COLOGNE, an ancient and celebrated town of Germany, in the diocese of that name, with an archbishop's see, and a famous university, seated on the river Rhine, in E. Long. 6. 38. N. Lat. 50. 50. In the times of the Romans, this city was called Colonia Agrippina, and Ubiorum, because it was built by Agrippina the wife of Claudius I. and mother of Nero; and because the Ubi inhabited this country on the Lower Rhine. In 755, it was an archbishopric, and in 1260 entered into the Hanseatic league. The university was established in 1388 by Pope Urban VI. The city is fortified with strong walls, flanked with 83 large towers, and surrounded with three ditches; but these fortifications, being executed after the ancient manner, could make but a poor defence at present. It lies in the shape of a half-moon, and is said to have 20 gates, 19 parishes, 37 monasteries, and 365 churches and chapels; but the streets in general are dirty and badly paved, the windows of the houses composed of small bits of round glass, and the inhabitants are but few for so large a place. It is inhabited mostly by Papists; but there are also many protestants, who repair to the neighbouring town of Mulheim, in the duchy of Berg, for public worship. Its trade, which is considerable, especially in Rhenish wine, is chiefly in the hands of Protestants, and carried on by the Rhine. The ships with which they trade to the Netherlands are of a particular form, and considerable burden. The clergy here are very numerous, and have large revenues. That of the archbishop is L. 130,000. Baron Polnitz says, that though Cologne is one of the greatest cities, it is one of the most melancholy in all Europe; there being nothing to be seen but priests, friars, and students, many of whom beg alms with a song; and nothing to be heard but the ringing of bells; that there are very few families of quality; that the vulgar are very clownish; and that the noblemen of the chapter stay no longer in town than their duty obliges them. Mr Wright, in his travels, says, that the women go veiled; and that the best gin is that
distilled from the juniper berries which grow in this neighbourhood. This city is perhaps the most remarkable of any in the world for the great number of precious relics it contains; of which the Popish clergy, no doubt, make their advantage. In the church of St Ursula, they pretend to show her tomb, and the bones of the 11,000 pretended virgin martyrs, though that story is entirely owing to a mistaken inscription. The heads of some of these imaginary martyrs are kept in cases of silver, others are covered with stuffs of gold, and some have caps of cloth of gold and velvet. Brevat says, he saw between 4 and 5000 skulls, decked with garlands, and coronets, ranged on shelves. The canonesses of St Ursula, who must be all countesses, have a handsome income. In their church they pretend to show three of the thorns of our Saviour's crown, and one of the vessels which contained the water that he converted into wine at the marriage of Cana. In the church of St Gereon are 900 heads of Moorish Cavaliers, said to have been in the army of Constantine before it was converted, and to have been beheaded for refusing to sacrifice to idols. Every one of the heads has a cap of scarlet, adorned with pearls. In the magnificent cathedral of St Peter, the three wise men who came from the east to visit our Saviour, are said to be interred. They lie in a large purple shrine spangled with gold, set upon a pedestal of brass, in the midst of a square mausoleum, faced within and without with marble and jasper. It is opened every morning at nine o'clock, if two of the canons of the cathedral are present, when these kings or wise men are seen lying at full length, with their heads bedecked with a crown of gold garnished with precious stones. Their names, which are Gaspar, Melchier, and Balthasar, are in purple characters on a little grate, which is adorned with an infinite number of large rich pearls and precious stones, particularly an oriental topaz as big as a pigeon's egg, and valued at above 30,000 crowns. Over against them are six large branches of silver, with wax candles, which burn night and day. The bones of these men, we are told, were brought to Constantinople by Helena mother to Constantine, from thence to Milan by Eustorpius bishop of that see, and afterwards hither by archbishop Rainold. In the Jesuits college are the portraits of the first 13 generals of that order, with Ignatius Loyola at their head; and in the church, which is the finest in Cologne, are many rich statues, with an amazing quantity of fine silver plate; and the utensils for mass are all of gold enriched with precious stones. In the Cordeliers church, is the tomb of the famous Duns Scotus, furnished Dosser Subilis, with this epitaph, "Scotia me genuit, Anglia me suscepit, Gallia me docuit, Colonia me tenet." Cologne is a free imperial city, and as such has a seat and voice at the diets of the empire, and circle of the Lower Rhine. In those of the empire, it has the first place on the Rhenish bench. Towards the defence of the empire, its assessment is 825 florins; and towards the maintenance of the chamber-court, 405 rix-dollars, 72 krutzers each term. Its militia consists of four companies of foot, who keep guard at the gates. It is governed by its own senate, in respect to civil matters and causes; but the criminal jurisdiction belongs to the elector and his chapter; and so jealous are the inhabitants,
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bitants of him, that they will not permit him to stay in the city above three days at a time, nor to come into it with a large retinue. For this reason the elector resides commonly at Bonn.