were present at the battle of Isborsk, 1348, and at the storming of this city by the German Orders. Isborsk is here called Eysenburk and Eysenwurch, and receives the appellation of die gehewer, or the famous.
That which we have more especially to refer to occurs in the fourth poem of Suchenwirt’s work, which bears the inscription, “Von Herzog Albrecht’s Ritterschaft”. In 1377, the young duke Albrecht III, son of Albrecht II, of Austria, undertook, in company with many nobles, an expedition to Prussia, in which Suchenwirt attended him as officer of the court (hofdiener), that thence he might be able, from personal observation, to describe the countries through which they passed. The soldiers of Duke Albrecht advanced from Insterburg, in Prussia, at the same time with the German Orders, towards the Samaiten (Samogitia), and penetrated from thence into the Russian territories, which, in later times, under Polish rule, was called Black Russia. Suchenwirt relates, v. 360, etc.
“Des dritten tages chom daz her
Vroleich in ein ander lant
Daz waz Russenia genannt,
Da sach man wuhsten prennen,
Slahen, schiezzen und rennen,
Haid ein, pusch ein, unverzagt,” etc.
Afterwards, at verse 427, etc., we are told—
“Daz her wuchst drew gantze lant
Die ich mit namen tue bechannt;
Sameyt, Russein, Aragel.
Wint, regen und der hagel
Begraif uns da mit grozzen vrost,
Da fault uns harnasch und die chost,” etc.
