FRIESLAND, WEST, in ancient times called Frisia, one of the seven united provinces, is bounded on the north by the German Ocean , on the south by Overyssel and the Zuyderzce ; on the west by the Zuyderzee ; and on the east by Ommeland, Drenthe, and Overyssel. It lies be tween 45' and 30' of North Latitude, and between 5° 8' and 6° 5' East Longitude from Greenwich : extend ing from 10 to 13 leagues from north to south, and nearly the same distance from west to cast. It is divided into four quarters ; namely, Oostergo, \Vestcrgo, Zevenwolde or Seven Forests, and the islands on the north coast. It contains about 100,000 inhabitants ; and sends five of the 55 representatives who compose the assembly of the states general. Oostergo, the north-cast quarter, is divided into 10 districts ; Leeuwcrderdeel containing 14 villages ; Fer werderodeel containing 11 : West Dongerdeel 14 ; Kol lumerland 6 ; East Dongerdeel 14 ; Dantumadeel 12 ; Tzetjerksteradeel 15; Smallengerland 7 : idaardeadeel 8 ; Aauwerderahcm 6. Westergo is divided into nine dis tricts ; Het-bilt, containing 9 villages ; Harlingen 8 ; Won seradell 27 ; \Vaterland 9 ; Wymbritzerdeel 28 ; Hennar derdeel 12 ; Baaderdecl 16 ; Menaldumerdeel 12 ; and Franckerdeel 11. Zevenwolde is divided into 10 districts ; Gaasterland containing 8 villages ; IIaskerland containing 7 ; Utingerdeel 7 ; Doniawcrstal 14 ; Opsterland ; Ang wirden 5 ; Schoterland 18 ; Stellingwerf-Oosteinde 10 ; Stellingwerf-Westeinde 20 : and Lemsterland 5. The largest of the islands on the north coast of the province is Ameland, which is about four leagues in length, and one in breadth, and contains several villages, Hollum, Ballum, Nes, &.c. The principal towns in Friesland are situated on the north-west coast, namely, Leeuwarden, the capital of the province, a well built town, about 25 leagues N. E. of Amsterdam, and containing 2000 inhabitants ; Franeker, a small but handsome trading town, the scat of an univer sity, and about 31: leagues west of Leeuwarden ; Harlin gen, a fortified and populous place, with a convenient har bour, but of difficult access, about 20 leagues north-north west of Amsterdam, and containing 7000 inhabitants ; Dock um, an ancient and neatly built trading town, situated in a fine corn country, containing 3000 inhabitants, and about four leagues north-north-east of Leeuwarden ; Bois wert, a small but ancient town, celebrated for its manu facture of baize or light woollen stuffs. containing 2000 in habitants, and about 4 leagues south-west of Leeuwarden; Workum, a small open town, surrounded by a ditch, and celebrated as the birth-place of Lambert de Bos, about 7 miles sonth-west of Bolswert ; Staveren, anciently the re sidence of the Frisian kings, now an inconsiderable place in a marshy country, near the south-west point of thc pro vince, and about 7 leagues south of Harlingen ; and Sloo ten, a small, but regular, and trading town, surrounded by lakes, and 4 leagues east of Staveren.
The ancient inhabitants of Friesland were distingui.ihed by the obstinate defence which they made of their liberty, against the power of the Roman emperors, and by their repeated attempts to shake off the yoke of their conquer ors. After the death of Drusus, by whom they had been compelled to submit, and after having been 40 years in subjection, they expelled the Romans from their province, and even made encroachments on the teriitories of the empire. Their ambsssadors repaired, with the utmost boldness, to the court of Nero ; asserted in his presence that they were excelled by no nation in equity and valour ; professed their desire to live in friendship with the Romans, but not in subjection; and even demanded a place in the public theatres, to which they understood they had a right as ambassadors. Though driven back by the Romans, and obliged to confine themselves within their ancient bounda ries, they continued for a long series of years to maintain their independence as a state ; but, towards the decline of the empire, they fell under the dominion of the Franks.
About the beginning of the 8th century, Adalgisc, who is considered as the first Christian king of Friesland, refused to pay homage to the Franks, and a war ensued. Radbodc, his son, was defeated by Pepin ; but so recommended him self by his valour to the esteem of the conqueror, that he received his daughter in marriage. Charles Martel, after wards attempting to reduce the Frieslandcrs, was routed with great slaughter, and left them for a time unmolested. Returning, however, with a numerous army, and wearing them out by a succession of bloody battles, he compelled them at length to acknowledge his superiority, but not his sovereignty. Under Charlemagne they were were still farther subdued, and obliged to pay an annual tribute of thirty pounds of silver. As now a province of the Franks, the country was governed by counts or lieutenants, with the title of Potestas or Podestad ; but, under their first go vernor, Forteman the Great, they rendered such essential services against the Saxons, that Charlemagne exempted them from every mark of servitude, and left them free to choose their own form of government. They made no al teration, but continued Forteman in his office. About the middle of the ninth century, the province was repeatedly ravaged by the Normans and the Danes ; but the valour of the people finally prevailed, and cleared their coasts of every invader. In the year 935, William, Earl of I lolland, and King of the Romans, bestowed many valuable privile ges upon the inhabitants of Friesland, in hopes of gaining their affections, and persuading them to acknowledge•,is sovereignty. But the Podestad Sierdama, supported by a powerful body of his countrymen, declared that they would never betray their country to gratify an emperor, and sti tick a medal expressive of their determination to be free. This was Construed as an affront by William, who twice led his army into the province, and was slain in his second expedition. One of the most warlike of the Diesland Po destads was Martena, from whom many of the noble fami lies in the province trace their descent. This active chief baffled all the exertions of the Hollanders to gain posses sion of the country, and frequently carried his victorious arms into the territories of the invaders.. After his death, the election of a successor gave rise to two violent fac tions, whose contentions filled the country with confusion ; and, together It ith the pressure of a war with Albert of Bavaria, reduced the province to so low a state, that seve ral persons refused to accept the office of Podestad, At length, to please both parties, two governors were elected, one from each faction ; but this measure, instead of pro moting reconciliation, served only to aggravate their ani mosities, till at last, they had recourse to arms, and seemed to be bent only upon extirpating' one another. These dis sentions reduced Friesland to the verge of destruction, and were the means of its becoming subject, in 1417, to mund, Emperor of Germany. At the termination of a long war between Joan of Bavaria and Philip the Good of Burgundy, the province of Friesland was gained by the house of Bourbon. It became subject afterwards to the house of Austria ; and never recovered its freedom till the general revolt in the Netherlands gave birth to the repub lic of the United States, of which, since that period, it has formed one of the seven provinces. The inhabitants are said still to retain that ardent love of freedom, by which their ancestors were so distinguished, together with many of their ancient customs and modes of living. Even their dialect and accent are said to be peculiar, and the language of the peasantry, in particular, is often unintelligible to the other inhabitants of the Low Countries.