Austria An Image of our Lady in Ivory enrich'd with Pretious Stones A Missal in Manuscript the Cover of which is enrich'd with Plates of Gold A Manuscript of the Four Evangelists written above Eleven hundred Years ago in Letters of Gold and Silver upon Purple Vellum In the Third Ambrie The Head of St. Denis enrich'd with Pretious Stones His Cross of Wood all cover'd with Gold and Precious Stones as also his Travelling Stick The right Hand Flesh and Bone of the Apostle St. Thomas in a Shrine of Gold enrich'd with Pearls Rubies and great Pearls An enamell'd Shrine where through a Christal you see the Lower Chap of St. Lewis The Crown of the same St. Lewis of massy Gold beset with Pretious Stones A Seal of Gold with a Saphir Stone wherein his Image is engrav'd with these Letters S. L. A Sword which he brought in his first Expedition from the Holy Land A wooden Cup of Tamarisk wherein he drank A Shrine which he carried along with him in his Expeditions with a Bone of St. Denis His Hand of Justice of Silver gilt The Clasp of his Cloak of the same beset with Pretious Stones A Chalice of Oriental Agate with a great number of Pretious Stones The Effigies of the Queen of Sheba upon a Brouch of Agate A Gondola of Agate and Onyx The two Crowns of Lewis XIV the one of Gold the other enamell'd In the Fourth Ambrie A great Image Silver gilt of St. Benedict extreamly Rich. A great Cross of massy Gold cover'd with Pearl and enrich'd with large Saphirs The Oratory of Charlemain all of Gold where the multitudes of Saphirs Emraulds Agates and Oriental Pearls that glitter in it vastly enhaunce the Price of it This Oratory preserves an Arm of St. George The Crown of Charlemain all of Gold and embellish'd like the Oratory This Crown is carry'd to Reims at the Coronation of our Kings with the Scepter the Hand of Justice the Spurs the Clasp for the Mantle the Book of Ceremonies and Prayers for the Coronation All the Ornaments are of that Richness as befits the Use which is made of ' em The Crown of Gold that Joane of Eureux were enrich'd with Rubies Saphirs and Pearl serves for the Coronation of the Queens that is Perform'd at St. Denis Several Vessels of Gold Chrystal and other Materials very Rich. The Portraiture of Nero upon an Agate which is look'd upon as one of the Noblest Pieces of Curiosity in the Treasury In other Cupboards in General There are moreover Four other Ambries which do not contain such vast Wealth but only Reliques or Antiquities of which these are the most considerable An enamell'd Shrine embellish'd with Pretious Stones wherein lyes the Body of St. Lewis Judas's Lanthorn the Sword of the Maid of Orlean's a Unicorn's Horn seven foot long and a Stool of Copper which as they say was Dagobert's Throne Beside all these things of which I have given you a Catalogue there are several other things very remarkable which I insert not here for fear of being Tedious and therefore to conclude this Chapter I shall only inform the Reader that the Monks who shew the Treasury very distinctly give an accompt of every thing and tell you the time and the occasion that all these Curiosities were brought to this Place CHAP. XXIII Of Normandy and the Country of Maine NOrmandy is a very fair large Province of France with the Title of a Dukedom bounded Eastward by the Island of France and Picardy by the Ocean to the North by Bretagne to the West and Beausse and le Maine to the South The length of it is Seventy two Leagues de la Croix says 73. from Aumale to the Coast of Courantin and Thirty in breadth 37. says de la Croix from Alenson to the City of Eu The Name of it is absolutely German for Noort-Man signifies a Man of the North so that the Name it bears was given it by the People of the North that Pipirated upon the Seas and afterwards settl'd themselves in Normandy and ravag'd the Country to the very Walls of Paris William the Norman laid Claim to England and Invading it under Pretence of Title his Successors Kings of England became Masters of Normandy But Philip the August united it to the Crown of France Charles the Seventh expell'd the English This Province being the most Northern part of the Kingdom is also the Goldest It is divided into Upper and Lower It abounds in all sorts of Fruit especially Pears and Apples of which they make Cider and which serves 'em instead of Wine for Wine they have none but what they fetch from the Neighbouring Provinces As for Corn it produces more then suffices the Inhabitants The Dyers also have their Madder and Woad from thence The Humour of the Common People does 'em no great Credit They are look'd upon to have more defects then Perfections The Normans are accus'd to be very cholerick litigious upon every Trifle and not to be too great Slaves to their words when their Interest is concern'd So then when you deal with a Norman the first Question is whether he will insist upon the Privileges of the Country that is to say whether he will go from his word when the Bargain is concluded And therefore when a Man has fail'd of his word 't is a common thing to say He is a Norman But the Gentry and Persons well educated who have a share of Honour are to be excepted out of this Number Moreover they have as great an Antipathy against the Bretons as the Bretons have against them Rouen is the Principal City of Normandy dignify'd with an Archbishop's See and the Seat of a Parliament a Chamber of Accompts an Audit of the Treasurers of France a Chamber of Money and a Presidial Court The Parliament had that Name given it first of all by Francis I. in 1515. whereas before it was call'd the Court of Exchequer founded by Philip the Fair in 1286. This City is seated upon the Banks of the River Seine on the one side on the other in a Valley environ'd with Hills thick spread with Wood. From the East come little Rivers which run through the Town keep the Streets clean and after they have turn'd several Mills fall into the Seine But the nearness of it to the Sea is that which makes it a Town of great Trade when Commerce is open Among those things which it has most remarkable we are to admire the Bridge of Boats over the Seine Two hundred and seventy Paces in length For though it be all Pav'd and appear as firm as a Bridge of Stone yet it rises and sinks according to the Ebbing and Flowing of the Sea This Bridge was made to supply the want of another Stone Bridge of 15 Arches that was ruin'd and was accompted one of the Fairest Bridges in France The Castle is fortified with Eleven great Towers which all Vessels outward or inward bound are engag'd to salute with Three Guns at
the Finances of which there are such a Number in France as Rouen Tholouse Orleans Limoges c. Jurats of Bourdeaux are as the Eschevins or Sheriffs in other Cities Mareschalship is the Office and Jurisdiction of a Marshal of France The Lord Marshals of France in the time of Francis I. were but two who having their several Provinces assign'd 'em by the King rode their Circuits into 'em and were present at all General Musters to observe how Military Discipline was observ'd to View the Fortifications and Reparations of Frontier Towns How the Arsenals were stor'd with Ammunition and Provisions and lastly to provide for the Punishment of Idle Vagrant and loose Persons But now their Number is uncertain the Marshal's Battoon of Command being given as the Reward of Prowess and Conduct Presidial Seats are Courts of Justice Establish'd in the Year 1551. in divers good Towns of France wherein Civil Causes not exceeding 250 Livres Tournois are heard and adjudg'd Soveraignly and without Appeals Seneschalship the Jurisdiction of a Seneschal who is a Chief Justice or Magistrate of a Precinct who has the same Authority which is enjoy'd by a Bailli from whom he differs only in Name Historical Voyages Travels OVER EUROPE CHAP. I. Of Europe in general THE World is usually divided into four Parts that is to say Asia Africa America and Europe This last is the smallest of all but without contradiction the most considerable in regard it is most Populous most Fertile and under the most noble and best order'd Forms of Government The Bounds of it to the North are the Northern or the Frozen Sea to the West the Atlantick Ocean the Mediterranean to the South which separates it from Africa and to the East the Aegean Sea the Streight of Gallipoli the Sea of Marmara the Streight of Constantinople the Black Sea the Palus Maeotis the Tanais c. which part it from Asia The Length of it from Cape St. Vincents in the Western part of Spain to the mouth of the River Ob in the Frontiers of Muscovy is about thirteen hundred Leagues Moreover there are always said to be in Europe besides the Territories of the Church in Italy two Empires that of Germany and that of Turky seven Kingdoms under different Soveraigns who acknowledge no Superior France Spain England Portugal Sweden Denmark and Poland The first six Hereditary the latter Elective There are now nine Electorates Mayence Treves Cologne Bohemia Bavaria Saxony Brandenburgh the Palatinate and Hanover which are all Soveraign States under the Titles of Dukedoms Marquisates c. We have also in Europe two Great Dukedomes Muscovy and Tuscany Six other Dukedoms besides those which are enclos'd within the Empire viz. Lorrain Savoy Mantoua Modena Parma and Curland Seven Republicks viz. The United Provinces otherwise call'd Holland Switzerland Venice Genoa Luca St. Marin and Ragusa And besides all this there is the Arch-Dukedom of Austria the Patrimony of the Empire who also possesses Bohemia and Hungary As for the Principalities of Transylvania Moldavia and Walachia they are possess'd by particular Princes who are tributary either to the Emperor or the Grand Signior and sometimes to both together The Principal Islands of Europe are England united to Scotland Ireland Majorca Minorca Sicily Sardignia Corfu Creet and an infinite number of others in the Archipelago And the Highest Mountains are in France the Pyreneans and the Alpes La Sierra Morena in Spain the Apennine in Italy Parnassus in Greece the Crapack in Poland the Rhipheans in Muscovy and Mont Gibel in Sicily This part of the World is water'd with an infinite number of fair Streams and vast Rivers which contribute not a little to the Fertility of it The most considerable are the Seine the Loire the Garonne the Rhone in France the Duero the Tagus the Guadiana the Guadalquivir the Ebro in Spain the Po and Tibur in Italy the Danaw the Rhine the Elbe the Order in Germany the Vistula and Niepor in Poland the Volga and Don in Muscovy the Thames Severn and Trent in England the Tay in Scotland and the Shanon in Ireland CHAP. II. Of France in general FRance is to Europe as Europe is to all the other parts of the World for number of Inhabitants for the Ingenuity of the People the Fertility of the Soil the Temper of the Climate and the Excellency of the Wine The Government is Monarchical but too severely Absolute tho the Nobility are brave and Warlike This Kingdom is seated between the forty second and fifty first degree of Latitude and the fifteenth and nineteenth of Longitude It is bounded to the West by the Great Ocean to the East by the Rhine and the Alpes that separate it from Germany and Italy to the South by the Mediterranean Sea and the Pyreneans that divide it from Spain and to the North by St. Georges-Channel which the French call La Manche that parts it from England But these Bounds have not hinder'd the Kings from frequently extending their Dominions beyond these Limits and without searching past Ages for Examples no body can be ignorant that in our days neither the Rhine the Alpes nor the Pyreneans could stop the Rapidness of the Conquests of Lewis the XIV France is about two hundred and sixty Leagues in length if we take it from the Coasts of Britany to the Frontiers of Switzerland and two hundred and forty in breadth from Dunkirk ro Perpignan The Kingdom is compos'd of Three Estates the Clergy the Nobility and the People In 1614. the States General of the Kingdom being summon'd to meet at Paris appear'd there under Twelve great Governments which are Picardy Normandy Champagne the Island of France Britany Orleanois Burgogne Lionois the Dauphinate Provence Languedoc and Guienne and under these Governments are comprehended Le Maine Anjou Tourain Poictou Xaintoin Perigort Limozin Querci Rovergne Auvergne Gevodan Albigeois Bearne Bigorre Foix Cominges Armagnac Vivarez Le Forest Beaugelois Bugeay Valcomay La Bresse Nivernois Bourbonnois Berri Salogne Gatinois Beauce c. All this shews us that France must needs be a very Potent Kingdom since it includes so great a number of Fair Provinces some of which contain more Cities Burroughs and Villages then many Soveraign Kingdoms and Principalities But if you add to these the Conquests of Lewis the XIII and XIV you will find the Limits of this Kingdom to be of a much larger Extent since those two Monarchs subdu'd Franche Contè Lorraine Alsatia Artois part of Flanders Hainault Luxemburgh c. France which was known to the Ancients under the name of Gaul is a Hereditary Kingdom the Crown of which cannot descend to the Female Sex by vertue of the Salique Law It always belongs to the Eldest Son and for want of Male Issue to the next of Kin. France has beheld upon the Throne Kings of three Races The first was that of Meroveus the second that of Charlemaigne and the third that of Hugh Capet Pharamond was the first King of France
a time The Fortifications are Regular and of good defence The Cathedral is consecrated to the Holy Virgin wherein are to be seen several Mausoleum's of the Dukes of Normandy with a Treasury in the Vestry which was much more considerable before the Huguenots plunder's it during the Civil Wars of the last Age. There are three Towers that serve instead of a Steeple one of which is so high that you must ascend Five hundred and fifty Steps before you come at the great Bell which is call'd George d' Amboise by reason it was made by the Order of the Cardinal d' Amboise Over the Portal of this Cathedral is to be seen a Triumphal Arch where Henry IV. is represented chasing the Lions and the Wolves out of his Sheep-Fold the League enchain'd and gnawing her Chains and the King of Spain beholding all these Trophies with a Pensive and Melancholy look There are very fair Structures at Rouen as well Sacred as Prophane which are marks of her Antiquity and Strangers always go to see the Place where the English burnt the Maid of Orleance Normandy is blest with several other good Ports as that of St. Valeri which is a very Commodious Haven But Diepe is much the Stronger This City is seated at the Foot of the Mountains from whence the River of Arques takes its rise which separates the Suburbs from the City The Castle of Pollet Commands the Haven and a Cittadel defends the other side of the Town The Streets are large adorn'd with several Churches and Market-Places The Haven brings it a good Trade and the Seamen have gain'd a Reputation in the World for that the Best Sea-Compasses and the most Exact Quadrants are there said to be made The Inhabitants also were the first that wrought in Ivory and Tortoise-Shell They are also Excellent and very quick at the Riming Exercises call'd Jeux Floraux where the best doer is rewarded with an Eglantine the Second with a Marigold in Silver which Sports are usual in this Town at Christmas and the Festival of the Assumption Havre de Grace is also a considerable Sea Town situated at the Mouth of the River Seine and is lookt upon to be one of the Havens in France upon St. George's Channel Francis I. began to fortifie it but the Huguenots having seiz'd it deliver'd it up to the English in 1562. from whom Charles IX retook it Lewis XIII added a Cittadel to it flank'd with four Bastions But Lewis XIV compleated the Work and has made it impregnable by regular Fortifications In times of Peace with England and Holland it drives a great Trade Evreux is a very ancient City dignify'd with a Bishop's See a Bailliage and a Presidial Court and adorn'd with a good number of Churches and Religious Houses among which the Abbies of St. Thurin and St. Saviour are very remarkable Several Princes of the Blood and other great Lords have been Counts of Evreux and it is said that Walter and Robert d' Evreux Earls of Essex in England came originally from this place Caen seated upon the River Orne is not so famous for the Antiquity of it as for the Privileges and Variety of Tribunals that it enjoys For it is dignify'd with a Presidial Court a Bailliage an Election a Generality an Audit of the Finances and a University for the Civil and Canon Law there founded in 1411. by Hen. VI. King of England It has had the same Fate with other Cities of Normandy as having suffer'd very much during the Troubles that shook the French Monarchy in the 16th Age. However the Town-House built upon St. Peter's Bridge is a noble Structure adorn'd with four large Towers The People boast of their Fidelity to their Prince for which reason they are permitted to bear the Three Flower-de-Luces in their Arms. William the Norman King of England lyes Buried in St. Stephen's Abby which was one of his own Foundations Mount St. Michael is a Town built at the Foot of a Mountain on the top of which stands a Church and an Abby consecrated to St. Michael the Arch-Angel For the Story goes that in the Year 708. St. Michael appear'd to Aubert Bishop of Avranches and told him 'T was the Will of God that a Church should be built upon the Hill and dedicated to him in particular Upon the same Mount stands also a very fair Castle The flowing in of the Sea makes a perfect Island of it covering for near a League together all the Land between the Mount and the firm Land which the Ebb soon after leaves dry agen Nevertheless they who Travel thither must be very exact in observing the Time of the Motion of the Water for if they should be surpriz'd in that sandy Plain they would run the risque of being Drown'd which many times falls out This place is famous for the resort of Pilgrims to St. Michael and for the Sand of which they make Salt by straining the Sea-water through it In 966 Richard I founded the Abby of the Benedictins and his Son Richard II. finish'd the Church Maine is a Province dignify'd with the Title of a Dutchy border'd by Normandy to the North by Perche Vendomois and La Beausse to the East Bretagne to the West and by Tourain and Anjou to the South This Province is fruitful in Wine Corn Fruit and Cattle and has some Iron Mines The same defects are attributed to the Manceaux as to the Normans and as to their exactness in keeping their words it is become a Proverb That a Manceau is worth a Norman and a half The Capital City of this Province is Mans seated upon the Banks of the River Sarte dignify'd with a Presidial Court and a Bishop's See This City is very Ancient and is thought to have been one of the most considerable Cities of the Gauls in the time of Charlemagne It is said to have been built by Sarthon Grandchild to Samothes King of the Gauls but being destroy'd by the Druids and the Sarrhonides it was repair'd by Le Mant K. of the Gauls who gave it his own Name But however it were there is nothing now remaining but only some few Ruins of what formerly render'd it so famous CHAP. XXIV Of Picardy PIcardy is a very large Province having Champagne to the East the Island of France to the South Normandy and part of Mance or the Ocean to the West Artois and Flanders to the North. It is fertile in Corn and Fruits But as for the People 't is said they are generally hot-headed and being apt to take Snuff upon every Trifle Men are willing to avoid their Company for fear of running themselves into Quarrels that are often attended with fatal Consequences Amiens upon the Somme dignify'd with a Bishoprick a Presidial Court a Bailliage and a Generality is the Capital City of Picardy and has been taken several times in the preceding Wars among the rest the Spaniards took it with a Bag of Nuts in the Month of March 1597. as the Learned M.
fetch 'em from that Chappel leaving the value in other Commodities with which their Vessel is best provided All Nations even the Turks themselves goe thither for what they want and 't is said that if they fail to leave a Compensation their Ships can stir no farther let the Wind be never so favourable We are assur'd that several have known this to be true by many Tryals However it be that Chappel is hewen out of a Rock and some Paces from thence there is a Spring of excellent fresh Water which will keep sweet a long time at Sea As for Sardigna there are not so many Remarks to be made upon that Island All that I can say of it is that 't is an Island in the Mediterranean Sea with the Title of a Kingdom belonging to the King of Spain who Governs it by a Viceroy The Air is so thick that formerly such persons were banish'd thither as the State had a mind to be rid of that there is a Breed of Great Dogs there bigger then the Dogs in England and such an infinite number of Rats that the King of Spain has enjoyn'd all the Owners of Houses to keep as many Cats as they have Rooms The Ancient Sardignians had a Law which ordain'd that the Sons should knock out their Parents Brains when once they came to be Superannuated for fear the Infirmity of their Minds should incline 'em to commit Faults prejudicial to their Families or the Government CHAP. XIV Of the Island of Corse THis Island is seated to the North of Sardigna from whence it is separated by a Channel that may be Sail'd over in an hour and lies between the 40 and 42 Degree of Latitude and between the 31 and 32 of Longitude The largest extent of it from South to North is about 40 Leagues 20 Broad and in Circuit about Fourscore and Ten. It is said to have been so call'd from a Woman of Liguria whose Name was Corsa Bubulca who carried thither a Colonie out of her own Country The Island of Corse has belong'd to the Genoeses ever since the year 1559. at what time Henry II. Granted it to 'em at the request of the Spaniards after the Battel of St. Quintin Nevertheless the People are not pleas'd with their Government and the Genoeses on the other side who are afraid of their Revolting or lest some Foreign Power should make themselves Masters of it do as much as in them lies to lay it waste and give out that the Air is too unwholsome for People that are not bred there Besides that the Soil is so ungrateful that it will hardly return the Seed that is sown in it However 't is certain that this is spoken either out of Malice or Sloth for that it brings forth Corn Wine and all sorts of Fruits more then sufficient the Inhabitants that it produces good Horses and Timber for Shipping and that there are in it several Mines of Copper Lead c. Baths and Mineral Fountains among which that of Povera in the Province of Ampugnano cures the Dropsie Besides that they fish for Coral upon the Coasts Moreover this Island might be made a place of great Trade for that there is no want of good and convenient Havens of which the chiefest are San Fiorenzo Ajacho and Porto Vecchio big enough to contain whole Fleets The First was formerly Fortifi'd by the French but the Genoeses have demolish'd the best Works having left nothing but the Foundations which are of Free-stone The Corses are good Soldiers very strong but very slothful and no less revengeful so that upon their Death-beds they recommend the revenge of Injuries done 'em to their Kindred Thô there be Five Bishopricks in the Island yet there is but one considerable City which is Bastia the Metropolis of the Country and Residence of the Governor There are but Five hundred Men in the Pay of the Republick for security of the whole Island so that it might be an easie thing to surprize it especially for those that are stronger at Sea then the Genoeses are The END