a city of Germany, capital of the circle of Suabia, seated near the confluence of the Ardeche and Lech, in one of the most beautiful plains that can be imagined. It is one of the largest and handsomest cities of the empire; but the fortifications are after the old manner, and very irregular; the streets are broad and straight; the houses mostly of timber, plastered and whitened without, or adorned with paintings; the rest are of free-stone; the churches and foundations are generally ornamented with fine figures of brats. Many of the churches are stately, and adorned within with curious workmanship and paintings. That part of the city erected by the noble family of the Fuggers, who are lords of the adjacent country, consists of several streets cross-wise, containing 166 houses: the poor people that inhabit them are maintained by an annual pension. Its magnificent town-house is little inferior to that of Amsterdam, it being a vast square stone-building, with a marble portico; at the top of the front, within the pediment, is a large spread eagle, holding a sceptre and globe in its talons, of brats gilt, said to weigh 2200 weight; the great portal is of a very beautiful reddish marble, over which is a balcony of the same colour, supported by two pillars of white marble; over the gate there are two large griffins of brats; most of the rooms are wainscotted and ceiled with very fine timber: the great hall is very magnificent, and paved with marble; it is 110 feet long, 8 broad, and 52 high, and its roof is supported by eight columns of red marble; the ceiling of the upper wall is of very curious workmanship of polished ash, consisting of compartments, the squares and panels of which are enriched with gilded sculptures, and filled with pictures and other ornaments; this is likewise supported by eight pillars with bases and chapiters of brats: the other rooms are handsomely adorned with very fine paintings.

In the square, near the town-house, is the fountain of Augustus, which is a marble basin, surrounded with four basins finely wrought: at the four corners are four brats statues as big as the life, two of which are women and two men; in the middle of the basin is a pedestal, at the foot of which are four large sphinxes squirting water out of their breasts; a little above these are four infants holding four dolphins in their arms, which pour water out of their mouths; and over these infants are fetoons and pine-apples all of brats; upon the pedestal is the statue of Augustus as large as the life. The fountain most remarkable next to this is that of Hercules, which is a hexagon basin with several brats figures, particularly Hercules engaging the hydra. Another curiosity is the secret gate, which was contrived to let in persons safely in time of war: it has so many engines and divisions with gates and keys, and apartments for guards at some distance from each other, where passengers are examined, that it is impossible for the town to be surprised this way; the gates are bolted and unbolted, opened and shut, by unseen operators, insomuch that it looks like enchantment. The water-towers are also very curious, of which there are three seated on a branch of the river Lech, which runs thro' the city in such a torrent as to drive many mills, which work a number of pumps that raise the water in large leaden pipes to the top of the towers; one of these sends water to the public fountains, and the rest to near 1000 houses in the city.

The Lutherans have a college here, which is a vast square building, with a fine clock on the top of the front. In this there are seven different classes, a hall for public disputations, and a theatre for dramatic representations. The cathedral is a large, gloomy, Gothic building, with two spire-turrets; it is adorned with paintings upon whimsical subjects, and has a great gate all of brats, over which are several scripture passages well represented in basso relievo. The Jesuits have a splendid college here, which, with their church, is full of gilding, painting, and carving; they have likewise a fine library. Though half the inhabitants are Lutherans, there are a great many Popish processions. There are no Jews in the town, nor are they suffered to lie there; but they inhabit a village at about a league distance, and pay so much an hour for the liberty of trading in the day-time. The Benedictine abbey is a vast Gothic building, the ceiling of which is said to be the highest in Germany, and overlooks all the rest of the churches; it is adorned with several statues, and has one very grand altar. The church of St Croix is one of the handsomest in Augsburg for architecture, painting, sculpture, gilding, and a fine spire.

The inhabitants look upon Augustus Caesar as the founder of the town: it is true, that that emperor sent a colony there; but the town was already founded, though he gave it the name of Augusta Vindelicorum. But that which will eternize the memory of this town is the confession of faith which the Protestant princes presented to Charles V. in 1530. Though the Protestants were very powerful at Augsburg, they could not keep their ground; for the Bavarians drove them from thence: but Gustavus Adolphus restored them again in 1632; since which time they have continued there, and share the government with the Papists. In 1703, the elector of Bavaria took the city after a siege of seven days, and demolished the fortifications; however, the battle of Hochstedt restored their liberty, which they yet enjoy under the government of their own magistrates, the bishop having no temporal dominion in the city. The chapter is composed of persons of quality, who are to bring proofs of their nobility. The canons have a right of electing their own bishop, who is a sovereign, in the same manner as several other of the German bishops. E. Long. 10. 58. N. Lat. 48. 24.