Browne, Edward: A Brief Account Of Some Travels In divers Parts of Europe, Viz. [Sp.1:] Hungaria, Servia, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Thessaly, [Sp.2:] Austria, Styria, Carinthia, Carniola, and Friuli: Through a great part of Germany, And The Low-Countries ... ; With some Observations on the Gold, Silver ... in those Parts ; As also, The Description of many Antiquities, Habits, Fortifications and Remarkable Places (London: Tooke, 1685)

The General Description of Hungary. y
had not been carried away by Solyman, and call into Ordnance at Con-
ftantinople; it is not improbable, they had been by this time at Vienna.
About four hundred Books, the Reliques and refute of the Library at
were lately remaining there; where it was no easie matter to have
a sight of them; yet so careletly kept by the Turks, that Worms, Mice
and Rats were like to have the Spoil thereof But the Fire at Buda
1669, hath now consumed them all.
And as their Language is peculiar, so is the Opinion of their Crown ;
of which they have the greateR eReem of any other Nation. This
they commonly believe to have been brought by an Angel from Hea-
ven unto St. Stephen, their King .• and have sohigh an eslimation there¬
of, that they think, the Right and Fate of the Kingdom goeth with
the poslession thereof. Which makes them very wary in the Cuslody
of it, and in all Adversities to secure it. And the Turk hath been al-
ways industrious to obtain it. It was formerly kept in the Callie of
Vicegrad; but at present in that of Preslurg.
And this opinion is probably founded upon the Tradition or Story, rineda. ouc os
how they came unto it; which is thus delivered. King Stephen inten- rQm^w’
ding to fettle the ChriRian Government in his Kingdom, appointed two
Arch-Bishops Sees ; Strigonium, which was the place of his Nativity,
and Colocza; and lent Astricus,BiCnop of Colocza, to the Pope,to consirm
the same, together with his Kingdom, and to send him a Crown, and
other Royal Ornaments. At the same time it sell out, that Mifca, King
of Polonia, sent about the same Errant: and a Crown was providing
sor him. But Pope BenediSl the Eight, in the mean time was warned
by an Angelical Apparition, to send the Crown unto King Stephen;
which accordingly he did, which probably begot that great VeneratL
on and high Opinion, they have ever since had of it.
The Crown it self is also singular in its Faihion and Figure; for it is
a low Crown, with a Cross upon it, with four Leaves or Turnings up
about it; one whereof is as large as the other three, at lead as two
thereof. It is no easie Favour to obtain a view of this Crown at Pres-
lurg, but I saw a Model of it in the Treasure of the present Emperor
Eeopoldus; which was a Crown of Gold, adorned with many precious
Stones, exactly made after the saihion of the Hungarian Crown, and
perhaps richer than the exemplar. i,
Though the Hungarians want not Ingenuity, InduRry, apd sofficient
parts for Learning, and liberal Arts; yet have they been more addided
unto Martial assairs, than unto deep Learning : Even thcBifhops and
Clergy-men proving Rout Soldiers; and no less than six Bi [hops were
Rain, with their King Ludovicos, in that fatal Battel of Mohatch.
Some report, and others believe, that the samous Poet, Ovid died,
and was buried in Hungary at Solaria, seated at the confluence os the
Rivers Guntz and Regnitz before they run into the Rai. Where it is
reported, that he having been banilhed unto Tomoy near the Euxint?
Sea, was at laR recalled, and in his return towards Italy died at Solaria.
Where ’tis said his Tomb was sound with this Epitaph , made by
himself:
Hie situs est Fates, quern Divi Ctesaris Ira
AuguRi pat rib cedere jufftt humo.
Sape miser voluit patriis occumlere terris.
Bed srustra, hunc illi sata dedere locum.

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