SILESIA, a duchy of Germany, bounded on the east by Poland; on the west, by Bohemia and Lower Lusatia; on the south, by a chain of mountains, and a thicket of considerable extent which separates it from Hungary; and to the north, by the marquise of Brandenburg and Poland. From north-west to south-east it is about 274 miles, and about 100 where broadest: but it is much contracted at both ends. Upon the frontiers of this country, to the west and south, are very high mountains, and some likewise in other parts of it. One of the ridges upon the frontiers is styled the Riparian Mountains, another the Moravian, another the Bohemian, and another the Hungarian, Crapack, or Carpathian. A branch of the Bohemian is called the Giant Mountains. The winter on these hilly tracts is more severe, sets in sooner, and lasts longer, than in the low lands. The inhabitants use a kind of skates when the snow is deep, as they do in Carniola. Little or no grain is raised in the mountains and some sandy tracts; but the rest of the country is abundantly fruitful, not only in grain, but fruits, roots, pasture, flax, hops, madder, tobacco, and hemp, yielding also some wine, with considerable quantities of silk and honey. In many places are great woods of pines, fir, beech, larch, and other trees, affording tar, pitch, rosin, turpentine, lamp-black, and timber for all uses. In this country also is found marble of several sorts, some precious stones, limestone, millstone, pitcoal, turf, vitriol, some silver ore, copper, lead, iron, and mineral springs. Great numbers
bers of black cattle and horſes are brought hither from Poland and Hungary for ſale, thoſe bred in the country not being ſufficient; but of ſheep, goats, game, and veniſon, they have great plenty. As for wild beaſts, here are lynxes, foxes, weaſels, otters, and beavers. The rivers, lakes, and ponds, yield fiſh of ſeveral ſorts, particularly ſturgeons ſeveral eels in length, and ſalmon. Beſides a number of ſmaller ſtreams to water this country, there is the Oder, which traverses it almoſt from one end to the other; and the Viſtula, which after a pretty long courſe through it enters Poland. The number of the cities and market-towns is ſaid to be about 200, the county of Glatz included, and that of the villages 5000. The inhabitants, who are computed to be about 1,821,065 are a mixture of Germans, Poles, and Moravians. The language generally ſpoken is German; but in ſome places the vulgar tongue is a dialect of the ſelavonic. The ſtates conſiſt of the princes and dukes, and thoſe called ſtateſlords, with the nobility, who are immediately ſubject to the ſovereign, and the repreſentatives of the chief cities; but ſince the country fell under the dominion of the king of Prussia, no diets have been held. The king, however, when he took poſſeſſion of the country, confirmed all the other privileges of the inhabitants. With reſpect to religion, not only Proteſtants, but Paſſants, Jews, and Greeks, enjoy full liberty of conſcience. The greateſt part of Sileſia lies in the dioceſe of Breslaw, but ſome part of it in the Poſh dioceſes of Poſen and Cracow. The biſhop of Breslaw ſtands immediately under the pope with regard to ſpirituals; but all eccleſiaſtical benefices, not excepting the ſee of Breslaw, is in the king's gift. Beſides Latin ſchools, colleges, and ſeminaries, at Breslaw is an univerſity, and at Lignitz an academy for martial exerciſes. The principal manufactures here are woollens, linens, and cottons of ſeveral ſorts, with hats, glaſs-ware, gunpowder, and iron manufactures. Of theſe there is a conſiderable exportation. Accounts are generally kept in rix-dollars, ſilver groſſchens, and ducats. With reſpect to its revolutions and preſent government, it was long a part of the kingdom of Poland; afterwards it had ſeveral dukes and petty princes for its ſovereigns, who by degrees became ſubject to the kings of Bohemia, until at laſt King Charles IV. incorporated the whole duchy with Bohemia; and thus it continued in the poſſeſſion of the houſe of Austria, until the king of Prussia in 1742, taking advantage of the troubles that enſued upon the death of the emperor Charles VI. and pretending a kind of claim, wreſted a great part of it, together with the county of Glatz, from his daughter and heiress Maria Thereſa, the late empress dowager; ſo that now only a ſmall part of it is poſſeſſed by the houſe of Austria, and connected with the empire, the reſt being governed by the king of Prussia, without acknowledging any ſort of dependence on the crown of Bohemia or the empire. For the adminiſtration of juſtice in all civil, criminal, and feudal caſes, and ſuch as relate to the revenue, the king of Prussia has eſtabliſhed three ſupreme judicatories, to which an appeal lies from all the inferior ones, and from which, when the ſum exceeds 500 rix-dollars, cauſes may be moved to Berlin. The Lutheran churches and ſchools are under the inſpection of the upper conſiſtories, and thoſe of the Paſſants under that of the biſhop's court at Breslaw; but from both an appeal lies to the tribunal at Berlin.
As to the revenue, the exciſe here is levied only in the walled towns, being on the ſame footing as in the marquiſate of Brandenburg; but in the reſt of the country the contributions are fixed, and the ſame both in peace and war. The ſeveral branches of the revenue are under the management of the war and domain offices of Breslaw and Glogau. The whole revenue ariſing to the king of Prussia from Sileſia and the county of Glatz amounts to about four millions of rix-dollars per annum.
Sileſia is divided into Upper and Lower, and each of theſe again into principalities and lordſhips; of ſome of which both the property and jurisdicſion belong immediately to the ſovereign, but of others to his ſubjects and vaffals. In regard to the character of the people, the boors are accounted very dull and ſtupid; but of thoſe of a higher rank, many have diſtinguiſhed themſelves by their wit and learning, as well as by their military and political talents.