Flame-Coloured Ribband The Great Priors and other great Officers of this Order wear this Cross tyed to a great large Flame-Coloured Ribband tied Scarf-wise and on the left side of their Cloaks or Coats another Cross composed of four Flames Cantoned with four Flower-deluces and in the middle the Image of the B. Virgin Environ'd with Rays of Gold all in Embroidery The Present King Confirmed the Rights Estates Commanderies Priviledges and Exemptions of this Order in the Month of April 1664. and in December 1672. The King is likewise Chief and Soveraign of this Order On the 8th of January 1668. the Marquiss of Nerestang took the usual Oath to the King for the Office of Great Master of the Royal Order of Nôtre Dame de Mont-Carmel and of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem both on this side of and beyond the Seas After which his Majesty put on upon him the Collar and Cross in the Presence of his principal Lords and at the same time he took his leave of his Majesty to go and Command a Squadron of Ships designed for the Guard of the Coasts of Brittany But he voluntarily resigned this Office into the Kings hands again in 1673. The Marquiss of Louvois was received Vicar General of this Order the 18th of February 1673. at the Carmelites Convent called les Carmes des Billettes where the Assemblies and Ceremonies of the Order are kept and Celebrated On New-Years Day in the year 1669. the Duke of Orleans received into the number of his Life-guards twelve Knights of St. Lazarus which are as 't were the Cadets or young Noblemen of his Guards There are five great Priories and 140. Commanderies of this Order viz. 28 Commanderies to each Great Priory to which his Majesty commonly nominates some of his Land or Sea-Officers or Commanders which have been wounded or which have render'd him considerable Services The General and Conventual House of this Order is the Commandery of Boigni near Orleans The Great Priories are as follows 1. The Grand Priory of Normandy the Grand Prior is the Chevalier de Montchevrueil Colonel of the Kings Regiment and Brigadier his Seat is at the Mont aux Malades or Mount of the sick people near Roüen 2. The Great Priory of Brittany the Great Prior is the Chevalier de Chateau Regnaud Commander of a Squadron of Men of War He resides at Auray and has annexed to his other Commanderies that of Blois 3. The Great Priory of Bargundy the Great Prior is M. de Bullonde His Seat is at Dijon 4. The Great Priory of Flanders the Great Prior is M. de la Rabliere Marshal in the Camps and Armies of the King and Commander of Lile where his Seat is 5. The Great Priory of Languedoc the Great Prior is M. de Rivarolles The Council established for taking cognisance of the affairs of this Order sits in the Arsenal at Paris those that compose it are 1. The Marquiss of Louvois Vicar-General and President of the Order 2. Florent d' Argouges Chancellour of the Order received in 1685. 3. M. Du Verdier Proctor-General of the Order received in 1672. 4. De Turmenies Sieur de Naintel Treasurer of the Order 5. Camus de Beaulieu Secretary and Recorder of the Order 6. M. William Seguier Dean of the Order received in 1638. 7. The R. Father TousseinT St. Luke Carmelite Almoner of the Order received in 1664. And five Counsellours Besides this there is also a Chamber-Royal established at the same Arsenal that takes cognisance of the reunion of Estates and of the property of stocks of Money Heritage and other rights which have been usurped upon this Order and alienated from the designed use which said Royal Chamber is composed of nine Counsellours to whom are subservient one General Proctor who has his Deputy or Substitute and one Registrer or Recorder Besides these abovesaid Orders of Knighthood there are in France many Knights of Malta and Great Priors and Commanders of that Order that possess there many rich Lordships with great Priviledges and Immunities for that they are obliged by their Order to expose themselves continually for the common defence of Christendom against the Turks and Infidels But there being Books enough that treat ex professo very largely and particularly of them It will be needless for me to insist upon any further description of them in this small Book In old time before these particular Orders of Knighthood were instituted this word Chevalier or Knight was used to signifie some great precedent merit from whence it comes to pass that Gentlemen of Quality and of ancient Families still to this day assume that Quality and write themselves Messire N. Knight and Lord of Messire being a Title intimating Nobility and Chevalier or Knight being reckoned a worthier Title than that of their Mannours or Seignieuries of which they are Lords And of these Knights there were two sorts or Orders viz. Bannerets and Batchellours the Banneret was he that could raise men enough of his own Vassals to follow his Banner the Batchellour was such a one as went to the Wars under another Mans Banner and under these was the Esquire which is a quality still taken by the last and lowest rank of Nobility there CHAP. XIV Of the general Dignities of the Kingdom and first of the High Constable THE High Constable was the first of all the Officers of the Crown and next to the King was Sovereign Head of the Armies of France and took place immediately next after the Princes of the Blood chiefly in Parliament At first he was no more than the Great Master of the Horse is now as appears by the Etymology of the word which is Comes Stabuli i. e. Count of the Stable On the sides of his Coat of Arms he bore as a mark of his Dignity two naked Swords with the points upward held by a right-hand armed with a Gantlet coming out of a Cloud He was sworn by the King himself At publick Entries of Kings the Constable marched foremost before his Majesty on his right hand holding a naked Sword And when the King sate on his Bed of Justice or in the Assembly of the general Estates he sate before him on his right hand The Power of this Officer was much augmented by the Successours of Hugh Capet when the Office of Mayor of the Palace was supprest and though there were Constables before Hugh Capet yet they had till then no power in the Armies If we may believe M. du Tillet who sets down the Constables according to their Succession the first to be found in History was Froger of Châlons under Lewis the Gross who therefore may well be called the first Constable he being the first that ever enjoyed that large power the Constables enjoyed after that time to whose Command in the Armies the very Princes of the Blood were subjected He that first Exalted the Power of Constable to a Soveraign Command over all the men of War not excepting the Princes of the Blood was Matthew
and their Attendants and First Of the Great Almoner of France THE Present Great Almoner of France is the Cardinal of Boüillon who by his Place is Commander of the Kings Orders He was named to this Office of Great Almoner of France the 10th of December 1671. And after having taken the usual Oath on that occasion to the King accordingly took possession of it the 12th of the same Month. He succeeded therein the late Cardinal Barberin Nephew to Pope Vrban the VIII High Chamberlain of the Holy Church Archbishop and Duke of Reims and first Duke and Peer of France who died the 3d of August 1671. He has of ancient standing Wages fixed in the general pay-Pay-Book of the Houshold 1200 l. a year and 1200 more under the name of a Pension 6000 l. for his Table and Livery 3000 l. paid him by the Treasurer of the Mark of Gold on the 1st of January and 3000 more by the same Treasurer as Commander by his place of the Kings Orders making in all 14400 l. French which is about 1108 l. Sterling The Great Almoner of France is by vertue of his Place Commander of the Kings Orders And He or his Great Vicars are commonly appointed to make the Inquests of the Lives and Manners of the Knights of those Orders and to receive their profession of Faith Roillard and Loiuseau and some other Authors affirm that he is an Officer of the Crown This Office is in France the Solstitium honorum or highest Pinacle of Ecclesiastical Honour and has accordingly been almost always honoured with the Purple and possest by Cardinals Though in all times there always was a Head of the Court-Clergy yet he never bore the Title of Great Almoner of France tell the time of Francis the First who Created Antony Sanguin Gardinal of Meudon Great Almoner of France though even in the time of Charles the VIII Geffrie of Pompadour Bishop of Perigneux began to take that Title as appears in the Chamber of Accounes by the Account he gave of the Kings Alms in the year 1489 but was not followed in it till the said Reign of Francis the First The Great Almoner takes an Oath of Fidelity to the King He gives the usual Certificates of the Oaths of Fidelity taken by all new Archbishops and Bishops in France and in partibus infidelium as likewise by any General of the Order by Grand Priors of the Order of Malta in France who are Grand Priors of France by those of St. Giles or of Provence of Champagne of Aquitain and of Auvergne and by some Abbots for formerly all Abbots and Abbesses did likewise take Oaths of Fidelity to the King He likewise presents to the King the Book of the Holy Gospels when he is to swear solemnly to any Alliance as appeared in the Church of Nostre Dame at Paris at the Renewing of the Aliance with the 13 Swisse-Cantons performed the 18th of November 1663. He marches at the Kings right Hand in all Processions and when the King permits any Officers to sit down in his Presence during Sermon or other Church-Service the Great Almoners Seat is on his Majesties right Hand The Great Almoner has the Charge of Goal Deliveries usually made by Kings at their coming to the Crown at Kings and Queens Coronations at their Marriages at their first Entries into any Cities of the Kingdom at the Birth of any Children of France at the great Annual Festivals at Jubilies upon any signal Victory or Conquest and upon other occasions 'T is he that Disposes of the Revenue appointed for the Kings Alms and that gives Order for the making the necessary Ornaments ordinarily used in the Chappel he goes when he pleases and performs the Service as at the Kings rising and going to Bed to assist at the Kings Prayers at Royal Feasts or at the Kings ordinary Meals to crave a Blessing and give Thanks and at Mass where he takes the Kings Prayer-Book from the Clerks of the Chappel of the Oratory to present it to the King as likewise the springsing Brush when Mass is done to give the King some Holy Water He Accompanies the King when he goes to the Offertory from his praying Desk to the Altar The same Functions are also performed by the Chief Almoner or in his absence by the other Almoners He does likewise other Functions if he please to be present at all the Ceremonies that are done as on the days the King touches for evil He administers the Communion to his Majesty and other Sacraments of which he has need He is the Bishop of the Court as the Abbot of Peyrat one of the Kings Almoners shows in his Antiquities of the Chappel Royal and performs several Episcopal Functions in any Diocess where-ever it be that the Court is without asking leave of the Bishops of the places He Baptizes the Dauphins the Sons and Daughters of France the Princes and all others for whom the Kings and Queens or any Children of France are please to stand Godfathers or Godmothers for whether in person or by Proxy He affiances and marries in the Kings Palace Princes and Princesses You are to observe that on a Communion-day the Great Almoner with his Crosier and Miter gives the Absolution without asking leave of the ordinary or else appoints another Bishop to do it in his stead according to the practise used in Cathedrals 'T is he if he be in the Chappel that gives the King the Gospel and the Pax to kiss on certain Festivals and when his Majestry Communicates He gives the Ashes to their Majesties and the usual Dispensation for eating Eggs and Flesh in Lent The Abbot of Peyrat in his Book of the Antiquities of the Chappel Royal brings Examples to show that the Great Almoner gives permission to the Court Clergy to Contract and Marry and Officers in the Kings Service without any need of their going to a Parish Church He apoints those of the same Clergy to hear the Confessions of the Kings Officers especially on the great Festivals of the year and at Easter and to administer the Sacraments to them when they desire it and when they are sick The power of the great Almoner extends it self yet further out of the Kings Chappel and Household He has the disposing of all places in the Hospitals of France and he has power to appoint Vicars throughout all the Provinces and Diocesses of the Kingdom to take an account of the Revenues of the said Hospitals but he appoints one Vicar General who has power over the rest The Great Almoner has likewise power in the University of Paris over the 17 Lecturers of the Royal Colledge over the Colledge of Mr. Gervase and over that of Navarre He has the gift of the Scholars and Principals Places in those Colledges where he has the right of Visiting He has also the Super-Intendance of the Hospital of the Fifteen-score blind People at Paris of that of the sixscore blind at Chartres and of
Letters Patents of the Month of August in 1658. All Persons that print any Books by Priviledge are bound to bring two Copies of the said Books The Keeper of it has a Salary of 1200 l. He has likewise one Closet of Rarities and a Library left him by his Uncle Gaston late Duke of Orleans and another Library called the Kings Publick Library which are both now kept by one Person under the Title of Intendant and Keeper of the Kings Library and of his Closet of Manuscripts Medals and Rarities both antient and modern who has a yearly Salary of 2400 l. and 1800 l. for his Diet. All that print Books by Priviledge are likewise bound to bring two Copies more of every the said Books to this Library There is likewise one Master of the Library stiled otherwise the Great Master of the Kings Libraries who has a Salary of 1200 l. After the Closets and Libraries of Books it will not be amiss to place the Lecturers Interpreters and Historiographers kept by his Majesty his Governours that brought him up and his Masters of Exercises There are two Lecturers of the Kings Chamber and Closet who are allowed yearly for their Salary and Diet 2600 l. each There are several Interpreters of Languages and Historiographers who have each 500 l. yearly Stipend He who was Governour to this present King in his Minority had a Salary of 48000 l. yearly under whom there were two Under-Governours whose Salary was 7500 l. each He had likewise several Masters for all sorts of Exercises as for Mathematicks Fencing Writing Designing Dancing Vaulting on Horseback playing on the Lute Guitarre c. There is one Master of the Tennis who has a Salary of 1200 l. Next is The Closet of Arms. The Keeper of which is stiled the Guardian and Artillery-Keeper in Ordinary to the King and has a Salary of 400 l. Then The Closet of Antiquities Where there are a great many rare Marble Figures The Keeper of which has 300 l. Salary To this belong One Chief Painter the Famous Monsieur le Brun Director or Super-Intendant of the Kings Closets and Pictures and of the Manufactures at the Gobelins at Paris and Chancellor and Principal Rector of the Academy of Painting and Sculpture who has 1200 l. Salary and 2000 l. for his Diet And One Painter in Water-Colours at 600 l. Salary There are still some other Companies reckoned as belonging to the Chamber as first those that have care of the Greyhounds of the Chamber The Captain or Serjeant of these has for his Salary and keeping the Dogs 1548 l. paid by the Treasurer of the Privy-Purse There are three Yeomen Keepers of the Grey-hounds that have 120 l. Salary and 186 l. Bord-Wages Next are The Birds of the Chamber Consisting of two Flights one for the Fields and another for the Mag-Pie The places belonging to the keeping of which have been Independant of the Great Falkners Office from the time of Henry the Great and upwards To the first Flight viz. For the Fields belong one Chief or Serjeant who is stiled Captain and Chief of the flight of the Kings Chamber for the Fields and has a Salary of 750 l and 323 l. for the keeping of six Birds One Master-Falconer who has 300 l. One Pricker or Marker of the flight at 250 l. Salary One Officer for the buying of Hawks and their Furniture at 490 l. More allowed for the Hens of the flight 140 l. One Groom-Keeper of the Spaniels of the Kings Chamber for the said Flight who has for his Salary and for the maintenance of eighteen Dogs and himself 1900 l. Belonging to the Flight of the Magpie There is likewise one Captain and Chief at 500 l. Salary besides an allowance of 273 l. 15 d. yearly for the feeding of five Hawks at 3 d. a day a piece One Master-Falconer at 300 l. One Pricker at 250 l. Another Pricker at 214 l. One Falconer-Fowler who has for his Salary and for furnishing fresh Birds 450 l. yearly Besides these There was a new Flight of Birds set up in 1676 under the Title of the Falconry in Ordinary for all sorts of Birds to fly all the year and at the Army it self for the maintenance of which the Captain or Serjeant of them is allowed out of the Kings own Cash-Box 16000 l. which is paid by the Chief Valets de Chambre There are likewise The little Dogs of the Kings Chamber Whose Keeper has 1446 l. Salary and 200 l. for a Livery-Coat He keeps the Dogs that are given the King for Hunting as Setting-Dogs and Dogs for Shooting Flying c. The Kings Pastry-Cook delivers out every day seven Biskets for the Kings little Dogs As for those who in their Certificates of Service are called the Trumpeters and Drummers of the Chamber because they are entred in the Books of the Establishment of the great Stable and are sworn by the Great Master of the Horse I shall rather speak of them when I come to treat of the Great Stable Of the Anti-Chamber Before you come to the Kings Chamber there is an Anti-Chamber into which the Usher lets no Body enter but those he has order to let in or that have business there Note That no person ought to walk up and down in the Anti-Chamber When the King eats in publick the Table is commonly spread for him in the Anti-Chamber and there whether it be at Dinner or Supper he is commonly served with Ceremony After having treated of the Bed-Chamber Wardrobe and Bed-Chamber it will be next most proper to speak of the Keepers of the Houshold-Stuff or moveables above Stairs and their under Officers There is one Intendant and Comptroller-General of the Houshold-Stuff and Moveables of the Crown whose Salary by a Brief of the 16th of May in 1667. were fixed at 3600 l. yearly One Keeper-General of the Moveables of the Crown who has for his own Salary and for keeping two men under him 2000 l. Three Yeomen Keepers at 200 l. a piece Two Pack-Carriers and a Porter One Keeper of the Moveables and Furniture for the King and Ambassadours at 600 l. There remain still three Articles belonging to the Chamber which may properly enough follow here viz. The Musick of the Chamber the Gentlemen in Ordinary of the Houshold and the Officers of Health as the Physicians Chyrurgeons c. Of the Musick of the Chamber This Musick serves the King commonly at Nights when he goes to Bed and at his Dinner and at Hymns of Praises and Thanks Sung on Festival Days and on Corpus-Christi Day they alone Play and Sing at the reposing Altars erected for that Solemnity At great Ceremonies it joins with the Chappel-Musick as at the Kings Coronation and Marriage at the Creation of Knights at Funeral Pomps and Tenebras and is placed always on the side of the Epistle There are two Super-Intendants of the Musick that serve by turns half a year a piece who have a yearly Salary of 660 l. and an
before had but 14 d. a day have now 18 d. a day Of the Guards of the Gate Of these Guards there is a Captain who has a Salary of 3000 l. paid by the Treasurers of the Houshold and 4000 l. Board-Wages at the Chamber of Deniers He is sworn by the King himself and receives from him the Staff of Command Under him are Four Lieutenants quarterly Waiters who enjoy their Places by Patent from the King but are sworn by the Great Master of the Houshold and have each of them 500 l. Salary and 50 l. Gratuity and during the time of their Waiting eat at the Masters of the Housholds Table Fifty Guards of the Gate that serve by Quarters viz. Thirteen of them each of the two first Quarters and but twelve of each of the two last Quarters of the year They enjoy their Places too by Patent and are sworn by their Captain They are reckoned among the first and most ancient Guards of the Houshold which is the reason that this Company is yet to this day entred upon the Book of the General Establishment of the Houshold and accordingly receive their pay from the Treasurers of the Houshold and not from peculiar Treasurers of their own as do the other Companies of Guards Every day at six in the Morning the Guards of the Gate receive from the hands of the Life-Guard Men the Keys of the Gates of that Court where the Kings Lodgings or Apartments are within which they place Sentinels and at six at Night they return the said Keys again to the Life-Guards By the Court where the Kings Lodgings are I mean the principal Court of the Palace where he is as the Oval Court at Fountain-bleau He that stands Sentinel at the Gate holds a Carbine on his shoulder as do all the rest of this Company that are on the Guard who likewise stand to their Arms and place themselves in Ranks making a Lane near the Gate when his Majesty any other Royal Persons or any Ambassadours in going to or coming from their first and last Audiences are to pass by They also stand to their Arms in the same manner about the Gate within the Court of the Louvre or other Royal Palace where the King is exercising the Company of Gentlemen Musketeers during the whole time of the said Exercise in that Court The Guards of the Gate are to let none pass into the Palace with Arms but the Life-Guards only but are to stop all that offer to go in with Blunderbusses Firelocks Pikes Powder or any other Arms but Swords They all wear blue Coats laced with large gold and silver Galoon and trimmed with Buttons of Massy Silver Formerly they used to wear Jackets or Hoquetons like those worn at present by the Great Provosts Guards save only that upon the four great Skirts of them they had two Keys Embroidered Salter-wise and Swivels which are both of Buff. Their Belts at present are edged about with gold and silver Galoon and in the middle of their Swivels there is before and behind a golden Flower deluce and an L of the same for Lewis being the Kings Name and above them two Keys placed Salteir-wise and tied with a red Ribband all which is wrought in Embroidery enterlaced with Palms and Lawrels and Crowned with a Crown Royal. The Guards of the Gate in the time of their Waiting never take off their Swivels wherever he goes unless it be when he goes into the Kings Anti-Chamber or into the other Chambers Closets and Apartments of his Majesty At the end of their Quarters Waiting they receive 200 l. Wages from the General Treasurer of the Houshold and 40 l. Gratuity at the Treasure Royal. At Easter Whitsontide All-Saints Christmas Martlemas and on Shrove-Tuesday they have Portions of Bread Wine and Meat from the King which gives them the priviledge of Tablers or Commoners of the Kings Houshold they that are in Waiting at the like times on the Queen or the Dauphin have the same allowance from them At New-Years Tide the King gives them that are in Waiting that quarter 50 l. 5 d the Queen 32 l and the Parliament of Paris as much for which they give an Acquittance The other Sovereign Courts likewise and the Guildhall of Paris pay them some certain summs for they give also Acquittances Upon St. Lewis's Day which is his Majesties peculiar Festival the Kings allow them 40 l. out of the Privy-Purse of the Chamber Besides which they have a Fee of ten Crowns from the Treasurer of the Offrings every time the King touches for the Evil But however on the four great Festivals of the year they are paid the said allowance on that account whether the King touches or no. Those that are in Waiting share amongst them the Gifts and Liberalities made to them by the New Dukes and Peers and Marshals of France and other Officers of the Crown at their first Entry into the Kings Palace in their Coaches or Sedans by vertue of their new Dignity They have likewise Wax-Candles at Candlemas Torches on Corpus Christi Day and Prayer-Books in the Holy Week given them They are Exempt from Taxes and from the Imposition on Salt in those Provinces where it is established and from all Subsidies and Billeting of Souldiers They have the Priviledge of Committimus and take out Letters of State when they have need of them By an Order of the Privy-Council dated the 19th of November 1668. the King has confirmed the quality of Esquires to the Guards of the Gate and by a Declaration of the 17th of June 1659. and Letters Patents of the 3d of May 1675. registred in the Great Councel on the 27th of July following The King was pleased to Order that the Guards of the Gate should have the precedence in all honours done in the Church and in all other places and Assemblies before all the Officers of the Elections of the Granaries of Salt and Judges not Royal and in general before all others inferiour in degree to the Counsellers of Bayliwicks Seneschalsies and Presidial Seats or Courts of Judicature Now it being the Duty of the Guards of the Gate in the Day time and of the Life-Guard Men from six a Clock at Night to distinguish those to whom the King is pleased to permit the Honour of going into the Louvre or other of the Kings Palaces in their Coaches or Sedans and to keep all others from entring in that manner It will not be amiss to subjoin in this place The Order and Rank of Precedence observed in admitting and placing of those to whom the King permits the honour of entring into his Royal Palace in their Coaches or Sedans No Body is to enter into the Kings Palace in a Coach in the Morning before their Majesties be awake and at Night as soon as the King is in Bed all the Coaches within the Palace are to go out and Monsieurs is set up under the Gate or Porch of the Palace Next to the first Coaches
according to a Declaration and List or Account of them verified in the Court of Aids at Paris Next to the Great or High Chancery of France are those establisht near the Parliaments The Masters of Requests preside in those Chanceries and keep the Seals of them when they are present there The Chancery of Paris is the greatest and antientest of them all It is composed of four Audiencers of four Comptrollers that officiate quarterly and of twelve Referendaries and some other Officers The Function of the Refendaries is to make Report of all Letters to that Master of Requests that keeps the Seal to sign them at the bottom when they find them civil and furnished with all the Clauses required by the Ordinances or to subjoin in the same place the refutata or Confutations of them if they contain any unusual Clauses or be ill digested and drawn up King Francis the First by his Edict of Creation in the Month of February 1522. gave them the Quality or Title of Councellours-Reporters and Referendaries and Henry the Second in the Month of July 1556. granted them Place and Voice in the Presidials in consideration that they were Learned and had been admitted to the practice of the Laws before the Masters of Requests Note That the four Wax-Chafers of the Great Chancery are the same that perform the like Function in the Chancery of Paris The Letters Sealed in the Chancery of Paris are ordinarily executable only within the Limits of the Jurisdiction of the Parliament But yet it has sometimes hapned that when the Chancellour was obliged to follow the King in a long Journey and carry the Great Seal with him that then by vertue of a Declaration from the King to that end the Letters which should have passed the Great Seal were only Sealed in the Chancery of Paris and thence transmitted to and Executed in the other Parliaments of the Kingdom CHAP. XXVII Of the Ecclesiastical Division of France into Archbishopricks and Bishopricks and of its Clergy THE Kings Collates or Presents within his Dominions to 18 Archbishopricks 107 Bishopricks to about 750 Abbies of Men besides those that have been united to other Communities or Benefices and to above 200 Abbies of Nuns and as the Conquests of Majesty increase so the number of Benefices in his nomination must needs proportionably increase too The Archbishopricks and Bishopricks according to their Alphabetical Order are these The 18 Archbishopricks are 1. AIx 2. Alby 3. Ambrun 4. Arles 5. Auch 6. Besançon 7. Bourdeaux 8. Bourges 9. Cambray 10. Lyons 11. Narbon 12. Paris 13. Reims 14. Rouen 15. Sens. 16. Toulouze 17. Tours 18. Vienna The 107 Bishopricks are 1. AGde 2. Agen. 3. Aire 4. Alet 5. Amiens 6. Angiers 7. Angoulême 8. Apt. 9. Arras 10. Auranche 11. Autun 12. Auxerre 13. Bayeux 14. Bayonne 15. Bazas 16. Beauvais 17. Bellay 18. Bethlehem 19. Beziers 20. Boulogne 21. St. Brien 22. Cahors 23. Carcassone 24. Castres 25. Cisteron 26. Chaalons 27. Chartres 28. Clermont 29. Cominges 30. Condom 31. Cornoüaille 32. Conserans 33. Coutance 34. De Dax 35. Digne 36. Dol. 37. Evreux 38. De Helne or Perpignan 39. St. Flour 40. Frejus 41. Gap 42. Geneva 43. Glandeve 44. Grace 45. Grenoble 46. Laitoure 47. Langres 48. Laon. 49. Lavaur 50. Leon. 51. Lescar 52. Limoges 53. Lizieux 54. Lodeve 55. Lombez 56. Luçon 57. Maçon 58. St. Malo 59. Mande 60. Du Mans. 61. Marseilles 62. Meaux 63. Mets. 64. Mire-Poix 65. Montauban 66. Montpellier 67. Nantes 68. Nevers 69. Nice 70. Nimes 71. Noyon 72. Oleron 73. St. Omer 74. Orange 75. Orleans 76. Pamiers 77. St. Papoul 78. St. Paul trois Chateaux or St. Paul 3 Castles 79. Perigueux Perpignan vide Elne 80. Poitiers 81. St. Pol de Lion 82. St. Pons de Tomiers 83. Le Puy 84. Rennes 85. Rieux 86. Riez 87. La Rochelle 88. Rodez 89. Saintes or Yaintes 90. Sars 91. Sarlat 92. Senez 93. Senlis 94. Soissons 95. Strasburg 96. Tarbas 97. Toul 98. Toulon 99. Tournay 100. Treguier 101. Troyes 102. Vabres 103. Valenco Die 104. Vannes 105. Vence 106. Verdun 107. Viviers 108. Vzais 109. Ypres Where Note That Valence and Die is a double Title and the Bishopricks of Geneva and Nice belong to the Duke of Savoy and are only named because part of them lie in the Territories of the King of France Now they follow according to the Order they are commonly placed in 1. And first because Paris is the Capital City of the Kingdom the ordinary Residence of our Kings and of the whole Court the Seat of the first and most August Parliament of the first University of Europe and of so many Famous and Illustrious Men I have thought fit to so many other Prerogatives and Primacies which it has above all other Cities of France to add that of naming it first among the Archbishopricks though it be but of late Creation with its three Suffragans which could not well be separated from it In placing the rest we shall follow the Ancient Division Secundum Notitiam Imperii and the Order of that considerable Book called Gallia Christiana or Description of France since made Christian 1. The Archbishoprick of Paris has three Bishopricks within its Jurisdiction viz. Chartres Meaux and Orleans The present Archbishop is Francis de Harlay Duke and Peer of France Provisour of the Sorbonne c. A Person of noble Extraction Learned Eloquent and very Courteous The Bishop of Chartres is Ferdinand de Neufville Councellour of State in Ordinary c. The present Bishop of Meaux is James Benigne Bossuet late Preceptor or Tutor to the Dauphin Famous for Controversy The Bishop of Orleans is Peter de Cambout de Coislin first Almoner to the King c. There are in this Archbishoprick 39 Abbies of Men besides five united to others and 32 Nunneries 2. The Archbishoprick of Lyons comprehends four Bishopricks viz. Autun Langres Chaalon and Macon The Archbishop is Archbishop and Count and Primate of the Gauls and is at present Camillus de Neufville de Ville-roy Lieutenant Governour for the King in the Country of Lyons c. The Cathedral of that City is very considerable the Canons of it being stiled Counts of Lyons and being obliged for their admission to make proof that they are noble by five Generations both on their Fathers and Mothers side The Bishop of Autun who is by his Dignity perpetual President of he States of Burgundy and Administrator of both the Spiritualties and Temporalties of the Archishoprick of Lyons when the See is vacant c. is Gabriel de Roquette c. The Bishop of Langres who is Bishop and Duke of Langres and one of the ancient Peers of France is at present Lewis Armand de Simianes de Gordes c. The Bishop of Châlons on Saone being both Bishop and Count is Henry Felix de Tassy c. The Bishop of Mâcon is named Michael Cassagnet de Tilladet c. In this Archbishoprick
and the Dukes and Peers of France At the Funeral Obsequies of Kings he marches side by side in an equal Rank with the Archbishop of Paris Whilst he injoys this Dignity he wears a Violet-Coloured Girdle the trimming of his Gloves is also of Violet-Colour His solemn Habit is a Violet-Coloured Gown with a silk Girdle of the same Colour with golden Tassels at the end of which hangs a Purse of Violet-Coloured Velvet called an Escarcelle trimmed with gold Buttons and Galoon He wears over his Gown a little Mantle of white Ermine which reaches down round about half way his Arms. This Dignity is Elective and lasts but three Months unless it be thought convenient as sometimes it happens to continue it to one Person two or three times together The Faculty of Arts is divided into four Nations which are 1. The Nation of France 2. The Nation of Picardie 3. The Nation of Normandy And 4. The Nation of Germany The Titles or Epithetes assumed by these several Nations when their Proctor speaks for them in publick Assemblies are 1. Honoranda Gallorum Natio the Honourable Nation of the French 2. Fidelissima Picardorum Natio the most Loyal or Faithful Nation of the Picards 3. Veneranda Normannorum Natio the Venerable Nation of the Normans And 4. Constantissima Germanorum Natio the most constant Nation of the Germans The three superiour Faculties likewise when they speak have their peculiar Titles for the Faculty of Divinity stiles it self Sacra Theologiae Facultas the Sacred Faculty of Divinity the Faculty of Law Consultissima Decretorum Facultas the most wise Faculty of the Decrees and the Faculty of Physick Saluberrima Medicorum Facultas the most wholsome Faculty of the Physicians There are in this University many Colledges in which are maintain'd several Regents and Lecturers and Professours that teach the Humanities or Learning of the lesser Schools which they do by Classes and the Sciences Tongues and Philosophy So that in this University is taught all in one House whatever is taught both in the inferiour Schools and Universities of England So that there is no need of fitting youth before-hand in inferiour Schools for Universities in France as in England they running through the whole Circle of Learning in one Colledge where for better help to youth there is a different Regent in every Classis which are all in distinct Rooms and they have Preceptors or Tutors besides to help them in their Exercises There are maintain'd in these Colledges too some few Foundation Scholars called Boursiers or Bursers but the Colledges subsist most by Pensioners or Borders and it is free for any of what Nation soever to lie any where in the Town and yet go and learn in the Classes and hear Lectures upon doing which they have as much priviledge to take their Degrees as those that reside in Colledges so that the number of Students lying in the Town dost vastly exceed that of those that reside in Colledges And the number of them is indeed prodigiously great the Youth not only of all Provinces of France but of all other Europaean Nations flocking hither to study Besides what is performed in the Colledges that depend of the University There are likewise Lecturers and Professors of Royal Foundation for teaching of the Oriental Tongues viz. The Greek Hebrew Arabian Syriack Caldean Samaritan and other Tongues as also the Mathematicks and Physick as also Philosophy Rhetorick and the Latin Tongue all which are performed in the Royal Colledge by Professors paid by the King Philosophy is also taught there in French by some Persons as of late by the deceased M. de L' Eclache with success enough There are also Academies for Natural Philosophy Some parts of the Mathematicks are also taught there by private Men as Geography by Mr. Sanson and others c. There are also many Masters of the Modern and living Tongues It is also worth our remark that at certain times in the year there are several particular and extraordinary Exercises performed in Paris As in the Nave of the Church of St. Germains Abby there is every Sunday a Flemish Sermon Preached at half an hour past two in the Afternoon a Latin Sermon at the Great Cordeliers Church on St. Bonaventures Day as likewise at the Augustins Bernardins and Jacobins on the Days of St. Austin St. Bernard and St. Dominick and on the Day of Quasimodo there is a High Mass sung in Greek in the Cordeliers Church for the Confraternity of the Pilgrims of Jerusalem and of the Holy Sepulcher in the middle of which there is a Greek Sermon Likewise Note that in the Colledge of Beauvais and in that only there are every Year publick Acts and Disputations in Greek CHAP. LIV. Of the Historiographers of France THE Office of Historiographer of France is possest or pretended to by three sorts of persons viz. 1. Those that actually write as such and are Entred upon the Kings Books for such 2. Such as though they be enterd as such upon the Kings Books have as yet written nothing and thirdly Such as have only taken out Patents but are not enterd in the Book or such as only assume the title I shall mention only those of the first sort which are 1. The two Brothers de St. Marthe who have given to the publick a general History of the Prelates of France in four Volumns under the Title of Gallia Christiana and continue the Genealogicat History of the House or Royal Family of France containing and including all the Sovereign Families of Europe as likewise the Genealogical History of the House of Tremoille and several other Works 2. M. de Chêne Son of the Famous Andrew du Chêne who has published the Continuation of the Historians of France begun by his Father and the History of the Cardinals and Chancellours of France Other Writers that though they have not the Title of Historiographers yet write Histories and other commendable Curiosities are M. Blenchard M. Justel the two Valois M. de la Roque M. Doujat M. de Varillas and several others The Journal des Sçavans or Philosophical Transactions is done by the Abbot de la Roque The Journal of the Palace by M. Blondeau and M Gueret The Mercury Gallant by M. Vizè CHAP. LV. Of the Academy of France or Society of the Virtuosi THis Famous Company or Society of Learned Men which is in France what the Royal Society is in England and is called the French Academy was Instituted by Letters Patents granted by the late King Lewis the Thirteenth Verified in Parliament in the Month of July 1637. The King has been pleased in the said Patents to grant them the same Priviledges as his own Domestick Officers enjoy Their Causes are committed to the Masters of Requests of the Houshold or else of the Palace at Paris by vertue of a Committimus under the Great Seal they are exempt from being Administratours or Guardians and from doing service at the Guards of the Gates of the Towns