LITHUANIA, an extensive province of Poland.
By the natives it is called Lettva, and has Great Po-
land and Russia on the west; part of Muscovy on the
east; Livonia, the Baltic sea, and part of Muscovy,
on the north; Red Russia, Volkhina, and Podolia, on
the south; and the Ukraine on the south-east. Its
length is said to be about 360, and its breadth 340
miles; but it is much indented both ways. Lithuania
was anciently overrun with wood; and there are still
many forests in it, which yield a great deal of honey,
wax, pitch, tar, and timber; and abound with wild
boars, buffaloes, elks, wild horses, wild asses, uri, and
woodcocks. The lakes are also numerous, and well
stored with fish: but the air, by reason of these forests
and lakes, is said to be thick and foggy. The country
produces a great deal of buck wheat and other corn;
the pastures are luxuriant, and the flocks and herds
numerous: so that, notwithstanding agriculture is
much neglected, provisions are exceeding cheap, and
money so scarce, that 10 per cent. is the common in-
terest. The principal nobility have large estates, and
live in great pomp and splendour, generally retaining
some hundreds of those that are poor, in quality of do-
mestics. The established religion is Popery; but Lu-
therans, Calvinists, Jews, Turks, Greeks, and Socini-
ans, are very numerous. Lithuania was governed by
its own dukes till it was united to Poland, towards the
end of the 14th century, when the great duke Jagello
married Hedwig, the dowager of Louis king of Poland
and Hungary. It had even dukes after that, but they
were subordinate to the king; and at this day, though
one diet serves for both countries, yet each has its
peculiar laws, customs, dialect, and privileges. In a
diet held at Lublin in 1569, it was more closely united
to Poland than it had been before; and it was enacted,
that both countries, for the future, should form but one
state under the same prince. As to their courts of jus-
tice, the tenth part of what is adjudged in all real ac-
tions goes always to the judge's box, and is immediately
paid in court; and in personal actions he claims
half the damages given. A nobleman is only fined for
murder, as in Poland. The dialect is a language of
the Slavonic; and they speak here, as in Poland, a
barbarous kind of Latin. Lithuania is divided into
nine palatinates. Another division is into Lithuania
properly so called, and Lithuanian Russia. Some also
comprehend under it Samogitia and Courland, which
is a fief of Poland.