a duchy and electorate of Germany. This duchy was formerly a kingdom, which extended from the mountains of Franconia to the frontiers of Hungary and the Adriatic Gulph. It comprehended the countries of Tirol, Carinthia, Carniola, Styria, Austria, and other states, which are now fallen to different princes. At present it is bounded on the east by Bohemia and Austria, on the west by Swabia, on the north by Franconia, and on the south by Tyrol. But the duke of Bavaria is not absolute master of all this country; for within its bounds are situated many free cities, among which is Ratibon, and several lordships both ecclesiastical and secular. It is divided into Upper and Lower Bavaria; and these two provinces consist of twelve counties, which formerly sufficed to make a duchy, according to the laws of Franconia. The country is watered by five navigable rivers, besides several smaller ones, and 16 lakes.—It contains 35 cities, of which Munich is the capital; 94 towns; 720 castles; 4700 villages; eight great abbeys; and 75 cloisters or monasteries, besides those of the mendicants.—It is divided into four great bailiages called governments. These are Munich, Landshut, Straubing, and Burghausen. The principal cities are Ingolstadt, Donauwörth, Landshut, Freising, Straubing, Willingen, Wasserberg, Eling, Rain, &c.

Besides these two provinces, the duke of Bavaria possesses the upper palatinate of Westphalia, which has been united to Bavaria, and comprehends several counties, cities, towns, and villages. On the other side of this province is Gauern, the chief city of the county of the same name, belonging likewise to the duke of Bavaria. He also possesses the landgraviate of Leuchtenberg, which fell to him by the death of Maximilian Adam, in consequence of family pacts made between the house of Bavaria and that of Leuchtenberg for their mutual succession. In 1567, the county of Kaag fell to the duke of Bavaria by the death of Ladislaus the last count of that name. There are likewise family pacts of mutual succession established between the house of Bavaria and the Palatine of the Rhine.—The inhabitants of this country are strong and laborious, exercising themselves in shooting with rifled muskets at a mark, in order to render themselves more expert in war.

The house of Bavaria is universally allowed to be one of the most ancient in Germany. The counts of Scheyren, whose castle at present is a cloister, gave them the name. At that place are shown the tombs of more than 26 lords of Scheyren. The emperor Otho I. established as counts-palatine of Bavaria and landgraves of Scheyren, Arnolph and Herman, sons of Arnolph brother to the duke of Berchtold of Carinthia, marquis of the county upon the Enns. After the death of Berchtold, the same emperor, instead of giving Bavaria to his son, gave it to duke Henry his brother, who had married Judith sister to Arnolph and Herman. This duke Henry of Bavaria, had, by his marriage, Henry Hezillon, who was succeeded by his son Henry, afterwards chosen emperor by the name of Henry II.

This emperor having no children by Saint Cunegond his wife, Bavaria passed again to the family of Franconia, and afterwards to that of Swabia, under Henry IV. who possessed it till the year 1071, when this last emperor gave that county to count Wolf, or Guelf, of Ravenburg in Swabia. To this Guelf, who died in the island of Cyprus, succeeded Guelf II. and to him his brother duke Henry IX. who was succeeded by his son Henry the Proud. This last had married the only daughter of the emperor Lotharius, and, after the death of his father-in-law, became also duke of Saxony; but refusing to deliver up the imperial ornaments of his father-in-law to the emperor Conrad III. duke of Swabia, or to acknowledge him for emperor, he was put to the ban of the empire, and lost his estates. After the death of Henry, Conrad made his brother Leopold marquis of Austria, and duke of Bavaria; who, dying without issue, was succeeded by his brother Henry XI. whom the emperor Frederic I. made duke of Austria, joining together the two counties above and below the Enns, and declaring them free and independent of the government of Bavaria. The same emperor gave Bavaria thus dismembered, with Saxony, to Henry the Lion, son of Henry the Proud. But Henry the Lion afterwards losing the favour of this emperor, was put to the ban of the empire; and lost all his possessions except Brunswick and Lunenburg, which still remain to his descendants. In 1180, the duchy of Bavaria was given by the emperor to Otho the Landgrave of Wittelsbach, count Palatine of the house of Bavaria. In the time of this Otho, the castle of Scheyren was changed into a monastery in which the duke was buried. From him are descended the two great families that remain to this day in Germany; viz. the counts Palatine of the Rhine, and the present electors of Bavaria.