The territories of the Teutonic Order, or Knights of the Virgin Mary, would form a considerable principality, if lying contiguous; but their estates are scattered thoughout Germany, and consist of the masterdom of Mergentheim. and 12 bailiwicks. The bailiwick of Franconia is divided into 15 commanderics, named from the places where the property of the order is situated, Ellingen, Wiernsberg, Nuremberg, \Vurtzburg, Ste.
II. The states of the secular princes are chiefly those of Bayreuth, or Culmbach ; Ansbach, or Onolsbach ; Limburg, Schwarzenberg, Wertheim, Erbach, Hen:lc:berg, Hoht» loe, and several others of trifling extent.
The principality of Bayreuth or Culmbach, belonging to the house of Brandenburg, borders on Bohemia, and ex tends upwards of 30 miles eastward, and 28 from north to south. It is generally fertile and well cultivated, diverz.i fied with mountains and plains, but in some tracts is re markably hilly, rugged, and barren. The elevated ridge of Fichtelberg, or Moos Pomiferus, nearly 16 miles in length, and one of the highest mountains in Germany, con tains mines of iron, copper, lead, antimony, Ste. crystals and marbles of various colours, and gives rise to a number of rivers, especially the Mayne, Saal, Eger, and Nab. The whole principality contains about 205,000 inhabitants. Its principal towns are Bareith or Bayreuth (see BAREITH), the capital, and the residence of the Ma•grave, a consider able town, containing a palace, castle, academy, &c. and about 10,000 inhabitants ; St George, a town situated on the small lake Wcvber, and containing an elegant palace recent ly built ; Culmbach, formerly the Margrave's residence, a small town, pleasantly situated, slightly fortified, and con taining 2800 inhabitants ; Himmelkron, a large village, with a palace of the prince, in a pleasant valley on the White Mayne ; Hof, an ancient town on the Saal, containing 4700 people ; Wunsiedel, a neat trading town on the Fichtel berg, containing 2400 inhabitants ; Weissenstadt, a small town near the source of the Eger, in a wild and barren tract, formerly much famed for its mines of tin and copper ; Creusen, a small place, remarkable for its fine earthen ware ; Erlangen, (see near the influx of the Schwabach into the Redmtz, eleven leagues south-west of Bareuth, consists of two small towns, the most recent of which was built by the French refugees after the revoca tion of the edict of Nantes, and contains several handsome streets, an elegant palace of the Hargrave, an university, manufactures of hats, stockings, Ste. and 8000 inhabitants;
Ncustadt, Bayersdorf, and a number of other market towns and large villages.
The principality of Ansbach, or Onolzbach, is bounded by the territories of Bayreuth, Bamberg, and Wurtsburg. It is generally fertile; hut some parts are remarkably mountainous and sandy. It is watered by the Jaxt, the Rednitz, and the Altmuhl ; and near the village of Graben, some remains may still be traced of the canal between the two last of these rivers, by which Charlemagne opened a communication, in 793, between the Danube and the Rhine. The principality contains 215,000 inhabitants ; and its chief towns are, Ansbach, or Anspach, (see AxsrAen,,) the resi Bence of the Margrave, a well-built town, containing 13,000 people, and situated in the centre of the country ; Schwa hach, a manufacturing town, situated on the river of the same name, about 18 miles east of the capital, containing 6000 inhabitants, and noted for its hardware, stockings, and tapestry ; Wendelstein, a handsome town, seven miles east of the last mentioned place ; Cadolsburg, a considerable town, surrounded with walls and defended by a castle; Furth, a well-built and trading borough, about five miles north of Nurnberg ; Roth, a little manufacturing town seven leagues south-east of Anspach, famed for its weavers of stocking and lace, and for an imperial asylum for persons guilty of manslaughter ; Uffenheim, a handsome and flourishing ma nufacturing town, with several good public buildings, about 25 miles north-west of Anspach ; Heilsbrun, Feuchtwang, &c.
The principality, or rather lordship of Limburg, lying south-west of Nurnberg, extends about 20 miles from north to south, and 18 from east to west. It contains 15,000 in habitants ; and its principal towns are, Upper Sontheim, Gaildorf, Markt- Einersheim, defended by a castle, and Sommerhausen, fortified with a rampart and ditch.