Text (translated from the 1570L, 1571L, 1571/1573D, 1572/1573G, 1572/1574F, 1573L, 1574L, 1575L, 1579L, 1580/1589G, 1581F, 1584L, 1587F, 1588S, 1592L, 1595L, 1598F, 1601L, 1602G, 1602S, 1603L, 1606E, 1608/1612I, 1609/1612/1641S & 1609/1612L edition).
100.1. {1570L{FRANKENLANDT.
100.2. FRANKENLANDT is partly flat and partly mountainous. The mountains themselves are not very steep, nor the plains very fruitful, sandy as they are. In many places the hills, covered with vines, yield pleasant and tasteful wine, especially around Herbipolis, vulgarly Würtzburg. There is plenty of wood and much hunting. The country is subject to many governors, yet they call the Bishop of Wirtzburg also Duke of Frankenlandt. The Bishops of Maintz and of Bamberg have many places here. And the Count Palatine enjoys a great part of it. Here the marquises Orantes are located. And here are also many imperial cities {not in 1580/1589G & 1602G{belonging the Franks}not in 1580/1589G & 1602G}.
100.3. As regards Norimberg, it is doubtful whether it belongs to Frankenland or to Bavaria. By its name, Bavaria should seem to claim it. For Norimberg means as much as Mons Noricus, {1606E only{The Noric Hill,}1606E only} from which it appears that there was also the city of the Norici. And after the Norici came the Boiari {1606E only{or Bavarians}1606E only}. And now, that portion of the country that lies between the Danubius and Norimberg is called Noricum {1580/1589G & 1602G only{or Bavaria}1580/1589G & 1602G only}. Whatever the case may be, the city is in the diocese of Bamberg, which belongs to Frankenlandt. The inhabitants of Norimberg will neither be considered as Bavarians nor as Franks, but as a third nation differing from both. It is a stately city, adorned with churches, castles and houses, most sumptuously built. It lies on the river Pegnitz in a barren and sandy place, which increases the peoples zeal, for they are all either craftsmen or merchants, so that they are exceedingly rich and have a great reputation in Germany. It is a place most fit for the Emperors court, a free city and located almost in the middle of Germany.
100.4. Between Bamberg and Norimberg lies Forcheim, a town famous for its snow-white bread. The inhabitants suppose that Pilatus was born here. So far for Pius II {1606E has instead{Æneas Sylvius}1606E} in his description of Europe. Read also {1573L{Iohannes Aubanus}1573L}, Hermannus Comes Nuenarius, Münster, Rithmayer, Hunibaldus, Trithemius the Abbot and Ioannes Aventinus, who thinks that the main city of VVürtzburg there was formerly called Pœonia.
100.5. THE BISHOPRICK OF MVNSTER.
100.6. About this Bishopric Sebastian Münster in his Cosmography writes like this. Charlemaigne erected a third Bishopric in the middle of Saxony, now VVestphalia, in Myningrode, a place which later, with regard to the famous Monastery there founded, was called Münster, and there he ordained as Bishop a certain Ludgerus, born in Friesland. His successor Hermannus consacrated the Monastery and Church on the other side of the water to the honour of the blessed Virgin Mary. This Monastery in a short time increased so mightily and became so famous that it gave its name both to the City and the Bishopric of Münster, so that it abandoned its old name Mingardevordens and began calling itself City and Church of Münster, which name persists to the present day. So far {not in 1571L{from Cranzius}not in 1571L} about Münster. Concerning this Bishopric, and that of Osnaburg, read Saxony by Albertus Crantzius {1573L{and Hamelmans commentaries on VVestphalia}1573L}.
100.7. This city in the year 1533 suffered great damage from the Anabaptists who, expelling its citizens, took it for themselves. And choosing a King from the rabble, they held it against the Archbishop of Colen and the Duke of Cleve who besieged it with a strong army {not in 1609/1612/1641S{for almost a year}not in 1609/1612/1641S}. But the Bishop at length obtaining the upper hand, punished both of them as well as their King, as they deserved}1570L}.
[Since the text from the 1571/1573 Dutch, 1572/1573 German, 1572/1574F, 1581 French, 1587 French and 1598 French edition differ considerably from that given above, I will present a separate translation from these editions here].
100.8. {1571/1573D{Franckelandt {1572/1574F instead{Franconia}1572/1574F instead}.
100.9. Franckelandt is situated in the middle of Germany and its soil is not as fertile as it is elsewhere. It is mountainous and full of woods, with much venison. And although the soil is somewhat sandy, yet it yields much wine which is transported to other places. Rigalissi [?] wood grows {not in 1572/1574F, 1581F, 1587F & 1598F{around Bamberg}not in 1572/1574F, 1581F, 1587F & 1598F} in such quantities that it is carted off to elsewhere. Nowhere do the cabbages, turnips or onions grow to such a size as they do here, as Villanouanus reports. It is traversed by the river Meyn, along which you find beautiful cities such as Wirtzburg, (also called Pœonia, as Auentinus writes) of which the Bishop is also Duke of Frankenlandt (although this Land has many Rulers, for the Bishoprics of Mentz and Bamberg occupy a large part of it, as also Paltsgraves, and then there are also free Cities). Bamberg is also a Bishopric.
100.10. Between Bamberg and Nurenberg you find Forchaim. This city takes the prize for its snow white bread. The inhabitants say that Pilatus was born here. About Nurenberg it is uncertain whether it lies in Franckenlandt or in Bayeren. The inhabitants themselves do not want to belong to either one, but to be a Nation on their own. However, according to the name it has, you would think that it should belong to Nortgevv, as if the city was called Nortgeuburg. Yet it belongs to the Bishopric of Bamberg, which lies in Franckenlandt. Nurenberg is a noble City, well built and full of people. Here is much trade by Merchants, and all sorts of handicraft, bringing the inhabitants riches in spite of living on a barren and sandy soil.
100.11. Westphalen {1581F, 1587F & 1598F have instead Münster}1581F, 1587F & 1598F instead}.
100.12. {not in 1581F, 1587F & 1598F{Westphalen is not fully depicted on this Map, but only the Bishopric of Munster and Osnabrug}not in 1581F, 1587F & 1598F}. This Bishopric of Münster according to Albertus Crantzius had its origin as follows. Charles the Great founded in the middle of the Land of Sasses (now called Westphalia) a Monastery or Munster (as it is pronounced in some places) at a place then called Myningrode. But the old name disappeared and it was henceforth called Munster. This Munster he later appointed as a Bishoprick and its first Bishop was a Frisian called Ludger. After him came Herman, who consacrated Munster and its Church [built] over the water under the name of the Holy Virgin. Munster grew in the course of time with houses all around, so that it became a City and retained its name Munster (as was also the case for the Monastery and the Bishopric), as we can still see.
100.13. This City in the year 1533 suffered great damage from the Anabaptists who occupied it, expelled its citizens, and appointed someone from their people as a King there. The Bishop, with the help of the Duke of Cleue besieged it and after having continued this siege for a year, recaptured it from the Anabaptists}1571/1573D} © Marcel van den Broecke ©.