Finally a fire desolated the earth, and only the creatures of Ormazd escaped.
The Russians have abolished slavery; and their rule has put an end to the interminable intestine struggles which had weakened and desolated the whole region.
In 1678 it was captured by the elector of Brandenburg, but was restored to the Swedes in the following year; in 1713 it was desolated by the Russians; in 1715 it came into the possession of Denmark; and in 1721 it was again restored to Sweden, under whose protection it remained till 1815, when, along with the whole of Swedish Pomerania, it came into the possession of Prussia.
Vespasian could be liberal to impoverished senators and knights, to cities and towns desolated by natural calamity, and especially to men of letters and of the professor class, several of whom he pensioned with salaries of as much as £boo a year.
The latter in the spring of 1619 is said to have carried off 635,000 persons, and in 1643 completely desolated 230 villages.