of their ancient Country, destroyed by Vespasian, as they al-
ledge.

He likewise confutes their Opinion of their being descended from
Frisius, Son to Clogio, King of France, and that his Posterity paid a
Tribute of 260 Oxen to the French, as a Token of Homage, and
thinks it rather true, that the French derive their Origin from the
Freezlanders, according to Beatus Rhenanus and Adrianus Ju-
nius.

Then he attacks the Opinion of those who say, the Frison's are
descended from Grunius the Trojan, the Builder of Groningen, and
therefore writ them Phrysii, as nearer the Phryges their Progeni-
tors, and at last tells us his own Sentiments, that Freso, the Foun-
der of their Nation, with his Brethren Saxo and Bruno, came from
an Indian Province called Benedicta Fresia ; where having served
under Alexander the Great, and not daring to stay in the Coun-
try after his Death took shipping with what they could bring
off, and landing in this Country, called it Fresia, after his own
Name.

This he insists upon at large in this Third Book, and thinks it the
more probable, because the Story of Saxo, the Founder of the
Saxon Nation, agrees with it. He says all Authors, Crantzius ex-
cepted, agree. That the Saxons were some Remains of the Mace-
donian Army ; and that before they came into Germany, they
were called Macedonians ; for this he quotes the German Chro-
nicle, printed at Mentz, in 1482. the Annals of Freezland, and
others.

His next Proof for this is ancient Rhimes, Constant Tradition,
and the Universal Opinion of the Frisons, who have entertained it
from Father to Son successively, and convey'd it to one another by
Rhimes, a Custom, says he, which the most prudent Nations have
made use of, as the readiest Preservative against Oblivion. He tells
us moreover, that all the Freezland. Historians he hath seen, give
their Suffrage this way.

As a further Proof of this, he alledges, That the Frisons were
constantly great Lovers of Learning, and therefore could easily pre-
serve their Origin and Antiquities from Oblivion. He says also, that
Freso, their Founder, was versed in all the Learning of the Greeks,
and erected a sort of Academies in many places, where Youth were
instructed in Learning, and the Art of War ; and that he erected
one particularly at Stavren, near Stavo's Temple, and placed a great
Library in the Temple it self.

84 The Works of the LEARNED,

In the next place, he acquaints us, that both Frison and Saxon
Historians agree as to Saxo, and that the People of Freezland,
Saxony and Brunswick had formerly one and the same Language,
and form of Government.

Then he gives us an Account of the Arms of the Saxons and
Frisons, from the Heralds Books, and says, that when Friso had
the Defence of the German Ocean committed to his Charge, his
Arms were in a blue Field, three Silver Bars, oblique from the right
to the left, betwixt them 7 red Leaves of a Water Rose, 4 betwixt
the Dexter and the middle Bar, and 3 betwixt that and the Sinister.
These, says our Author, were the most ancient Arms of the Frisons,
and prove that they were used by their Princes, Dukes and Kings,
and that the 7 Leaves signified 7 Islands, into which Freezland was
formerly divided. Saxo's Coat, he tells us, was also a blew Field,
divided in the middle by a cross Line, from the right to the left, under
the same, at the dexter Point, there was a Lion, and at the sinister
Point a Dragon, their Heads almost joined, and looking upon one
another, with a pleasant Aspect. In the upper part there was an
Eagle flying with expanded Wings, looking upon them both. In this
place, he confutes Crantzius, who says, that those are but New
Bearings, and that Wittekind, Duke of Saxony, who was overcome by
Charlemagne, carried in his Ensigns a black Colt, but when he turn'd
Christian, changed it into a white one. He proves from Methodius,
who is many Centuries elder than Whittikindus, that the Saxons in
his time impressed a Lion upon their Coin. He observes, that
Wittikindus was not King of the Saxons, but one of those twelve
Princes (or Great Men) that governed Saxony by turns ; and there-
fore bore the Arms of the Country, and not his own. He also quotes
Wittikind the Monk, who in his 1st Book of Hatthagar, D. of Saxony,
says, that when he encouraged his Men to Battle, he took up the
Standard or Ensign (which they account Sacred) impressed with
a Lion and Dragon, and an Eagle hovering over them, by which he
would represent Fortitude and Prudence, and their Efficacy, and ex-
press constancy of Mind by motion of the Body.

In the rest of his Book he enquires after the Indian Fresia, and
thinks it to be the Pharrasii mentioned by Curtius, beyond the Ganges.
He pretends to trace Freso's Genealogy, as far as Shem, one of Noah's
Sons, and gives an Account of the Travels of Freso and his Bre-
thren, c. all which is submitted to the Readers Censure, it being ap-
plicable to Antiquaries better than to any other fort of Men.

ui bene conjecit Vatem bunc perhibebo optimum.
erarbi

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Saxons