Text, one version only, translated from the 1579/1580 Latin 2nd Add., 1579 Latin (AB), 1580 German 2nd Add., 1580/1589 German, 1581 French, 1584 Latin, 1587 French, 1588 Spanish, 1592 Latin, 1595 Latin, 1598 French, 1601 Latin, 1602 German, 1602 Spanish, 1603 Latin, 1606 English, 1608/1612 Italian, 1609/1612 Latin and 1609/1612/1641 Spanish editions:
98.1. {1579/1580L2Add{Buchavia or Buchonia [Fulda].
98.2. This province of Germany contains the abbey of Fulda, about the origin and location of which Sebastian Münster in his Cosmographia writes like this: Fulda is the main city of that part of Germany which used to be called Buchonia, by others [called] the forest of Buchavia {not in 1580G2Add, 1580/1589G, 1581F, 1587F, 1588S, 1598F, 1602G, 1602S & 1609/1612/1641S{or the desolate place}not in 1580G2Add/1580/1589G, 1581F, 1587F, 1588S, 1598F, 1602G, 1602S 7 1609/1612/1641S} after beech trees, for which reason we call it Fagonia or Fagunetum now. And that this name is derived from Fagus, beech, the name of a town there called Fagus commonly Fag or Fach [Fachingen], not far from the high hill {not in 1608/1612I{Taurus}not in 1608/1612I}, is [therefore] easily understood. This rest of this region is situated between Thüringen, Frankenland, Hessen and Wederaw, bordering on the limits of all these regions, and lying as it were in the centre of them.
98.3. As regards towns, castles, villages, rivers, pools, woods, fields, gardens, sweet fountains and fruitful soil (as far as the harshness of these regions allows) it is not one of the less important parts of Germany, in spite of the fact that it has no vines. Its rivers are the Fulda (after which the city that it passes is called Fulda), Haune, Guerra and Ulster.
98.4. The whole country is full of woods, abounding with oaks and beeches. The little villages near the city they call Celle referring to the order of the Benedictins who used to live there. {1581F, 1587F & 1598F only{This demonstrates that the monks of this order were present there in greater numbers in the past than now}1581F, 1587F & 1598F only}. But the chief attraction and ornament of this region is the ancient and magnificent church of St. Saviour which the memory of St. Bonifatius makes most renowned, by whose means the city of Fulda was first built and enlarged, while it was a wasted wilderness before.
98.5. For the church of that most ancient monastery was erected in the year 655 {1608/1612I has instead{555}1608/1612I instead}, in the time of emperor Pepin, father to Charlemaigne, before the town [was built]. More you may read in Sebastian Münster. Various details also concerning the origins of this abbey and the deeds of the abbots you shall find in the Chronography of Valentinus Muntzer, published in German, where he says that the ground plot of this city of Fulda before it was built, was called Eulenloch, that is, the den of owls. And [the place] where the abbey of St. Peter now stands, was formerly named Eulenberg, or the hill of owls.
98.6. The countship of Waldeck.
98.7. This countship contains a part of Hessen. It is a fruitful region, watered by various rivers, the most important one of them, abounding with fish, is called Eder, and is said to contain grains of gold. Then you also have the rivers Diemel, Twist, Ahr, Urft and Ither. The soil produces both corn and wine in abundance. It also has mines with silver, quicksilver [mercury], copper, lead, salt and alume. The main places are the city and castle of Waldeck, which gives its name to the whole region, [then] Astinghausen, Düdinghausen, Landau, a city and castle, and also the town and castle of Mengerhausen where the duke now holds court.
98.8. [Then] the town and castle of Roden in which area there is much hunting. [Then] Wetterburg, a castle most pleasantly situated between the Twist and Ahr. [Then] the old and new town of Wildung, distinct both in name and place, near to which there are metal mines that yield gold, copper and iron {1606E instead{silver}1606E instead}. Here are also springs with acid water. And here they brew the best beer of the whole country.
98.9. [Then] the castle of Eisenburg, in the fields of which they dig gold and iron, as in Wildung. They also dig up a kind of stone here which they burn like coals {1581F, 1587F & 1598F only{called houille by the inhabitants of Liège}1581F, 1587F & 1598F only}. [Then] the castle of Eilhausen, most gallantly situated and divided by the river Urft. [Then] Corbach, a strong city, the castle and town of Neuburg, the castle of Ither and the monastery of Werben &c.}1579/1580L2Add, 1579L(AB), 1580G2Add/1580/1589G, 1581F, 1584L, 1587F, 1588S, 1592L, 1595L, 1598F, 1601L, 1602G, 1602S, 1603L, 1606E, 1608/1612I, 1609/1612L & 1609/1612/1641S end here}.