Text, scholarly version, translated from the 1570L(ABC), 1571L, 1573L(AB), 1574L, 1575L, 1579L(AB), 1580/1589G, 1584L, 1588S, 1595L, 1601L, 1602G, 1602S, 1603L, 1606E, 1608/1612I and 1609/1612L edition):
61.1. {1570L(AC){Gelderland {1588S, 1602S & 1609/1612/1641S only{or Geldres}1588S, 1602S & 1609/1612/1641S only}{1608/1612I instead{Ghelria}1608/1612I instead).
61.2. Gelderland, the seat of the ancient Sicambri (as most writers think) has to its North Friesland, together with an inlet of the German sea, commonly called Zuyderzee. To the East it is confined by the duchy of Cleve. South by Gulick, and West it meets Brabant and Holland. It is a flat country, destitute of mountains, but all over replenished with woods and groves. It abounds with all necessities, especially with corn. And their green, rich meadows yield such a great amount of food for cattle that even from the furthest part of Denmark they bring here their starved cows for rescue. It is watered by three famous rivers, namely the Rhine, Maas and Waal. {not in 1575L and later{Nijmegen is its largest city, the territory of which is adorned with the title of kingdom}not in 1575L and later}. It contains the countship of Zutphen and the region called Velania, or in the vernacular Veluwe.
61.3. The Veluwe is like a demi-island, which is situated between a branch of the Rhine that runs past Arnhem, and the river Yssel which stretches to the sea. It is reasonably fruitful and not altogether without woods, mountains and hills. Many people think that the inhabitants of this place were once called the Caninefates [rabbit catchers] {1580/1589G & 1602G have instead{One finds many people who claim that the inhabitants of this peninsula are the Kennemerlander}1580/1589G & 1602G instead} [note that Kennemerland, which comes closest to this identity, is an area about 25 kilometers west of Amsterdam, close to the North Sea, not in the province of Gelria].
61.4. The duchy of Gelderland has twenty-two cities surrounded by walls and ditches, and above 300 villages. {not in 1574L; 1575L and later after § 61.7{Under count Otto the third this region was mightily enlarged, for he surrounded with walls, and endowed with privileges the towns of Roermond, Arnhem, Harderwijk, Bommel, Goch and Wageningen which were villages before.}1570L(AC), not in 1574L but included in 1575L and later; continued in § 61.7}. {1574L{Nijmegen on the Waal is the main city, a place very populous and elegantly built, and famous because of the mint that is there. The greater part [of the inhabitants] trade merchandise, and are exceedingly rich. The territory of this city is adorned with the title of a kingdom.
61.5. Next follows Roermond, situated where the river Roer empties into the Maas. It has in my memory become a bishopric. Zutphen [lies] at the mouth of the river Berkel, where it empties itself into the Yssel. It bears the title of a countship. It has a rich college of canons, and is under the jurisdiction of the bishop of Münster. Arnhem lies on the banks of the Rhine. This is the seat of the high court of justice, and of the chancery as they call it. The clergy of this town are subject to the bishop of Utrecht.
61.6. Hattem [is] a town well fortified on the river Yssel. Elburg [is] on the shore of the Zuyder sea. Harderwijk [is] on the same shore. Here you also have Wageningen, Tiel, Bommel, Bronkhorst, Doesburg, Doetinchem and s'Heerenberg, governed by a specific prince under the name of an countship. [Then there are] Lochem, Grollo, Bredevoort, Gelre which perhaps gave its name to the whole region, Stralen, Venlo, a town fortified by art and nature on the banks of the [river] Maas, [and] Wachtendonk, {not in 1588S, 1602S & 1609/1612/1641S{of ancient times the city of Hercules}not in 1588S, 1602S & 1609/1612/1641S}{1588S, 1602S & 1641S only{Erkelens}1588S, 1602S & 1609/1612/1641S only} in the countship of Gulick.
61.7. Besides these there are other noteworthy small towns, but either through the fury of war or injuries of time, they are unwalled. Yet they do enjoy the freedoms and privileges (as they are called) of cities. Their names are Keppel, Burg, Genderen, Batenburg, Montfoord, Echt, Culemborg and Buren, both of which have a specific lord, as does Batenburg}1574L}.{1575L and later continue at § 61.4} {1573L(B){In the chronicle of Ioannes Reigersberg, written in Dutch, I find that this region in the time of Carolus Calvus [Charles the Bald] was called by the name of Ponthis, and that by him it was in the year 878 {1580/1589G, 1588S, 1602G, 1602S & 1609/1612/1641S have instead{1378}1580/1589G, 1588S, 1602G, 1602S & 1609/1612/1641S instead}{1608/1612I has instead{868}1608/1612I instead} elevated to a county. Then, in the year 1079 {1588S, 1602S & 1609/1612/1641S have instead{after 179 years}1588S, 1602S & 1609/1612/1641S instead}{1580/1589G & 1602G have instead{1379}1580/1589G & 1602G instead}, this county of Ponthis was by Henricus the third adorned with the title of a countship, {not in 1580/1589G & 1602G{and called the countship of Gelderland, and the first count of it was Otto of Nassau}1573L(B), not in 1580/1589G & 1602G}.
61.8. {1570L(AC)It went under the name of a countship until Reinout the second. But when Reinout not only because of his valour and mightiness grew [to be] formidable to his neighbours, but [also] famous for his justice, his piety and fidelity towards the Roman Empire, he was at Frankfurt in a solemn and royal assembly consecrated duke by Ludovicus the emperor in the presence of the king of England, the French king, and the {1580/1589G & 1602G only{seven}1580/1589G & 1602G only} elector princes in the year of our Lord 1339 {1580/1589G & 1602G have instead{1379}1580/1589G & 1602G instead}.
61.9. Some say that in the time of the emperor Carolus Caluus [Charles the Bald] near that place where the town of Gelre now is located, there was a venomous beast not seen before, of huge size and feared all over the country, which mostly lay under an oak, immense in size and cruelty. This monster wasted the fields, devoured cattle and other small animals, and did not abstain from humans [either]. The inhabitants, frightened by this novelty atrocity, abandoned their habitations and hid themselves in deserted and solitary places.
61.10. A certain lord of Ponth had two sons who, partly taking care of their own estate, partly also through the distress of their neighbours, attacked the beast with unusual subtlety and courage, and after a long combat, killed it. The lord just mentioned, therefore built not far from the river Maas on the bank of the Nerse a castle he called Gelre to the perpetual memory of his sons' exploit. This [name] was [given,] because when the beast was slain, it often roared with a dreadful noise Gelre, Gelre. From this, they say, comes the name of the Gelderland people. {not in 1606E{Many accept this as the origin of the name {1595L, not in 1602G, 1602S, 1606E & 1609/1612/1641S{although to me it sounds unbelievable}1595L, not in 1602G, 1602S, 1606E & 1609/1612/1641S). Some base the name of the Gelderland people on Gelduba, or Gerlacus, their second prefect}not in 1606E}. So much from the chronicle of Henricus Aquilius, about {1606E instead{born in}1606E instead} Gelderland. More concerning this province you may read in Franciscus Irenicus, but the most extensive description of it you find in Guicciardini in his lower Germany }1570L(ABC), 1571L, 1573L(AB), 1574L, 1575L, 1579L(AB), 1580/1589G, 1584L, 1588S, 1595L, 1601L, 1602G, 1602S, 1603L, 1606E, 1608/1612I, 1609/1612L & 1609/1612/1641S end here.}
Now we present the vernacular translation from the 1571/1573 Dutch, 1572/1573 German, 1572/1574 French, 1581 French, 1587 French, 1598 French and the 1598/1610/1613 Dutch editions:
61.11. {1571/1573D{Gelderland.
61.12. Gelderland, the seat of the ancient Sicambri (as most writers think) has to its North Friesland, and the Zuyderzee. To the East {not in 1572/1574F, 1581F, 1587F, 1598F{it has Westphalen. South it is bordered}not in 1572/1574F, 1581F, 1587F, 1598F} by Gulick, and West it meets Brabant and Holland. It is a flat country, full of meadows, destitute of mountains, but all over replenished with woods and groves. It abounds with all necessities, especially with corn. And their green, rich meadows yield such a great amount of food for cattle that even from the furthest part of Denmark they bring here their starved cows to become fat again. Here in Antwerp, in this year 1570, we have seen an ox from there which weighed three-thousand-two-hundred pounds. Gelderland is watered by three famous rivers, namely the Rhine, Maas and Waal. It contains the region called Veluwe.
61.13. This Veluwe is an island, situated between the Zuyderzee, the river Yssel, the Rhine and the Vecht. It is somewhat barren, not altogether without woods, hills and trees. Some people think that the inhabitants of this place were once called the Caninefates [rabbit catchers].
61.14. Gelderland has twenty-two cities surrounded by walls and above 300 villages. Nijmegen is the main city, and the land around it under its jurisdiction is called the realm of Nijmegen. Under count Otto the third this region list land of Gelre expanded mightily. For Roermond, Arnhem, Harderwijk, Bommel, Goch and Wageningen which were only villages at the time have been surrounded with walls and have been granted city privileges.
61.15. It went under the name of a countship until Reinout the second. But when Reinout not only because of his valour and mightiness grew [to be] formidable to his neighbours, but [also] famous for his justice, his piety and fidelity towards the Roman Empire, he was at Frankfurt in a solemn assembly consecrated as a duke by Ludovicus the emperor in the presence of the king of England, the French king, and the elector princes in the year of our Lord 1339. The inhabitants of this region have always been considered good soldiers.
61.16. To this land also belongs the countship of Zutphen which is located there, Erkelens and Neustadt in the region of Gulick also belong to it. About the origin of the name Gelderland some come up with the following fable. In the time of the emperor Carolus Caluus [Charles the Bald], as some say, near that place where the town called Gelre, there was a terrible and venomous beast which mostly lay under an oak, immense in size and cruelty. This monster wasted the fields, devoured sheep and other small animals, and did not abstain from humans [either]. After a while, the inhabitants abandoned their habitations and left the area desolate.
61.17. A certain lord of Ponth (close to this) had two sons who, partly taking care of their own estate, partly also to alleviate the distress of their neighbours, attacked the beast with unusual courage, and after a long combat, killed it. In memory of this, they have built at this place, not far from the river Maas on the bank of the Nerse, a castle that was called Gelre. This [name] was [given,] because the beast often roared with a dreadful noise Gelre, Gelre. Some consider this unbelievable, and base the name of the Gelderland people on Gelduba, or Gerlacus, their second prefect. As far as we are concerned, the reader may choose to believe whatever he wants}1571/1573D, 1572/1573G, 1572/1574F, 1581F, 1587F, 1598F & 1598/1610/1613D end here}.