for the country, it had to endure more than its common
share of the evils inflicted upon the continent by the armed
robbers of Europe ; and it is more than a century since it has
been blessed with the presence of its sovereign. But his present
majesty, from the moment he became the ruler of their destinies,
has devoted his attention, in no ordinary degree, to the
welfare of the ancient vassals of his house. In the Count de
Miinster*, a nobleman of enlarged mind and sound judgment, his
majesty has had an able assistant, and Hanover an enlightened
minister ; and, could the improved system of government he has
introduced be completed by the residence of the king even
for a short period, this kingdom, if peace continues, would rank,
in no long time, as the third state in Germany.
The government is at present carried on by a committee of
five of the king's ministers, with his royal highness the duke
of Cambridge as president. Three of these ministers, with his
royal highness, reside constantly in Hanover. One of them is
ambassador at the court of Vienna, and the other (count Miinster)
resides in London.
The property of the soil is vested, for the most part, in the king
and the nobles ; and, independent of his being sovereign of the
country, his majesty is bonil fide proprietor of about two thirds of
the whole landed property of the kingdom. Part of this property
hfeued out to the peasants, and part of it let to regular tenants.
* This nobleman is the member of the cabinet resident in London ; consequently
the king's confidential adviser.
186 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. VI. The country is divided into districts or ampts, which are
"^^^^^^ superintended by a magistrate. If a commoner, this magistrate
is called the amptman ; if a noble, he has the title of drost or
landrost. The king's domains were in general let wholesale to
the amptman or drost, and by him subset to the peasantry. This,
which was one of the great sources of mismanagement, or rather
of bad government, has now been done away ; and, as the leases
of the different ampts fall in, they are let to the person who gives
the best offer for the land.
it was no uncommon occurrence, in former times, for the
person who was the favourite of the minister of the day to get
a lease of a large district of country at an annual rent of half a
dollar per acre, which he would immediately subset in small farms
to the peasants, at six, eight, or ten dollars. The whole of the
kings property, whether in land, woods, or mines, is managed
by what is called the king's chamber ; and each of these depart-
ments is superintended by a privy counsellor, who has the title of
director.
The court consists of a grand marshal of the palace, a lord
chamberlain, and several chamberlains ; a master and vice-master
of the horse, a lord treasurer, master of the hunt, and all the
minor officers of state. Thc.-e, and all the civil judges, are
appointed by the crown, and paid from the king's revenues;
and his majesty also contributes to the other expenses of the
state the ordinary taxes which are levied upon every subject.
By the last account which has been made public, the revenue
of the sovereign amounted only to a million and a half of dollars,
(two hundred and fifty thousand pounds sterling), while the
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 187
charges exceeded that revenue by about forty-eight thousand chap. vi.
dollars, or eight thousand pounds per annum. But, as leases ^^^^"^^
are rapidly falling in, and the value of land has greatly increased,
the income, it is to be hoped, will soon exceed the annual ex-
penditure.
In 1819, the king granted a new constitution to the country,
by which the nation in future is to be represented by two
chambers, forming a legislature in some measure similar to that
of Great Britain. In each province the former local government
is continued; and its affairs are managed by a legislative
assembly of its own, consisting of representatives chosen from
the clergy, nobles, and towns of the district ; and it is a certain
number of deputies from these provincial assemblies, that form
what are called the general states of the kingdom.
The first chamber of the Allgememe-landstande, or states
general, is similar to the British house of peers, and consists
of the mediatized princes of the kingdom; the earl marshal,
and postmaster-general, whose offices are hereditary ; the catholic
bishops of the kingdom ; three protestant clergymen, who are
the heads of reformed abbeys, or members of the consistory ;
and the directors of the king's chamber, or treasury, who have
seats as a matter of right; of such peers as the king may
create, who possess an entailed property to a certain extent,
(six thousand dollars per annum) ; and the deputies limited to
a fixed number, who are returned by the nobles of the several
provincial states, and who are members only by favour or
election. The second chamber, or house of commons, consists
of the representatives of the clergy ; the reformed convents ;
the university of Gottingen ; and of the large towns ; to which a
188 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. VI. third class has been added, the representatives of the Feuars,
^^^^'^^ or free boors of the kingdom. All laws or regulations are to
be debated in the two chambers separately; but if they shall
differ on any point, they are to be formed into one assembly,
and the opinion of the majority is to be considered as the
decision of the two houses.
With regard to the civil and criminal courts it is difficult
to give any distinct account. Hanover has no national code
of civil law, and the Roman and canon law, modified in certain
instances by particular or local statutes, is that by which the
judges are guided in their decisions ; but much depends upon
the still prevailing maxims of the feudal system. A creditor
can sequestrate and sell the goods of his debtor, but cannot
incarcerate his person, unless he makes it appear that he is
about to fly from justice.
In criminal matters the code of Charles the Fifth, called the
Carolina, forms the basis of the law of Hanover. When a person
is suspected or accused of a crime, he is immediately taken up
and thrown into prison; and the magistrate of the district in
which the crime was committed, or the prisoner apprehended,
is charged with the duty of taking a precognition. He examines
witnesses upon oath, and procures all the information possible
against the accused ; and when this investigation is concluded,
the documents are transmitted to the high court of criminal
justice at Hanover, which either proceeds to the trial at once,
or orders a further investigation before the provincial court.
Cases of civil action, in most instances, commence before
the amptman, or judge of the district; from which an appeal
lies to the court of chancery, the supreme civil court of each
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 189
province. Should its sentence not be satisfactory, the cause chap. vi.
may be carried, by either party, before the high court of ^^^^'^^
appeal, which sits at Celle, and whose decision can be executed
with effect in any part of the kingdom. In matters of great
interest, an appeal from the high court may be made to the
king in council ; but in general the sentence of the court of
Celle is considered final. The whole of the proceedings are
carried on in written pleadings, and the courts are piyvate.
The supreme criminal court sits in Hanover; but there is in
every province a supreme court of civil and criminal justice,
besides the dominial ampts, public ampts, courts of the nobles,
and courts of the cities and towns ; which are all courts of the
first instance, and exist in every district.
The nobles, or freyhern, formerly claimed many exceptions
from the ordinary proceedings in courts of law, and were
excused from many of the general imposts ; but few of their
ancient privileges are now either claimed or allowed, as by
the new constitution all subjects are equal in the eye of the
law. The proceedings in the civil courts of law are often
extended to an indefinite length: but we must add, that we
have heard of no instance where justice, though delayed, was
not fairly administered.
In most of the states in Germany there are as yet only two
classes of the people, the nobles and the peasants, or what
the language of the country more truly implies, the freemen
and the vassals. But in Hanover, a third class of opulent
merchants is springing up in many of the cities and towns;
and the king's vassals, and free boors of the kingdom, having
190 THE HISTORY OF
cHAF. VI. been admitted to a share in the national representation, may
''■■^^^ justly be compared to the yeomanry of England. The great
body of the nobility of Germany are the descendants of those
vassals, who, for their distinguished services, or by special favour,
obtained their freedom from their immediate chiefs, and vv^ere
ennobled by the emperor. They are extremely numerous, because
all the male descendants of a count, or a baron, are entitled in
society to the rank of their ancestor, though the legal rights of the
title are restricted to his lineal representative, in as far as the
empire is concerned.
The holy Roman empire consisted of the head of the state,
the emperor; and three political bodies: the college of electors,
the college of princes, and the college of the free imperial cities.
The emperor was elected ; and his chief powers were the
granting the investiture of their dominions to the sovereign
princes, but which he was bound to do as the law directed ; the
conferring of titles of nobility ; but here again he had to promise
that they should be bestowed only on such persons as would
maintain their dignity, and could support their rank; and, after
all, he could merely give the title, as the power and privileges
of a prince or a count must be allowed by their respective bodies
before they could be exercised. He had, of course, all the
privileges that belonged to the sovereign authority; yet he was
not considered above the law, as the same body that elected
him to the throne had the power, or occasionally assumed the
right, of deposing him from it.
The college of electors was that body in which the power
of electing the head of the state resided. This was a privilege
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 191
which in early times belonged to every prince of the empire ; chap. vi.
and we have seen how the many were excluded by the manoeuvre
of the archbishop of Mentz, at the election of Lothaire, in 1125
The great officers of the household gradually usurped this power
which they were allowed to exercise without any regular autho
rity, till the famous golden bull of Charles the Fourth, in 1356
The electoral college, as then organized, consisted of the arch
bishop of Mentz, the grand chancellor of the empire ; the arch
bishop of Cologne, as grand chancellor for the kingdom of Italy
and the archbishop of Treves, as grand chancellor of France
and Burgundy, or Aries. The king of Bohemia, as grand cup-
bearer of the empire, was the first lay member; the count
palatine of the Rhine, as high steward, the second ; the duke
of Saxony, as grand marshal, the third; and the margrave of
Brandenburg, as grand chamberlain, the fourth. When Fre-
derick the Fifth, count palatine, forfeited his honours in his
contest for the crown of Bohemia, his electoral dignity was
granted to the duke of Bavaria; but, on the honours of the
county palatine being restored to the son of Frederick, an eighth
electorate was created for the duke of Bavaria, in 1648 ; and,
in 1692, Hanover and Luneburg were made a ninth electorate;
to which was first attached the office of great standard-bearer,
and latterly that of grand treasurer. In the golden bull the forms
of procedure in the election of an emperor are fully detailed.
The college of princes consisted of all the sovereign princes of
the empire, whether laymen or prelates ; and also of the bishops,
abbots, and lords of counties, who were not sovereign princes.
The third college was formed of the representatives of the free
192 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. vr. cities of the empire. All the civil and military affairs of the
empire were regulated in what were called general diets, at
which the emperor, when present, presided; but the archbishop
of Mentz presided in the college of electors; the archduke of
Austria, and the archbishop of Saltzburg, alternately, in the
college of princes; and the representative of the city where
the diet sat, -in the college of representatives. The two first
colleges were called superior, and in effect constituted the diet;
but, by the peace of Westphalia, a decisive vote was recognized
as the right of the imperial cities, which the two superior colleges
should not infringe upon ; their vote by the fundamental law being
declared of equal weight with that of the electors and princes.
All matters for discussion at the diet were generally first
deliberated upon in the college of electors, and passed from
that to the college of princes. In each college the sentiments
of the majority were conclusive ; except in what had respect
to fundamental laws, that affected the whole empire; or in
matters of religion, when they must be unanimous. Every
sovereign prince had a vote in the second college : but the
votes for the whole of the bishops and abbots who were not
sovereigns were reduced to two ; and the counts and nobles of
the whole empire who had no. sovereign rights had only four
votes. The princes, therefore, voted individually, but the prelates
and nobles by benches.
After a measure was adopted by the colleges, it was submitted
to the emperor, who could confirm or reject it; but when it
received his sanction, it was binding upon every member of
the empire.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. ]93
Hildesheim and Osnaburg are both catholic provinces, and chap. vi.
were formerly sovereign bishopricks ; but they too have been ^-^^^^^
mediatized. The duke of York receives an equivalent for the
sovereign power and revenues of which he has been deprived ;
and the prince bishop of Hildesheim, a veteran nearly in his
hundredth year, has given up the sovereignty, and been allowed
to retain the revenues during his life. The catholic bishop of
Osnaburg is merely a spiritual dignitary; and the successor of
the present prince bishop of Hildesheim will become the same,
with a revenue adequate to the duties of his spiritual office.
Both these prelates have seats in the first chamber of the
states-general.
Education is much attended to in the kingdom of Hanover.
Almost every parish has its public school ; and there is a richly
endowed establishment in the city of Hanover, for the gratuitous
and liberal education of all such as are desirous of becoming
teachers of youth. The peasantry therefore are, in general,
well informed, as the schools are properly conducted and
numerously attended ; and the clergy, much to their credit,
take a lively interest in the improvement and discipline of the
seminaries of education.
As a seat of learning, Gottingen, the principal university
of the kingdom, has long ranked high in the republic of letters.
It was founded by George the Second, in 1737; and its fame
has been established by a succession of illustrious men, whose
names will be held in respect while literature and the sciences
continue to be cultivated. As a philosopher and natural histo-
rian, few have equalled the venerable Blumenbach, who still
194 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. VI. exists : and Haller, the prince of physiologists, taught in the
^"^''^''^^'^ schools of this seminary.
The Hanoverians are amongst the most loyal people on
earth. We speak of the great body of the population ; not of
the half Frenchified infidel few, who basked in the sunshine
of Westphalian favour, and were the slaves and sycophants of
a Buonapartean usurper. Of these the country does not contain
many; and we will venture to say, that ninety-nine out of
every hundred of the whole population are devotedly loyal, and
most sincerely attached to the person and government of their
king. It stands upon record, that no oppression on the
part of the tyrant of Europe, even when his power was the
greatest, could check the expression of their loyalty and attach-
ment, when the return of the king's birth-day, or any national
feast, led the Hanoverians to reflect on the days of old.
The public revenue of the kingdom arises from the rents
of the public domains ; which consist of part of the unclaimed
property of the monasteries suppressed at the reformation, and
from an income tax, a poll tax, with the duties of custom* and
excise on all goods imported for home consumption. It amounted,
in 1818, to the sum of three millions one hundred and fifty
thousand dollars, or five hundred and twenty-five thousand
pounds sterling; but the expenses of the year exceeded that
income by seven hundred thousand dollars, or one hundred and
sixteen thousand pounds ; and, to make up for the deficiency, a
loan of eight hundred thousand dollars was necessary. The public
* All kinds of dry goods pay a duty of half a dollar per cwt. on entering the
kingdom ; wine twelve dollars, brandy and spirits thirty-two per hogshead.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 195
debt of the kingdom amounts to about nine million of dollars ; chap. vi.
and the public revenue is expended in paying the interest of
this debt, and in maintaining the army, in supporting public
and charitable institutions, and the public officers of the state.
The poll tax is, perhaps, unequally imposed, as the richest
noble only pays twelve pence, while the poorest servant must
pay three pence ; and, respecting the income tax, we have been
assured that no merchant in the capital returns his profits at
more than fifty pounds per annum.
Public begging is prohibited in Hanover, and in most of
the other towns of the kingdom. The poor are supported
from funds contributed by the state; and, in particular places,
by a tax or fine upon all persons who enter the town or go
out of it after a certain hour in the evening. The concerns
of the poor are in general well managed, and the English system
of saving banks has been introduced with good effect into several
districts.
The system of prison discipline in this country is most
excellent, and in our opinion much superior to that in England.
Whatever may be the cruelty and barbarism of the existing criminal
law, it is mildly executed by the present government. The
prisoners and the convicted criminals are treated with great
judgment and humanity.
The house of correction at Celle, and the house of industry
at Hildesheim, are establishments that would do honour to any
countiy ; and, when the asylum for lunatics is removed from
the former, it may, with much truth, be pronounced a model
for similar institutions. The latter establishment, the house of
industry at Hildesheim, certainly merits every commendation.
196 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. VI. The convicts employed on the public v^^orks at Stade and
^■•^^^^*^ Hameln, are also judiciously managed ; and, when their services
are not required by the government, they are allow^ed to work
for the inhabitants, and are regularly paid a fixed sum per day.
Hanover, as a kingdom, is open on all sides to an invading
enemy ; and, when negotiation fails, its independence can only
be maintained by a well organized military force, and a close
and cordial alliance with England.
The duke of Cambridge, with the title of governor-general
of the kingdom, is also commander-in-chief of the army; but
the military, as well as the civil concerns of Hanover, are directed
by the cabinet ministers, who, as a body, represent the absent
sovereign.
The present military force consists of a regiment of foot and
two brigades of horse artillery, with a corps of engineers ; four
regiments of hussars, and four of heavy cavalry ; two regiments of
foot guards, and ten of regular infantry, besides the landwehr ;
and forms a very efficient and well drilled body of troops.
This force was maintained at an expense considered rather burden-
some to the nation. The subject has been much discussed
in the meetings of the general states, and it is only lately
that the army was placed on a permanent footing.
In the general history we have often had occasion to allude
to the gallantry and good conduct of the armies of Brunswick
and Luneburg ; and we can state with confidence, that they have
not degenerated since the accession of the sovereign of these
states to the crown of Britain. In the seven years' war, the
Brunswick troops, and a Brunswick prince, were the saviours
of the liberties of Germany, if not of Europe ; and in every
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 197
war in which England has been engaged since the succession, chap. vi.
the Hanoverians have been ready to shed their best blood in ^^^^^"^
her cause. At Gibraltar, and in the East Indies, their fame
has been established ; and while valour in the field and strict
discipline in the camp continue to be esteemed the characteristics
of good soldiers, the name of the king's German legion may be
held up as a pattern for future armies.
When the revolutionary hordes of France had overwhelmed the
greater part of the continent of Europe, and occupied Hanover as a
conquered country, the good and loyal inhabitants of that kingdom
were peculiarly obnoxious to the usurper, on account of their
connexion with England. Death, with a complication of horrors,
was denounced as the fate of every one taken in an attempt
to leave the country ; and although many were taken, and most
barbarously executed ; such was the attachment of this people
for their legitimate sovereign, and the English nation, that fortune
was forsaken, family ties severed, and death, with all its terrors,
braved by thousands, rather than they would enter the service,
or continue under the authority of the enemy of their king. From
these bands of patriots a legion was formed, under the auspices
of his royal highness the duke of Cambridge, which, during the
whole of the last war, was always to be found in the foremost
ranks of the British army. We have been witnesses of their
gallant conduct from Talavera to Waterloo ; and when the future
historian shall treat of the glorious deeds of the king's German
legion, we beg of him to remember, that it consisted of a body
of patriots who had sacrificed the dearest ties of human nature
from a pure and disinterested loyalty to their sovereign.
198 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. VI. These general remarks, we have to observe, apply equally to the
^"'^^^^ dutchy of Brunswick ; which, though in every respect a separate
state, is still an integral part of the Guelphic possessions in
Germany. The vassals of Brunswick owe allegiance to the
king of Hanover, while those of Hanover swear fealty to the
dukes of Brunswick. Both sovereigns are descended from one
common father* ; and in the event of either branch becoming
extinct in the male line, the other succeeds as a matter of course.
The city of Brunswick, since the days of Henry the Lion, has
always been considered the capital of the country, though not
always possessed by the eldest branch of the house. It there-
fore contains many remains of ancient splendour, and more of
modern improvement, than the city of Hanover, which only rose
into notice at the end of the 17th century. Ernest- Augustus was
able to form a new dynasty in his house : he raised the states
of Luneburg to the rank of an electorate; and with him the
title of duke of Brunswick and Luneburg became second to that
of elector of Hanover. This city, therefore, which now gives
a name to the kingdom, owes its first rank, as well as its
splendour, to that prince.
The dutchy of Brunswick contains about two hundred and
twenty thousand inhabitants ; and of these about forty thousand
are in the capital. The soil of the dutchy is, in general, good ;
and we think we have remarked that the peasantry are, in some
districts, a more industrious and more opulent class than those
of Hanover.
This state suffered equally from the oppressions of the French
* Ernest, duke of Celle, who died in 1546.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 199
rulers, during its occupation by the usurper ; but as Brunswick chap. vi.
was in a great measure a rival of Cassel, it enjoyed a share of the "'^^^^'^^^
favour and protection of Jerome Buonaparte. The ducal palace
was fitted up for his residence, and it was his intention to have
made it the occasional seat of his government.
Brunswick became, at a very early period, a member of the
Hanseatic league ; and, in point of wealth and power, had few
equals in that confederacy. We have noticed its frequent rebel-
lions against the sovereign of the country; and the pride and
insolence of the burghers were often the cause of civil wars.
It was strongly fortified in former times ; but the father of the
late duke, in 1800, destroyed all the ramparts, and converted
them into public walks ; a circumstance which, in all probability,
saved the city from the ruin that awaited almost all the fortified
places that fell into the hands of the French, during their revo-
lutionary campaigns in Germany. Its commercial intercourse
is still kept up with the world by means of a great fair, or messe,
held annually in the old town house.
Besides the old cathedral of St. Blaze, built by Henry the
Lion in 1172, Brunswick still possesses many fine specimens of
Gothic architecture. The present palace was built early in the
last century, and is a magnificent modern edifice. The front is
ornamented with columns of the Ionic order ; it is finished with
great taste in the interior ; and as this state has always enjoyed
the presence of its sovereign, the capital, as well as the country,
has kept pace with the improvements of the age.
Wolfenbuttle, which was often the capital of a separate state,
is the city next in rank to Brunswick; but its palaces are now
200 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP.vi. in ruins; and the principal object of attraction is the magnificent
s.rf»^,^'**=y library, founded by duke Augustus, previous to 1666. This
library contains about two hundred thousand printed books,
besides a large and valuable collection of ancient manuscripts.
Many of the books, it has been already observed, are fine
specimens of the first ages of printing, particularly an edition
of Plutarch's Lives, and Livy's History, printed in 1478. There
is also a curious collection of bibles in all languages, amounting to
above a thousand, which were deposited here by one of the
dutchesses of Brunswick. But there have been no additions to
any part of this library since the middle of last century.
The high courts of appeal, in civil and criminal matters, for
the dutchy of Brunswick, are held at Wolfenbuttle ; as also
those for the petty states of Lippe, Waldeck, and others. The
laws, religion, and constitution, are essentially the same as in
Hanover. During the minority of the duke, the king of England
is regent of the country ; and the Hanoverian minister in London
is the official organ of communication with the regent in all
matters of government. The revenue of the dutchy amounts
to about a million and a half of dollars ; and it has been managed
with so much care and attention, that we believe there is no
public debt. The state maintains an armed force of about
five thousand men, including the landwehr.
What we have said of the troops of Hanover applies with
equal propriety to those of Brunswick ; and the corps of Bruns-
wick-Oels, another gallant band of patriots who followed their
prince into exile, were not less distinguished for their good
conduct during the late war, than theii' countrymen of the king's
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 201
German legion. It is the pride and the boast of this branch of chap. vi.
the illustrious house of Guelph, that it has produced some of ^-^'^^^
the greatest generals the world ever saw; and the two last
sovereigns of Brunswick, like many of their ancestors, fell
covered with glory in the field of battle, and while engaged
in the defence of the liberties of Europe. The great duke
Charles-William-Ferdinand was mortally wounded in the unfor-
tunate, but ever memorable battle of Jena, 1806; and his no
less distinguished son, Frederick-William, was killed at the head
of his brave Brunswick cavalry at Quatre Bras, on the 16th of
June, 1815, while acting with the British army under the com-
mand of the duke of Wellington. The present reigning duke,
Charles- William- Ferdinand, born on the 30th of October, 1804,
and his brother, duke Augustus- William, born the 25th of
April, 1806, are the only remaining issue of the brave Fre-
derick-William. Their mother was a princess of Baden ; but
dying in 1808, they were left orphans at the court of their
grandfather, while their gallant father was an exile in England.
The tyrant of Europe, irritated at the conduct of the duke of
Brunswick, in retiring to England with his unconquered patriots,
was determined to take revenge upon his innocent children ;
and a plan was laid to carry them off from the court of
Baden. It was happily discovered ; and they were saved, and
conveyed to England, where they remained till the peace of
1814. They then returned to their own capital. Since the
death of their father they have been under the guardianship of
our gracious king ; who, as we have stated, is also regent of
the country.
202 THE HISTORY, &c.
CHAP. VI. From what we have seen and known of these young princes,
^•■^"^^^^^•^ -vve may venture to assert that they will do honour to their
illustrious lineage. Their education has been such as becomes
their rank ; and their acquirements are not only creditable to
their own talents, but honourable to the diligence and attention
of their instructors. Their serene highnesses are at present travel-
ling in Switzerland, and are expected in England in the course
of the next summer.
LINEAL DESCENT OF HIS MAJESTY KING GEORGE THE FOURTH FROM EGBERT,
THE FIRST OF THE SAXON KINGS OF ENGLAND, AND FROM
ALPINj KING OF SCOTLAND.
1, EGBERT, king of England, died in 837.
2, Ethelwolf, king, died 858.
3, Alfred the Great, died 900.
4, Edward the First, died 924.
5, Edmund the First, died 948.
6, Edgar, king of England, died 975.
7, Ethelred the Second, died 1016.
8, Edmund the Second, died 1017.
9, Edward, crown prince of England.
10, Margaret, queen of Scotland, sister of Edgar
Atheling, died 1093.
11, Matilda, queen of Henry the First of England,
died 1118.
12, Matilda, dowager-empress of Germany
and Dutchess of Anjou, died 1167.
13, Henry the Second, king of England, died 1189.
14, Matilda, dutchess of Saxony and Bavaria, died 1189.
15, William of Winchester, duke of Saxony, died 1213.
16, Otho the Infant, duke of Brunswick and Lune-
burg, died 1252.
17, Albert the First, duke of Brunswick, died 1279.
18, Albert the Second, duke of Brunswick, died 1313.
19, Magnus the First, duke of Brunswick, died 1368.
20, Magnus tire Second, duke of Brunswick andLune-
burg, killJd 1373.
21, Bernhard, duke of Luneburg, died 1400.
22, Frederick, duke of Brunswick, died 1478.
23, Otho, duke of Brunswick, died 1471.
24, Henrv, duke of Brunswick, died 1532.
25, Ernest the Confessor, duke of Celle, died 1546.
26, William, duke of Lnneburg, died 159-'.
27, George, duke of Luneburg, died 1641.
28, Ernest-Augustus, elector of Hanover, died 1698. _
ALPIN, king of Scotland, died 833.
2, Kenneth the First, died 853.
3, Donald the Second, died 903.
4, Malcolm the First, died 958.
5, Kenneth the Second, died 994.
6, Malcolm the Second, died 1033.
7, Beatrice, princess of Scotland.
I
8, Duncan, diedl040.
9, Malcolm the Third, died 1093.
1
10, David the First, died 1153.
11, Henry, earl of Huntingdon, died 1152.
12, David, earl of Hnntingaon, died 1219.
13, Isabella, countess of Aunandale, died 1267.
14, Robert Bruce, lord of Annandale, died 1290.
15, Robert Bruce, king of Scotland, died 1329.
16, Marjory, princess of Scotland, married to
Vi^alter Stuart.
7, Robert Stuart II., king of ScotUind, died 1390.
18, Robert the Third, died 1406.
19, James the First, mnrdered 1437.
20, James the Second, died 1460.
21, James the Third, died 1488.
22, James the Fourth, killed 1513.
23, James the Fifth, died 1542.
24, Mary, queen of Scotland, beheaded 1587.
25, James the Sixth, died 1625.
■-'6, Elizabeth, queen of Bohemia, died 1662.
5:7, Sophia, dectrcss and dutchess of Hanover,
died 1714.
George the First, king of England, died 1721-2.
George the Second, died 1760.
Frederick, prince of Wales, died 1751.
George the Third, died IS.'O.
George the Fourth, whom God long preserve!
[With regard to the foregoing Table, which we consider not the least interesting
in the work, we have to remark, that the descent is direct and regular, without doubt
or interruption. Each succeeding king or queen, prince or princess, is the son
or daughter of the one immediately preceding.
Margaret, princess of England, and sister to Edgar Atheling, was the grand-
daughter of Edmund Ironside, who was crowned king in 1016. She married
Malcolm the Third, king of Scotland; and their daughter, Matilda, married Henry
the First, (Norman,) king of England. The only daughter of this marriage was
Matilda, (known as the empress Maud,) who married, first, 1114, Henry the Fifth,
emperor of Germany; and secondly, 1127, Godfrey Plantageuet, duke of Anjou.
Her only son by the last marriage was Henry the Second, who succeeded to the
crown of England on the death of Stephen, in 1154.
From Matilda, the eldest daughter of Henry the Second, the dukes of Brunswick
and Luneburg are lineally descended, as stated in the first column of the Table ;
and George the First and James the Second stood exactly in the same degree
of relationship (the 16th in descent) to their common ancestor, Henry the Second.
We have traced the descent of the electress Sophia through the same period, as
it was her union with Ernest-Augustus that gave their heirs an immediate claim to
the crown of Great Britain, and placed them before the elder branch of the house
of Brunswick.
We would further observe, that Matilda, dutchess of Saxony and Bavaria, was
also the grand-daughter of the empress Maud, and consequently the great grand-
daughter of Malcolm the Third, of Scotland. Robert Bruce, and Otho the Infant,
first duke of Brunswick and Luneburg, were related in the same degree (the 6th in
descent) to Malcolm ; and had Otho been a Scotsman, his claim to the crown was
as good as that of either Bruce or Baliol.
The young duke of Brunswick might claim a nearer alliance to the crown of
England, as the descendant of an elder brother of the Plantagenct blood ; and
the king of Sardinia, as the representative of Henrietta, dutchess of Orleans,
daughter of Charles the First, is, perhaps, the more direct representative of the
Stuart race. But the union of both bloods in the present royal family, renders their
claim superior to every other, although the act of succession had never existed.]
APPENDIX:
CONTAINING
RECORDS AND ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS
HOUSE OF GUELPH
CHAPTER I.
SECTION I.
Records and Original Documents of the House of Guelph.
THE GUELPHS.
At the time when the genius of Charlemagne forcibly united chap. i.
the German tribes into a great political body, and raised an
universal monarchy, (such as mankind most fortunately have not
seen frequently,) two of the illustrious race of the Guelphs appear
distinctly, to the eye of the historian, on the grand stage of
Europe. At this period we behold a Guelph of Altdorf, in Suabia,
as the father of the beautiful and accomplished empress Judith ;
and at the same time Boniface, another of the same family, as
count of Lucca. The former became the patriarch of the Guelphs
in Gennanj/, and the latter that of the Guelphs in Italy. From
that period the Guelphic family has constantly occupied the
pen of the historian ; and hence have been preserved its genea-
logical connexions.
If we behold at this time a Guelph in Germany, in posses- The Gneiphs
sion of such extensive territories, in the Julian Alps and in Suabia,
that they procured him from some historians the title of count,
and from others that of duke, and numbered him among the
208 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. 1. first and best of the German dynasties* ; if we further look
^■^^'''^^ upon the settled state of his government, and the many establish-
ments, in church and state, which bear the character of Guelphic
origin, we must confess that the wealth and power of this Guelph
could not be the work of few generations, nor even of cen-
turies ; we must therefore suppose, that a long line of noble
ancestors had handed down to him the nobility and glory of
their racef.
The reason why the anonymous monk of Weingarten, who
lived in the middle of the 12th centuryj, begins his chronicle
with the Guelph who lived in the time of Charlemagne, is easily
to be accounted for, if we consider that thp darkness in which
the history of Germany was involved, and the want of authentic
records, did really not permit him to inquire deeper into tlie
origin of this family || ; and that besides, having no other aim
in writing than to erect a grateful monument to those illustrious
persons to whom his convent owed its foundation and riches,
he thought it sufficient to begin his records with Guelph, the
first benefactor of the convent, and the father of the pious Judith ;
and consequently put him at the head of that illustrious family,
* Tbegan, choir-bishop of Treves, his cotemporary, (de Gestis Ludov. Pii, apud
Pithocum, Ann. et Hist. Fr. S. S. XH. Tcf. 1594, 8vo. p. 308,) calls him " Dux,"
and " de nobilissima stirpe Bavarorutn:" also, p. 373, " nobilissimum comitem."
t Anon. Weing. in Mon. Guelph. aut Hess. p. 2. " Scinuis tamen ex plurimis
circumstantiis et alios ante ipsum fuisse, qui hanc domum, etiam ante susceptam
Christianitatis fidem, niagnis divitiis et honoribus gubernarunt, et nomen suum per
diversas provincias, utpote per longa tempera alii alios succedentes, magna industria
dilataverunt."
: Mon. Guelf. aut Hess. Prcef. iv.
■II Anon. Weing. in Mon. Guelf. aut Hess. sect. 1.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 209
whose piety, glory, and greatness, he wished to hand down to chap. i.
posterity. ''"^'^
But what the monk of Weingarten was not inclined, or not
able to do, was reserved for the genius of Leibnitz, and the
indefatigable researches of Muratori ; who, in the 17th century,
threw a true light over the history of the Guelphs. According
to the opinion of these writers, the illustrious family of the
Guelphs ascends up to the middle of the 5th century, to Eticho
and Wulf, two chiefs of the Scyrri, who came from the Baltic,
and joined Attilas immense hordes*. This, though in some
measure an hypothesis, is so well grounded, as appears from
the reasoning of Lei blitz and Eccard, supported by Eichhoni-\,
that we may take it as certain. But it does not become an
historian to begin a history with conjectures ; it supports its
dignity better to take hold of that which is sufficiently proved
by ancient records. We put therefore, in our genealogical tables,
at the head of the most ancient and illustrious family of the
German Guelphs, the count Guelph of Altdorf, the father of
the empress Judith; of whom we know for certain, that he
resided, in the beginning of the 9th century, as an independent
sovereign, at Altdorf, in Suabia.
A short time before the Guelphic house of Altdorf, in Suabia, ofitaiy.
became renowned, as giving birth to the empress Judith, Charle-
* Orig. Guelf. I. p. 10—14, sequ.
t The Aulic-counsellor, and knight of the Guelphic order, Mr. Eichhorn, at
Gbttingen, in his Urgeschichte des Erlauchten Hauses der Welfen. Hannover,
1816.
210 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. I. magne had appointed Boniface, of Bajoaria, his comes of Lucca, in
Italy ; it being a political maxim with that monarch to strengthen
his government by appointing German princes as governors
over the distant districts of his immense empire. The immediate
ancestors of this Boniface have hitherto puzzled the anti-
quaries ; but Leibnitz, Eccard, and Eichhorn, have, with great
ingenuity, proved that he must have been one of the branches
of the Guelphs of Bavaria and Suabia*. He was by birth a
Bavarian f ; of course a prince of that part of Germany where
the original seat or cradle of the Guelphs was. His name, as well
as the names used in his family, the family title, and the ardour
with which he supported the family honours, are circumstances
which speak so clearly for a Guelphic origin, that we may build
upon this conjecture the historical fact, that the illustrious
ancestor of the house of Brunswick, Azo H., was the male
representative of a younger brother of the same house, of which
Cunigunda was the female heiress, and therefore of true Guelphic
origin. But the ancestors of Boniface most probably were
separated from the parent stem before the Guelphs were settled
at Altdorf, and his branch had its seat in the Julian Alps ; and
* Origin. Guelf. torn. i. p. 1, sequ. Urgschichte des Erlauchten Hauses der
Welfen, by Eichhorn, p. 59, sequ.
t In a document of the year 823 the abbess of Lucca Richilda is called " filia
b. m. Bonif'acii comiti, natio Bajovariorum;" and in the signature of this document
it is said, " signum manus Bonifacii coraitis Germanius supra dictse abbatissse,
per cujus licentiam hoc factum est." Cosm. della Rena Scrie de Duchidi Toscana,
p. 95. A. L. Muratori della Antichita Estensi ed Toscana, P. i. p. 207.
G.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 211
from this branch likewise the Guelphic dukes of Alsace took chap. i.
their origin, as the family of Boniface of Lucca had the """^^^^^
very same peculiarity with the dukes of Alsace, in that they
changed Welf into Boniface, and Eticho into Adalbert. This
well-supported conjecture of Leibnitz and Eichhorn must gain
historical truth with every one who will allow of conjectural
proofs.
212 THE RECORDS OF
SECTION II.
The principal Monasteries founded, endoived, and enriched by
Guelphic Princes, previous to Henry the Lion.
Some of the principal deeds and achievements, by which
princes and families of the middle ages were sure to acquire
fame, and to secure their memory from oblivion, were those of
piety and devotion. By erecting and founding churches and
monasteries, and by endowing them with liberal grants of land
and peasants, they gained the favour of the monks ; who, in
those dark ages, were the sole annalists of the time, and recorded
principally the lives and deeds of their benefactors. The ancient
Guelphs acted in the spirit of their age, and added to their warlike
and other noble deeds those of piety and good works. Altmunster,
Altorf, and in particular Weingarten, Hof, and Steingaden, were
the principal monuments of Guelphic liberality. The history
of these monasteries is, therefore, closely connected with that
of this illustrious and ancient family, previous to the 12th
century. Some of them are the places where the remains of
the ancient Guelphs were deposited ; and a short account of their
foundation and subsequent alterations and increase may, with
propriety, be inserted in the records of the burial places of the
ancestors of the illustrious house of Brunswick.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 213
ALTMUNSTER.
Or, Altonis Monasterium, was the oldest monastery founded chap. i.
by the Guelphs of Bajovaria. It is said, that about the middle
of the 8th century, Alto, descended of a Scotch noble family,
came into Germany, collected some monks, and retired with
them into a solitary place between Augsburg and Frisingen ;
and established there a monastery for Benedictines, which was
called St. Altonis Monasterium, or Altmunster*. Some of the
ancient chronicles say, that Alto received the ground on which
he built the monastery from king Pepin: but this assertion is
erroneous, as Altmunster was built a long time before the reigri
of this king. It is more probable that one of the Guelphic princes,
in whose dominions it was situated, and by whose liberality it was
afterwards supported, was the first founder : and this opinion is
corroborated by several ancient writers, of whom some even men-
tion Utich, Etico, or Eticho, an ancestor of Guelph the First, to be
the builder of itf. From the time of its foundation, to the period
of Henry, sumamed with the Golden Chariot, we know nothing
of its increase or alterations. Henry, in order to sooth the
spirit of his departed father, Eticho, turned his mind to what
* Vide Mabillonii Annal. Bened. torn. ii. p. 122, ad annum 743. " Hoc fere
tempore in Bojariam venit St. Alto, nobilissima Scotorum gente progenitus, secessit
in quandam Frisinginii Pagi silvam, ubi Monasterium ex ejus nomine postea
nuncup'dtum sedificavit."
t Vide Prodromus Monumentorum Guelficorum, ed. k Ger. Hess. 1781,
p. 4 et 5.
214 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. I. were called pious works. He rebuilt, and enriched by considerable
donations, the monastery of Altmunster, which he found in a
rather ruinous state ; and transported hither the few companions
of his father which were still in life, as also the monks which
he found at Ambirgau*.
After this, the frequent invasions of the Hungarians were
very injurious to the abbey, and most probably the cause that
Itha, the wife of Rudolph the Second, found it, about twenty
years after Henry had repaired it, again in a very dilapidated state.
The observation, that the lives of the Guelphs were becoming
shorter, and the untimely and accidental death of her son, Henry,
made a deep impression upon her mind. She, therefore, fixed her
thoughts upon restoring the family abbey of Altmunster to its
former splendour ; and succeeded at last, by her incessant prayers,
in getting her son, Guelph, to enrich it by new donations. She
revived the discipline of the monks, and instituted a new abbot t-
Count Guelph the Second decided on transferring the monastery
of Altmunster to Altdorf in Suabia; which plan was executed
* Monum. Guelph. Pars. Hist, aut Ger. Hess. 1784, p. 8, sec. 3. Orig. Guelf.
torn. ii. p. 144.
t Vide Auctorem Vitee St. Altonis, sec. 6. " Commemorandum est, quod
venerabllis Itha, scilicet mater preenominati, (Catulis Welfi, obiit 1030,) pro
institutioni tali, devotione tanta apud ipsum intercendo laboravit, ut pro divini officii
augmento suas dilicias suamque famillam minui gauderet, et in eodem St. Altonis
monasterio sepulturam suam decerneret dixisse quaque fertur : quia ideo forsitan
genus omne parentum et propinquonim instabile minusque longacoum hactenus
fuit, quod St. Altonis monasterium sub tanta negligentia relinqueretur. Emendemus
ergo in melius, quod ignoranter peccavimus." Wolhard, or Guelph, fulfilled the wish
of his mother. " Prsediis nonnullis donatione pubUca traditis monachisque etiam
congregatis abbatem venerandum nomine Rudolfum his omnibus regulariter preelatum
efFecit."
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 215
by Guelph the Third, duke of Carinthia, his son, in the chap. i.
year 1047. ^^^V^
The monks of Altmunster, with their abbot Henricus, took
possession of the new built monastery of Altdorf ; and the nuns
of Altdorf went to Altmunster*. These nuns were Benedictines,
and remained so till the year 1487, when George, duke of Bavaria,
introduced the order of St. Bridget, to which they have adhered
to the present timef.
It is not certain that the first Guelphs were buried at Alt-
munster; though it is very probable, as this was at that time
the only family monastery, and monasteries were the places
where people wished to be buried.
Of some of this family it is expressly mentioned, that they
selected their places of rest in Altmunster.
1, Itha, the wife of Rudolph the Second, who died 1020 J.
2, Imiza, or Irmengard, the wife of Guelph the Second, who
died 1036 1|.
Altmunster is situated between Munich and Frisingen.
ETTHAL,
Contracted from Etichs-Thal, is the present name of that place
near Arbemgau, to which Eticho, the father of Henry with the
* Vide Prodrom. Mon. Guelf. p. 15. The remarks about some erroneous narrations
in Anonym. Weing. cap. vi.
t Vide Hundii Metropol. Salisburg. torn. ii. p. 55, and Origin, torn. ii. p. 202.
t Vide Auct. Vitse St. Altonis, sec. 6, p. 4.
il Vide Origin, torn. ii. p. 228.
216 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. I Golden Chariot, when disgusted with the conduct of his son, retired
''■'^^■^^*^ with twelve of his friends, in order to hide himself from the world .
Here he built thirteen cells amidst the mountains of Ambirgo, and
ended his days without seeing or forgiving his son; and here,
likewise, rest his remains*. He died about the year 910, after
having lived ten years in this solitary place, overwhelmed with
grief for the supposed loss of the dignity of his housef.
It was after the death of his injured father, that Henry
ventured to visit this place of mournful solitude. Moved by
the sight of its miserable condition, he determined to honour
the memory of his father, by providing a more comfortable abode
for the remaining partakers of his solitude. There was no time
for building a new monastery. He therefore removed them for
the present to Altmunster, between 915 and 920; and began the
* Vide Chron. Weingart. e. iii. " Hie Heinricus, cum ad militares annos per-
venisset, et suae voluntatis compos fieret, ignorante patre, ad imperatorem se contulit.
Cumque illi summa familiaritate sociaretur, et totius imperii vires, terminos ejus cir-
cumeundo et pertranseundo, cognosceret, tandem concilio principum et maxime
ipsius imperatoris instinctu homagium ei et subjectionem fecit, et in beneficio
iv. millia mansuum in superioribus partibus Bajoarie ab eo suscepit. Quod cum
pater ejus percepisset, ratus nobilitatem suara et libertatem nimis esse decli-
natam, ultra quam credi possit, consternatus animo, dolorem suum omnibus caris suis
exposuit, et assumptis xii. ex illis, infra montana ad villam, quae dicitur Ambirgow,
regalibus edificiis et possessionibus ditissimis relictis, secessit, et ibi non amodo
visurus filium suum consenuit. Cepit et ibidem coUectis monachis cellam construere,
in qua etiara postmodum cum xii. suis humatus requiescif. Henricus autem volens
omnimodis dolorem patris mitigare, prsesentiam ejus fugit, nee tamen solatium necessi-
tudinis ei subtraxit; omnia enim sua illi corifinia ex integro ad ministrandum ei
subjecit."
t Vide Prodromus Monum. Guelf. p. 12.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 217
building of a new abbey at Altdorf, between 920 and 925*, in chap. i.
order to have the faithful friends of his late father near him. ^^^n^^^
The solitary place which Eticho retired to was near Am-
mergau, or Arbemgaii, in the neighbourhood of Scharnitz, on the
frontiers of Bavaria and the Tyrol. There was a monastery there,
built in the middle of the 8th century, but removed by the bishop
Aribo, of Frisingen, to Schlachdorf. Most probably it was the
intention of Eticho to use the ruins of it for erecting a new
building I , Etthal is the place where the remains of Eticho,
the pride of the ancient Guelphs, were interred. In the 1 2th
century, Henry the Black searched in the forest for his tomb,
and built, 1121, a church over his remains J. Louis of Bavaria,
the patriarch of the united house of the palatine and Bavaria,
by Agnes, the grand-daughter of Henry the Lion, two hundred
years later, 1350, built there a monastery, and called it Ettal,
(vallis Ettonis s. Etichonis,) in memory of Eticho ; in which he
* Vide Chron. Weing. e. iii. " Deinde comperta morte patris, Henricus, con-
siderans locum ubi cella suscepta fuerat, incommodum et difficilem claustralibus,
ad villain, quae dicitur Altmunster, ubi sanctus Alto confessor requiescit, supra dictos
monachos cum omnibus suis transvexit, et abbatiam ibi satis religiosam et divitem
perfecit. Postea in Altorfensi villa abbatiam cum sanctimonialibus, in loco ubi
nunc parochialis ecclesia est constructa."
t Meichelbeckii Historia Prising, torn. i. cap. iii. sec. iii. p. 60 ; Monumenta
Boica, vol. ix. p. 7.
I Annalista Saxo, p. 661. " Henricus a longsevis audiens ea, quee superius
dicta sunt de Etichone veniens ad loca montana, in quibus a filio recedens habitaverat,
ubi quoque sepultus fuerat, causa experiendse jussit sepulcrum illius et eorum,
qui cum eo tumulati fuerant, aperiri, veraque esse comprobans ecclesiam in eodem
loco super ossa illorum fabricari jussit." This is repeated in Monument. " Vet.
in Ludewigii Reliquiis MSS. tom. viii. or torn, ii, Thessari Suevici, p. 155, sec. 10.
218 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. I. caused to be constructed thirteen cells, for twelve knights and
^"■^^^ one master ; in order to renew in this establishment the thirteen
cells which Eticho and his twelve companions once inhabited
there*.
Ettal is at present an abbey for monks of the order of St.
Benedict.
ALTDORF
Was so named from being so old that its origin could not be
traced. It was a village under the walls of the castle of the ancient
Guelphs, the cradle of all the most illustrious reigning houses of
Europe. The lords of this castle called themselves, therefore,
counts of Altdorf. Here was an abbey, or monastery, which
would be one of the oldest, if we could give any credit to Buelin,
who asserted, but without any authority, that the parents of
Guelph the First, Isambart and Irmentrud, were its founders.
There can be no doubt that Henry with the Golden Chariot
began (920) the building of this monastery, in order to have
the companions of his father near him ; and that his wife, Beata
of Holienwarth, assisted by her son, Conrad bishop of Constanz,
finished it I.
But, as the companions of Eticho had become comfortably
* Monumenta EUalensia, in Prsef. torn. vii. Moiuimentoruin Boicorum.
t Vide Hess. Prodromus Mon. Guelf. p. 13, et supra, p. 'i , ami. 1 !.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH.
settled at Altmunster, Beata altered the destination of the new
built monastery at Altdorf, and made it a nunnery; which it
remained, till Guelph the Third transferred the monks of Alt-
munster to Altdorf, and the Benedictine nuns of Altdorf to
Altmunster, in the year 1047*. It continued to exist till the
whole abbey was consumed by fire, in the year 1053.
In this abbey of Altdorf, were buried the following illustrious
persons of the Guelphic family : —
1, Henry with the Golden Chariot, who died 920-925.-)
2, Beata, his wife. (^
3, Rudolph the First, his son, who died 940. J
4, Rudolph the Second, who died 995 ^
5, Henry, his son. who was acc.dentally / ,Z' It^X™!
killed when hunting, 1014. C raised, and deposited in
6, Guelph the Second, who died 1030. J ^'^'"S^'^t^'^I-
WEINGARTEN AND HOF.
The old abbey of Weingarten (Vinea), of the order of Bene-
dictines, is situated on the river Schussen, close to Altdorf,
at a short distance from the town of Ravensberg; and is at
present the residence of the prefect, or landvoigt, of a district
belonging to the king of Wurtemburg. This abbey, with its
* Vide supra, p. 5. f Prodromus Monum. Guelf. p. 14.
t Monum. Guelf. Pars. Hist, k Hessio, p. 14,
219
CHAP. I.
220 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. I. former greatness and celebrity, is one of the chief monuments of
''""^^''^^ Guelphic liberality and piety, as it owes its foundation, increase,
and riches, entirely to the Guelphs of Altdorf and Ravensberg.
Being built on the very spot where the ancient castle of the
Guelphs was situated, and enclosing the sacred remains of many
of the ancestors of this family, it will always remain a place
of great celebrity, and attract the attention of those who love
to behold the classical ground of the illustrious house of
Brunswick.
When the monastery in Altdorf was consumed by fire, in the
year 1053, Guelph the Third delivered to the monks the ancient
castle of the family, and made in it the necessary alterations for
their reception; so that the whole fraternity took possession of
it in the year 1055, when it was dedicated to St. Martin, and
received the name of Weingarten (Vinea)*.
It was soon enriched by frequent and very liberal donations,
among which in particular that of Guelph the Fifth deserves to
be mentioned. He bestowed on the monastery of Weingarten
the cell of St. Ponteleon of Burchorn, which his father had
received from count Otho of Burchorn : by which donation they
gained so much land, that they were able to build another monas-
tery, to which they gave the name of Hof, or Hovence-f.
The church of this monastery, which is still a very handsome
building, encloses the remains of the following Guelphs : —
1, Rudolph the Second, who died 995.
* Anon. Weing. cap. vii. in Mon. Guelf. Aut. Hess. p. 14. Prodrom. Aut.
Hess. p. 18.
t Orig. torn. ii. p. 313.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. oo]
2, Henry, his son, who lost his life by falling from a rock chap. i.
when hunting, before 1014*. ^s^^V'^k^
3, Guelph the Second, or Wolfrud, son of Rudolph the
Second, who died 1030.
The remains of these three were first deposited in Altdorf,
and afterwards transferred by Guelph the Third to Weingarten.
4, Guelph the Third, duke of Carinthia, the founder of the
abbey of Weingarten, who died lOSSf.
5, Guelph the Fourth, son of Cunegunda and Azo, who died
IIOIJ.
6, Judith, his wife, the widow of Fostus, titular king of
England, who died 1094 1|.
7, Guelph the Fifth, or the Fat, his son, who died 1120§.
* Echchardus junior de Casibus St, Galli : " Accidit autem, ut in vigiliarum
St. Othmari diei, fratres ambo, capreum venantes, in cacumen quoddam rupis ducti,
lassi cum consedissent, repent^ petra, super quern Henricus sedit, collapsa,
adolescens ills magnse indolis, proh dolor! in profundissimas valles rueret et
periret."
t Orig. torn. ii. p. 233.
I Anon, de Guelf. says, " Deinde, ad reversionem se parans, Cyprum adiit, ubi de
hac vita decedens, sepultus est; ossa tamen ejus postea indesublata, ad Altorfense
Monasterium translata, et reposita sunt." — Op. C/iroiiicon Augmt. ad A. 1101.
II Orig. torn. ii. p. 277. " Eodem anno (1094), ut Berthil verbis utar, Indueta,
uxor Ducis Welphonis Bajoarise, jam diu infirmata, diem clausit extremum, quarto
Non. Martii, et apud monasterium quod maritus ejus in honorem St. Martini in
proprio allodio construxit, a Gebhardo Constantiensi episcopo honorific^ sepelitur."
— Vide sequ.
§ Anon, de Guelfis : " Denique, omnibus suis ben^ compositis, raorbo correptus in
villa Chufringen, diem clausit extremum, et in Altdorf deportatus, juxta patrem et
matrem sepultus est." The year of his death has been disputed ; but vide Orig.
torn. ii. p. 312. " Nos tamen eum A. 1120 decessisse ex vetusto de Fundatione
Monast. Bigang. libello, apud Maderum in Opisc. Chron. p. 255, eliscimus ; sub eo
enim anno ibi legitur, ' Welpho dux Bavarise obiit.'"
222 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. I. 8, Henry the Black, who died 1127*.
'^^*^ 9, Wulfilda, his wife, and daughter of Magnus duke of
Saxony, who died 1127.
10, Sophia, their daughter, married, first, to Berthold the
Third, duke of Zahringen ; and, secondly, to Leopold margrave
of Stiria.
The remains of these ten persons of the Guelphic family
were buried in the abbey church of Weingarten. This is proved
by the narrative of P. Bucelini, in his EpWemeris, ad diem
17 Maii : " Evocor ipso die h Altdorf, ubi parochi vices alternatim
cum P. Francisco egeram, h R.mo ad elevationem corporum
serenissimorum fundatorum nostrorum. Transfero cum sociis
ossa in sportas excepta, ut in loco conventus quodam de novo
abluerentur, csemento obsita, cum sacrilego ansu a Suecis tumulus
apertus fuisset. Miror omnium integritatem. In calvaria
cujusvis ne macula quidem uUa in ullo dente apparujt. Sedecim
dentes cujusvis inferior mandibula habuit, praeter unum caput,
quod quatuordecim solum suo ordine conclusit," Ad diem
19 Maii, he observes: " Totus sum in lustrandis et colendis
serenissimorum fundatorum nostrorum sacris corporibus. Com-
putatis calvariis, et coUatis ossibus, non duodecim, sed solum-
modo decem deprehendimus ; cum tamen duodecim eorum effigies
in sacello fundatorum exprimantur. Mihi certum fuit, estque
hodife, Heinricum et Hattam, parentes S. Conradi, hos inter decem
* Anon, de Guelfis : " Circa idem tempus, (quo fillus Conradus mortuus est,)
pater quoque ejus et mater ; pater monaehus professus in extremis suis, in castro
Ravensberg, mater in Altdorf, xvi. die post mortem mariti, obierunt, et in Monasterio
St. Martini sepulti sunt."
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 223
conditos non esse, eo quod vetustissimo nostro Guelficae Historiae chap. i.
auctore, et monacho nostro horum in translatione, nulla mentio ^^^'^^
habeatur. In omnibus enim vetustis MStis de Guelfone duce
Carinthiae, haec solum legatur. Hie ossa patris sui Guelf, patrui
Henrici, et avi Rudolfi, in montem transtulit. Ut si his quatuor,
— Guelfoni Carinthio et tribus quos transtulit, sex reliquos,
Guelfonem IV, Juditham Regiam, Guelfonem Pinguem, Heinricum
Nigrum, Wulfildem eonjugem, et Sophiam Zaringensem addamus,
decern, non duodecim, principum numerum deprehendamus.
Anno Christi 1647, 30 Maji, k prandio, sub
horam secundam, silenti processione, sed religiosissima et devo-
tissima, sacra fundatorum nostrorum ossa, cum thure cereis et
cruce ex hypocausto S. P. N. Benedicti, per ambulacra infirmi-
torii et conventus ad expurgatum de novo mausoleeum retulimus.
Prsetiosis illis Lypsanis non atri sed purpurei coloris panno
praetioso co-opertis, candidisque in formam crucis desuper stolis
compositis. Subii et ego gratiosissimum onus, et capita quidem
separatim, ut et separatim alia ossa a patribus delata sunt,
professis etiam junioribus praesentibus. Recitatae sunt vesperae
defunctorum, dum in noviter ad id factis sacrophagis, cum
inscriptione in plumbo deponerentur."
The last time the sacred vaults of the Guelphs, which are in
the abbey church and in the small chapel of St. Oswald, were
opened, was 1751.
Among the different monuments and inscriptions of the church
of Weingarten, are in particular to be remarked the figures of
some of the Guelphs, and the inscriptions under them. They
224 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. I. are to be seen in the Origines Guelphicae, torn. ii. and the inscrip-
^"^^^^^ tions are as follow : —
Under the Figure o/'Guelph the Fourth.
GuELPHo Quartus,filius Chunizae, Dux Noricoum, Confirmat Weingartensem
ftindationem Uteris Germanice scriptis, anno cIdXC, moritur anno claCI.
Uiider that o/" Henry the Black.
Henricus, Guelphonis Quarti filius, dictus Niger, Dux NoricorQ. sedificavit
de novo hoc Monasteriu. moritur anno cIoCXXVII.
Under that o/" Henry the Proud.
Henricus, Dux Bavariae et Saxonise, dictus Superbus.
Under that q/" Henry the Lion.
Henricus, dictus Leo, Henrici Superbi filius. Dux Bavariae et Saxoniae.
STEINGADEN
Is a monastery of monks of the Praemonstratian order, and
situated on the river Lech, not far from Raitenbasch, in the
diocese of Augsburg. It was founded in the year 1147, and richly
endowed by Guelph the Sixth, duke of Spoleto and Tus-
cany, the brother of Henry the Proud ; and must, therefore, be
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. ;
considered as one of the splendid monuments of Guelphic libe- chap.
rality. These are buried at Steingaden*: — ^^"V^
1, Guelph, the son of Guelph the Sixth, who died in Italy,
1168t.
2, Guelph the Sixth, who died 14th January, 1191, at the
age of seventy-six years J.
The monument in the abbey church of Steingaden, which was
* Orig. Guelf. torn. ii. 379. Hund. Metropol. Salisb. torn. iii. p. 243. Monum.
Boica, vol. vi, Steingadensia, p. 477. " Steingadena, nobile canonicorum, quos
Praemonstratenses vocant, monasterium, in ipsis terh limitibus, qui Bajoariam, Suevi-
amque atque Tyrolin partiuntur, situm, tetrachise monacensis accensetur. Autorem
Steingadina sacra veneratur Welfonem, Spoleti ducem, Heinrici magnanimi Bajoarias,
Saxonumque duels fratrem atque patrimonii Guelfici, in hisce quidem oris ex asse
haeredem. Posuit ipse fundamenta asceterii celeberrimi anno MCXLVH. illudque,
quod sibi dum viveret carissima cura fuerat, cineribus suis filiique Welfonis tumulum
elegit. Monumentum utrique labente saeculo XV. positum erat."
t Anon. Guelph. et Hessio, p. 40 : " Translata autem sunt ossa Guelfonis nostri,
et in Monasterio Steingaden a patre suo fundato reposita sunt."
i This and his son are the last who have been recorded in history by the
name Guelph. Anon, de Guelph. et Hessio, p. 53. " Uxori quoque suae Utta,
nobilissimae et castissimee feminse, a Transalpinis partibus ad se vocatee, reconciliatus
est: et sic demum Memmingai, ubi frequentius morabatur, infirmitate gravi tempore
correptus, anno setatis suae LXXVI. plenarie penitens, diem clausit extremum. Inde
sublatus a suls mlnlsterlalibus, quos ipse ad hoc fide data constrinxerat, versus
Steingaden deportatur." The same chronologist relates, that the emperor Henry,
full of hatred against Henry the Lion, and disappointed in all his plans, on his
return from Italy, passing through Suabia, met the funeral procession of Guelph
at Bewren (Kaufbewren or Berenbewren, uncertain) ; and, after examining the
corpse, paid to the memory of the deceased all possible honour: and then the
writer adds : " Imperatore verb iter suum aggrediente, corpus venerabile cum
multo comitatu abbatum, prepositorum clericorum, hominum noblllum, et milltum,
tam suorura quam provinclalium, ad prescriptum locum deducitur, ubi ab Augustensi
Episcopo Udalscalco, amicorum ejus Intirao, honore condigno juxta fillum sepultus
quiescit. Amen."
226 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. I. erected to the memory of these two Giielphs, is most probably
^-^"^^^^ ytill in existence. A print of it is to be seen in Monum. Boic.
vol. vi. tab. 4. The father and son, in full armour, are kneeling,
and support a model of the monastery with their /eft hands ;
but their right hands take hold of their shield, on which is the
wolf or catulus ; and their swords lean towards the shield.
Under these figures are the following inscriptions : —
Under the Father. Under the Son.
GuELFO duxfundavit monasterium
istud an. 1147, obiit an. 1191, indie
Luciae.
GuELFO,filius ejus, in Italiam peste
interiit, an. 1167; sed hie ossa sig.
translata et reposita.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 227
SECTION III.
The Sepulchres of the Guelphs previous to Henry the Liox.
TOURS,
Called in ancient times Csesarodunum, or Turoni, was the ^'^^^- ^■
capital of the government of Touraine, in France, and is now
the principal town in the department of the Indre and Loire. It
is situated in a plain, which, from the beauty of the country, is
called the garden of France.
The cathedral of Tours is remarkable in the history of the
Guelphs, as the burying place of the empress Judith. This
beautiful and accomplished princess, daughter of count Guelph
the First, of Altdorf, by whom the ancient Guelphs were
brought, in some measure, upon the grand theatre of the world,
and to whose character many writers of her time have not
done impartial justice, chose Tours as her favourite place of
abode, where in peaceable times she resided, where, in par-
ticular, the monastery of St. Martin received many proofs of
her liberality, and where she therefore chose to be buried.
She died, after a very troublesome life, and after many changes
of fortune, in the year 843. All that ancient writers have
228 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. I. recorded about her marriage, death, and sepulture, is collected
^^^^^^*^ in the Origin. Guelf. torn. ii. p. 14, sequ. It has not yet
been ascertained if her monument is still preserved in the
cathedral of St. Martin, in Tours.
LUCCA
Is most probably the burying place of the first Guelphic
counts of Lucca; of Boniface the First, Boniface the Second,
and Adalbert the First. It was their residence ; and the
monastery of Benedictine nuns in Lucca (of which Richildis,
the daughter of Boniface the First, was abbess *) was an object
of their liberality, if not entirely founded by them. But we only
know for certain, that Adalbert the Second, or the Rich, and
Berta, his consort, are deposited in the cathedral of Lucca, as
their epitaphs are still in existence, and may be seen close to the
chief door of the church.
Inscription on the Tomb q/" Adalbert the Second.
Hie populi leges saxi sub mole sepulchri,
Hie jus paxque jacent, hie patriae auxilium.
Hie cubat ala, scutum, dolor, lacrymseque repostse.
Hie oculos coeci, hie pietas viduse.
Pes elaudi, vestis nudi, solamen egeni,
Noster Adalbertus Dux, plus atque bonus,
• See note, p. 210.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 229
Gentibus extemis tiraor atque pavor minitandus, CHAP. i.
Militibus propriis gloria summa suis. v^^v^^/
Quam fortis fuerit, noverunt ultima Tilse;
Qua bonitate fuit, dicere lingua nequit;
In sexto decimo Septembre notante Calendas,
Hie posuit membra funereo gemitu.
Quisquis legis tumulum, culparum facta suarum
Ante Deum recita, in precibusque juva.
Inscription on the Tomb of Bert a.
Hoc legitur tumulo Comitissse corpus humatum,
Inclyta progenies Beeta benigna, pia
Uxor Adalberti Ducis, Italise fuit ipsa,
Regalis generis, quse fuit omne decus.
Nobilis ex alto Francorum germine Regum,
Carolus ipse pius Rex fuit ejus avus.
Qua specie speciosa, bono speciosior actu,
Filia LoTHAEii, pulchrior ex meritis.
Permansit felix seculo dum vixit in isto,
Non inimicus eam vincere prsevaluit.
Concilio docto moderabat regimina multa.
Semper erat secum gratia magni Dei.
Partibus ex multis multi Comites veniebant,
Mellifluum cujus quaerere colloquium.
Exulibus miseris mater carissima mansit,
Atque peregrinis semper opus tribuit.
Claruit hsec mulier fortis sapiensque columna,
Totius virtus gloria lux patrias.
230 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. I. Idibus octavis Martis migravit ab ista
^■^^^^^^ Vita, cum Domino vivat ut in requie.
Mors ejus multos contristat, proh dolor ! et heu !
Eous populus plangit et occiduus.
Nunc Europa gemit, nunc luget Francia tota,
Corsica, Sardinia, Grsecia, et Italia.
Qui legitis versus istos, vos dicite cuncti
Perpetuam lucem donato Dominus. Amen.
Anno Dominicse incarnationis DCCCCXXV.
Indict. XIII. obiit de mundo.
LA PADIA
Is a small place in Italy, not far from Rovigo and Este ;
and in the monastery of St. Maria de Vangadicia, Ord. Camald,
was interred the body of Cunignnde (Cimiza), the consort of Azo
the Second, the sister of Guelph the Third, and the heiress of all
the Guelphic territories in Germany. The year of the death of
this princess, so celebrated, as the mother of Guelph the Fourth,
in whom the two branches of the Guelphic family became again
united, is not quite certain ; but it is very probable that she
was living in the year 1050, but died before 1055; when, after
the death of Guelph her brother, her son went to Ger-
many, in order to take possession of his mother's inheritance,
preserved by the prudent and spirited behaviour of his grand-
mother, Irmangard. That she was buried in this abbey is suf-
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 231
ficiently proved. The celebrated Leibnitz found there a codex, chap. i.
in manuscript, from which he took the following epitaph : — \^^r^^
Dicta GuNiGULDis, regali stemmate falsi;
Indole nobilior nullis in orbe fuit.
Germine Wulfontis, magni sum nata Hemani [leg. xllemanni],
Induperatorum iste fuit titulus.
Vir meus egregius, populis locupletior ullis
Haud manet, Italia baud similem peperit.
Azzo, vir prudens, magnus qui Marchio fulget,
Quem credo memoreni semper adesse mei.
In terra coelestis sobolem concessit utrique,
Qui Welfons dictus Duxque, potensque, plus.
Hunc violare nefas loculum, nee inde recedam,
Donee vera came illo resurgam die.
The codex, written on parchment, from which this was taken, is
called Regula Monasterii Abbatiae Vangadicensis ; composed, as it
is said, by Dominus Hippolitus Lollius, Ferrariensis, utriusque
Juris Doctor celeberrimus.. and in the year 1546 : and to the
above epitaph, the following remarks are added: — " Supra-
scripta carmina inventa fuerunt in archa lapidea, quse est revoluta
cum fundo superius in hac ecclesia Beatae Marise de Vangaditia
Policinii Rodigini, et erant sculpta in quodam Matono lapideo,
sen, ut aiunt, de petra cocta. Et super ipso matono erat quoddam
caput. Et a pedibus seu ab alio capite fere erat similiter quod-
dam caput. Et videbantur ossa duarum personarum. Et adhuc
videbatur fuisse pannus seu drapus deauratus intus, in quantum
videri poterat, quia valde diminutus, fractusque erat pannus ille.
232 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. I. Et fuit Anno Domini 1 334, de mensi Augusti, quia oportuit operire
^^^^'^^"'^ archam prsedictam, et removeri propter reparationem ecclesiae
praedictae, quod murus totus erat fractus tempore Domini Scuni,
Dei et apostolica gratia venerabilis abbatis Monasterii prsedicti
Vangadiensis."
By this it appears, that in the tomb, which was removed in
the year 1334, two persons had been deposited. Who the second
was besides Cuniza, cannot be ascertained, as nothing is recorded
about the burying place of her husband Azo. But, shortly before
his death, (he died one hundred years old,) he made a very liberal
donation to the monastery where Cunigunde was deposited *.
ST. BENEDITTO DE PADOLERONE,
Near Mantua, is the monastery in which the celebrated
Matilda, dutchess of Tuscany, is buried. It is one of the richest
and most splendid in Italy, in consequence of the unlimited
liberality of this princess. She died at a place called Bundino,
on the 14th of July, in the year 1115, after seven months'
illness, aged sixty-nine years.
Domizo, her chaplain, had just finished a work, in two vols, in
which he narrates in verse her life and deeds, and was on his way
to present it to her, when he received the news of her death. He
then added, that her remains, according to her will, were depo-
• Orig. Guelf. torn. i. p. 208, sequ.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 233
sited in the church of St. Benedict! ad Padoleronem. An ano- chap. i.
nymous writer, who has composed the Life of Matilda in prose, ^^"^^^^^
after Domizo's poetical work, says : " Ostendi in monasterium
St. Benedict! de Padolerone Mantuanae diocesis, quod a Mantua
decern milliariis distet, sepulchrum in quo dicatur et credatur
sepulta esse; enim grandem arcam lapideam ex candidissimo
et iimpidissimo alabastro, quae ob ejus memoriam in magna reve-
rentia servetur."
In the year 1445 the monument of Matilda began to
fall down ; it was therefore removed into another part of
the church, after the tomb had been opened, and the corpse
inspected.
The following three epitaphs of Matilda are recorded * ;
but the third was the only one in the monastery of Saint
Benedict -f-.
1.
Quae meruit Matildis nomina vide,
Pro qua Pontifici reddita Roma fuit,
Et tunc disposuit turmas invicta Virago :
Quails Amazonides Tentesilia solet.
Qua mmquam saevi per tot discrimina belli
Mors potuit veri vincere jura Dei.
Hsec igitur, tanto belli defuncta labore,
Hoc niveo tandem marmore clausa jacet.
* Mellinus de Rebus Gestis Mathildis, torn. ii. p. 103; and Leander Albertus
Descriptione Italise.
t Florentinius testatur.
234 THE RECORDS OF
Ut genere, ut forma, ac regno prsedivite, sic et
Virtutum mpritis, pietatisque inclyta laude.
Hoc sua, dum vitse immortali restituantur,
Ossa adservari voluit Matilda sepulcro.
Stirpe, opibus, forma gesti et nomine quon.
Inclyta Mathildis, hie jacet, astra tenens
CHAP. I. At last, in 1635, Urbanus the Eighth, in gratitude for all the
benefits the papal see had formerly received from Matilda,
caused her remains to be transferred to Rome, and placed in
the cathedral of St. Peter. A magnificent monument was erected
over them, with the following inscription : —
Urbanus VIII. Pont. Max.
Comitissae Mathildi, virilis animee foeminsp,
Sedis Apostolicae propugnatrici,
Pietate insigni, liberalitate celeberrima,
Hue ex Matunae Sancti Benedicti
Coenobio translatis promeritum.
Mon. Pos. Anno MDCXXXV.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 235
BARI,
The capital of a province in the kingdom of Naples, and
a town of some historical celebrity. Here we have to notice
that it is the place where Conrad, a son of Henry the Black, was
buried. Conrad, as an ecclesiastic, gave some splendour to the
order of Cistercians. He died, after his return from the Holy
Land, at Bari, and was buried there in St. Nicholas's church.
It is remarked that he died in the same year, or nearly at
the same time with his father and mother, 1126. He was
afterwards canonized, and considered as a powerful saint *. It
is probable that his remains were afterwards transferred to
Malfetta, in the same province; for in the year 1722 it is men-
tioned in the journals of the day, that his remains were carried
in procession, and with religious ceremony, and exposed to the
adoration of the people, in order to implore rain for the fields f-
KLOSTER NEUBURG,
A town on the banks of the Donau, not far from Vienna,
which owes its origin to the rich convent of Augustines, founded
here in the year 1114. Gertrud, the mother of Henry the Lion,
* Anon, de Guelfis. t Orig. Guelf. torn. ii. p. 329.
23C THE RECORDS, &c.
CHAP. I. did not live long after her marriage with Henry of Austria : she
""■^^^^^ (jied on the 14th of April, in the year 1143, and, as reported, in
childbed. She was undoubtedly buried in Kloster Neuburg, as
at that time it was the burying place of the Austrian family ;
though some of the ancient writers mention other places. The
different opinions on this subject, as well as the proofs for Kloster
Neuburg being the place where the illustrious mother of Henry
the Lion is deposited, are to be found in the Orig. Guelf. tom. ii.
p. 358 ; Heinrich der Lowe auf. Bottiger, p. 90.
SCHONAU.
According to the answer received from that place, no record
of any members of the house of Brunswick being buried there
can be found.
WALSRODE
Is stated in the Chronicle as the place where bishop Lewis, of
the house of Bavaria, was buried ; but by a letter from the
Rev. Mr. Mannes, it appears that no traces of the sepulture
of the bishop are to be found there
CHAPTER II.
SECTION I.
The Saxon Ancestors of the Guelphs previous to Henry
the Lion.
The genealogies of all ancient families are traced with great chap. ii.
difficulty, and have always been an object on which historians ^^*n^^^
have exercised their ingenuity. This has been particularly the
case with the Saxons and Brunones, the ancestors of Ludolf the
First, duke of Saxony. That he was the patriarch of the Saxon
imperial family there is no doubt; but who was the father or
grandfather of this duke of Saxony, or how he was connected
with the family of Wittikend, the last Saxon king, has always
been much disputed, both among ancient and modem chrono-
logists.
The close family connexion, and frequent intermarriages,
which undoubtedly took place between the descendants of Witti-
kend and a count Eckbert, who flourished at the time of Charle-
magne, have rendered the genealogy of these original Saxon
families very difficult. But all seem to agree in the opinion, that
Ludolf, in one way or other, was the descendant of these two
great Saxons, who were of the same faith, and closely united
by the ties of friendship. Without deciding in one way or the
238 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. II. other, it will answer the purpose of these remarks to give the
^^^^^^ different principal opinions in the following Tables : —
I.
Vide Origin. Giielf. IV. p. 364.
ECKBERT.
WiTTiKEND. * Bruno.
I . I
WiGBERT, Gisela.;i:=Bruno.
LuDOi.F I. duke of Saxony.
II.
Vide Origin. Guelf. IV. p. 368.
WiTTIKEND. BhU!
I I
i.=::r:z:l5nL'N0.
I
Bruno.
Lldoi.f.
III.
Vide Hardcnberg. Hist. Gandersh. p. in, seqii.
U'lTTiKEND, who died 807, buried at Engern, Charlemagne, wlio died gotli Jan. 811
married to Geva, daugliter of Siegfrieij, buried at Aix-la-Cliapelle.
king of Denmark. |
Hi.s daughter,
BRUN0.^3i=:GiESEr,A. Bertha, married to Engelhard.
Heii.wig, married to Guelph, count of Bajoaria. Eckeert, or Wigbert. ~ Vda.
I
I ■ ' '"
Adj)ITA, abbess of Heresford. Warrin, abbot of Corvey. Cobbo, count. Ludolfh
IV.
Vide Ventnrini Handbuch der Vsterlandiscben Gcscliirlite, I. p. 283.
VVlTTIKENI). EcKBERT.
1 I
WiTTiKEND, WicKBERT. LuDOLPH, married Warin, abbot Adela, abbess Cobbo, cent
without issue. ' to Oda. of Corvey. ot Heresford.
WoiBERT. Bruno. Bruno. Otho, illustris. Kathambnda.
, I
Dieberich.
I !
Mathilde. — — Henry the Fowler.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 239
This is not the place to examine the reasons and arguments chap. n.
of the authors of these different genealogical tables. But the ^"^^^^^
third, or that of Hardenberg, appears to be the best grounded,
and is supported by historical facts.
Ludolph is the first of the Saxon dukes who appears
distinctly before the eyes of the historian ; and, therefore, it
is proper to begin the line of the Saxon ancestors of the
illustrious house of Brunswick with him*.
Bruno, a brother's son of Otho the First, emperor, made choice Tiie iions^ uf
Bnino.
of a village which had been founded by Charlemagne, and as
he made it his constant residence, it became known as the
" Vicus Brunonis," now Brunswick. Bruno, a descendant of
Ludolph the First, became the first margrave of Brunswick.
A long time before the era of the Saxon Othos, a powerful race of Noniiieim.
of free lords commanded in the country round Gottingen and
Nordheim,and resided in an ancient castle called Bomeneburg; but
their origin is lost in a northern horde, and we can only suppose
that their family was already known at the time of Charlemagne f.
History mentions an Otho, a count of Bomeneburg and
Nordheim, who flourished in the reign of Otho the Great; but
there is more certain information of a count Herman, who lived at
the time of Otho the Second, and was either the son of the above-
mentioned count Otho, or the third son of Henry Rixosus J.
* See Table I. B.
t Mabillon de Re Diplom. torn. iv. n. 64 ; and Do. Joacli. Meyer in Grig, et
Antiq. Hess.
X Zeit und Geschichtsbeschreibung der Stadt Gottingen, turn. i. p. 43. Orig.
Guelf. torn. iv. p. 414.
240
THE RECORDS OF
This most powerful race of Saxon lords, who commanded in the
woody county of Darlington, and were in possession of the castles
of Sommerschenburg, Walbeck, and Supplingenburg, derived their
origin from Albin, the famous commander of the Ostphals against
Charlemagne ; and were nearly related to Affic, who governed the
country round Wolfenbuttle. Woody, but not uncultivated, were
the countries over which these lords held sway. Many of the
villages which the ancient records mention as having belonged
to the dominions of these counts or sovereigns; Walbeck,
Schoningen, (Seaningen,) and the domain of Ketil, are still in
existence, and remind us of the Othos and the holy Henry,
who frequently resided there. To give a complete pedigree
of this powerful family, to which belonged several bishops,
provosts, burgraves of Magdeburg, counts palatine, and dukes,
would be impossible. It is sufficient to observe, that the houses of
Supplingenburg, Walbeck, and Sommerschenburg, belonged to
one family; that after the extinction of the elder branch of
Supplingenburg, the castle came to the lords of Haldensleben ;
and after the extinction of these, to the margrave Conrad, of
Brandenburg, who gave it, with all its dominions, as a dowry
to his daughter, Gertrud, the wife of Frederick, burgrave of
Nurnberg. The only daughter of this Frederick married Gevekard
the Second, count of Ouerfurt*, and became the mother of Lothaire,
the emperor.
* There are different opinions among historians about the mother of Lothaire.
The first opinion is expressed in the table ; but the second I have added in this
record, as it appears to me as probable as the first. The arguments for both opinions
are to be found in Orig. Guelf. torn. iii. prsef. 10. Venturini, in his Handbook, &c.
has adopted the last opinion. — Gundell.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 241
The ancestors of Herman Billung were Saxon barons and chap. ii.
commanders on the Aller and Elbe, and possessed of great property
at Stubekeshom, Soltau, Luneburg, and Bardewick ; and they
could rank, in respect of antiquity and nobility, with any of the
Saxon lords. Leibnitz and Meibom have sufficiently proved
the antiquity of this family*; and it is astonishing that many
chronologists, and even modern historians, follow Adam of
Bremenf, in his assertion that Herman Billung was of a less
noble extraction J. Billung of Luneburg, the husband of Aeda,
a Franconian countess, and the father of Oda, the wife of
Ludolph the First, duke of Saxony ; Wigman, who was killed,
880, at EbstorfF, and married to a sister of the empress Matilda,
of the Wittekind family, were the ancestors of Billung, of
Stubekeshorn ; and are sufficient proofs of the celebrity and
greatness of this family.
* Orig. Guelf. torn. iv. p. 549. 1 jusdem Iiitrod. Sc. B. No. 29. Meibom
Vindiciae Billungianae.
t Hist. Eccl. tcfm. ii. p. 4. Adam was a most partial chronologist, as he took
his historical notices from the records of Adalbert, archbishop of Bremen, who was
an enemy of the Billung family.
I Among the modern historians, particularly, Venturini Handbuch, &c. torn. i.
p. 401.
Of Billung.
242 THE RECORDS OF
SECTION II.
Sepulchres of the Sa.von Ancestors of the Guelphs, previous to
Henry the Lion.
ENGERN
Is a small town in the county of Ravensberg, in Westphalia,
belonging to the king of Prussia. It is remarkable for having been
the usual place of residence of Wittikend the Great. It is said,
likewise, that he was buried here, after being killed, 807, in the
war against Gerold of Suabia. His tomb, which was erected
by the emperor Charles the Fourth in the year 1377, is still
to be seen in the parish church ; but his bones, as the common
report bears, were carried to Herford by the chanoines or monks,
and deposited there in St. John's Church.
Upon his tomb was his figure, and the following in-
scription : —
Ossa viri fortis, cujus sors nescia mortis
Iste locus munit, Euge bone Spiritus audit
Omnis mundatur, hunc Regem qui veneratur
iEgros hie morbis cceli Rex salvat et orbis.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 243
There was likewise an ancient monument, it is said, in the chap. ii.
same church, with the following inscription : — 's^^^^to/
Epitaphium
WIDEKINDI DUCIS,
Angrivorum primi Regis Saxonise in Vuestphalia, conversi ad fidem Christianam
a Carolo Magno et baptizati, teste baptismatis ipso Carolo, Anno
Christi 773, incisum lapidi super fores veteris Templi
in Engeren in Westphalia*.
In the beginning of the 18th century they repaired
his tomb, built it of stone, and added the following in-
scription : —
Monumentum Witikindi, Warnechini filii, Agrivariorum Regis XII.
Saxonise procerum Ducis fortissimi.
Hoc Collegium Dionysianum, in Dei Opt. Max. honorem, privilegiis
reditibusque donatum, fundavit et confirnaavit, A. C. 807,
relicto filio, et regni hserede, Wigberto.
It is easily to be seen that this inscription is modern, and
has been made with very little historical knowledge.
* Vide Lucse Lossii Epidi. Princip. Due. de anno 1580, p. 271. Rethm. Chron.
p. 51.
244 THE RECORDS OF
GANDERSHEIM.
Copy of a Letter received from the Rev. Mr. Zerbst, concerning
the Burying Places at Gander shenn.
" In reference to the wished for notices, there is very little
or nothing to be found here ; and undoubtedly for this reason,
that in former times princesses of the house of Brunswick, perhaps
from jealousy, were seldom chosen as abbesses or deanesses of
Gandersheim, till a rescript obliged the chapter to give the
preference to that house, if any of its princesses should wish to
be elected. But these, after their decease, were generally carried
to Brunswick, and interred in the vaults of their ancestors."
" Only the founder of this renowned, but now, to the great
grief of the town, abolished establishment, Ludolph, duke of
Saxony, and his dutchess, have their sepulture here; and his
statue of wood, which lies on a wooden coffin, points out the
place where his remains rest. This simple and rude figure is
undoubtedly the work of a late period ; as well as a table
which hangs in the church, and on which the two founders,
Ludolph and his wife Oda, carrying the model of the cathedral
in their arms, are represented with the following verses : " —
Als man that sehreiben 800 Fahr,
Und 53 die Fahrszahl war,
Ludolph und sein Gemahl Oda Lobesan,
Dies lijbhche Stift erbauethan.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 245
It is really astonishing, that according to the above account chap. ii.
there are no traces of other ancestors of the illustrious house of ^'•^'^"■'^^^
Brunswick being buried at Gandersheim, as by the report of many
writers it appears to be quite certain, that, besides the founders of
the abbey, several persons of the family have found their rest there.
This cannot be accounted for, unless the cathedral has been
stripped on some occasion of its monuments, and the library
of the abbey, with all its documents, removed or shut up from
the inspection of the friends of historical research. It may be
necessary to add the following statement : —
In the cathedral of Gandersheim were buried*,
1, Ludolph the First, duke of Saxony, died 859.
2, Oda, his wife, born 806, died 913.
3, Hathamunda, their daughter, abbess of Gandersheim, born
840, died 29th November, 874.
4, Gerberdis, sister of Ludolph, abbess, born 841, died 886.
5, Christine, her sister, abbess, died 919 f.
6, Otho the Illustrious, died 912.
7, Hedwig, his consort, died 903.
8, Sophia, daughter of Otho the Second, emperor, and abbess
of Gandersheim.
9, Gerbergis, daughter of Henry Rixosus, abbess of Gan-
dersheim.
10, Sophia, daughter of Erich of Grubenhagen, abbess, died
after 1483.
• Vide Gobelin Person. Cosmodr. act vi. c. 46. Chron. Panegyr. in Berengar.
torn. i. a. 894.
t Vide Guelf. Orig. iv. p. 374.
246 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. II. 11, Agnes, her sister, abbess, born 1396, died 1452.
^'^^''^^^ 12, Sophia, daughter of Albert of Grubenhagen, abbess of
Gandersheim, died 1481.
13, Elizabeth, daughter of William the Younger, died 1519.
EBSTORF.
Copy of an Account from the Rev. Mr. Borchers.
" According to all historical records, there can be no doubt
that in the year 880, or as some others think, 876, Bruno, duke of
Brunswick, or duke of Saxony, perished with his whole army in
a battle with the Norwegians near Ebstorf ; and with him twelve
counts, among whom was count Wichman, the son of Billung
of Luneburg, who also belongs to the family of our princes :
and the bishops of Minden and Hildesheim were buried here.
In the church of Ebstorf, in the choir, there is a tombstone,
upon which is cut out (but without the least sign of the year,
or of any inscription) the figure of a man in full length,
and in armour; who, according to oral tradition, is duke Bruno.
On the four corners of the tombstone are some emblems, of
which one is a lamb, the other a pelican ; but the others cannot
be made out.
" Perhaps if this tomb was opened, the armour would be
found, or some other insignia. A trial might be made, but who
would pay the expenses ?
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 247
" Not far from this tombstone is another, which covers un- chap. ii.
doubtedly a distinguished ecclesiastic, as a cup and the figure
of a church, &c. are to be seen on it. This is, perhaps, the tomb
of the bishop of Hildesheim, or of Minden, or of both, as the stone
is very large. But it is likewise without a date, or any other
inscription. This is all that I have to report."
AIX-LA-CHAPELLE.
Copy of a Letter received from Mr. Mayer.
" Otho the Third died in the year 1002, in Paterna, in Italy.
His remains were brought, according to his own direction, by
Verona, through Bavaria. Many bishops accompanied them from
Italy : duke Henry of Bavaria, with some other bishops, met
them in Germany. At Augsburg his intestines were buried, in
the cathedral of St. Afra, near the grave of the Waldrichs, with
this inscription: —
" Romani Imperii decus amplum, Tertius Otho, ossa in Aquirgrani,
hie viscera clausa tenentur.
" The body of the emperor was conveyed by Cologne to
Aix-la-Chapelle, and solemnly deposited, on Easter Sunday, in
the Minster, in the middle of the choir. Upon the elevated tomb
248 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. II. stood the emperor's statue of brass. Both are removed, in order
^■^^ to have a better view of the high altar. The inscription which
was on the monument, and is now preserved in the vestry,
is as follows : —
" Romani Imperii decus amplum, Tertius Otto, corpus Aquisgranum,
Augusta sed exta tenet.
" The emperor Otho is the third and last emperor buried at
Aix-la-Chapelle."
(Signed) J. F. MAYER.
QUEDLINBURG.
Translation of the Account which the Rev. Dr. Fritsch trans-
mitted of the Tombs of Henry the Fowler, and his Fa mi I j/,
in the Minster or Cathedral at Quedlinburg.
In the minster, which was the old cathedral, and is still in
the castle, are the following tombs of the family of Henry the
Fowler, from whom a place close under the castle bears still
the name Finkenherd : —
1, The tomb of Henry the Fowler himself; and,
2, That of his consort, the empress Matilda.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 249
Both not close to each Other. A plam stone of marble covers chap. ii.
the tomb of each of them : they are sunk in the earth, and cannot ^"^"^^^^^
be seen. It is said that Henry's tomb had an inscription ; but
of this there are no traces.
According to Winnigsted's Chronicle, from which it is taken,
and inserted in Kettner's Kirchen und Reformations Geschichte
des Stiftes Quedlinburg, 1710, p. 289, it was as follows :
Auceps Henricus primus, celeberrimus inter
Imperii proceres Saxoniaeque Duces.
Fortiter Hercynise populos cim subderet omnes,
Construit summo templa dicata Deo.
Virginibus castis banc fundavitque Saregtam,
Ut Christum virgo rebgiosa colat.
Mechtildam gnatam primo prsefecit in ilia,
Quse castum coluit filia casta Deum.
Csesaris hie magni sepelivit membra parentis.
Ante aram Petri corporis ossa tegens,
lUius hie placide sub saxo membra quieseunt,
Sed mens seterna vivit in arce Dei,
Optat et expectat cum eorpore ccelica regna,
Cim venient summo regna beata die.
It is very much doubted if this inscription was ever on the
tombstone, as the contents and the style of it seem not at all
to correspond with the tenth century ; and if it was genuine,
there never could have been a difference among the ancient
writers in respect of the first abbess of Quedlinburg; as it is
K K
250 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. II. distinctly said here that Matilda, the daughter of Henry, was
' the first abbess.
It is not probable that any of the old writers had perused
this inscription, otherwise they would have had no doubt
about the place where Henry was buried — a subject which is
much disputed.
3, On the other side rests Mechtild, Henry's daughter, the
first or the second abbess.
4, Before her, across Mechtild Second, Otho the First's
second daughter, and Otho the Second's sister.
5, Adelheid, daughter of Otho the Second, buried in the
year 1042; the fourth or fifth abbess.
6, Beatrix, the fifth or sixth ; and,
7, Adelheid Second or Third, sixth or seventh abbess.
Both daughters of Henry HI.
(Signed) Dr. JOHN-HENRY FRITSCH,
Past. prim.
MAGDEBURG,
One of the most ancient and remarkable towns in Germany,
which owes the foundation of its splendour to Otho the Great.
The first cathedral, built by him in the year 950, was destroyed
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. -Jol
by fire in the year 1210. The present was erected in the year chai'. n.
1211 ; and is a very handsome building, in, the Gothic style, ^'^■^^'^
though not quite finished in the manner the first plan indicated.
They say that the building was continued for IIG years, and
that it was consecrated about the year 1363. Of all the
curiosities and ancient monuments, the sepulchral monument
of Otho the Great* is, in respect of history, the most
remarkable.
It stands in the choir before the high altar. Its riches (for
they say that all the ornamental parts, which are now of wood,
were formerly of silver) were stolen by the imperial soldiers
in the year 1550. A large stone of marble still covers the
tomb ; on which formerly the following lines, in gold letters,
were to be seen : —
Tres luctus causae sunt hoc sub marmore clausse,
Rex, decus Ecclesise, summus honor patriae.
In this cathedral rests likewise Editha, first consort of Otho,
and the grand-daughter of king Edward of England, who died
946 f. She was deposited in the church of the convent, founded
* It is well known that this great emperor died, soon after his victorious return
from Italy, at Memleben, at the same place where his father breathed his last. His
intestines were buried in the church of Memleben ; but his body was conducted to
Magdeburg, and deposited in the catliedral, of which he was the founder. After
its destruction, his remains, with the monument, were brought into the new church,
and deposited in the manner described.
t All the chronologists speak of her in the highest terms, and also of her son,
Ludolph. There is no difference about the year of her death : they all mention the
252 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. II. by the emperor for Benedictines, at the same place where the
^■^"^'''^ present cathedral stands ; so that her sepulchre remained undis-
turbed. It is to be seen behind the choir, made of stone, and
with the figure of the empress in full dress on it, and with
the following inscription : —
Divoe Reginse Romanorum Editta;, Angliae Regis Edmundi filise, hie
ossa conduntur, cujus religiosi amoiis impulsu hoc Templum
ab Ottone Magno Divo Csesare conjuge fundatum est.
Obiit Anno Christi DCCCCXLVII.
This monument, but not the inscription, is certainly one of
the most ancient; for the place where it stands shows that it
belonged to the church of the convent ; which convent was
removed to the hill where it is at present, under the name
" Kloster Bergen," about twenty years after the empress's death.
Vide Eigentliche Beschreibung der Weltberuhmten Dom-Kirche
zu Magdeburg, 1689.
year 946; so that we must take this as the right one, notwithstanding that the
epitaph mentions 947. There is no doubt the inscription is of a modern date, as it
calls her " regina Romanorum," and as she was not " filia Edmundi," but liis sister.
Vide Orig. Guelf. torn. iv. p. 440.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 253
KONIGS-LUTTER
Is a small town near Helmstaedt and Brunswick, remarkable
as the burying place of three of the distinguished ancestors of
the house of Brunswick. For in the church, which belonged
to the former convent of Benedictines, founded, or rather new
organized, by Lothaire and Richenza, in the year 1135, are the
places where found their rest,
1, Lothaire, emperor, duke of Saxony, &c. who died 1137*.
2, Richenza, empress, his consort, who died 1141|.
* Rethmyer, in his Chronicle, says, and not without some reason, that Lothaire
was born in the year 1075, a few days before his father was killed, the 9th of June,
in the battle near Negelstadt.
About the year of his marriage to Richenza the annalists differ greatly. Of
the ancients, Albert of Stade is the only one who mentions it, viz. 1113; whom
Hoffman follows in his genealogical work, p. 1. cap. ii. sec. 46; and adds,
that Lothaire was thirty-eight years old when he married. Of the modern authorities,
Lezner, in his Chronicle of Dassel, lib. i. cap. vii. says : " Dass. Grav. Dethmar,
A. 1100, nebst vielen andern Herni zuNordheim auff dem Graflichen Schloss auf der
Hochzeit, als Lotharius daselbst mit Fraidein Richsen, Grav. Heinrichs Tochter
Beylager hielt, gewesen sey." Others mention the year 1101 ; but Lezner is right,
as is proved in Orig. Guelf. torn. iv. p. 521. In the year 1 137, on his return from
Italy, he felt indisposed at Verona; which indisposition increased fast, so that he
died between the 3d and 4th of December, at the age of sixty-two, in a miserable
place called Brettin, between Verona and Trident, in the arms of archbishop Conrad,
of Magdeburg, who was a near relation of his. His remains were brought to his
hereditary dominions of Brunswick, and deposited in the convent of Konigs-Lutter.
t About her, vide Schirach Biographien der Deutschen, torn. i. p. 72—86.
She died most probably at Brunswick, and was deposited at Konigs-Lutter, by the
side of the emperor, and Henry, her son-in-law. Vide Botho, Chron. Pictur. apud
Leibnitz, torn. iii. p. 341. Chron. Petr. V. Erfurt, apud Menken, torn. iii. p. 216,
ad Ann. 1141.
254 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. II. 3, Henry the Proud, who died 1139*.
^"'**^'^^^ Of the tombs of these illustrious persons Leibnitz says, that
in his time they were much decayed ; and only on a part of
the tombstones could be traced the under part of Henry the
duke, with the sword leaning sideways. When the tomb of
Lothaire was opened, in the year 1618 or 1620, only one of
the leaden tables, (plumbeis laminis,) of which Olho of Fri-
singen, Chron. vii. c. 20, speaks, was found with the following
inscription : —
LoTHAEius, Dei Gratia Romanorura Imperator augustus, regnavit
Annos XII. Menses III. Dies XII. obiit autem II. Nonas Decembris.
Vir in Xo. fidelissimus, verax, constans, pacificus; miles
imi>erterritus, vediens ab Apulia, Saracensis
occisis et ejectisf.
Lothaire, the emperor, was found lying with his sword in
Ms right hand, and in his left the imperial globe, of lead and
* Henry was engaged to Gertrade, the only daughter of Lothaire, in the year
1126, at Merseburg; but the marriage ceremony was performed in the year 1127,
at Gunziclech, (Concio Legum,) in Suabia, when the bride was about eleven years
old. The duke brought then his young dutchess to Ravensburg. He died most
suddenly at Leuedlinburg, the 20th of October, 1139, most probably by pois
Vide Chron. Mont. Ser. ad 1139, apud Menken, SS. rr. Germ, et Sax. torn.
p. 177. Annal. Sax. ad. 1139, apud Eccard. torn. i. p. 682. Chron. Saxo. apud
Leibn. access. Hist. 295. He was buried at Kbnigs Lutter, by the side of Lothaire,
the author of his greatness, as also of his misfortunes. The circumstance that
the bishop of Freisingen does not mention a word about Henry being poisoned, does
not prove any thing against the truth of it. Vid. Heinrich der Lowe, auf Bottiger,
18!9, p. 54.
t Orig. Guelf. torn. ii. p. 350.
ison.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 255
gilded. Besides, there was found in the sarcophagus a plate chap. u.
of silver, with a hand and a cross, and the inscription, " Patris ^^^^'^^
dextera sum mei ;" and likewise a cup. When Leibnitz was at
Konigs-Lutter, in the year 1720, he saw all these things, except
the plate and the cup, which are not there, but at Wolfenbuttle,
where an engraving of them has been made, which is to be seen
in the Orig. Guelf. torn. ii. p. 352. The abbot, Dr. John Fabricius,
had erected, in the year 1708, to the memory of these illustrious
princes, a beautiful monument of marble, on which the figures
of the three deceased are cut. On a pillar opposite, to the
right, is the following inscription : —
Fortissimus Imperator
LOTHARIUS II.
Conditor hujus Templi et Ccenobii,
cum RicHESA conjuge,
Et Henrico Superbo, seu Magnanimo,
suo genero,
hie quiescit, resurrectionem
expectans.
Monumentum Csesareum
sub felice reginiine
Sereniss. Antonii Ulrici,
Duels Brunsv. ae Luneb.
ex integro
restaurabatur, A. C. MDCCIIX.
a Johanne Fabricio, Abbate.
256 THE RECORDS OF
NORDHEIM.
Extract of a Letter from the Rev. Mr. Bauermeister,
of Nordheim.
" Of monuments, tombstones, and inscriptions, I have met
with none in the principal church of this place, nor in the chapel
of the ancient convent ; in the latter of which, some years ago,
the laying of a new floor caused the destruction of all the
tombstones which were found. By searching in old chronicles
for notices on the subject, I have found that Otho, duke of
Saxony and Bavaria, lord of the Weser, and count of Nordheim
and Bomenenburg, who died the 11th of January, 1083, was depo-
sited in the convent church of Nordheim, before the St. Nicholas's
altar ; and that, likewise, more of his family were buried there.
See Leukfield's Ant. Nordh. p. 234 ; ejusd. Antiq. Walkenrid.
p. 217; Antiq. Pless. p. 137; and Gotting. Beschr. tom. i. p. 44.
The last count of Plessen, Christoph, died in the year 1566,
and was buried at Hockelheim, near Nordheim. See Groten's
Geschichte der Stadt Nordheim, herausgegeben von Reddessen,
p. 120. Perhaps our church library contains some further notices.
"With pleasure I shall search for them, and communicate to you
what I find."
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 257
Extract of a Letter of Mr. Reddessen, Magistrate and
Garnison Auditor at Nordheim.
" In the Antiquitat. Plessensibus, p. 137, is published an chap. ii.
ancient writing ; in which, among other notices, a list of all
princes of our illustrious reigning house who have been buried
in the still existing chapel of this convent, has been given. I
myself have seen, in my youth, a stone, upon which notices on
this subject were cut. Also in the Gottingischen Zeit und
Geschicht. Beschrieb. torn. i. lib. i. chap. ii. p. 43, seq. are given
more notices. The authors of both works were very well
acquainted with the archives, and the history of this town.
And likewise Kotzebue, in his Antiq. Ccenobii D. Bias. Nord-
heim, has given us some light on the subject.
Count Volkmarus, of Nordheim and Bomenenburg, must have
been buried most probably at Correy, as he was abbot there.
Who is buried in the chapel of Wiebrechthausen, you un-
doubtedly know already. I myself have seen, some years ago,
a tombstone with the sickle. The late counsellor Ruling men-
tions, in a Supplement to his Description of Nordheim, that
Otho the Strong, who died 1394, was buried in the convent church
of Wiebrechthausen ; and that likewise the intestines of duke
Frederick of Brunswick, who, after having been elected emperor
on the 25th of May, 1400, at Frankfort, was attacked the 5th of
June, on his return, between Arentsberg and Fritzlar, by count
Henry, of Waldeck, and murdered by Frederick of Harding-
hausen, were interred in the same church."
258 THE RECORDS OF
STADE.
Letter from the Rev. Mr, Schilling, Counsellor of the Consistory.
CHAP. II. "I shall exert myself to give you, if possible, some notices
about the princess Agnes, consort of Henry the Long. There
is no monument in our churches which could be referred to
her; but I will search the archives, in order to find, perhaps
in the documents of the sequestered convents, some notices on
the subject. These researches will occupy some time; as the
papers of the four or five convents, which were formerly here,
are very much dispersed. The result I shall communicate to
you as soon as possible.
COLOGNE.
Inscription on the Tomb o/" Bruno, Archbishop of Cologne.
Fundite corde pieces, lachrymosas fundite voces.
Ecce pater patria conditus in silice.
Regis progenies terras memoranda per omnes,
Bruno pacificus, vir bonus atque plus.
Archos Antistes, cui clara Colonia sedes,
Visus erat, cunctis charus ubique fuit.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 259
Offendit tenebras lux vivacissima terras,
Invida lingua tacet, laus modo vera placet:
Non fiiit in mundo tarn raro munere dignus,
Raptus ab hoc sevo jam fruitur Domino.
Idus Octobris quinto prsesul duodenus
Vitae concessit, spes comes alma fuit.
BURSFELDE
Is situated in the principality of Gdttingen, on the banks chap. ii.
of the Weser, under the ruins of that once famous castle,
called Otten, or Bramburg. Here was a convent for Benedictines,
founded and endowed by Otho, count of Nordheim, in the year
1098, and enriched successively by his family. In the year 1429
it became famous by the Bursfeld Union, for the reformation,
or the better discipline of seventy-five monasteries of the order
of St. Benedict ; which union was confirmed at Basil, in the
year 1440.
In the church of this convent was buried the warlike count
of Nordheim, Henry the Gross, the husband of Gertrude, heiress
of Brunswick, and father-in-law of the emperor Lothaire. In
the year 1101 he was created margrave of Friesland, and soon
after killed by the Frisii. His remains were conveyed to Burs-
felde, and deposited there. His tomb is still to be seen ; and
260 THE RECORDS, &c.
CHAP. II. an engraving of his tombstone, or sepulchral monument, is to
be found in the Orig. Guelf. tom. iv. p. 536. It has the following
inscription round it: —
Anno Domini MCCI. IIII. Idus Aprilis, sepultus hie est generosus
Comes Henricus, filius Ottonis Ducis, Fundator
hujus Coenobii.
CHAPTER III.
SECTION I.
Sepulchres of the Guelphs about the Time of Henry the Lion,
and subsequent to that Period.
BRUNSWICK.
In the cathedral of St. Blase, the burying place of many of chap. hi.
the ancestors, princes and princesses, of the illustrious house of ^^^"^^^"^^
Guelph, is the following inscription on the door of the ducal
sepulchral vault : —
" Erbbegz'abniss des Durchlauchtigsten, Hochwlirdigsten, Fiirsten und Herrn,
Herrn Ferdinand Albrecht, Herzoge zu Braunschweig und
Luneburg, der Evangelischen Stiftskirche zu Strasburg
Senior. 1681."
" Hie finis invidiae, persecutionis, et querelse."
Henry the Lion, the patriarch of the house of Brunswick,
after his happy return from the Holy Land, while yet full of
the pious impressions which he had received there, thought
262 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. in. earnestly on the execution of his plan for erecting a magnificent
cathedral in his then metropolis. In the very same year of his
return, 1172, he caused the St, Peter and St. Paul church,
which stood near his castle Dankwarderode, and had been erected
in the year 868, by duke Dankward, (most probably the son
of duke Ludolph,) to be pulled down, and began the building
of the new cathedral *. This magnificent church was finished
in the year 1194; and consecrated by bishop Herman, of Hilde-
sheim, (ad honorem Blasii et Johannis,) in the presence of many
prelates, and with great splendour. Henry presented his new-
built cathedral with all the rich and splendid relics which he
had brought from Palestine, Constantinople, and Italy. Immense
sums were spent upon the ornamental clothings of the altars
and their ministers. But all those riches and precious things
are now lost. This then was the origin of St. Blase's cathedral,
so celebrated for its antiquity, and still more interesting to us,
as it encloses the sacred remains of a great number of persons
of our illustrious house ; as the following list sufiiciently indicates,
and which is partly taken from Beschreibung des St. Blasii Doms
Braunschweig bei Lucius. 1815.
* An old table, which was still (1707) in the vestry, contained the following
notice : " Anno dusent hundert twei unde sebentig hefft Hertzog Heinrich de Lauwe
de olden kerken up Dankwarderode in de Ere St. Peters iin Pauls gewiget, laten
afbreken unde einen nigen Dohm in de Ere St. Blasius unde St. Johannes Baptisten
laten uprichten."
This old table, a most remarkable document, has shared the same fate as many
other things. No one knows where it is at present.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 263
List of the illust7-ious Persons interred in St. Blast's Church, at
Brunswick, received from the Rev. Air. Wolff, and accompanied
with some Genealogical and Necrological Remarks.
Eckbert the Second, margrave of Brunswick, died 1090*. chap. in.
Gertrud, his sister and heiress, and great-grandmother of oid Bmnones.
Henry the Lion, died lllSf. (Both rest in the chief vault.)
Henry the Lion, who died 1195. Henry shared the fate of Gueiphic
so many distinguished persons of former times, that little can saxony"
be ascertained about the place and time of his birth, and the
events of his first youth. But most probably he was born at
* The death of this gallant prince is one of the principal stains in the life of
Henry the Fourth. For, not being able to conquer him in open war, he bribed
some assassins to enter into his service, and to assassinate him ; which dreadful deed
was perpetrated in the said year, one night, when Eckbert arrived late before Bruns-
wick, and was obliged to sleep in a mill at Eisenbuttel. They say that the abbess
Adelheid, of Quedlingburg, the sister of the emperor, was the principal agent in this
foul murder. He was buried in St. Syriacin church, which he had founded and
built. But when this church was pulled down, in the siege of 1542, Eckbert's
coffin of stone was brought into that of St. Blase's. It was opened on this occasion,
and they observed distinctly in the skull the mortal wound inflicted with a hatchet.
In the year 1 689 his coffin was sunk into the ground, on the spot where it is now,
under the sarcophagus of prince Albert, who died 1745. The tombstone has the
following inscription : —
Hie jacet Eckbertus II. March. Saxon, obiit 1090. 1689.
t It is said that she had been married to Theodoric, count of Callenburg,
previous to her marriage to Henry the Gross, in the year 1092.
The year of her death is not certain; some say 1117, others 1118.
Her coffin of stone stood formerly under one of the altars in the chief vault. It
stands now on the north side of Rudolph's chapel.
G,
264 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. Ravensberg, in Suabia, in the year 1129 ; for, immediately after
^"^^''^^ their marriage, the young dutchess of Henry the Proud was
brought to this residence of the Guelphs, and most likely
remained there till her confinement. He died in the year 1195,
aged sixty-six years. (Vide Gerhard of Steterburg, in Leibn.
ss. i. 867.) He must therefore have been born in the year 1129.
(Of Meibom. SS. rr. Germ. torn. iii. p. 166). But some are of
opinion that he was born 1135 (Erath. Consp. Hist. Lun.), and
they are led into this error most probably by the singular circum-
stance that Henry was baptized on Whitsunday, 1136. (Vide
Chron. Ursp. p. 219, and Vit. Arenp. apud Leibn. tom. iii. p. 665).
About the time of his death there is no difference of opinion.
(Vide Gerhard of Steterburg's Chron. Seterb. 866). He died
the 6th of August, 1195, on a Sunday; and was deposited in
the tomb built for his exalted dutchess, according to the direc-
tions which he had given. Chronologists state, that there
were to be seen in the vault three coffins of stone ; that of
Henry, Matilda, and a small one of his son Otho, who died
very young. The tomb stands before the altar, and before the
great cross. (The cross is now removed). It is elevated ; and
on the top of it are figures of the duke and dutchess, cut in
stone, in full length. The duke holds in his right hand the
model of the cathedral, and in his left the sword. The dutchess
in a devotional attitude, with her hands folded. The vault itself
forms a square, eight feet three inches and a half long, and
five feet three inches wide. The entrance is shut by the two
large stones, on which the said figures are cut. This vault was
opened some years ago ; and it was found that the inundation
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 2G5
of the year 1808 had done great mischief, as the coffin of Henry chap. iu.
was sunk very much, and covered vv^ith rubbish. It is desirable ^'^^^^^^
that this coffin should be raised again, and preserved.
At the sides of this vault stood formerly two statues : one
of them representing Henry the Lion, of stone ; the other repre-
senting a bishop, (probably bishop Ulrich of Halberstadt,) and of
alabaster. Both have been removed, and put in the ducal vault.
There was likewise a wooden table fixed on the first pillar,
on which Henry and his consort, with Otho the Fourth and
his consort, were represented in miniature, and the following
inscription : —
Hie jacet Henricus, quondam Dux, conditor hujus
Ecclesise, dignus nobilitate pius.
Moribus ornata sibi conjux est sociata,
Pauperibus larga, simplicitate bona,
Inclyta Mechtildis, Anglonim filia Regis,
Nutriat angelicis hos Deus ipse cibis.
Adjacet optatus, horum sanguine natus,
Otto coronatus, vermibus esca datus.
Hujus erat sponsa Philippi stirps generosa,
Filia formosa, nunc cinis, ant^ rosa.
Qui legis haec metra, memor borum sis peto, pensa!
Quid caro, quid vita, quid res, nisi mors, cinis, umbra!
This table is said to be of the 13th century, and is now
in the chapter house. (Vide Heinrich der Lowe, Herz. d. Sachs,
ii Bayem ein Biogr. Versucho B.W. Bottiger. 1819. Hanover).
Matilda, his dutchess, who died 1189,
Otho, their son, who died in his infancy.
M M
266 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. Otho the Fourth, emperor, also their son, who died 1218*.
^"^"'''^'^^ Beatrix, empress, his consort, who died 12121.
Henry the Long, who died 1227 J.
Dukes of Otho the Infant, who died 1252||.
Brunswickand . ,, , „ , t i -.^^r^e
Lunebnrg. Albert the Great, who died 1279§.
William, who died 1292^.
Albert the Fat, who died 1318**.
Richenza, his consort, who died 1314.
Albert, bishop of Halberstadt, who died 1358 ft-
Otho the Liberal, who died 1334:}:$.
* He died at Harzburg, but was buried at Brunswick, by the side of his
consort. G.
t She was the daughter of Philip the emperor, and gave her hand to Otlio,
after the murder of her father, but died four days after the marriage.
t He died 28th of April. G.
II There is some difference of opinion about the burying place of this duke.
Both Luneburg and Brunswick claim that honour, and the ancient writers are
divided.
The most probable reason for such difference is, that the duke's remains were
first deposited at Luneburg, but afterwards transported to Brunswick. Vide Ge-
schichte des Herzogs Otto I. von Oesterley. 1786.
§ It is very probable that Elizabeth, the first wife of Albert the First, was like-
wise deposited in Brunswick. Rethmeyer's Chronicle, p. 511.
H The third son of Albert the Great.
He resided at Brunswick, and died unmarried. G.
** He resided very often at Gottingen, in the Burg, or on the Ballruz. Vide
Gottingens Geschichtbeschreibung, tom. i. p. 70.
tt Was first Dora-Provost of Einbeck, and 1325 elected bishop of Halberstadt.
II It is erroneous what some writers mention, that the year 1 334 was the
year of his death. There was formerly this inscription in the cathedral of St. Blase,
in Brunswick, over the door southwards : —
Anno Dom. MCCCXLIIII. ob. Dux Otto felicis. et adhuc M. Agnes, conthoralis
sua, ob. MCCCXXXIIII. V. Kal. Dec. k quibus fundata est haec capella.
Anno Incarnationis Dominicae MCCCXLVI.
Vide Pfeffing, tom. i. p. 185. If he was first married to Tutta of Hesse, cannot be
ascertained.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 267
Agnes of Brandenburg, his second consort, who died 1334. chap, m
Ernest, youngest son of Albert the Fat, who died 1367. ^^^^/"^
Magnus the Pious, who died 1369.
Magnus Torquatus, who died 1373*.
Frederick, emperor elect, who died 1400 f.
William the Victorious, who died 1482:{;.
Cecilia of Brandenburg, his first consort, who died 1427 1|.
Matilda of Schaumburg, his second consort, who died 1462 §.
Henry the Elder, who died 1514^.
Helena, his consort, who died 1470**.
These thirteen illustrious persons are deposited in what is
called the old vault, which is in the nave of the church before the
choir. This vault is most probably that which was opened in
* He was the son of Magnus Pius, who died 1369, and of whom it cannot be
ascertained where he is buried, but most probably at Brunswick. Magnus Torquatus
was killed in an engagement with Otho, count of Schaumburg, by one of the latter's
soldiers, near Leveste, on the Deister.
t He was assassinated on his journey to Frankfort.
I This surname he undoubtedly received in consequence of the seven battles which
he fought, and in which he gained the victory. Another surname, " Gotteskuhe,"
which is sometimes given to him, cannot be accounted for. A proverb which he
used may perhaps have been the cause. Vide StefFens Anszug aus der Ge-
schichte, &c. p. 315. Pfeffing, p. 453.
II This year of her death is erroneous; for it is said that in the year 1431, when
Henry, her brother-in-law, took possession of Wolfenbuttle, she went with her two
sons to Schoningen. She was therefore alive in the year 1431. Vide PfeflSng,
p. 455. Rethmeyer, p. 703.
^ She died 1468, soon after the birth of her son, Otho, the 22d July. Her first
husband died 1464. She was married to William, 1466.
IT He was killed at the siege of Leer-Orz, in East Friesland, in the war against
Ezard, count of East Friesland.
** She was not the consort of Henry the Elder, but that of Henry the Pacific, and
died 1471.
268 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. the year 1C06, by the supposed earthquake, and repaired and
^"^^^"^"^^ covered with a brass plate, 1707, by order of Anthony Ulrich.
On this plate is an inscription, composed by Eberhard Finen,
minister of St. Blase's cathedral, as follows: —
Adesdum, Viator, paucis te volo !
Hie tu veneraberis ossa, quibus usi
Imperatores, Electores, Duces.
Saxonum, Atestinorum, et Angliae Reguni antiqua progenies,
Electorum et Ducum Brunsvicensium et Luneb. stirps indubia.
A tergo cryptam babes, in qua
LoTHAEii Imp. socrus Gertrudis, Henrici Leonis avia,
requiescit, ab A. C. MCXVII.
A fronte ipse Heneicus Leo recubat,
CathedraUs hujus stmctor, heros inter tot bella pius,
Invisus nuUi prseterquam invidis, in utraque fortuna invictus,
A morte devictus A. MCXCV.
Ex tali digna conjux conjuge,
Angliae Regis filia, Mechtildis, duorum Regum soror.
Homo tamen humo cessit A. MCLXXXIX.
Hos inter, qui sequuntur, sepulturam nacti sunt promiscuam,
Memoriam habebis, singulis propriam.
Prima ad soceri tumulum, thalamum vix ingressa, delata est
Philippi Imp. filia, Beatrix, Frederici Barb, neptis, A. MCCVIII.
Cujus maritus. Otto IV. Imperator,
Injuste rapta papae erepturus,
Innocens ab Innocentio III. excommunicatus,
Regno privatus, non gloria, terram subiit KICCXVIII.
Prater Henricus, Comes Palatinus Rheni, et Elector,
Fratris haeres, et in sepulchro comes, A. MCCXXVII.
Horum ex fratre uepos Otto, Puer vel Parvus dictus.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 269
Magna agendo virum egit, chap. hi.
Titulum Ducis Brunsv. et Luneb. suffragante imperio, primus gessit, '■'■^^^^^-^
Hie terram gessit ab A. MCCLII.
Filius Albektus Magnus, princeps pius et mansuetus,
Bella non movit, submovit strenue,
Morti succumbens, hie decubuit A. MCCLXXVIII.
Decumbunt una filius Wilhelmus ab A. MCCXCII.
Et pronepos Magnus Torquatus,
In pugna qua victor erat caesus, MCCCLXXIII.
Hinc abnepos Fredericus, Imperator electus,
Quern ne imperaret (heu nefas !) Electorum unus occidi fecit MCCCC.
Et adnepos Wilhelmus Bellicosus,
Septies in bello victor,
Nonagenarius demum in sepulchre bigamus,
quippe conjugum bigae,
C^ciLi^ Brand, m. MCCCCXXVII.
METiLDiE Schumb. m. MCCCCLXII.
eodem junctus cubiculo MCCCCLXXXII.
Decennio, post Helenam, Henrici fratris conjugem,
Agmen claudit Henricus Senior,
Qui, post plures expeditiones non expeditas feliciter.
In Frisia, caput et vitam perdidit MCCCCCXIV.
Hoc te volebam. Viator,
Ubi sis et acclama feliciter.
Serenissimo Anthonio Ulrico, Brunsv. et Luneb. Duci,
Qui, antiqua virtute et fide Princeps,
Ciim Basilicas huic novo ornatu antiquum redderet,
Majorum memoriam restauravit,
Suam reddidit seternam,
A. C. MDCCVIL
270
THE RECORDS OF
Rudolph-Augustus, who died 1704*.
Christine- Elizabeth, of Barby and Oldenburg, his first consort,
who died 16811.
Rosine- Elizabeth Men ton, his second consort, who died 1701.
Their tombs are in Rudolph's chapel J, and have the following
inscriptions : —
Quo respicis,
lector ?
Terram geris qui terrain
Hie
deposuit quicquid terreni
habebat,
parte tamen meliori sui
in Deo
superstes,
Sereniss. Princeps et Domina,
• He died at Hedwigsburg.
t She died at Sondershausen, the 2d of May, 1681 ; and the duke was married,
on the 7th July, of the same year, to Rosine-Elizabeth Menton, called Madame
Rudolphine, of a Plebeian family of Minden, who died in Gravenhof. The coffin
of the dutchess stands on his right, and on his left hand that of Rudolphine; both
have inscriptions. G.
t The duke had this vault fitted up on purpose for himself and his consorts.
It is connected with the chief vault, and is twenty-four feet long, sixteen feet and
a half wide, and fourteen feet high. On the floor are three large stones, which cover
the tombs. The chronicle says, that when the diggers met with a large stone, and
asked the duke's command if they should lift it, he answered, " No ; as it may
cover a prince who has sunk so deep that they ought not to dig him up again, do
not touch him."
After Ferdinand's death, his coffin, made of wood, and covered with black cloth,
was most quietly put on this stone, and covered with earth.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 271
Domina CHAP. in.
Christina Elisabetha, '^.^•v'^^
Ducissa Brunsv. et Luneb.
ex antiqua
Domuum de Barby et Oldenburg
Sanguine,
Regum Ducumque
mixta prosapia.
Serenissimi Principis ac Domini,
Domini
RUDOLPHI AUGUSTI,
Ducis Brunsv. et Luneb.
pie et feliciter regentis,
Conjux
per triginta annos
et unum.
Ex assa fida, integerrima,
rarescentis hodie
Pietatis, castitatis, rectique pectoris
exemplar rarissimum.
Ab omni fastu mundanisque vanitatibus
Suis tantum provida rebus,
Fascibus baud unquam implicita,
Nutritia pauperum,
Orphanorum mater,
Amor et dulcedo patriae,
quae
mortalitatis orbem est ingressa
A. MDCXXXIV. XXVI. Octobris.
272 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. in. Eandem egressa
^-'^•^^-' A. MDCLXXXI. d. II. Maii
certissimam resurrectionem
et
fEternae beatitudinis
absolutam consummationem
expectans.
Ex morte vita,
vitam ex morte lucratus,
beata inetamorphosi,
Princeps et Dominus, Dominiis
RxjDOLPHUs Augustus,
Dux Bruns\ncensium et Luneburgensium,
juxta legem domus magni Augusti,
optimi parentis.
Successor primogenitus,
Patrias ditiones primum solus
postmodum,
associato sibi fratre germane,
Magnse et infractae mentis Principe,
junctim rexit.
Regimine ultra septem et triginta annos
feliciter transacto,
Segregati olim Brunonis-vici
Magnorum avorum, Imperatorum et Ducum
sedis antiquissimae,
felix reductor.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 273
atque CHAP. III.
ex successu isto plurimis majorum v^^ -^w/
felicior.
Veritatis evangelicae pius assertor,
Ecclesiarum structor ac benefactor,
Asylum aflaictorum,
atque
Egenorum nutritor benignus.
Bellum usque quaque aversando,
Pacis studium
ad extremum usque habitum
enix^ prosecutus.
Tandem,
die XXXVI. mensis Januar. anni MDCCIV.
postquara
terram terras, spiritum vero immortalem
Deo, commendasset,
placide obdormivit,
futuram corporis et animse re-unionem
ad seternam beatitudinem
certo certius expectans.
Implevit a natali suo,
qui
erat d. XVI. Maii, MDCXXVII.
setatis annos septuaginta sex,
menses VIII. et X. dies.
Dignus
aeternsB memorise
Princeps.
274 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. Terrain
^^^''^^ quam gessit
hie
deposuit,
postquam immortale suum
Deo reddidisset,
Domina
RosiNA Elisabetha Menten,
cognomine
RUDOLPHINA,
a Seren. Principe, Domino
RUDOLPHO AUGUSTO,
Brunovic. et Luneburgensium
Duce,
in secundo thoro socia
co-optata.
Vixit in prBeclarum
modestise et pietatis exemplum,
Obiit die XXI. Maii, anno MDCCI.
Ferdinand-Albert the First, duke of Brimswick-Bevern, who
died 1687*.
* He was the founder of this vault. His coffin is of tin, and has the following
inscriptions : —
Ferdinandus Albertus,
Dei gratia
Bruns. Dux Lunebq.
Capituli Cathedral. Evangel.
argentoratens. praesul fil.
AuGUSTi D. Br. Luneb. ac
Sophia Elisabeth^;, D
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH.
Christine of Hesse, who died 1702.
Megapolit. Natus est
Brunsvigse,
A. MDCXXXVI. d. 22 Maii.
Sol. hor. 9 vespert.
Renat. d. 17 Jul.
Perlustravit Germaniam,
Galliam, Ital. Belgium,
Angliatn, Maltam, Polon.
Curlandiam, Daniam,
Sueciam, Alsaciamq.
Conjugatus A. 1667.
d. 23 Novembr. Eschwegse,
in Hassia, cum Christina,
Principe H assise,
ex qua
Leopoldus Carolus,
Fredericus Albertus,
et Claudia Eleonora,
nati sunt, sed in juventute
denati; ulterius
Sophia Eleonora,
Augustus Ferdinandus,
FERDINA^fDUS AlBERTUS,
Ferdinand Christian,
et
Ernest Ferdinand,
gemelli et Henric. Ferdinand;
in arce Beveree resedit,
et obiit d. XXIII. April.
A. MDCLXXXVII.
Deo
Opt. Max. Sacrum.
Quiescit hie sequiore parte
sua Serenissima Prlnceps
Christina,
die XXX. Octobr. anni pacifici
MDCXLIIX.
•276 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. Their children :
""-^^•^"^^ 1, Leopold-Charles, three months old, who died 1670.
2, Frederick- Albert, one year old, who died 1673.
3, Claudia- Eleonore, one year old, who died 1676.
Palre Friderico III. Landgravio
Hassio, Matre
Eleonora Catharina,
ex domo palatino Bipontina,
nupta A. MDCLXVII.
Ferdinando Alberto,
Duci Brunsv. et Luneb.
ex eoque mater facta novem
liberorum, tribus praemissis,
ipso etiam conjuge orbata, qui
nam relinquens prolem masculam,
unam fceminam,
A. MDCCII. d. XIIX. Martii,
vitae hujus satura, ex sede
Beverana transmisit animam,
beatorum sedi Princeps de-
vota, in quosvis benigna :
hoc est
Christina.
Christi
sectatrix
non poterat
^ aliter finire.
Es ist genung!
* These three children were the first who were deposited in this vault, on the
20th of March, 1681. Their coflSns stood formerly in the choir.
Leopoldus •
Carolus, Dux
Brun. et Luneb.
natus est Beverse
ad Visurgim,
d. 30 Jan. Septuag.
h. 3 mat. 1670.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 277
Patre Ferdinando CHAP III
Alberto, D. B. et 'v^^V'^^
Lun.
matre Christina,
D. B. et Lun.
natee Principissse
renatus a. 15 Febr.
$ denatus ibidem,
d. 3 Martii, h. 7.
vesp. It setatis
m. 1. d. 1. h. 16.
Requiescat in pace
resurrectionem
expectans mortuorum,
conjunctionemque
aniniEe
cum corpore, et
plenariam beatitudinem.
Amen.
Fridericus Albertus,
secundo genitus
Ferdinandi Alberti,
Due. Brun. et Luneb.
et Christin*, D. Br. et Lun.
Natse Hassise Principissse,
Natus Eschwegse in Hassia
d. 5 Jan. et Veneris h. 7.
mat. 1672.
Baptizatus in festo
Epiphan. 6 Jan.
extinctus phthisi,
Beverae ad Visurgim,
d. 27 Jan. et Lun. h. 10.
Vesp. 1673,
setatis Anno 1.
d. 23.
278 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. 4, Augustus-Ferdinand, who died 1704*.
Claudia Eleonora,
Ducissa Brunsv. et
Luneb. nata est Eschwege
in Hassia, d. 22 Novb.
> h. 6. mat. 1675.
Patre
Ferdinando Alberto,
D. B. et Lun. Matre
Christina,
D. B. et Lun. nata
Principissa
Hassiae,
renata d. 3 Decembris,
ibidem,
denata Blekenrode,
> 30 Jul. h. 9 vesp.
1676. setat. mens VIII.
in Eichsfeldi.
Iterum jungemus amantes.
Flos generosus eram, cinerem
mors invida fecit, fine
cinis, rursus flos generosus
erit.
Ich war ein Bliimlein voller
Pracht,
Der Tod hat mich zu Asch
gemacht.
Doch diese Asch foil warden
bald,
Ein Bliimlein wieder wol-
gestaet.
Actor XXI. 14.
FaCtUM est ut VoLUIt.
DeUs.
He was born 29th December, 1677, at Bevern; made his first campaign
, under the king of Great Britain, in the Spanish Netherlands, when he was
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 279
seventeen years old, and was at the siege of Namur. He served as a volunteer CHAP. III.
against the Turks, under duke Eugene of Savoy; and was, in the year 1702, at ^^^V'^^'
the siege of Landau. In the year 1704 he commanded the contingent corps of
the states of Lower Saxony ; received, on the 2d of July, an order to take the Schel-
lenberg, near Donauwerth, by storm ; and leading his troops most gallantly to the
charge, he was killed by a musquet ball. He is buried in Brunswick. His coffin is
of tin, and has the following inscription : —
D. 0. M. S.
Conditum hie quicquid
condi potuit Serenissimi
Principis
AuGUSTi Ferdinandi,
Ducis Brunsvic. et Luneburg.
patre
Ferdinaxdo Alberto,
Duce Brunsv. et Luneb.
matre
Christina,
Principe Hassiaca,
nati,
in arce Beverana,
A. MDCLXXVIL
d. XXIX. Dec.
Brevem is vita, sed laudibusque
multo longissimum
exegit cursum, ad omne
principale regiumque decus
eum natura optima,
educatio exquisita, studium
acre, itinera provida, usus
amplus finxerant; hinc
exstitit supra quam dici potest,
generosus, alacer, fortis,
doctus, sapiens, plus, clemens,
humanus, artibus pacis
bellique instructissimus.
Voluit in bellis ad pacera
aliquid conferre, contulit
quoque plurimum, adfuit
280 ■ THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. 5, Ferdinand-Christian, who died 1706*.
ubi theatra maxime aperiebantur,
in Belgio ad Rhenum,
ad Danubium stetit pro
communi salute sub heroibus
progloriosissimis :
WiLHELMO rege,
LuDovico Badensi^
EuGENio Sabaudo,
par futurus, tantis
luminibus ac fulminibus,
si vita suppetiisset: imperator
copiarum circuli Saxonici
inferioris, duxit eas
ad hostes h Scliellenbergico
ad Donauwerdam munimento
pellendos, et triumphans
jam in capite ictus,
pro I
desiit imperare, desiit
vivere,
d. 11 Julii,
A. MDCCIV. atatis
XXVII.
Animam reddidit coelo,
gloriam liquit
super orbs terrarum
dispersam ;
reliquum
hue remisit, hac tumba
inclusum, ubi quiescit
suaviter ad diem usque
restitutionis.
Died at Brunswick, twenty-five years old. His coffin is of tin, with the
following inscription : —
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 281
D. O. M. S. CHAP. III.
Quiescit hie ea parte ' _^ ^ -^
quae tali quiete
indigebat
Serenissimus Princeps
Ferdinandus Christianus,
Dux Brunsvic. et Luneb.
editus in lucem
d. IV. Mart. A. MDCLXXXII.
parentibus Sereniss.
Ferdinando Alberto,
Duce Brunsv, et Luneb.
Christina,
Principe Hassiaca,
horum filius ille natus,
factusque erat ad
omnes res genere tanto
dignas, sen belli, seu pacis,
etiam utrisque inteutus
aliquatndiu fuit, sed deinde,
corporis imbecillitate
servire coactus,
quietis studiis porro invigilavit
et donii et
foris, late peragrans terras
florentissimas, ita rarani
eruditionem inhibit,
eamque hoc gratiorem
et utiliorem,
quod stipata erat raoribus
aureis,
virtutibus gemmeis.
Verum
optiraus hie Princeps,
superatis omnibus aliis,
superatus tandem est
vi diuturni morbi, quo
hac urbe decubuit, ast ea
tantura parte quae hie
quiescit, altera enim semper
282 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. superior transcendit astra,
^^V'-i^^ d. XII. Dec. A. MDCCVI.
eetatis XXV.
duos fratres
maximum atque minimum
eodem secutus.
Bene ergo est animBe,
in manibus Dei, bene
est corpori, hie inter
suorum ossa sub Dei
manibus, bene etiam
nomini, in animis
ore scriptis
bonorum.
6, Henry- Ferdinand, who was present at the Schellenberg,
and afterwards killed before Turin, 7th September, 1706, in his
22d year. His epitaph is as follows : —
D. O. M. S.
Sacrae iterum memoriae
ac ossibus Serenissimi Princ.
Henrici Ferdinandi,
Duels Brunsv. et Luneb.
nati Bremae,
d. XII. Apr. A. MDCLXXXIV.
patre
Ferdinando Alberto,
Duce Br. et Luneb.
matre
Christina,
Principe Hassiaca.
Hie fratrum minimum
aetate, citissime maturavit
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH.
mente, beneficio indolis,
educationis, itinerum;
sic corpore adolescens
raaturavit animo, scientia,
virtutibus, experientia,
cito etiam militavit
patriae generoso instinctu
ac spiritu vere martio,
sed tamen pio, prsecipue
cilm pro Chiliarcha
transiit Alpes, et Turini
graviter obsessi liberationem
adivit, ubi aliis externaeq.
quo ardentius ibi
canones observavit,
intemae
hostibus pulsis, alios
alicubi haerentes adoriens,
id sinistro pectore vulnexatus
cecidit, simul expiravit,
d. VII. Sept. A. MDCCVII.
aetatis XXII.
Quo minor annis,
eo major gloria;
viderat in monte
Schella morientem
ita fratrem, huic
par factus maximo
minimus, non loco
ac munere, tamen
anno, spe, meritis.
THE RECORDS OF
ipsoque fato.
Hei quantum in hoc
quoque heroe perdidit
Germania! et coelestis
patria hunc etiam
dilectissimi cives,
terris invidens, sibi
cito voluit
asserere.
7, Sophia- Eleonora, who died, 1711, of the small-pox, at
Gandersheim. Her coffin has the following inscription : —
D. O. M.
Sacrum.
Conditur hie ex parte
Sereniss. Princeps
Sophia Eleonora,
nata V. Martii, MDCLXXIV.
pietatis utriusq.
documenta
habilem se alteri
vitsE fecit,
eo citius
illud est traducta,
eumque
serenissima
fronte,
occurrisset morbo
ac morti
et vires ejus
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH.
lobusta fide fregisset,
expiravit placidissime
XIV. Jan. MDCCXI.
setatis
Ann. XXXVII.
patre
Ferdinando Albf.rto,
Duce Br. et Lun.
matre
Christina,
Principe Hassiaca, vere Princeps ;
gessit enim perpetuo
principem curam principis
suae partis, nempe
animse, imo earn cum
corpore penitus sacravit Deo,
Monasterium Gandesiense
ingrediens MDCXCIV.
8, Ferdinand-Albert the Second, second son of Ferdinand-
Albert the First, who died 1735*.
* Died in the same year in which he succeeded Louis-Rudolph in the govern-
ment. A large sarcophagus of copper, which is the whole breadth of the middle
hall, covers the coffin of the duke and his dutchess. As a warrior, he was in seven
teen campaigns against the Turks and the French, as the following inscription
shows : —
Resurrectionem heic expectant
Serenissimus Princeps ac Dominus,
Dominus
Ferdinandus Albertus,
Brunsvicens. et Luneburgens. Dux,
in XVn. contra Gallos et Turcas expeditionib.
286 THE RECORDS OF
heros imperterritus,
' ■ , d. XIX. Mail, An. ClOlOCLXXX. natus,
pie d. III. Sept. An. CIOloCCXXXV. defunctus,
VI. tantum, eheu! menses,
Brunsv. Wolfenb. terras gloriose moderatus. ;
et
serenissima ejus conjux,
Princeps ac Domina
Antonetta Amalia,
Brunsv. et Luneb. Dux,
felicissima IX. filiorum et VI. filiarum mater,
d. XXII. April. CIOIOCXCVI. nata,
serenissimum conjugem suum
in seternam beatitudinem secuta,
d. VI. Mart. CIOloCCLXII.
Antoinette-Amalia, daughter of duke Louis-Rudolph, who
died 1762.
Their children : —
9, Ernest -Ferdinand, brother of Ferdinand- Albert the^
Second, who died 1746. V
Eleonora-Charlotte, of Curland, who died 1748. 7
In
loculo deposuit, quicquid
terreni habebat,
parte tamen meliore sui
in Deo superstes,
serenissimus quondam Princeps,
Dominus
Ernestus Ferdinandus,
Dux Brunsvicensis et Luneburgensis,
ecclesiarum
Sanctorum Blasii et Cyriaci
prsepositus hsereditarius,
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH.
287
oidinis regii Damci elephantini
eques,
natus Osterholzi, in ducatu Bremensi,
A. MDCLXXXII. d. IV. Martii,
conjugatus A. MDCCXIV. d. V. Aug. Baruthi,
cum
Eleonora Charlotta,
Duce Curlandise et SemigalliaB,
ex hoc matrimonio relictis VII. superstitibus,
et prsemissis VI. liberis,
denatus Brunsv. d. XIV. Aprilis, A. MDCCXXXXVI.
ffitatis annor. LXIV. mens. I. et XXI. dierum.
All these, above mentioned, are deposited in what is called
the hereditary vault, under the choir, and vs^hich was fitted up
by Ferdinand- Albert, 1681. The entrance is shut by a large
folding door, to which a staircase of six steps leads. The vault
is supported by eight pillars, in two rows, which thereby divide
it into three halls. Six windows give sufficient light. This
sacred place was robbed in the year 1811.
Louis-Rudolph, who died 1735*, and
Christine-Ludowicke, of Oettingen-Wallerstein, his dutchess,
who died 1747, are also interred in this cathedral.
The tomb and monuments of these two illustrious persons
were built and erected in the middle of the nave, by order of
* He was wounded and taken prisoner in the battle of Fleury, 1690. After his
release, duke Rudolph-Augustus, his uncle, ceded to him the county of Blankenburg,
which was soon raised into a principality. By it he got a vote at the diet of the
German empire, and George the First ceded to him the principality of Gruben-
hagen. He followed his brother in the government of Brunswick-Wolfenbuttle,
celebrated the anniversary of the Reformation 1717, and died 1735.
288 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. the duke, for him and his consort only. The tomb is of
marble, and forms a sarcophagus. The statues of the deceased,
cast in tin, are lying on it. The duke, in complete armour,
in a reclining position, with his legs crossed, rests his arm on
a cannon, and lays his left hand on the marshal's baton. That
of the dutchess is also of tin. The whole group has a great
deal of animation. The faces of both are turned outwards. At
the head of the sarcophagus are the Brunswick arms, with a
prince's coronet. At the foot, two genii are sitting, leaning their
hands on an urn, with much expression in their faces, and
their eyes full of tears. At the foot of the sarcophagus are the
arms of Gottingen, and on both sides an inscription * : —
' Tegit potius quam monstrat dextra hsec tumuli facies
Serenissimura quondam Principem, Ludovicum Rudoi.phum,
Brunsvicensium ac Luneburgensium Ducem,
AuGusTi et Antonii Ulrici,
Qui senio, doctrina, prudentia, Nestores erant Germaniae,
Nepotem ac Filium utrique non nisi annis disparem,
Imperatorum Caeoli Sexti Augusti socerum, divi Petri Secundi avum,
Populi sui Patrem magis quam Dominum, ultra laudes moderatum, pium,
indulgentem.
Quern certe neque maxima gentis suae nomina,
neque plurimse CBesarum et regum imagines tantum illustrarunt,
quantum propriis enituit virtutum exemplis ac beneficiorum meritis,
qui denique ex prosapia Henkici Leonis ortus,
* According to an old ground-plate of the vaults of this church, an unknown
subterranean vault is connected with this sepulchral monument and tomb of Louis-
Rudolph.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 289
sepeliri proximus illi voluit, chai*. hi.
et ita sibi aliisque imperavit, ita mortuus est, '^^'-\^^^
ut nee vivere nee mori potuisset gloriosius.
Condendis reliquiis suis, sinistram hujus sepuleri partem destinat
Augustas mater, Imperantium avia,
Serenissima Princeps Christina Ludovica, Princeps ^ stirpe Oettingiaca,
optimi olim Ducis Ludovici Rudolphi,
cum quo felicissimum aeque ac diutumum coluit matrimonium.
Vidua infelicissima, et doloris ex tanto funere vix superstes,
exstruxit eadem quale eumque quod vides monumentum,
ex voluntate conjugis, dum vivebat, incomparabilis
nunc sanetissimi, desideratissimi,
et novam cum illo conjunetionem,
unicum jacturse non nisi morte reparandse solatium;
quod ad animam in coelis inque eelebranda summi Numinis gloria;
quod ad corpus in communi hoc conditorio,
et miscendis utriusque dum reviviseant cineribus,
tarn avide optat, quam eerte expectat.
Composui felieem, nunc ergo resto.
Children of Ferdinand- Albert the Second :
1, Charles (see below).
2, Frederick- William, eleven months old, who died 1732*.
* His coffin is of tin, and stands at the feet of duke Charles, with the following
inscription : —
290 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. 3, Augustus, five months old, who died 1720'
In
loculo hoc quiesclt
Seren. Princeps
Fridericus Gulielmus,
Serenissimi Principis ac Domini
Ferdinandi Alberti,
Serenissimae Principis ac Dominse,
Dominae
Antonett^ Amali*,
Brunsvic. et Luneburg. Ducum,
filius Septimus,
d. XVII. Jan. CIoIoCCXXXI. natus,
d. XXIV. Dec. CIoIoCCXXXII.
coelestem spiritum coelo reddidit.
* This coffin has this inscription : —
Vix ostens. aperit.
D. O. M. S.
Adservantur hie
cineres
AUGUSTI,
Due. Brun. et Luneb.
Ferdinandi Alberti,
et
Antonio; Amali;e,
D. D. Brunsvic. et Luneb.
filio quarto geniti,
nati d. XXIII. Nov.
A. MDCCXIX.
et
denati d. XXIV. Martii,
A. MDCCXX.
sicque celeriter
k mundi labyrintho
in coelestem paradisum
translati.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 291
4, A still-born prince, 1733*. chap. in.
5, Ferdinand, the field-marshal, who died 1792|. v^'V^
* The coffin has this inscription : —
At the head are the Brunswick arms. At the feet is a bunch of roses; of which
one drops, with the following epigram : —
Exaruit priusquam vernavit.
Serenissimi Principis ac
Domini, Domini
Ferdinandi Alberti,
et
Serenissimte Principis ac Dominse,
Dominae
AnTONETT^ AwAHiE,
Brunsvic. et Luneburg. Ducum,
filii noni, natu minimi,
cineres
in loculo hoc conduntur,
auima in ccelum jam erat recepta,
quum d. XIV. Decemb. 1733,
in lucem ederetur.
t Suffi;ciently known as the great commander in chief in the seven years' war,
and as the conquering hero of Crefeld and Minden.
In his last will he had ordered his remains to be interred in the garden of
his country seat, Vechelde ; which was done as soon as a vault could be finished.
But finding that the coffin was standing always in water in this vault, the reigning
duke brought it to Brunswick. His coffin is of oak, and has the following in-
scription : — •
At the head is written upon a table :
Ferdinand, Guthsherr von Vechelde vomlahre, 1746, an bis den 3'^° Julius, 1792;
geboren auf dem Mosthofe zu Braunschweig, d. 12 Januar. 17-21 ;
gest. d. 3"° Julius, 1792.
292 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. 6, Albert, twenty years old, who died 1745*.
7, Frederick-Francis, twenty-six years old, who died 1758t.
8, Louis-Ernest, who died 1788 J.
9, Therese-Natalia, who died 1778 1|.
10, Christine-Charlotte-Ludowicka, who died ]766§.
11, Anthony-Ulrich. He was the husband of the empress
Anne of Russia, and died 1781, at Kolmogory, near Archangel.
12, Juliana-Maria, queen of Denmark.
The two last are not buried at Brunswick. All the others
are deposited in the chief ducal vault.
At the feet stands the following inscription :
Grosser, aber durch das Blut Jesu Christi, seines Heilandes und Erlbsers begnadigter
SUnder vos Gott. " Hier nur seine irrdische Hiille."
On the cover of the coffin are to be seen some air-holes : likewise it is asserted,
that the outer cover was furnished with a lock, of which the deceased held the key
in his hand.
* He was killed by a musket ball in the battle of Sovi, near Trautenau, in
Silesia. A sarcophagus, most beautifully worked, of alabaster and marble, encloses
his coffin. The place where it stands is not in its favour, as the workmanship
cannot be seen well. At the fore part are the Brunswick arms, which are to
be seen ; a lion's skin covers the upper part ; and on the upper part are warlike
weapons, and an open helmet. There was no room for the inscription.
t He was killed by a cannon ball in the attack at Hoehkirchen, serving as
major-general in the Prussian army. His coffin, of tin, and excellent workmanship,
was made by the order of duke Ferdinand, his brother.
I He died at Eisenach, in his 70th year; was an imperial field-marshal, com-
mander of the order of Malta at Supplingenburg, and knight of the Prussian order of
St. Andrew, and of the Polish order of the Wliite Eagle. His coffin is of wood,
covered with red velvet. On the top is an urn, which contains his heart.
II Elected abbess of Gandersheim, on the 4th of June, 1767.
^ She died at Brunswick. Her coffin without an inscription.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 293
Children of Ernest Ferdinand;
1, Maria-Anna, who died 1754*.
2, Frederick- George, who died 1766 t-
3, George- Lewis-Frederick, who died 1747;};.
4, Frederica-Albertina, who died 1772 1|.
• She died at Bevern; and her coffin has no inscription.
t He died at Bevern. His coffin, of tin, has no inscription.
I He made the campaign of 1747, in the Netherlands, under the command
of field-marshal Bathyan ; got a fever, of which he died, at Bernau, a village two
miles from Maestricht. He was solemnly deposited in the town where he died;
but, according to his last will, his remains were brought to Brunswick, in the
year 1748, and deposited on the 11th of February. His coffin, of tin, was made
about the year 1765, and has the following inscription : —
In hoc dormitorio quiescunt
ossa in pace
Serenissimi Principis ac
Domini
Georgii LuDovici Friderici,
Ducis Brunsvicensis et Luneburgensis,
nati Beverae,
d. 11 Januarii, MDCCXXI.
patre
Ernesto Ferdinando,
Duce
Brunsvicensi et Luneburgensi,
matre
Eleonora Charlotta,
Duce
Curlandise et Semigalliae,
Trajecti ad Mosam pia morte
d. VI. Sept. MDCCXLVII. defuncti.
II She became, on the 4th of July, 1765, abbess of Steterburg, at which place
she died.
294 THE RECORDS OF
cHAF. III. 5, Augustus- William, governor of Stettin, who died 1781
^^^ 6 and 7, Twin sisters, of whom one, Ernestine, lived
only four hours, who died 1721.
8, Amalia-Christine, two years old, who died 1726.
9, Charles- William, four months old, who died 1725. ^ '
10, Frederick-Augustus, three years old, who died 1729.
11, John- Anthony, one year old, who died 1732.
These last six are deposited in the Rudolph's chapel.
* This duke was dom. -provost of St. Blase's and St. Cyriac's, major-general in
the Prussian service, and governor of Stettin. He died at Stettin. His coffin is of
wood, covered with velvet. At the feet are the Brunswick arms, very neatly worked
in brass. When this vault and the cathedral were robbed, in the year 1811, the
villains broke open this coffin ; but none of its ornaments were missing. After
having been deposited more than thirty years, the features of the deceased could be
recognised. He was lying in the coffin, dressed in full regimentals. G.
■f- The following inscriptions record the few days of these infants : —
Principes Gemellx Septismestres,
ex thoro Ducum Brunsvicensium,
Ernesti Ferdinandi, et
ELBONORa ChaRLOTTjE,
h dome ducali Curland,
quarum altera jam ante exitum decesserat,
media fere nocte, die Amali«,
altera quideni viva nata sc. MDCCXXI. d. VII. Octobr.
patris nomine
Ernestina,
baptismo renata, sed
denata die charitatis, vita hie
ad quartam horam vix
transacta.
En!
monumentum
fragilitatis humanse !
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 295
0"ente (,„AP. in.
pulcherrima facie V^^v*^^/
Carolo Guilielmo,
Due. Bruns. et Luneb.
natae ducissae Curlandiae
septimo genito
superstitum,
nato
d. XXVH. Junii, MDCCXXV.
denato
d. Xn. Septembris ejusd. anni,
breve hoc
vitse curriculum
spatio LXXVn. dierum
absolvit,
aeterna domicilia
in
patria ccelesti
petit.
Primi amoris candore
audivit Salvatorem :
sinire ad me venire,
promptissime venit
Princeps
Amalia Christiana,
nata serenissimis
parentibus,
D. B. L.
die 11 Junii,
MDCCXXIV,
supremum obiit
diem
XXV. Junii,
MDCCXXVI.
chara Salvatori,
amore coronatur
Salvatoris,
regnum possidet
setemum.
296 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. Corruptibile
\,^^-^^ expectat diem reditionis
in summa gloria.
D. O. M. S.
geternit.
S. condita
heic ossicula
brevi tempore
pulcherrimi Principis
Friderici Augusti,
Seren. Ducis
Ernesti Ferdinandi,
D. B. L.
superst. quarti nati
Principum,
in hanc lucem editi
d. III. August.
MDCCXXVI.
denati XXX. Mart.
MDCCXXIX.
Augustus, augusto natus,
augustissima petiit.
Memoriae
eeternitati,
Deo charissimus Princeps
Johannes Antonius,
sanguine Christi emundatus,
filius serenissimorum parentum,
Ernesti Ferdinandi,
et ELEONORa; Carolina;,
D. D. Brunsv. et Luneb.
natus d. XVI. Febr. MDCCXXXI.
et denatus d. XVI. Junii, MDCCXXXII.
Expectat hoc in tumulo
resurrectionem justorum,
quos inter fulgebit ut
sol in regione patris sui.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 297
Charles, son of Ferdinand- Albert the Second, who died 1780*. chap. m.
Philippine-Charlotte, princess of Prussia, who died 1801f. ^-^^''^^
Their children were :
1, George-Francis, one year old, who died 1737.
2, Christian-Louis, four years old, who died 1742.
3, Ludowicka-Fredericka, one year old, who died 1744.
4, Albert-Henry, nineteen years old, who died 1761];.
5, William- Adolphus, twenty-five years old, who died 1770||.
6, Fredericka-Wilhelmina, ten years old, who died 1758.
7, Maximilian-Julius-Leopold, thirty-three years old, drowned
in the river Oder, near Franckfurth, 1785§.
* Succeeded to the government the 5th September, 1735, and died at Brunswick.
His coffin is of wood, covered with velvet: the golden fringes of it were stolen.
t She was the sister of Frederick the Second, died eighty-five years old. Her
coffin is of wood, covered with velvet; the fringes have been stolen.
This coffin was likewise opened, and a gorget of Brussels lace taken away. Ten
years after her death her features were still recognised. Close to the coffin, in a
niche, is an urn of marble, and on a ring which encloses it, are engraved the following
words : " La grace de Dieu me suive dans I'eternite." It is not known what this urn
contains ; but it was shut in the presence of the deceased, and by her direction put on
the coffin after her death.
X Was wounded by a musket ball in the neck, in a skirmish which took place
between the corps of the hereditary prince of Brunswick and the French army, near a
village called Ruhne, four days after the glorious battle of Vellinghausen. The
wounded prince was carried to Hamm, where he died, on the 8th of August. The
coffin is of wood, covered with velvet.
II He died while serving as volunteer in the Russian army, in the war between
Ismael and Oczakow, of an inflammation of his breast. On his coffin there formerly
stood a silver case with his heart. This was stolen 181) : the heart was found
without its case, and is now preserved in a varnished urn. The coffin is of wood,
covered with velvet.
§ At the inundation of the Oder, near Franckfurth, in the year 1783, several
unfortunate beings were surrounded, and struggling with the raging flood, calling in
despair for help. Every one, on account of the danger, was afraid of trusting his hfe
Q Q
298 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. 8, Augusta-Dorothea, of Gandersheim, who died 1810.
""""^^^^"^^ Duke Charles-William-Ferdinand, who died 1806*.
Amalia-Charlotte-Ludowicka-Dorothea, who died 1773.
Charles-George- Augustus, hereditary prince, who died 1 806.
Frederick-William, who died ISlSf.
The windows of the west side of the church, and those
of the grand hall, contained formerly, in coloured glass, the
portraits of the princes and princesses in full length, with some
inscriptions.
The windows are broken or removed, but the inscriptions
are preserved in the chronicle, as follows : —
Von Gottes Gnaden Maria, geborene von Wirtemberg, Herzoginn
von Braunschweig und Luneburg.
Von Gottes Gnaden Heineich der Jungere, Herzog zu Braunschweig
und Liineburg.
to the merciless waves, when all at once a noble son of the Guelphs came forward.
His fellow-creatures were to be saved — he saw no danger — he dashed into the
water; — but, alas! the waves overwhelmed him, and he sunk to rise no more! He
perished on the 28th of April, 1785. He was a major-general in the Prussian
service, and knight of the order of Malta. His noble heart was preserved in a silver
case formed in the shape of a heart, and with the following inscription: —
In hac capsa conditum est cor Serenissimi et Celsissirai Principis
Maximiliani Julii Leopoldi, cujus non ultima
laus erat, cor habuisse.
This case was also stolen in the year 181 1 , but the heart afterwards found. It is
now enclosed in a vase of tin, varnished black.
* He died the 10th November, 1806, at Ottensen, near Altona, in consequence
of the wounds which he had received in the battle of Jena. His remains have lately
been brought from Ottensen to Brunswick, and are deposited in the ducal vault of
his ancestors.
. t This gallant duke was killed at Quatre-Bras, the 17th June, 1815.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 299
Von Gottes Gnaden Sophie, geborene aus Kbniglichem Stamm zu chap III.
Polen, Herzoginn zu Braunschweig ^und Liineburg. ^^^V^^''
Von Gottes Gnaden Wolfgang, Herzog zu Braunschweig und
Liineburg.
Nee, WoLFGANGE, latet pietas tua et inclyta virtus;
Te clarum heroem Gallica bella canunt.
Von Gottes Gnaden Philippus, Herzog zu Braunschweig und
Liineburg.
Ingenti studio fraterna exempla Philippus,
Dum sequitur, laudis non habet ille minus.
Von Gottes Gnaden Ernst, Herzog zu Braunschweig und Liineburg.
Constans assertor fidei, bellator et acris,
Ernestus sese nomina digna gerit.
Von Gottes Gnaden Sidonia, Herzoginn zu Braunschweig und
Liineburg, geborene Herzoginn zu Sachsen.
Von Gottes Gnaden Erich der Jiingere, Herzog zu Braunschweig und
Liineburg.
En tibi beUipotens subhmia pectora Mavors,
Queis tua fama, diu vivet, Erice dedit.
Von Gottes Gnaden, Erich der Aeltere, Herzog zu Braunschweig und
Liineburg.
Qua jacet uberibus prselustris Hagonia terris.
Imperii acta gerens clams Ericus obit.
Von Gottes Gnaden Wilhelm, Herzog zu Braunschweig und Liineburg.
Sanguis avitus inest tibi. Dux generose, Wilhelme,
Laude igitur dignus, dignus es eiUogio.
Von Gottes Gnaden, Heinrich, Herzog zu Braunschweig und Liineburg.
Heroum soboles, heros clarissime magnum,
De te. Hen rice, sibi patria spondet humus.
Von Gottes Gnaden Franz Otto, Herzog zu Braunschweig und
Liineburg.
300 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. Vix Sprea Francisco nupta piscosus Othoni,
^^'V^^ Junxerat, ilia pio nunc regit orba viro.
Von Gottes Gnaden Julius, Herzog zu Braunschweig und Luneburg.
Ex Fabiis Fabium Mars texerat omnibus unum,
Fratribus extinctis Julius esto super.
Von Gottes Gnaden Philippus, Herzog zu Braunschweig und Luneburg.
Bella sequi belloque mori tua strenua virtus
Te juvit, clara stirps quoque clari patris.
Von Gottes Gnaden Caeolus, Herzog zu Braunschweig und Luneburg.
Labitur ex ssevo bombardae Carolus ictu,
Quando fugat patriae bella cruenta.
WOLFENBUTTLE.
Extract from Christoph Wolteueck's Begrabnissbuch der
Kirche B. M. V. zu Wolfenbiittd. Vide Chronicon der Stadt
ii/id Vestung Wolfenbilttel, auf. Rud. Aug. Noltenio, Hto. 1747.
This church had for many years no other sepulchral vault,
but that which is called the old ducal vault. This was situated
before the pulpit, but was built up by order of the duke Augustus,
in the year 1654. In it are enclosed the following princely
corpses, resting on iron grates * : —
1, Henry the Younger.
2, His first consort, of Wirtemberg.
* It is also observed, that there were four figures cut in stone, in full length,
and painted and gilded. The men in armour, and with poll-axes in their right
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 301
3, Duke Henry's second consort, of the royal family of chap. hi.
Poland. ^^^^^
4, Duke Julius of Brunswick and Luneburg.
5, His consort, of the electoral family of Brandenburg, depo-
sited anno 1602.
6, Her serene highness Margaret, dutchess of Brunswick and
Luneburg, dutchess of Munsterberg, in Silesia, &c., deposited
anno 1580.
7, Her serene highness Dorothea, of Saxony, dutchess of
Brunswick and Luneburg, died 1587, aged twenty-three years.
8, Duke Henry- Julius the Younger, died 1606, aged eight
years.
9, Sabina-Catharina, dutchess of Brunswick and Luneburg,
a young child when she died.
10, Sabina-Cathai-ina, dutchess of Brunswick and Luneburg,
died 1590, aged sixteen years.
Another extract of the church register, written 1654, adds
two more, viz.
1, Charles-Victor, and 2, Philip-Magnus, both killed in the
battle of Silvershausen.
hands, but the heads uncovered. Who they were, the following inscriptions
show : —
1, Von Gottes Gnaden Sopiua, gebohren aus Koniglichen Staram Pohlen,
Herzoginn zii Braunschweig und Luneburg.
2, Von Gottes Gnaden Heinricii, der Jlingere, Herzog zu Braunschweig
und LUneburg.
3, Von Gottes Gnaden Carl Victor, Herzog zu Braunschweig und LUneburg.
4, Von Gottes Gnaden Philip Magnus, Herzog zu Braunschweig und Luneburg.
Before these four princely persons is an iron grate-work.
302 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. Their remains rest on both sides of the subterranean
'""^'^''^^ staircases.
The first account is certified by a churchwarden, as follows : —
" I, the undersigned, have found it so on the 18th August,
1654 ; have examined the coffins, cleaned the inscriptions, and
read them myself. I have written this list by order of his
serene highness the duke Augustus, and delivered it to his
serene highness.
" Michael Hugo, Churchwarden."
It happened afterwards, at the building of a church pillar,
that the vault was opened again ; and a churchwarden, Anthony
Henke, related that he found the before-mentioned coffins of
tin resting upon iron grates, but twisted in such a manner that
they had lost their proper shape.
The new ducal vault is situated under the choir between
the great and small altar. It was built about the year 1605,
and has two entrances. Over one are the words: —
Memento mori.
Sepulchrorum memoria magis vivorum est consolatio quam defunctorum
utilitas.
Over the other :
Omnia transibunt, transibimus, ibitis, ibunt.
Unus post alium, tandem discedimus omnes.
Transivere patres, simul hinc transibimus omnes.
In Codo patriam, qui bene transit, habet.
Ergo, O homo! memento mori.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 303
In this ducal sepulchre are buried, since 1613, those who chap. hi.
are mentioned in the following list : — v.^^v'^h^
List of the Corpses deposited in the Ducal Vault, in the Church
of the Blessed Virgin Mary, at Wolfenbuttle, received from the
Rev. Mr. Wittekop.
1, Henry -Julius, reigning duke, eldest son of duke Julius,
born the 15th October, 1564, died the 20th July, 1613 ; deposited
the 4th October, of the same year. He built the church of
the Blessed Virgin Mary, 1604, the large school-house, 1596,
and called the Heinrichs and Julius Friedensstadt by his
name.
2, Charles-Henry, the fifth son of duke Henry-Julius, born
the 3d September, 1609; elected, 1613, bishop of Halberstadt ;
died of the small-pox at Helmstaedt, the 11th June, 1615, in
his sixth year; and was deposited the 7th July.
3, Duke Julius- Augustus, the fourth son of duke Julius, abbot of
Michaelstein, in the county of Reinstein, born the 9th February,
1573, died the 31st August, 1617; deposited .28th September,
of the same year.
4, Dorothea- Augusta, the sixth daughter of duke Julius, born
the 12th February, 1577; was elected abbess of Gandersheim,
the 14th November, 1611; died at Wolfenbuttle, the 23d
December, 1625, aged forty-eight years ; and deposited in
March, 1626.
5, Elizabeth, second consort of duke Henry-Julius, daughter
of king Frederick of Denmark, born the 26th August, 1573;
304 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. married the 19th April, 1590; died at Schoningen, the 19th July,
""•^^^^ 1626; deposited the 15th October, 1628.
6, Duke Christian, third son of duke Henry-Julius, bishop
of Halberstadt, knight of the order of the Garter, born the
10th September, 1599, died the 6th July, 1626; deposited the
15th October, 1628. He made a great figure in the thirty
years' war.
7, Frederick, elector palatine of the Rhine, born the 19th
October, 1594, died 10th July, 1626; deposited 15th Oct. 1628.
8, The reigning duke, Frederick-Ulrich, eldest son of duke
Henry-Julius, born the 5th April, 1591, died 1 1th August, 1634;
deposited here the 20th September, 1676, after his remains had
been in the cathedral of Brunswick forty-one years and five
months.
9, Christian-Francis, eldest son of duke Augustus, born the
31st July, 1639; died 7th December, the same year, four months
and seven days old.
10, Eleonora- Sophia, daughter of duke Rudolph- Augustus,
born the 5th August, 1655, died the 7th January, 1656.
11, Leopold-Augustus, second son of duke Anthony-Ulrich,
born the 27th February, 1661, died the 5th March, 1662; de-
posited the 6th June, of the same year.
12, Augustus-Henry, fourth son of duke Anthony-Ulrich,
born the 14th August, 1663, died the 21st December, 1664 ;
deposited the 20th March, of the same year.
13, Augustus-Charles, fifth son of duke Anthony-Ulrich, born
the 4th August, 1664, died the 21st December, of the same year ;
deposited the 9th January, 1665.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 305
14, Christiana-Margaret, dutchess of Mecklenburg-Scliwerin ; chap. m.
born at Gustrow, the 31st March, 1615; married, the 14th ^-^^'^^^
February, 1640, to duke Frederick- Albert, of Engern and West-
phalia; became a widow the 10th July, 1642; married again,
duke Christian, of Mecklenburg, whom she left after two years,
in consequence of his behaviour to her, and went to her brother-
in-law, duke Augustus; where she died, the 16th August, 1666:
and was deposited the 13th December, of the same year.
15, Augustus, reigning duke, son of Henry of Danneberg:
born the 10th April, 1579; died the 17th September, 1666; and
deposited the 11th December, of the same year. He was a
religious prince ; builder of the Augustus Town, of the library,
and of the Duke's Gate.
16, Augustus-Francis, sixth son of Anthony-Ulrich ; born
the 7th October, 1665; died the 14th December, 1666; depo-
sited the 17th December, of the same year.
17, Amalia-Antonia, the fourth daughter of duke Anthony-
Ulrich; born the 7th June, 1668; deceased the 1st November,
of the same year.
18, Sybilla-Ursula, the sixth daughter of duke Anthony-
Ulrich; born the 10th September, 1672; died the 1st April, 1673.
19, Sophia- Elizabeth, the third consort of duke Augustus,
daughter of John- Albert, of Mecklenburg; born the 20th of
August, 1612; died the 12th July, 1676; deposited the 4th
October, 1676.
20, Duke Augustus-Frederick, first son of duke Anthony-
Ulrich; born the 24th August, 1657; died on the 22d August,
1676, in the 19th year of his age, in consequence of a wound
R R
306 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. on his head, received by a musket ball, at the fortress Philipsburg.
^"^^'''^^ His skull was trepanned, and he lingered in great agony for
thirteen days. His remains were deposited the 5th October,
of the same year.
21, Charlotte-Augusta, second daughter of duke Louis-
Rudolphus ; born the 23d July, 1692 ; died the 6th August, 1692 ,-
deposited the 7th August, of the same year.
22, Christiana-Sophia, first consort of duke Augustus-William,
and daughter of duke Rudolphus-Augustus, of Brunswick ; born
the 4th of April, 1654; died the 26th January, 1695; deposited
the 8th March, of the same year.
23, Elizabeth-Juliane, consort of duke Anthony- Ulrich,
daughter of duke Frederick, of Holstein-Nordburg ; born the
24th May, 1634; married 19th August, 1656; deceased the
4th February, 1704; deposited the 6th April, of the same year.
She left, at her death, thirteen children, thirteen grandchildren,
and four great-grandchildren ; and was the foundress of the poor
widows' and orphans' chapel, and also of the convent in this
place.
24, Sophia- Amalia, second consort of duke Augustus-William,
daughter of duke Christian- Albert, of Holstein-Gottorp ; born
the 18th January, 1670; died the 27th February, 1710; deposited
between the 4th and 5th of March, of the same year.
25, The reigning duke, Anthony-Ulrich, third son of duke
Augustus; born the 4th October, 1633; deceased the 27th
March, 1714; deposited in March of the same year. He turned
catholic ; in consequence of which he built the St. Nicolai church
at Brunswick, and erected the palace at Salzdahlum.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 307
26, Ernest-Leopold, son of duke Rudolphus-Frederick, of chap. m.
Holstein-Nordburg ; born the 11th August, 1685. He spent some ''^^'^^^^
years in military service at Brussels, and died the 7th August,
1722, at Wesel, when he was on the road to visit his sister,
the dutchess of Augustus-William. His remains were conveyed
from thence to Wolfenbuttle, and deposited the 13th August,
of the same year.
27, The reigning duke, Augustus-William, third son of duke
Anthony-Ulrich ; born the 8th March, 1662; died the 23d
March, 1731 ; and most solemnly deposited the 25th of May,
of the same year. He rebuilt, 1718, the Trinity church, which
was struck by lightning, and burnt down, the 18th August, 1705.
He likewise repaired the Gravenhof at Brunswick.
28, Anne-Sophia, second daughter of duke Anthony-Ulrich;
born the 29th October, 1659 ; died the 28th June, 1742 ; deposited
the 3d July, of the same year. In 1677 she was married to
margrave Charles-Gustavus, of Baden, but died a widow.
29, Elizabeth-Sophia-Maria, third consort of duke Augustus-
William, daughter of duke Rudolphus-Frederick, of Holstein-
Nordburg; born the Uth September, 1683; married the 12th
September, 1710; and deceased the 3d April, 1767, at Brunswick;
deposited at Wolfenbuttle, between the 8th and 9th April, of
the same year. This is the last person of our illustrious
house whose remains have been deposited in the ducal vault
of this church.
(Signed) Charles-William Wittekop,
Provost of the Convent to the honour of God, first Minister of
the Church of tlie Blessed Virgin Mary, and Senior of the
Ecclesiastical Ministry at Wolfenbuttle.
THE RECORDS OF
TUBINGEN.
Account of the Sepulchral Monument of Duke Rudolph,
Bishop of Halberstadt.
CHAP. iir. The monument of the bishop of Halberstadt, in the choir of
'^^'^ the church of St. George, in Tiibingen, is close to that of Anne,
princess of Wurtemburg, and daughter of duke Ulrich. It
consists of a plate of dark grey sandstone, seven feet three
inches long, four feet wide, and six inches thick; upon the
cornice of which is the following inscription : —
RuDOLFUs, postul. Episcopus Halberstad. Dux Brunsvig.
et Luneburg. hie quiescit.
Upon this plate lies a figure of the deceased, formed of white
marble, six feet long, with a cushion with two tassels under his
head. He is dressed in his episcopal robes, with his head un-
covered, and holds in his hand the pastoral crosier. On his right
lies the mitre, and at his left stands an open helmet. The tomb
is borne by four leopards, stretching out their heads above the
corner of the plate, howling, and drawing back their tails between
the hind legs. They are formed of the same kind of marble,
three feet three inches long each; and stand upon a plate of
grey sandstone, two feet six inches long, and one foot two inches
wide : the whole, from the ground to the top of the tomb, three
feet high. Upon the plate at the head of the bishop the arms
of Brunswick-Luneburg, divided into twelve fields, are engraven.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 309
The upper half contains six shields in two rows. The centre chap. m.
escutcheon is empty. In the first field, among many small hearts, ^'^^
a lion with a double tail, and in the third a lion with a single
tail ; in the second two lions, in the fourth one lion, in the fifth
is the centre escutcheon, in the sixth a lion. In the under half
are again six shields ; in the first two beams crossed ; in the
second two bears' claws ; in the third nine chequers, placed in
three rows, and three beams ; in the fourth the horns of a stag ;
in the fifth a stag; and in the sixth the horns of a stag. Over
this coat of arms are five helmets : on the first is a peacock s
feather, with two horns of a stag ; on the second two bears' claws ;
on the third a crowned and wreathed column, upon which is
fixed a peacock's feather, and before which is a jumping horse,
between two sickles, which are turned against each other, and
ornamented in five places with peacocks' feathers ; on the fourth
two horns of a deer, and in the middle six small banners ; on
the fifth two horns of a stag.
At the feet is another coat of arms, the Danish, which is
split in four by the cross of an order. In the centre escutcheon
is a knight in armour riding into action. In the first field three
lions, standing one over the other ; in the third a lion, and under
him nine hearts; in the second a crowned lion, with a flagstaff"
in his claws ; in the fourth a crowned basilisk.
The under half contains eight fields : in the first three crowns ;
in the second the pascal lamb, with the banner; in the third
two lions; in the fourth a crowned head from behind; in the
fifth a shield, with three crowns and three nails ; in the sixth a
crowned swan ; in the seventh two beams ; in the eighth a cross.
It has no helmets, but is ornamented with the prince's coronet.
310 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. Both coats of arms are standing erect, and are of the same
^'^^'^^'^^ marble.
The above description is made by Mr. Pertzchefeld, and
fully corresponds with the original, which is certified.
(Signed) D. Ernest-Gotthil Bengel,
Tubingen, 3d Oct. 1819. Professor of Divinity, and Deacon of the Cathedral
Church of St. George, at TUbingen.
Upon a table on the wall, near the monument, is the following
inscription : —
RUDOLPHO,
Postul. Episcopo Halberstadensi,
Duel Brunsuic. et Luneburg.
Henrici Julii, postul. Epis. Halberst.
Due. Bruns. et Luneb. et
Elisabeths, Frideeici II. Dan. Reg. Filise,
maximorum parentum
filio,
in exemplum piissimo,
Principi, bono reip. nato,
sed malo ejusdem, heu! praemature denato,
mater et fratres, afficti,
memoriam
contra votum pietatis posuerunt.
Oritur WoIfenbUtelii, A.C. MDCII.
Jun. die XV.
Moritur in illustri Collegio, A.C. MDCXVI.
Jun. die XIII.
Sepelitur hie inter Principes cognatos,
A.C. MDCXVI. Aug. die XXII.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 311
STRASBURG.
In the well-known Minster or cathedral of Strasburg are chap. hi.
deposited, in a chapel called the Henneberg chapel, the remains
of Francis, son of Henry, duke of Brunswick-Luneberg-Dannen-
berg, and chanoine, or domherr of Strasburg. On his way from
Rastadt to Strasburg, crossing the Rhine at Lichtenau, his horse,
starting, fell with him from the bridge into the river, and he
was unfortunately drowned. He was born at Dannenberg, the
6th of June, 1572 ; sent with his brother, Julius-Ernest, to Stras-
burg, in July 1585; served in the year 1596 against the Turks,
and 1599 against the Spaniards, with great gallantry, both times
as commander of 1000 horse, and lost his life the 24th December,
1601. On the 3d of March, 1602, his remains were conveyed
to the place of their rest with great solemnity. The chief
mourner was his brother, duke Augustus the younger. A funeral
oration was delivered by John Scheldt, and the funeral sermon
by the Rev. John Pappus.
The following two inscriptions are still to be seen ; the first
on his tomb, the second on the wall : —
D. O. M. S.
Hospes, Viator, Spectator,
Quisquis es, adsta et audi.
Si bonis Fortuna faveret, aut seculi potius nostri vitiis non ofFensi, nos
boni amarent caelites, viveret equidem.
Franciscus, illustrissimus Brunsuicensium et Luneburgensium Dux,
312 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. Cathedral. Ecclesiarum, Coloniensis et Argitinensis, Canonicus,
^^^^-''^^ dignissimus Princeps, summis animi corporisque dotibus
pisecellens,
qui
Anno Christi 1572, die 6 Junii, Tannebergae natus.
Ut
et Christiana religio, contra impietatem ac superstitionem, et Germania
patria, adversus hostes externos, paratum in se aliquando haberet
* preesidium, heroicse ductu naturae.
Pueritiam liberalibus addiscendis artibus, adolescentiam parando rerum usui
et experientise, juventutem bellicis reb. tractandis deditse devovit.
Haque
anno a partu Virginis 1592, eetatis 20, gUscente in Alsatia propter
Episcopatum Argent, discordia, Tyrocinio armorum insigni
cum laude posito,
quarto post anno,
Inferiore Saxonia poscente, mille equitum laevis armaturae ductor
constitutus, adversus immanitatem Turcicam prsehis ahquot
fortiter depugnatis rem prseclare gessit in Ungaria.
Nee vero minus
anno Christi postea 1599, milite Hispano, imperii fines e Belgio
transcendente, passim depopulante, totidem miUtum Saxicorum
interum Dux dactus, laborantem patriam virtute, consiho
manu fortissimfe constantissimeque juvit,
magnanimitate, fide, comitate, viam sibi
ad verum decus et immortalem
gloriam, cum incredibili omnium
bonorum applausu ac favore,
praemunivit.
Sed
O vanitatem rerum sperumque humanarum !
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 3^3
^""i CHAP. III.
in medio virtutum honorumque cursu Princeps innocentissimus ^.^^^^^
optimusque impigre versatur,
ipsa
Nativitatis Christi vigilia, anno 1601, Rastadio Argentinum accelerans ad
pontem Renchae torrentis, qui turn solito altior increverat repentino,
proh dolor! et inevitabili quodam casu, in subjectam voraginem
cum equo proturbatus, urgentibus fatis, indigno ac miserabili
genere lethi occumbens,
spiritum
virtute ac pietate iiobilem coelesti Patri, a quo acceperat, reddidit :
bonis omnibus accordatis viris summis, mediocrimis infimis,
ingens ac moestum sui desiderium.
Corporis vero exuvias hasce
quinta demum a fatali casu die, repertas et undis exemptas.
Matri pientissimae,
McEstissimisque fratribus,
Julio Ernesto, et Augusto Juniori, hoc sarcophago condendus, cum
summo totius familiae, necnon publico subditorum moerore
ac luctu, reliquit.
Vixit annos 29, menses 6, dies 18.
Hospes, Viator, Spectator,
Quisquis es,
Postquam hsec didicisti, bene praecatus abi.
Princeps defunctus
loquitur,
Qui per aquam aetemsB renovari ad gaudia vitse
Me voluit meritis, Christe benigne, tuis,
Idem si per aquam vitam finire educam
Me voluit J num quid, quod quaerar, heic habeo?
s s
314 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. Pro vita infelix fragili quam sustulit unda,
^"^^"V^^ Parta est in cceUs vita mihi melior.
Condolentes congratulamini,
M. JosEPHUs Langius, Caesare Montanus,
Mathematum Professor Argentinae.
c. s. s.
Francisco,
Henr. Jun. fil. Ernesti Nep.
Duci
Bruns. et Lun. Eccl. Colon.
et Argent, can.
qui
Pueritiam liberalibus artibus,
Animum vera rell. studio,
Adolescentiam peregrinando,
Juventutera cont. comm. patriae
Et rell. hostes militando.
Exsoluit
dum ma.jora sperat, pro dolor! torrentis RenchaB impetu absorptus,
expiravit,
Meliorem sui partem summo Patri,
Mortalitatis exuvias magnse matri
relinquens,
set. suae anno XXIX. mens. VI. die XIIX.
Salut. M.DCI. XXIV. Decsmb. .
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 315
Dux August. Fr. in defuncti memor. CHAP. iii.
Luctusque sui solat. nicest, posuit. ^>.^^n^^^^
Quern nee Turca ferox, nee tvux turbavit Iberus,
Labente expirat Princeps torrente repente*.
NORDLINGEN
Is a town in Suabia. In its principal church, dedicated to
St. George, the remains of the gallant duke Albert, who was
the son of duke Philip of Brunswick, of the line of Grubenhagen,
are deposited. He was severely wounded by a spear, which
stuck in his neck. After being wounded, he killed four or five
Spaniards ; and was brought to this town, where the spear was cut
out. This wound was received in October, 1546, in a skirmish
between the imperialists, commanded by Charles V., and the
allies, under the command of Philip of Hesse, at Alerheim and
Giengen. He died, in great agony, on the 21st of October;
and was buried here. His tomb, which is erected on the left
side of the choir, consists of an arch, with wall pillars,
under which stands the statue of the duke, in armour; a half-
length. He holds in his right hand a battle-axe, and rests
his left on his sword. At the left of his feet, against one of
the wall pillars, are the Brunswick arms ; and under the arch
* Extracted from Dr. John Pappus's Funeral Sermon.
316 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. is the following inscription, which is extracted from Beytrage
zur Nordlingischen Gesshechts Historic, auf. Beyschlag, 1801.
Albertus, Brunsvigiee Dux, qui pro Principe suo, Philippo, Hassise
Landgravio, etc. fortiter pugnando occubuit, hie situs est,
, anno a nato Christo M.D.XLVI. atatis suse XXIIII.
VESRA,
A place in the former county of Henneberg, which belongs
at present to the king of Saxony. There was here formerly an
abbey, founded, in the year 1131, by count Gothwala, of Henne-
berg ; and, until the days of prince William the Fourth, it was
the burying place of the family. The church of the abbey is
still preserved. Here were buried, of the house of Guelph, —
1, Anne-Elizabeth, daughter of Ernest, duke of Brunswick-
Luneburg-Gdttingen, who died 1426, aged thirty-nine years.
She was therefore born 1387; and she was married, 1414, to
William the Third, count of Henneberg.
It seems that in body and mind she felt her superiority ; for
she is called haughty, but at the same time praised, as a good
wife and mother. She died in childbed, from grief at the news
of her husband's death, who died at Cyprus, on his return from
the Holy Land, 7th June, 1426.— Vide Hennebergische Chronick
von Spangenberg, tom. i. p. 385, ed. Heim, and tom. iii. p. 274.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 317
2, Margaret, daughter of Henry the Pacific, duke of Bruns- chap. m.
wick-Luneburg, in Wolfenbuttle, died 1509. She was married, ^^'^^'^^
1466, at Brunswick, when she was not yet fifteen years old,
but did not follow her husband to Henneberg before the year
1469. She died at Mainberg, and was buried at Vesra, by the
side of the count, her husband.
3, Elizabeth, daughter of Joachim the First, elector of Bran-
denburg, relict of Erich the Elder, duke of Brunswick-Luneburg-
Calenberg ; and married, secondly, to Poppo the Eighteenth, count
of Henneberg, in the year 1546. As the mother of Erich the
Younger, and as a great promoter of the reformation in Hanover,
she is of a blessed memory. Rethmeyer and other chronologists
mention, that in St. George and Jacob's, or Marckt church, at
Hanover, in the choir, a tomb was erected to her memory ; and
they give the inscription, but it is not now to be found. She
gave a cup and a wafer-plate to this church, with the following
inscription : —
Von Godts gnaden, wir Elisabet, geborne Marggrefin zu Brandenburck,
l'^ hesten furst popen grafen und herm zu Hennenberch elich gemahlin
ehrn aissen Kelch aus lieb uud vverth als man 1300 und 55
schreb der Kirchgen zu sant jurgen. Einen Hanober
vorereth als wir also lange alhir im ellenese bliber
darbei unsser zu gedeneken Christus blut daraus
zu schenken zu ewer aller selichert Godt wende
alle mein hertzleid. Amen.
She is buried at Vesra, and upon her tombstone is the follow- .
ing inscription : —
318 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. Hier liegt die Durchlauchtigste Hochgebohrne FUrstin, Frau Elisabeth,
^"^^^v^^^ geborne Marggrafin von Brandenburg, Grafin und Frau zu
Henneberg. 1st zu Gott verschieden am 25 May, 1558.
At Schleusingen is an inscription to her memory: —
Von Gottes gnaden Elisabeth, geborne Marggrafin zu Henneberg
starbihres Alters, 48 jahr nach Christi geburt 1558.
It must likewise be observed, that there was prepared at
Munden, in the tomb of her first husband, Erich the Elder, a
place for her remains to rest.
SEHLEUSSINGEN
Was formerly the residence of the princes of Henneberg, and
likewise, after William the Fourth's time, the burying place of
the family.
Here rest the remains of,
1, Sophia, daughter of Ernest the Confessor, duke of Bruns-
wick- Luneburg, at Celle, married to prince Poppo the Eighteenth,
after Elizabeth's death, 1562.
2, Elizabeth, daughter of Erich the Elder, duke of Bruns-
wick-Luneburg-Calenberg, married to prince George-Ernest, of
Henneburg, who died 19th August, 1566.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 319
Epitaph in the Parish Church.
PrlnCIpIs eXtlnCtse eXVVIas LeVIs Vina Capessit,
SpIrltVs at CceLo non MorltVrVs aglt.
NURNBERG.
We have been furnished with an Account of this Place by
Messrs. Bauer and Raspe.
In the year 1639, the 14th of January, departed from this
life Sophia, margravine of Brandenburg, at this place, who was
deposited in the parish church of St. Lorenzo. The fine monu-
ment, which is still to be seen near the Hirschvoglian window,
and at the place where formerly the Hieronymus altar stood,
was erected to her memory in the year 1649, 28th of May,
and was built in the short space of four weeks. The figure
of the princess is cut in stone. Below her are three smooth fields,
and just in the middle is the following inscription : —
Sophie, von Gottes gnaden geborne Herzogin von Braunschweig und
Luneburg, Herk. Geokg Friedrichs, Markgrafens zu Brandenburg,
Herzogs zu Pressen. Withwe. 1st geboren den 30"=" October,
1563, seelig verstorben den 14""' Januarii, anno 1639.
Wittib geblieben 36 jahr, altworden 75 jahr,
2 monathe, 14 tage.
320 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. On the right side, in one field, is Phil. i. 23.
" Ich habe lust abzuscheiden um bey Christo zu seyn."
On the top of the monunaent is our Saviour, with the tri-
umphal flag, as he is usually represented at his resurrection;
and under this is, in a small field, " Tod wo ist dein Stachel ; '"
and below this, in another field, Joh. xi. " Ich bin die Auferst-
chung und das Leben." At the sides of this field are the two
coats of arms, supported by two angels. Besides this, thirty
small coats of arms of her respective ancestors.
(Signed) Bauer and Raspe.
VERDEN.
Translation of the Report of the Rev. Mr. Jager, Counsellor of the
Consisto7y, respecting the Burying Places and Sepulchral Monu-
ments of the Bishops of Verden, who were Princes of the illustrious
House o/'GuELPH, and the ancient Families connected with it.
Among the bishops of Verden were the following : —
Of the ancient House of Saxony and Luneburg.
1, The fifteenth bishop, Armelungus Bilingk, brother of Her-
man Billung, duke of Luneburg and Saxony, died the 5th of
May, 960.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 321
The inscription on his tomb is — chap. in.
XV. Episcopus Verdensis Amelungus Bilingk.
eligitur 937.
Prsesul Germanus fuit, hac quoque frater in urbe
Herman Ni Billings, Celebris virtute perenni.
Qui decus est meritus Magno sub Othoni Ducale,
Contulit ob fratrem huic etiam benefacta cathedrae.
Ein grosses Lob hat dieser Mann
Erlangt dieweil er vorgestahn
Hat seiner kirch, sein guth ihr liess.
Von Kayser Otto hat ers preiss.
2, The sixteenth bishop, Bruno, a son of Otho, duke of
Bavaria and Suabia, margrave of Saxony, and lord of Brunswick,
who was a grandson of Otho, the first emperor. By the power
of Otho the Third he was raised to the papal see of Rome,
under the name of Gregorius the Fifth. He was poisoned at
Rome the 17th of May, 998, and buried in St. Peter's church,
before the altar of St. Gregory.
Inscription on the tomb at Verden, in the cathedral : —
XVI. Episcopus Verdensis Bruno, Dux Saxonias, et Suevise eligitur,
anno 960.
Contulit iste suum sacros patrimonium ad usus,
Ccenobiumque Ulsum Marise fundavit honor!.
Ex hoc pontificem Romanum Tertius Otto
Fecit, ut ejus ope acciperet septem viri honores.
T T
THE RECORDS OF
Das kloster Ulsen that er baun,
Von seinem zu Ehren unser Fraun
War Pabst vom kaiser Otten gemacht
Welcher der Fiirsten Chur aufgebracht.
Over the crosier, at the left, is a papal mitre, painted, with
the words. Papa Gregorius, 995.
Of the illustrious House of Brunsivick-Limebw^g.
1, The thirty-fourth bishop, Conrad, son of Otho the Infant,
duke of Brunswick and Luneburg; elected 1267, and died 1303;
born at St. Andreas. Interred at Verden, under the high altar,
without a tombstone.
Inscription in the cathedral : —
Episcopus Verdensis, Coneadus, Dux Brunsv. et Luneburg. eligitur,
anno 1267. Redemit judicium seculare.
Me ciim Bremensi excepit mox Prsesule bellum,
Hostili periit quo nostra ecclesise flamma,
Quam reparans, primum lapidem mea dextera jecit,
ToUere damna studens, dederat quae plurima bellum.
Dieser einen krieg fing an
Mit dem (Archi. Episcop. Giselbertus, 1281, von
Bremen, da verbrann,
Die kirch zu Vehrden gar hernieder
Den ersten Stein er legt da wieder.
2, The forty-third bishop, Otto, son of duke Magnus Tor-
quatus, elected 1388, died 1406 ; interred at Bremen.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 303
Insaiption in the Cathedral.
Hie consecravit templum Cathedrale profanum.
Quod fuerat multis annis, fatusque Bremensis,
Praesul abit secum ex Rolenburg per plurima sumens
Insuper banc arcem retinens per quatuor annos.
Dieser den Thurn hat consecrirt
Darnach zu Bremen Bischof wird,
Beraubet Rothenburg, zichet bin,
Beh'alt das Schloss vier Jahr noch in.
On the wall, not far from what is called the catholic altar,
is an inscription, cut in stone, relating to the last two bishops,
viz. —
Anno Domini MCCXC.
CuNRADUs, hujus ecclesiffi episcopus,
filiusque Otto n is, Ducis in Brunswick.
posuit primum lapidem hujus basilicse,
Anno Domini MCCCXC-
Otto, hujus ecclesise episcopus,
filius Ducis Magni in Brunswick.
banc partem superiorem ecclesijs consecravit.
3, The forty-eighth bishop, Christopher, son of Henry the
Elder, duke of Brunswick-Luneburg, archbishop of Bremen, and
bishop of Verden, elected 1502; died 1558; buried at Verden,
in the cathedral.
324 THE RECORDS OF
Inscription.
XLVIII. Chkistophebus, Archiepiscopus Bremensis, administrator
Verdensis, Dux Brunsw. et Luneburg, anno 1502.
Archiepiscopus hie Bremensis, Prsesul in ista
Urbe fit, ad cathedram selectus utramque regendum ;
Sed fortuna dato non aspiravit honori
Damna diocesis quia tunc per plurinia fecit.
Dieser ein Erz-bischof zu Bremen
Erwalt wird Vehrden auch zu nehrnen
Das gliick die Ehre ihm gunta nicht
Dem Stift gross Schad ward zugericht.
4, The forty-ninth bishop, George, the brother of the former
archbishop of Bremen, bishop of Minden and Verden; elected
1558; died 1566; buried at Verden.
Inscription.
XLIX. Geoegius, Archiepiscopus Brem. et Verden. Administrator,
Dux Brunsvicensis et Luneburgensis, anno 1558.
Hie quoque Verdensis simul Archiepiscopus aulas
Proxima Verdensis, possedit, chimita terrse,
Et satis attento studio tractavit habenas,
Et tali senio, dum conficeretur honore.
Zu Bremen, Minden und auch Verden,
Muss dieser Erz und Bischof werden,
Regiert mit Lob die Land und Laut
Das hat er Ruhm und Preiss noch heut.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH.
5, The fifty-first bishop, Philip Sigismund, son of Julius,
duke of Brunswick; elected 1586; died at Iburg, 1623; buried
at Verden. He was likewise administrator of Osnabruck.
Inscription.
Philippus Sigismundus, Dei gratia postulatus. Episcopus Osnbr.
Verdens. Praepositus Halberst. Dux Brans, et Luneburgensis, etc.
.Natus anno 1568, 1 Julii. Postulatus ad Episcopatum
Verdensem in anno 86, ad Osnbr. in anno 91.
The inscriptions, which are given, are found over the statues
of the bishops, which hang in their order of succession around the
choir. The first in the list of these statues of the bishops is that
of Charlemagne, the founder of the bishoprick, in the year 786.
The first bishop was Swibert. Of the first eight bishops, six
were natives of England or Scotland.
325
CHAP. III.
Sepulchral Monuments in the Cathedral of Verden.
There are two most beautiful monuments in the choir,
between the high altar and that which is now used as a com-
munion table. The one next to the high altar is of stone, and
was erected in memory of Christopher and George. On the
top of the monument the two archbishops are lying in their
pontificals, finely cut in stone.
On one side, in front of the high altar, is inscribed : —
326 THE RECORDS OF
CHAl^ III. Anno 1558, die 22 Januarii, obiit Christopherus, Archiepiscopus
^■^^v^^^^ Bremensis, Administrator Verdensis, Brunsvicensis ac
Luneburgensis Dux hie sepultus. Anno 1566,
die 4 Decembris, obiit Georgius,
Archiepiscopus Bremensis
confirmatus.
On the other side : —
Hoc recubant tumulo sacratis sanguinis ossa.
Qua; Deus ex tenebris mundi ad meliora,
Illustris clarum generis vestigia nomen
Dicet, et geternam memorabunt secula famam.
Christopherum lacrymis et mcesto pectora fletu
Possunt, ccelesti sed mens pia vescetur aura;
Junctus et hoc tegitur frater, ter maximus herus,
Gratse complevit vitaque Georgius annos.
E. V. D. H. EvERHARDUS VON DER HoLLE.
At the foot of the monument : —
Praesul agnatos venerans in morte Philippus,
Hoc SiGisMUNDUs dum renovavit opus, anno 1606.
Near the alms box, and nearer to the altar, now in use, is
a very fine elevated monument in memory of Philip Sigismund.
It is of white marble, and enclosed with an iron grate. On
the left Philip Sigismund is represented as kneeling before a
crucifix: on each side of him stand Saints John and Mark. Two
virtues. Piety and Justice, crown Philip with a wreath of
laurel.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 337
The following inscription is still legible : — chap m
Philippus Sicismundus, Dei gratia, postulatus Episcopus Osnabr. ^"^^^
et Verdens. Prsepositus Halberst. Dux Bmnsvic. et Luneburg.
Natus in anno 1568, 1 Julii, postulatus ad Episcopatum
Verdensem in anno 86, ad Osnbr. in anno 95.
The following fourteen inscriptions are on various parts of
the monument : —
* Der Fall Adams.
Factus homo, dum lapsus homo Patris excidit horto,
Vita fuit, vitse mors subit atra loco.
Das Adams aus des Leb ns Reich
Verstossen wird und wir zugleich
Gerathen sind ins Todes-Macht
Hat dieser Fall zu wege bracht.
Adams und Eveus Arbeit.
Quisque suos manes, sua fata gemiscimus oranes,
Et queritur spinas ille vel ille suas.
Des Adams Schweiss und Evae Noth
Smd noch der Menschen taglich Brodt,
In jedem Stand ist MUh und Pein
Werist, der nicht beklagt das sein.
Die Himmels-Leiter.
Scala soh atque poli Christus, qui nititur ilia
Per mala monstra levi transit astra grada.
Wer durch die Wiisten dieser Welt
Will wandern und wenns Gott gefallt
Abscheiden woll ohn all verdruss
Christum zur Leiter haben muss.
328 THE RECORDS OF
^^^;;5;_^ Der Sterbemk Jacob.
Dum legit ipse locum, exequiis pia cura Jacobi est.
Quisquis adhuc frueris luce, memento mori.
An Jacob hoch zu riihmen ist
Dass er beg Zeit und Lebens-Frist,
Sein bedenkt, ihm selbst erw'ahlt
Sein Ruhstatt und die Leich bestellt.
Das Gesicht Ezechielis von den lebendig Werdenden Gebeinen.
In cineres et huraum resoluta, cadavera quondam
Viva redire solo vate probante vides.
Die Leiclmam die verfaulet gar,
Und in der erd gewest viel jahr,
Zum Leben wieder einher gehen,
Wie sie mit dem propheten sehn.
Der Lebende Moses.
Moses levante mannus votis victoria cedit.
Versa retro palma, palma cadente cadit.
So lang Moses die hand aufhebt,
Sein volk im Streit auch oben schwebt
Bald er dieselben sinken Idsst,
Der Friede singen thut das best.
Aufericeckiing Lazari.
O vox digna Deo, Lazarus qua surgit, et ad quam
Non retinet manes illius urna suos.
Als Christus nuz ein Wortlein spricht
Sich Lazarus oom Tod aufricht,
Niemand im grab sich halten kann.
Wenn dieser fangt zu rufen an.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 339
Christus im Oelgarten. ^.^^^^ ,jj
Dum Patris ira premit, fluat ut cruor, condique membris ^-^^'-^^
Sola levant tristes vota in agone moras.
Wenn Todes Noth und angst auficht
Die SUnd und Gottes zorn sich regt,
Ein staik gebet auch Christi Blut
Zuletzt allein das beste thut.
Christus am Creutz.
Alter Adam in ligno ligni dispendia solvit,
Venit ab arbore mors, arbore vita venit.
Vom Baum die SUnd sich hebet an
Am Baum dafUr ist genug gethan,
Adam der erste bringt den Todt
Der Ander hilft aus aller Noth.
Christus votn Creutz genommen.
Cum sacra sint Christi quoque condita membra sepulchro,
Lecti non tumuli nomine terra venit.
Die Erd, so war verflucht durehaus
Der Schlangen und des Teufels Haus,
Zur seelgen Ruhstatt ist gesegnt
Weil Christi Leichnam drein gelegt.
Christi Auferstchung.
En ego sum reditus defunctis ! ipse daturas
Me fretus media morte superstes erit.
Die Auferstchung und das Leben
Bin ich allein und wills auch geben,
Wer an mich glaubt, ober gleich stirbt
Mit nichten er drum gar verdirbt.
u u
330 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. Christi Himmelfahrt .
Quo caput ascendit succedere membra necesse est;
Sed caput in ccelo est, membra sequentur eo.
Ich bin ein Glied in Christo Leib
Vondem ich ungeschieden bleib,
Weil den das Haupt gen Himmel fahrt
Werd ich der Heimfahrt auch gewehrt.
Christi Gericht.
Agnus ad astra, tremens ad tartara mittitur hircus,
Nee recreari gradum Judicis urna sinit.
Das Schaaf zu Gott, der Bock zur Gual
Verwiesen wird, was nun einmahl,
Der Richter hier zum Urtheil spricht
Wirst nimmermehr verandern nicht.
Das ewige Leben.
Palma Sigismundi et serta feruntur ab astris ;
Ante homines pietas vincit et ante Deum.
Wer hier gesieget mit dem Mund
Im Glauben fest vom Herzen Grund,
Mit Woun und Palmen angethan,
Zum Himmels Ritter wird geschlan.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 331
BREMEN.
Translation of an Extract of a Letter from the Rev. Mr. Rother-
MUND, JMinister of the Cathedral at Bremen.
" Our cathedral has, by the many changes that have taken chap. hi.
place, lost all its ancient monuments. In a tumult which the
citizens raised in the year 1532, the catholic clergy were driven
from the cathedral, and it was shut up for fifteen years.
" The archbishop Christopher was obliged to submit, as
the greater part of the chanoines were favourably inclined to
the doctrine of Luther. These requested their senior, the count
Christopher of Oldenburg, to procure for them an evangelical
preacher. He sent them Dr. Albrecht Hardenberg, chaplain to
the army which was employed against Erich, duke of Brunswick.
This man, suspected of Calvinism, was declared by the assembly
of the states of Lower Saxony, at Brunswick, to have forfeited
his situation ; but his party got the ascendency after his removal,
expelled all the Lutherans, and the inhabitants of Bremen
embraced the doctrines of the reformed protestants. After
Hardenberg's banishment, the chapter of the cathedral did not
appoint another minister; and the church remained shut till the
last archbishop, the Danish prince Frederick, a zealous Lutheran,
nominated again a preacher; and procured, by force, to the
adherents of Luther a free exercise of their religion, in the
year 1639. During a period of seventy-seven years in which
the cathedral was shut, a blind religious zeal destroyed all the
332 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. monuments of its former grandeur ; so that not a single one of
^^^^'^"^ those of the archbishops is left, not even a tombstone to record
the name of an archbishop. I have in my possession a correct
catalogue of the existing epitaphs ; but they are only of chanoines,
and the oldest is of the year 1499.
" In a very rare catalogue, Episcoporum et Archiepiscoporum
Bremensium, by one John Otho, (manuscript), I find it men-
tioned, that Albert the Second, son of duke Magnus of Brunswick,
after he had governed the church thirty-three years, vi^as buried,
in the year 1395, in the centre of the cathedral. The same author
observes, that the grandson of Albert's brother, the archbishop
Otto the Second, died 1406, and w^as buried in the centre of
the cathedral, on the right side of Albert. The archbishop
Christopher, duke of Brunswick, died 1558, at Angermunde,
and was buried in the cathedral of Verden."
HILDESHEIM.
Account ixceivedfrom the Rev. Mr. Hantleman, Minister of the
Cathedral at Hildesheim.
In the year 1788 the cathedral was newly paved, and for
that purpose all the tombstones, monuments, and inscriptions,
were removed. I therefore applied to Mr. Zepperfeldt, who has
charge of the archives, and is in possession of all the sepulchral
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 333
inscriptions which were formerly in the cathedral. The following chap. hi.
notices I have received from him : — ^.^"V^
Otho the First, bishop of Hildesheim, was a son of Otho
the Infant, duke of Brunswick ; Albert the Great and John were
his brothers. He received the bishoprick in the year 1261, when
he was fourteen years old. He died in the year 1279, and was
deposited in the cathedral of Hildesheim. His tombstone had
the following inscription : —
Anno Domini MCCLXXIX. 14 Julii, obiit, de Brunsvic. ortus, hie
praesit nobilis Otto.
Hie situs est Otto, coelum quod sit sibi portus,
Hoc des, qui mitis est, fervens Wernerus, et orat
Ut requies sit, plenaque spes tua pro nece plorat.
This bishop left ^behind him many public documents. His
seal, in wax, hangs on a string of red and yellow silk. The
bishop is represented on it in the dress of a monk, with a monk's
cap. He holds in his right hand a volume of the Gospel, before
his breast, and supports it with the left. The inscription on the
seal is the following : —
Sigillum Ottonis, Dei gratia Episcopi Hildesheimensis ecclesiae.
A crosier of ivory, which was found, 1788, in the tomb of
this bishop, is to be seen in the treasury of the cathedral.
A biography of this bishop is to be found in the Hildesheim
Almenack, of Karthagen, aut. Petrus Schliiter.
Henry the Third, bishop of Hildesheim, son of Albert the
334 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. Gross, duke of Brunswick, came to the government of the
^"^^^'^^ bishoprick in 1331, and departed this life on the 6th of Feb. 1362.
His remains were deposited in the cathedral of Hildesheim ; and
on his tombstone was the following inscription : —
Post M. post tria C. post sexaginta duoque,
Hunc lux sexta necat Februi, qui pace quiescat.
Creverat ecclesia per eum, praestante Maria.
Praesul pacificus Henricus, honoris amicus.
Hie est prostiatus, Brunswic. de Principe natus.
His arms are represented in Hardenberg's Historia Diplomatica
Gandersheimensis. In the tomb of this bishop were found, in the
year 1788, parts of the crosier and his cap, which are preserved
in the treasury of the cathedral. His biography is likewise in the
above-mentioned almanack. Videatur quoque Schaten Annales
Paderbornenses, tom. iii. p. 251.
In the cathedral of Hildesheim rest likewise the remains of the
consort of Otho, duke of Brunswick, at Einbeck. A sepulchral
stone in the wall of the Three Kings' Chapel, which is still there,
has the following inscription : —
Anno Domini MCCCCXXXVI. die Sancti Marci Evangelistse, obiit
ScHONETTA de Nassauwc, Ducissa Brunsvicensis, cujus
anima requiescat in pace.
There are no notices to be found of an Otho, duke of
Brunswick, son of Albert the Great, and commander of the
Teutonic order.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 335
OSNABURG.
Account by the Rev. Mr. Lupke, Minister at the Cathedral at
Osnaburg.
In order to throw as much light as possible on this subject, chap. hi.
I will mention all the princely persons of the house of Brunswick- '^
Luneburg, who have been bishops and governors of the country
of Osnaburg.
1, Melchior, the fortieth in the Hst of bishops of Osnaburg,
governed the church and country for ten years ; was transferred,
in the year 1376, to the episcopal see of Schwerin; and died, pro-
bably by poison, in the year 1381. About the particulars of his
sepulchral monument, inquiry ought to be made at Schwerin.
2, Erich the Second, the fifty-first in the list of bishops of
Osnaburg, governed the church and country for twenty-four years.
He died in the year 1552, on the 14th of May, at Furstenau,
a town and bailiwick in the country of Osnaburg ; and his
remains were conducted to the capital, and deposited in the
cathedral. His monument is not to be found now ; but it is
said that several country people erected, by voluntary sub-
scription, a tombstone to his memory ; and that a learned
man of that time caused the following inscription to be cut
upon it : —
Principis hac tumba requiescit corpus Erici,
Gloria Saxonidum quern tulit alma Ducum,
Qui Cathedrae praesul geminse est moderatus habenas.
Hie Osnabruga tuae, turn Paderborna tuae.
336 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP III Hisce Monasterium dum tendit vita vocatus,
\^^\'^^ Addere ; conanti talia fata negant.
Virginis a partu numera ter ssecula quinque,
Annos junge duos, ter quoque, lustra duo,
His Mail est ter quinta super lux addita, quando
Luminat Fiirstenane clausit, Erice, tib'-
3, Philippus-Sigismundus, the fifty-seventh bishop of Osna-
burg, had the administration of the country and the church
for thirty-three years; but he never was properly instituted;
and he died at Verden, the 19th of March, 1623, where his
monument is to be seen.
4, Ernestus-Augustus the First was the sixtieth of the bishops,
and the patriarch of the present royal family. He came to the
government of Osnaburg, in consequence of the articles of the
peace of Westphalia, in the year 1662; and resided occasionally
with his family, in the episcopal castle of Iburg, till the day of
his death, the 28th of January, 1698. He governed the country
thirty-six years ; and has erected to himself a lasting monument in
the many wise and beneficial regulations which he left behind
him. His remains were transferred to the sepulchre of his
brother, at Hanover; and no monument exists in the cathedral.
His eldest son, George-Louis, (George the First), died on
his road from London to Hanover, the 22d June, 1727, at Osna-
burg; but no monument is to be seen here. Of his brothers
and sisters, of whom some were bom at Osnaburg, not one
died here but the youngest.
5, Ernestus-Augustus the Second, the sixty-second of the
bishops of Osnaburg. He was born the 17th September, 1674,
at Osnaburg; and governed the country from 1716 to 1728.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 337
He died here the 28th of August, 1728, fifty-five years old, chap. iii.
after a reign of thirteen years. His remains were conducted to ^^^^^^^^^
Hanover, and deposited in the vault of his ancestors.
These are all the notices on the subject, which I am able
to give.
GOTTINGEN.
By the reports received from the Rev. Mr. Trefurt, and
from the first magistrate, Mr. Tuckermann, dated 20th of March,
1819, no burying places of any of the princes of the house of
Guelph can be found ; and there is no notice whatever of any
having been buried at Gottingen. But several chronicles mention
positively that,
1, Bruno, son of Albert the Fat, 1303,
2, Elizabeth, consort of duke Ernest, 1390, are buried in
the church of the Franciscans, at Gottingen; and they give us
even the following inscriptions : —
Anno Domini MCCCIII. in vigilia omnium Sanctoriun obiit Illustris
Princeps Domicellus Bruno in Brunswic.
Anno MCCCXC. in Testo Petronellae et Feliciani obiit Illustris
Domina Elisabeth, Ducissa in Brunswic.
On the tombstone of the latter were sculptured a white
horse, two leopards, and one lion.
X X
338 THE RECORDS OF
HARDEGSEN.
Extract of the Rev. Mr. Domeier's Topography of the
Town of Hardegsen.
In the church of Hardegsen are deposited the remains of
two princely persons of the house of Brunswick-Luneburg :
1st, those of Margaret, dowager of Otho the Strong, duke of
Brunswick-Luneburg-Gottingen, who was a princess of Bergen ;
and, 2dly, those of their eldest son, duke William. They rest
in the choir before the altar. Their tombs were removed in
the year 1768, and put into a corner of the church. These
monuments were splendid, and presented the images of those, to
the memory of whom they had been erected. Duke William died
some time before his mother, in the twenty-first year of his
age, in consequence of the bite of a dog; so at least says
tradition; and the figures on his monument seem to indi-
cate the same, unless the dog at his feet represents the
catulus, in allusion to the fabulous history of the family of the
Guelphs.
On the border of the monument, in black letter, there is this
inscription : —
Anno MCCCXCI. obiit Wilhelmus Dux in Brunswic. hie sepultus
aet. XXI. cujus anima requiescat in pace. Amen.
The tomb of the dutchess is covered with linen, which is
glued on, and her figure rests upon a blue cushion. The colour
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH, 339
of her garment is blue and white. The coat of arms at her chap. hi.
feet contains three golden spurs, in a red field. The inscription ^^'^"^'^
on the border in red, with yellow letters, but very much injured,
so that the whole is not legible.
Anno Domini MCCCCXLII. Ottonis Margaretha
in die anima requiescat.
MUNDEN.
Account and Description of the Tombs mid Monuments of Duke
William the Younger, and Duke Erich the Elder, in St. Biases
Church at Miinden, by the Rev. Mr. Wiehen.
Tomb of Duke William the Younger.
In the middle of the nave of St. Blase's church is a tomb
and monument, of one large freestone, of the common kind.
It rests upon a pedestal, about two feet high, and is entirely
surrounded by seats. Its length is eight feet, and its breadth
three feet and a half. Upon this plate of stone is worked in
relief the figure of an harnessed knight, with an open helmet,
and lying. He has, on his right, the arms of the ducal house
of Brunswick, with the horse over the helmet; on his left a
sword ; at the head, the head of the figure rests under a canopy,
upon a cushion held by angels ; at the feet the watching lion.
340 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. in. Round the border of the stone is, in Gothic letters, the follow-
ing inscription, scarcely legible : —
Sepulcnim lUustrissimi Principis Wilhelmi, Filii Wilhelmi
Brunswicensis et Luneburgensis. 1494.
In a manuscript fragment of a chronicle of the town of Miinden,
written by the late secretary of the town, Elard Biscamp, there
are the following remarks respecting this monument : —
" What the chronicle of Gdttingen says, that he, duke Wil-
liam the Younger, was taken ill in Miinden, on a visit to his
son Erich, does not correspond with what our annals relate. He
ordered, nine years before his death, that this tomb should be
made in St. Blase's church : he was often present at the work, but
he died in the old castle of Hardegsen, 1503, and was brought
here in a coffin of lead."
Tomb of Duke Erich, Sen. and his first Consort CATHARi>fA.
Near the great altar, on the north side of the choir, close
to the wall, is a second tomb of freestone, on which lies a plate
of brass, six feet long and two wide, and above which a plate
of white marble is fixed in the wall. The brass plate of the
tomb has the following inscription, made by Doctor Burchhard
Mithol of that time : —
Clauditur hoc cyppo peregre tumulatus Eeicus,
Dux Brunsvicensis, gloria summa Domus.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 341
Pectore qui tumidos infracto contudit hostes, CHAP. III.
Et variis auxit regna paterna locis. .^^fc^
Imprimis bellax erat Hildeshemia testis,
Unde Patrem patriae jure vocare queas.
Nomen et Augusti merito super addere tantum
Quod dexter fausto marte peregit opus
Tam bene de populo meritus regnoque paterno
Summa sit ut Patriae, Lausque Decusque meae.
Anno Domini MCCCCCXL. d. XXX Julii.
Besides many ornaments, for instance, a head, with the names
Mathseus and Johannes, there are, at the head and feet, two
coats of arms, and under them this inscription : — " Elisabetha
translulit et hoc donu dedit ; " and in a corner, " Cordt Menten
hat mich gegossen."
The monument in the wall is of white marble, of a beautiful
lustre. It represents in relief, well executed, our Saviour on
the cross, standing with Joseph and Mary. Under this is beauti-
fully represented the duke Erich, in which the family countenance
is well preserved. He is kneeling and praying. His two con-
sorts, Catherine and Elizabeth, are turned towards him, kneeling
likewise at the left of the crucifix. Under each of these three
figures is a coat of arms and a small shield ; but only that under
the dutchess is filled with the full inscription, by the same
masterly hand which has worked the whole. The two others
are filled by quite a different hand ; a sure proof that the duke
himself caused this monument to be erected for his first consort,
Catharine, and destined it at the same time for himself, and
for his second dutchess.
342 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. The inscription under the figure of Catharine is as follows : —
Anno Domini MDXXIIII. an X. Tag Februarii ist verschieden the
Hochgeborne Fiirsten Frau Catharine Herzoginn zu Sachsen
Zo. etwo Erzherzoginn Sigismunds von Esterich gemael
Herzoginn zu Braunschweig und Liineburg zo der
Gott genedig see der Hochlobligen Furstinn.
The inscription under the duke : ; —
Anno Domini (MDLX) am (XXX) Tag (Julii) ist verschieden der
Durchleuchtig Hochgeborne Fiirst und Herr Herr Erich Herzog
zu Braunschweigk und Luneburg Kay. Majest. Maximilianus
Hochlobhcher Gedechtnus Getrewer Diener, dem Got
genedig und barmherzig Sein wolt.
The coat of arms and the shield, under the dutchess Elizabeth,
are not filled up. This tomb contains, therefore, only the remains
of the duke Erich and of the dutchess Catharine.
With regard to the words peregre tumulatus, it must be
observed, that the duke died the 30th July, 1540, during the
imperial diet at Hagenau, and that his remains were brought
to Miinden, a year and a month after his decease, on the 28th
of September, 1541.
There has never been the least doubt that duke Erich was
buried here. Doctor Justinus Groblerus, in Miinden, preached
the oratio funebris.
The inscription upon the plate of brass concludes with the
words, —
Anno Domini M.CCCCCXL. die XXX Julii, Elisabetha transtuht
et hoc dedit donu.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 343
Of the tomb of duke Frederick, who died at Miinden, 1494, chap. hi.
cannot get the least notice or information. ^^^N^^^z
(Signed) Friedrich Wiehen, Pastor primarius.
MuNDEN, 13th Feb. 1819.
KONIGSBERG.
We know very little of the lives of the three sons of Albert
the Great, Conrad, Otho, and Luder, who are stated, in the
genealogical tables of the house of Guelph, as having been
knights of the ecclesiastical orders. There is likewise great
doubt respecting the history of the sons of Albert the Fat,
who entered those orders. But it appears now to be cer-
tain, that Luder, the fifteenth grandmaster of the Teu-
tonic order, was not the son of Albert the Great, but the
son of Albert the Fat, and brother of Albert, bishop of Hal-
berstadt.
In the " Leben, Wandel und Thaten Alberti II. Bischoff's
zu Halberstadt," auf. Guillielmi Budari, M. D., 1624, of which
only the first volume was published, and which is now very rare,
the copy, in the king's library at Hanover, has notes written
by Leibnitz, {scriptum r^ainssimmi.) In this book, p. 84, is
given, from " Caspari Hennenbergeri Ertichensis : Erklarung der
344 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. Preussischen grossen Land TafFeln," anno 1595, in folio, p. 285,
the following extract : —
" Luder, Herzog von Braunschweig, ist anno 1331, zum
15 Hoemeister erwehlet worden, als ehr Trapprer unnd comp-
thur, zu Christburg war. Ein grosse herrliche person, from,
andechtig, mild, und die Gerechtigkeit liebhabende, der den
Richtern hart verbot Geschenk zu nehmen, sondern umbsonst
Recht zuhelfFen, dann solches wehren sie pflichtig. Hielt seine
Briider zu Gottessdienst und Geistlichen Zucht, doch war er mild,
die noht turfFt ihnen zugeben, derhalben sic ihn auch lieb hatten
und gehorsamb waren.
" Er fing an die Thumbkirchen auff Pregelmunda so nu
KneiphofF heist, zubawen, vom Ablass Gelde, so damals aufF
die dritte Stelle verlegt ward. Im capitel, als er erwiihlet ward,
da ward geoi'dned, dasz fiir und nach deni Hoemeister, soUten
Herren und Knechte gehen, auch soUte der Hoemeister einen
wehlen zum Compan, der Tag und Nacht aufF ihn wachtet,
und durch den Compan solte der Hoemeister mit den Leuten
reden, so fiir ihm zu thun hetten, auff dasz es ihne nicht ginge,
wie Wernero von Urseln, und er erwehlet zum Compan Ser-
vatium, Graffen von Hennenberg, Dieser ist der erste Compan
gewesen.
" Dieser Hoemeister hat sich der Polen, so mit den Littawen
einfielen, erwehren mussen, und hat gross Polen eingenommen,
biss gen Calisch, da viel Stedte und Schlosser gebawet, als
Briszze, Conyn, Calisch, Sytatz, Lanzitia, Spilenberg, Jungle-
flawetz, das man 8 Comtures hinein satzte, Auch hat er Stolpe
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 345
lassen einnehmen, und ein Comturampt da gemacht, daszman chap. hi.
bisz zu RuszdorlFs zeiten innen gehabt. Hat regieret vier Fahr, ""^^
Und als er sich schwach befunden, hat er sich am Freytag nach
Ostern (1335) in die Kirche lassen fiihren, eine Messe lassen
lesen, nach welcher er darin verschieden, 1st zu Kdnigszberg
in der Mawer des newen Thumbs im chor begraben, wie sein
Berebnisz noch vorhanden ist.
" Zur Zeit Liideri, Hertzogen von Braunschweig, Hoemeisters,
ist alda gewesen ein Richter des Ordens, fur dem ein Gerich-
thandbung ein wohlhabender Burgers (zu Salfeld in Preussen)
wider eine Witwe. Der Burger hatte ein schones junges Weib,
die vergunnet er dem, Richter, seinen Willen mit ihr zuthu,
aufF dasz er die Sache, so er mit der Widwen hatte, nicht ver-
liihre, die den auch lang vom Richter aufFgezogen ward. Da
aber der Richter der Biirgerin miide ward, langet er die Widwe
umb ihre Tochter an, dann sie hatte auch eine schone Tochter,
so noch Jungfraw war, und wo sie das thun wurde, wolte er
ihr helffen, dasz sic das Urthel gewiinne, Aber die Widwe
sehlug es ihm abe, und saget. sic wolte dieber alle ihre
Giiter, als Gottes Hulde, und ihrer Tochter Ehre verlihren.
Derhalben sich der Richter erziirnet, und sprach der Widwen
das Urthel ab, und dem Burger zu. Disz klaget die Widwe
ihren Freundschaft't, die klagtens weiter dem Hoemeister
Liidero, der fordert den Richter und beyde Parten vor sich,
und befindet, dasz de Widwen unrecht geschehen war, Der
halben er ihr fUr ihren erlittenen Schaden des Burgers Giiter
die helfFte zusprach, Liesz der Ehbrecherschen Biirgerin ein
Zeichen aufF der Backen brennen, und der Stadt verrocisen.
y Y
346 THE RECORDS OF
GHAP. III. Den Burger, als einen Verrehter seines ehlichen Weibes Zucht
^^^"^^^'^ und Ehre, viertheilen. Den ungerechten Richter mit einem
Pferde schleifFen, und zu Stiicken reissen."
NIENBURG, ANHALT GOTHEN.
A very ancient but small town in the principality of Anhalt
Gothen. The church, which belonged formerly to a very ancient
convent, and is now called the Castle church, encloses the
remains of Matilda, daughter of Magnus the Pious, duke of
Brunswick, and consort of Bernhard the Third, prince of Anhalt.
On the right of the choir, close to the entrance of the vestry,
is a monument, on which the figures of prince Bernhard and
his consort are cut in stone, with the following inscription: —
M tria C anno quarter, deno simul octo,
Dormiit in Christo, mox Bernhaedi quoque testo,
Comes Beenhardus, ovitutum florida nardus.
In Anhalt Princeps, cujus obitum doluit plebs.
Hac pia Mechtildis sculptura providet
illis Anhaldidis.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 347
CELLE.
This town is most remarkable, in our history, as it has been chap. hi.
the regular burying place of the members of the new house of
Brunswick-Luneburg, from Ernest the Confessor down to George-
William. The ancient and very handsome parish church of
Celle contains the sacred remains of many illustrious persons
of this line of the family. The princely vault, in the choir of
the church, has its entrance before the high altar, and runs
under it. The high altar itself derives its greatest interest from
the princely monuments which it contains.
The following illustrious persons of the house of Brunswick-
Luneburg have found their rest in Celle : —
1, Duke Frederick the Pious, who died the 29th of March,
1478. According to some ancient writers, he was buried in
the convent of the Franciscans, which he had founded himself,
and in which he had lived many years, retired from the world,
until the death of his sons, and the minority of his grandson,
Henry, obliged him to take the government again upon himself.
In Jacob Korn's manuscript it is said that Frederick had planned
and ordered the building of this vault in the parish church.
If this had been the case, most probably his own remains would
have been deposited there : but as this was not the case, the
first opinion is therefore the most probable. There are now no
traces of the convent alluded to.
2, Margaret, daughter of Frederick the Pious, and wife of
348 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. Ulrich, duke of Mecklenburg Stargard. It is said, that after
her husband's death she came back to Celle, finished the building
of the convent of Franciscans, which her father had begun, resided
and died in it, and was also buried in it. — See Pfeffinger Historia
de Br. Lun. Hause, torn. ii. p. 38.
3, Anne, wife of Otho the Magnanimous, and daughter of
John, count of Nassau Dillenburg, died 1514. After Otho's
death she was married again to count Philip, of Katzenellbegen ;
but having likewise lost her second husband, she came back
to Celle ; became one of the guardians of her son, Henry ; founded
in the suburbs of the town the hospital of St. Anne, and died
in it. It is said that she was buried in the parish church, in
the choir : others say in Wienhausen. Her coffin is not in the
vault of the church. — See StefFens Auszug der Geschichte, p. 394,
and Historische Abhandl. p. 216.
4, Ernest the Confessor, who died 1547.
5, Sophia, his consort, who died 1541.
6, Francis-Otho, their son, who died April 29, 1559.
7, Frederick, also their son, died in consequence of the wounds
which he had received in the battle of Silvershausen, on the 9th
of July 1552; died 1553.
All historical records assert, and their epitaphs in the choir
leave no doubt of the fact, that these four princely persons are
deposited in the choir of the church, but their coffins are not
in the ducal vault. It is therefore probable, that, before the
building of the vault, their remains were deposited singly some-
where in the choir, or in the church ; or that, for want of room,
their coffins were taken out agrain and sunk in the vault itself.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 349
or somewhere in the church. There are not the least traces chap.
of any other ancient vaults, but it is very probable that the """^^
present one has been enlarged.
List of the Coffins, with their Inscriptions, which are deposited in the
Ducal Vault, under the Choir of the Town Church in Celie,
received from the Rev. Mr. Hoppenstaedt, Cowisellor of the
Consistory.
J, That of William the Younger, whose tomb is No. 6 in
the list. On the upper plate of the copper coffin is the following
inscription : —
Der Durchlauchtiger Hochgeborner Furst undt Her Her Wilhelm der
j linger Hertzog zu Braunschweig undt Liineburg ist den 20 Tag
Augusti seliglich verstorben und den 20 September alhier christlich
undt fiirstlich beg raben als Seine FUrstlich Gnaden sieben
undt funfzig Jar gelebet 33 Jar christlich undt wohl regieret
und 31 Jar uber im Ehestande 7 Sohne undt 8 Dochter
erzeuget undt hinder sich im Leben verlassen hat.
1592.
2, That of the dutchess Dorothea, his consort. On the copper
coffin is the following inscription : —
Die Durchleuchtige Hochgeborne Furst und Frawe Fraw Dorothea
geboren aus Koniglichem Stamme zu Dennemarck Herzoo-in zu
Brauns. und Llineburgk ist den 6 Januar zu Winsen an der
III.
350 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. Luhe in Godt seliglich entschlafen undt den 19 Februar
^'^'^^^^ alhier christich und Fiirstlich begraben als J. F. G.
LXX Jar 6 Monath und 6 Tage im fiirstlichem
Ehestande aberXXXI Jahr 10 Monath 8 Tage
in Witwen Stande aber 25 Jahr christUch
und furstUch IbbUch gelebet undt
regieret der Almeihtige.
1617.
3, That of princess Margaret, daughter of the foregoing, widow
of .loachim Casimir, duke of Saxe-Coburg. Inscription : —
Die Durchleuchtige Hochgeborne Fursten und Fraw Fraw Makgaretha
Herzogin zu Sachsen Giilich Cleve undt Berg geborne Herzogin zu
Braunschweig undt Liineburg Landgreffin in Turingen Marck
greffin zu Meissen Greffin zu der Marck und Ravensberg
Frau zu Ravenstein Witibe
ist geboren auf der Fiirstlichen Residens Zelle am 5'^" April Anno 1573
auch daselbst Todes verbhchen am 7 Augusti Anno 1643. und
im selbigem Jar am 16 Novemb alhier mit christl. und
fursthch solenniteten beigesetzet nachdem F. G. F.
auf dieser Welt 70 Jar IV Wochen 5 Tage im
Ehestande fast 54 Jar in Withiben Stande
10 Jar zugebracht. Hiob 2. Abnz.
ies unigs derbusniuzz.
4, That of duke Ernest, eldest son of William the Younger,
with the following inscription : —
Der Durchleuchtiger Hochgeborner Furst u. Her Ernst Herzog zu
Brunschw. u. Liineburg ist den 2. Tag Martii Selichlich verschieden
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 351
und den 10. April alhier christlich und fiirstlich begraben als CHAF. iii
S. F. G. 46 Jahr 2 Monat 2 Tage gelebet 14 Jahr ^-^N^'w
christlich Ibblich und wohl regieret der
Almeihtige. 1611.
5, That of duke Christian, second son of duke William, with
the following inscription : —
Der Hochwurdige Durchleuchtige Furst und Herr Christian erwehlter
Bischof des StiflPts Minden Herzog zu Brauns. u. Liineb. ist im
Jahre 1566 d. 19 Nov. gebohren undt im Jahre 1633 zwischen
den 7. undt 8. Novemb. 1 Uhr in der Nach selichlich
entsehlafen folgends dom 8. Januar des 1634 Jahrs
alhier beggesebt worden nach dein S. F. G.
dem Stiffte Minden 34 und Jhren Erblanden ^
22 Jahr 6 Monathe 23 Tage loblich
regieret und 67 Jahr weniger
52 Tage erlebet.
6, That of duke Augustus, the third son. His epitaph is
as follows : —
Der Hochwurdig Durchlauchtig und Hochgeborner Furste undt Herr
Herr Augustus postulirter BischofF des Stiftes Ratzeburg Herzog
zu Brauns. u. Luneburg ist im Jahr 1568 d. 19. Novemb.
geboren undt im Jahr 1636 d. 1. Octob. zwischen 9. u. 10
Uhr. Vormittages sehchlich entsehlafen folgends
d. 6. Decemb. althier beygesetzt worden ~
nachdem S. F. G. Dero Stifft
Ratzeburg 26 und Jhre ErbfUrstentumb u. Lande 3 Jahr
loblich regieret u. 67 Jahr 10 Monath
u. 12 Taare erlebet.
352 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. 7, That of duke Frederick, the fourth son. His epitaph, as
"""^^ inscribed on the copper coffin, is as follows : —
Der Durchlauchtiger Hochwurdiger Hochgeborne Furst undt Her Her
Friedeeich Herzog zu Brauns. u. Luneb. postulirter Coadjutor des
Stiffts Ratzeburg erwolter Dombprobst des Ertzsiffts Bremen ist
Anno 1574 d. 28 Aug. Morgens Zwischen 2 und 3 Uhren
off der Vestiing Zell in diese Welt geboren und hernacher
daselbsten Anno 1648. d. 10 Decemb. Nachniettags
gegen 3 Uhr in Godt sanft und Seelig entschdafen
undt den folgenden 30 January des jetzt laufenden
1649 Jars alhier beggesetzet worden nachdem
J. F. G. Jhre Erblande in das dregtzehende
Jahr regieret und 74 Jar 3 Monat u.
12 Dage erlebet haben.
Godt wolle, &c.
8, That of duke Magnus, his fifth son, born 1577, died 1632.
On the coffin, made of copper, is the following inscription : —
Der Durchlauchtiger Hechgeborner Fiirst undt Her Her Magnus Hertzoo-
zu Br. undt Luneb. am 30 Augusti, Anno 1577, zu Zell geboren
undt 10 Febr. Anno 1632, daselbst gestorben undt allhie
beigesetzt. Godt wolle S. F. G. an jenen grosen
Tage eine frohliche Auferstehung vorleihen
zum ewigen Leben.
Symb. All mein Hoffnung zu Gott.
9, Duke George, his sixth son. His epitaph, on a handsome
coffin of copper, is as follows : —
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 353
Der Durchlauchtiger Hochgeborner Fiiiste und Herr Georg. Herzog zu CHAI'. 111.
Braunschweig u. Luneburg, des Nieder sachsisehen Creises Geneiall, ^-^^^.^^^~^
ist un Jahr. 1582, am 12 Februarii, zu zelle geboren, und
im Jahr. 1641, d. 2 April, abendts 1 Viertel nach
sieben Uhren zu Hildesheiin in Christo seliglich
entschlafen. Seines Alters 59 Jahr 1 Monath
13 Tage. Hat regieret das Fiirstenthumb
Braunschw. Calenbergischen Theils
5 Jahr 2 Monat und ist den
16 May, 1643, allhier zu
Zelle mit gehorigen
Ceremonien beigesetzet worden. Gott, Sec.
Symb. Auf Gott traue ich.
10, That of prince John, the seventh son, born 1583; died
1628. The inscription on the coffin is as follows: —
Der Durchlauchtig Hochgeborner Furst undt Herr Herr Johanse Herzog
zu Brunschweichs unt Luneburgg ist am 27 Novembris, Anno 1628,
seliglich vorschieden und d. 14 Januarii, Anno 1629. alhier
christhch und furstlich begraben als S. F. G. 45 Jar
5 Monat 4 Tage gelebet. Der Almechtige !
11, That of dutchess Anne-Eleonora, consort of duke George.
Her epitaph is as follows : —
Die Durchleuchtigste Flirstin u Fraw Anna Eleonora, Herzogin zu
Braunsweig u Liineburg, geborne Landgrafin zu Hessen, Grafin zu Catzen
Elnbogen, Dietz, Ziegenhain, u. Nidda Sec. Hochstlobluhen Angedenken
ist ao. 1601, d. 30 Julii, Abendts zwisehen 6 u. 7 Uhr zu Darmstadt
geborn, Ao. 1617, d. 14 Decembr. Herrn Hertzog Georgen zu
Braunschweig u Luneburg glorwurdigster Memorise daselbst
354 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. verraalet. Ao. 1642. d. 2 April verwittibt. Ao. 1659, d. 6 May
"^■^^V^^ zu Mittage um 12 Uhr auf ihren Furstlichen Durchl.
Wittumbs fitz, zum Hertzberge in Gott dem Herrn
•Sehlig entschlafen und selbigen Jahrs d. 31
Augusti mit FUrstlichen Leich Ceremonien
beigesetzet worden. Jhres Durehl. Alters
57 Jahr 9 Monat 6 Tage gefuhrten :
Ehestandes 23 Jahr 3 Monat 20
Tage u. Wittumbs 18 Jahr
4 Wochen 4 Tage.
12, That of duke William, the last duke of the line of Mar-
burg; bom 1564; died 1642*. Inscriptions as follow: —
Jehovse aeterno, trino, et uni, semper sit laus et gloria in saecula
sseculorum. Amen.
Filius Ottonis, Wilhelmus parva pro pago,
Viribus exhausta hie contumulata jacet.
Hoc sat erit, si quis cupiet TUA facta notare
An pius erga Deum fueras mentemque colebas,
Haud fictum famam conservans semper honestam.
Non timet mortem, qui vitam superat.
Natus Ao. MDLXIV.XV. mensis Mart, circa horam quintam matutinam;
obiit terrenorum pertsesus coelestium cupidus MDCXXXXII.
d. XX. Martii hora quarta matutina, eum vixisset
annos LXXVIII. dies XIlll. horas XXIII.
• The remains of duke George, who died at Hildesheim on the 2d of April, 1641,
were conveyed to this ducal vault two years after his death, 16th May, 1643. The
reason for this delay must have been important. It is certain that his remains, and
those of duke William, of Harburg, were deposited here at the same time.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH.
Esse, fuisse, fore tria florida sunt sine flore
Nam simul omne perit, quod fuit est et erit.
Anno MDCXVII Epicedium hoc ipse sibi composuit istudque incidii
loculo stanneo mandavit, cujus num anima procul dubio in manu
Dei est, et non tangit eum tormentum mortis. Sap. Ill,
Veni, Jesu, veni, fac spem propagare tuorum.
13, That of duke Christian-Lewis. Inscription in German :-^
Der Durchleuchtigste FUrst und Herr Christian Ludewig Hertzog zu
Braunschweig und Luneburg, des Niedersachsischen Creises Obrister ist
im Jahr 1622, d. 25 Februar. Abends Kurtz nach X Uhren zum
Hertzberg gebohren und im Jahr 1665, d. 15 Mart Abends
1 Viertel auf V. Uhr in Christo selig entschlafen. Seines
Alters 43 Jahr 18 Tage; hat regieret das Furstenthum
Kalenberg 8 Jahr 36 Wochen unde die Fiirstenthiimer
Zell und Grubenhagen samt den Hoia und
Diepholtz 16 Jahr 13 Wochen 5 Tage, und
ist den 1 Nov. 1665, mit gehbrigen
Ceremonien beygesetzet worden.
Gott wolle !
14, That of duke George-William, last duke of Celle; born
1624 ; died 1705. This is the most splendid and the handsomest
of all the coffins, as well in respect of the metal, as of work-
manship. Inscription: —
Ser. Georgius. Guilielmus, Dux Brunsuic. et Luneb. nat.
MDCXXIV. XVI Jan. mort. MDCCV. XXVIII Aug.
set. LXXXI. mens. VII.
anno
356 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. On the emblematical decorations, which are very beautiful,
^^^^'^^"^ is the following inscription : —
Extincti non cessat amor
Cinis aeternos servabit honores
Stat fama superstes
Nee morti gloria cedet
Non demunt funera lucem
Felices prsebuit umbras.
15, That of Sophia-Dorothea, daughter of duke George-
WiUiam; born 1666; died 1726, in the castle of Ahlden.
Without an inscription.
16, That of Eleonore, dutchess D'Olbreuse, consort of duke
George- William, who married her in 1665. Without an in-
scription*.
17, 18, and 19, Those of three infants of duke George-
William. They are of metal, without inscriptions.
20, That of Caroline-Mathilda, queen of Denmark, princess
of England, and sister of his majesty, George the Third.
Inscription : —
Mortale quod habuit
hie deposuit
Carolina Mathildis,
* The two coffins, Nos. 15 and 16, are of tin, and were deposited here; the
first in 1726, and the last in 1723. Besides these coffins, there is a box of tin, in
which the heart of duke George-William is preserved. From many circumstances,
it is evident that this ducal vault cannot be older than the time of William the
Younger. His coffin is the oldest. Perhaps the vault was enlarged when the remains
of duke Christian-Lewis were deposited. The coffins, Nos. 13, 14, 15, and 16,
have trestles, which look newer than the others. And it is evident that some of the
oldest coffins are not now in their first places, but have been moved into the corners,
in order to make more room.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 357
Princeps Magnse Britanniae et Brunsvici Luneburgi, CHAP. III.
Regina Danise et Norvagise, v^^v-^^./
Nata die XXII. Julii MDCCLI.
Denata die X. Maii MDCCLXXV.
List of the Epitaphs and Monuments in the High Choir of the
principal Church of Celle.
Behind the altar, south east to east, is,
1, The figure of Ernest the Confessor, cut in stone, with
the following inscription round it : —
Anno a Virginis salulifero partu MDXLVI. ^tatis suae XLIX. Die
vero XI. Mensis Januarii in Deo pie obiit lUustrissimus
Princeps ac Dominus, Dnus Ernestus Brunsuicensium
LUneburgensiumque Dux inclytus, cujus anima in
Christo salvatore suo suavissime quiescit.
At the feet: —
Exigua Ernestus Dux hie requiescit in urna, Luneburgensis Fama
decusque soli Aurea quo patrias duce pax est reddita
nostrae et ccspit Christi notior esse Fidis.
2, To his right is that of his consort Sophia, with the fol-
lowing inscription round it : —
Anno a Chro Salvatore nostro nato MDXLI, vero VIII Junii in
Deo pie obdormivit illustrissima Dna Dna Sophia, Henrici
Megapoliensis Ducis Filia: Eknesti, Brunsv.
Lunasburgensiumque Ducis, Honestissima
Conjux, cujus anima suaviter in
Chro quiescit.
358 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. Below is written : —
Hac tumba Sophi;e requiescit nobile corpus
Quae chara Ernesti Principis uxor erat,
Sponsaque iam Christi ccelesti gaudet in aula
Spernens prae veris ista caduca bonis.
3, To their right the figure of their eldest son, Francis-
Otho, with the following inscription : —
Anno a Chro unico salvatore nostro nato MDLIX. ^tatis Die vero
XXIX, mensis Aprilis vita pie defunctus est lUustriss.
Princeps ac Dns Dns Franciscxjs Otto
Brunsvic. Lunaeburgensiumque Dux
celeberrimus, cujus Anima
in Deo suaviter quiescit.
At his feet: —
Hac etiam illustriss. Fkanz Otto conditur urna
At mens ccelesti vivit in arce Dei
' Cara quid extinctum conjux, quid patria luges,
Non moritur, vitaque benefunctus erat.
4, To his right stands his brother Frederick, killed in the
battle of Silvershausen, with the following inscription: —
Anno a natali Jesu Christi, unici Redemtoris nri. MDLIII. ^tatis suae
XXI. et Mense altero die XX Julii ex hac mortali vita pie
decessit Illustriss. Princeps ac Dns. Dns. Fredericus,
Bruns, Lunaeburgensiumque Dux inclytus cujus
Anima pacifice in Chro. Salvatore quiescit.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 359
At his feet:
Hie etiam Frater posuit juvenilia membra
Friedericus pacis nobile nomen habens.
Qui tua dum sequitur, Maurici, castro decorum
Accipiens vulnus fortiter occubuit.
On the north side : —
5, Another figure of duke Ernest the Confessor, and his
consort Sophia, both kneeling before a crucifix*, with the fol-
lowing inscription under it: —
Illustriss. ac Dilectiss. suis Parentibus.
Illustriss. princeps at Dnus. D. Guilielmos
Junior, Dux. Bruns. et Lunasb. Filius,
Hoc Monumentum, Pietatis Ergo, F, F.
Anno 1576.
Under the figure of the duke : —
lUustrissimus Princeps Ernestus, Dux Bruns. et Luneb. Henrici Filius,
natus A.C. MCCCCXCVII. die XXVII Junii. Cum apud avunculum
Friedericum Saxonise, Ducem et Electorem prseclare educatus
Witebergse bonis artibus felicem operam navasset atque in Gallia
in Regis Francisci I. Aula ob eximias ingenii dotes ac
summas virtutes magno in honore aliquot annos vixisset ;
Administrationem suae ditionis suscepit et jam verae
Religionis acerrimus vindex, quam optimus
Reipub Gubernator, cum Carolo Imperatori
Anno XXX, Augustee, comitia celebranti,
confessionem, quam Augustanam vocant,
cum paucis aliis principibus ac civitatibus Imperii, obtulisset ; suique
* This epitaph, cut on marble, was inscribed by duke William the Younger, in
the year 1576, to the memory of his illustrious parents.
360 THE RECORDS OF
CH\F. III. ducatus ecclesias sinceiae religioni restituisset; tandem
'''"^^'^'^'^ Anno Christi MDCXLVI. die Januarii XI.
ex hac vita in seternam migravit.
Anno fetatis 49.
Under that of the dutchess Sophia: —
iUustrissima Princeps Sophia nata illustrissimis parentibus D. Henrico,
Duce Megapolensi et D. Ursula, Filia D. Johannis, Marchionis
Brandenburgensium Imperii Romani Archi Camerarii et Electoris
A.C. MDVII. In verae pietatis et omnium virtutum studiis
fideliter educata nupsit illustrissimo Principi Ernesto,
Duci Bruns. et Lunseburg, Anno Christo MDXXVUI.
in feriis pentecostes, cum quo verse religioni
addicta pie et honeste annos tredecim aetatem
agens, tandem duodecim liberorum mater
ex difScili partu in vera nominis divini
' invocatione. Anno Christi MDXLI.
die Junii XVI II. in Christo
suaviter obdormivit.
1 Timoth. ii.
Mulier saluabitur per fihorum generationem, si permanserit in fide
et dilectione cum sobrietate.
6, Not far from the altar is a figure of duke Augustus, third
son of William, and bishop of Ratzeburg, with this inscription : —
Reverendissimus ac Serenissimus Princeps ac Dominus, Dominus
Augustus postulatus Episcopus Ratzeburgensis Dux Brunsuic.
et Luneburg. natus XXVIII Novemb. anno Christi MDLXVIII
ex hac miseriarum valle 1 Octob. anno MDCXXXVI pie ac
placide in ccelestem patriam migravit, postquam vixisset
LXVII menses undecim, dies tredecim.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 361
7, The epitaphs of duke William, youngest son of Ernest the chap. hi.
Confessor, with his consort, Dorothea of Denmark, and their ^■^^^^^
two eldest sons.
Under the statues of duke William and his consort : —
Illustrissimus Princeps ac Dominus, Dominus Wilhelmus, dux Brunsvic.
et Lunseburg. Ernesti Ducis, ex Sophia Megapolensi Filius; natus
anno Christi MDXXXVI. IV Julii, (defuncto Fratre Francisco
Ottone anno MDLIX) Ducatum pacifice rexit annos XXXIII
ecclesia et politia bene constituta ; uxorem duxit
DoROTHEAM, Christiani III. Danise Regis
Filiam, anno MDLXI. XII Octob. Quam
viduam cum septeni filiis, et octo
jfiliabus relinquens pie obiit, anno
MDXCII. XX Augusti, anno
setatis LVII mens. I.
die XVI. hor XI.
Dorothea, Christiani III Danorum Regis et DoROTHE.a: Saxonia.
inferioris Ducissse Filia, Friederici II Regis soror. A. Christi
MDXLVI. die XIX nata, Wilhelmo Juniori Ducis Brunsvic.
et Luneburg. anno salutis MDLXI die XII Octob. feliciter
nupta; illustrissimorum filiorum septem et filiarum octo
mater, annis in conjugio XXXI, viduitate XXVI,
menses VI, et totidem dies denata in arce Winsen
VI Jan. anno MDCXVII et XIX Febr.
ejusdem anni hie sepulta in spem laetse
resurrectionis conquiescit.
8, At the right, under Ernest the Younger : —
Illustrissimus Princeps ac Dominus, Dominus Ernestus Dux Brunsvic.
et Lunaeburg. Ducis Wilhelmi ex Dorothea, Christiani III
Daniae Regis filia, Alius: natus anno Christi redemptoris nostri
3 A
362 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. HI. MDLXIIII ultimo die Decembris, defuncto patre anno MDXCII,
\^^\^^^ gubernationem jure hsereditario suscepit, ac ducatum annos XIX
pacifice, clementer et juste rexit; anno autem MDCXI.
II die Martii intra horam IIII et V. vespertinam ex
hisce mundi procellis ad Eeternam salutis partem
appellens, Princeps verae religionis, pietatis
observantissimus, placide in Christo
obdormivit. Vixit annos LXVI,
menses II, dies II, horas VII.
9, At the left, under duke Christian : —
Reverendissimus aque Illustrissimus Princeps ac Dominus, Dominus
Cheistianus, WiLHELMi Filius, electus Episcopus Mindens. Dux
Brunsvic. et Luneburg. Natus anno Christi MDLXVI
die XIX. Novemb. Postquam episcopatum
Mindensem annos XXXIV haereditarias
autem provincias annos XXII et ultra
summa cum pietatis et justitise laude
rexisset, optimus Patriae in Christo
placide obdormivit VIII Novemb.
anno MDCXXXIII.
Vixit annos LXVIl. deductis XI diebus.
On the south side : —
10, Duke Frederick, fourth son of duke William, with the
following inscription : —
iEternse Memorise Serenissimi Principis Frederici, Ducis Brunsvic. et
Luneburg. patriee patris, conservatoris et amplificatoris, qui natus V.
Kalend Sept. cIdIcLXXIV cum ditiones suas annos XII gubernasset,
pietate Deum, justitia et amore subditos, beneficentiaque pauperes
demeruisset, die X. Decemb. anno cIoIdCXLVIII,
aetat. suae LXXIV.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 363
11, A handsome monument of black marble, representing chap. m.
duke George, sixth son of duke William ; his consort, Anna- ^^
Eleonore ; and their two sons, Christian-Lewis and George-
William.
Under duke George : —
Serenissimus Princeps Georgius, Brunsuicensium ac Luneburgensium
Dux, cum ab ineunte aetate militiam exercuisset; fatalibus Germaniae
bellis, implicitus labantem pene libertatem ac religionem auctam
invicto animo et armis sustinuit, multis actis inclytus,
veraeque pietatis, fortitudinis, fidei, ac prudentiae laude
posteritate memorandus, vita decessit,
d. IX. April. MDCCXLI.
Under the dutchess Anne-Eleonora : —
Serenissima Princeps Anna Eleonora, Ludovici, Hassiae Landgrav. filia,
Georgii Bruns. uxor, pietate in Deum, in raaritum fide, dementia in
inferiores nemini comparanda, obiit anno MDCLIX. VI. Maii.
To the right, under duke Christian- Lewis * : —
Serenissimus Princeps Christianus Ludovicus, Dux Brunsuic. ac
Luneburg. etc. Geoegii filius, natus anno MDCXXII. die XXV
Febr. Circuli inferioris Saxonias Dux generalis. Regimen ducatus
Hannoverani anno MDCXLI, Cellensis anno MDCXLVIII,
accessit. Princeps magnaniraus, et heroicis virtutibus pace
et bello inclytus, pie obiit die XV Martii, aetatis suae
anno XLIV, anno Christi MDCLXV, cujus
animae aeternum bene fit.
* As his widow, Dorothea, daughter of duke Philip, of Holstein-Glucksberg,
married again, 1665, Frederick- William, elector of Brandenburg, her place by the
side of duke Christian-Lewis is not filled up.
364 THE RECORDS OF
CHAF. III. To the left, under duke George-William : —
Seienissimus Princeps Georgius Wilhelmus, Biuns. et Luneb. Dux.
Natus XVI Jan. MDCXXIV, celebratis ubique virtutibus, justitia,
prudentia, fortitudine, constantia, beneficentia, comitate, dementia,
suis exteris hostibusque ipsis commendatus Princeps, seterna
vita ut laude dignus, suscepit regimen Hannover. MDCXLIX.
Cellens, MDLXV. Obiit XXVIII Aug. MDCCV.
setatis LXXXII, subditis patriae, sociis, ingens
sui desiderium, illustre posteritali
exemplum relinquens.
WIENHAUSEN.
An Account, transmitted by the Rev. Mr. Baring, of Sepulchral
Monuments in the Church of the Convent of Wienhausen.
According to the chronicle of our convent, several members
of the illustrious house of Brunswick- Luneb urg have found
their places of rest in the church of Wienhausen.
1, St. Agnes, of Landsberg, second consort of Henry the
Long, Henry the Lion's eldest son. She founded the convent
of Wienhausen and Isenhagen. The chronicle of Isenhagen says,
that she is buried at Wienhausen, before the altar, in a hanging
coffin. She died 1266, aged eighty years. There is at present
to be seen, four feet from the altar, an antique female figure.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 365
cut in stone, but much worn out by the walking on it. The chap. hi.
dress and the crossing of the arms can be distinguished, but no ^^^''"^^
inscription. The common report is, that this is the holy Agnes.
2, Duke Lewis, son of Magnus Pius, died here 1358 ; and
was also buried here ; but his tomb cannot be found. Upon the
choir, to the right of the stone of Agnes, is another large stone,
upon which are cut two figures, a male and a female, with four
shields at their feet ; but the whole inscription is illegible, except
near the female figure the letters CRHI, which mean probably
in the year of Christ.
3, To the right, near the altar, I saw a place covered with
boards. The boards run under the pews. I had both removed ;
and when the sand was taken away, we found a beautiful tomb-
stone. The whole is well preserved, except that the stone has
a rent from head to foot. The stone is seven feet long and
four feet wide. The duke is half armed ; in the right hand he
has a battle-axe, and the left lies on his sword. On the right
side are three coats of arms, with the horse on two of them.
Under this is the following inscription : —
Anno a Christo Salvatore nostro nato MDXXXII, Februarii die XIX,
qui fuit dies Martis post reminiscere, pie in Christo obiit
Henricus, Brunsv. et Luneb. Dux, Othonis filius,
anni eetatis LXVI.
Our chronicle says that he was, when on a hunting party,
taken ill at Bockelscamp, half a mile from hence, and brought
to the provost's mansion here, where he died.
Our chronicle mentions further, that Matilda, daughter of
366 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. John of Luneburg, and consort of Henry of the Wends, died and
was buried here.
It also mentions a princess Elizabeth, whose grandmother,
Anne of Nassau, and father, Henry of Brunswick, wished her
to become a nun, and sent her for that purpose to Weinhausen
to be educated. It is said that she became afterwards a very
pious nun. Of her death and burial place no account is given ;
but there is no doubt that she rests here; and also most probably
her grandmother, who died 1518.
A princess Apollonia, whom her brothers, the dukes Ernest
and Francis, took from the convent at the time of the reformation,
died, most probably unmarried, at Celle.
ISENHAGEN.
Extract of a Letter from the Rev. Mr. Biermann, of Isenhagen.
" With the greatest care and diligence I have searched in
the church, in the convent, and in the vaults. I have examined
the churchyard, the tombstones, and the inscriptions, and have
also looked over the ancient papers in the archives of the convent ;
but I am sorry to say that I did not find the smallest notice on
the subject of the princes of Brunswick. There are only a
few tombstones and inscriptions here, and the documents are
very defective. The probable reason for this is, that at the time
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 367
of the reformation the abbess of the convent, not inclined to chap. hi.
turn a Lutheran, clandestinely absconded, and took with her
all the ancient records and papers of the convent. If it could
be found out vv^hat convent received her afterwards, most im-
portant documents might be discovered."
UELZEN.
Account of the Rev. Air. Bornemann, Archdeacon at Uelzen.
The town of Uelzen is poor in respect of monuments of
antiquity. Those of which it perhaps was possessed, were
destroyed by the great conflagration in the year 1646 ; by which
also a part of the town church was burnt down. Of the
ancestors of our royal family, the duke Ernest, of Brunswick-
Luneburg, the great and active promoter of the reformation,
was born here, the 26th of June, 1497. His sister, the princess
ApoUonia, born in the year 1499, came from the convent of
Wienhausen to this place; resided here constantly; died the
31st of August, 1571, at the age of seventy-two years; and was
deposited in the sepulchral vault, under the high altar of the
St. Maria, our town church. This vault fell down the 27th
of January, 1696, and could not be repaired again. A plain
stone exists, six feet long and three feet wide, with the figure
368 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. of a nun, folding her hands, and with the following inscription
round it : —
Anno Domini 1571, d. 31 August, starb Frocichen Appolonia, geborne
Hertegin von Brunswick und Luneborch.
Fixed in the wall, not far from the eastern entrance of the
church, there is a notice of some charitable institutions which
bear her name ; the only monument that preserves the memory
of the charitable life of this pious princess.
OBERNKIRCHEN.
Extract of a Letter from the Rev. Air. Kahler, at Obernkirchen .
" On looking into Spangenberg's Chronicle, I found the fol-
lowing notice : —
" ' Conradus Borchdengus shreibt, alss F. Mechtild Mutter
Frau Elisabeth gebohren Graffin von Hohnstein erfahren, dass
ihre Tochter gestorben, habe sie das Kindlein so Otto genandt
worden zu sich gen Stadthagen holen lassen da es aber nach
3 Jahren auch gestorben und zu Obernkirchen in Creuzgang
unter einem scRmalen steine begraben worden.'
" I therefore went with some people to the crossway of
the church, and examined every stone under which the child
could have been deposited ; but found no vestige of a date or
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 369
an inscription. I likewise searched in our church, where, in chap. iii.
ancient times, many persons of distinction have been buried -''^^
under tombstones ; but met neither with a monument, nor with
an inscription of the tenor alluded to.
STADTHAGEN.
Letter of the Rev. 3Ir. Dassel, of Stadthagen.
In order to fulfil the commands of his royal highness the
duke of Clarence as much as it is in my power, I transmit to
you two small pamphlets, in which are recorded some historical
facts concerning the noble dutchess Ehzabeth-Ursula ; and I
add to them two Latin inscriptions ; of which one is to be found
in our princely mausoleum, and the other on a monument erected
by the said Ursula, to the memory of her noble consort, Otho
the Fourth.
Extract from the Rev. Mr. Dassel's Historische Beschreikmg
der St. Alartini Kirche zu Stadthagen.
" A sublime and noble monument stands to the left of the
altar. It forms an arch, and is sixteen feet wide. Arent Robin
made it of a kind of stone found in the country. The many
fields in the coats of arms, the emblematical representation from
3 B
370 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. the life of our Saviour, and the many other ornaments, evince
a great diligence and extraordinary precaution in w^orking a
sandstone. A cornice rests upon four columns, between vv^hich
are, in three separate arches, the figures of Otho and his two
consorts in full length, cut out of stone.
" Otho had two consorts; of whom that to his right was
Maria, daughter of duke Barnim, of Pommerania ; and the second
Elizabeth- Ursula, daughter of duke Ernest, of Luneburg, the
foundress of this monument. The latter distinguished herself
by an exalted improvement of her mind. She did a great deal
of good to the poor, and particularly to the widows and orphans
of the town. She superintended the education of the females,
which was at that time most miserably neglected. She^ bore
the greatest love to her husband, and esteemed him in particular
for the pleasure which he gave her by embracing and introducing
the reformation. At his death, which was occasioned by the
infection of a malignant complaint received on a journey at
Dulmcn, she was inconsolable ; and her only delight was in
laying down the plan for the erection of the monument above-
mentioned, and she had begun to execute it. The remains of the
count, and those of his two consorts, rest in the vault of the
mausoleum. This mausoleum was founded by prince Ernest;
the building was begun 1620, and finished in the third year
after his death, by his consort Heidewig, a princess of Hesse-
Cassel."
Elizabeth-Ursula died the 3d September, 158G, at Detmold,
and was buried in the St. Martini church at Stadthagen.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH.
Sepulchral Inscription q/" Elizabeth-Ursula.
B. M. S.
idem ille
371
CHAP. in.
genitiicem illustrissimam
Elisabetham Ursulam,
Ernesti,
Ducis Brunsuicensis et
Luneburgensis,
filiam,
niter sevi exempla
memorabilis processit,
adfectus
gandoquidem
evitati ante annos,
corporis
novo concinnatae
sarcophago
reliquiae,
huic quoque conditorio
pientissimo, id ita
in vivis
cavente filio,
religiosa illatse sunt
obsequela.
Ivit ad beatos a. LXXXVI.
Lixcript'inn on the Statue of Elizabeth-Ursula.
Pulcra quidem heec statua et matronae illustris imago est,
Pulcra oculos, formosa genas digitosque tenellos;
372 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. Sed quee viva memor mortis sibi talia condi
'^'^^\'^*>^ Ursula mandavit, longe formosior est illis.
• Omina sunt mota hie, motuque hie et sensibus orba,
Ilh autem pulero mens est in corpore longe
Pulcrior, est sermo mentis pulcerrimus index,
Est pietas grege castarum comitata sororum;
Ergo illam vitam potius quam flebile marmor
Ut liceat spectare omnes uno ore precemur.
LUNEBURG.
Translation of the Rev. Mr. Crome's Account of the Burying
Places and Sepulchral Monuments of Persons of the most illus-
trious House of the Guelphs, and other princely Families related
to them, in the Church of the Coiwent St. Michael, at Luneburg.
This church was first built upon the hill on the western
side of the town called Kalkberg. The building of it, with that
of the convent, was finished by Hermann Billung, in the year 955 :
but the work must have been done very slightly; for, after the
lapse of a century, they were obliged to pull it down, and to
build a new church, which was finished in the year 1055. This
was likewise, after a few hundred years, in such a state, that
Otho the Second, or the Severe, had it pulled down, and a new
one built, which was consecrated 1305. So it remained till 1371,
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 373
when the convent on the Kalkberg was entirely given up. This chap. hi.
church was therefore rebuilt three times on the same spot. ^-■^'\^^^
In this, called St. Michael's cliurch on the Kalkberg, were
deposited, of the Billung family : —
1, Hermann Billung, who died 973.
2, Hildegard, his consort. Both in the centre of the church.
3, Bernhard, or Brenno the First, duke, Billung's son, who
died 9th February, 1011. In a vault.
4, Lothaire, or Luder, his brother, who died 26th Feb. 1011.
At the side of his brother.
5, Ditmar, Bernhard the First's son, who died 1048.
6, Bernhard, or Brenno the Second, duke, Bernhard the
First's son, who died 1059. Before the altar of the holy cross.
7, Ordulph, (Otho, or Rudolph,) duke Bernhard the Second's
son, who died 1071. In the centre of the church, at the side
of Billung.
8, Wulfhilda, duke Ordulph's consort. At the side of her
husband.
9, Herman, Bernhard the Second's son, who died 1086.
10, Magnus, duke, Ordulph's son, who died 1106. In the
centre of the church.
There were also buried in this church, but in a place distant
from the former, two foreign princes : 1 , Henry, king of the
"Wends, who died 1126; 2, Prebislaus, prince of Mecklenburg,
who died 1181.
Of the illustrious family of Henry the Lion : —
Henry, his son, by Clementia, who died young, 1167. Before
the altar of the holy cross.
:i74 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. William, youngest son of Henry the Lion, built a new vault,
^^^^^'^^ which remained perfect even when the church was rebuilt, at
the end of the 13th century. This family vault, in which William
himself and all the members of his family were deposited, until
the church was built on another spot, was called after him
William's Vault, and decorated on every 12th of December,
the day of his death. In this vault were deposited : —
1, William, Henry the Lion's son, who died 1213.
2, Helena, his consort.
3, Otho the Infant, William's son, who died 1252.
4, Matilda, Otho's consort, who died 1261.
5, John, Otho's son, who died 1276, or 1277.
6, Luitgard, John's consort.
7, Otho the Second, or the Severe, John's son, who died 1330.
8, Matilda, Otho the Second's consort, who died 1319.
9, Otho the Third, Otho the Second's son, who died 1353.
10, Matilda, his consort, who died 1356.
,11, William, Otho the Second's son, who died 1367.
12, Hedwig, who died 1334,^
13, Maria, > William's consorts.
14, Sophia, who died 1362, ^
Of the cotemporary sepulchral monuments of these princely
persons, we know only, that over the tombs of Bernhard,
(Brenno,) and Lothaire, (Luder,) in the subterraneous church,
or the vault, the following inscription was to be seen : —
Omne, quod hoc supera vivam dinoscitur aura.
Vivere dum properat jamjam nihil esse laborat.
Quod probat hie tumulus, qui claudit flebile funus.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 375
Eheu Bernhardi! quern plangant climate mundi. chap hi
Quorsum vertuntur. que nocte dieque moventur. v^^-"V^
Dum viguit vita, dux perdius extitit ista.
Ex atavis clarus ! sed clarior actibus ejus.
Nunc cinis et pulvis! quo se caro deputat omnis.
In quivis Februi; peisolvens debita morti.
Idibus unde venit mox.spiritus astra subirit.
Psychen Christe sui ; Celi fac arce locari.
Aspice mortalis; Sumtus de pulvere pulvis.
Quos ibi principium! revectros federe nostram.
Hoc locus iste notat. qui fratrum pignora servat.
Qui teget hos dominos. sub parvo cespite clausos.
Hie quoque Luiderus. nam cernis nomen alius.
Gloria gentis erat. dum flatus carne urgebat.
Fratris prefectus virtutum calls secutus.
Sed superesse viri populo solertia tanti
Mors breviter sivit. que nulli parcere novit.
Dum mors bis binos. renovasset sorte Kalendas.
Deposuit Carmen, cui praesta Christi quietem.
When this monument was afterwards renewed, they added
the following verses : —
Hie fratrum numero memorantur nomina sacro,
Rite ferunt domino, qui laudes quoque grates
Promti servitio desudant Archiministro.
Angelici proceres venerantur quem simul omnes,
Hoc Herman templum cui vovit sedque locavit.
Natus ubique bonus dux pollens atque triumphis.
Huic erat in voto monachorum quo feret ordo.
His servans regule Benedicti scripta magistri.
376 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. Sed raptus mundo complenda reliquerat almo.
^^^"^^^ Bernhardo Duci claro viitute paterna.
Ha det secus ac jussus. qui cuncta peregerat actu,
Abbatum statuens Luidricum nomine dignum.
Qui regeret monachos semper pietate magistra
Scribitur imprimis Bernhardi nobile nomen.
Conjugis inde pise, natorum et indolis altaB.
Quique locum nobis meruerant namque sequantur
Corpore quos mundus presentes denique servat
Ast memorandorum merito post scribetur ordo
Ipse pater pius precedit in ordine frater.
Dux Herman paritor tiansuexa familia celo
Et quoscunque facit socialis gratia caros
Virentes pietate tua, tu Christe guberna.
Defunctis veniam clemens concede benignam.
To the memory of William, the son of Henry the Lion,
(fifteen or twenty years after his death,) the abbot John, (who
presided over the convent from the year 1225 to 1239,) had
the following verses inscribed over his grave : —
Ordulphus dux et dominus nostrse regionis
Cunctos genericis fertur precellere donis.
Attavus iste fuit. Friederici suscipientis
Imperii sceptrum virtutum robur habentis.
Huic ex Ungeria. conjux erat alma Sophia,
Nata probi regis, divina; nuncia legis.
Ex ilia magnum genuisse ducem memoratum
Qui dicto magnus. simulet probitate probatus.
Hie patri matrique suae. Conjunctus in isto
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 37-7
Servatur tumulo, sint flamina reddita Christo, cHAP in
Qui sanctus salvat animas dignetur et illas ^^^'^^
Salvari. tormentorum pellende favillas.
O plange virum Saxonia. corrige mortem
Quae cunctis vitae. finem dedit et sibi rite
Maribus iste bonis, nomen roburque leonis.
Henricus gessit dux. adversosque repressit.
Ecclesiam fovit. terris pacem dare novit.
Sargus erat multum. juris servans bene cultum.
Tres genuit natos omni virtute probatos.
Heineicus primus fuit; Otto secundus; et imus
WiLHELMus. scimus quia vix tales reperiraus.
Unus apud Rhenum comes in Stadio dominator.
Alter erat flos imperii Bruneswic. habitator,
Tertius in Luneborg. dux vitae tempore fixit.
Came quidem crassus. sed mente pius bene vixit.
Contentus propriis fuit. Stant rapiens aliena
Uxor ei nata. Danorum regis Helena.
Ex hac Ottonem fortem generasse Leonem
Scribitur. invictum licet feritate relictum.
Bello templatus. captus fuit et spoliatus.
Sed cunctis tandem sortem reddebat eandem.
Strenuus et dignus. actu vultuque benignus.
Facta parens vidua sub multo tempore luxit.
Mortem Willehelmi. ne sponsum postea duxit.
Vermibus esca datum, paret hie corpus tumulatum.
O, quod dominum gratum. sit spirit, soriatum.
Si quod peccatum fecit, cedat at nihilatum.
Cujus Christe statum. praesta sine fine beatum,
Pacis solamen. ferat in celestibus. Amen.
3c
378 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. Hos Ckahto versus abbate Johanne petente
^""^'V^^ Composuit. Sancti Michaelis claustrum regente.
These inscriptions, in the vulgar Latin, and with the ortho-
graphy and inter-punctuation peculiar to those times, were most
probably written only on parchment, and hung up near the grave.
The originals were therefore lost very soon ; and we should know
nothing of them, if they were not preserved in an old chronicle
of the convent, written in the 13th century.
More durable was the monument which was erected to
the memory of duke Otho the Second, or the Severe, and Matilda,
his consort, who died 1330 and 1319.
The principal parts of it undoubtedly were the two plates
of brass which are still in existence. The plate belonging to
the monument of duke Otho is six feet high, three feet wide,
and half an inch thick. On it is a figure, nearly in full length,
which represents the duke in the attire in which princes used
to appear in those times. The face, which is a front view, is
not done well. The hair is combed neatly, and curls at the
end. The light wreath, which the figure has round its head,
is rather well done. In the right hand is a sword, resting on
the ground ; in the left a shield, with the lion, and covered
with hearts. In the border of the plate, which is about two
inches and a half thick, is the following inscription : —
Top,
Anno Domini MCCCXXX.
Left side,
Quinto Nonas Aprilis, in secunda feria post, diem Pascha. obiit serenu.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 379
Foot, CHAP. III.
— s et pacificus princeps. v^^s,^^^
Right side,
Dominus Otto, Dux de Brunswich et Luneborch, requiescat in pace.
It is written in the old Gothic characters ; or, as we call
them, monks' letters. The plate is cast metal.
The plate which belonged to the monument of the dutchess
Matilda is, in respect of materials, length, and workmanship,
exactly the same as that of the duke. The figure, in the dress
of the princesses of those times, has a crown on its head, a
cap in her right hand, and a shield in her left. This shield is
like the former, but much smaller, and surrounded with peacocks'
feathers. From the shield, or coat of arms, falls a riband to
the ground, with the words, —
Soror LoDowici imperatoris.
In the border of the plate is the following inscription, likewise
in Gothic characters : —
Top,
Anno Dni. millesimo.
I-eft,
Trecentesimo. decimo. nono. in vigilia Palmarum. obiit. inclita.
Dna. Me-
Foot,
CHTILDIS. Ducis.
Right,
sa. de. Brunswich. et. Luneborg. cujus anima. requiescat. in pace. Amen.
These monuments were undoubtedly erected soon after the
death of this illustrious couple.
380 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. Also, to the memory of the princely persons who were
'"-^"^'^'^ buried in St. Michael's church after duke Otho, sepulchral
inscriptions were made ; but the originals are lost. The chronicle
of the convent has preserved the following : —
Anno de mundo priit MC ter L que secundo
Inclitus Otto, die magni. vas iste Sophie
Cui conjux juncta Mechtildis honore percincta
Sexto defuncta post hoc annalia cuncta
Luce BoNiFACii quo corpora sit dato pace.
Christe Sophia pia da matre precante Makia
Ut haec scripta tria sint insita nomina diva
In ierarchia Hedewic et Makia Sophia
Obiit An. Dn. MCCCLXII.
M. trecenteno sexageno que noveno
Lux sacra dementis perit et Dux gloria gentis
Wilhelmus quintus Brunswic Luueborg cyliarcha
Hie soliatur virtutum nobilis area.
It cannot be ascertained on what part of the hill the church
stood. The buildings of the church, the convent, and the castle,
which must have been very extensive, as the princes often
resided here, were most probably built close to one another.
If, therefore, old walls are found, no one can say to which of the
different buildings they belonged. During the destruction of
the rostry hill, a staircase, going down very deep, was discovered ;
and as this work is still going on, we may expect further
discoveries.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 381
It seems as if the convent and church had suffered a great deal chap. hi.
during the siege and reduction of the Kalkberg, in the year 1371 ;
for the service in the church ceased, the monks w^ent to the
neighbouring convent Liine; and it was resolved to demolish
the convent, and to build a new one in the tovi^n of Luneburg.
Till these new^ buildings were finished, the coffins of those princes
buried in the old church were, ad interim, deposited in St.
Cyriacus' church, which was situated to the north-east, at the
foot of the Kalkberg. In this church was a ducal chapel, (capella
Omnium Sanctorum), also called " Kaldaunen Capelle," in which
most probably the intestines of those which were deposited on the
Kalkberg were interred.
Gn St. Vitus's day, in the year 1371, the two Saxon dukes,
Albert and Wenzel, accompanied by the mayor and corporation
of Luneburg, and by great crowds of people, had the coffins
and dead bodies removed from the Kalkberg, and deposited
in the Cyriacus church. There is no certain account how
many were brought down, and in what state. It is very
probable that only those of William's vault were deposited in
Cyriacus church.
Soon after the building of the convent was finished on the
spot where it now stands, and the monks had again taken
possession of it, the removal of the coffins, &c. from the Cyriacus
church to the vaults of the new St. Michael's church took place ;
but the year is uncertain.
In the present church of St. Michael are deposited the
following princely remains : —
382 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. j_ Those which were brought down from the Kalkberg to
the Cyriacus church. How many, and in what state, is unknown.
II. Of the Saxon family : —
J, Albert, duke of Saxony, who died 1385.
2, Wenzelaws, duke of Saxe-Lausburg, who died 1388, (is
uncertain).
3, Catharine of Anhalt, duke Albert's consort, who died 1390.
III. Of the house of the Guelphs : —
1, Agnes, dowager of duke William.
The remains of the princes mentioned under No. II., and
those of the dutchess Agnes, are, together with those of No. I.,
deposited in one vault.
2, Bernhard, duke of Brunswick-Luneburg, who died 1434.
3, Margaret, his consort.
4, Otho, duke of Brunswick-Luneburg, who died 1446.
5, Bernhard, duke of Brunswick-Luneburg, grandson of
Bernhard, who died 1464.
6, Otho, duke of Brunswick-Luneburg, who died 1471.
7, A young prince of another family; Henry, son of the
count Henry the Fourth, of Under-Gratz.
The remains of persons mentioned under 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7,
have a separate vault, close to the first, on the south side of
it, in the nave of the church, near to the present principal
entrance.
The following monuments were erected in the new church
of St. Michael : —
Those above-mentioned old monuments of Otho the Severe,
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH, 383
and his dutchess, Matilda. The two plates, which are already chap. hi.
described, were put upon a high pedestal of wood, in the shape ^^'^^'^
of a large box ; the sides of which contained portraits of other
princely persons ; particularly of the following : —
1, William, with a ball in his hand.
2, Otho the First.
3, John.
4, Otho the Third.
5, William. Both with documents in their hands.
6, Albert, with a cup.
There is a very good representation of this monument in
the Origines Guelficse, torn. iv. p. 77.
It is very probable that the monument of Otho and Matilda,
in the old church of the Kalkberg, consisted only of the two
plates ; and that all the other additions were made after the
building of the new church. Even the small brass plates at
the heads of the two princely persons, with the inscription,
" Hsec est generalis sepultura illustrium principunducum nec-
non et ducissarum de Brunswic et Luneburg," appear to be the
work of a later period.
In the year 1556, the abbot Eberhard de Holle had erected
another monument in memory of D. Herman Billung, and of
all the abbots before him, and also of himself. This monument,
consisting of a wooden table, six feet high, and eighteen feet long,
stood, till the repairing of the church, in the year 1792, in
the wall on the right hand of the chief entrance of the church.
On this are the following inscriptions : —
384 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. HI. On the top of it,
'''-^^V^^ j,^^ yai- unses Heren 971 stifte Herman Billinck nach dem he von
Keiser Otte dem ersten mith dem Furstendom Sassen mide
Llineburg beleneth dith Kloster up dem Kalckbarch an
dem Stathe Luneborch belegen unde wart anno 1371
dut Slot und Closter gewlinnen unde netter
gezetten und wardt dut Closter 1373 alhir gestifted.
To the right stands a figure, representing Herman Billung ;
near to it the words, —
Epithaphium Heemanni BiLiNGE, Hertogen tho Sassen unde Luneborch,
Fundatoris disses Closters.
And under this the words, —
Herman Bilingk bin ick genanth
In dem Romischen Rike wol bekanth
Ein Eddelman van Stibbeshorn
Was van stichten stammen geboren
Kunst Doeget Rechtickect mick bracht
Dat Kayser Ottho mick thorn fiirsten macht
Do ick nhu erhaven tho einen Heren
Do stifte ick Got unde dem Adel tho Eren
Und becwede dit Kloster S. Michael vorwar
Dar beneven Luneborch dat Sloeth aldar
Was tuchtig strenge in aller Thaeth
Otthe de Groethe mi darumb begnad.
To the left are the names and arms of thirty-five abbots : the
last of them is, —
Eberhard van HoUe de 35 abt. Starf, 1586.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 385
Below are the words, — chap. hi.
Als de Erwijrdige Heer Herbordt van Holle loflicher und selio-er
Gedechtnisse thorn abbot creoren bet he alse forst de reinen
lehren des heiligen Evangely angenommen unde hette de
sulwigen besten dichleik bekendt beth in sin ende dar
by uns Godt gnedichlick wolde er holden. Amen.
The following account of the alterations which took place
in the interior of the church, between the years 1792 and 1794,
is taken principally from the " Annalen der Braunschweig-Liine-
burgisch, Churlande, 7te Jahrgang, 1793, 2'" Stuck," p. 177, seq.,
and from the account given by an old mason, who was employed
in that work.
At first the above-mentioned monument of Otho was removed.
According to the account of this old man, it was done during
the night, by Mr. Meissner, who directed the whole work, and
by the people whom he had brought with him from abroad.
It is not known if any thing remarkable was found under the
plates, or in the large pedestal. The two brass plates, with
the two figures ; the small plate, with the inscription, " Hsec est
generalis, &c.," and the names Marcus and Johannes; likewise
the boards, with the statues of six dukes and six dutchesses,
and those with the shields and arms, stand at present in a
saloon behind the altar; but the plates, with the ornaments,
are missing. The upper plate, with the inscription, is broken
in two places. The plate with the figure of the duke is also
broken and injured; so that in the inscription, in the word
3 D
386 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. Princeps, the letters EPS, and in the word Dominus, the letters
"^-^^y^^-^ DOMIN are lost.
In the same saloon is the table of Herman Billung and the
thirty-five abbots.
This saloon is never used for the service of the church, and
can only be entered from the convent, which is generally locked.
Where the monument and table formerly stood is not marked ;
and likewise nothing can be observed in order to point out
the places where vaults have been, except a stone with a stroke,
in the form of a cross*.
WITTENBERG.
Account by the Rev. Mr. D. Nitzsch.
The convent of Franciscans at Wittenberg, under the altar
choir of which the electors of Saxony, with their consorts and
children, from Albert the First to Rudolph the Third, found
their rest, was in the Schmalcaldian war so totally altered, that
since that time an inspection of the princely sepulchral monu-
ments has been impossible. But at the time when such altera-
tions were in view, all the inscriptions were collected and
preserved in different ways. For instance, Andreas Sennert,
* See the above-mentioned Annals of Brunswick-Luneburg.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 387
1678, in his Athense Wittenbergenses, has published twenty chap, hi,
of these inscriptions ; among which that of Helena, the foundress ^^^''^^
of the above-mentioned convent, is the first, as follows : —
Helena, Ducissa Saxon. Elect. Ux. anno MCCLXXIII. 8 Sept. obiit
Domina Helena, conjunx Alberti I. Ducis Saxoni
ac Electoris, filia Ducis Ottonis de Brunsvic.
fundatrix hujus ccenobii.
Witlenb. 20 Sept. 1819.
SCHARNEBECK.
Extract of a Letter from the Rev. Mr. Illing, of Scharnebeck.
" In regard to the burying place of the dutchess Magdalene,
consort of Frederick the Pious, duke of Brunswick- Luneburg,
who, according to historical records, died and was buried in
the year 1453, at Scharnebeck, I have to observe as follows: —
" In the archives of the parish there is a book written by
the former ministers of this church, which bears the title,
" Nachtichtgebendes Denkbuch fiir die Kirche und Pfarre zu
Scharnebeck, &c. von Zeit zu Zeiten fortgesetzt und erstesmahl
eingerichtet von Friedrich Ernst Straussen, Pastore Anno 1686."
In the third part, containing, " Historisches Verzeichniss der
Denkwiirdigkeiten in dieser Pfarre vorgefallenen Sachen, so weit
dieselbe der Geistlichkeit angehen." At p. 136, sec. v. the
388 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. following notice, anno 1453': " There is here, in the choir of
this church, preserved and built round, a princely tomb, in which
is deposited Magdalene, a dutchess of Brunswick and Luneburg.
" The same remark, in the same words, is recorded in the
' Amts Lagerbuche,' of the year 1666, p. 3.
" Now the question is, where to find in our church the
proper burying place of the said dutchess ? But here we meet
with great difficulty, for the former large church, probably the
convent church, was demolished; and a new one, which was
built in the year 1723, by the command of his majesty king
George the First, and consecrated at Witsuntide, 1724, is that
which exists. Neither can it be ascertained that the new church
is built on the spot of the old one, though an old tower with
shell stairs, on which the church leans, appears to be of great
antiquity; nor can we find, in or outside the church, a monu-
ment which marks the burying place in question. The only
thing I remarked at the present search is, that there is before
the altar a stone twelve feet long and six feet wide, with regard
to which an alteration must have taken place, as it has in the
middle a rent, which is closed again by a hard mortar. Not
the least trace of an inscription is to be seen on it. This is, in
my opinion, the only place in the church where, by proper
digging, some discoveries might be made.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH.
HERZBERG
Memoire du Grand Baillif Lueder, a Herzberg.
D'apr^s les notices recueillis sur I'ancienne histoire de ce
chateau, j'en peux faire remarquer ce qui suit.
1486, Le due Albrecht III. mourut en ce chateau, et fut
depos6 a Osterode.
1518, Mourut et fut enseveli ici le fils du due Philip, n6
an 1509. Sa mort 6toit la suite d'une incendie dans le chateau,
qui avoit eu lieu le 3 Novb. 1510, et ou le due, avee son dpouse
et le prince, avoit et6 forc6 de se sauver par la fenfitre sans etre
habill^.
1551, Philip I. mourut ici, et fut depos^ \ Osterode.
1567, Le 2 Avril, mourut ici sans suecesseur le due Erneste,
qui fut de mfime enseveli a Osterode.
1586, Le 9 Avril, mourut ici I'^pouse du due Wolfgang,
Doroth6e de Lauenburg, ensevelie ^ Osterode.
1595, Le 14 Mars, mourut ici le due Wolfgang, enseveli a
Osterode.
1596, Le 4 Avril, mourut ici le due Philip II, et fut enseveli
^ Osterode, avee son Spouse Clara, de Wolfenbiittel.
La mort de Philip II. mit fin h. la ligne des princes de
Grubenhagen; et pendant I'interr^gne, lorsque le due Heinrieh-
Julius, de Wolfenbiittel, (jusqu'^l'an 1613,) et Friederich-Ullrich,
389
390 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. HI. (jusqua I'an 1617,) menoient le gouvernement des pays de Gru-
■^ benhagen, 'il n'y avoit point de cour ici.
1617, Le due George, de Celle, reprit le gouvernement, et
fixa sa residence ici. Aprfes sa mort, son 6pouse, Anna-Eleonora
de Darmstadt, demeura ici, et mourut le 6 Mai, 1659 : elle fut
ensevelie a Celle.
De ce mariage sont nes ici :
Le 9 Aout, 1618, la princesse Magdalene, morte le m^me
jour, et enterr^e ici dans I'^glise prfes de I'autel, avec un 6pitaphe.
Le 25 Fevr. 1622, Christian-Ludwig.
Le 16 Janv. 1624, George- Wilhelm.
Le 25 Avril, 1625, Johann-Friederich.
1628, Sophia- Amalia.
Le 20 Nov. 1628, Ernest- Augustus, et sa soeur jam elle,
Dorothea-Magdalena, qui mourut ici le 17 Nov. 1630, et fut
ensevelie daias I'^glise, prfes de la sacristie.
Le due Christian-Ludewig residoit ici jusqu'au 12 Dec. 1648.
II fit aggrandir le chateau, et batir une maison de chasse sur le
dit Knollen. Son 6pouse, Dorothea de Holstein-Glucksbourg,
qui ne vivoit pas en bonne intelligence avec le due, gardoit sa
residence ici jusqu'au 11 Janvr. 1668, ou elle alloit k Berlin et
finissoit par-la la cour d'ici. Le due Christian-Ludwig fut succ^de
par ses frferes Tun apres I'autre. Les quatre princes de Ernest-
Augustus se mirent en marche contre les Turcs avec une armee
de 10,000 hommes. Ce corps fut passe en revue ici sur la
bruyere le 23 Mars, 1685, par le prince h^reditaire, George-
Ludwig, qui fut apr^s roi d'Angleterre. De ces quatre princes.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH.
391
George-Ludwig 6toit le seul qui revint; les trois autres, Friedrich- chap. hi.
Augustus, Christian, et Carl-Philip, tomboient en Hongrie au '■'''^^^^^
champ d'honneur. Friedrich-Augustus, general Autrichien, tom-
boit le 10 Janvr., 1691, pr^s de Teres, en Siebenburgue, oCi
il perdoit la main gauche et la tete. Son corps est transportt'-
ici, ou il repose dans la voute de I'autel, dans un cercueil couvert
de cordouan noir.
Le prince Christian se noya dans le Danube, le 31 Juillet,
1713, pr^s de Ehingen, son cheval ^tant tu6 sous lui dans une
affaire pendant la guerre de la succession Espagnole. Son corps,
transport^ ici, repose dans la voute de lautel, dans un cercueil
d'^tain.
Le prince Carl-Philip, colonel Autrichien, mourut an 1690,
dans une bataille avec les Turcs, oi\ il prefera une morte h^roique,
le sabre a la main, k la captivity. Trois chevaux avoient ^te
tu^s sous lui, et mont^ sur le quatrifeme, il fut perc6 d une lance
Turcque.
Ces peu de notices suffiront pour montrer, que cet endroit
nest pas sans int^r^t pour la collection que son altesse royale
le due de Clarence a en vue. Si les d^ails moins relevants
concernants la residence et la cour d'ici ne seroient pas rejett^s,
j en pourrois encore recueillir de quelques manuscrits.
On dit que ce chateau est b^ti en 1029, par le comte Werner,
de Lutterberg, comme une maison de chasse; et qu'apr^s il a
6t6 aggrandi pour la residence des princes de Grubenhagen.
A ce que je sais, le due Ernest a 6t6 le premier prince de
Grubenhagen qui a reside ici, an 1340.
392 THE RECORDS OF
Translation of an Account which the Rev. Mr. Starke has sent,
concerning the Bmying Places and Sepulchral Monuments of
several Prijices and Princesses of the House of Brunswick-
Lunehurg, at Herzberg.
CHAP. III. The greater number of those princes and princesses of the
'^^'^^"^^ house of Brunswick-Grubenhagen who resided at this place,
have been buried at Osterode. We know from the history of
our country, that the following princely persons died here : —
Duke Albert the Third, 1486.
His son, duke Philip the First, 1551.
His consort, Catharina, of Mansfeldt, 1567. .
Their son, duke Ernest the Third, 1567.
Duke Wolfgang, brother of the latter, 1595.
His dutchess, Dorothy of Saxe-Lawenburg, 1586.
Duke Philip the Second, brother of Ernest and Wolfgang,
who has a tomb erected in memory of his name under the organ
of the church. Vide letter A.
His dutchess, Clara of Wolfenbuttel, 1595. Their remains,
as well as those of the dutchess Margaretha, consort of duke
Ernest the Third, who resided at Salzderhelden, were carried
to Osterode, and deposited there.
Herzberg was, at the time when it first became the residence
of princes, an insignificant place ; and had only a chapel, which,
with that of the castle, had not room enough for building a family
vault. The larger churches of Osterode, which town had been
frequently the residence of princes, contained already such
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 393
vaults; therefore the remains of the members of the ducal family chap. iii.
were carried from other places to be deposited there. Though ^'^'^'''"^
the larger church of St. Bartholomew was built in the year 1593,
at Herzberg, previous to the extinction of the line of Gru-
benhagen, they did not think it necessary to build proper
family vaults; as those at Osterode still existed, and they
could already at that time foresee the end of this branch of
the family, and did not think it probable that Herzberg would
ever become again the residence of princes. The small vault,
described under the letter D, is not at all calculated for the
burying place of a princely family ; and was most probably
built a long time after the extinction of this branch, as they
did not make use of it when the casualties mentioned under
letters B and C occurred.
It happened that Herzberg became once more the residence of
the dukes of Brunswick-Luneburg, after the extinction of the
Grubenhagen branch. Duke George, from whom the present
royal family descends in a direct line, transferred his resi-
dence to Herzberg, after the differences about the succes-
sion were settled in the year 1617. Though the active part
which he took in the great events of his time called him
frequently from home, it was here where all his children
were born. His son and successor, the duke Christian-Lewis,
resided here also till the year 1648, after he had exchanged the
principality of Celle with that of Calenberg; he removed his
residence first to Hanover, and afterwards to Celle. His
dutchess, Dorothea, daughter of Philip, duke of Holstein-
Gliicksburg, continued her residence at Herzberg, till she was
3 E
394 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. married again to Frederick- William, elector of Brandenburg, in
"■^^ the year 1668. She seems to be the last princely person who
resided here.
But, during the time that Grubenhagen was held in possession
by the younger branch of the house of Luneburg, the remains
of the deceased members of the family were regularly carried
to other places for interment. Duke George, who died at
Hildesheim, 1641, was taken to Celle. His dutchess, Anna-
Eleonora, who continued for eighteen years after his death to
reside here, and died 1659, was likewise taken to Celle.
Duke Christian-Lewis, who died at his country seat near
Celle, was carried there also.
Duke John-Frederick, Avho finished the building of a wing
of the castle, but never resided here, was brought after his death,
which happened at Augsburg, 1679, to Hanover.
Duke Ernest- Augustus, who had been in possession of Osna-
bruck eighteen years before John-Frederick's decease, took up
his residence at Hanover.
But of the period that the dukes of the younger house of Lune-
burg resided here, two monuments remain in our church : 1, That
of princess Magdalena, eldest daughter of duke George ; 2, That
of a twin sister of the elector Ernest-Augustus, Dorothea-Mag-
dalena. Both died in their infancy. The description of these
monuments will be found under letters B and C.
I cannot tell what was the cause, but at a time when Herzberg
had ceased to be a place of residence, two sons of the elector
Ernest-Augustus, who both had died the death of heroes in
the Austrian service, were brought here to be interred. They
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 395
rest in the above-mentioned ducal vault of the Bartholomew chap. hi.
church. A description of it is given under letter D. Herzberg ^^^'^^^
has reason to be proud of the remains of these young heroes ; but
it is much to be lamented that fate did not permit their third
brother, who met with an equally glorious death in Albania, to
rest by their side.
It is not in my power to say positively, that besides these
four, no other members of the illustrious family have found their
place of rest at Herzberg. But it is certain that no vestiges of
another burying place can be found here.
All documents, which were undoubtedly at those times pre-
served in the castle, have most probably been removed to Hanover
or Celle. But a notice which I find in a manuscript preserved in
the church archives, says, that at the departure of the dowager
of the duke Christian-Lewis, the dutchess Dorothea, from hence
to Berlin in the year 1668, the whole of the archives and other
important documents were carried off to Berlin.
As the church registers of this parish do not go farther back
than to the middle of the 17th century, and Herzberg already
about this time ceased to be the residence of our princes, no
notices of their families can be expected therein. Only in two
places I find mentioned the names of some of them ; once at the
christening of the daughter of aulic counsellor Berninger, at
which the dowager of duke George, the dutchess Anna-
Eleonore, her sister Juliane, and prince Ernest-Augustus, after-
wards bishop of Osnabruck, and elector, stood as godfathers
and godmothers ; afterwards the deposition of the remains of
prince Christian in the ducal vault. The following is an exact
copy of the register: —
THE RECORDS OF
1656. Mains
den 5. dess Herrn Hofraths Christian-Berningers, Tochterlein
Eleonora-Juliana, getaufft, Gev.
Ittma. nra. (nostra) Principissa Anna-Eleonora
ejusdem soror Juliana.
Ittmg. Ernestus-Augustus.
1703, the 25th October, is prhice Christian here deposited;
but the funeral and deposition of prince Frederick-Augustus is
not mentioned.
In the neighbouring parish, village Hattorf, the church register
reaches back to the 16th century, and in this they have inserted
the deaths of several reigning princes of our house. These inser-
tions I have added in letter E.
The above-mentioned manuscript is a collection of Memora-
bilia Herzbergiana : the author of it is the late organist of this
church, Mr. Wallis. It is of no great value.
Finally, I add, under letter F, the description of tw^o medals
of silver, vv^hich have been for a long time in possession of my
family. They were coined in memory of some of the princes
of the house of Brunswick-Luneburg, and deserve to be preserved
in a collection of medals.
Herzberg, l^th March, IE
(Signed) T. F. Starcke,
Superintendent of Herzberg.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH.
LETTER A.
Inscription under the Organ of the St. Bartholomews Church
at Herzberg.
When duke Philip the Second, with whom the line of Gru-
benhagen became extinct, succeeded his brother, the duke Wolf-
gang, and removed his court from Catlenburg to Herzberg, he
gave to the new-built church of St. Bartholomew the organ
which is still in it, and which he had first intended to give to
the church at Catlenburg. In memory of his munificence, a
wooden tablet under the organ has the following inscription, in
small German letters : —
Philipp, Hertzog zu Braunschweig maclit
Diss werk stifftet christlich bedacht
Gott zu Ehren, den menschen zur freudt
Gott gnad Ihm in der Seeligkeit.
Den virde Aprilis starb diss Jahr
Fur bin zu seiner Voreltern schaar.
1596.
The duke Wolfgang had given to the building of this church
1000 guilders. There was a stone to his memory fixed in the
pulpit, with the following inscription : —
Beij Regierung des hochgebohrnen Fiirsten und Herrn, Herrn
Wolfgang, Herzogen zu Braunschweig und Liineburg,
ist diese Kirche neu erbauet. 1593.
398 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. The removal of the pulpit from the middle of the church to
the altar, in the years 1741 and 1742, has destroyed this
monument.
(Signed) Starcke.
Herzberg, 29th March, 1819.
LETTER B.
Tomb and Monument of the Princess Magdalene, in the
St. Bartholomew's Church at Herzberg.
This princess was the eldest of the children of Anna-Eleonora,
daughter of the landgrave Louis the Fifth, of Hesse-Darmstadt,
and consort of duke George, the first of the line of Celle and
Calenberg, or the line of Hanover, of the new house of Luneburg.
She was bom the 9th of August, 1618, at Herzberg, and died the
same day. Her burying place is in the choir of the church on
the south-east wall, just before the stairs which lead to the pulpit.
It is two feet and a half high, and as many feet wide, and covered
with a stone plate, which has the following inscription: —
Von Gottes Gnaden Magdalena, Hertzogin zu Braunschweig und
Luneburg, ist ut Hertzberg, den 8 Augusti, frue Zwischen
2 und 3 Gebohren und Zwischen 11 und
12 selig in Christo Verschieden,
im Jahr 1618.
Over the inscription are the Brunswick and the Hesse-
Darmstadt arms, cut in stone. Both are well preserved.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 399
In the wall over the grave is a wooden monument, painted chap. hi.
white and gilded, which has in the upper corners the two coats ^-'''^^^-^
of arms painted, and in the middle the following inscription:
Nata est illustrissima Princeps heroi nata Magdalena, serenissimi
Principis ac Domini, Domini Geokgii, Ducis Branovicensis et
Luneburgensis, primogenita filiola. A, 1618. IX Augusti,
de nocte inter secundam et tertiam, obiit eodem
die inter undecimam et duodecimam horam
meridianam. Pax suis manibq.
Non opus est luctu, quod prima ab origini coelo
Reddita sum nobis, fasne sit invideas?
Incipe uterque parens mordacem sistere lessum
Coelestes inter jubila pango duces,
Dans prsecepta aliis, vitse fastidia discant,
Atque omnem in Christo spem posuisse suam.
(Signed) Starcke,
Herzberg, 29th March, 1819.
LETTER C.
Tomb and Monument of the Princess Dorothea-Magdalena,
in the St. Bartholomew's Church at Herzberg.
Close to the tomb of the princess Magdalena, on the south-
east side of the church, is that of her younger sister, the princess
Dorothea-Magdalena, the twin sister of the elector Ernest-
Augustus. They were born at Herzberg, the 20th Nov. 1629;
400 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. and she died the 17th Nov. 1630. The tomb has the same
height and width as that of the princess Magdalena, and there
is no space between them. The covering plate of stone con-
tains nothing but some coarse ornaments. But the tablet
on the wall, which is of stone, the pillars of which are
damaged, has the following inscription, with white letters on
black ground : —
Sub saxo isto quiescit
generosissima heroinula
Dorothea Magdalena,
filiola gemella
illustrissimi et celsissimi Principis
ac Doi. Georgii, Duels Br. et Luneburg.
quae
D.20)_ fl629. nata et baptizata, 6-)^ (1630.
_ SNov.-' ^ y Jaii.^
D. 17> i. 630. mortua et terrse redita, 13 5 C 631.
Adeoque cum magno
inclytee familise celsissimorum parentum
subditorum omnium
mcerore.
Intra paucos dies redeuntes
nata, defuncta, baptizata, sepultate.
Quicunque haec legit ut
vicissitudinem humanam providentiam divinam
fatum commune
tarn insigni exemplo agnoscas,
et
illustrissimis parentibq.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 401
condoleas CHAP. III.
oliin ^^-^
lantiora preceris
monet.
It is very probable that over the cornice of this monument
v^'as a head-piece, like that of the monument of the princess Mag-
dalena, ornamented with the ducal arms ; but it was perhaps
taken away when the seat of the bailiff was made longer.
(Signed") Staucke.
Hazberg,29th 31arc/,, 1819.
LETTER D.
Ducal Vault in St. Bartholomew's Church at Herzbei^g.
Under the altar of this church is a vault of very good mason-
work, in which repose the remains of the two sons of the elector
Ernest-Augustus, who both fell in the Austrian service. The vault
is about twelve feet high and twelve feet wide. It is lighted
by an opening on the east side, which has an iron grate. A
commodious staircase, closed by a falling gate, leads from the
choir to the well-guarded folding door of the vault.
The eldest of these princes is Frederick-Augustus, the second
son of Ernest-Augustus, born 1661. He was major-general in
the Austrian army, when he lost his life on the field of battle,
on the 10th of June, 1690, near Teres, in Transylvania, in forcing
a pass against the Turks.
3 F
402 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. A double wooden coffin, of which the outside is covered with
'^^'^^^"^ black leather, contains his remains. It is eight feet long, and
bordered with tin plates. It has, besides the initials of the prince
on both sides of the cover, a caput mortuum and an hour-glass
of tin on the head side of the cover, and a crucifix, four feet
long, of tin, on the top of it. The back part of the cover, on
which the memento mori is fixed, is loose and broken ; the rest
seems to be firm and well preserved.
The other coffin, which stands in this vault, encloses the
earthly remains of prince Christian, the fifth son of Ernest-
Augustus. He was born 1671, and lost his life the 31st July,
1703, at Ehingen, not far from Ulm, on the Danube, when in
an engagement with the French. He tried to cross the river,
and his horse was killed under him. On the 23d October, 1 703,
he was deposited in this vault. He was likewise an Austrian
general.
The outside coffin is behind three feet and a quarter, and
before two feet three quarters high. The width of the cover
increases from one foot and a half to three feet and a half; but
lessens in width to three feet. It is of solid English tin, and
rests upon an iron scaffold. An abundance of well worked orna-
ments of the same metal are rivetted. They consist, besides
the usual borderings, of a crucifix, which covers the whole, and
the Christ of which is of brass, and gilded. Of the brass plate,
with the inscription F. N. R. F. of the crucifix, which was also
^gilded, a piece is broken off, so that the first letters are only
to be seen.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 403
On both sides of the cover are ornaments, from head to foot, chap. hi.
in the following order : — v^'N"^^
Arms ; cross beam of the crucifix ; arms.
Between the cross beams and the arms below, is a place not
filled out, where it appears that ornaments have existed ; on
one side the date of his birth, and on the other that of his death.
But these are torn oiF.
On the sides of the coffin, ornaments ; handle, arms ; handle,
arms, handle.
At the feet, arms.
At the head the initials of the prince, and under it the
complete ducal coat of arms. Here is an opening, about an
inch wide, through which a scull can be seen — a proof that the
inside of the wooden coffin is already decayed.
(Signed) Starcke.
Ha-zberg, 29th Marc/i, 1819.
LETTER E.
Extracts of the Register of Deaths kept in the Parish Church at
Hattorf, near Herzberg, since the Year 1589.
Anno 1595, den 12 Martii, ist der durchlauchtige Fiirst und
Herr, Herr Wolfgangus, Hertzog zu Brauns. und Liineb. zum
Herzberg in God selig eingeschlafen.
Anno 1596, den 4 April, ist der durchlauchtige Fiirst und
Herr, Herr Philippus, Hertzog zu Brauns. und Luneb. als der letzte
404 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. HI. Grubenhagenschen Stams audi zum Herzberg in Gott selig
''■^'^''''^*^ entschlafen. alt. 62 jahr: 11 monath.
Anno 1613, den ist der Hochwiirdigste und durch. Fiirst
und Herr, Herr Heinrich Julius, Dhumprobst zu Halberstadt und
Hertzog zu Braunsch. und Luneb. in Gott selig verschieden.
Symbolum, Sincere et constanter.
Anno 1665, den 15 Martii, ist der durchlauchtigste Fiirst und
Herr, Herr Christian-Ludowig, Herzog zu Br. und Luneb. in Christo
Jesu sanft und selig eingeschlafen und zu Zelle 1 9"'- dieses
annoch lausenden Jahren in sein Ruhekiimmerlein daselbsten
hochflirst. solennitiit nach verwahrlich beygesetzet worden. buig
aia in pace requiescat, setat. suae 43 jahren 18 tagen.
Symlolum, Alles mit bedacht.
Anno 1666, den 17 September, ist der durchlauchtige Fiirst
und Herr, Herr Augustus, Herzog zu Br. und Luneb. als altester
und Hochgelahrtester Fiirst ufF Dero hochfiirst. Resident zu
Wolfenbuttel seinem Erloser Christo Jesu sanft eingeschlafen und
darauf den 11 Xbris hochfiirst. solennitiit nach in Dero fiirst.
Erb-Begrabness zu Wolfenbiittel beygesetzet worden. alt 87
jahren, 5 mon. 7 tagen.
Si/mbolum, Ex duris gloria.
Anno 1679, den 18 Xbris. ist der durchlaucht, Fiirst u. Herr,
Herr Johann-Friederich, Hertzog zu Br. und Luneb. (auf der
vorgehabten Reise nach Venedig) in der Stadt Augsburg selig
v-erschieden, und anno 1680, den 20 Aprilis, zu Hannover solen-
niter in Dero Ruhe. Kiimmerlein demandiret worden.
Anno 1641, den 2 M. ist der durchlauchtigste Fiirst und
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 405
Herr, Herr Georg, Hertzog zu Br. und Luneb. zu Zelle in Gott chap. in.
selig verschieden. "''■^^^'^tJ
Extrahirt Hattorf, 18 Marz, 1819, und sub fide pastoral!
bescheiniget.
(Signed) G. J. Starcke, Pastor.
LETTER F.
Description of tivo Aledals.
The largest of these medals weighs two ounces and a half; and
has on one side the well-executed and preserved figure of the
elector Ernestus-Augustus, with the inscription,
Ern. Aug. D. G. D. Br. et L. S. R. F. E. L. E. O.
and under the figure the name of the artificer, E. B.
On the other side the inscription :■ — ■
Natus XX. Nov. CIoloCXXIX.
denatus media nocte
inter XXIII. et XXIV. Januar.
CIoIdCXCIIX. regiminis episcopalis
anno XXXVI.
ducalis XIX. electoralis VII.
postquam vixisset
annos LXIIX. menses II. dies III.
Haec meta laborum.
The whole is surrounded by a wreath of laurel.
406 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. III. The other weighs one ounce, and is not so well executed.
^■"^"^^^^ It represents on one side the head of the consort of duke
Anthony-Ulrich, of Brunswick, Elizabeth-Juliana, daughter of
Frederick, duke of Holstein-Norburg, with the words round it, —
Diva Elisab. Julia, D. G. Due. Brun. et Lun.
And under it, —
Nata 1634, denata 1704.
On the other side a cloud lifts up the glorified from a palace,
(probably Salzdalum, or the Grave Hof of Brunswick) ; before
which is lying on a table the ducal crown, with the inscription, —
Deservisse juvat.
Should these two medals, which I have in my possession, but
of which I do not know if they belong to what may be called
rarities in this genus, be of any value to his royal highness the
duke of Clarence, I venture to leave them at his disposal.
(Signed) Starcke.
Ilerzberg, 29th Man/,, 1819.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 407
OSTERODE.
Notices Sepulcrales su)' la Famille aiiguste des Dues et Duchesses de
Brunsvick Lunebourg, et Grubenhagen, specialement ce qui s^en
trouve a Osterode, redigees par ordre de Son A It esse Roy ale le
Due de Clarence. Par J. F. H. Effler, Surintendant.
Ce que la ville d'Osterode contient maintenant en reliques chap, hi,
de la maison auguste des dues et duchesses de Brunsvick-Lune- ^'^'^^^
bourg-Grubenhagen, se divise en deux parties : —
1. Tombes sculpt^es en dessus des caveaux.
2. Portraits et inscriptions sur un grand tableau de famille,
peint en couleur.
L'6glise de St. Jacques, surnommee du Chateau, parcequ'elle
est annex^e a cet Edifice, qui d'un ancien convent de fiUes
Cycercienses, I'an 1558, fut chang6 en residence princi^re, et
qui fait maintenant la demeure du baillif, a servi de sepulture
^ un grand nombre de personnes, parmi lesquelles la duchesse
Catherine (qui mourut en 1535) est d6sign6e ; mais depuis sa-
restauration en 1752, on n'y trouve plus de pierres sepulcrales
ni d'autres marques distinctives ; et personne ne pent dire ce
qu'elles sont devenues. Sur I'ouverture du caveau, qui existe
sous la sacristie, on trouva (le 24 Fevrier, 1819,) deux
cercueils ; dont Fun, detain et sup^rieurement travaille, contient
les restes d'un baron d'Oeynhausen (qui mourut en 1671); et
Tautre ceux d'un baron de Schlitz, nomme de Gorz, qui mourut
en 1703).
408 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. III. Les recherches ult^rieures faites sur le choeur de cette 6glise,
qui fut fouill6 dans le milieu, et ou I'on s'attendoit a trouver
le tombeau de la duchesse Catherine, n'ont produit d'autres
resultats que I'existence de deux petits tombeaux ; dont I'un,
devant le milieu de I'autel, contenoit un cercueil de bois double
tout pourri, sans un souppon d'inscription ou d'autre renseigne-
ment; il ne restoit, du corps mort, que la tete, de moyenne
grandeur, et quelques os detaches; le matelas avait 6t6 fait en
houblon, encore reconnoissable.
Les murailles de ce caveau 6tant deja alFoiblies, il a 6t6 rempli
de decombres. Un autre, qui se trouvoit auprfes du baptist^re,
avoit d6ja eu ce sort, et on n'y voyoit que peu de fragmens des
planches, dont le cercueil avoit 6t6 compose.
L'^glise de St. Gille (Egydien kirche), ou du march^, pro-
mettoit de plus heureuses d^couvertes, parcequ'elle 6toit plus
, ancienne et qu'elle avoit toujours servi de cath^drale; aussi les
archives y annonfoient les caveaux de plusieurs princes Bruns-
wicois, y deposes. Sur I'autorisation donn^e par le cabinet, le
parquet du choeur et le marchepied de I'autel furent ot^s, (le
24 Mars, 1S19,) et il se presenta sept tombes, avec des sculptures
et des inscriptions parfaitement bien travaillees et conserv^es.
Elles sont placees sur deux rangs en cet ordre : —
L'Esi.
I'Autel. 1
3.
Anne Marguerite.
j Erneste.
1.
Philippe I'Aime.
1 ^•
1 DOROTH^E.
1 *•
1 Wolfgang.
6.
Philippe
le Jeune.
7.
Claire.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. ^^g
No. 1. Figure d'homme %e, la barbe forte, large, et couple; chap. ,„.
tout en armure, r^p6e baiss6e dans les mains, le casque ouvert "-^^^^
pos6 par terre ; a ses pieds les armes orndes du casque couronn6, et
par dessus le cheval Brunswicois (sans 6tre, comme ordinaire-
ment, entour^ de deux faucilles), et la queue de paon : T^cusson,
non divis6, contient deux lions, I'un au-dessus de lautre, un peu
grossiferement travaill^s. A name devise.
L'inscription : —
Anno Domini millesimo quingentesimo quinquagesimo prime (1551) die
Veneris, quarta mensis Septembris, obiit illustris, clementissimus et
pacificus Princeps et Dominus, Dominus Philippus, Dux
Brunswicensis et Luneburgensis et cet. cujus aniraa
requiescat in pace.
No. 2. Figure d'homme prestance noble, visage long et maigre,
barbe crepue, descendant h la poitrine, tout arm^, I'^p^e baiss^e
entre les mains, k ses pieds, le casque ferm6. Les armes, orn^es
du casque couronn^, du cheval entour^ de deux faucilles, et
de la queue de paon. L'^cusson, divis^ en quatre quartiers,
deux leopards en occupent deux.
a, b, c, d, un lion droit, qui en b est entour^ de coeurs. Sanji
devise.
L'inscription : —
Anno 1567, secundo die Aprilis, inter 4 et 6 horam post meridiem,
Ernestus, Dux Brunsw. et Luneburgensis, laudabili fine,
immortalem vitam consecutus est*
3 G
H
410 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. HI. No. 3. Figure de femme, avec rinscription : —
Anna Margaretha, Ernesti Ducis. Brunsw. et Luneburg. conjux,
paulo plus completis 2 annis viduitatis post mortem mariti, hie
sepulta jacet: obiit 24 Jul. 1569.
Les armes sont decorees d'uii casque couronn6 d'un haut
panache ; T^cusson divis6 en neuf quartiers : dont a, b, c, e, f, i,
ont un griffon ; d, un dragon droit k queue courb6e en
avant ; g, un griffon au-dessus en pierres de taille, ou
pierres de muraille ; h, deux faises en forme de sautoir
(X), et des roses dans les quatre coins. Point de devise.
Les ornemens en la tete sont, a la gauche de Tembl^me de la
foi, une figure avec la croix en mains ; a la droite ceux de I'amour
et de Fespdrance, une figure tenant un pigeon a la main droite, la
gauche reposant sur un ancre.
No. 4. Tres belle figure d'homme tenue fifere, forte moustache,
le menton presque sans barbe, tout en armure, r^p6e au c6t^
gauche et un poignard au c6te droit, tenant un baton de com-
mandement a la main droite. Aux pieds le casque ouvert. Les
armes divis6es en quatre quartiers, comme a No. 2, avec la
devise, " Fide, sed cui vide."
L'inscription : —
Wolfgangus, Dei gratia Dux Brunswicensis et Luneburgensis, obiit XIV.
Martis, anno MDLXXXXV.(1595) vixit LXill.annos, XI. menses, XVII.
dies (63 ans, 11 mois, 17 jours), cujus anima requiescat in pace.
No. 5. Trfes-belle figure de femme, t^te mignonne, taille et
tenue gracieuses.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH.
L'inscription Allemande : —
Von Gottes Gnaden Dorothea, geb. Herz. zu Sachsen, Engern und
Westphalen, Herzoginn zu Braunschweig und Luneburg, ist anno 1586,
den 5 Aprilis, umb 11 Uhr Vormittags zum Herzberge in Gott
den Herrn seliglich entschlafen.
Aux quatre coins de la tombe on voit autant d'ecussons
simples, dont deux opposes ont la guirlande de rue Saxonne sur
des fasces horizontales. Celui a la droite en haut a un aigle
double, droit, les ailes ^ploy^es, regardant a droite ; et celui k la
gauche en bas a trois croissants. Sa?is devise. /'^ "=')
No. 6. Figure d'homrae grande et noble, peu de barbe,
grande moustache, tout arm^, ayant une petite hallebarde au
bras droit, I'^p^e attach^e a une forte chaine et le poignard
au c6t6 droit, aux pieds le casque ferm^ plus un grand panache.
Les armes, orn^es de deux casques couronn^s, dont Tun a le
cheval Brunswicois et la queue de paon, Tautre un grand plumet
a trois rangs : I'^cusson est divis6 en cinq quartiers ;
dont deux ont des leopards ; b, c, d, ont un lion droit ;
celui en b, est entour6 de ccBurs; celui en e, a un
lion marchant sur trois fasces horizontales.
La devise : Deus dat, Deus aufert.
L'inscription : —
Philippus, Dei Gratia Dux Brunswicensis et Luneburgensis, obiit
IV Aprilis, anno MDXGVI. (1596), vixit annos LXII. mens. XI.
(62 ans, 11 mois), cujus anima requiescat in pace.
Les ornemens comme en No. 3.
il2 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. No. 7. Figure de femme, traits nobles; sur la poitrine, une
^^^^^^^ croix attach^e k une chaine. Les mfimes armes comme en No. 2
et 4, mais mieux execut^es.
La devise Allemande : —
In Gottes gewallt
Habe ich es gestallt.
L'inscription :
Anno 1595, 13 Novembris, pie in Christo obiit illustrissima Principissa
Clara, Ducissa Brunswicensis et Luneburgensis, uxor
illustrissimi Principis Philippi.
Les tombes des dues Wolfgang et Philippe le Jeune sont
d'ardoise, les autres de grfes, (landstein).
Toutes ces pierres ^tant legferement plac^es sans aucune
mafonnerie, on a lev6 les deux derniers, No. 4 et 6, et on a trouv^
du gravois au-dessous a la hauteur d'un pied, et plus bas un
plan d'albatre, ou un mortier, qui, d'aprfes I'avis des masons, fait
la couverture de la voute du caveau, dans lequel chaque corps
mort a le sien propre. Sur cela on s'est arrets de crainte de
reproches d'avoir trouble le repos de ces illustres morts. Les
pierres 6tant remplac^es, le parquet a et^ r^tabli aux d^pens
du magistrat de la ville.
Cette recherche etant finie, j ai et^ informe, qu'il y a 48 ans,
a I'oceasion de quelques changements et restaurations dans cette
eghse, deux de ces caveaux ont 6i6 ouverts; et que dans Tun
d'eux, vraisemblablement celui du due Wolfgang, on a trouv6
un cercueil de bois double, orn6 d'une 6p6e, dans lequel reposoit
un corps mort en armes, un chapeau a trois comes sur la tete, et a
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH.
413
ses pieds iin papier, qui apr^s avoir 6te lu par un des assistants, le chap. in.
ministre Miinster, mais sans etre copi^, a et6 remis h sa place. ^-^^'^^
De ces assistants quatre sont encore en vie ; mais le detail est
echapp^ a leur m^moire, et un proces-verbal n'en a pas 6t6 dresse.
La m^me 6glise de St. Gille (Egydien) contient un grand
tableau mortuaire, d'tVpeu-prfes 16 pieds de hauteur a 14 pieds
de largeur, en boiserie sculpt^e et peinture. La partie superieure
repr6sente la resurrection de J6sus Christ ; plus bas il se trouve
un quartier large, avec 1 1 figures bien execut^es, dont sept figures
d'hommes, tout en armes, le casque remise par terra, sont a
genoux dans I'attitude de la pri^re ; plac^es a gauche, vis-a-vis *
d'elles, quatre dames debout, toutes marquees par une petite
croix rouge a la t^te, en signe de mort. Le quartier plus bas
contient les inscriptions suivantes : —
Philippus, Dux Brunsw. et Luneb. Albert: filius Christianse, religionis
pius professor, vitae morumque integritate clarus, moritur Herzbergiee,
prope Osterodam, et in hoc St. Egydii templo sepultus est, anno
Christi 1551.
Johannes, filius quartus. Dux Brunsw. et Luneb. globe bombardae
ietaliter vulneratus inter Quintinum et Derveram, in qua pugna
ultra 5000 caesi et decies mille capti fuerunt, post piam
confessionem, in castris mortuus, et sepultus est in
urbe Regis Hispaniae, Camerich, anno 1557,
aetatis 31.
Anno 1567, secundo die Aprilis, inter 4 et 5 horam post meridiem,
fortitudine et sapientia praestans heros, Ernestus, Dux Bruhsw.
et Luneb. Ducis Philip, pii primogenitus, Ducium Wolfgangi
414 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP III et Philippii frater, post piam confessionem vita functus
^,>-\-^i^ est Herzhergise, et apud patrem sepultus, anno
getatis 55, gubernationis 16.
Albertus, Dux Brunsw. et Luneb. Ducis Philippi filius secundus, iu
acerrimo preelio, quod Imperator Carolus V. gessit contra
confoederatos Schmalcaldicos, vulnus periculosum accepit,
sepultus in urbe Nordlingen, anno 1546, setatis 25.
Philippus III. Dux Brunsw. et Luneb. mortuus Herzbergiae in Acre
juventutis et gloriae culmini, sepultus Herzbergiae, 1531.
De I'autre cote : —
Catiiarina, Comitis Ernesti a Mansfeld filia, Philippii, Ducis
Brunsw. et Luneburg. conjux, mater pauperum, obiit Herzhergiae,
et in templo St. Jacobi, Osterodae, sepulta, anno 1535.
EnsABETHA, Ducis Philippi filia, infans, obiit et Osterodae sepulta est,
anno 1520.
Barbara, Ducis Philippi filia, Herzbergiae mortua et sepulta,
anno 1528.
Au c6t6 droit de ces ^pitaphes on lit en plus grands carac-
tferes : —
Anno 1573.
Inclytus Dux Brunswicensis et Luneb. Wolfgangus,
In honorum parentum et fraternum amorem.
Salve sancte cinis, piacideque parere parentes
Fidelse cives usque manete domus.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 415
Aspice quam deceat generosos gratia fratres CHAP. III.
Sanguine quam junctos mutuus ornet amor. ^^^^.^^^«'
Nos etiam vobis venientia tempoia jungent,
Simus ut a Christo non aliena cohors.
Qui modo vitales moribundi linquimus auras,
Pulvere surgemus vivi vocante Deo. '
Ergo pie in terris studeamus vivere eadem
Quo vehat in coelos nos pia cura Dei.
Les enfants de Philippe I'ain^ et de Catherine ont h\.i :
1, Philippe, (mort enfant). 2, Erneste. 3, Elisabeth. 4, Al-
brecht. 5, Catherine. 6, Jean. 7, Barbara. 8, Wolfgang.
9, Philippe (le Jeune).
Ce grand tableau pent etre ferm^ par deux battans de toile
cir^e, et on voit sur Tun d'eux le due Wolfgang; et sur I'autre
son 6pouse, la duchesse Dorothea, en grand costume, bien fait
et conserv6 : a leurs pieds leurs armes, pareilles a celles sur les
tombes. Au-dessous une epitaphe AUemande, tres-mal r^dig^e, et
riin6e, portant que le due Wolfgang a fait construire ce monu-
ment en rhonneur et a la memoire de ses parents d^funts, en
ces termes : —
WoLrcANG, der hochgebohrne fiirst und herr,
Hat zu Gedaclitniss und Ehr
Seinen Eltern und Briidern fein,
Saschon in Gott entschlafen sein
Dies epitaphiura machsn Ian
Damit seine fiirstliche Gnad zeigt an
Gottes Giite und Allmaclitigkeit
Sein Shbpsung Gewalt und innige Weisheit
416 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. HI. Sein barmherzigkeit und milde.
^^^^^."^^-^ Den Gl'aubigen wird vorgebildt;
Daraus sie haben Trost und Lehr
Gott zu sagen ruhm lob und ehr,
Der jenen durch sein gunst, gnad und huld
Will alle ihre siind und schuld
Durch seinen Hohn Christum vergeben
Darnach anzeigen darneben
Dass Gott wird zwar bald uns alien
Durch sein posaunenrufen mit schallen
Aus den Grabern auferwecken,
Und die seligkeit entdecken.
Es wird auch an unser Leben
Ganz gar vbllig wiedergeben,
Uns geben was wir begehren.
Christ wird sein Engel auch schicken
Uns nun entgegen zu riicken,
Und uns auch schon empfangen
In seinen armen umsangen
Des werden wir uns stets freun
Uns lieben von ganzem trueen :
Wir werden ewig mit schalle
Vor Gottes stuhl singen alle
Lob, Ehr' pris, kraft und starke
Gott Vater und dem Sohn
Des Heiligen Geistes werke
Sey ewig lob und dank gethan.
Amen.
Le revers de ces deux battans est d6cor6 de tableaux embl^-
matiques tir6s de I'^criture sainte, viz, la resurrection du jeune
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 4I7
homme de Nain et celle de Lazare. La resurrection des morts chap. hi.
et le dernier jugement, avec les passages y relatifs. . ^^■v^^-«'
Dans une Chronique d'Osterode (manuscrit), redigee par
Henri Wendt, secretaire de la ville, I'an 1639, il est dit expr^s, que
les suivans princes de la maison de Brunswick-Liinebourg ont 6te
deposes dans I'^glise cath^drale de St. Alexandre, a Einbeck ; viz.
Henri, qui mourut en 1322.
Jean, fils ain6 de Henri, pr^vot du chapitre, qui mourut en ] 367.
Erneste, sonfrfere, qui mourut en 1344, avec sa seconde 6pouse,
Agnfes, comtesse d'Eberstein, a Grubenhagen, leur residence
ordinaire.
Albrecht, fils d'Erneste, qui mourut en 1379,
Erich, fils d'Albrecht, qui mourut en 1431.
Henri, deuxifeme fils d'Erich, mort a Grubenhagen en 1469.
Son fils ain^, Erich, prevot du chapitre, qui mourut
y repose de meme.
Osterode, 10 Mai, 1319.
HARBURG.
Account of the Rev. JMr. Koester, i-especthig the Burying Places
and Monuments of the illustrious House of Brunswick- Lunebui-g
at Harburg.
The burying place of the princes and princesses of the house
of Brunswick-Luneburg, who resided here from 1527 to 1642,
3 H
418 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. was in the former church of St. Maria, which stood not far from
'^^^^/'^^ the ducal palace, between this and the town of Harburg, on a spot
which is now called the Bau-Hof.
After the decease of the last duke, William, of the line of
Harburg, which happened 1642, it was resolved to break down
this old church, as it stood on damp ground, exposed to frequent
inundations, and to build a larger one in the town, on a more
elevated situation. When this new church was finished, and con-
secrated in the year 1652, the nine coffins which were found in the
ducal vault of the old church were carried to the new town church,
and deposited in a vault made for that purpose, and exactly
large enough for the nine coffins. It is under the high altar in
the middle of it, between the altar and the pulpit, and has never
been opened since.
In the ducal chapel of the castle, which was built by Otho
the Younger, between the years 1560 and 1570, no persons were
ever buried. But this fine chapel, which afterwards was used
for the divine service of the garrison, and in the year 1813
most unluckily burnt down by the imprudent behaviour of
French soldiers, who made a fire on the floor of it, was orna-
mented with the statues of five princely persons, and with a
most splendid monument of alabaster in memory of two brothers
of the family. The figures M^ere of fine marble, and had the
same inscriptions as the coffins.
In the town church there are no monuments or epitaphs
of the ducal family, and no inscriptions on the tombstones,
as the ducal vault and the whole of the choir is covered with
large floor stones, without inscriptions or ornaments.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 419
The nine coffins contain the remains of the following princes chap. hi.
and princesses: —
1, Otho, the first duke of the middle house of Bnmswick-
Luneburg, who resided here. At the settlement with his brother
Ernest, probably his love for a retired life, and his marriage with
Matilda von Campen, of the house of Isenbuttel, made him choose,
1527, the house of Harburg for his future residence. This prince
died in the year 1549, after a reign of twenty-two years, at
Harburg, and he was deposited in the above-mentioned church
of St. Maria; and, in the year 1G52, removed to the great town
church, as already mentioned.
2, His consort, Matilda von Campen, of Isenbuttel ; died 1580.
3, His son, and successor as reigning duke, Otho the Younger ;
died after a reign of fifty-four years, in the year 1603.
4, The first consort of the latter prince, Margaret, born
countess of Schwarzburg; died 1557.
5, His second consort, Hedewig ; born countess of East
Friesland; died 1616.
6, Christopher, younger son of Otho the Younger, co-regent
with his elder brother, duke William, after his father's death, from
1603 to 1606; died in consequence of an unlucky fall in the
castle of Harburg, the 7th June, 1606.
7, His consort, Elizabeth ; born dutchess of Brunswick-
Luneburg; died 1618.
8, Otho, younger brother of Christopher, and after whose
decease became co-regent with his eldest brother, William;
died at Harburg, 25th February, in the year 1641, sixty-eight
years old.
420 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. 9, Hedwig, sister of the last reigning duke, William, at
^■"^"^"^^ Harburg, and of Christopher and Otho ; died unmarried, 6th
March, 1620.
William, the last duke of the line of Harburg, died the
30th March, 1642. His remains were transported to Celle,
and deposited there in the ducal vault. His statue, in full length,
was in a niche of the ducal chapel of the castle.
The following statues, in full length, cut in marble, and of
excellent workmanship, were to be seen in niches behind the
altar of the now entirely destroyed chapel of the castle. They
had inscriptions on oval plates of marble, as follow : —
D. G. Otto, Dux Brunsv. et Luneb. obiit anno MDCIII.
die XX. mensis Octbr.
D. G. Maegaeetha, nata Comitissa ex familia Schwarzburgensi,
Ducissa Brunsv. et Luneburg. obiit anno MDLVII.
die XVI. mensis Martii.
D. G. Hedewig, nata Comitissa ex famili^ Comitum Phrisise orientalis,
Ducissa Brunsv. et Luneburg. obiit anno M'DCXVI.
die IV. mensis Decbr.
D. G. Hedewicis, nata Principissa Brunsv. et Luneburg. ccelebs, obiit
anno MDCXX. die VI. mensis Martii.
D. G. WiLHELMUs, Dux Brunsv. et Luneburg. obiit anno MDC.
die mensis Martii.
A large expensive monument, most beautifully done in Italy,
at an expense of two thousand Rhenish gold guelders, was erected
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 421
by duke William, in memory of his brothers Christopher and chap. in.
Frederick, and had exactly the following very instructive ^"^'^''^
inscriptions : —
Christopherxjs, D. G. Dux Bruns. et Luneb. D. Ottonis, ex
D. Hedwige, nata e familia Com. Phrysiae orient, filius quartus, in lucem
editus mense August! die XII. anno MDLXX. postquam a pueritia
ad pietatem educatus. Deinde litteris, armis, ac ludis equestribus
egregie claruisset, plurimas praeterea regiones, Galliam,
Italiam, Ungariam, Poloniam perlustrasset, uxore ducta
D. Elisabetha, D. Julii, D. Br. et Lun. filia, vixque
biennis in matrimonio felicissime peracto extra
omnem omnium expectationem, VII. m. Jun.
anno MDCVII. fortuito casu capsus
invocatione Divini Numinis quamvi&
breviss. tamen ardentiss.
nocte ejusdem diei, suramo suorum cum luctu, absque prole expiravit,
ciim vixisset a. XXXV, m. XI, diem horamque unam.
Friedekicus, D. G. Dux Brunsv. et Luneb. D. Ottonis, ex D. Hedewige,
nata e familia Comit. Phrysiae orient, filius septimus, dum anno MDLXXVIII.
VI. mens. Septb. natus, et ab ipsa pueritia ad pietatem educatus, vitam
variis ac vero principe dignis virtutibus exornasset, et Germaniam,
Italiam, Suev. Livoniam perlustrasset, et D. Carolo, electo
Regi Suecio milites Germanicos aliquot adduxisset in praelio,
quod baud procul a Riga urbe Livoniae versus Nercholm
questum contra Polonos strenue fortissimeque
dimicans, post plurima et data et accepta
vulnera tandem occubuit, XVII m. Sept.
Anno Dom. MDCV. ac jussu illustrissimi Principis D. Friederict,
in Livonia, Curlandia, et Semigallia ducis, Mitoviam deductus
et ibidem sepultus, cum vixisset a. XXVII dies hor. VI.
422 THE RECORDS OF
(HtW. III. Quos casus inopinatos fratrumque suavissimorum interitum frater
'^■*^^'^^^' illustrissimus Princeps Dominus Wilhelmus, Dux Brunsv. et
Luneburg. moestissime deplorans in perpetuam defunctorum
famae laudatissimae memoriam suique amoris et doloris
testimonium hoc monumentum posteritati
posult, anno MDCVII.
We find in the works of Rethmeyer, Pfeffinger, Staphorst,
Oldenburger, Thesaurus Rerum Publ., &c. many notices about
the deaths and the burying places of the persons of the ducal
house of Brunswick-Luneburg ; but they are not all of them
exact, nor do they agree with those which we find upon the
tombstones and monuments. It is, therefore, advisable to
consult Arnold Schenk's Homilise Funebres, the notices and
accounts of the churches in the town, and the inscriptions and
monuments in regard to this branch of the family.
It is not quite clear why the year and the day of the month
are omitted on the statue of William; but it is very probable
that the sculptor did not know them when he was at work,
and that it was afterwards forgotten to add them, as this statue
of the last duke of Harburg was erected to his memory by duke
Christian-Louis, of Celle, several years after the decease of
William. But Arnold Schenk's funeral sermon makes it certain
that he died at Harburg, the 30th March, 1642.
(Signed) H. L. C. Koester,
Pastor of Wilhelmsburg.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 423
Additional Remarks, hi/ the Rev. Mr. D. Schlegel, of Ha r burg.
For the foregoing account I am obliged to the Rev. Mr. Koester, chai*. lu.
of.Wilhelmsburg, who, during the time of his officiating as garrison
chaplain here, studied with particular diligence the antiquities
of this town. It is a very lucky circumstance that this gentleman
at that time collected all the inscriptions, and that his papers
were afterwards preserved, M'hen his house at Wilhelmsburg
was plundered by the French; for otherwise we should have
lost considerably in respect of the history of the house of Harburg.
To the above notices I have nothing to add, but that the princes
and princesses of this illustrious house, who resided here, have,
by so many benevolent establishments for the support of the
poor, left many monuments of their residence here.
On the 30th of May, 1813, on the same day on which
Hamburg, after having suffered a bombardment, was again taken
possession of by the French, and on which the greatest part of
the garrison of Harburg left this place, a fire broke out at six
oclock in the morning, occasioned by the imprudent way in
which the French cooked their victuals on the floor of the church.
This tremendous fire consumed a great part of the royal palace,
many public buildings, and also the fine royal chapel. Of this
chapel nothing is left but the bare walls, and these ruins are awfully
sublime. It is reported that, by an order of the war office, they
will be taken down as soon as stones for new buildings are
wanted. The niches behind the altar are still to be seen, but
of the statues themselves not the least vestiges are to be found.
They were dashed to pieces by the petulant enemy, or consumed
424 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. under the flames, which no one could approach for several days.
Also of the monument in memory of the dukes Christopher and
Frederick, nothing more is to be seen than the spot in the wall
where it stood, and a few trifling ornaments.
(Signed) D. Schlegel.
DANNENBERG.
Extract of a Letter from the Rev. Mr. Busse, at Dannenberg.
" As the former ducal sepulchral vault, together with the
choir, which threatened to fall in, were taken away in the year
1812, and the church registers reach only to the year 1643, I
should not have been able to fulfil your wishes, and to give you
the smallest notice on the subject in question, if the present chief
magistrate, Mr. Siiltmeyer, when a public attorney, had not
taken an account of what was observed when the vault was
broken down ; from which he has communicated to me the
following authentic notices."
A List of the Princes and Princesses of the Line of Dannenberg-
Hitzacker, whose Remains were deposited in the Ducal Vault of
Dannenberg.
1, Duke Henry the Younger, Robus, who died 19th January,
1598, aged sixty-five years.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 425
2, Most probably prince Siegmund-Henry, son of duke chap. iii.
Julius-Ernest, who died on the 1st of November, 1614, two ^■^^^■''^^
months old.
3, Duke Julius-Ernest's first consort, Maria, countess of
East Friesland, who died 9th July, 1616, aged thirty-six years.
4, Duke Henry's consort, Ursula, princess of Saxe-Lauenburg,
who died 12th October, 1620.
5, Duke Augustus' first dutchess, Clara-Maria, princess of
Pomerania, who died 1623.
6, Prince Henry-Augustus, son of duke Augustus, who died
30th September, 1627, aged two years and a half.
7, Duke Augustus' second consort, Dorothea, princess of
Anhalt-Zerbst, who died 26th September, 1634, aged twenty-
seven years and two days.
8, Duke Julius-Ernest, who died 26th October, 1636.
9, Sidonia, daughter of duke Henry, who died 1645.
(Signed) Busse.
Extract from a Record of the Princes ivho resided in the Town of
Dan?ienberg, by Sultmeyer.
Duke Henry the Younger, born the 4th June, 1533, who died
19th January, 1598. His dutchess, Ursula, princess of Saxe-
Lauenburg, who died 12th October, 1620. By her he had
children.
1, Prince Julius-Ernest, born 11th May, 1571.
2, Prince Francis, born 6th June, 1572; who, on Christmas
3 I
426 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. eve, , was drowned in the Rhine, when he was riding from
''-^^^'**-^ Rastadt to Strasburg.
3, Princess Anna-Sophia, born the 14th August, 1573 ; and
died the following year, 24th March, 1574.
4, Prince Henry, born 25th October, 1574, about midnight;
who died 14th July, 1575, at one o'clock after midnight.
5, Princess Sybilla-Elizabeth, born 4th June, 1576; married
31st August, 1600, to Anthony, count of Oldenburg.
6, Princess Sydonia, born 10th December, 1577; who died
unmarried at Luchow, 1645.
7, Prince Augustus, born 10th April, 1579; from whom the
present reigning house of Brunswick-Wolfenbuttle are descended.
Duke Julius-Ernest, who died 26th October, 1636; married,
first, to Maria, daughter of count Ezard, of East Friesland, born
1st May, 1582; who died 9th July, 1616. Their children were,
1, Prince Siegmund-Henry, born 30th August, 1614; died
two months after, 1st November, 1614.
2, Princess Maria-Catharina, born 10th June, 1616; married
15th February, 1635, to Adolphus-Frederick, duke of Meck-
lenburg- S chwerin .
Julius-Ernest married, secondly, to Sybilla, princess of Celle ;
bom 8d June, 1584; who died 1651, at Schwarzburg.
(Signed) Sultmeyer.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 427
GIFHORN.
Exti'act of a Letter received from the Rev. Mr. Ritcher, of
Gifhorn, dated 2th April, 1819.
With great pleasure I proceed to give you some account of chap. hi.
the monument of duke Francis, of Brunswick-Luneburg, who ^-^^'^^^
died during his residence here in the year 1549.
His remains rest in a coffin of stone, which stands before
a high window upon a wall, and which can be reached only
by a ladder through the chapel. In this chapel of the castle
stands over this coffin of stone another one, which is empty,
and was most probably intended for his widow, who died at
Barth, in Pomerania, at her son-in-law's, Bogislaus, in the year
1576, and was interred at that place by the side of her daughter.
But both the duke and the dutchess are cut out of wood, and
represented in the act of kneeling at the side of their coffins ;
the duke in the dress of a knight, and the dutchess in a German
dress of those times. High on the wall where the leaden coffin
rests in a stone one, are the words " sepulchrum ;" and under
this, " Confiteor per Christum solum peccati remitti."
The coffin was most probably broken open by the French,
under Eckmuhl, who halted here for fifteen days. The bones
which are in it have a pleasant smell, it is therefore probable
that the body was embalmed. The heart and the entrails are in a
copper vessel, interred in the middle of the choir of the town
428 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. church, and covered with a tombstone, on which the heart
and the entrails are engraved, with the inscription : —
lUus. princi. ac Dmni. Domini Francisci, Due Brun. et Luneb. Viscera
hie sepulta jacent : obiit setatis suse , 14 Jan. 1549.
EIMBECK.
Statement respecting the Sepulchres of the Princes and Princesses of
the House of Brunswick, in St. Alej^anders Church, at Eimbeck,
by the Rev. Mr. Crome.
According to Letzner and Rethmeyer, and an old chronicle
of the year 1639, by Wendt, a town secretary at Ostrode, the
following princely persons are deposited in St. Alexander's
church, of Eimbeck.
1, Henry the Wonderful, who died 1322*.
2, John, his eldest son, provost of St, Alexander, at Eimbeck,
who died 13671-
* He died in the castle of Salz der Helden, close to Eimbeck, and his remains
were deposited in St. Alexander's church, in a vault ; in which before some counts
of Dassel had been buried. Afterwards several of the princes of this house were
buried here, until they chose their burying place in St. ^gidius church, at Ostrode.
— Vid. Rethmeyer's Chronicle, p. 531.
t John is called here the eldest son of Henry, according to Letzner; but
he was most probably the fourth ; lor we see no reason why he should have given up
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 429
3, Ernest, the brother of John, who died 1361. chap. ui.
4, Agnes, or Adelheid, his consort, who died 1373. ^^^
5, Albert, their son, who died 1397.
6, Erich, son of Albert, who died 1431.
7, Henry, second son of Erich, who died 1469.
8, Ernest, eldest son of Henry, provost of St. Alexander,
at Eimbeck.
The only monument which remains is a brass plate, in the
shape of a tombstone, which formerly lay on the ground, in
different places of the church, and in consequence of which it
has suffered a great deal. At present it is placed in the wall,
on the right of the altar, in an erect position. A male figure, in
full length, is represented on it as lying in the grave. Around
the plate, and partly in the body of it, is the following inscrip-
tion in Gothic letters : —
Anno Domini 1367, 10 Cal. Junii, obiit Johannes, filius illustris
Priucipis Domini Henrici, Ducis Brunsvicensis.
Praepositus hujus ecclesiae S. Alexandri, cujus
animam habet Dominus. Amen.
In the recent searches, made by order of his royal highness
the duke of Clarence, we have not been so lucky as to find
any more.
In the large vault, under the high altar, called Crypta, in
the right of progenitor, as he was able to govern as well as one of his brothers.
According to Rethmeyer, p. 531, there is a letter of resignation, of the year 1325,
in which he resigns his right to the government to his brothers : but that is no proof
of his being the eldest son.
430 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. which were formerly several altars, and where divine service
'"^^"•^^^'^ was performed, we found certainly several coffins, but all of
more modern times ; and, by their inscriptions, of persons belong-
ing to the noble fanylies of Schleppegrell, Malorty, Birkefeldt, &c.
Of princely coffins there is n"Dt the least mark ; and in case such
high persons should have been deposited in wooden coffins, it
may easily be conceived that they must be destroyed in a period
of more than five hundred years, and during so many changes.
Besides this crypta there are no other vaults in the church.
But, that nothing might be neglected, we examined, for several
days, in the interior of the church, by taking up stones and
digging in the ground ; a work which is more difficult at present
than before the year 1781, as about that time the whole interior
of the church was covered with flat stones. We soon observed
that with the stones many tombstones had been covered. Several
of those tombstones which we discovered were of a late date.
In other places we found walled graves, in which the corpses were
not quite mouldered. Hardly a good place in the church is to
be found which in modern times had not been used for inter-
ments, as so many families had their sepultures here, and as
nearly all the people, of any rank, wished to be buried in
the church.
According to an old tradition, the prince's tomb was near
the altar of St. Mary, and this stands near the vestry; there
I we dug likewise, but found only new graves.
Another unfounded report speaks of a coffin of tin ; and the
son of a former grave-digger came to point out the spot where
it stood; but this search was likwise in vain.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 431
At the alteration of the floor of the church, and probably chap. hi.
before that time, they used to fasten the monuments in the ^^^"^'^
outside walls of the church ; but also among them there is not
the least vestige of a princely one. They are all of private
families, and the inscriptions and letters are quite different from
those on the epitaph of duke John.
In regard to the question, " If, perhaps, in the archives of the
chapter some notices might be found about the burying-places of
these princely persons, of vv^hom it is recorded that they vi^ere
deposited here?" I have to say, that Mr. Hubener, the present
secretary of the chapter, who arranged the archives a short while
ago, did not find the smallest notice concerning this subject.
There are certainly several old documents ; among which are the
diplomatoria, or copy-books, afterwards to be mentioned; in
which, perhaps, some notices might be found : but as neither
Mr. Hubener nor myself possess sufficient ability to read such
ancient writings with facility, it would require the proper and
longer researches of a man who is more experienced in such
writings.
The archives of the town were, as reported, burnt in the
great fire of 1540. All that exist is of a later period. Besides
this, they are in such confusion, that it would require, for a long
time, the attention and labour of a competent man to bring them
into such an order that things may be found easily.
To the above report the following notices are to be added : —
The secretary of the chapter, Mr. Windeborn, who died in
the year 1760, examined the records, which are kept in the
chsipter of St. Alexander, and has published them ; or at least
432 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. the results of his examination, in the Samlung ungedruckter
''-^'^*^^ Urkunden und anderer zur Erlauterung der Niedersachsischen
Geschichte und Alterthiimer gehorigen Nachrichten, which were
published at Hanover in 1753 and 1754. From these records
the genealogy of the princely persons, which have already been
taken notice of, may be corrected.
In a copy of Wendeborn's original MS. kept in the register of
our inspection, it is said, p. 9, " Notwithstanding that Letzner
and Rethmeyer mention, that, besides the duke John, (whose
epitaph is still in the chapter church); as also duke Henry
the "Wonderful, Henry the Second, Ernest the First, Albert the
First, Erich, and Henry the Third, are buried in St. Alexander,
no epitaphs or other monuments of them are in existence. But
they find often, particularly on the best spots in the church,
tombs, made and walled with freestones, and for two or threCj
or more persons ; which can have been destined only for persons
of distinction. Perhaps the epitaphs were destroyed by the
great fire in 1540, or have been lost by other accidents. A
later hand has added, John Hildes, a priest, founded in the
chapter church a lasting commemoration to the altar " unser
lieben Frauen," situated near the " Fursten Grabe." The founda-
tion — anno et die — . This altar stands, at present, enclosed by
an iron railing, below the vestry.
Mr. Klinkhard, an attorneyj a resident of this town, is fond
of searching in old records, and writes to me, after having ex-
amined the archives of the chapter, that the chapter of St. Alex-
ander is in possession of several diplomatoria, or copy-books,
from the time before the reformation. In one of them (I think
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 433
No. 2) is a document concerning the foundation of the altar chap. hi.
of lieben Frauen, in which, it is said, that this altar is situated ''•■^^'^^'*'^
near the Fiirsten Grab,
The result of all our inquiries is, that duke John was certainly
deposited in this church, and most probably all the other above-
mentioned illustrious persons.
It is likewise most probable that Henry the Fourth, of
Grubenhagen, who died, in 1526, at Salz der Helden, is
buried in Eimbeck ; for where else could his remains have been
deposited ?
(Signed) F. A. Ckome,
Superintendent and Minister of
St. Alexander Chapter, in Eimbeck,
Eimbeck, the 2d Nov. 1819.
WIEBRECHTSHAUSEN
Was formerly a nunnery, founded 1030 or 1050, and occupied
by nuns from Nordheim. An old tradition marks it as the
place where bishop Boniface destroyed the idol Reto ; and derives
its name from Wigbert, one of the Wittikend family, who settled
here. It is at present the seat of the bailiff of the district
of the same name ; and, in respect of the history of the house
3 K
434 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. of Guelph, remarkable for being the burying place of Otho the
^"^'^^"^ Strong, duke of Brunswick-Gottingen. He had chosen, in his
lifetime, at this convent his place for interment ; and was depo-
sited here afterwards secretly, as he was not yet liberated from
the interdict under which the archbishop of Mentz had put
him.
Extract of a Letter from the Rev. Mr. Bottcher, at
Wiebrech tshausen .
At the entrance of the church, on the left hand, is a
chapel, which seems to have been built on purpose for the tomb
of the said duke, which is in it. This tomb is called that of
the Seckelburger, and consists of a tombstone, equal in size
and shape to those in the churchyard, and made of the same
kind of stone as that of which the church is built. On it is
the figure of the deceased, but very much defaced by time.
After having it cleaned from the coals heaped on it, I found
it very much injured. The sickles under the duke's breast
are still visible; also the flower-pot, held in his left hand, and
the two lions, which stand above the trunk of a tree planted
in it. Round the stone is an inscription, of which only single
words are legible, f. i. obiit — • aetatis z z —
I am not able to give any further account of it. Perhaps
the archives of the convent contain more ; but as access has not
been permitted, notwithstanding my desiring it on such an occa-
sion, we must remain in ignorance.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 435
From ancient records it is known that the following inscrip-
tion was on this tombstone of duke Otho the Strong : —
Anno Domini MCCC nonagesimo quarto die Lucise Virginis, obiit Otho,
Dux in Brunswick, cujus anima requiescat in pace. Amen.
Qui cum magna, dilectione et humilitate Domini in vita sua hunc locum
eligerat, in sepulturam expectando diem futuri judicii.
USLAR.
Extract of a Letter from the Rev. Mr. Borntrager, of Uslar.
Though it is very probable that Otho Codes was buried
here, yet neither in the church, nor elsewhere, can a monument
or inscription be found. Our church was built in the year 1424,
and therefore ancient enough to make us suppose that the said
duke, who had his residence here, found his last place of rest
in it. But several vaults, which we had opened on this occasion,
contained only coffins of clergymen and their families, or of other
private persons. There are certainly some more traces of burying
places, but these are covered with the pews of the church ; the
removal of which would cause greater expenses than the church,
which is poor, is able to afford. The parish archives contain
CHAP. II
436 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. no notices at all on the subject. The probable reason is, that,
150 years ago, the parsonage house was destroyed by fire. The
town archives are also void of interest ; I therefore have it not
in my power to give the notices which are wished for. Instead
of them, I add the following extracts from Getting. Zeit and
Geschichts Beschreibung, b. i. p. 106: —
" Anno 1462. The count Bernhard, of Lippe, took the part
of the bishop ; the duke Otho, who resided in Uslar, that of
the town." Hereby it is clear that duke Otho Codes, who had
his regular residence at Uslar, was still alive in Nov. 1462 ; and
as it is said that he died feria sexta post diem Valentini, which is
the 20th February, aged 69 years, his death must have occurred
in the following year ; which is corroborated by an old chronicle,
in which it is said : —
" ' 1462. Anno Domini 1463, ante ascens. Domini anno
Domini 1463, ante ascens. Dei, Da ging man mit einer pro-
cession wiillen und bar fuss um der pestilenz willen man betete
und begehrte auch dess Gott der herr diesen landen woUe geben
einen fromme und gute herrn und landesfursten an herzogs
Otten selb Stadte.'"
Erath Consp. p. 34 : —
" 1463. Obiit Otto, ultimus linese suae." (Gottingens).
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 437
VIENN7\.
Account received from the Imperial Royal Keeper of the Records,
(Archivar'ius), Rademachek*.
The following princes and princesses of the illustrious house chap. hi.
of Brunswick have found their places of rest in the Austrian
dominions : —
1, Adelheid, daughter of Henry the Wonderful, duke of
Brunswick-Luneburg, was the second wife of duke Henry oi
Carinthia, whose father, Meinhard the Fourth, count of Gorz
and Tyrol, was invested with the dukedom of Carinthia for the
great services he had done to the Roman emperor, Rudolph
of Habsburg.
Henry himself, in right of his first wife, Anna, who was
the eldest daughter of Wenzel, king of Bohemia, and died 1313t,
held for a short time the crown of Bohemia, but was
soon driven out of the country. Adelheid's marriage with
* This most valuable account has beeu obtained by the very obliging endeavours
of lieutenant-colonel baron Greifenegg-WoUfurt, Austrian charge d'affaires at tiie
court of Hanover, who, as soon as he heard that such records were wished for, applied
to his court, and received this document.
+ " Anno Domiui 1313, 3 Non. Septembr. obiit Domina Anna, Regina Bohemise,
prima conthoralis Regis Heiiirici, filii fundatoris nostri, hic sepulta."— Chron. Mon.
Stamsensis in Tyrolo, ad annum 1313.
438 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. duke Henry of Carinthia took place in the convent of Wilthen,
''■"^^'^^^ in Tyrol*, in autumn of the year 1315 f-
Adelheid died the 15th August, 1320:j;, and her remains rest in
the convent Stams. Her anniversary is kept in the convent
Wilthen, on the 28th of August 1|.
Adelheid had two daughters: 1, Margaret, surnamed die
Maultasche, who was first married to John, prince of Bohemia ;
but, after being divorced, married again to Louis §, of Bavaria-
* " Donatio lacds Altsec coenobio in Wilthen, in compensationem damnorum
quse coenobitEe illi passi sunt, occasione nuptiarum duabiis conjugibus de Braunschweig
et de Sabaudia in Wilthen, celebratarum ab Henrico, Rege Boh."
Datum in Wilthen, 26 Martii, 1328. Tabulee Repert. Aust. P. vi. pag. 42.
+ Ant. Steyrer Comment, pro Hist. Alberti, Ducis Austria, pag. 592 et 593.
" Quo anno nata sit Adelheidis nondum comperi, annum pariter nuptialem
nuUus scriptor posteris adnotavit; adest tamen in tabulario CEnipontano instru-
mentum donationis propter nuptias, anno MCCCXV. X Calend. Octob. scriptum,
quo solo conficitur, conjugium ncn multo ante eam diem illo ipso anno celebratura
fuisse. En litteris, Wir Heinrlch.
X " Anno Domini 1320, in die Agapiti Martyr, obiit Domina Adelheidis, Ducissa
de Brawnswig, secunda conthoralis prsefati Regis Heinrici, etiam hic sepulta." — Chron.
Stams. ad dictum annum.
11 Steyrer, 1. c. pag. 592, gives us the document of the foundation by king Henry.
Chron. Mon. Stamen, in Tyrol, ad 1324, 15 January, from the archives of Wilthen.
§ Imp. Carolus IV. Scriptor Synchronus in Freheri Script. Boh. P. i. pag. 88.
" Expulit Henricum, Carinthiee ducem, qui habuit in uxorem sororem seniorem
uxoris suae (king John's of Bohemia), quae mortua est deinde sine prole." Et
pag, 90 : " Demum acceperat aliam uxorem, sororem ducis de Brunschwig, cum qua
habuit unicam filiam, quam copulavit fratri meo Johanni in uxorem."
All historians do not give credit to this most important testimony ; for there are
still some later writers, viz. Steyrer, 1. c. pag. 598 ad 613; Burglehner, lib. xiii.
cap. V. et vi. ; Addzreiter, Annal. Boic. P. ii. lib. iv. pag. 65 ; Rov. lib. iii. pag. 113 r
who contend that Margaret was a daughter of the Bohemian princess, Anna, first
wife of Henry : but their reasons are by no means strong enough to weaken the
testimony of Charles the Fourth, whose brother John was the first husband of this
princess.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 439
Brandenburg ; and, 2, Adelheid, of whom we do not know any chap. hi.
thing, either of her life or where she was buried*. ^^^^r^^
2, Anna, daughter of duke Frederick, of Brunswick-Luneburg,
was the second wife of Frederick, surnamed with the Empty
Pocket, mit der Leeren Tasche, duke of Austria. Her marriage
took place in the year 141 Of. Anna became the mother of
four children: 1, Margaretha; 2, Wolfgang; 3, Hedwig; and,
4, Sigismund, who are all buried in the convent of Stams:};.
The dutchess died after her three eldest children, in the year
* Henry had a second daughter, who is mentioned in documents, vid. Steyrer,
1. c. pag. 98, 129, et 596. The learned Austrian archivist, De Plosenthal, has
proved from a diploma of duke Henry, dated Thursday after St. Bartholomew, 1334,
that her name was Adelheid. Coronini Tentamen Genealogicum Comitum et Rerum
Goritise, pag. 276. As, according to the testimony of the emperor Charles the Fourth,
duke Henry had no children by his first dutchess, Anna ; as further, in a diploma of
king John of Bohemia, dated Lucilburk, 7 Cal. Maji, anno Domini millesimo
treeentessimo vicesimo quarto, (vid. Steyrer, 1. c pag. 596,) it is expressly said,
" Et inter unum ex filiis nostris carissimis, qui non sit desponsatus ex una, et unam
ex filiabus dicti domini ducis (Henrici) Karinthiffi, quam eligendam duximus ;" and,
as also duke Henry celebrated his third marriage with Beatrix of Savoy at the
convent Wilthen, after the year 1327 ; this Adelheid must have been a daughter of
the Brunswick princess, as the name indicates : and the opinion of the emperor
Charles the Fourth, that duke Henry had but one daughter by his second wife, is
evidently erroneous.
t Her uncles, Bernhard and Henry, dukes of Brunswick, bound themselves by a
deed, dated 2d February, 1410, to bring their niece, witli a princely dowry, on next
Whit Sunday, to TUssen, on the frontier of the Tyrol. The manuscript of this deed
is in the imperial family archives at Vienna.
I " Frau Anna hat in der Ehe erworben 4 kinder, Wolfgang, Sigismund, Mar-
garet, und Hedwig, welche, nun Sigismund ausgenomen gar jung gestorben sind." —
Burglehner, Manuscr. in the imperial family archives.
Margaret, died 1424, 2 Non. without mentioning the month.
Wolfgang, died 16th February, 1426.
Hedwig, died 21st February, 1427.
Sigismund, died 4th March, 1496.— Chron. Mon. Stams. ad dictos annos.
440 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. J 432*. Her body rests in the vault at the convent Stams, but
her intestines are deposited in St. Jacob's church, at Insbruck.
3, Wilhelmina-Amelia, daughter of John-Frederick, duke of
Brunsvi^ick-Luneburg-Calenberg, was married to Joseph the First,
king of the Romans. The marriage settlement, which is still
preserved in the imperial private family archives, was agreed
upon at Vienna, on the 7th of January, 1699; and ratified by
George-Louis, elector and duke of Brunswick-Luneburg, the
15th January, of the same year. The espousals were celebrated
at Modena, the 15th January, and the marriage ceremony at
* " Eodem anno, 1432, in crastino S. Laurentii, (11th August,) obiit nobilissima
Domina Anna, ducissa de Brawnschv/eig, secunda conthoralis Domini Friderici, duels
Austriae, quee hie honorifice nobiscum in novo sepulehro est sepulta." — Chron. Stams.
" Im jahre 1432, den 10'™ tag des monats August, hat Herzog Friedrieh verboren
seine geliebte gemahlin frau Anna, herzogin zu Braunschweig, deren eingewichte zu
Insbruck in St. Jakobs Pfarrkirche von St. Niklas Alban begraben, ehr Leichnam
aben mit stattlichen procession in das kloster Stams gefiihrt worden ist." — Burglehner.
This latter author mentions the 10th of August as the day of her decease, though
both the Chronicle and Burglehner are of the same opinion in respect of the year, 1432 ;
still this is not quite undisputed. — Conf Herrgott. Taphograph. pr. Aust. P. i. 1. iii.
cap. vi. No. 8.
In this Taphographia, part ii. tab. 18, are to be seen drawings of the vault ^t
Stams, with the decaying coffin, and of a statue of dutchess Anna. This statue
appears more accurately in the Pinacotheca, part i. tab. 29 ; and tom. ii. of the Pina-
cotheca, lib. i. cap. xii. No. 13, gives to it the following explanation: —
" Priori (uxori Elisabethse) adjungitur uxor Friderici secunda, Anna nomine, inter
dictas stirpenses statuas una spectanda. Hsec, varie omata, coronam radiatam in
capite gerit, ut quae Friderici Bninsuicensis ducis et electi Romanorum regis nata
erat. Etsi enim hie ne quidem Gerraanica corona redimitus fuerit, nee etiam ipse in
actis publicis, quantum quidem constat, alio, quam ducis nomine usus fuerit; non
tamen defuerunt, qui ilium Csesaris titulo etiam post ceedem ejus mactarent.
" Quare vix dubitari potest, auctorem hujus statuae, cum ducissse coronam im-
posuit, ad hauc paternam dignitatem ut brevissimam ac ceede illius contaminatam
respexisse."
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 441
Vienna on the 24th February, 1699. Wilhelmina-Amalia became chap. hi.
the mother of three children : — v^^v"^^
1, Maria- Josepha, born at Vienna the 8th December, 1699;
married to Frederick-Augustus, king of Poland, and elector of
Saxony; died at Dresden the 17th November, 1757, and was
buried there.
2, Leopold-Joseph-John, born at Vienna the 29th October,
1700; died the 4th August, 1701, and is deposited in the imperial
hereditary vault at the Capuchms.
Epitaph : —
O Luctum!
Serenissimus Leopoldus Josephus,
Sfficulari Anno 1700, Die 29 Octobris,
Genitus,
Jam anno 1701, 4 Augusti, coelo
Ac Urnae huic illatus.
Quam acerbus ictus fuit,
Qui Leopoldi M. Nepotem
JosEPHi I. Rom. ac Hung. Regis,
et Amalis; filium Primogenitum,
Spem Ipsam Humani Generis,
Incidit.
3, Maria- Amalia, bom at Vienna 22d October, 1701 ; married
to Charles-Albrecht, duke of Bavaria, (the emperor Charles the
Seventh); died at Munich 11th December, 1756, and buried
there, in the convent of the Capuchins.
3 L
442 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. After the decease of Joseph the First, (1711), the empress
^^"^^'•^^^ dowager resolved to pass the rest of her days in solitude, and
built for that purpose the convent of the Salesianian nuns, in
one of the suburbs of Vienna called Rennweg.
On the 6th of April, 1740, she made her last will*; and died
on the 10th of April, 1742, in the said convent.
Herrgott, 1. cit. lib. vii. cap. vii. No. 3 — 5, gives a short
description of her life, death, funeral, and exequies.
According to her own verbal and written disposition, her body-
was to be opened so much that the heart could be taken out, in
order to deposit it in the imperial hereditary vault, at the feet
of her illustrious husband. The urn, of which a drawing is to
be seen in vol. ii. table 84, No. 29, of the said Taphographia,
has the following inscription : —
Amalia Wilh. Aug.
Cor Suum
Ad Ped. Joseph. Imp. A.
Conjug. Dulciss.
Rep. juss.
XIV Apr. CIOIOCCXLII.
On the 13th April her remains, laid in a coffin of nut wood,
which was varnished inside with tin plate, and secured by two
locks, were deposited in the vault of her convent. A drawing
of the plain tomb of stone, on which the coffin stands, is to be
seen in the Taphographia, p. ii. table 93.
* The original of it is preserved in the imperial family archives.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH, 443
Inscription:— chap. iii.
WiLHELMiNA Amalia, e Duclbus Brunsvic. Luneburgensis, Josepui I.
Imperat. vidua, annos nata LXIX. obiit IV. Id. Aprilis,
Anno Dni. MDCCXLII. Hujus Caenobij. Ord.
Visit. B. M. V. Fundatrix.
Of the vault in the convent of the Salesianians, which the
deceased empress had Hkewise built, the Taphographia gives
the following description, (vide p. i. 1. vii. cap. vii. No. 2) : —
" Cryptam subterraneam, cujus ichnographiam nacti hand
fuimus, Augusta pariter struxit, tres intra humum arcus haben-
tem. Medius, quern imperatrix sibi reservavit, recta arae majori
subjacet; duo reliqui, hinc inde excitati, serenissimis filiabus
destinati erant, hodiedum autem, cum singulse extra patriam
mortem obierint, vacui sunt; reliquum cryptae spatium mortuas
moniales excipit. Sub medio itaque arcu positus est sarcophagus
imperatricis, quem vivens sibi jam tum anno MDCCXXXIX. ad
similitudinem tumba; Eleonorae Mantuanse, uxoris Ferdinandi II.
Imp. fieri curavit. Sculptus est h simplici lapide, omni arte :
insignibus ornamentisque caret, nisi quod in operculo corona
Csesarea lauro cincta, ex eodem lapide, c^lato opere, excisa sit.
In longitudinem excurrit pedes novem cum sextante; altus est
pedes quinque et trientem; in latitudinem porrigitur pedes tres
cum octo digitis. Retro caput, decern fere pedalis, erecta stat
crux, ex ligno rude fabricata, nullisque coloribus linita, ut in
viis publicis poni consuevit. Pro pedibus affixa est lamina
stanea, quatuor aquilarum falculis, in cochleas tortis, ad ferream
firmata; altitudine pedem unum et octo pollices; latitudine.
444 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. supernfe pedes tres, digitos quinque et semis, infernfe pedes
^^^^^'^^^ totidem, cum sesqui uncia sequans : cui epitaphium, pro modestia
pientissimae imperatricis, omnibus honorum titulis, ut ipsa petierat,
vacuum, solo fundatricis hujus ccenobii, ad quod tamen segre
induci potuerat, nomine, necnon connubii ac aetatis memoria,
retentis litteris cupreis, auro incrustatis, infixum est.
4, Elizabeth-Christina, daughter of Louis-Rudolphus, duke
of Brunswick-Luneburg-Wolfenbuttle ; married to king Charles
the Third, of Spain, afterwards Charles, the sixth emperor.
The marriage settlement was made the 5th of February, 1708,
at Vienna, by the Brunswick plenipotentiary, baron Imhof ; and
ratified on the 7th of February by the emperor Joseph the First,
as chief of the house of Austria ; and on the 30th of March by
Anthony-Ulrich, duke of Brunswick*.
The marriage took place at Barcelona, on the 1st of August,
1708, after she had previously, before the archbishop of Mayence,
and bishop of Bamberg, on the 1st of May, 1707, at Bamberg,
confessed herself to the Roman catholic faith'f.
The last will of the empress Elizabeth-Christine is dated
the 29th of May, 1750J. She died at Vienna on the 21st of
December, 1750, and her remains rest in the imperial hereditary
vault at the Capuchins.
Herrgott, in his Taphographia, p. i. lib. vii. cap. v. No. 20,
gives an account of her death and funeral; and p. ii. tab. 86,
• The original in the imperial family archives.
t The original certificate of this act is likewise in the imperial family archives.
I The original testament in the said archives.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 445
a drawing of her tomb, to which belongs the following descrip- chap. hi.
tion, (vide P. i. lib. vii. cap. v. No. 15 — 19): — ^^'V'^^
" Ejusdem fer^ formse, magnitudinis certfe ejusdem (ut
Caroli VI.), est solium Elisabethse Christinae, Caroli VI. conjugis.
Tota moles basi marmorese imposita incumbit, quas inter in
medio ex utraque parte singulae calvarise laureatee, ac lauri
palmaeque ramis decussatis, suppedaneoque ornatissimo impositae
sunt. Operculo pallio archiducali operto, figura muliebris alata
et velata insidens, protomen imperatricis viduae velatam, juvante
ex adversa parte genio, supra nubes extollit, superposita stella,
beatae aeternitatis symbolo. Hinc ver6 in parte pallii anteriori
coronae Caesarea et Hispanica una cum sceptro, inde in posteriori
Hungarica et Bohemica jacent. Medium tumbae latus occupat
iter imperatricis, Barcellonam, anno 1708, susceptum ex adversa
parte repetitum. Quatuor anguli, encarpis pulchre ornati, totidem
figuras muliebres velatas pectore tenus efformatas ostendunt; et
in latere tam orientali quam occidentali sigula scuta sunt,
quorum priori haec epigraphe insculpta: —
Pietati et Perpetuitati
Divse
ELISABETHiE ChKISTINJE,
Virtutis et Sapientiae Gloria
Commemorandae.
An. MDCXCI. XXVIII. Aug. In Vitam Ingress^,
An. MDCCVIII. I Aug. Carolo.
Barcinone. Felici. Connubio. Junctse.
An. MDCCXI. XII Octob. Imperii. Quo Nullum Est
Sacratius. Honorificentia. Exaltatse.
446 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. An. MDCCXIV. X Oct. Apostolici
^"^^"^^"^^ Insignibus. Regni. Glorificatee.
An. MDCCXXIII. VIII Sep. Sacra Unctione Prage
Sanctificatae.
An. MDCCL. XXI Dec. Morte. Non
Consummatse,* sed Consummatae.
iEtema. Enim. Felicitas
Spei. CHKiSTiANiE. Finis
Est.
Altera insignium virtutum ejus compendium his verbis pro-
sequitur : —
Haec. Itaque. Ccelesti Virtute Femina
Naturae. Fortunae. Gratiae. Donis
Ipsaque. Oris. Corporisq. Gravi Majestate
Suspicienda
Sub. Expeditione Hispanica
Comes. Laborum. Sollicitudinum. Curarum
In. Summo. Fastigio. Regio
Privatorum. Sortem. Experta Est
Lustratis. Terra, Mariq. Finibus
In Germaniam Redux,
Opt. Optatiss. q. Optimatum. Civium. Pauperum
Mater
Non raro Abstersit. lUorum Lacrimas
Quorum. Oculos. Non Vidit
Desiderio. Transmundani. Illius. Imperii
Accensa
* Most probably " consumtae."
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 447
Temporis, Et Naturae Miserias Fortiter CHAP. III.
Tulit. ^.^V-^-^
Atque Inaudita Se
Ipsam. Constantia Vicit
Editisq. lUustribus Exemplis,
Adhuc. in. Sepulchre
Vivit.
This most pious empress founded, in the year of her decease
(1750), an order, which was afterwards renewed and enlarged
by her illustrious daughter, Maria-Theresa, and therefore called
the Elizabeth-Theresa order. It is only for military persons, of
the rank of colonel and upwards, who have faithfully served
thirty years for the house of Austria.
The empress Elizabeth- Christina was the mother of four
children: —
1, Leopold- John- Joseph, born at Vienna the 13th of April,
1716 ; died there on the 4th of November, 1716 ; and is buried in
the imperial hereditary vault at the Capuchins.
2, Maria-Theresa, the heiress of all the Austrian dominions ;
bom at Vienna the 13th of May, 1717; married, the 12th of
February, 1736, to Francis- Stephan, duke of Lorraine and Bar;
died at Vienna 29th November, 1780; and rests in the here-
ditary vault at the Capuchins.
% Maria-Anna, bom at Vienna the 14th September, 1718;
married to Charles- Alexander, duke of Lorraine, at Vienna, the
7th of January, 1744; died at Brussels the 16th December,
1744. Her remains were deposited in St. Michael's church at
448 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. Brussels; but afterwards, (2Gth April, 1749), brought to the
'"''^'^'^^"***^ hereditary vault at Vienna.
4, Maria-Amalia, born at Vienna the 5th of April, 1724;
died there the 19th of April, 1730; and rests at the Capuchins.
5, Maximilian-William, duke of Brunswick and Luneburg,
knight of the golden fleece, and his imperial majesty's general-
field-marshal, and colonel of a regiment of cavalry; born the
14th of December, 1666; died at Vienna the 27th of July, 1726,
in his garden at the Road, a suburb of Vienna.
After the funeral ceremonies had been performed for three
days in the chapel of the imperial court church at the Augustins,
the body was transferred from the duke's house at the Road,
to the church of the imperial convent of the Jesuits, on the
3d of August, and deposited there till further directions. This
church is now 'called the parish church of the nine choirs of
angels, at the Hof.
This is taken from the Diario of Vienna : —
A copy of the testament of the duke is in the archives of
the imperial council of war. Though the body was deposited
in the church of the Jesuits' convent only till further orders,
there is no mention in the Diario of its being transferred
from thence to another place. The imperial archivist had,
therefore, recourse to the superintendent of the said parish
church, in order to get more notices ; but neither the present
minister, nor his still living antecessor, were able to give any,
as all the records of the church had been dispersed at the time
of the abolishment of the Jesuits : but the sexton, an aged man
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 449
of seventy, recollected most distinctly, that when a boy he had chap. hi.
seen in the vault a coffin of tin, decorated w^ith a ducal hat. ^*^'^^^^*^
It is indeed very much to be regretted, that this vault, and all
the others, were built up by order of Joseph the Second.
But the said sexton asserted positively that not one coffin,
except that of a count of Althann, had been taken out of the
vault before it was built up.
DARMSTADT.
After the minister of the church of this town had declared,
that neither the church itself, nor the church registers, affiarded
any record of a princess of the house of Brunswick being buried
there, a further application was made by Mr. Lessee, who was
requested to search the grand ducal archives, and from him
the following account has been received.
Of the researches made in the grand ducal archives by the
privy counsellor, Mr. Strecker, the following has been the
result : —
In the choir of the town church, at the left hand, is a
cross of stone, with a person kneeling before it, under which
is the following inscription : —
Die Duichleuchtigste u. Hochgeborne Flirstin u. Fiauleiu, Fiaulein Mabia,
Herzogin zu Braunschweig und Luneburg, gebohren im Jahr Christi 1576,
von Ihrem Herm Vater, Herrn Wilhelmen, Herzogen zu Braunschweig
3 M
450 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. IH. und Luneburg imd jhrer Frau Mutter, Frau Dorothea, Herrn
^■^^.^^»-^ Christiani Tertii, Konigs in Dennemark Tochter, ein sehr
gottseliges Fraulein und des gottlichen worts rechte liebhaberin
mit alien Fiirstlichen Tugenden geziert. Sterbet zu Darmbstatt
im jahr 1610, am 8 August, wird den 13'" ejusdem daselbst
Christlich begraben ; lebet bey Gott ewiglich und racket
in Christo in frohlicker Hofnung der Auerstehung
Ihres Leibes zu ewiger Herrlichkeit.
(Signed) Hamm.
MINDEN.
Extract of the Answer of Rev. Mr. Hanff,
Not one of the five bishops of the house of Brunswick-
Luneburg have been buried at this place.
1, Lewis, the thirty-ninth bishop, who died 1346, was
deposited at Walsrode.
2, Francis, the fifty-second bishop, who died 1529; buried
at Riddagshausen.
3, Julius, the fifty-fourth bishop; resigned.
4, George, the fifty-fifth bishop, who died 1566; buried at
Verden.
5, Christian, the fifty-ninth bishop, who died 1633; buried
at Celle.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 451
EISLEBEN.
Accoimt received from the Rev. C, G. Berger, M. A., Supermtendent
at Eisleben.
After many researches in the i-ecords, and repeated inspections chap. hi.
of the tombs and monuments of the churches in this town, I ^-^^v^'^->
am enabled to give, in answer to your letter, dated the 23d of
March, 1820, the following account : —
There are at Eisleben two family vaults of the counts of Mans-
feld ; one in the Market church of the old town, and the other
in the St. Anne church of the new town of Eisleben.
The first is called, from its founder, count Bruno, the Bru-
nonian vault. It is remarkable that the dead bodies in this vault
do not putrify, but dry up, and become at last as hard as stone.
In this vault are deposited seven members of the Mansfeld family ;
but none who belong to the house of Brunswick.
The other vault is in the church of St. Anne, in the new
town.
Margaret, born princess of Brunswick-Luneburg, daughter
of duke Ernest the Confessor, married Hans the First, count of
Mansfeld ; she contributed largely to the building and enlarging
of the St. Anne church, and likewise built this vault for herself
and her family.
In this vault rest : —
I, Maygaret, who died in October, 1596.
452 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. 2, Ernest the Sixth, son of count Hans the First, and Mar-
^•-^^^"^^ garet, who died at Hergisdorf, 7th April, 1609.
3, His brother, Frederick-Christoph, who died 6th April,
1631.
4, Ernest-Lewis, son of count Frederick-Christoph, who died
8th April, 1632.
5, His brother, Christian-Frederick, who died 20th December,
1666; the last of this line of the family of Mansfeld. After he
was deposited, the key was thrown into the vault, and the
entrance walled up.
The vault has suifered greatly; and it is desirable that it
should be opened, repaired, and whitewashed ; but the church
and parish are too poor to bear the expenses.
In respect to the princess whom you mention in your first
letter, Agnes, daughter of duke Magnus-Torquatus, and wife of
count Busso, of Mansfeld, I have to observe, that there are
great difficulties in finding out her burying place.
In the pedigree of the family of Mansfeld, which hangs in
the said church of St. Anne, are the following words : — " Busso,
Graf zu Mansfeld hat 1362, Herzog Magnus von Braunsciiweig,
Tochter, Fraulein Agnes gefreyt, stirbt ungefahr, 1392."
As all the churches of Eisleben, according to the inscrip-
tions on the tombs and other documents, were built in the 15th
century, and as before that period nothing but small chapels
under the principal spires existed, we search in vain in the present
churches for the tomb of Agnes.
Only one church, that of St. Catherine, existed in the 14th
century, on the spot of the St. Catherine convent, in Neuendorf.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 453
It was built, as the ancient record says, in the year 1320, by chap. iii.
count Burghardt the Sixth, as a mark of his gratitude to God, who /^^^
had blessed him with fine children and much goods. Here rest,
without doubt, the remains of Agnes. Nobody is able to point
out the place where her tomb was. On the spot where the church
stood is now a pavement, as this church was destroyed by
fire in the year 1498. Some family statues in stone were saved,
and brought into the Market or St. Andrew's church. Among
these is most probably that of Agnes; for in a niche of this
church is a female figure of stone kneeling, in full length, in
a very ancient costume, with a garment, the plaits of which
are flowing most handsomely round the body. The inscrip-
tion beneath is erased, but the coats of arms round the
figure prove that she was a princess of Brunswick-Luneburg.
Opposite her kneels a knight, with his helmet taken off, who
is most probably her husband, count Busso.
This is all that can be found here on monuments and tomb-
stones, as well as in ancient records, about the burying places of
princes and princesses of the ancient and illustrious house of
Brunswick-Luneburg.
CSigned) Berger.
454 THE RECORDS OF
HOUSE OF SCHWARZBURG.
Answer of Counsellor Von Hellbach, at Armstadt, Author of a
Sketch of an Authentic Genealogy of the House of Schwartzburg.
In answer to your letter of the 13th of March, a. t\, I give
the following notices : —
1, Catharine, (not Elizabeth, as Cuspinian and Bunting call
her,) was married to count Henry the Twenty-ninth, of Schwarz-
burg, in the year 1413, (not 1403); died 1439; but where
she was buried is not yet known. In order to ascertain this,
I had opened, in the presence of prince Charles, and our present
princess, the family vault here; had every thing most care-
fully examined; but I did not find the least vestige of this
princess *.
2, Clara, married to count William, died at Heeringen, and
was buried at Frankenhausen.
3, Sibylla, her sister, died likewise at Heeringen, and was
buried at Frankenhausen.
4, Augusta-Dorothea, died in her palace, called Augusten-
* In a Chronicle, (vide Schoettgen and Kreysig, torn. i. p. 495,) it is expressly
said that the arms of Catharine, and those of her husband, were in one of these
windows of the church at Armstadt. G.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 455
burg, near Armstadt, which was taken down after her death, chap. hi.
Having embraced the catholic faith, her remains were transported ^^^'^^^
to Erfurt, and interred there, in the convent of UrsuUns.
(Signed) V. Hellbach.
SALFELD.
Ansioer, received from a Gentleman of that Place.
About the burying place of Catharine, princess of Brunswick-
Luneburg, married to Philip the First, count of Schwarzburg,
who died at Salfeld, 24th February, 1581. Sylv. Liebe, in his
Salfeldographia, observes, " that the said princess was interred
the 4th of March, 1581, in the St. John's church."
Of a monument, which marked her burying place in this
church, nothing is now to be seen.
(Signed) Wendorf,
Rector and Deacon.
456 THE RECORDS OF
ALTENBURG.
Extract from a Letter of Amts-Commissioner Schultes, at
Altenburg.
CHAP. III. In the ducal vault of the Ober, or Brother church, are to
^^ be seen,
1, In a corner, next to the sacristry on the wall, the
following mscription : —
Von Gottes Gnaden Dorothea, Herzogin zu Braunschweig und Luneburg,
ward gebohren zu Wolfenbuttel, den 8 July, anno 1596, und vom
Herrn Vater Jul. Heinrichen, Herzogen zu Braunschweig und
Luneburg, vermahit mit Herrn Christian Wilhelm
postulisten Administratoren des Erzstifts Magdeburg,
Primaten in Germania, Markgrafen zu
Brandenburg, in Preussen Herzogen, d.
8ten Januarii, 1615, hat im
wahrenden Ehestand ein Fraulein zur welt gebohren zu Halle, doch
hernach auf ihrem Leibgedinge zu Jinsar in Gottselig
vestorben am 1 Septembris, an. 1643 ; ihres alters,
47 jahr, 11 monath, 3 wochen, und 3 tage;
am 28 August, 1644, wurde sie in
diese Grlift beigesetzt.
2, Next to this is the following inscription : —
Von Gottes Gnaden Sophia Elisabetha, Herzogin zu Sachsen, Julich,
Cleve, und Berg, gebohren Markgrafin zu Brandenburg, geboren
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 457
zu Halle in Sachsen, am 22 Januarii, 1616, und von der CHAi'. ill
Fiirstl. Eltern Herrn Christian Wilhelm, Markgrafin \^^w^^
von Brandenburg, und Frau Dorothea gebornen,
Herzogin zu Braunschweig und Luneburg, Herzog
Friebrich Wilhelm, zu Sachsen, Julich,
Cleve, und Berg, vermahlet, ao. 1638,
d. 18 Septembris, hat im Ehestand
gelebt 11 jahr. 3 monat, 15 tage,
ist in Gott Seelig verschieden
zu Altenburg, am 6 Martii, ao. 1650, friihe gegen 6 uhr;
ihres alters, 34 jahr. 1 monat, 13 tage.
3, At the entrance to the vault, close to the door,
stands a coffin, upon which are the Brunswick-Luneburg arms ;
but the inscription over the crucifix is quite illegible. In
this coffin rests, most probably, the dutchess Elizabeth, of
Brunswick-Luneburg, wife of duke John-Philip, of Altenburg,
who died 1650. It stands close to the coffin of duke John-
Philip.
As I am engaged in writing a history of the House of Alten-
burg, I must decline communicating any records which I have
in my hands.
(Signed) Schultes.
3 N
458 THE RECORDS OF
MEISSEN.
The foUoiving Account was received from Mr. Buglor, Dom-Ckrk
at Meissen.
1, Catharina, wife of Frederick the Warlike, elector of Saxony,
and daughter of Henry, duke of Brunswick-Luneburg, was mar-
ried in the year 1402, and died 1442, at her residence of
Grimma. Her remains were brought to Meissen, and interred
in the cathedral, close to those of her husband. No monument
was erected to her memory.
2, Anna, daughter of duke Otho, of Brunswick, was married,
in the year 1403, to William Codes, margrave of Misnia. After
his death, which happened 1407, she married again, in the year
1414, a count of Henneberg. No further notices of her are found
here*.
3, Catharina was the wife of Henry the Pious, duke of
Saxony ; but she was no princess of Brunswick, but the daughter
* This must be altogether a mistake ; for there is no Otho of Brunswick
of whom the records say that he had a daughter named Anna. Besides, Wil-
liam Codes, of Misnia, who died 1407, was married to Ludomilla, or Elizabeth,
daughter of the emperor Jodocus, of Moravia, who died 1400. Therefore this
Anna can be no other than the daughter of Ernest, duke of Brunswick-Gottingen,
who was married, 1414, to count William, of Henneberg, and died 25th Oct. 1426.
(Vide Records, Vesra). That this Anna had previously been married to William
Codes, of Misnia, is not improbable ; but I have not found it recorded. The early
history of this princess, previous to her marriage to count William, of Henneberg,
is still involved in obscurity. G.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 459
of duke Magnus, of Mecklenburg. She died 1561, and was chap. iii.
interred in the cathedral at Freyburg*.
4, Elizabeth, daughter of duke Otho, of Brunswick, married to
the landgrave Henry Ruspe, of Thuringia ; died 1247, and interred
in the former convent of Reinhardsbrunn t-
5, Helena, duke Otho of Brunswick's daughter, married to
Albert the First, elector of Saxony ; died 1273, and was buried
in the church of Franciscans, at Wittenberg. -Vide Records,
"Wittenberg.
6, Margaret, daughter of Ernest, elector of Saxony, mar-
ried to Henry the Younger, duke of Brunswick ; died 1528 ;
interred at Weimar.
7, Sidonia, daughter of duke Henry the Pious, of Saxony,
married to duke Erich the Second, of Brunswick-G6ttingen ;
died at Weissenfels, and was interred, 1575, at Freyburg, in
the cathedral.
8, Catharina, daughter of Philip, duke of Brunswick-Gruben-
hagen, married to John-Ernest the First, duke of Saxony, and
after his death to Philip, count of Schwarzburg. She died 1581,
and was interred in St. John's church, at Salfeld.— Vide Records,
Salfeld.
(Signed) Buglor, Dom-Clerk.
* This is all very true ; but there was another Catharina, daughter of Francis,
duke of Bmnswick-Luneburg-Giffhorn, married to Henry, burggrave of Misnia,
1564 ; died 1565. Respecting her burying place some notices were requested.
t This Elizabeth can be no other than the daughter of Otho the Infant, who was
married to William, of Holland, emperor in the year 1251. Though Henry Raspe's
first wife was called Elizabeth, who died 1231, it is no where said what princess she
was : if she was Otho the Infant's daughter, she must have been married to Henry
Raspe previous to her marriage to emperor William; but that does not correspond
with the year. The whole is therefore a mistake.
460 THE RECORDS OF
HANOVER.
The royal vault, under the choir of the royal chapel, was
built by duke John-Frederick, and most probably intended for
himself, his wife, and children, only. It is eleven feet eight
inches high, thirty-two feet eighteen inches long, and twenty-
five feet ten inches wide ; and has a most conspicuous entrance
from the nave of the church. In this vault are deposited the
remains of duke John-Frederick ; his daughter, Anna-Sophia ;
the elector, Ernestus-Augustus ; his consort, the electress
Sophia; king George I.; his brother, the bishop Ernestus-
Augustus ; and of princess Charlotte-Louisa- Augusta, daughter
of his royal highness the duke of Clarence.
1, Duke John-Frederick*. His remains rest in a coffin of
copper ; first plated and then well gilded. The ornaments are of
silver. There are no inscriptions. At the head and at the foot
of the coffin is a soaring angel represented. On the right side
of the upper part of the coffin are the Brunswick-Luneburg
arms, in an oval shield; and towards the feet are represented,
on a small shield, several scenes of paradise, and a hand
extended out of the clouds towards the tree of life ; and in the
fore-ground a sea ; out of the middle of which a rock is visible ;
• He died at Augsburg, the 18th Dec. 1679, on his way to Italy; and his remains
were brought to Hanover, and deposited in this vault with great solemnity. His
funeral service was the last which the catholic monks, to whose faith the duke had
conformed in the year 1651, and to whom he had given a residence in the castle, and
the use of this chapel, performed in this church. They were obliged to leave both ;
and the first protestant service was performed in it again on the 27th of June, 1680.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 461
towards which a ship steers with full sails, driven by an angel's chap. iii.
breath from the clouds. The shield is enclosed by wreaths of ^"^"^^'^
thorns and palms ; and under it are the words, —
Ex duris gloria.
On the left side of the upper part of the coffin are likewise
the Brunswick-Luneburg arms ; and towards the feet, in a
small shield, is the emblem of Death, standing in a thorn bush ;
holding in his right hand a sword, and in his left a sceptre;
both of thorns, which are on the top fastened together by a
crown.
2, The coffin of Anna-Sophia, daughter of John-Frederick,
is of tin : it rests upon an iron bier ; and has at the head, on a
round shield, the following inscription : —
Serenissima Princeps,
Domina Anna Sophia,
Serenissimi Principis
ac Domini,
Domini Johannis Fhiderici,
Ducis Brunsvicensis ac Luneburgensis,
et
Serenissimse Principis
ac Dominse,
DotniiiBe Benedicts,
Comitis Palatinse Rhenete
filia primogenita.
On the right and left side of the coffin are two coats of arms.
462 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. enclosed by three angels ; and at the foot is a round shield, with
^^"^"^^"^ the following inscription : —
Nascitur
X die Februarii,
anni MDCLXX.
denascitur
XXIV Martii, inter
horam III et IV pomeridianam,
anni MDCLXXII.
At the four corners of the cover are four mourning angels, and
on the top of it lies a crucifix.
3. Elector Ernestus-Augustus. The coffin is of copper, richly
plated and gilded. It is supported by four wild men, who are
likewise of gilded copper. The ornaments, shields, and crucifix,
are of massive silver; the handles are of brass. At flie head
a shield, with the initials E. A. encircled with garlands ; and
over them the electoral crown. On the right side of the head
part is a shield, with a horse at full gallop towards a temple,
and with this inscription : —
Consummato cursu.
In the middle are the electoral arms of Hanover ; in which
the centre field is not filled out, and above which is an escrol,
with the words, —
Ernst. Aug. D. g. Dux Bnin. et Lun. S. R. F. El. EP. OSN.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 463
Towards the feet is a shield, with a celestial globe, and the chap. hi.
inscription, — '
Sufficit unus.
At the feet a galloping horse, with the inscription, —
Sola bona quae honesta.
On the left side of the coffin, towards the feet, a shield, with a
terrestrial globe, and the inscription, —
Non sufficit unus.
In the middle, as on the right side, the electoral arms ; and on
a riband the words, —
Defunct. XXIII Januar. st. vet. anno Dom. MDCXCVIII.
Towards the head a shield, with a wreath of laurel; over which
waves a crown in heaven, surrounded with stars, and the in-
scription, —
Sola bona quae eeterna.
4, The coffin of the electress Sophia is of copper, richly plated
and gilded. The shields and ornaments are of massive silver;
the handles are of brass, and gilded. The coffin is supported /
by four wild men, likewise of gilded copper. At the head
are the Brunswick-Luneburg arms, about three inches removed
from the coffin. On the right side, towards the head, is an oval
shield, with a landscape ; and in the forepart a poppy, (a plant,)
with the inscription, —
Coronato redux in semine.
464 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. Towards the feet a similar shield ; on which, in the forepart,
'""-^^^'^^^ a castle and a forest; and, in the back-ground, the sun rising
above the horizon of the sea. The inscription, —
Aliis transmittet lumina terris.
On the left side of the coffin, towards the head, is an oval
shield representing a grove of palm trees, of which the most
beautiful is thrown down, with the inscription, —
Per germina crescit.
Towards the feet, on the same side, is a similar shield, on which
is a landscape, through which a river flows, and on which a town
is situated : from heaven descends a star, which spreads, by its
rays, light over the whole. The following is the inscription, —
Hac duce venerunit leges.
At the feet is a shield in the form of a heart, with the
inscription : —
Sophia,
D. G. ex stirpe El. Pal.
Elect, vid. Brun. et Lun.
Mag. Brit. Haeres,
nata
XIII Oct. MDCXXX. nupta mense Sep. MDCLVIII.
ad successionem Mag. Brit, nominata MDCCI.
sub vesperam VIII Junii, MDCCXIV. in hortis
Herrenhausanis adhuc vegata ; et firmo passu
deambulans, subita et placida morte erepta.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 465
5, King George the First. The coffin is of copper, richly chap. hi.
plated and gilded ; the ornaments, shields, &c. are of massive ^^^^^^
silver ; the crown and the sceptre are of copper, gilded ; the
cushion, upon which the crown rests, the two capita mortua,
and the handles, are of massive silver. The coffin rests upon
four lions of brass. At the head are the royal initials, G. R.,
with the words, Honi soit qui mal y pense; and the motto,
Dieu et mon droit. On the right side of the coffin, in the middle,
and on the left side, in the same manner, are the arms of Great
Britain. At the feet, on an oval shield, is the following in-
scription : —
Georgius Imus,
D. G. Magnse Britan. Franc, et Hib. Rex, Fidei Defens.
Bruns. et Luneb. Dux, S. R. I. Archithes. et Elect.
Optimus Princeps,
Bello ac paci aeque magnus et felix,
natus Hannoverffi, XXVIII Maii, St. Vet. CIoIoCLX.
suscepit regimen Electorates
XXIIII Januar. CIoIoCXCVIII.
introductus in Colleg. Electoral.
VII Sept. St. Vet. CIoIoCCVIII.
Rex Magnse Britann. XII Aug. ClaloCCXIIII.
Oblit Osnabrug. XXII Jan.
ClaloCCXXVII.
6, Bishop Emestus-Augustus. The coffin is of copper, plated
and gilded; the ornaments and shields, the mitre and crosier,
3 o
466 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. III. are of silver ; and the lion's claws, upon which it rests, are of
^"^^^^^ gilded brass. At. the head are the initials E. A. B., surrounded
with the words, Honi soit qui mal y pense ; and with the motto.
Pro lege et grege. On the right and left side of the coffin are
the English and the episcopal arms, on an oval shield, and with
the same inscription. At the feet are the following : —
Ernestus Augustus,
D. G. Dux Eborac. et Albaniae, Episcopus
Osnabrugensis, Dux Brunsvicensium et Luneburgensium,
natus Osnabrugffi, d. XVII Sept. St. Vet. CIoIdCLXXIIII
dux Eborac. et Alban. d. XIIII Jul. St. Vet. CIOloCCXVI.
Postulatus Episcop. Osnabr. d. II Mart. St. Vet. CIoIoCCXVI.
obiit Osnabrugse, d. XIIII August. St. N. CIoIoCCXXVIII.
Princeps amabilis admirabilis
Civibus, Exteris,
Posteritati.
7, The coffin of Charlotte-Louisa-Augusta, daughter of his
royal highness the duke of Clarence, rests upon a scaffi^ld three
feet and a half high, is of polished mahogany, and embellished
with gilded ornaments. At the head are the British and Saxon
arms, of massive silver, and supported by the lion and unicorn.
Over both arms is the ducal crown; and under the British are
the orders of the duke ; viz. that of St. George, St. Andrew, &c.
Under the coats of arms is a floating riband, with the motto, —
Nee temere nee timide.
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 467
At the feet, upon a square plate of silver, is the following chap. hi.
inscription : — v^^V^^^
Charlotte Louise Auguste,
Prinzessin des vereinigt. Konigr. Gross Britannien und Irland,
auch Konigreichs Hannover,
Tochter des Prinzen Wilhelm Heinrich, Herzogs von Clarence,
und
der Herzogin Adelheit von Clarence,
gebohren Herzogin von Sachsen,
gebohren und gestorben den 27ten Mars, 1819.
CHAPTER IV.
Copy of the Diploma, or Charter, of the Emperor Frederick the
Second, by which the States of Brimsivick and Ltineburg were
erected into a Dutchy, and Otho the Child loas created Duke of
Brunswick and Luneburg.
In nomine sanctae et individuse Trinitatis. Fridericus Se-
cundus, divina favente dementia Romanorum imperator semper
Augustus, Jerusalem et Siciliae rex. Gloriosus in Majestate sua
dominantium Dominus, qui regna constituit et firmavit imperium,
de cujus dementia vivimus, de cujus est munere, quod fdiciter
imperamus; ad hoe nos supra reges et regna prseposuit, et in
imperiali solio sublimavit, ut nobis factori nostro gratitudine
devota subjectis, pacem et justitiam moderamina nostra con-
tineant, et qui summus prae filiis hominum ab eo, qui praeminet
orbi terrae, sublimius exaltati, viros dignos honoribus et non
immeritos ad solicitudinis partem admitti, liberaliter ad decus
et decorem imperii nominis et honoris titulo decoremus. Hinc
est ergo, quod per prsesens scriptum noverit praesens aetas et
THE RECORDS, &c. 4(^9
futura posteritas, quod, cum diu propositi nostri foret, ut chap. iv.
dilectum consanguineura nostrum, Ottonem de I.uneburch ad ^^-^^'"^^
fidem imperii et devotionem nostram efficeremus arcius obli-
gatum, nee loci vel temporis opportunitas afFuisset, quo con-
ceptum erga eum intentionem nostram prosequi nos deceret;
contingente caussa nostri felicis adventus in Alamanniam, et
pro reformatione totius terrae status indicta Maguntiae curia
generali, dictus Otto eandem curiam vocatus accessit. In qua
dum assidentibus nobis principibus nostra serenitas resideret,
de reformando terrae statu disponens, nominatus Otto de Lune-
burch flexis genibus coram nobis, omni odio et rancore post-
positis, quae inter proavos nostros existere potuerunt, se totum
in manibus nostris exposuit, nostris stare beneplacitis et man-
datis, et insuper proprium castrum suum Luneburch, quod
idiomate Theutonico vocatur Eygen, cum multis aliis castris,
terris et hominibus eidem castro pertinentibus, in nostram pro-
prietatem et Dominium specialiter assignavit, ut de eo, quic-
quid nobis placeret, tanquam de nostro proprio faceremus. Nos
autem, qui tenemur modis omnibus imperium augmentare, prae-
dictum castrum, de Luneburch cum omnibus castris, perti-
nentiis et hominibus suis, quemadmodum. ex ejusdem Ottonis
assignatione in proprietatem accepimus, in praesentia principum
in imperium transtulimus, et concessimus, ut per imperium
infeodari deberet. Civitatem insuper de Brunswich, cujus me-
dietatem proprietatis Dominii a marchione de Baden et reliquam
medietatem c\ duce Bavariae, dilectis principibus nostris, emi-
mus, pro parte uxorum suarum, quae fuerunt quondam filiae
470 THE RECORDS OF
CHAP. IV. Henrici de Brunswich, comitis palatini Rheni, patrui dicti
^-^^^'^""^ Ottonis, similiter in eadem curia imperio concessimus, proprie-
tatem nobis debitam in dominium imperii transferentes. Pree-
terea Ottone in ipsu generali curia in manibus nostris connexis
palmis super sancta cruce imperii, quae ibidem tenebatur, prae-
stante fidei juramentum, nos attendentes, quam pura fide, sincera
et prona devotione se totum mandato nostro et voluntati com-
midt, et in proprietatem nostram concessit proprie proprium
castrum suum, de quo nemini tenebatur, et humiliaverit se
modis omnibus coram nobis ; considerantes insuper, quod nun-
quam per eum fuerit ofFensum imperium, et nee contra honorem
nostrum ad suggestionem alicujus voluerit inveniri, dignum et
utile vidimus circa statum et augmentum ipsius imperiali muni-
ficentia providere. Quapropter cum consilio, assensu et assi-
stentia principum civitatem Brunswich et castrum Luneburch
cum omnibus castris, hominibus et pertinentiis suis univimus,
et creavimus inde ducatum, et imperiali autoritate dictum con-
sanguineum nostrum Ottonem, ducem et principem facientes,
ducatum ipsum in feodum imperii ei concessimus ad haeredes
suos, filios et filias haereditarie devolvendum, et eum solenniter
juxta consuetudinem investivimus per vexilla ; de affluentiore
gratia concedentes eidem decimas Goslariae, imperio perti-
nentes. Ceterum ministeriales suos in ministeriales imperii
assumentes, eidem concessimus, eosdem ministeriales juribus
illis uti, quibus imperii ministeriales utuntur. Ad hujus itaque
concessionis memoriam, et robur perpetuo valiturum, praesens
privjlegium fieri, et bulla aurea, typario nostras majestatis
THE HOUSE OF GUELPH. 471
impressa, jussimus communiri. Hujiis autem rei testes sunt chap. iv.
S. Maguntinus, H. Coloniensis, E. Salzpurgensis, T. Treve-
rensis, et Bisuntinus, archiepiscopi ; W. Magdebur-
gensis electus, E. Papembergensis, S. Ratisponensis, impe-
rialis aulse cancellarius, H. Constantiensis, S. Augustensis^
B. Argentinus, H. Basiliensis, C. Hyldensemensis, I. Leodiensis,
G. Cameracensis, I. Metensis, Tullensis, Monaste-
riensis, E. Nuemburgensis, Trajectensis, C. Osenbur-
gensis, R. Pactaniensis, H. Eystediensis, C. Spirensis, E. Mer-
seburgensis, G. Verdunensis, et C. Frisingensis, episcopi. Prater
H. domus hospitalis sanctse Marise Theutonicorum in Jerusalem
magister Morbacensis Augensis et • • • • Elwa-
censis, abbates. Otto dux Bavariae, comes palatinus Rheni.
H. dux Brabanciae, A. dux Saxoniae, B. dux Carinthite, M.
dux Lotharingiae, H. lancravius Thuringiae, palatinus comes
Saxoniae, H. marchio Misinensis, H. marchio de Baden, I. et
O. marchiones de Brandenburch, H. comes Senensis, H. comes
Barensis, D. comes Clevensis, H. comes de Hanalt, et alii
quamplures.
Signum domini Friderici Secundi, Dei gratia invictissimi
Romanorum imperatoris semper Augusti, Jerusalem et Siciliee
regis.
Ego Sifridus Ratisponensis episcopus, imperialis aulae can-
cellarius, vice domini • • • • Maguntini archi episcopi, totius
Germaniae archi cancellarii, recognovi. Acta sunt haec anno
Dominicae incarnationis millesimo ducentesimo tricesimo quinto,
mense Augusti, octavae indictionis, imperante Domino nostro-
472 THE RECORDS, &c.
CHAP. IV. Friderico, Dei gratia serenissimo Romanorum imperatore semper
^^^^^^^"^ augusto, Jerusalem et Siciliae rege, anno imperii ejus sexto
decimo, regni Jerusalem decimo, Siciliae tricesimo octavo,
feliciter, Amen. Datum Magunciae anno, mense et indictione
prsescriptis.
GENEALOGICAL AND NECROLOGICAL
TABLES
THE ANCIENT AND MOST ILLUSTRIOUS HOUSE
BRUNSWICK-LUNEBURG.
TABLE I. (A.)
ORIGIN OF THE HOUSE OF BRUNSWICK.
THE GUELPHS.
I. The Guelphs in Germany.
Died.
Buried.
Records.
GUELPH, conntof Bajoariaat Altoif - - - - -
Married to Heigilwigis of Saxony, about 85:6 abbess of Cale -
Before 82.'>.
After 833.
207 et seq.
Children—
1, Judith, married 819 to Louis the Pious . - - -
2, Eticfio ; 3, Conrad, count and duke, the patriarch of the
Guelphic kings of Burgundy, and married to Adelheid, daughter
of the Guelphic count Hugo of Alsatia
4, Rudolph, palatine under Charles the Bald
15 March 843.
862.
866.
Tours.
p. 227.
ETICHO I., count of Bajoaria or Bavaria . . - -
His countess unknown. His son,
Before 830.
GUELPH, count of Argnngau, lived about 860. His countess unknown.
His son.
,
ETICHO II., count, retired into a forest near Ammergau
His countess unknown.
907—910.
Ettal.
p. 217.
Children-
], Henry; 2, Lucarde, married to the emperor Arnulf.
HENRY, surnamcd with the Golden Chariot . . . -
Married to Beata, or Hatta, of Hohenwarth
920—925.
Altorf.
Altorf.
p. 219.
p. 219.
ChUdren-
1, Rbdolpu ; 2, St. Conrad, about 934 bishop of Constanz
976.
Constanz.
RUDOLPH I., count
His son was probably
940.
Altorf.
p. 219.
GUELPH, or WOLFRAD
Whose sons were,
1, Rudolph ; 2, Eticho, had many illegitimate children
960.
987.
Altorf.
RUDOLPH 11.
Married to Itha, daughter of Cuno of Oeningen
Childrm—
1, Henry, lost his life when he was hunting with his brother
2, Guelph; 3, RicHARDis, or Kiclinda, married to Adalberon,
count of Ebersberg ......
995.
1020.
1014.
1045.
Wein^'artcn.
Altmnnstcr.
Weingarten.
Ebersberg.
p. 219.
p. 215.
p. 221.
GUELPH II., or WOLFRAD
Married to Imiza (Irmengardis, Irnientrud), daughter of Frederick,
count of Luxemburg, and grand-daughter of the empress Cuncgunde -
ChildTen—
1, Guelph; 2, CuNizA, or Cunigunda.
1030.
1036.
Weingarten.
Altmunster.
p. 221.
p. 215.
GUELPH III., count and duke of Carinthia, without issue
1055.
Weingarten..
p. 221.
CUNIZA, or CUNIGUNDE, married to margrave Azo II. of the Italian
branch of the Guelphic family
Before 1055.
La Badia.
p. 231.
TABLE I. {\,)- Continued.
ORIGIN OF THE HOUSE OF BRUNSWICK.
THE GUELPHS.
11. The Giielphsvi Italy.
Died.
Buried.
Records.
BONIFACE I., of Bajoaria, count and governor of Lucca, at least after
811; probably married to Waldradana, sister of Fiilrad, abbot of St.
Dionys. His children,
1, Boniface.
2, Berethar, or r.:RALD ......
3, RiCHlLuis, abbess of Lucca before 823 . . - .
After 829.
823.
BONIFACE II., margrave of Tnscia and prefect of Corsica, at least
after 829 ; married to Bertha ------
His son was
After 834.
ADALBERT L, niav<.rave and duke of Tuscia
Married to Rotildus, daughter of duke Guido of Spoleto.
Children—
1, Adalbert ; 2, Boniface.
Alter 886.
ADALBERT II., surnamed the Rich, margrave and duke of Tuscia
Married to Berta, daughter of king Lothairc of Australia
Children—
1, Guido ; 2, Lambert ; 3, Ebmenoaru, married to Adalbert, mar-
grave of Ivera.
16 September, 916.
925.
Lucca.
Lucca.
p. 228.
p. 229.
GUIDO, margrave of Tuscia ......
Married, 926, to Marosia .-.-..
931.
U33.
LAMBERT, margrave of Tuscia, confined, and deprived of his sight
Not before 960.
BONIFACE III., margrave, second son of Adalbert I., lived about 884.
His son, most probably,
ADALBERT III., margrave, about 940. His son,
OTBERT, or OBIZO I., margrave and palatine of Italy
His childrcn-
,1, Othburt ; 2. Adelbert ; 3, Albert ; the two last about 996.
Before 97j.
In a Convent.
OTBERT IL, margrave of Italy
His children—
1, Albert Azo; 2, Hugo -.-..-
3, Adalhert; 4, Obert; .1, Guido, killed -
All were married and had issue.
6, Berta.
After 1014.
After 1033.
1037.
ALBERT AZO I., margrave of Italy, the tirst of the family who resided
atEste - -
Married, 1, to Waltfada, daughter of Claudianus the younger, duke of
CAi/difii— Albert Azo.
Married, 2, about Kill, to Adela, (Adelheidc.)
After 1029.
ALBERT AZO II., margrave of Italy, count of Luniglana, Este, Rovigo,
100 years old
Married to Cuniga, or Cunigunde - - - . -
CAiWrm-GuELPH. (Vide III.)
Married, 2, to Garssenda, of Maine - - . . -
Children—
1, Hugo IL, margrave and lord of Este; (from him the dukes of
FerraraandModena.)
2, FuLCO, prince of Maine.
3, Matilda, (educated by countess Matilda.)
Married, 3, to Matilda, a noble widow; hut soon divorced, by
Gregory VII.
1097.
Bifoie 105.-1.
1067.
La Badia.
p. 231.
TABLE I. {k.)-Contim(ed.
ORIGIN OF THE HOUSE OF BRUNSWICK.
THE GUELPHS.
The GuelpJiic Dukes of Bavaria and Saxoni/.
Married.
Died.
Buried.
Records.
GUELPH IV. duke of Bavaria about 1071, son of
Azo II. and Cunigunda, in whom tlie two lines of the
Giiclplis, the German and the Italian, became reunited.
Married, 1, to Ktliclindc, daugliter of Otho, of Nord-
heim, divorced.
2, to Jiiditli, daughter of Baldwin, count of Flanders,
widow of Tostiis, titular king of England
Children— ■[. Guelph ; 2, Henrv.
GUELPH V. duke of Bavaria
Married to Matilda, marchioness of Ferrara, Vicenza,
and without issue .....
HENRY THE BLACK, duke of Bavaria
Married to Wulfildis, daughter of Magnus, the last
duke of Saxony, of the Billung family
Children —
1, (;<)i\RAD, an ecclesiastic . . - .
2, Judith, married to Frederick (Codes) duke of
Snabia, mother of Frederick Barbarossa, eni-
3, Sophia, married to Berclitold TII.,dnke of ZhIi-
ringeu; and, 2, to Leopold, margrave of Siria
4, Henry ; 5, Guelph; 6, Matilda, married,
1, to biepokl, margrave of Vohburg; and, 2,
to Gerhard, of Sulzbacb - - -
7, WuLFiLDE, married to Rudolph of Braganza.
HENRY THE PROUD, duke of Bavaria and Saxony
Married to Gertrude, daughtrr of emperor Lothaire
Children— 1, Henkv ;' 2, Guelph.
GUELPH VI., duke of Spoleto and Tuscia -
Married to Uta, daughter of Godfried, count palatine
ofKalve
His only son — Guelph ....
HENRY THE LION, duke of Bavaria and Saxony -
Married, 1, to Clementia, daughter of duke Conrad,
ofZahringcn; divorced, 1662 ...
Children—
Gertrude, married, 1, to duke Frederick, of
.Suabia de Rosenberg ....
2, to Canute, king of Denmark
2, to Matilda, daughter of Henry, king of England
Children—
1, RicHEKZA ; 2, Henry ; 3, Ludeu, or Lothaire,
4, Otho; 6, William; 6, IMatilda, married
to Ganfrcdo, oouni of Piith -
HENRY THK LONG, duke- and coui.l palatine of
the Rhine
Married, 1, to Agnes, daughter of Conrad, count
palatine ......
Children—
1, Hemiy; died young . . . .
2, Irjiengard; married to Herman, of Baden
3, Agnes; married to Otho, duke of Bavaria
Married, 2, to Agnes, daughter of margrave Conrad,
ofLanilsborg -..--.
OTHO IV., inipcrorof the Romans, duke of Aquitania,
and dnUe of Hiuiiswirk - - -
Married, 1, to I'niitrix, daughter of Philip, emperor;
2, to r.I.in.i, <l,ni;;litcr of Henry, dnke of Brabant;
and who was nr.inied again to William I., count of
Holland
WILLIAM, duke of Lnnebnrg -
Married to Helena, daughter of WaUlemar I., king of
Denmark ......
C/iiWrai— Otho the Infant.
I'iJe Tuhle 11. (A.)
1126.
1126.
] 225.
1209.
7 Aug. 12:
1214.
i89, but '\
ivorced '
1 095. 3
7 March, 1094.
Kaufnrgen, 1120
24july, 1115.
Raveusberg,
23 Nov. 1127.
13 Dec. 1127.
S Quedlinbnrg, ^
( 20 Oct. 1139. i
14 April, 1143.
1196.
In Italy, lU
6 Aug. 119;
r Weingarten,or ^
' Paplios, in >
(. Cyprus. 3
Weingarten.
Weingarten.
St. Benedetto, ^
near Mantua. 5
Weingarten.
Weingarten.
Bari, in Naples.
Weingarten.
Kbningslntter.
Nenberg.
Probably Hirsan.
.Steiniiaden.
Brunswick.
Wehae.
Brunswick.
Augsburg.
1204.
Stade.
1214.
1259.
28 Apr. 1269.
Schonau.
Schiren.
1266.
Wieuhausen.
15 iMay, 1218.
12 Aug. 1212.
Brunswick.
Brunswick.
1260.
13 Dec. 1213.
St
Peter Louva
Lnnebnrg.
Luneburg.
TABLE I. (B.)
ORIGIN OF THE HOUSE OF BRUNSWICK.
THE SAXONS AND BRUNONES.
I. The Saxons.
Bom.
Married.
Died
Burial Places.
Records.
The different opinions about the Ancestors of Ludoliih.
Vide - ' -
-
p. 233.
LUDOLPH I., first tlnke of Saxony -
859.
Gandersheim.
p. 245.
IMavricd to Oda, daughter of Bilhing and Oeda^ of
Franconia ......
806.
913.
Gandersheim.
p. 245.
Cliildren—
1 , Hathamunda, abbess of Gandersheim
840.
.
29 Nov. 874.
Gandersheim.
p. 245.
2, Gerberdis, abbess of Gandersheim
841.
886.
Gandersheim.
p. 245.
3, Christina, abbess of Gandersheim
.
919.
Gandersheim.
p. 245.
4, Enda, married to Count Lolhaire of Stnde.
5, LuiTGARDis, married to Louis, king of Australia
885.
Aschaffenburg.
6, Bruno. 7, Otho.
BRUNO, duke of Saxony, was probably killed in the
battle of Ebstorf
830.
Ebstorf.
p. 246.
OTHO THE GREAT, duke of Saxony
30 Nov. 912.
Gandersheim.
p. 245.
Married to Hedwig, of royal blood -
903.
Gandersheim.
p. 245.
Children—
1, Oda ; married, 1, to Zuentcbold, king; and, «,
to Gerhard, count of Cleves.
2, Baea.
3, LuiTOARDis, abbess of Gandersheim.
4, Henhy.
HENRY I., or the Fowler, duke of Saxony, and
i Memolleben, }
I 9 July, 936. )
fleeted emperor in 919 . . . .
876.
Quedlinburg.
p. 248.
Married, 1, lo Hathburg, daughter of Erwin, prince
of Merseburg, a " vidua velata," and was therefore
divorced ; |2, to Matilda, daughter of Theodorich,
count of Kingclsheim, of the family of Wittikeud -
-
14 March, 968.
Quedlinburg.
p. 248.
Children—
By Hathburg, Dankward. killed at Ehrisburg -
938.
By Matilda, 1, Gerberg ;, married, 1, to Gisel-
bert, duke of Lorraine
929.
2, to Louis IV. (Ultramannns)king of France
"
940.
5 May, 934.
S Reims, Church )
i of St. Remigii. \
i Paris. Abbey 1
( St. Dionysii. J
2, Hedwig, or Adelheid, married to Hugo, count
of Paris, patriarch of the Capets
-
936.
3, Matilda, abbess of Quedlinburg
.
940.
Quedlinburg.
p. 250.
4, Bruno, archbishop of Cologne, and duke of
Lorraine .....
11 October, 965.
Cologne.
p. 258.
5, Otho. 6, Henry.
OTHO L, or the Great, (Amor Mundi,) emperor, and
duke of Saxony
23 Nov. 912.
7 May, 973.
Magdeburg.
p. 250.
Married, 1, to Ediths, daughter of Edward, king of
EuRland
.
930.
23 Feb. 946.
Magdeburg.
p. 251.
2, to Adelheid, daughter of Rudolph, king of Bur-
gundy, and widow of Lothaire, king of Italy
954.
16 Dec. 999.
Magdeburg.
Children—
r Mayence, ■)
] St. Prosperi, or f
(. St. Albani. 3
Byl^ditha: 1, Ludolph ....
930
947.
6 Sept. 957.
He was married to Ida, daughter of Hermann
of Suabia, by whom he had issue, and became
dukeofSuabia ....
947.
9S6.
2, LiiTGARD, married to Conrad, duke of Fran-
conia and Lorraine ....
.
947.
934.
Mayence, St. Albani.
By Adelheid : 1, Hknry, died before his father;
2, William, archbishop of Mayence. (Some
say that he was a natural son by a Slavonian
lady.) ......
928.
.
9C8.
Mayence.
3, Matilda, abbess of Quedlinburg
933.
8 Feb. 999.
Magdeburg.
4, Otho.
TABLE I. (B.) — Continued.
ORIGIN OF THE HOUSE OF BRUNSWICK.
THE SAXONS AND BRUNONES.
I. The Saxons.
Bom.
Married.
Died.
Burial Places.
Records.
OTHO II., emperor, and duke of Saxony -
Married to Theopliania, daughter of Romanus Por-
phyrogenus, emperor of Constantinople
Dec. 955.
970,
970.
7 Dec. 983.
18 June, 991.
Rome, St. Peter.
Cologne.
Children—
1, Otho; 2, Matilda, married to Ezo, count
palatine; 3, Sophia, abbess of Gandersheim ;
4, Judith, married to Uretoslaus, duke of
Bohemia.
OTHO III., emperor, and duke of Saxony , without issue
974.
28 Jan. 1002.
S Aug.«bHrgand ^
) Achen. J
p. 247.
HENRY (Rixosus), Henry the Fowler's third son, duke
of Bavaria
Married to Judith, daughter of Arnulph, duke of
Bavaria.
Children
1, Lbitgard, married to Burchhard, duke of
Suabia ; 2, Adelheid ; 3, Gerbergis, abbess
of Gandersheim ....
4, Henry. 5, Bruno.
1 Nov. 955.
Ratisbon.
Gandersheim.
p. 245.
HENRY (Hezelo), duke of Bavaria -
Married to Gisela, daughter of Conrad, king of Bur-
gundy.
Children—
1, GisEiA, maiTied to Stephan, king of Hungary ;
2, Bruno, bishop of Augsburg
3, Henry.
28 Aug. 994.
Ratisbon, 1029.
i Gaiiderslieim, )
I or Ratisbon. J
Augsburg.
HENRY II., or Sanctus, emperor, and duke of Bavaria
Married to Cunigunda, daughter of Siegfried, pala-
tine of the Rhine; without issue
■ ■
$ Grona, |
( 13 July, 1024. J
i Haufungen, J
I 3 Mar. 1033. S
Bamberg.
Bamberg.
p. 239.
11, The Brunones.
BRUNO I., margrave of Saxony; most probably the
second sen of Henry Rixosus
Married to Hildeswinda, princess of Croatia
Children— Brvko.
971.
976.
BRUNO II., margrave of Saxony and prince of Brims-
Married to Gisela, danghter of Hermann, duke of
Suabia; married afterwards to Conrad II., emperor.
1014.
'
CAiidrra— LuDOLPH.
LUDOLPH, margrave of Saxony and Thuringen,
prince of Brunswick ....
Married to Hilda, daughter of Baldwin, count of
Flanders
Children— 1, Bruno ; 2, Eckbert.
■ ■
1038.
Merseburg.
BRUNO III., margrave, was killed at NIendorf, near
Merseburg
1057.
ECKBERT I., margrave of Saxony and prince of
Brunswick, ic. - - - - -
Married to Irmengard, daughter of Manfred, count
of Susa, and widow of Otho, count of Schweiufurth.
- -
1058.
Brunswick.
p. '.'(33.
Children— I, Eckbert ; 2, Gertrude.
ECKBERT II., margrave of Saxony, of Thuringen,
and prince of Brunswick ; murdered in a mill near
Brunswick ...---
Married to Oda, daughter of Otho of Orlamunde,
margrave of Misiiia ; but without issue.
- -
1090.
Brunswick.
p. 263.
GERTRUDE, his sister, heiress, married to Henry
the Fat.
TABLE 1. (B.)-Conthiued.
ORIGIN OF THE HOUSE OF BRUNSWICK.
THE SAXONS AND BRUNONES.
The Saxons.
Bon;.
Married.
Died.
Burial Places.
Reco/-ds.
111. Of Nordheim.
.
p. 239, 256.
HERMAN, count of Nordheim ; not certain wliose
son he was; perhaps a third son ot Henry Hixosns
After 998.
C/iiZdrra— Siegfried.
SIEGFRIED I., or senior connt of Nordheim and
Bornieneburg .....
.
.
100-1.
Married, 1, to Matilda, countess of Catlenbnrg;
2, to Etiilinde.
Children—
By Matilda: 1, Siegfried; and, 2, Brenno.
SIEGFRIED II., count of Nordheim
- -
1025.
BRENNO, or BERNHARD, count of Nordheim, of
Wiershausen; married to Eileke.
Children— Otuo.
OTHO the Illustrious, count of Nordheim and duke of
Bavaria -
llJan. 1083.
Nordheim.
p. 256.
Married to Richenza, widow of count Herman of
Werle.
Children—
1, Henry; 2, Siegfried, count of Bormenebnr«;
at Hersfeld, who was married to Helena of
Hombnrg, and had a son, who died without
issue -....-
.
1044.
3, CuNO, count of Bleichingen ; had issue bv his
wife Cunigunda, daughter of Otho of Orlage.
munde ; murdered ....
.
1104.
4, Ethelinde; married, 1, to Guelph IV., di.
voreed ; 2, to Herman, count of Westphalia.
5, Ida ; married to count Thirmans, of Wettiu.
HENRY THE FAT, count of Nordheim, killed in
war against the Frieslandcrs
.
1103.
Bursfelde.
p. 259.
Married to Gertrude, daughter of Eckbert I., and
heiress of Brunswick ....
1092.
1113.
Brunswick.
p. 266.
Children—
1, Riciienza, or Richsa, married to emperor
Lothaire ; and, 2, Gertrude, married to Sieg-
fried, palatine of the Rhine.
IV. Of Suppliiigeiiburg.
About the remotest Ancestors of this ancient and illus-
trious House, yide
-
-
p. 240.
GEVEHARD, or GERHARD, count of Supplingen-
burg and Blankenburg, count of Querfurth, and pala.
tine of Sommerschenburg, was killed in the battle at
theUnstrut
1075.
Married to N. N., most probablv daughter of Otho,
duke of Suabia, aud grand-daughter of Matilda,
sister of Otho III.
CAiWrcn— Lothaire.
LOTHAIRE, count of Snpplingenburg, 1106, dnke of
Saxony, and, 1123, SOIh of August, elected emperor
1073.
1100.
30 Dec. 1137.
Kiiuingslutter.
p. 2.53.
Married to Richenza, or Richsa
1100.
10 June, 1141.
Kbningslntter.
p. 233.
CAiWira— Gertrude, heiress, married to Henry
the Proud, dnke of Bavaria.
1
TABLE I. (B.)- Continued.
ORIGIN OF THE HOUSE OF BRUNSWICK.
THE SAXONS AND BRUNONES.
V. The Billungs.
Abuut the Ancestors, Vide
BILLUNG, of Stuebecksliorn, count, had three sons,
1, Amelung, bishop of Verden . . -
2, WiEGMANN. 3, Herman.
WIEGMANN, comit . - - - -
Married to N. N. (Frideruua), sister of the empress
Matilda.
Children—
1, WiEB.MA
EcKBERT. Both no male issue.
HERMAN BILLUNG, count, and afterwards duke
of Saxony on the Elbe . . . .
Married to Hildegard, of Westcrburg
Children—
1, Bremno, or Berniiard.
2, LuDGER, count of Holstein, &c. &c.
3, SUANTHiLUis; married, 1, to Ditmar, margrave
of Lausitz; and, 2, to Eckbert I., margrave
of Thuringen.
4, Matilda; married to Godefried, count of
Verdun.
BRENNO, or BERNHARD I., duke of Saxony and
Luneburg ......
Married N. N., daughter and heiress of count Henry
of Stade.
BRENNO, or BERNHARD H., duke of Saxony -
Married to Betraila, daughter of Harold, king of
Denmark. His sons,
3, Ordulph ; a, Herman, count of Holstein.
ORDULPH, duke of Saxony at Luneburg
Married, i, to Giscia, daughter of Claus, king of
Denmark; 2, to Gertrude, daughter of Conrad, mar-
grave of Brandenburg. His sou,
M.\GNUS, the last Billung duke of Saxony -
Married to Sophia, daughter of Geisa, king of Hun-
gary.
Children—
1, WuLFiLDE, married to Henry the Black.
2, Eileke, married to Otho, count of Anhalt and
Ballenstaedt.
Born.
Married.
Died.
5 May, 960.
1 April, 973.
1048.
1063.
Burial Places.
Luneburg.
Luneburg.
Luneburg.
Lnneberg.
Luneburg.
Luneburg.
TABLE II. (A).
THE OLD HOUSE OF BRUNSWICK, OR THAT OF THE FIRST DIVISION.
The Reigning Princes and their Families.
Born.
Married.
Died.
Burial Places.
Records.
OTHO THE INFANT, duke of Brnnswick-Luneburg
1204.
9 June, 1252.
<, Brunswick, or }
t Luneburg. <,
p. 266.
p. 274.
Married to Matilda, daughter of Albert 11., margrave
of Brandenburg
1261.
Luneburg.
p. 274.
Children—
],Otho, died before the father -
-
-
1276.
Luneburg.
p. 274.
i!, Albert. 3, John.
4, Otho, bishop of Hildesheim, elected 1261
1243.
-
4 July, 1279.
Hildesheim.
p. ."sa.
■i, CoNRAO, bi^liop of Verden, elected 12(37
-
-
15 Oct. 1303.
Verden.
p. 324. .
6, Matilda, married to count Henry II., of
Anhalt, and afterwards abbess of Gernrode -
1296.
Gernrode.
7, Helena; married, 1, to Herman, landgrave of
Thuringen . - - . -
1 March, 1238.
6 Sept. 1273.
Wittenberg.
p. 437.
2, to Albert I., duke of Saxony
1239.
8, Elizabeth; married to William of Holland,
emperor - - . . .
-
25 Jan. 1251.
9, Adelheid ; married to Henry I., or the Child,
landgrave of Hesse . - . .
1265.
1280.
10, Agnes; married to Wenzeslaus, prince of Rngen.
I. The first Division, or the Old House of
Brunswick.
I. THE OLD HOUSE OF BRUNSWICK.
ALBERT THE GREAT, duke of Brunswick
1236.
.
16 Aug. 1279.
Brunswick.
p. 266.
Married, 1, to Elizabeth, daughter of Henry V. of
Brabant, who died without children
-
1254.
12C1.
Brunswick.
p. 266.
2, to Adeliieid, daughter of Boniface IV. of Mont-
ferrat, who was married again to Gerhard II., count
ofSchaumbnrg
-
1265.
Children—
1, Matilda; married to Henry III., duke of
Silesia Glogau . . . .
1278.
2, Henry. 3, Albert. 4, William.
5, Conrad, commander of the Order of Malta -
-
1303.
Supplingenburg.
6, Otho, commander of the Order of Templars.
7, LuDER, commander of the Order of Malta.
Henry, Albert, and William divided again the states
of their father, and founded three lines— GRUBEN-
HAGEN, GOTTINGEN, BRUNSWICK.
A. BRUNSWICK-GRUBENHAGEN.
HENRY THE WONDERFUL, duke of Brnnswick-
Grubenhagen ------
7 Sept. 1322.
Eimbeck.
p. 428.
Married to Agnes, daughter of Albert, landgrave of
-
Thuringen ------
-
1282.
1333.
Cliildrm—
1, Henry. 2, Ernest. 3. William, who resided
at Herzberg, but died unmarried
-
-
After 1361.
4. John, provost of St. Alexander, at Eimbeck -
.
10 June, 1367.
Eimbeck.
p. 423.
5, Elizabeth, or Alsina; married to Frederick
v., count of Beichlmgen.
6, Adeliieid; married, 1, to count Gerhard of
Ebstein ; and,
2, toHenry, dukeofCarinthia
•
1319.
1320.
7, Facie, or Bonifacia ; married, under the name
of Irene, to the emperor of the East, Andro-
nicHS II. - - - -
.
1324.
8, Margaretha; married to Barnim I., duke of
Pomerania.
9, RlXA ; died a nun at Ostcrodc.
3 Q
TABLE II. {A.)-Contimced.
THE OLD HOUSE OF BRUNSWICK, OR THAT OF THE FIRST DIVISION.
The Reigning Princes and their Families.
Burn.
Married.
Died.
Burial Places.
Records.
HENRY THE GRECIAN, duke of Br.-Grubenhagen
.
After 1351.
Eimbeck.
p. 429.
Married, l. to Jutta (Hedvvig), princess of Bran-
denburg ......
-
1319.
1332.
2, to Maria, princess of Cyprus.
Children—
1, Otho. 5, Balthasar; married to Johannetta,
daughter of Honoratus, count of Fundi, in
Naples
-
1381.
In Italy.
3, Philip, in Cyprus ; married to the mother of
king Peter of Cyprus
After 1372.
Probably in Cyprus
Rostoc.
4, Melchior, bishop of Osnaburg and Schwerin -
.
1386.
6, RiDDAWY ; died, most probably, in Italy.
6, Thomas; became monk and D.D. ; died, most
probably, in Italy.
OTHO THE TARENTINE, duke of Brunswick-
Grubenhagen, duke of Tarentura, in Italy
About 1320.
.
About 1398.
Foggio, in Apulia.
Appruzzo.
Married to Johanna, queen of Naples
Sept. 1375.
1381.
ERNEST I., second son of Henry the Wonderful, duke
of Brunswick-Grubenhagen, Osterode
.
9 March, 1361.
Eimbeck.
p. 429.
Married to Agnes, (Adelheid), daughter of count
Henry, of Ebersteiu - - , -
1322.
After 1373.
Eimbeck.
p. 429.
Children—
1, Otho, died yonng.
2, Albert.
3, Frederick.
4, Agnes; married to count Ulrlch, of Hohenstein.
5, Ernest II., provost of Eimbeck, and afterwards
abbot of Corvey, killed in battle
.
1402.
Eimbeck.
p. 429.
6, Anna, abbess at Osterode.
ALBERT II., duke of Br.-Grubenhagen, at Eimbeck
About 1384.
Eimbeck.
p. 429.
Married to Agne.n, daughter of Magnus Torq. (some
writers mention Sophia, daughter of Albert, duke of
Saxe-Lanenburg.)
C7ii7drfn— Erich.
FREDERICK, son of Ernest I., duke of Brunswick-
Grubenhagen, at Osterode - ...
Married, 1, to Adclbeid, princess of Anhalt: 2, to
About 1421.
Osterode.
p. 409.
Elizabeth, heiress of Homburg.
CAiWren— Otho.
OTHO, duke of Brunswick-Grubenhagen, at Osterode
Married to Schonela, of Nassau, dowager of Hom-
-
After 1452.
Osterode.
p. 409.
burg ; without issue .....
ERICH, Albert II.'s son, duke of Brunswick-Gruben-
1-136.
Hildesheim.
p. 334.
hagen -.-....
Married Elizabeth, daughter of Otho the Strong,
duke of Brunswick.Gottingen.
-
28 May, 1427.
Eimbeck.
p. 429.
Children—
1, Agnes, abbess of Gandersheim
S!, Eliz-abeth ; married to Cassamir, duke of Po.
1452.
Gandersheim.
p. 245.
merania-Stettin ; after his and her sister's
death, abbess of Gandersheim
1454.
After 1483.
Eimbeck.
Gandersheim.
3, Sophia, abbess of Gandersheim
_
p. 429.
p. 246.
4, Margaret ; married to count Simon, of Lippe.
5, Anna; married, 1, to Albert III., duke of Ba-
varia; and, 2, to Frederick, duke of Bruns-
wick-Calenberg.
6, Ernest III., provost of Halberstadt and Eim-
beck
7, Henry.
1464.
Eimbeck.
p. 429.
8, Albert.
1
TABLE II. {k.)~Contmued.
THE OLD HOUSE OF BRUNSWICK, OR THAT OF THE FIRST DIVISION.
The Reigning Princes and their Families.
Born.
Married.
Died.
Burial Places.
Records.
HENRY III., duke of Bninswick-Gr.ibenl.agen
Maiiied to Margaret, daughter of John I , duke of
Sagau, Silesia .....
■ ■
Before 1466.
After 1491.
Eimbeck.
p. 429.
Children—
1, Otho, died young. 2, Henry.
HENRY IV., duke of Brunswick-Grubenliagen
Married to Elizabetli, daughter of Bernhard, dnke of
Saxe-Lauenburg - . . . .
1494.
(, Salsderhelden )
( 1526. ]
Eimbeck.
p. 429.
ALBERT III., Erich's second son, duke of Brunswick-
Gnibenhagen . . . . -
!\rarried to Elizabeth, daughter of Volrad, count of
Waldeck
15 Oct. 1471.
Herzberg, 1486.
1490.
Osterode.
p. 414.
Children—
1, Just, died young ....
2, Sophia, abbess of Gandersheini
3, Ernest IV., died before he was of age
4, Philip.
5, Erich, bishop of Osnaburg since 1508, and
bishop of Munster 1532
1472.
-
1472.
1481.
About 1493.
$ Fiirsienan, >
( 14 May, 1532. 5
Eimbeck.
Gandersheim.
Osnaburg.
p. 429.
p. 246.
p. 335.
PHILIP I., duke of Brunswick- Grubenhagen
Married to Catharine, daughter of Ernest HI., count
ofMansfeldt -..-..
i Herzberg, J
i 4 Sept- 1551. S
1535.
Osterode.
Osterode.
p. 409.
p. 414.
Children—
1, Philip, died young ....
2, Ernest; 3, Elizabeth; died young -
4, Alkrecht, was killed in liie battle near
Giengen
5, Catharine; married, 1, to John Ernest, dnke
ofSaxe-Coburg . . . .
2, to Philip, of Schwaizburg-Lcntcnberg
6, John ; died in consequence of the wounds
which he had received on the 10th August,
1557, at St. Qucntin ....
7, Barbara, died young ...
8, Wolfgang. 9, Philip.
1509.
1521.
25 Aug. 1524.
1526.
1528.
13 Feb. 1542.
1518.
18 March, 1520.
21 Oct. 1546.
24 Feb. 1581.
2 Sept. 1557.
1528.
Herzberg.
Osterode.
Nordlingen.
Salfeld.
Cambray, in France
Herzberg.
p. 389.
p. 414.
p. 414.
p. 453.
p. 414.
ERNEST v., dnke of Brunswick-Giubenhagen
M;irried to Anne Blargaret, daughter of George,
dukeofPomerania-Stettin - -
Children—
Elizabeth ; married to John, duke of Holstein,
son of Christian III., king of Denmark
S Herzberg, 1
i 2Apr.l518. 5
4 Oct. 1548.
1568.
$ Herzberg, )
( 2 April, 1567. 5
<, Sals<lerhelden,^
i 24 June, 1669.)
12 Feb. 1586.
Osterode.
Osterode.
p. 409.
p. 410.
WOLFGANG, duke of Brunswick-Giubenhagen
Married to Dorothea, daughter of Francis I., duke
of Saxe-Lanenbuig, (Saxe-Engern, and Westphalia);
1 April, 1531.
Dec. 1570.
14 March, 1595.
5 April, 1586.
Osterode.
Osterode.
p. 410.
p. 410.
PHILIP II., dukeof Brnnswick-Grubenhagen ; without
issue, and the last of his line . . . .
Married to Clara, daughter of Henry the Younger,
dukeofBruuswick-Wolfenbuttel .
4 May, 1533.
16 Nov. 1532.
1 July, 1560.
4 April, 1596.
13 Nov. 1595.
Osterode.
Osterode.
p. 411.
p. 412.
TABLE II. (B.)
THE OLD HOUSE OF BRUNSWICK, OR THAT OF THE FIRST DIVISION.
The Reigning Princes and their Families.
Born.
Married.
Died.
Burial Places.
Records.;
B. BRUNSWICK-GOTTINGEN.
ALBERT THE FAT, second son of Albeit the Great,
dnkeof BninswickGottingeii - ;„ '
Married to Riclisa, or Riehenza, daughter of Henry
the Elder, prince of Werlc, in INIeckUnburg
- ■
22 Sept. 1318.
1314.
Brunswick.
Brunswick.
p. 266.
p. 266.
Children—
i, Matilda, abbess of Gandersheini.
2, Adei.heid; married to John, son of Henry I.,
landgrave of Hesse; after her deaili canonised.
3, Otho. 4, Aleekt, bishop of Halberstadt
5, Henry, bishop of Hildeslieim -
6, BiiiiNo ------
7, Luther, or Luder, grand master of the Teu-
tonic Order . - - - -
8, John, likewise grand master of the Teutonic
Order.
9, Magnus. 10, Ernest.
\ '■
1358.
6 Feb. 1362.
Oct. 1303.
1335.
Brunswick.
Hildesheim.
Gottingen.
Konigsbei-g.
p. 266.
p. 334.
p. 337.
p. 343.
OTHO THE LIBERAL, duke of Brunswiek-Gottin-
gen, reigned till his death over the dominions of the
family ; first, as <:nardiau of his brothers, and after-
wards in their name . . - - -
Married to Agnes, daughter of Conrad, and widow
of margrave Waldemar of Brandenburg
1292.
1319.
30 Aug. 1344.
1334.
Brunswick.
Brunswick.
p. 266.
p. 266.
Children—
Agnes, married to duke Barnim III. of Pome-
1371.
After his death, the two brothers divided the country,
and founded two lines, — Magnus that of BRUNS-
WICK, and ERNEST that of GOTTINGEN.
1. BRUNSWICK-GOTTINGEN.
ERNEST, duke of Brunswick- Gottingen, youngest
son of Albert the Fat - - - -
Married to Elizabeth, daughter of Henry the lion,
landgrave of Hesse . . . - -
- -
At Harste, 1367.
1390.
Brunswick.
Gottingen.
p. 267.
p. 337.
Children—
1,Otho.
2, Agnes, married to count Godfried of Ziegen-
hain
3, Anne, married to count William of Henneberg
1387.
1414.
28 Oct. 1426.
Nidda.
Vesra.
p. 316.
OTHO THE STRONG, duke of Brunsw.-Gottingen
Married, 1, to Mirislava, daughter of count John of
Holstein.
2, to Margaretha, daughter of Gerhard, duke of Berg
■
1379.
$ Hardegsen, ^
i 13 Dec. 1393. i
M42.
Wiebrechtshausen.
Hardegsen.
p. 434.
p. 338.
Children—
1, William, died 21 years old
2, Otho.
3, Agnes, married to Henry, count of Hohenstein.
4, Elizabeth, married to Erich, duke of Bruns-
wick-Grubenhagen.
1370.
1391.
Hardegsen.
p. 339.
OTHO COCLES, duke of Brnnswick-Gottingen
Married to Agnes, daughter of landgrave Herman of
Hesse --.---.
1395.
1400.
20 Feb. 1463.
17 Jan. 1471.
Uslar.
Cassel, St.aiartini.
p. 435.
TABLE II. (B.)~ Continued.
THE OLD HOUSE OF BRUNSWICK, OR THAT OF THE FIRST DIVISION.
27ie Reigning Piiiices and their Families.
Born.
Married.
Died.
Burial Places.
Records.
'2. BRUNSWICK-BRUNSAVICK.
MAGNUS THE PIOUS, second son of Albert the
Fat, and duke of Binnswick-Biunswick
.
Summer of 1369.
Brunswick.
p. 267.
Maiiied to Sophia Agnes, daughter of Henry, mar-
grave of Brandenburg.
Children—
1, Matilda, married to prince Bernhard III. of
( Nienberg, }
} Anhalt-Cothen. ]
Anhalt
2, Helena, married to count Otho of Hoya.
-
After 1354.
p. 346.
3, Agnes, married to count Erich of Hoya.
4, Sophia, mar. to count Diedcrich of Holjenstein.
( Italy orNurn- ^
( berg, 1339. )
r,, Otho, died on liis return from Palestine
6, Ernest, resided at Blankcnau.
7, Albert, elected archbishop of Bremen 1361 -
1395.
Bremen.
p. 332.
8, Henry, provost oflhe Holy Cross atHildesheim.
9, Louis. 10, Magnus.
LOUIS, duke of Brunswick-Brunswick
. .
1335.
1367.
WienUaiisen.
p. 365.
Married to IMatilda, youngest daughter of duke
William of Luneburg, who, after his death, married
again to count Otho of Holstein-Schaumburg
1368.
MAGNUS TORQUATUS, dnke of Brnnswick-Bruns-
wick, killed in the battle near Leveste
-
25 July, 1373.
Brunswick.
p. 267.
Married to Catharina, daughter of Woldemar, prince
of Anhalt and margrave of Brandenburg; married
again to Albert, duke of Saxe-Lauenburg -
'
-
1380.
Luneburg.
p. 382.
Children—
1, Frederick. 2, Bernhard. 3, Henr\.
4, Otho, bishop of Verden, elected 13.i8, and arch-
bishop of Bremen, elected 1395
1406.
Bremen.
p. 331.
5, Agnes, or Helena ; married to Albert II., duke
of Mecklenburg, and king of Sweden
1396.
1433.
6, Agnes, married to Albert of Gnibenhagen
.
1414.
7, Agnes, married to Busso, count of Mansfeldt -
1366.
8, Elizabeth, mar. to duke Gerhard of Holstcin.
9, Anne, married to count Maurice of Oldenburg
-
1420.
10, Matilda, married to count Otho of Hoya
1384.
After 1416.
11, Sophia, mar. to duke Erich of Saxe-Lauenburg.
After the death of William of Luneburg, 13r;9, Magnus
Torquatus took possession of the dulchy of Luneburg ;
but the long war of succession began, and ended
finally in favour of his sons, who, after his death,
continued to support their rights with vigour and
gallantry.
II. The Old House of Luneburg.
JOHN, duke of Brunswick-Luiieburg, second son of
Otho the Infant -----
.
.
\ Dalenberg, )
( 13 Dec. 1277. S
Luneburg.
p. 374.
Married to Luitgard, daughter of Gerhard I., count
of Holstein-Schaumburg - - . -
-
1265.
Children—
1, Otho.
2, Agnes; married to Gardnin, count of Halmcr-
sleben.
3, Matilda; married to Henry III., prince of the
Wends - - - - -
.
■
Wienhausen.
p. 366.
4, Elizabeth; married to John VII., count of
Oldenburg.
5, Helena; married to Otho, count of Oldenburg-
Delmenhaist.
TABLE II. (B.)- Continued.
THE OLD HOUSE OF BRUNSWICK, OR THAT OF THE FIRST DIVISION.
The Reisnins Princes and their Families.
Born.
Married.
Died.
Burial Places.
Records.
OTHO THE SEVERE, duke of Briinswick-Liineburg
Married to Matilda, daiisliter of Henry the Severe,
duke of Baria and count Palatine - . -
Children—
1, John, administrator of the archbishop. Bremen.
2, Louis, bishop of Mindeii, elected 1324 -
J, Agnes, married to Barnim III., duke of Poine-
rania ------
4, OthO. 5, WiLlIAM.
OTHO THE YOUNGER, duke of Bruns.-Lnneburg
Married to Matilda, daughter of Henry, duke of
Mecklenburg - . . . .
Children—
1, Otho, drowned in the Ilmenau.
2, Matilda, married to count Henry of Waldeck.
WILLIAM, duke of Brunswick-Luneburg
Married, 1, to Hedewig, daughter of Otho, count of
Ravensbbrg ----..
2, to Sophia, a princess of Schroeden
3, to Maria, or Agnes, daughter of Erich I., duke of
Lauenburg ------
Children—
1, Elizabeth ; married, 1, to Otho, duke of Saxony,
by whom she liad a son, Albert
2, to Nicolaus, count of Holstein.
2, Matilda; married, ], to Louis, duke of Bruns-
wick, son of duke Magnus Pius
2, to Otho II., count of Schauniburg.
Luueburg succession war from 1369 to 1338.
ALBERT, duke of Saxe-Laucnburg, son of Elizabeth,
daughter of William of Lunehurg; pretender to the
dutchy of Luueburg, killed before Ricklingen
WENZLAW, duke and elector of Saxony, Albert's
uncle, governed the dutchy together with Albert,
and after the death of the latter, till 25th May, 1388
9 April, 1330.
27 March, l3l9.
Aug. 1346.
1371.
19 Aug. 1352.
1356.
23 Nov. 1369.
1334.
Luneburg.
Lunebuig.
Luneburg.
Luueburg.
Luneburg.
Luneburg.
Luneburg.
Hanover, )
15 May, 1388. 5
Luneburg.
Luneburg.
p. 374.
p. 374.
p. 374.
p. 374.
p. 374.
p. 374.
p. 374.
TABLE III. (A.)
THE MIDDLE HOUSE OF BRUNSWICK-LUNEBURG, OR THAT OF THE
SECOND DIVISION.
The Reigning Princes and their Families.
Born.
Married.
Died.
Burial Places.
Records.
The dukes Fhedebick, BERNHARD.and Henry, after
Iiavins gained the undisputed and peaceable posses-
sion of the whole country belonging to the Honse of
Brnnswick and Lnncburg, reigned conjointly till the
melancholy death of Frederick. After his decease,
the remaining brothers, Bernhard and Henry,
made another division, in the vear 1409; and founded.
after some furthir regulations, the two Houses of
BRUNSWICK and of LUNEBURG, or the MID-
DLE HOUSE of BRUNSWICK-LUNEBURG.
■
FREDERICK, duke of Brunswick and Lnneburg,
eldest son of Magnus Torquatus, and elected king of
C Wiebrechtshau- ■>
' sen and '
the Romans, but murdered near Fritzlar
.
.
b June, 1400.
p. 434.
Jlarried to Anne, daughter of Wenzlaw, duke of
l_ Brunswick, j
Saxony and elector -----
.
1386.
11 Aug. 1432.
Married again, to Balthasar, landgrave of Thuringen
-
1404.
Children—
1, Elizabeth, married to countHenrv of Schwarz-
burg - - - - - -
1403.
2, Anne, married to Frederick, duke of Austria-
Tyrol
1431.
II. The Second Division, or the Middle
House of Briinszcick.
I. THE MIDDLE HOUSE OF BRUNSWICK.
HENRY, dnke of Brunswick, younger son of Magnus
Torquatus ------
<s Ulzen, ^
i 2 Oct. 1416. 5
$ Probably ^
i Brunswick. )
Married, 1, to Sophia, daughter of Wratislaw, duke
ofPomerania
.
1386.
28 June, 1406.
Children-
1, Catharina; married to Frederick the Warlike,
elector of Saxony . - - .
.
1442.
a. William.
2, to Margarttha, daughter of Herman, landgrave of
Hesse
-
After 1442.
CA/.'rfrra— Henry.
William and Henry divided, 23d November, 1432.
1. WOLFENBUTTEL.
HENRY THE PACIFIC, dnke of Brunswick in
IVolfenhuttel
Married to Helena, daughter of Adolphus, duke of
1411.
8 Dec. 1473.
Brunswick.
Cleves
22 May, 1423.
1436.
29 June, 1471.
Brunswick.
CftiMrcn— Margaret, married to William V.,
count of Henneberg - . - .
1451.
7 Nov. 1466.
« Mayenburg, ^
( 13 Feb. 1309. S
5SchleusingeD,or^
( VesrI. ;
p. 318.
2. CALENBERG AND WOLFENBUTTEL.
Since 1473.
WILLIAM THE VICTORIOUS, duke of Brunswick
in Calenherg, and afterwards also in Wolfenbuttel
1393.
25 July, 1482.
p. 267.
Married, l, to Cecilia, daughter of Frederick I.,
elector of Brandenburg . - - .
1423.
After 1431.
Brunswick.
p. 267.
Children— 1, William. 2, Frederick.
2, to Matilda, danghter of Otho, count ofSchaum-
burg, and widow ot Bernhard of Lnneburg -
1466.
22 July, 1468.
Brunswick.
p. 267.
C/iiWren— Otho, died young
1468.
■
1468.
Obeinkirchen.
p. 368.
William and Frederick divided, but reigned together
till Frederick's death.
TABLE ill. {k.)-Conthmecl
THE MIDDLE HOUSE OF BRUNSWICK-LUNEBURG, OR THAT OF THE
SECOND DIVISION.
The Reigning Princes and their Families.
Born.
Married.
Died.
Burial Places. Records.
FREDERICK, duke of Briinswick-Wolfeiibuttel, sur-
named the Turbulent, died in confinement -
Married, 1, to Anna, daughter of duke Erich of
Brunswick-Grubenhagen, and widow of Albert, duke
of Bavaria
2, to Margaretha, daughter of Conrad, count of
Rietberg ......
WILLIAM THE YOUNGER, duke of Brunswick-
Wolfcnbuttel, eldest son of William the Victorious -
Married to Elizabeth, daughter of Heury, count of
StoUberg-Werningerode . . . -
Ckildren—
1, Henry. 2, Erich.
3, Anne ; married to William, landgrave of Hesse
Henry and Erich divided the country, 2d May, 1495,
into Wolfenbnttel and Calenberg-Gottingen.
A. CALENBERG.
f Nenstadam "\
ERICH THE ELDER, duke of Brunswick at Calen- J ) Knbeii- (
berg - S \ bume, /
Married, 1, to Catharina, daughter of Albert, duke (, l6Feb.l470 *
of Saxony, and dowager of duke Sigismund of Aus- ;
tria-Tyrol ......
2, to Elizabeth, daughter of Joachim I., elector of
Brandenburg --.-..
She was afterwards married to Poppo XVIII., count
of Henneberg --....
Children— 'By Catharina.
1, Anna Maria; married to Albert, margrave of
Brandenburg.
2, Elizabeth ; married to George Ernest, count
of Henneberg .....
3, Catharina; married to William, count of Ro.
senberg, in Bohemia.
4, Erich.
ERICH THE YOUNGER, duke of Bruns.-Luneburg-
Calenberg ......
Married, 1, to Sidonia, daughter of duke Henry the
Pious of Saxony . . . . .
2, to Dorotha, dau<;hter of Francis, duke of Lorraine ;
without legitimate issue ...
B. WOLFENIJUTTEL.
HENRY THE ELDER, duke of Bruns.-Limebnrg.
Wolfenbuttel, and eldest son of duke William the
Younger, killed at the siege of Ileerort, in East
Friesland ......
Married to Catharina, daughter of Erich II., duke
of Pomerania . . . . .
1453.
1483.
1498.
]o25.
1546.
Children —
1, Elizabeth, abbess of Stedcrburg
2, Catharina ; married to Magnus II., duke of
Lauenburg . . . . .
3, Christopher, 1,'>02 archbishop of Bremen, and,
since 1511, administrator of Verdcn .
4, Henry.
5, Erich, commander of the Teutonic Order in
Coblentz, (killed in the Peasants' war)
6, Francis, bishop of Minden, elected 1504
7, George, bishop of Minden 1553, archbishop of
Bremen 1553, and administrator of Verden
1560
8, William, commander of the Teutonic Order at
Mirow, in Mecklenburg ...
10 Nov. 1489.
1492.
1545.
20 Sept. 1575,
Munden, 1495.
4 July, 1503.
$ Staufenberg, )
( after 1519. S
( Hagenau, )
t 30 July, 1540. J
10 Feb. 1524.
1558.
Pavia,8Nov.l584.
i Weissenfels, )
( 4 Jan. 1575. J
1587.
23 June, 1514.
1515.
1515.
19 June, 1563.
$ Tangermunde J
I 22 Jan. 1558. )
29 Nov. 1525.
25 Nov. 1529.
4 Dec. 1566.
1558.
BInnden.
Gandershtir
Brunswick.
Brunswick.
Ratzeburg.
Verden.
Riddagshausen.
Verden.
Mirow.
p. 339.
p. 246.
p. 341.
p. 316.
TABLE III. {k.)- Continued,
THE MIDDLE HOUSE OF BRUNSWICK-LUNEBURG, OR THAT OF THE
SECOND DIVISION.
The Reigning Princes and their Families.
Born.
Married.
Died.
Burial Places.
Records.
HENRY THE YOUNGER, <lukc of Bruns.-Luneb.-
Wolfenbuttle
10 Nov. 1498.
11 June, 1563.
Wolfenbuttle.
p. 300.
Married, 1, to Maria, daughter of duke Henry of
Wirtemberg ..--.-
1514.
28 Dec. 1541.
Wolfenbuttle.
ib-
Children—
1, Andiiew, died young . - . -
1517.
1517.
Gandersbeim.
2, Catharina, married to John, margrave of
Brandenhurg-Custrin - . - .
1518.
1537.
1574.
3, Charles Victor, killed at Silvershausen
1525.
9 July, 1533.
Wolfenbuttle.
p. 301.
4, Philip Magnus, killed at Silvershausen
1J27.
9 July, 1553.
Wolfenbuttle.
ib.
5, Julius.
6, Maria, abbess of Gandersbeim 1531 -
1530.
26 July, 1539.
7, Clara ; after her sister's death, 1339, abbess of
Gandersbeim; resigned 1547; and married to
\ Herzberg, ^
I I3NOV.1395. S
Philip II., duke of Grubenhagen
16 Nov. 153S.
1 July, 1560.
Osterode.
p. 412.
8, Margaret, married to George, duke of
Munsterberg-Oels ....
8 Sept. 1561.
27 Oct. 1580.
2, to Sophia, daughter of Segismund, king of Poland
2ii Feb. 1556.
< Scbbningen, )
( 28 May, 1375. S
Wolfenbuttle.
p. 301.
JULIUS, duke of Bninswick-Wolfenbuttle -
29 June, 1328.
3 May, 1389.
Wolfenbuttle.
ib.
Married to Hedwig, daughter of Joachim II., elector
of Brandenburg .....
1 March, 1540.
25 Feb. 1560.
21 Oct. 1602.
Wolfenbuttle.
ib.
Children—
1, Sophia- Hedwig, married to Ernest Louis,
duke of Pomerania ....
1 Dec. 1561.
20 Oct. 1377.
1631.
2, Henry-Julius.
3, Maria ; married to Francis II., duke of Saxe-
Lawenburg .....
13 Jan. 1566.
11 Nov. 1582.
1626.
4, Elizabeth ; married, 1, to count Adolpb of
Schauniberg .....
.
6 May, 15!;3.
2, to Christoph, duke of Brunswick.Luneburg.
Harburg
23 Feb. 1567.
1604.
94 Oct. 161U.
Harburg.
p. 419.
5, Philip.Sigismund, bishop of Verden 1568, and
< Hurg, }
i 19 Mar. 1623. $
of Osnaburg 1591 ....
1 July, 1563.
Verden.
p. 325.
6, Margaret .....
22 June, 1571.
20 Jan. 1580.
Wolfenbuttle.
7, Joachim-Charles, provost of Strasbnrg
23 April, 1573.
9 Oct. 1615.
« Marienthal, )
) near Helmstadt. J
Wolfenbuttle.
8, Sabina Catharina ....
29 April, 1574.
1 Sept. 1590.
9, Dorothea-Augusta; elected, 14th Nov. 1611,
abbess of Gandersbeim
12 Feb. 1577.
,
23 Dec. 1625.
Wolfenbuttle.
p. 303.
10, Julius-Augustus ; elected, 1591, abbot of
Micbelstein, and provost of St. Blase's, at
Brunswick
4 Feb. 1578.
30 Aug. 1617.
Wolfenbuttle.
p. 303.
1 1, Hedwig ; married to Otho, duke of Brunswick-
Luneburg-Harburg ....
1580.
15 April, 1621.
After 1643.
3 II
TABLE III. (B.)
THE MIDDLE HOUSE OF BRUNSWICK-LUNEBURG, OR THAT OF THE
SECOND DIVISION.
The Reigning Princes and their Families.
Born.
Married.
Died.
Burial Places.
Recorch]
HENRY JULIUS, duke of Bninswick-Lmiebnrg-
^ Prague, )
( 20 July, 1613. )
Wolfenbuttle - . . - .
15 Oct. 1564.
Wolfenbuttle.
p. 303.
Married, 1, to Dorothea, daughter of Augustus,
elector of Saxony; died in childbed
1564.
26 Sept. 1585.
6 Feb. 1587.
Wolfcnbuttle.
Children —
Dorothea-Hedwig, married to Riidolpli, prince
of Anhalt-Zerbst . - . ,
6 Feb. 1587.
29 Dec. 1605.
16 Oct 1609.
Zerbst.
2, to Elizabeth, daughter of Frederick II., king of
Denmark -.-...
24 Aug. 1573.
19 April, 1590.
19 June, 1626.
Wolfenbuttle.
p. 303.
Children—
1, FrederickUlrich.
a, Sophia-Hedwig, married to Ernest-Casarair,
count of Nassaii-Dietz
20 Feb. 1592.
8 June, 1607.
1632.
3. Elizabeth; married, 1, to Augustus, duke of
Saxony
1 June, 1612.
«, to john-Philip, duke of Saxe-Altcnburg -
23 June, 1593.
25 Oct. 1618.
25 March, 1650.
4, Hedwig ; married toUlrich.duke ofPomerania
19 Feb. 1595.
7 Feb. 1619.
26 June, 1650.
5, Dorothea, married to Christian-William, mar-
grave of Brandenburg
8 June, 1596-
1 Jan. 1615.
15 Aug. 1643.
r Groningen, j
} Halberstadt, i
6, Henry-Julius ....
7 Oct. 1597.
.
Wolfenbuttle.
p. .SOI.
i llJuIy,1606. 3
7, Christian, bishop of Halberstadt, elected 1616,
and knight of the Garter
10 Sept. 1599.
-
6 July, 1626.
Wolfenbuttle.
p. 304.
0, Rudolph, bishop of Halberstadt, elected 1615 i 15 June, 1602.
13 June, 1616.
Tubingen.
p. OlO.
9, Henry-Charles, bishop of Halberstadt, elected
f Helmstadt, ^
( 11 June,l616. J
1613 ......
3 Sept. 1609.
Wolfenbuttle.
p. 303.
10, Anne-Augusta ; married to George-Louis.count
of Nassau-Dillenbnrg
9 May, 1612.
1638.
1656.
11, Christoph. Very little known of him ; is said
to have died in the Danish service .
-
1626.
"fREDERICK-ULRICH, duke of Bruns«ick-Lune.
bnig-Wolfenbuttle
5 April, 1591.
11 Aug. 1634.
Wolfenbuttle.
p. 304.
Married to Anna-Sophia, danghterofJohn-Segismund,
elector of Brandenburg ....
12 March, 1599.
4 Sept. 1614.
19 Dec. 1659.
Cologne on the Spree
II. The Middle House of Luneburg.
BERNHARD I., duke of Brunswick-Luneburg, second
1 sou of Magnus Torquatus - . ^' .
-
11 Jane, 1434.
Luneburg.
p. 382.
Married to Margaret, daughter of duke Wenzelaus
of Saxony ......
-
1386.
-
Luneburg.
ib.
Children—
1, Otho. 2, Frederick.
3, Margaret, married to Casamir, duke of
Pomerania - - . .
1429.
OTHO, (CLAUDUS), duke of Bninswick.Luneburg
1 June, 1446.
Luneburg.
ib.
Married to Elizabeth, daughter of count Herman of
Kberstcin
1425.
Isenhagen.
p. 366.
FREDERICK THE PIOUS, duke of Brunswick.
Luueburg - . . .
-
1420.
29 :\Iarch, 1478.
Celle.
p. 317.
Married to Magdalene, daughter of Frederick I.,
elector of Brandenburg ....
1430.
1453.
Schardbeck.
Children—
1, Margaret; married to Ulrich, duke of Stut-
gard --....
2, Bernhard. 3, Otho.
Celle.
p. 347.
BERNHARD II., duke of Brunswick-Luneburg, died
before his lather . . . . .
Married to Matilda, daughter of Otho, count of
-
Celle, 1464.
Luneburg.
p. 382.
Schaumberg ......
1463.
After the duke's death, she married William the Vic.
torious, duke of Biunswick-Wolfenbuttle
1466.
22 July, 1468.
Brunswick.
'■'"■
TABLE HI. (B.)- Continued.
THE MIDDLE HOUSE OF BRUNSWICK-LUNEBURG, OR THAT OF THE
SECOND DIVISION.
The Reigning; Princes and their Families.
Born.
Died.
Burial Places.
Records.
OTHO THli MAGNANIAIOUS, dnke of Binnswick-
Lnnebiirg, died before his father
Blarried to Anna, daughter of count John of Nassau-
Uillenbing -.-.-.
She was married again to Philip, count of Katzenel-
lenbogen ; after whose death she came back to Celle
C/ii'Wi-en— Henry.
HENRY THE YOUNGER, duke of Brunswick-
Luneburg ......
Married to Margaret, daughter of Ernest, elector
of Saxony ......
Children—
i, Elizabeth; married to Charles of Egniont,
duke of Guelders . - . .
2, Otho. 3, Ernest.
4, ApoLtOMA ; was for a short time canoness of
Wienhausen . . . . .
5, Johanna; married to Barnim XI., duke of
Pomerania .....
6, Francis.
Otho and Ernest reigned together from 1521 till
1527; when Otho contented himself with Harburg,
and resigned his share in the government. After this
Ernest reigned with his younger brother, Francis,
who was now become of age, till 1539, when the
latter received Gifhorn, and resigned likewise the
sole and chief government to Ernest, who from
that time reigned alone, and resided at Celle. Hereby
three lines of the house were founded — that of Har-
burg, Gifhorn, and Celle.
1. THE LINE OF HARBURG.
OTHO THE ELDER, duke of Brunswick-Luneburg,
at Harbnrg
INIarried to Matilda, of Campen, daughter of a Bruns-
wick nobleman . . . . .
1499.
6 Dec. 1502.
28 Sept. 1467.
26 Feb. 1487.
Children—
1, Anne, died young. 2, Otho, and 3, Ernest,
twins; died very young. 4, Otho. 5, Fre-
derick, died soon after his birth. 6, Mar-
garet, died seven years old. 7, Susanna,
died likewise young.
OTHO THE YOUNGER, duke of Brunswiek-Lune.
burg, at Harburg
Married, 1, to Margaret, daughter of Henry, count
of Schv\arzbnrg, and widow of the count of Gera
Children—
1, li.iZABETU; married to Erich, count Bralic,
(if Wissingenburg ....
'.', Otiio-Henuv, in military service
3, John-Frederick - . . .
■2, to Hcdwig, daughter of Enna II., count of East
Fricsland ......
Children—
1, William.
2, Anne-Margaret, provost of Quedlinburg
3, Henry, died young.
4, Hedwig .....
14 Aug. 1495.
25 Sept. 1528.
18 Sept.
!6 June,
23 Feb.
1 March
21 Aug
, 1567.
1569.
8 Sept. 1551.
25 June, 1582.
8 Nov. 1562.
18 April, 1514.
19 Feb. 1532.
7 Dee. 1528.
31 Aug. 1571.
6 Nov. 1573.
11 Aug. 1549. Harburg.
16 Oct. 1580. Harburg.
20 Oct. 1603.
16 March, 1557.
1617.
15 Oct. 1591.
21 Feb. 1619.
1643.
6 March 1620.
Luneburg.
Celle, or Wien- )
hausen. ji
Torgau.
ITelzen.
Stettin.
Harburg.
Harburg.
Harburg.
TABLE III. (B.)-Contmued.
THE MIDDLE HOUSE OF BRUNSWICK-LUNEBURG, OR THAT OF THE
SECOND DIVISION.
The Reigning Princes and their Families.
Born.
Married.
Died.
Burial Places.
Records.
5, CHRisTOPHEii, duke of Bninswick-Lunebiirg-
H a, burs . - - - -
12 Aug. 1670.
7 June, 1606.
Harburg.
p. 42! .
Married to Elizabeth, daugliter of Julius, duke
of Bninswick-Wolfenbuttie, and dowager of
Adolph, count of Scliaumbnrg
23 Feb. 1567.
28 Oct. 1604.
24 Oct. 1618.
Harburg.
p. 419.
6, Otho, duke of Brunswick-Luuebnrg-Harburg
20 March, lo72.
_
25 Feb. 1641.
Harburg.
*^ib.
Married to Hedwig, daughter of duke Julius
of Brnnswick-Wolfenbutlle -
1580.
15 April, 1621.
After 1643.
7, John
19 July, 1573.
27 Feb. 1R25.
3, Elizabeth . - - - .
1 Dec. 1574.
20 June, 1575.
9, Catharina-Sophia; married to Herman, count
of Holsteiii-Schauenburg
6 May, 1577.
26 Feb. 1629.
15 Dec. 1665.
Stadthagen.
10, Frederick, served under king Charles IX. of
Sweden - . . . .
6 Sept. 1578.
17 Sept. 1605.
11, Freuebick-Augustus, died j'omig
la Feb. 1580.
18 March, 1580.
WILLIAM, duke of Brunswick-Lnneburg-Harburg;
reigned first with his brotlier Christopher, then
S Harburg, )
( 30 War. 1642. ]
with Otho, and at last alone, unmarried -
14 March, 1564.
-
Celle.
p. 354.
2. THE LINE OF GIFHORN.
FRANXIS, duke of Brunswick-Luneburg-Gif horn -
23 Nov. 1508.
23 Nov. 14'.)9.
Gifhorn.
p. 427.
Married to Clara, daughter of Magnus II., duke of
Lauenbnrg ......
29 Sept. 1547.
21 March, 1576.
Barth,inPomcrauia.
Children—
1, Catharina ; married to Henry, bnrggrave of
Misnia, andi.rinceofPlawen
9 April, 1564.
10 Dec. 1565.
2, Clara ; married, 1, to Beruhard, prince of An-
halt
28 May, 1565.
25 Jan. 1598.
Barth.
2, to BogislausXIII.,dukeof Pomerania
1 Jan. 1550.
8 Sept. 1.572.
a. THE LINE OF CELLE.
ERNEST THE CONFESSOR, duke of Brunswick-
Lunebnrg-Celle .....
26 June, 1497.
11 Jan. 1547.
Celle.
p. 357.
Married "to Sophia, daughter of Henrv, duke of
J Whit.sun- ^
i tide, 1528. J
Mecklenburg
15(17.
8 June, 1541.
Celle.
ih.
Children-
1, Francis-Otho.
2, Frederick, died of his wounds received in the
battle ol Silverhauseu - . - .
2 June, 153.'.
-
20 Jnly, 1553.
Celle.
p. 348.
3, Henry.
■I, Margaret; married to John, count of Mans-
feldt
10 June, 1534.
14 Aug. 1.549.
24 Sept. 1596.
Eiblebcn.
5, William. 6, Ursula
1 Oct. 1536.
21 Oct. 1558.
7, Catharina, died joung
1537.
8, Elizabeth-Ursula ; married to Olbo,count of
i Detmold, J
{ 3 Sept. 1586. }
Schauniberg .....
9, Magdalene ; married to Arnold, count of Bent-
1539.
1.558.
Stadthagen.
p. 371.
heim
1540.
1561.
At Burgdorf,1586.
10, Sophia; married to Poppe XVIII., cmint of
i Breitingeu, ^
I 17 Jan. 1631. 5
Hcnueberg . - . . .
18 Jan. 1541.
22 June, 1562.
Schlcusingen.
p. 318.
FRANCIS-OTHO, duke of Bruuswick-Luneburg-
f Isenhagen, ~i
I 20 June, J
C 1530. 3
Celle
29 April. 1559.
Celle.
p. 343.
Married to Elizabeth-Magdalene, daughter of Joa-
chim II., elector of Brandenburg
Jan. 1559.
22 Aug. 1595.
Berlin.
TABLE IV. (A.)
THE NEW HOUSE OF BRUNSWICK-LUNEBURG, OR THAT OF THE
THIRD DIVISION.
T/ie Reigning Priiices and their Families.
Born.
Married.
Died.
Burial Places.
Records.
After the death of dnkeFrancis-Otho, !iis two brothers,
the diikes Henry and William, reigned together for
ten years, till the year 1569; when Henry left the
chief sovernment to liis hrother, and contented him-
self with the appanage of Dannenberg, Hitzacker, &c.
Hereby two lines were founded: 1, that of DAN-
NKNBKKG-HITZACKEK, which becamethe NEW
HOUSE of BRUNSWICK-LUNEBURG -WOL-
FEN BUTTLE; and 2, that of CELLE, which
became the NEW HOUSE of BRUNSWICK-
LUNEBURG.
III. The Third Division ; or, the New House
of Brumxtick-Luneburg.
I. THELINEOFDANNENBERG-HITZACKER,
OR, THE NEW HOUSE OF BRUNSWICK-
WOLFEN BUTTLE.
HENRY, duke of Brunswick-Luneburg-Dannenberg,
second son of Ernest the Confessor
4 June, 1533.
19 Jan. 1598.
Dannenberg.
p. 425.
Married to Ursula, daughter of Francis, duke of
Engern and Westphalia ....
1552.
1569.
12 Oct. 1620.
Dannenberg.
ib.
CMUlTcn—
1, Julius-Eenest.
'^, Francis, provost of Strasbnrg, drowned in the
Rhine - - " -
6 June, 1572.
24 Dec. 1601.
Strasburg.
p. 311.
3, Anna-Sophia . - . -
4 Aug. 1573.
.
24 March, 1574.
4, Henry . . - . -
25 Oct. 1574.
.
2 July, 1575.
5, SiBYLLA-EnzABETH, married to Anthony III.,
duke of Oldenburg - . . -
4 June, 1576.
16 Nov. 1600.
9 July, 1630.
6, SiDONIA
10 Dec. 1577.
-
4 Sep. 1645.
Dannenberg.
p. 425.
7, Augustus.
JULIUS-ERNEST, duke of Brunswick-Luneburg-Dan-
nenber;: ......
11 March, 1571.
-
26 Oct. 1636.
Dannenberg.
p. 426.
Married, 1, to Maria, daughter of Ezard, count of
East Friesland
1 May, 1582.
1 Sep. 1614.
9 July, 1616.
Dannenberg.
ib.
Children—
1, Segismund-Henry, died two months old
May, 1615.
9 July, 1615.
Dannenberg.
ib.
2, Maria-Catharina; married to Adolphus-Fre-
derick, duke of Mecklenbnrg-Schwerin
llJune, 1616.
15 Sep. 1635.
1 July, 1665.
2, to Sibylla, daughter ofWilliam, duke ofBrunswick-
$ Scbwarzburg, |
i 1651. ;
Luneburg-CcUe . - . . .
3 June, 1584.
13 Dec. 1617.
C/uWrai— Anna-Maria, died young.
AUGUSTUS, duke of Brunswick-Luneburg-Dannen-
bers-Hitzacker, since 14th December, 1633 ; also duke
ofBrunswick-Wolfenbuttle
10 April, 1579.
.
17 Sep. 1666.
Wolfenbuttle.
p. 305.
Married, l,toClara-Maria,daughter of Bogislaus XIII.,
duke of Fomerania, dowager of Segismund-Augustus,
duke of Mecklenburg - - . .
10 July, 1574.
13 Dec. 1607.
23 Feb. 1623.
Dannenberg.
p. 425.
CA;/dren— Two, still-born.
Married, 2, to Dorothea, daughter of Rudolph, prince
ofAnhalt-Zerbst; died in childbed -
24 Sept. 1607.
26 Oct. 1623.
26 Sept. 1634.
Dannenberg.
p. 425.
Children—
1, Henry-Augustus ....
28 April, 1625.
.
30 Sep. 1627.
Dannenberg.
ib.
Si, RUDOI.PHUS-AUGUSTUS. 3, SiBYLLA -URSULA ;
married to Christian, duke of Holstein-Gluck-
stadt
4 Dec. 1629.
20 Sep. 1663.
12 Dec. 1671.
4, Ci.ARA-AuGUSTA, married to Frederick, duke of
Wirten.berg
25 June, 1632.
7 June, 1653.
6 Oct. 1700.
5, Anthony-Ulrich.
TABLE IV. {X.)-^ Continued.
THE NEW HOUSE OF BRUNSWICK-LUNEBURG, OR THAT OF THE
THIRD DIVISION.
The Reigning Princes and their Families.
Born.
Married.
Died.
Burial Places.
Records.
Married, 3, to Sophia- Elizabeth, daughter of John-
Albert, duke of Mecklenburg
20 Aug. 1612.
13 July, 1635.
12 July, 1676.
Wolfenbuttle.
p. 305.
Children—
i, Ferdinand-Albert.
2, Maria-Elizabeth; married, l, to Adolphus-
Williani, duke of Saxe-Eisenach
27 Jan. 1638.
18 Jan. 1663.
15 Feb. 1687.
2, to Albert, duke of Saxe-Coburg
18 July, 1676.
3, Christian-Francis . . . .
1 Aug. 1639.
7 Dec. 1 6.39.
Wolfenbuttle.
p. 304.
Rudolphus-Angustus and Anthony-Ulrich reigned to-
gether; but Ferdinand-Albert received an appanage
and resided in Bcvern. Thereby two lines were
founded: 1, WOLFENBUTTLE; 2, BEVERN.
1. THE LINE OF BRUNSWICK-WOLFEN-
BUTTLE-WOLFEN.
RUDOLPHUS- AUGUSTUS, duke of Brnnswick-
Wolfenbuttle, eldest son of Augustus
16 May, 1627.
26 Jan. 1704.
Brunswick.
p. 270.
Married, 1, to Christine-Elizabeth, dauglitcr of
C Sondershau- ")
' sen, J
L 2 May, 1681. 3
Albert-Frederick, count of Barby
26 Oct. 1634.
10 Nov. 1650.
Brunswick.
ib.
Children—
1, Dorothea-Sophia; married to John-Adolphus,
dukeofHolstein-Ploen
18 Jan. 1635.
2 April, 1673.
21 March, 1722.
2, Christiana-Sophia, abbess of Gandersheini;
afterwardsmarried to Augustus- William, eldest
son of duke Anthony-Ulrich
3 April, 16.54.
24 Jan. 1681.
26 Jan. 1695.
Wolfenbuttle.
p. 306.
3, Eleonora-Sophia ....
5 Aug. 1655.
7 Jan. 1656.
Brunswick.
Married, 2, to Rosine-Elizabcth-Menton, called
Madame Rudolphine . _ . .
-
21 May, 1701.
Brunswick.
p. 270.
ANTHONY-ULRICH, duke of Brunswick-Wolfen-
buttle ......
4 Oct. 1633.
,
27 March, 1714.
Wolfenbuttle.
p. 306.
Married to ElizabetU-Juliane, daughter of Frederick,
duke of Holstein-Harburg ....
24 May, 1634.
17 Aug. 1656.
4 Feb. 1704.
Wolfenbuttle.
ib.
Children—
1, Augustus-Frederick, killed in the siege of
<, Speyer, )
(22A.ig.1676. J
Philipsburg
24 Aug. 1657.
Wolfenbuttle.
p. 305.
2, Elizabeth-Eleonore; married, 1, to John-
George, duke of Mecklenburg
31 Sep. 1658.
2 Feb. 1675.
15 March, 1729.
Meinungen.
2, to Bernliard,dukeofSaxe-Meinungeii
25 Jan. 1681.
3, Anna-Sophia, married to Charles-Gustavus,
margrave of Baden-Durlach -
29 Oct. 1659.
28 Oct. 1677.
4, Leopold-Augustus . - - .
27 Feb. 1661.
5 March, 1662.
Wolfenbuttle.
p. 304.
5, Augustus-William.
6, Augustus-Henry ....
14 Aug. 1663.
24 Feb. 1664.
Wolfenbuttle.
p. 307.
7, Augustus-Charles ....
4 Aug. 1664.
21 Dec. 1664.
Wolfenbuttle.
p. 304.
8, Augustus-Francis ....
7 Oct. 1665.
.
14 Dec. 1665.
Wolfenbuttle.
ib.
9, Augusta- Dorothea; married to Anthonv-
Guuther, prince of Schwarzburg
16 Dec. 1666.
6 Aug. 1684.
22 Dec. 1716.
10, Amelia-Anthonia ....
7 June, 1688.
1 Nov. 1663.
Wolfenbuttle.
p. 303.
11, Henrietta-Christine, abbess of Gander-
shei.n, elcclress 1693; resigned 1712; turned
catholic, and died as abbess of Ruremonde -
19 Sep. 1669.
14, Louis-Rudolph.
13, Sibvlla-Ursula - - - .
10 Sep. 1672.
1 April, 1673.
Wolfenbuttle.
ib.
AUGUSTUS-V/ILLIAM, duke of Bmnswick-AVolfen-
buttle --....
8 March, 1662.
.
23 March, 1731.
Wolfenbuttle.
p. 307.
Married, 1, to Christina-Sophia, daughter of duke
Rudolphus-AnguEtus, and his cousin
3 April, 1654.
24 Jan. 1681.
26 Jan. 1695.
Wolfenbuttle.
p. 306.
2. to Sophia-Amelia, daughter of Christian-Albert,
dukeof Holstein-Gottorp ....
18 Jan. 1670.
7 July, 1695.
27 Feb. 1710.
Wolfenbuttle.
p. 307.
S, to Elizabeth-Sopbia-IWaria, daughter of Rudolphus-
Frederick, duke of Holstein-Norburg, and widow of.
Adolphus.Augustns, prince of Holstein-Ploen.without
issue ......
■
12 Sep. 1710.
1
TABLE IV. {k.)- Continued.
THE NEW HOUSE OF BRUNSWICK-LUNEBURG. OR THAT OF THE
THIRD DIVISION.
The Reigning Princes and their Families.
Born.
Married.
Died.
Burial Places.
Records.
LOUIS-KUDOLPHUS, duke of Biunswiok-Wolfen-
buttle, at Blankenburg, as his appanage - -
22 July, 1671.
Married to Ciiristiiia-Liidowicka, daughter of Albert-
Ernest, prince of Oettingen
20 March, 1671.
- -
1747.
Brunswick.
p. 287.
Children—
1, Elizabeth-Christine ; married to Charles III.,
king of Spain, afterwards emperor
28 Aug. 1691.
23 April, 1708.
1750.
2, Charlotte-Augusta
23 July, 1692.
-
8 Aug. 1692.
Wolfenbuttle.
p. 306.
3, Charlotte-Christiana-Sophia; married to
Alexis-Pelrowitz, imperial prince of Russia -
29 Aug. 1694.
25 Oct. 1711.
4, Antoinetta-Amelia; married to Ferdinand-
Albert, duke of Brunswick-Bevern
22 April, 1696.
15 Oct. 1712.
6 March, 1762.
Brunswick.
p. 286.
2. THE LINE OF BRUNSWICK-WOLFEN-
BUTTLE-BEVERiN.
FERDINAND-ALBERT I., duke of Brunswick-
Wolfenbuttle-Bevern, youngest son of duke Augustus
22 May, 1C36.
25 April, 1687.
Brunswick.
p. 274.
Married to Christina, daughter of Frederick, land-
grave of Hesse-Eschwegc . - . -
30 Oct. 1648.
15 Nov. 1667.
10 March, 1702.
Brunswick.
p. 275.
Children—
1, Leopold-Charles - - - , -
30 Jan. 1670.
-
4 March, 1670.
Brunswick.
p. 276.
ib.
ib.
ib.
2, Frederick-Albert . . - -
5 Jan. 1672.
27 Jan. 1673.
Brunswick.
3, Sophia-Eleonora . - - .
5 March, 1674.
14 Jan. 1711.
Brunswick.
4, Claudina-Eleonora - - -
29 Nov. 1675.
30 July, 1676.
Brunswick.
6, Augustus-Ferdinand
29 Dec. 1677.
2 July, 1704.
Brunswick.
p. £73.
6, Ferdinand-Albert II.
7, Ernest-Ferdinand.
8, Ferdinand-Christian
9, Henry-Ferdinand - - - -
4 March, 1682.
12 April, 1684.
- :
21 Dec. 1706.
7 Sept. 1706.
Brunswick.
Brunswick.
p. 280.
Ferdinand-Albert II. and Ernest-Ferdinand founded
two lines, the ALBERTINE and the ERNESTINE
of Brunswick-Wolfenbuttle ; of which the latter
became extinct 1809. The Albertine line is that of
the present dukes of Brunswick-Wolfenbuttle.
TABLE IV. (B.)
THE NEW HOUSE OF BRUNSWICK-LUNEBURG, OR THAT OF THE
THIRD DIVISION.
The Reigning Princes and their Families.
II. The Line of Celle ; or, the New House of
Brunswick-Lunebitrg.
WILLIAM THE YOUNGER, duke of Bmnswirk-
Ltincburg, at Cellc, youngest son of Ernest the Con-
fessor - - . - . .
Married to Dorothea, daughter of Christian III., king
of Denmark ---.-.
Children —
1, Sophia; married to George-Frederick, mar-
grave of Brandenburg ...
2, Ernest.
3, Elizabeth ; married to Frederick, count of
Hohenlohe - . - . .
4, Christian. 5, Augustl'S.
6, Dorothea; married to Charles, palatine of
Birkenfeld - - - . .
7, Clara ; married to William, count of Schvvarz-
Born.
4 July, 153.5.
-20 June, 1546.
bur
8, Anna-Ursula -----
9, Margaret, married to John-Casimir, duke
of .Saxe-Coburg - - . .
10, Frederick.
11, Maria ---...
12, Magnus - - . . .
13, George.
14, John
15, SiBVi.LA ; married to Julius-Ernest, dnke of
Brunswick-Daunenberg - ■ - .
ERNEST, duke of Brunswick-Luneburg, at Celle -
CHRISTIAN, duke of Brunswick-Luneburg, at Celle,
bishop of Minden; elected 6th Feb. 1599 -
AUGUSTUS, duke of Brunswick-Luneburg, at Celle,
bishop of Ratzburg; elected 1611 -
FREDERICK, duke of Brunswick-Luneburg, at Celle
GEORGE, duke of Brunswick-Luneburg, had his
residence at Herzberg - . - -
Married to Anna-Ii:ieonora, daughter of Louis V.,
landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
Children—
1, Magdalene - - - . .
2, Christian-Louis. 3, George-William.
4, John-Frederick.
5, .Sophia-Amalia ; married to Frederick III,
king of Denmark - . . .
6, Ernest-Augustus.
7, Dorothea-Magdalena, twin with Ernest-
8, Anne-Eleonora - . - .
The duke, with the consent of his elder brothers, had
ordained two reigning lines, by the two eldest sons ;
so that the eldest should have the choice, and that
no fuither division of the two lines should ever take
place. Thereby two linfs,— 1, that of CELLE, and,
a, that of CALEMBEKG, or HANOVER, were
established. But (his family division Tould not be
executed till the death of duke Frederick of Celle,
1648.
30 Oct. 1563.
9 Nov. 1565.
1 Jan. 1570.
16 Jan. 1571.
2Si March, 1572.
5 April, 1573.
21 Oct. 157.5.
30 Aug. 1577.
23 June, 1583.
3 June, 1584.
31 Dec. 1564.
19 Nov. 1566.
23 Nov. 1568.
28 Aug. 1574.
12 Feb. 1582.
30 July, 1601.
9 Aug. 1618.
24 March, 1628
Married.
12 Oct. 1561.
3 May, 1579.
3 May, 1585.
23 Feb. 1586.
7 March, 1593.
16 Sept. 1599.
18 Sept. 1617.
Died.
S Winsen, \
( 6Jan.l617. S
14 Aug. 1649.
18 July, 1658.
( Kirchberg, )
I 5 Feb. 1601. J
4 Aug. 1643.
21 Oct. 1610.
10 Feb. 1632.
27 Nov. 1628.
J Schwarzburg, }
i 3 June, 1652. 5
2 March, 1611.
1 Oct. 1636.
10 Dec. 1648.
i Hildesheim, )
( 2 April, 1641. J
i Herzberg, ^
t 6 May, 1659. )
9 Aug. 1618.
17 Nov. 1630.
30 Nov. 1636.
Burial Places.
Celle.
Celle.
Nurnberg.
Records.
p. 349.
ib.
Celle.
Celle.
Celle, 16 May, 1643
Celle.
Herzberg.
Herzberg.
Herzberg, probably.
p. 449.
p. 352.
p. 360.
p. 362.
TABLE IV. (B.)~Co.tinued.
THE NEW HOUSE OF BRUNSWICK-LUNEBURG, OR THAT OF THE
THIRD DIVISION.
The Reigning Princes and their Families.
Born.
Married.
Died.
Burial Places.
Records.
1. THE LINE OF CELLE.
CHRISTIAN-LOUIS, di.ke of Brunswick-Luneburg-
Celle, resided first at Herzberg
Married to Dorothea, daughter of Philip, duke of
Holstein-Gluckstadt ....
She was married again after the duke's death, to
Frederick-William, elector of Brandenburg; without
25 Feb. 1622.
28 Sept. 1636.
11 Oct. 1653.
13 June, 3 668.
15 March, 1665.
6 Ang. 1689.
Celle.
Berlin, probably.
p. 355.
2. THE LINE OF CALENBURG.
GEORGE-WILLIAM, duke of Brunswick-Luneburg,
at Calemburg, from 1648 till 1665, then at Celle
Married to Eleonora, daughter of Alexander
d'Olbreuse, of France . . . .
16 Jan. 1624.
7 Jan. 1639.
1665.
28 Aug. 170.5.
5 Feb. 1722.
Celle.
Celle.
p. 355.
p. 356.
Ckildren—
SoPHiA-DoROTHEV, maided to George-Louis, at
that time hereditary prince of Hanover
15 Sept. 1666.
21 Nov. 1682.
$ Ahlden, }
( 13 Nov. 17 'J6. i
Celle.
ib.
JOHN-FREDERICK, duke of Brnnswick-Luneburg-
Calemburg, at Hanover, since 1665 -
Married to Benedicta-Henrietta-Philippina, daughter
of Edward, count palatine of the Rhine, and niece
of his sister-in-law, Sophia, in Osnaburg
25 April, 1625.
1652.
20 Nov. 1668.
i Augsburg, ^
i 18 Dec. 1679. }
Aug. 1730.
Hanover.
p. 460
Children—
1, Anna-Sophia ....
2, CHARLOTTE-FEticiTAs ; married to Reinald,
duke of Modena and Regain
3, Henrietta-Maria-Josepha
4, Wii.helminaAmelia ; married to Joseph, king
of the Romans, afterwards emperor -
10 Feb. 1670.
8 March, 1671.
9 March, 1672.
11 April, 1673.
11 Feb. 16.6.
24 Feb. 1699.
24 March, 1671.
24 Sept. 1710.
4 Sept. 1678.
Hanover.
p. 461.
ERNEST-AUGUSTUS, duke, and 9th of December,
1692, the first elector of Brunswick-Luneburg,
or Hanover - - - - . .
Married to Sophia, daughter of Frederick V., elector
Palatine, and king of Bohemia; and Elizabeth,
princess of Great Britain - - . -
20 Nov. 1629.
13 Oct. 1630.
30 Sept. 1658.
24 Jan. 1698.
8 June, 1714.
Hanover.
Hanover.
p. 462.
p. 464.
Children—
1, George -Louis; 2, Frederick- Augustus,
killed in battle in Transylvania
3, Maximilian-William
4, Sophia-Charlotte, married to Frederick I.,
king of Prussia ....
5, CharlfsPhilip, killed in battle against the
Turks, near Pristina in Albania
6, Christian, drowned in the Danube -
7, Ernest-Augustus, bishop of Osnaburg,
elected 4tli December, 1715
3 Oct. 1661.
13 Dec. 1666.
2 Oct. 1668.
13 Oct. 1669.
29 Sept. 1671.
7 Sept. 1674.
28 Sept. 1684.
10 June, 1691.
27 July, 1726.
<, Hanover, I
[ 11 Feb. 1705. S
1 Jan. 1690.
31 July, 1703.
14 Aug. 1728.
Herzberg.
Vienna.
Berlin.
Herzberg.
p. 391.
p. 448
p. 396.
The glorions succession of the house of Brunswick-
Luuebnrg to the throne of Great Britain.
INDEX.
Adelbertus, count of Bavaria, 4.
Adelbert I., marquess of Tuscany, 8.
Adalbert II., marquess of Tuscany, 9.
Adelbert III., succession of, 12.
Aix-la-Chapelle, account of, 247.
Albert the Bear, 37.
Albert the Great, 69.
Albert the Fat, 74.
Albert of Saxe-Lawenburg, 8 1 .
Altdorf, account of, 218.
— , persons interred at, 219.
, situation of, 18.
Altenburg, princely persons buried at, 456.
Altmunster, account of, 212.
, persons interred at, 215.
Ancestors of the Guelphs, Saxon, 237—241.
Anthony-Uhick, 117.
Anna-Sophia, princess of Hanover, her epi-
taph, 461.
Anne-Eleonora, dutchess, her epitaph, 353.
Anne-Eleonora, princess, her epitaph, 363.
Anne, dutchess, account of, 348.
Augustus, duke, his epitaph, 351.
Augustus, duke of Wolfenbuttle, 1 15.
Augustus-William, 117.
Augustus, duke of Luneburg, 125.
Azo II., marquess of Este, 26.
Banfelde, account of, 259.
Bari, account of, 235.
Bernhard, duke of Luneburg, 89.
Berta, account of, 10.
Billungs, the history of, 32.
Blase's, St., church, monuments in, 261.
, list of illustrious persons interred
there, 263—300.
Boniface I., count of Lucca, 6.
Boniface II., count of Lucca, 7.
Bremen, princes buried at, 331.
Brunswick, civil wars of, 82, et seq.
C.
Celle, princes and princesses buried at, 347,8.
, list of coffins and inscriptions in the
church of, 349—364.
Charter of the dutcliy of Brunswick and
Luneburg, copy of, 468, et seq.
Christian, duke of Luneburg, history of,
121—125.
Christian-Louis, 132.
Cologne, account of, 258.
Condrad of Altdorf, 16.
Condrad, bishop of Constance, 18.
Conrad the Monk, 31.
Cunigunda of Altdorf, marriage of, 20.
D.
Danneberg, account of the princes who
resided at, 424—426.
Darmstadt, account from, 449.
Edico, prince of the Scyrri, 3.
Eimbeck, account of sepulchres at, 428, et seq.
Eislaben, account of, 451.
Epitaph of Adelbert II., 228.
Epitaph of Berta, 229.
of Henry the Lion, 265.
in the old vault at Brunswick, 268.
in Rudolph's chapel, 270.
of Ferdinand-Albert, duke of Bevern,
274.
of Christina of Hesse, 275.
of her children, 276.
of duke Augustus-Ferdinand, 279.
of Ferdinand-Christian, 281.
of Henry-Ferdinand, 282.
of Sophia-Eleonora, 284.
of Ferdinand-Albert II., 285.
of Ernest-Ferdinand, 289.
of Louis-Rudolph, 288.
— of Frederick-William, 290. .
of duke Augustus, 290.
— of George-Louis-Frederick, 293.
of six infants, 294.
of Rudolph, bishop of Halberstadt,
310.
of Henry, duke of Danneberg, 311.
of Bruno, duke of Saxony, 321 .
of duke Christian-Louis, 355.
of prince Christian-Louis, 363.
, of queen Carohne-Matilda, 356.
— of duke Christian, 362.
of duke Christopher, 421.
of the empress Elizabeth-Christina,
445.
of Charlotte, princess of Clarence, 467.
of Dorothea, princess, 349.
of Dorothea, dutchess, 361.
of Dorothea-Magdalena, 400.
of Dorothea, dutchess, 456.
of Ernest-Augustus, elector, 462.
— • of Ernest-Augustus, bishop of Osna-
burg, 466.
Epitaphs in duke William's vault at Lune-
burg, 375.
Erich, duke of Calenburg, 93.
Ernest, duke of Luneburg, 121.
Ernest- Augustus, bishop of Osnaburg, 134;
duke of Hanover, 138; elector, 141. ■
Ernest, duke, his epitaph, 351.
Ernest the Confessor, account of his statues
and epitaphs, 357, et seq.
Ernest, duke of Celle, history of, 113—114.
Ethico I., count of Altdorf, 17.
Etthal, account of, 215.
Fulke, prince of Este, 28.
Ferdinand-Albert, duke of Brunswick, 117.
Francis-Otho, duke of Gifforn, 114.
Francis-Otho, his epitaph, 358.
Frederick I , Barbarossa, 40.
Frederick II., 66.
Frederick of Brunswick, emperor, 86.
Frederick-Ulrick, 108.
Frederick the Just, ib.
Frederick, duke of Luneburg, 127.
Frederick the Pious, account of, 347.
Frederick, prince, his epitaph, 352.
Frederick, prince, his epitaph, 350.
Frederick, prince, his epitaph, 362.
Frederick, prince, his epitaph, 421.
Gandersheim, account of, 244.
, illustrious persons buried at, 245.
Genealogy of the Guelphs, from A. D. 476
to 1055, 25.
from Guelph VI.
to Otho the Infant, 63.
from Otho the In-
fant to Magnus II., 85.
from Magnus II.
to Ernest the Confessor, 119.
INDEX.
Genealogy of the Guelphs, from Ernest the
Confessor to George the First, 173.
of the dukes of Brunswick, from
Ernest the Confessor to the present
duke, 174.
of king George IV., from the first
Saxon king of England, and the first
king of Scotland, 203.
George-Louis, elector of Hanover, 143.
George-Louis, history of, 143 — 171.
George-Louis, king of England, 172.
George-William, duke of Celle, 134.
George, duke of Luneburg, history of, 128 —
132.
George, duke, his epitaph, 353.
George-William, duke of Celle, his epitaph,
364.
George-William, prince, his epitaph, 355.
George, duke, his epitaph, 363.
George the First, king, his epitaph, &c. 465.
GifForn, princes buried at, 427.
Gottingen, university of, 194.
— , princes buried at, 337.
Guelph, origin of the name. Introduction, x.
et seq.
Guelph, dux or leader of the Bavarii, 4.
Guelphll. of Altdorf, 17.
Guelph III., count of Altdorf, 19.
Guelph IV., history of, 20.
Guelph v., duke of Carinthia, 20.
Guelph VI., history of, 28.
Guelph Vll., history of, 29.
Guelphs, records of the ancient, 207 — 211.
Guido, marquess of Tuscany, 1 1 .
H.
Hanover, account of royal vault at, 460, et seq.
Harburg, account of, 417.
, princes and princesses buried at,
418—424.
Hardignen, princes buried at, 338.
Helen, dutchess of Saxony, account of her
tomb, 387.
Henry of the Golden Chariot, 18.
Henry II. of Altdorf, 19.
Henry tlie Black, 30.
Henry the Proud, history of, 33.
Henry the Lion, history of, 39—56.
Henry of Saxony, count palatine, historj(jbf,57.
Henry the Wonderful, duke of Gruben-
hagen, 74.
Henry of Greece, 75.
Henry, duke of Brunswick, 89.
Henry the Bad, 91.
Henry the Younger, history of, 94 — 105.
Henry-Julius, 106.
Henry, duke of Luneburg, 109.
Henry, duke of GifForn, 111.
Henry, duke of Danneberg, 115.
Henry the Fowler, account of, 249.
Herman Billung, account of his tomb, 384.
Herzberg, memoir relating to the princes who
resided there, 351—389.
, princes and princesses buried at,,
392 — 406.
Hildesheim, princes buried at, 333.
Hugo, prince of Este, 28.
I.
Inscriptions on the windows of St. Blase's
church, 299.
on the monuments of the bishops
ofVerden, 321.
■ at Osnaburg, 335.
Isenhagen, letter from, 366.
Joan, queen of Naples, 76.
John, prince, his tomb, 353.
John- Frederick, duke of Hanover, 134.
INDEX.
Jolin, duke of Luneburg, 73.
Judith of Altdorf, empress, 15.
Julius, duke of Brunswick, 106.
Julius-Ernest, duke of Celle, 115.
K.
Kingdom of Hanover, past and present state
of, 175—202.
Kbnigs-Lutter, account of, 253.
, princes buried at, 254.
L.
Leopold, margrave of Austria, 37.
Lothaire, emperor, 33.
Louis-Rudolphus, duke of Blankenburg, 117.
Lubeck, history of, 48.
Lucca, account of, 228.
Luneburg, account of princes and princesses
buried at, 373 — 386.
M.
Magnus I., " Pious," duke of Brunswick, 80.
Magnus II., " Torquatus," 83.
Magnus, duke, his tomb, 352.
Magdeburg, account of, 250.
, persons buried at, 251.
Magdalena, princess, her epitaph, 399.
Margaret, princess, account of, 347.
Margaret, dutchess of Saxe-Coburg, account
of her tomb, 350.
Maria, dutchess of Darmstadt, account of her
tomb, 449.
Matilda, countess of Lucca, 29.
, epitaph of, 233.
Matilda, princess of Anhalt, her tomb, 346.
Medals, description of tvpo, 405.
Meissen, account of, 458.
Minden, account of, 450.
Miinster, persons buried at, 339—343.
N.
Neuburg, account of, 235.
Nienburg, account of, 346.
Nordheira, account of, 256.
, princes buried at, 257.
Nordlingen, account of, 215.
Numberg, monuments at, 319.
O.
Oberkirchen, account of, 368.
Obotrites, account of, 46.
Odoacer, king of the Heruli, 3.
Osnaburg, treaty of, 133.
, princes buried at, 335.
Osterode, princes aud princesses
407 — 417.
Otbert I , marquess of Tuscany, count pala-
tine, 13.
Otbert II., marquess of Liguria, 14.
Otho of Saxony, emperor, 58.
Otho the Infant, history of, 64—68.
Otho, prince of Tarentum, 76.
Otho, duke of Gottingen, 78.
Otho the Lame, 108.
Otho, duke of Luneburg, 109.
Otho, duke of Harburg, 111.
Otkarlus, duke of Burgundy, 4.
P.
Padia, (La), account of, 230.
Padolerone, account of, 232.
Philip I., duke, his tomb, 397.
Philip II., duke, his epitaph, 409,
Prebislaus, count of Swerin, 47.
Quedlingenberg, account of, 248.
■ , princes buried at, 250.
R.
Ravensberg, account of, 16
INDEX.
Richard, king of England, 55.
Rudolph, duke of Brunswick, 117.
Rudolph I., count of Altdorf, 19.
Ruthardus, missus regius in Bavaria, 4.
Saalfeldt, princes buried at, 455.
Schleusingen, account of, 318.
Scharneck, letter from, 387.
Schwartzburg, house of, 454.
Schonan, account of, 236.
Scyrri, account of the, 2.
Sepulchres of the Guelphs, 242.
Sophia, dutchess, her tomb, 360.
Sophia-Elizabeth, dutchess, her tomb, &c.
457.
Sophia, electress, 145.
Sophia, death and character of, 165.
Sophia, her tomb, &c. 464.
Stadthagen, letter from, 369.
, epitaph in the church of, 371.
Stade, account of, 258.
Steingraden, account of, 224.
Strasburg, monuments at, 311 — 315.
St. Michael's church, inscription in, 380.
Tours, account of, 227.
Tubingen, monument at, 318.^
U. and V.
Uelzen, account of, 367.
Uslar, letter from, 435.
Verden, princes buried at, 321—330.
Versa, account of, 316.
Vienna, account of princes and princesses
buried there, 437 —449.
Walsrode, account of, 236.
Weingarten, account of, 219.
Wienhausen, account of princes buried at,
364.
Wiebrechtshausen, account of, 433.
WiUiam the Younger, duke, his tomb, 349.
William, duke of Harburg, his epitaph, 354.
William, duke of Luneburg, 361.
William, of Winchester, 376.
Wittenburg, account of, 386.
Wlph, prince of the Scyrri, 2.
Wolfenbuttle, account of the monuments
at, 300—307.
Wolfgang I., duke of Gnibenhagen, his
tomb, 397.
Wolfgang II., 11, 414, etseq.
THE END.
PEINIXD BY J.
fLS, GUCVILLi: STHEET, LONDON.
^^^^
