Text, one version only, translated from the 1573D1Add/1573D, 1573L1Add, 1573L(AB), 1573G1Add/1573G, 1574F1Add/1574F, 1574L, 1575L, 1579L(AB), 1580/1589G, 1581F, 1584L, 1587F, 1588S, 1592L, 1595L, 1598F, 1601L, 1602G, 1602S, 1603L, 1606E, 1608/1612I, 1609/1612/1641S & 1609/1612L editions:
94.1. {1573D1Add/1573D{The duchy of Mansfeld.
94.2. Mansfeld, a part of Old Saxony is thought to have been called as it is after Mannus, the second king of the Germans. For Mansfeld in the speech of this country seems to mean nothing but The field of Mannus. This derivation seems to be confirmed strongly by Ascania, another place not far from there, so called, as some people truly believe, after Ascenes, the first bearers of the German name and nation. Here also is Aschersleben, which in their language means as much as the house of Aschenes. There is also a lake which is called after Ascenes {1606E only{Ascherslebische see}1606E only}.
94.3. This country has on its East the river Saale, the territories of the archbishopric of Magdeburg {1573D1Add, 1574F1Add/1574F, 1581F, 1587F & 1598F only{or Ments}1573D1Add, 1574F1Add/1574F, 1581F, 1587F & 1598F only} and the diocese of Merseburg. In the South lies Thüringen, in the West the counties of Schwartzburg and Stolberg, the principalities of Sangerhausen, Anhalt and Affenburg. So that the counts of Mansfeld (who are also called The noble lords of Heldrungen) have these princes as their close neighbours: the archbishop of Magdeburg {1573D1Add & 1574F1Add instead{Ments}1573D1Add & 1574F1Add instead} the bishop of Merseburg, the prince elector of Saxony, the landgrave of Thüringen, the duke of Saxony, the bishop of Halberstadt, the prince of Anhalt, the lord of Bernburg, the counts of Schwartzburg and Stolberg [and] the lords of Werther and Affenburg.
94.4. When and by whom this province was graced with the title of an duchy [is something that] Andreas Hoppenrode in his book which he has written and published on the pedigrees of the Saxon princes plainly confesses to be totally ignorant about. In spite of that, this same author, and with him Syriacus Spangeberg vouch it to be very ancient because a count of this country called Hegerus lived in the days of the great Arthur, that renowned king of the Britains, and was one of those who, together with the rest of the worthy people [around] this king were first made knights of the order of the Round Table.
94.5. Now, we know that this king Arthur lived about 542 years after Christ. But if there is anyone that shall think and object that this story of the Round Table is too incredible to confirm our statement, yet this is certain that in England, almost in the middle of the kingdom there is a town called Mansfield, situated between the rivers Trent and Rothera, not far [10 kms. North] from the city of Nottingham [note that this city does not occur on Ortelius atlas maps of Great Britain, but was first introduced by Vrients].
94.6. This county also contains four other counties, namely Arnstadt, Wippra, Wettin and Querfurt, all of which had their proper and singular counts, but nowadays besides the count [of] Mansfeld they have none. In this county there is also the county Palatine of Saxony. Moreover, besides these, there are certain other lordships and principalities as you may see on the map. The chief and principal cities are Mansfeld, Eisleben, Wippra and Leimbach.
94.7. This country is very full of metal mines. Here are [also] dug from the earth those slate stones which they call Scheifferstein which can hardly be found in any other place in the world, as Sebastian Münster writes. These stones are full of copper, which, [when] being burned in the fire and then steeped and washed in water, yield the metal, and together with it a good quantity of silver.
94.8. There is a wonderful strange prank that nature here in a sporting manner plays, well worth the observation as the same author mentions there, namely about a great lake in this country, well provided with all kinds of fish, and also with paddocks, frogs, newts and other such things living in this lake, are found very interestingly formed and shaped in stone, {1606E only{as we have seen and greatly admired}1606E only}, as it is a very hard matter at first sight suddenly to distinguish them from natural living creatures of that [same] sort, and [they have been formed in stone] so lifelike that you immediately distinguish one from the other, [recognise them] and call them by their various proper names.
94.9. {1592L, not in 1598F & 1602G{Some of these I have [in my possession], given to me by Peter Ernest, the most famous and illustrious duke of this country, and worthy governor of the province of Luxemburg}1592L, not in 1598F}.
94.10. {1584L, not in 1587F & 1598F{There is a lake in this country which because of the salinity of its water is called Gesalzen [salted]. If fishermen cast their nets deeply into it, they will immediately be singed and scorched as if they had been burnt or dragged through a fire, as Severinus Gobelinus reports in his History on Amber. The same author writes that close to Eisleben a piece of amber was recently found that was as large as a man's head}1584L, not in 1587F, 1598F & 1602G}.
94.11. Syracius Spangeberg promises to publish the history of this country in which all its cities, castles, villages, mountains, woods, rivers, lakes, mines &c. should separately be described, together with its antiquities, records, pedigrees and other such historical matters}1573D1Add/1573D, 1573L1Add, 1573L(AB), 1573G1/1573G, 1574F1Add/1574F, 1574L, 1575L, 1579L(AB), 1580/1589G, 1581F, 1584L, 1587F, 1588S, 1592L, 1595L, 1598F, 1601L, 1602G, 1602S, 1603L, 1606E, 1608/1612I, 1609/1612L & 1609/1612/1641S end here}.