the Kingdom of the Visigoths It seems it is they who gave to the first Narbonnoise the name of Septimania and so jealous they were of that Title that having lost by the Battel of Vouillé where their King Alaric was killed by Clovis in 507. the Towns of Toulouse and Vzès they supplied that number by the addition of Narbonne and Careassonne The Visigoths enjoyed Septimania above 250 years which is the cause that it is sometimes call'd by the Latin Authors of the middle Age Gothia Thence some derive the modern name of Languedoc as tho it were said for Langue de Goth or Langue-Goth but this Etymology does neither agree with the spelling of Languedoc nor with the appellation of Occitania and Lingua Occitana which the said Authors give it And therefore I more approve of those who observe that the French have been distinguished time out of mind into Langue D'Ouy and Langue D' Oc that is in such as say Ouy and such as say Oc for Yes the first living on this side and the second on that side of the Loire In process of time the Sirname of Langue D'Oc was appropriated to Septimania wherein it is more general to say Oc for Yes than any where else The French having expell'd the Goths beyond the Pyrenees Charlemaign established Governors in Languedoc with the Title of Counts of Toulouse of whom the first was one Corson in 778. The second was St. William du Court-Nez or Aux Cornets whence the Princes of Orange derive their pedigree as may be infered from the hunting horn they bear in their Arms. This William who lived about the year 790 founded the Abbey of St. William the Desart in the Dioceses of Lodeve wherein he took the Habit of Monk After his death or retirement the State of Languedoc was very much troubled by the quarrels of the several pretenders who making use of the weakness of the French Kings endeavour'd to erect their Governments into Sovereign Principalities Raimond-Pons Count of Toulouse in 907. made himself Proprietary of the Dutchy of Septimania or Marquisate of Gothia but not being able to subdue some particular Governours as the Counts of Carcassonne Melgueil and Foix the Viscounts of Narbonne Besiers Agde Nismes Lodeve Vzès c. who formerly depended on the Dukes of Septimania and would now become Sovereigns as well as themselves the Counts of Toulouse allow'd them to enjoy their Usurpations In the mean while they acquired by Marriage Inheritance or War the Counties of Querei Perigord Albi the Agenois the Milhaud the Gevaudan the County Venaissin Melgueil Asterac nay they were sometime Marquesses of Provence * Godefrid Annal. as in 1235 and in that quality made homage to the Emperor These Lords being so powerful the French Kings were glad to make them the first Counts and Peers of their Kingdom that by this Title of honour they should be drawn to stick the closer to the French Interest However this House remain'd not long in its lustre for Raimond the 6th sirnamed the Old maintaining the persecuted Albigeois as his Subjects the fourth Council of Lateran excommunicated him and gave his Estate to Simon Count of Montfort in 1215. Amauri Son to Simon dead in 1218 not being able to keep the unlawful Conquests of his Father yielded them to the French K. Lewis the VIIIth in 1224. Raimond the 6th was dead two years before in 1222 and his Son Raimond the 7th or the Young perceiving that he could not withstand the whole power of Popery thought best to reconcile himself to the Church of Rome as he did in 1228. At the same time he made a Treaty with K. Lewis the VIIIth by which he betrothed Jane his only Daughter to Alfonse of Poictiers the King's Brother upon condition that if they happened to dye without Issue the States of the Counts of Toulouse should fall to the Crown of France they both died without Children in the Month of August 1271 upon which King Philip the Bold took possession of their Dominions and in 1361. King John reunited this Country to the Crown of France by his Patent Letters which were confirmed in in an Assembly of the General States of that Province These States the only ones that have yet any shadow of power are made up of the 3 Orders of a Kingdom namely the Clergy the Nobility and the People the Clergy is represented by the 22 Prelates of that Province whereof 3 are Archbishops and 19 Bishops the Nobility Votes there by the Mouth of 22 Barons of the following Families 1. Rieux 2. Mirepoix 3. Florensac 4. Vauvert 5. Castelnau d' Estrete Fons 6. Capendu 7. Haute-rive 8. Confoulens 9. St. Felix 10. Ville Neuve 11. la ' Gardiole 12. Lanta 13. Alais 14. Polignac 15. Clermont 16. Arques 17. Cauvisson 18. Ganges 19. Castries 20. Castelnau de Bonnefons 21. Ambres 22. Ferrals The People speaks in the Persons of 22 Consuls or Sheriffs deputed out of the 22 Bishopricks The Archbishop of Narbonne is President born of that Assembly which is seldom called for any thing else but to give the King money by laying besides the ordinary Taxes an extraordinary and heavy imposition under the name of Don-gratuit or free Gift Languedoc lies between 21 Deg. 16 Min. and 26 Deg. 10 Min. of Longitude 41 Deg. 45 Min. and 45 Deg. of Latitude It reaches 23 Leagues East and West from Beaucaire upon the Rhone to Rieux upon the Garonne or 79 from Crussol upon the Rhone over against Valence in Dauphine to Castel-Sarasin on the Garonne in the Diocese of Montauban It 's extent North and South is still more unequal from Moissac in Quercy to Lavet Coronat in the County of Foix it is of 40 Leagues of 53 from La Garde Biaur on the Borders of Rouergue to beyond Prat de Mollo in Roussillon and 50 from Serrieres in Vivarais to beyond Fort de Peccais near Aigues-mortes in the Diocese of Nismes It is one of the most fruitful and healthful Provinces of France divided into Upper and Lower Languedoc and the Cevennes The first comprehends the Toulousan the Albigeois the Lauragais and the County of Foix The second is distinguish'd into 3 Precincts or Quartiers that of Narbonne of Beziers and of Nimes the Cevennes are subdivided into 3 Countries Gevaudan Vivarais and Velay Both parts of Languedoc produce great quantity of Corn that they use to carry into Spain and Italy their Wines are delicious and their Fruits most esteem'd especially pickled Olives and Raisins Their Salt-pits and Dyers-wood make up a considerable Trade besides Azure Saffron Verdigrease Vermilion or artificial Cinoper Sope Glasses Box-trees and several Simples and Plants that are transported thence The Air is so wholsome that it is thought a specifick remedy against consumptions chiefly about Montpellier which temperature of the Heavens contributes not a little to make Women comely and Men ingenious as appears by the great number of Poets either in French Latin or the Country-Language and
Pasture-Ground especially about the middle and the foot of some Mountains whether the Provencals and the Inhabitants of Low Dauphine send their Cattel to feed in Summer time In a word this Country which by the bare looking on the Map seems fitter for a Nest of Birds and wild Deers than for the Habitation of Men supplies its Inhabitants with all the Conveniencies of Life For as the Mountains and Vallies of High Dauphine furnish them with Corn Hay Apples Pears Nuts Chesnuts Cherries and all sorts of Northern Fruits so the lower Part gives them abundance of the best Wines and even some Manna Olives Oranges and Cittrons They have likewise Salt-Springs and Iron-Mines but what is most valuable of all its Mountains are the Seminaries of Gardens bringing forth abundance of wild Thyme Daffodils Tulips Ambrets Lilies Roses Pinks c. besides that they produce such Simples as are hardly to be met with any where else as the Scorzonera or Vipers-Grass the Angelick the Satyrion c. There are also the seven Wonders of DAVPHINE of which I shall speak in their proper places It s chief Rivers are the Pin that rises in the South of Viennois and waters a good part of that Country passing thorough the Marquisate of Virieu the Barony of La Tour da Pin the Town of Bourgoin and a Lake of that Name and falling into the Rhone between Anton and St. Marie seven Leagues East of Lyons The Ozon the Gere the Vareze the Dolon increased with the Ambre and the Sane the Galaure are other Rivers of the Viennois that discharge themselves into the Rhone The Isere that comes from Mount Iseron in the Vally of Aâ—uste washes a good part of Savoy where it receives the Plen and the Arly at Constans the Arc at Miâ—â—nis goes by Montmelian and through Greâ—â—ble where it mixes with the Drac that rises in the Ambrunois and is increased with the Raâ—anche and Grosse near Port de Champ two Leagues South of Grenoble then it receives the Vence at Sassenage the Bourne and Eschevits â—t La Baume washes Romans and falls into the Rhone five Miles North of Valence The small River of Veour runs likewise into the Rhone increas'd with two other Rivulets over against â—â—yons a League South of Valence The Drome rises in the Vally of Valdrome in â—he Gapencois goes thorough the Lake of Beauâ—â—nt receives the Bese at St Feriol and the Meâ—â—ce at Die Then increased with the Sure the Rouanne and the Gervane washes Crest and â—ixes with the Rhone between Livron and L'Auâ—iol eleven Miles South of Valence The Achasâ—â— rises at Montmorin three or four Miles South of the Source of the Drome runs thorough the Vally of Bourdeaux and by Mâ—ntelimar near which it receives the Jabron and the Vebre takes the Name of Rouvion and discharges it self into â—he Rhone The Durance proceeds from two Fountains that spring from Col de La-Roue and â—oin at Brianâ—on receives the River of Guilleâ—re at a Burough of that Name goes by Amâ—run receives the Bene at Vaulserre and the Buech which is a pretty large River bearing Float-Boats of Timber during ten or twelve Leagues at Cisteron and pursuing its coursâ— thorough Provence goes by Manosque Cavaillon and falls into the Rhone near Avignon This Province is made up of some part oâ— four Roman Provinces for Vienne Valance Die and Grenoble were of the first Viennoise Ambrun was the Capital of the Maritim Alps Gaâ— belong'd to the second Narbonnoise and S. Pauâ— Trois-Chasteaux to the Province of Arles The Burgundians conquered these Provinces from thâ— Romans and enjoy'd them about 90 or 130 from 404 or 408 till 532 or 534 that they were subdued by the French who were Masterâ— of their Dominions till 879 that one Boson caused himself to be crowned King of Arles This Boson possest only that part of the Burgundian Kingdom which is included between thâ— Saone the Alps and the Sea but one Rodolphâ— having invaded the other Part in 888 and hiâ— Son Rodolphe the Second having gotten by cession that part which had been usurped by Boson it passed to his Successors and from them to the Emperours of Germany till thaâ— under the Reign of Henry the IV. Gui or Guiâ—gue the VI. sirnam'd the Old or the Fat takinâ— hold of the Quarrel between this Emperour anâ— the Popes made himself Sovereign of the County of Grenoble His Successor Gui the VII acquired the Lordship or Country of Vienne froâ— Berthold of Zeringhen and was the fiIst thaâ— call'd himself DAVPHIN of Viennois Adrâ—an de Valois pretends that this Title was thâ— Sirname of that Prince and quotes Beda anâ— William of Malmsbury who remembers one â—auphin Bishop of Lyons that was kill'd above â—000 Years ago but Monsieur Chorier in his earned History of DAVPHINE tells us out of â—n Author that has written the Life of this Prince's Wife that her Husband having taken â—n a Turnaments the Dolphin for his Arms and Device and having been admir'd there for his â—rowess and Valour he thence got the Name of â—â—unt of the Dolphin or Count Dolphin The â—â—st Prince of that Family Humbert the Second â—aving had his eldest Son kill'd in the Battel of â—iecy against the English and having unhappiâ—y let fall the Second out of a Window as he â—laid with him and being often provok'd and disturb'd by Amedeus of Savoy his mortal Enemy â—o pass the rest of his Life more quietly he yielded his Estates to the French King Philip of â—alois upon these Conditions That the eldest son of France should bear the Name of Dauphin and the Arms of that Province quarâ—â—red with those of France †Du Chesne that the Clergy Nobility and Commons should still enjoy their Privileges and that the whole Province should â—ever be annexed to to the Kingdom of France â—â—less the Empire were united to it The ancient Dauphins entitled themselves Princes of Briancon Dukes of Champsor Marqâ—esses of Cesane Counts Palatines of Viâ—â—ne Albon Grenoble Ambrun and Gap Barons of La Tour du-Pin Meuillon and Mountaubon â—o which Titles were added those of Counts of Valantinois and Diois after the Year 1419 that Lewis of Poictiers left his Estates to Charles the â— Dauphin and 7th of that Name King of â—rance Tho' this Province and Savoy be the ancieâ— Allobroges and this name in our vulgar Tonguâ— proverbially signify a dull and heavy sort of Man yet the Dauphinois are not altogether so for Countrymen are skilful and industrious anâ— know as well as any Tenants in the World hoâ— to cheat their Lords those of the Mountain are extraordinary strong and go in Winter time to Provence and the lower Parts of Dauphiné where they get their Livelihood by Dressing Hemp and doing other hard works and to put to use the little Mony they earn they buy at their return some Pedling-ware foâ— their Countrymen The Gentry are couragious and well bred but poor for the most part because too numerous those that have
Note in Upper Marche are Bellegarde Capital of the little Country of Franc-aleu with an Election under the Generality of Moulins Aubusson that gives name to a noble Family whence is issued a famous great Master of Maltha Bonlieu Cheneraille Jarnage S. Julien Chastelus Dunaise all on the East of the Creuse On the West of that River are Celle Glenic Sevignac Granmond an Abby chief of the Order of that Name Murat Ahun Bourganeuf Dougnon Pont-aurion S. Leonard Chastain Feletin c. Le Dorat Dauratum for Deauratum Capital of Lower Marche lies not far from the Gartempe and Seve 12 Leagues North-west of Gueret with an Election resorting to the Generality of Limoges Belac two Leagues Southwards is another pretty Town with an Election under the same Generality Crouzan now an inconsiderable Village near the borders of Berry has been the Residence of the ancient Counts of La Marche The other places are Brosse a Viscounty Lussac-les-Eglises les-Plats Pont-S Martin Mombas a Viscounty Availle Confoulens Brigueuil a Viscounty all near the Borders of Poictou S. Junien Embazais Lesegaux Oradour Mortemar a Dutchy not far from Limosin Touron Rencon Maignac la Sousterraine c. East of le Dorat CHAP. XIX Of the Government of Burgundy AT the beginning of the 5th Century under the Empire of Honorius the Burgundians Burgundiones a German Nation entred into the Gaules and having conquered several Countries from the Romans their King Gaudisele laid there the Foundation of a Realm in 408 which under his Successor Gaudicare in 413 took the name of its Conquerors and was called the Kingdom of Burgundy whereof Vienne in Dauphiné was the Capital It was made up of some Provinces of the Narbonnoise and Celtick Gaule comprehending Switzerland Savoy Dauphiné the Northern part of Provence Burgundy Dutchy and County As they were War-like and of a Stature that frighted the Galli and Romans for Sidonius Apollinary describes them as being 7 Foot high they would have extended their Dominions farther but thaâ— the French on the North and the Wisigoths on the South and West that were as barbarous and as great Warriors as they opposed their Progresses By the Conquest of Clovis the French having brought the Wisigoths very low his Sons after his Death attack'd the Burgundians and Childebert and Clotaire having kill'd or routed Godomar the IX and last King of that Nation in 527 their Empire finished 119 after its beginning The Burgundians are esteemed part of the Vandals and were settled on the South-side of the Danube in Bavaria and Austria before their coming into the Gaules After this defeat nothing remained of the ancient Kingdom of Burgundy but the Name for it was subject to the French during 340 years until the Divisions of Charlemaign or Lewis the Meek's Successors gave occasion to one Beuves or Beuvon to usurp the Soveraignty of it under Charles the Bald. Boson Son to Beuves plotted so well with the Prelates that he got himself Crown'd King of Burgundy by the Metropolitans of Lyons Vienne Tarantaise Aix Arles and Besancon and 17 Bishops in 879 his Son Lewis sirnam'd the Blind succeeded him in 888 but his Grandson Charles Constantin was only Prince of Vienne and never Crown'd King one Hugh Son to Theobald Count of Arles having made himself Master of Arles and Italy in 926. This yielded all the Countries belonging to the Kingdom of Burgundy to Rodolph Son of another Rodolph who in 888 had erected another Realm within the Alps beyond Mont Jura under the Name of the Transjuran Burgundy In the mean while the Dutchy of Burgundy fell again to the share of French Lords from whom Robert Son to Hugh Capet King of France took it in 1001 and left it in 1031 to his second Son Robert who was the head of the first Race of the Dukes of Burgundy Philip I. the last of this Stock dying without Issue in 1361 this Dutchy with its dependencies was inherited by the French King John who in 1363 gave it to his second Son Philip II. sirnam'd the Bold he was succeeded by John without fear Philip III. or the Good and Charles the Rash who leaving but a Daughter call'd Margueret in 1477 the French King Lewis XI seized upon the Dutchy of Burgundy as a Male Feet the Princess Margaret who had spoused Maximilian of Austria keeping Franche-County and the Netherlands as acquisitions of her Predecessors The chief Rivers of the Dutchy and County of Burgundy for I think fit to describe them together to avoid confusion besides the Lâ—ire the Rhone and the Yonne already described are the Serain that rises near Mont S. Jean in Auxois washes Noyers Poilly Chablys Ligny-le-Chateau and falls into the Yonne betwixt Seignelay and Epoigny The Armancon Springs likewise in Auxois near Chateauneuf on the Borders of Dijonnois washes Semeur receives the Brenne increas'd with the Ozerain and Loze goes by Aney-le-Franc Tonnerre S. Florentin where it receives the Armance and mixes with the Yonne below Brignon l'Archeveque in Champaign The Seyne that has its Source in this Province near Chanceaux on the Frontiers of Dijonnois and runs through the Country of La Montagne until you come to Bar-Sur-Seyne receives there a vast number of Rivulets among which the Leigne the Ource and the Arce are the most considerable The Saone has its Source in the Mountains of Vauge Bonville Attigny Chastillon goes through Jussy and Pont-Sur-Saone receives the Coney the Angrogne and the Laterne from the Mountains of Vauge the Mance and the Ayron from Champaign runs through Chemilly Rey Gray and Pontraille receives in its way the Fonvens the River des Planches the Salon the Biez de Citez the Vigenne increas'd with the Torelle and the Lougnon This is a pretty long River that comes from the Mountains of Vauge and is increas'd with the Linotte and several Brooks As to the Saone it pursues its way through the Dutchy of Burgundy waters Aussone S. Jean de Laune Verdun Chalon Tenare Mascon Thoissey Ville-Franche in Beaujolois Trevoun in the Principality of Dombes Vimy in Lyonnois and Mines with the Rhone at Lyons The Rivers that fall afterwards on the West-side of the Saone are the Dou. This is a River of a strange course and as long as that of the Saone It springs from Mount S. Claude near a place call'd la Motte in the Bayliwick d' Aval in Franche-County Then runs North-East along Mount Jura till it comes to S. Vrsace near the Borders of Elzas Here it makes an Angle whereof S. Hippolite is the point Near Mont-Beliard it begins to run South-west waters Besancon and Dole receives the Louve and the Orion with the Glanstine One meets afterwards with no considerable Rivers for the Bruyne the Selle the Solvan the Panette the Dorlande the Solinan the Chevron Sane-la-vive and Sane-la-Morte are but Rivulets that unite together before their fall into the Saone the Resouzes goes through Bourg en Bresse and Pont de vaux the Vesle receives the Yrance and the Renon
a long time Here it was that Louis the XII imprisoned Ludovic Storce where that Duke died and was buried in the Church of Notre-Dame Here also is to be seen the Tomb of Agnes Surelle or Sorel Mistress of Charles the VII the fairest Woman of her time with her Statue of white Marble done to the Life Hard by is a fine Forrest where the Counts of Anjou and the French Kings used to Hunt Du Chesuc relates that in this Castle there was an Iron-Gate which through a long Lane cut in the Rock lead to a square Room where was found a Man 8 Foot long sitting on a great Stone and leaning his Head on his Hands as tho' he had slept but it went all to Dust as soon as it felt the Air excepting the biggest Bones and the Cranion which were long preserved in our Ladies Church On the South-side of the River lies the Abby of Beaulieu founded on behalf of the Benedictines by Fulk Nerra Count of Anjou There is a Pyramide 10 or 12 Fathoms long in the hollowness of which are some Characters that could never be Uncifer'd so that it is still doubted whether this is a Monument of the Goths or of the antient Gauls Loches has a Bailyff and a Royal Seat of Justice resorting to the Presidial of Tours The City Chinon or Caino almost 10 Leagues South West of Tours is situated upon the Vienne with a Castle having a Governour and Regal Seat of Justice Gregory of Tours relates that the Romans besieging this Town under the Conduct of Aegidius or Gillâ—n turn'd off the Course of the Vienne and stopt a Well whence the Besieg'd drew their Water so that they would have been forced to surrender had not a violent Rain fallen on a sudden which fill'd up their Ditches and terrified the Romans so as to make them raise the Siege Here Charles the VII made his Reâ—reat and here it was that Jeanne d' Arc since call'd the Maid of Orleans came to find him Anno 1426. Francis the first Duke of Bretagne did Homage to the same King in that place Anno 1443. Here are the Canons of the College of St. Mesme are immediately subject to the Pope This also was the Country of Fr. Rabelais famous for his Comical Tales Cande Condate lies on the Confluence of the Vienne and Loire 7 Miles North West of Chinon L' Isle-Bouchard lies in an Island of the River Vienne 9 Miles South East of Chinon with a Castle and fine Meadows La Haye â—aga Turonum 9 Leagues South of Tours and 6 South-East of L' Isle-Bouchard is seaâ—ed on the River Claise with the Title of a Barony and is now famous for being the Native Country of that great Philosopher Descartes Prully Prulliacum 6 Leagues higher to the East on the same River has been sometime the Residence of the Learned Joseph Scaliger who taught the Children of the Lord of Prully Paumy betwixt La Haye and Prully has an antient Castle and the Title of Viscounty Maizieres on the Claise near the Borders of Berry is the Capital of the small Country of Brenne abounding with Game and Fishes because of its many Ponds Chatillon on the River Indre has a Royal Seat of Justice resorting to the Presidial of Tours but its Election depends on the Generality of Bourges Langest near the Loire 11 Miles West of Tours produces excellent Melons Chenonceaux upon the Cher 8 Leagues South East of Tours is renowned for a Royal House and Castle belonging now to the Duke of Vendome It was built by Q. Katherine of Medicis and adorn'd with fine Marbles and Statues brought from Italy among which that of Scipio Africanus is much esteem'd Mont-Louis a Burrough near the Loire betwixt Amboise and Tours has all its Houses cut in the Rock nothing appearing on the ground but the top of some Chimneys amongst the green Turf The other places of note in Touraine are Montbazon and Maille or Luynes two Dutchies St. Maure a County La Roche-Pozay a considerable Lordship seated on the Creuse near the Borders of Berri St. Christopher Chateau-Renaud near the River Bransle and the Frontiers of Maine Montrichard on the Cher Montresor on the Indroise c. Of Blaisois BLaisois lieth between Berry Orleanois properly so called Vâ—nd mois and Touraine It câ—mprehends 3 small Countries Dunois Blaisois and Soulâ—gue which are as many Elections depending on the Gâ—â—erality of Orleans and reaching together to an extent of twenty five Leagues in length North and South but of a very inequal breadth as six or seven Leagues in Blaisois ten or twelve in Soulogue and even sixteen in Dunois The soil in Blaisois is very fertile agreeably interrupted with Mountains and Hillocks cover'd with Vineyards with Forests full of Game and with Plains abounding with Gardens Orchards Meadows and Cornfields besides that it is watered with many Rivers and Brooks It has had its particular Counts since the year 920 that Charles the simple King of of France to gain the Normans whom he could not subdue was forced to divide in a manner his Kingdom with them Thus he gave the Dutchy of Normandy to Raoul their General and the County of Blois to Gellon Raoul's Cousin and one of his chief Captains His Posterity were for a time the most powerful Lords in France having acquir'd the Counties of Chartres and Champaign And even after that Thibaud the IV. Câ—unt of Champaign had bestow'd the Counties of Blois and Chartres on one of his youngest Sons Thibaud or Theobald the good these Counts made yet a great figure in France till the year 1391 that Guy of Chatillon IId of that name having no hopes of an Issue sold his Estates to Lewis Duke of Orleance Grandfather to the French King Lewis XII since which time they were united to the Crown and the County of Blois became often an appanage or part of the portion of the youngest Brethren of the French Kings as it is now of Philip Duke of Orleance Dunois Dunensis Pagus is almost as fruitful as Blaisois tho' the Air be not so much esteem'd nor the Country so Trading Before the French Monarchy was fully settled they were oft at variance with their Neighbours the Blaisois and the Orleannois for Gregory of Tours relates that after the death of Chilperic the fiirst King of France the latter made an Irruption into the Country of the former Dunois had afterwards its own Viscounts since Rotrou I. Count of Mortague c. till it was sold to Lewis Duke of Orleans whose Son Charles gave or exchang'd it in 1430. for some other Lands with his Bastard Brother that famous Warriour John of Orleans to whom the present French Kings owe the best part of their Kingdom reconquer'd from the English The Issue of this great General bears now the name of Longueville and enjoys still the County of Dunois that was erected into a Dutchy and Peerdom in 1525 by Louis of Savoy Mother to K. Francis I. then Regent of the
Town which has been ruined by the Wars It seems to have been considerable in the sixth Century since Sigebert first King of Austrasia erected it into a Bishopprick but Papole Bishop of Chartres form'd such a Powerful Opposition to it in the fourth Council of Paris in 573 that Promotus the new Prelate was forc'd to stand off his Right and to lead a private Life Another Maâ—k of the former Greatness of this Town are its Arms three Half Moons with these Words Extincta revivisco besides many Ruins There is an antient Abby of Cisternians founded by Charlemaign and several Collegiate and Parochial Churches Chateaudun has an Election and Royal Seat of Justice on which depend the Chastellenies of Montigny le Guanleon Courtalin Monlitard Lesclers and Rubetan according to du Chesne but I find none of them in the most accurate Maps The other Towns of Dunois are Alluye Bonneval Cloye Moree Freteval all upon the Loire Oucques Marchenoir Pathay Bagnolet on the East Dangeau Brou-St Romain Anthen la Bazoche-Gouet on the West side of that River Romorantin or Remorentin Rivus Morentini a Town and a Castle seated on the River Saudre Salera eight Leagues South-West of Blois is the Capital of Sologne has the Title of a County and is the Seat of the Election for that little Country In 1597. the Monks who suspected Henry IV. all his life for having been once a Protestant taught a young Maid called Martha Brossier to counterfeit one that is possest of the Devil and under that pretence spread many things to the King's disadvantage The Cheat succeeded in many places of the Diocess of Orleans whither they carry'd her but making bold to bring her to Paris the Parliament took notice of it and the pretended Devil was confin'd to her own Country In 1560. Francis the XI published here an Edict against the Protestants under the Name of Hereticks Du Chesne derives the Name of Romorentin from Roma Minor and pretends it to be a Work of the Romans because of some old Ruins The learned Mr. Pajon Minister of Orleans who so ingeniously defended the Reformation in his Answer to the Prejugez legitimes of that famous Jansenist Mr. Nicole was a Native of Româ—rantin Millansay a Burrough and a Castle call'd by Duchesne Militia Caesaris lies 2 Leagues Northwards The other places of Sologne are la Ferte-Aurain on the Beuvron Chatillon and la Ferte-Imbaut on the Saudre St. Aignan and Menetou on the Cher and Nansay on the Raire Of Proper Orleannois ORleannois properly so call'd is situated between Berri Gatinois the Country of Chartres and Blaisois Orleans is the antient City of Genabum or Cenabum mentioned by Cesar Strabo Ptolomy and other antient Geographers It 's true that the Description he makes of it may in some manner be applied to Gien Beaugency and Gergeau because of the Proximity of those places to Orleans and their Scituation on the Loire But he who shall consider that the Chartrains Carnutes had two considerable Cities in their Country viz. Autricum and Genabum whereof the first is incontestably Chartres shall not doubt but Genabum is Orleans This may be prov'd First From a continued Tradition of the antient Historians of the French who all agree in taking Genabum for Orleans And secondly From that there never was any other Town so considerable as Orleans under the Jurisdiction of the Chartrains In this Town then it was that Cesar took his Winter Quarters and made it one of his chief Magazines for his Army In 450. that barbarous Prince Attila King of the Huns so deservedly call'd the Scourge of God as well as Lewis XIV laid Siege to it and the Inhabitants afraid of his Threatnings and Cruelties would have surrendred themselves had they not been â—ncouraged by St. Aignau their Bishop with â—he hope of an unexpected Succours And so 〈◊〉 really fell out for Thierry or Theodoric King â—f the Goths fearing lest Orleans being taken â—ttila should pass the River Loire and enter â—nto his Dominions came to the Relief of the Besieged and charg'd the Huns in the Rear so â—ffectually that he forc'd them to raise the â—iege and to withdraw into the Plains of Sologne Secalaunicis Campis and not Cataâ—aunicis for Chalons in Burgundy lies sixty â—eagues from thence where Aetius the Roman â—eneral assisted with the Goths and Burgundiâ—us under Thierry and the Francs under Meâ—veus lever'd them Battle defeated Attila â—nd kill'd 180000 of his men Childeric â—ourth King of the French and Successor to Meroveus having defeated Gillon or Aegidius â—he last General the Romans had in Gaule took Anger 's Orleans and whatsoever remain'd in â—heir Possession on this side the Loire But Clovis his Son pushed his Conquests so far into Aquitain by the defeat of Alaric King of the Goths that after his death Orleans became the Head and Title of a new Kingdom the Portion â—f his second Son Clodomir This Prince â—eigned but thirteen years having been kill'd â—n his Pursuit of the Burgundians in 524. In â—im began and ended the Kingdom of Orleans â—or Clotarius his Brother who had spoused his Widow made away his Issue And tho' after â—otarius's death France was again divided â—â—to four parts yet Orleans was no more the â—ead of a Kingdom for Gontran to whom it fell to share chose Chalons for the Seat of hiâ— Empire and most of his Estates having formerly belong'd to the Burgundians he took hiâ— Title from thence And thence undoubtely iâ— comes that Fredegarius reckons Orleans iâ— Burgundy During the weakness of Charlemaign's Successors this Town with several other Estate became the Property of Hugh the Great Dukâ— of France and Burgundy Count of Paris c Father to Hugh Capet the Head of the thirâ— Race of the French Kings This was apparently the cause that Robert Son and Henrâ— Grandson to Capet made oft their residence iâ— Orleans and that their Successors did neveâ— separate it from the Crown till Philip of Valoiâ— gave it in Portion to Philip his fifth Son deaâ— without Issue in 1375. Lewis second Son tâ— Charles the V. got it afterwards and waâ— Grandfather to Lewis the XII who ascendeâ— the Throne after Charles VIII since that it haâ— been several times the Portion of the youngesâ— Sons of those Kings as 't is now enjoy'd bâ— Philip of France Lewis the XIV's Brother As to the Ecclesiastical State St. Altin iâ— reckoned the first Bishop of Orleans and in thâ— sixth Century five National Councils were kepâ— here in less than forty years viz. in 511 533 538 541 and 549. for settling the Ecclesiastical Discipline the Election Rights and Limitâ— of the Metropolitans The Prelates of thiâ— Church on the day of their inthronizatioâ— have the Priviledge of delivering a Prisoneâ— and of being carry'd to the Cathedral on thâ— Shoulders of the five ancientest Barons oâ— their Diocess viz. those of Yevre-le Chastel Sulli Cheray Acheres and Rougemont Gregory of Tours relates that when King Gontran made his solemn Entrance
AN HISTORICAL AND Geographical DESCRIPTION OF FRANCE Extracted from the best Authors both Ancient and Modern By J. De LACROSE Eccl. Angl. Presb. LONDON Printed for T. Salusbury at the King's-Arms near St. Dunstans Church in Fleet-street 1694. To His Most Excellent MAJESTY WILLIAM III. By the Grace of God King of Great Britain France and Ireland Defender of the Faith c. May it please Your Majesty THE Kingdom of France tho' never so large and powâ—rful has formerly belong'd either â—n part or in whole to Your glorious Ancestors The vast Dutchies of Normandy and Guyenn Maine Touraine Perche and Poictou the Counties of Ponthieu and Guisnes Calais Boulogne Ardres 〈◊〉 and their dependencies were thâ— Patrimonial Estates of the Kingâ— of England besides many Countieâ— and Lordships that Your Predecessors the Princes of Orange havâ— enjoy'd in Dauphine Provence Languedoc and Burgundy 〈◊〉 that tho the pretended Salick Law by which the Houses of Valois anâ— Bourbon endeavoured to maintain their usurpation should takâ— place Your Majesty has still thâ— lawful claim of inheritance to thâ— best part of the French Territories All the World knows that nâ— such motives have ingaged Youâ— Majestâ— in this present War Youâ— generous Mind aims at nothing else than to get restor'd to your Allieâ— what an ambitious Prince has usurped from them But as when Solomon prefer'd Wisdom to Riches God gave him the latter too as an Overplus So it may be that the just Distributer of Kingdoms being pleased with that act of Justice of Your Majesty will add to Your Dominions the vast Estates of Your Fore-Fathers and lâ—t us sâ—e another Henry of England Crown'd in Paris A great nâ—mber of those who appear Your inveterate Enemies are most concern'd for Your Majesty and truâ—st to Your Interest The Secular Clergy of France depriv'd of their Authority the Nobility of their Power the Gentry of their Estates the Parliaments reduc'd to be only the unworthy Ministers of the Passions and Pleasures of a few arbitrary Courtiers the Learned overloaden with Superstitions the persecuted Protestants forc'd to a Worship which they detest in their Heart most or all the French Cities or Countries robb'd of their Liberties and Privileges and even the whole Kingdom beggar'd and famish'd sigh and long for such a Deliverer as Your Majesty who is not afraid of the tempests of the Sea and bids defiance to the Fire of Canon's who has â—eceiv'd so many Wounds and looâ—'d so many Dangers in the Face for our Security May Almighty God animate Your Subjects with so â—uch Zeal and bless Your Arms with so great a Success that Your Majesty may afford an occasion to Your secret Friends to declare themselves and procure them such a settled Welfare and constant Liberty as may have no other end but the Consummation of the World Which is the earnest Desire Of Your Majesty's Most humble most obedient And most faithful Servant J. De LACROSE THE PREFACE SOme Readers may imagine that it is no hard matter to describe a Country so near so full of Learned men and so stor'd with excellent Books as France is especially for a Native of it because of the many helps an Author may meet with I have made use of all those I could come at Books Maps Memoirs Inquiries of living persons besides what I knew of my own But I was soon aware that the Description of those who have Written before me even in the middle of that Kingdom are very imperfect All the Journeys into France I have read as du Verdier Sinceri Accii Itinerarium Galliae Le Grand Tour de France les Delices de la France and the late Voyages Historiques de l'Europe observe neither order nor method confounding not only the several Counties into which each great Government is subdivided but even the great Governments themselves As to Geographers Comminges and Darity are too old and confus'd The Maps of Sanson the Father and the Son are excellent those of Du Val next to them and by comparâ—ng them together as I have done one may be pretty sure of the Longitude and Latitude situation and distance of places But neither of the Sansons has made a modern and particular Description of France and that of Du Val is too short and not methodical enough As to Antiquities Andre du Chesne in his curious Inquiries concerning the Towns of France is full of Fables and ought not to be follow'd but very cautiously tho he is a Man of a vast reading and much to be commended for having published several Historians of the middle Age that have Written of the French affairs and made use of them in his Antiquities of that Country and Monarchy Joseph Scaliger how Learned soever he may be in other things does not come near Du Chesne in this and proposes many bold conjectures concerning the ancient names of the French Cities and Countries for which he often gives no other authority but his bare saying Baudrand is but a pitiful compiler of modern Books who never look'd into ancient Authors Sanson in his Pharus Galliae Antiquae is more accurate than the fore mentioned Writers and has made many curious and useful discoveries But the most exact of all in my Judgment is Adrian de Valois in his Notitia Galliarum as to the Latin names of Places for there is hardly any thing else in that huge Folio besides some few hints of History to be gâ—ther'd here and there with great trouble I have perus'd three other modern Geographers which I must not forget viz. Robbe's Memoires Geographiques Morery's Grand Dictionnaire Historique and Geographique with the supplement of Perayre and De la Croix's Geographie Vniverselle As to the first he cannot commit many faults for he has almost nothing besides French names but as soon as he presumes to say something more for instance to determine the extent of a Government or its Latitude and Longitude one may very near be sure to find him in an error As to Morery it is pity he did not live long enough or had not the conveniency to read ancient Authors His want of Learning in Ecclesiastical History and Mysteries of State makes him too passionate when he speaks of the Protestants and leads him into many mistakes as to Latin names and other Antiquities As to De la Croix all his performance consists in having put an abâ—idgment of Morery into Robâ—e's method and a very unjudicious one too for he leaves out what is most curious and essential in the Great Dictionary and the rest he takes it word for word unless it be to corrupt and abridg it again but for the most part he is so faithful as to transcribe the very faults of the press as p. 200. l. 29. Anvers for Anâ—t Whatever he adds of his own here and there as the Latitude and Longitude and the distance of places is always falâ—e for he never took the 〈◊〉 of looking into one of Sanson's or du Val's Maâ—s For instance
p. 201 he says that No-gent-le-Roy is situated on the River Eure betwixt Dreux and Chartres which is true Then he adds Dreux or Drocum is upon the Blaise c. The worst Map in the World might have shewn him that those three Towns are seated on the same River It 's true Moreâ—y has lead him into that mistake but what his pardonable in the compiler of a great Dictionary who is â—irâ—d out by the length and tediousness of the Work and distracted by the â—ariety of matters is not so in a Geographer Besides that there is a River call'd Baise in Guienne but no River Blaise in all France A Vocabulary of this Authors Faults would make up a small Volume and therefore I shall only add an instance or two more P. 309 he calls twice after Robbe Briancon a Bishoprick Neither Morery nor any other Author that I know of mentions any such thing For the Brianconnois were ever as they are still a dependency of the Caturiges and the Prelate of Ambrun P. 320. He puts after Robbe Serres in Viennois that is in the Northern part of Dauphiné tho it lies in Gapencois or in the South of that Province This as true as what he says p. 17 that at the beginning of this War the French King put 700000 Men in Arms and that he alone has more Religion Merit Glory Revenus and Soldiers then all the Crown'd Heads of Europe together without excepting his dear Ally the Turk The former Description of France being so faulty I let the Reader judg what trouble I have been at in chusing the best and including what ever seem'd to me most essential in the Compass of this Book It is divided into two parts whereof the first is an introduction to the Second a general survey of the whole Country and an explication of several Offices and terms that can scarce be fully undeâ—stood without it Tho this part be very short yet you will find there several things concerning the French Monarchy and Politicks the power of their Parliaments the state of their Nobility and Gentry the increase of Popery the breaking up of the Reformation the causes that retarded its progress and have altogether eclips'd it in that Kingdom all which is not easily to be met with any where-else The second contains an Historical and Geographical Description of the twelve Great Governments into which France uses to be divided besides Lorraine and the County of Burgundy There I treat of the different Revolutions of Each Government of its ancient Inhabitants of its Gaulish and Latin names and other Antiquities of its borders extent subdivisions Air Climate Fertility Rivers Lakes Mountains natural Curiosities c. I set down the distance of the Capital Cities from Paris or from each other and of the most considerable Towns in each Government from their Capital their Latin names Antiquities Lords and Titles their Civil and Ecclesiastical Government with the several Changes they have undergone their most remarkable Buildings Trade Inhabitants the Great Men they have produc'd their Soyl and Territory c. Books newly Printed for T. Salusbury at the Kings-Arms next St. Dunstan's Church in Fleet-street THe Reformed Gentleman or the English Morals rescued from the Immortalities of the present Age shewing how inconsistent those pretended Genteel Accomplishments of Swearing Drinking Whoring and Sabbath-breaking are with the true Generosity of an Englishman With an account of the proceedings of the Government for the Reformation of Manners By A. M. of the Church of England bound in 8. Price 1 s. 6 d. 2. An Essay against Vnequal Marriages in 4 Chapters 1. The Introduction 2. Against old Persons Marrying with Young 3. Against Persons Marrying without Parents or Friends Consent 4. Against Persons Marrying against their own Consent By S. Sufford in 12's bound Price 1 s. 20. The safety of France to Monsieur the Dauphin or the Secret History of the French King proving that there is no other way to secure France from approaching ruin but by deposing his Father for a Tyrant and Dostroyer of his People Done out of French 12. bound price 1 s. 21. The History of the late great Revolution in England and Scotland with the Causes and Means by which it was accomplished with a particular account of the Extraordinary Occurences which happened thereupon as likewise the settlement of both the Kingdoms under their most serence Majesties King William and Queen Mary with a List of the Convention 8. bound price 5. s. A General and Particular DESCRIPTION OF FRANCE PART I. THE Method I shall observe in this Description is To give at first a General View of this ancient and large Kingdom To speak of its old and modern Bounds and Divisions Of its Soil Inhabitants Government Policy Magistrates Religion c. And then to give a Particular Description of each of its Provinces CHAP. I. Of the ancient and modern Bounds and Divisions of France Of her Mountains Ports Rivers and Forests FRANCE has not changed her ancient Limits to the South West and North seeing as Gallia of old it has to the West the Ocean of Aquitain to the North the British Ocean as far as Calis by which Sea it is divided from England the Mediterranean Sea on the South which is also called the French Sea with the Pyrenaean Mountains that part her from Spain As to her Limits on the East and North-East they are very uncertain especially in this time of War Before the late Conquests it was bounded by the County of Burgundy Elzas the Dukedom of Lorrain and Barrois and part of the Spanish Netherlands viz. the Province of Luxembourg Hainault Brabant and Flanders But at present the French King is Master of all those Countries except of a little part So that his Kingdom has almost recover'd its ancient Limits on that side viz. the Rhine and the Mouth of the Meuse Her Form is almost round and in a manner oval so that she is as broad as long and may be of 25 days Journey in length from Brest to Strasbourg and of as many in breadth from Dunkerque to Perpignan that is 250 Leagues which make about 1000 Leagues in circuit The ancient Galli called Celtae transplanted themselves into Asia where they gave their Name to a whole Country called Galatia Gallo-Graecia or Gallia Minor and now Chiangare being part of Natoly or Less Asia Another Colony of the Gallick Nation having passed the Alpes conquered a good part of Italy which made the Romans to distinguish them into Cisalpins and Transalpins However the Country on this side the Alpes retained the ancient Name of Gallia and falling afterwards under the Power of the Romans was divided by Augustus into four Parts viz. Gallia Narbonensis called also Gallia Braccata because of the Braccae a kind of broad long Coats the Inhabitants wore The other Parts were the Celtick Gallia or that of Lyons the Belgick and the Aquitanick which had all three the common Surname of Gallia Comata because the
Valour and Bravery and for their being fit and as 't were born to all that they are minded to Undertake in Learning War or Mechanicks wherein they very Expeditiously imitate whatever they see perform'd by Strangers They are very cleanly in their Diet and Apparel and very apt in the one or the other to go beyond their Means Quality and Birth which by comparing them to Spaniards Italians and other Nations has been taken notice of Their Cloathing as to the Making is never certain no more as to the Mode then as to the Stuff wherein continually they change at least from year to year The Men here are Comelier and Stronger and of a finer size than Spaniards and Italians but not then the Germans Dutch or English As to the Women they are Handsomer In some Provinces than others For in Normandy Picardy and on this side the Loire they are commonly more agreeable than in the ancient Aquitain that is in Auvergne Perigord the Country of Limoges Gascony and Vpper Languedoc The other part of Guienne especially at Bourdeaux part of Dauphiné Lower Languedoc and Provence shew more pleasing Faces and even exquisite Beauties As we have said that the French Man renders himself fit for every Thing he is chiefly so in Arms and War-fare He likewise gives himself over to Study Eloquence to all Arts and to Merchandize He carries freely his Trade to Foreign Nations and there Manures the Land and knows not to be Lazy He is very Industrious and Works merrily though he is found fault with for not being Patient and willing to endure in War The French Nobility are above all most rare Horsemen and have a particular Care of their Honour even to excess witness the damnable custom of Duels which the Edicts of the present Prince have not yet been able totally to suppress The People of France are generally Meek and Good every where except in some few places where they are a little too Blunt and Rustick The Vulgar bears an extream Respect to great Persons whether they be of the Nobility Officers of Justice or of the Revenues Ecclesiasticks and other Men of Long Gown are especially Honoured And there is hardly any Nation in the World that has so many Officers of all sorts as the Kingdom of France The Merchant nay and the very Tradesman if at any time he becomes Wealthy pushes his Children to it And into several Parliaments of France and other Courts of Justice the Nobility Sues for Offices too whence comes that infinite number of literate Men though their Reward be but small and that all Offices be Sold which is not usual in other States of Europe Thence also proceeds a swarm of Advocates Sollicitors Registers Notaries and other Men of Business whose number has been extraordinarily increas'd by the late Edicts of Lewis XIV and his Creation for Money of an incredible number of new Officers which must needs impoverish the Kingdom and bring it at last to an utter Ruin For either these new Offices will be suppress'd in time of Peace and consequently a great many Families will be Ruin'd that have bestow'd their ready Money and some their Estates upon these Employments Or if they be continued the common People will be oppress'd by the multitude of Officers and the number of Merchants Trades and Husbandmen mightily diminish'd Another great Abuse that may prove at last the Ruin of France is the extraordinary increase of the Gentry For whereas in England younger Brothers even of the greatest Noblemen make no difficulty of becoming Merchants nay and Tradesmen too if they have no inclination to Learning The youngest Son of a simple Gentleman in France would account it a great Dishonour to his Birth to do any thing but to wear a Gown or a Sword which makes that the French Gentry who is almost as numerous as the other Inhabitants can hardly subsist in time of Peace Besides the Faults which the French have common with other Nations as to be too much given to Play to Women Debauchery Blasphemies and Cursings it cannot be deny'd but that they are Hasty and Cholerick However you will find amongst 'em very few instances of those secret and awful Revenges that are so often practis'd by some of their Neighbours As to their Levity we may in their behalf make use of Charles the Fifth's saying That they are Wise without making any shew of it For though they are not so Crafty as the Italians nor so Vain and Proud as the Spaniards yet do they not want Policy and Cunning. Finally the French are very Religious and have always feared their Gods and whatever Religion they Embraced they firmly stick'd to it The frequent Wars which they have Undertaken or Suffered upon this account shew the Truth of this Assertion They are very Respectful to Ladies and give them large Liberty neither do they shut them up as the Italians and Spaniards do whence it comes that they are cordially Beloved and served by their Wives and that the Visits and Practises of young Women end generally in a happy Wedlock The French Tongue for the most part is a Branch of the Latin The Romans becoming Masters of the Country and introducing their Laws in it changed the Speech of the Natural Inhabitants or by little and little made them loose it If the German Tongue had been there spoken before or the British they were at last totally routed and a kind of corrupted Latin took their place Now a days each Province has its peculiar manner of Speaking and Dialect However there is still a difference of Speech betwixt the Provinces on this side the Loire and those beyond it The first Speak French and the last Gascon taking this Word as usually taken at Paris for those of Languedoc and Dauphiné Provence and Guyenne the Latin Tongue having left deeper Footsteps of its Residence in those four Provinces than among the other French whose Language is purer especially about Blois Orleance and Paris CHAP. IV. Of the Riches Strength and Government of France THE Kingdom of France is Rich and Potent by its Situation by the great numbers of its Cities and Inhabitants and by its Wares of all Sorts of which there is a great Trade As to the Riches the King takes what he pleases in his Taxes Excise upon Salt Impositions upon Merchandises that go out and are brought into France besides his Patrimony whereupon the Kings have lived during a long time The Revenues of the Kingdom before the Dutch War of 1672 were deem'd to amount to 170000000 Livres that is about 15000000 Sterling but have ever since still diminish'd partly by the continual Taxes that impoverish the People and partly by the stop which the Wars have put to Trade but much more by the Persecution of the Protestants which has made the price of the Lands considerably fall disturb'd the Traffick of the Realm and depriv'd it of great Sums of ready Money which the French Refugees have brought over with 'em
into Foreign Countries The French Monarchy strove many Ages before it came to that high Point of Grandeur to which it has attained of late The Weakness of Charlemaign's Successors and the Incursions of the Normans had reduced it to so narrow Limits that the French King was hardly Sovereign in Paris The Governors of the several Counties and Provinces taking hold of the occasion made their Charges Hereditary and soon after render'd themselves Lords of the Countries they Govern'd So that France at that time was rather an Aristocracy or a Confederacy of several Petty-Princes under the French King their Head as Germany now is under the Emperor then a Monarchy properly so call'd But the Victories which Charles VII got over the English in the Fifteenth Age during the Wars of the Houses of York and Lancaster gave him means to Unite to his Crown the large Provinces of Guyenne and Normandy together with Poictou le Maine and Tourain Lewis XI his Son and Successor after the Death of Charles the Râ—sh last Duke of Burgundy in 1477 usurp'd upon his Sole Heiress Mary Spouse of Maximilian of Austria the Dutchy of Burgundy and some part of Picardy Charles VIII and Lewis XII by their Marriage with Ann Daughter to Francis II. late Duke of Britany United that Dutchy to their Crown Anno 1514 Then it was that France began to look as a mighty Kingdom So that Francis I. King of France was a sit Match even for Charles V. Emperor and King of Spain Naples and Sicily Duke of Milan and Lord of all the Low Countries The extent of the French Kings Jurisdiction was yet increas'd by the Accession of Bearn or Lower Navarre of which Henry IV. was in Possession when he came to that Crown And by his Acquisition of the Province of Bresse with the Lands of Bugey Valromey and the Bailwick of Gex which he Exchanged with Charles Emanuel Duke of Savoy for some Pretensions on the Marquisate of Salusses in 1601. Lewis XIII his Son Divested the Duke of Lorrain of his Dutchy the Emperor and the King of Spain of a good part of Elzas and the Netherlands and this present King has not only Conquer'd the County of Burgundy and the rest of Elzas but push'd so far his Conquests in the Low Countries that what now remains in the Hands of the King of Spain is not able to withstand him any long time The Authority of the French Monarchs grew stronger and more absolute within their Kingdom as the Bounds of it were extended without at least in this latter Age. For in former times even that mighty Emperor Charlemaign would do nothing without the Advice of his Barons no not so much as establish and endow a Bishoprick and by their means it was that his Son Lewis the Pious was re-inthron'd The Power of the French Lords lasted not only under the Second Race but three or four Ages too under the Third And as these petty Princes were extinguished their Authority was transferr'd to the States of the several Provinces under whose hands it remained till the Civil Wars under the pretence of Religion gave a mighty check to it and the shrewd Policy of the Cardinals Richelieu and Mazarine made it altogether arbitrary Now the French Kings pretend that they are Emperors in France as Bodin and du Tillet have endeavoured to prove That their Authority is Absolute and Sovereign and that as to the Temporal they have no other Superior than God alone upon whom their Crown immediately depends it not being in the Power of the Prelates of their Kingdom either to excommunicate them or to publish them to be such By reason of their Consecration they are look'd upon to be of the Body of several Cathedral Churches in France where they hold the Prebends The nominating to Bishopricks Abbeys c. belongs to them even by the Pope's Consent and the Concordat made betwixt Francis I. and Leo X. They alone can make Laws in their Kingdom grant Favors and Pardons naturalize Strangers and legitimate Bastards They build Colleges Universities Courts and Companies of Justice create Offices and provide for the same The Males only by Salique Law which the French call the Fundamental of the State have Right to Succession and the Crown always is devolved to the next Heir that is to the eldest Son of the King and to the Issues of the eldest Infinitely This First-born during his Father's Life is commonly called the Dauphin by the Donative of Humbert last Dauphin of Viennois of his Lands of Dauphiné to Philip of Valois King of France upon condition that his eldest Son should be call'd Dauphin and bear quarterly the Arms of France with those of Viennois It was in the year 1343. Philip at the intreaty of John his Son who reigned after him gave the Land to his Grandson who reigned under the Name of Charles called the Wise and was the first Son of France who bore the Title of Dauphin The Arms of France are Three Flowers de Luce Or in a Field Azure King Charles VI. reduced them to Three his Predecessors having had them without number contrary to the Custom even of the first Kings The Consecration of the Kings is solemnly performed at Rheims where they are anointed with Oyl of the Holy Ampoule kept religiously in the Abbey-Church of St. Remigius whence it is carried under a Canopy by four Knights of the Holy Ampoule created by Clovis IV. The Royal Ornaments are kept at St. Denis from King St. Lewis's time The twelve Peers of France assist at the Consecration six whereof are Ecclesiastical to wit the Archbishop and Duke of Rheims who consecrates the King the Bishop and Duke of Laon the Bishop and Duke of Langres the Bishop and Earl of Bonâ—vais the Bishop and Earl of Chaalons the Bishop and Earl of Noyon The Six Lay Peers were formerly the Duke of Burgundy the Duke of Normandy the Duke of Guyonne the Earl of Tolouse the Earl of Flanders and the Earl of Champagne but these Peers subsisting no more they are represented by as many French Princes or Lords The King's Guards are composed of two strange Nations viz. Scots and Switzers and of his French Subjects The Scotch Guard is the first Company of the King's Guard du Corps However it ought to be observed that this Name is but a remainder of the ancient Alliance between the Scotch and the French for since the Reformation and the Union of England and Scotland there has hardly been a Scotch Man among these preâ—ended Scotch Guards However as this Company is the ancientest so it enjoys the greatest Privileges for their Captain precedes the three others and begins always to serâ—e the first Quarter of the Year and when the Guard du Corps are quartered they chuse the first Lodging This Company was at first composed of 100 Gentlemen or chosen Soldiers 24 of whom have yet a good Stipend are Privileged and have at their Head the first Man at Arms of France
who makes the 25th and these are the Archers of the Guard du Corps who wear Hoquetons or white Cassocks covered with gilt Silver-Shells whence they are commonly called Hoquetons The three French Companies have been instituted by three several Kings and wear upon their Arms and Cassocks the Livery Colours and Devices of the Reigning Kings Those that are called Exempts of the Guards precede the other Archers they wear neither Hoquetons nor Cassocks and command the Guards in the absence of their Officers They carry a Stick as a Mark of their Power and Employment The hundred Switzers wear the King's Livery with a Halbert and are cloathed after their own Country fashion These four Companies have their Captains who are all qualified Lords And besides these the King has a Regiment of Switzers and another Regiment of French Guards with all their Officers These make as 't were a small compleat Army kept ordinarily with a Company of Musqueteers or Horse-Guards whom King Lewis XIII had instituted and whose Head he was During the Minority of the Kings which ends so soon as they are 14 years old a Regent or Protector was provided by the General States of the Kingdom or by the Court of Parliament of Paris He was commonly the King 's nearest Kinsman or the Queen his Mother as Queen Catherine of Medicis was to King Charles IX Queen Mary of Medicis to King Lewis XIII But since the Monarchy is become Absolute the Will of the deceased King has only been regarded And Ann of Austria Mother to K. Lewis XIV now Reigning carried the Regency against the Princes of the Blood who disputed it with her though they had the Parliament of Paris on their side whence ensued a bloody War in which the Queen and Cardinal Mazarine got the better of the Princes Patents Edicts and Arrests are expedited under the Name of the King with this Title By the King and Queen-Regent The Queens of France have often been Crowned whereof History gives several Examples They were anointed with another Chrism than that of the Holy Ampoule Queen Mary of Medicis was Consecrated and Crowned at St. Denis in the year 1610. on the 13th of May by Cardinal de Joyeuse In their Widowhood they have been formerly called White Queens but that has not been used for some Ages There is no sharing in the Royal House and Succession since the Third Stock of the Kings of France so that second Brothers must be contented with a Patrimony in Land bearing the Title of Dutchy Peerdom and County They may have in their House such Officers as the King himself has viz. Chancellor Secretary and others with the Title of Grandees and they are stiled Your Highness as if they were Sovereign Princes The youngest Sons of the French King subscribe only with the proper Name as well as the King himself but their Posterity take their Title of the principal Country that makes up their Portions as being henceforward accounted a separate Branch of the Princes of the Blood The Daughters of the French Kings have not any other Portions than Sums of Money instead of Lands which they have had heretofore It is They alone who properly are called Dames or Ladies in France The Princes of the Blood who become Church-Men keep the Rank belonging to their Birth and not to the Ecclesiastical Order The King 's Natural Sons have no share in the Succession either of the Crown or of the Royal Patrimony but have an Entertainment at the King's Pleasure They do not bear the Surname of France but that of the Land given them or of the Branch which they come from as now the Duke of Longueville is called of Orleance He or his Predecessors being descended from Lewis Duke of Orleance Brother to King Charles VI. The Duke of Engoulême was called de Valois as being born of Charles IX of the Branch of Valois The Duke of Vendosme and his Issue bear the Name of Vendosme because of that Land which King Henry IV. gave to their Fore-father CHAP. V. Of the Chief Officers of the Crown and Kingdom THE greatest Office of the King's House is that of Grand Master of his House before whom all the Officers that serve therein take the Oaths and whom they are to obey There is a Chief Steward of the Household and a Steward of the Household in Ordinary and others that serve quarterly having a Stick in their Hands set in Silver gilt at both Ends. They precede the Serving Gentlemen when the Kings Meat goes by There is a Grand Provost of France or Provost of the Houshold which is a very ancient and authorized Office Justice is exercised under his Name by two Lieutenants the one in a long and the other in a short Gown by Serjeants and by fifty Archers cloathed in Hoquetons or Cassocks of Livery that follow him attend the Court and prosecute the Guilty six Leagues thereabouts He also makes the Procedures of criminal Causes betwixt the Officers of the King's Houshold and others that follow the Court and when the King is on his March he sets a Price upon Bread Wine Flesh Hay Oates and other Provisions The Place of great Chamberlain is also very ancient honourable and priviledged He is Superintendant of the King's Chamber of his Cloathings and Moveables He lyes at the King's Feet when he holds his Bed of Justice or at the General States of the Kingdom when the Kings used to call them There are four Chief Gentlemen of the King's Chamber that serve quarterly a Master of the Wardrobe a Master of the Ceremonies a Leader of Ambassadors who all take the Oaths in the King's Hands There was formerly a Grand Queux or a Great Master of the King's Kitchin but this Charge is now abolished there having been none since Lewis of Prie Lord of Buzancoâ—â— who died under Charles VIII An. 1490. There are yet four Masters Queux or Cooks who serve quarterly in the King's Kitchin The Great Master of the Pantry and the Grand Butler or Cup-bearer of France do discharge their Duty but in great Solemnities as at the King's Coronation and the like but there are Gentlemen of the King's Table and Cup-bearers in ordinary who make the Assay of the Meat and Drink that is presented to the King There is a great and little Stable of the King the Gentlemen of the Little pass upon the King when he is on Horseback The Great Master of the Horse is constituted upon them all and bears the Sword in a Velvet Scabbard marked with Flower-de-Luces on great Solemnities before his Prince The Marshals of France judge of all Military Causes and have their Lieutenants and Provosts to inform against and seize upon Vagabonds and Deserters They ordinarily wear a Stick as a Badge of their Dignity and when they receive it from the King they take the Oath of Allegiance to him in the High Court of Parliament at Paris The Seat of their Jurisdiction is at the Marble-Table in the Palace of
that Court where their Power is very considerable since the Suppression of the Charge of Lord Constable upon whom they were formerly depending However this Power is somewhat counterballanced by their great Increase in Number of late years The Lord Chancellor is the Head of all the Courts of Justice and presides in all the King's Councils in his Absence Besides he cannot be destituted but by Death or Trespass And therefore the Kings to keep this great Minister in awe have a Lord Keeper of the Seals whom they cause to discharge the Chancellor's Functions by giving him the Seals in which Occasion the Chancellor retains no more but the bare Name of his Office He has under him the Masters of the Requests who serve quarterly judge the Differences between the Officers of the Crown and prepare such Matters as are to come before the King 's Great Council This Council is now a Soveraign Court of Justice whose Sentences are executed throughout the whole Kingdom it 's composed of the Chancellor and eight Masters of Requests From this Court issue all the Placates Ordinances and Proclamations There are also a Council of State a Council of the Exchequer a Privy-Council to determine Appeals and Contests about the Jurisdiction of Judges and the Cabinet Council who manages all the Affairs and is as the Soul of the Realm Besides the twelve ancient Peers of France there are near a hundred more created since two or three Centuries but though they have the Priviledge to sit in the Parliament at Paris and not to be judged by any other Court yet they fall short of the Lustre and Power of the first Peers The Knights of the Order of St. Michael instituted by Lewis XI in 1469 are in no extraordinary Repute and this Order is now only considered as a step to that of the Holy Ghost instituted by Henry III. in 1570 whose Knights are fewer in number and more respected it being given as a token of special Favour and to such as are already of St. Michael's Order and considered by their Birth or Merits I supersede to speak of the Lord Admiral the Vice-Admirals and Rear-Admirals Of the Generals Lieutenant Generals Masters de Camp Collonels c. Of the Masters of the Ordnance of the Lord Treasurers Counsellors and Secretaries of State of the Ambassadors Lord Almoner Under Almoners Chaplains in Ordinary and other Officers either Civil Military or Ecclesiastical who are little or nothing different from the like in England But I must not forget to speak a word of the King's Confessor who though he has originally no more Power than the Clerk of the Closet here yet through the superstitious Condescension of the late Kings and the shrewd Management of those cunning Politicians Cotton Annat and La Chaize are become so powerful as to get into their Hands the Direction of the most important Affairs of the Kingdom under pretence of Conscience When the Jesuits were recalled into France King Henry IV. was advised to take one of these Fathers for his Confessor who should be as an Hostage for the Fidelity of the whole Club. But this very Caution proved his Ruine for Father Cotton whom he pitched upon having first seduced his Queen laid his Plot so well with Spain and his Fellow-Jesuits that the King was murthered by Ravaillac And that Henry's Ghostly Father and Queen had a Hand in this horrid Business can hardly be doubted after the Insinuations the sincere Mezeray gives of it There are two Charges in France the like I don't know that we have in England or at least they are not here in such a Consideration as in that Kingdom The Officers who discharge them are always Counts or Dukes or Princes of the Blood and are called the Great Huntsman and the Great Falconer of France They have large Appointments Gifts and Profits and several Officers under them whose Places are at their Disposal The Captain General of the Hunting-Nets and the Great Wolf-Hunter keep likewise an honourable Rank and all four are sworn by the King himself I shall finish this Chapter with mentioning the Way of administring Justice in France Suits are for the most part commenced before the ordinary Judges of the Place which are called Royal or Seigneurial according as the Town or Village depends â—mmediately upon the King or a private Lord except in some particular Cases or when one of the Parties concerned is exempted from their Jurisdiction Thence â—hey are brought before the Baylives or Seâ—eschals who are Chief Justices of a certain Precinct called Baylwick Vriguory Provostship or Seneshalship These Baylives are Noble Men who bear a Sword instead of a Gown and seldom discharge their Office themselves but have two Lieutenants under them one for Civil and the other for Criminal Causes The last and Supream Jurisdiction is â—he High Court of Parliament each of which is composed of ten twelve or fifteen Presidents and well near eighty or an hundred Counsellors The Power of this Court â—s yet very great because of the many Noble and Priviledged Men whose Causes immediately resort to it But it was much greater in times past especially that of the Parliament of Paris which was in some manner a standing Assembly of the General States For no Edict or Proclamation of the King had the Force of a Law before â—t was â—enteriné or ratify'd by them and they might reject such as were not in their Judgments fit for the Publick Good A Boldness of which History furnisheth us with several Examples even under the most powerful and respected Princes as Lewis XI Francis I. and Henry IV. But the late Ministers Richelieu Mazarin Colbert and Louvois have so far undermined the Authority of these Courts that they not only dare not reject any of the King's Edicts but dare not so much as make use of the Word Enteriné their Style being now Lû verifié en Parlement That is Read and acknowledged for a true Writing or Order of the King The Intendants are the Men whom the Promoters of Arbitrary Power have made a special use of to bring down the Power of Parliaments They are a kind of Overseers whom the French Kings began to send into the several Provinces of their Dominions fifty or sixty years ago and who under pretence of setling the King's Revenues reconciling Differences about it or seeing Justice well done have considerably encroached upon the Jurisdiction of Parliaments without that the Complaints of the last were ever regarded at Court The preposterous Zeal of these Magistrates against the Reformed was none of the least Causes of their Decay for as often as any Suit wherein both Churches seemed to be concerned came before them we were sure to get an Arrêt de Partage or that the Protestant President and Counsellors would give their Voice in favour of the Defenders whereas the Roman Catholicks would decide for the Plaintiffs how ill grounded soever their Actions might be This of course brought the Decision of the
the Love of the Truth was the chieâ— Motive of their Change This Inconvenience might have been prevented by some Foundations for promoting Learning and Piety and erecting up Schools Colledges and Places for the Retirement of the Learned who had served the Church a certain time or were fitter for Writing than Preaching 2 Calvin chancing to light upon Geneva established there a Form of Ecclesiastical Government very suitable to a Common-wealth but not at all to a Kingdom The French Protestants however set up the fame amongst them which was pardonable enough during the Persecution since they had not the Means to keep up Bishops and that they had been more exposed than simple Ministers both because of their Dignity and their Opposition to the Roman Prelates But when God had given them a Protestant King who conquered a good part of his Realm with the Dint of his Sword when so many of the Bishops and Nobility resorted to Henry IV 't is a wonder that his Presbyterian Ministers never thought of submitting to the Prelates provided the Prelates would submit to the Truth 3. Thence arose another Evil for there being no Means of Subsistence for Dignitaries amongst the Reformed no not so much as an honorable Recompence for the Learned after the Separation was made very few came over to them out of the Roman Church and a greater Number of their Ministers was seduced to the Popish Tenets 4. To cheat People of their Money the Monks had invented or adorned with fabulous Stories the Doctrine of Purgatory and made them believe at the saâ—â— time that they might redeem themselâ— either with Money or painful Satisfactioâ— which the Reformers perceiving drove perhaps too forwardly the Doctrines absolute Predestination and free Grace Tâ— subtil Controvertists of the Roman Churâ—â— let not slip this Occasion of ridiculing thâ— Adversaries and traduced them as Enemâ— to good Works and such as overthrew 〈◊〉 Moral of the Gospel These Accusatioâ— how false soever they were being set up 〈◊〉 able Pens were sufficient to amuse the Vâ—â—gar and to hinder them from opening thâ— Eyes to see the gross Errors of Popeâ— which in the mean time were not urged 5. It 's well known that there has beeâ— pretended Holy League in France for maiâ—taining the Roman Catholick Religion aâ—â— that the Dukes of Guise were Chieftenaâ—â— and Promoters of it but they who haâ—â— not read the Books of those Times are 〈◊〉 so well acquainted with the Artifices thâ— used to draw in so many of the Nobilitâ— They perswaded them that the Huguenâ—â— were Commonwealth-men who intendâ— to subvert the Kingdom and dismember 〈◊〉 into several petty Principalities and Repuâ—licks just as their Brethren the Switzers 〈◊〉 the Free Towns and Princes of Germanâ— By these Insinuations great and aspiriâ—â— Men who cannot make considerable Foâ—tunes under a weak Government stuck close them 6. As to the last Persecution of the French â—â—â—testants as it has been long and in a â—â—nner insensible during Thirty or Forty â—ars but at the latter end extreamly cruâ—â— sudden and unfore-seen so it could 〈◊〉 be prevented either by any Forreign â—wer or any Insurrection within The â—â—ench Cardinals and Jesuits no less cruel â—â—d cunning than the Wolves of the Fable â—â—ok from the Reformed their Places of â—â—rety seduced their great Men invaded â—eir Priviledges and fell upon Dragoonâ—g them when they were disarmed and â—â—t of state of making any Defence But will smart them I hope before it be long â—or besides that God never left such a perâ—iousness unpunished they are so far â—â—om having extirpated the Reformation at they have spread it farther by mingling â—â—e Protestants amongst them And any one â—ay easily suppose that during the Separatiâ—n the Reformed had not so many fair Occaâ—ons of instilling into them a secret Horror â—â—r superstitious Practices as they have now And let this suffice to the First Part of â—ur Description I had resolved to follow 〈◊〉 the Second Part the ordinary Division â—f France in Twelve Governments but â—â—nce I considered that this Method would â—e troublesome both to me and my Readers and perhaps make me overskip some of thâ— Countries included in the general Goverâ—ments Besides that there are now Nineteeâ— and not Twelve of them so that I thought more convenient to begin at one End 〈◊〉 with Lorrain then pursuing my way Nortâ—wards to make the Grand Tour of Francâ— and go out of it through the County 〈◊〉 Burgundy than to puzzle my self and â—thers with unnecessary Bounds and Divâ—sions However I will not fail to maâ— the Extent of each Government and thâ— Countries belonging to it A DESCRIPTION OF FRANCE PART II. WHEREIN â—ach of its great Provinces smaller Counties Cities Towns Royal Houses Forests Mountains Coasts Rivers and Lakes are Geographically and Historically described CHAP. I. LORRAIN the Three Bishopricks and the Dutchy of BAR. THIS Province is called thus from Lothaire Grand-Son of Lewis the Meek Emperour and King of France who was Soveraign thereof when it was far greater and bore the Name of Kingdom The whole Dutchy belongs now to thâ— King of France who has usurped the greaâ—est part of it upon Charles III. the true Sâ—veraign and forced him to make over 〈◊〉 Right to him The present Bounds of thâ— Province are Elzas and the Palatinate oâ— the East Champaign on the West Luxeâ—bourg and the Electorate of Triers on thâ— North and the County of Burgundy on thâ— South The Inhabitants are Warlike anâ— the Country for the most part covered witâ— Woods and Forests yet well stock'd witâ— Corn Vines and Minerals nor does it waâ— pleasant Rivers and good Waters It s Town are well built strong and rich NANCY the Capital of Lorrain was the ordinary Residence of the Dukes whose Courâ— was crouded with great Numbers of Nobilitâ— and Gentry It was here that those Princes Riches made a fine Sight especially two Tables of a great Length and Breadth one Marble the other Silver-gilt or washed over witâ— Gold with several Figures and Emblems and Latin Verses most artificially engraveâ— upon them There were also costly Hangings and the Effigies of a Man in Wood whose Muscles seemed to move and werâ— interwoven with so much Art that it waâ— a perfect Wonder The Dukes Tombs arâ— likewise here amongst which that of Renatus who overcame the Burgundians is moâ—â— considerable that of Charles Duke of Buâ—gundy is there also The Arsenal was well provided with all Necessaries and its Fortifications seemed to render it impregnable before the French took it There is a Bog or fenny Place pretty nigh the Town in the midst of which is a Cross of Stone with an Inscription in French that marks the Defeat of the Burgundians under Charles the Rash their last Duke An. 1477. The Town is situated about an hundred Steps from the Meurte which discharges it self into the Moselle four or five Miles from thence Nancy is divided into Old and New Town the Old has the Palace of the Dukes
but the New is greater and better fortified The French destroy'd its Fortifications in 1664 and afterwards repaired them There is a Chamber of Accounts and a Seneshalship This Province has also Bar le Duc Capital of the Dutchy of that Name It was built by Frederick Duke of the Mozellane Lorrain in 951 and fortified with a strong Castle to prevent the Incursions of the Champenois There were several other strong Places amongst the rest Marsal and Moyenvic whose Fortifications the French have destroyed as well as the Castle of Bar le Duc. Near Moyenvic are commodious Salt-Pits I must not forget the three Bishopricks taken from Charles V. in 1552. viz. Toul Mets and Verdun because they are included in this Province and are nearly ty'd to it especially in what concerns Spiritual Jurisdiction though as to the Civil they make a separate Government Toul Tullum Leucorum is a Town well built situated upon the Mosell twelve Miles from Nancy It 's pretty big and boasts of St. Bernard's Tomb over which is a Crown extraordinary well worked its Diocess is pretty large Verdun Verodunum a very pleasant City situated in a fruitful and good Soil on the River Meuse Twenty six Miles from Mets Its Bishops take the Title of Counts of Verdun and Princes of the Holy Empire It has a strong Citadel and Baylwick and is renowned for its Aniseed Mets is also a very pleasant Town both for its Houses its Cathedral of St. Stephen a true Master-piece of Architecture and the River Moselle and Seille that wash it It is a very ancient City since Cesar Plinius Tacite and Ptolomy mention it under the Name of Divodurum Mediomatricum and speak of it as the chief Town of that Country and of the People called Mediomatrices now Les habitans du pais Messin In process of time it became still more and more Famous and under the French Kings of the first Race was Capital of the Kingdom of Austrasia called also the Kingdom of Mets since Theodoric Son to Clovis the Great had chosen it for the Seat of his Empire In the Decay of Charlemaign's House Mets erected it self into a free Imperial Town under the Government of its own Magistrates who had Power of Life and Death and of Coining of Money And so jealous they were of their Liberty that Charles VII King of France besieging them â—n 1444 on the behalf of Renatus Duke of Lorrain they rather chose to see their Country wasted during seven Months and to redeem themselves with 300000 Livres than to loose their Liberty Thus they kept it till the Year 1552 that their City was taken by the Lord of Montmorency High Constable of France In the Month of October of the same Year Charles V. besieged it in vain and as it was the last Undertaking of this Emperour it gave occasion to this Verse alluding to the modern Name of this Town in Latin Metae Siste viam Metis haec tibi meta datur There is seen in St. Stephen's Church a Vessel of Red Porphyry ten Foot long and all of a piece which serves to keep their Holy Water in This great Town has no Subâ—urbs and is all surrounded with a strong Rampier and deep and wide Ditches that can be filled at pleasure only opening a Sluce to let in the Moselle Yet for its greater Strength a Cittadel with four Bastions have been built there of late The People are well bred Civil and Numerous and drive a great Trade into Germany The Circumference of the Town is pretty big its Bishop entitles himself Prince of the Empire and has four Arch-Deacons under him with 623 Parishes In 1633 Lewis XIII established there a Parliament which the Commissioners of the Emperour opposed saying That the French King was only Protector of the three Bishopricks and not absolute Sovereign thereof and consequently that he might not deprive the Inhabitants of their ancient Laws and the Right they had to bring their Appeals before the Imperial Chamber at Spire These Complaints lasted to the Peace of Munster in which the three Bishopricks and Moyenvic were yielded unconditionally and for ever to the Crown of France save only the Right of Metropolitan to the Archbishop of Triers This Parliament as it was the last so it was at first the least considerable next to that of Pau the three Bishopricks only resorting to it But since the Conquest of Lorrain Luxemburg and adjacent Countries its Jurisdiction is mightily inlarged It made a great Noise some time after the Peace of Nimeguen about the Year 1680 when the French King erected there a Chamber of Dependencies whose Judges summoned the Spanish Subjects to come and swear Allegiance to the French King under pretence that they were depending upon some of his new Conquests By this Shrewdness he got more Lands during the Peace than he had done in the War The Dukedom of Luxemburg is under the Governour of Lorrain but I supersede to make a particular Description of it because the Low-Countries deserve a Treatise by it self I shall only observe that there is a Soveraign Council in the Capital whereunto the whole Province resorts At a League 's distance from the Town is a Village called Jovy where are still to be seen some Remains of an Aqueduct built by the Romans with Arches of a fine white Stone cut in Form of Bricks and above Sixty Foot high Besides this there is another considerable Place near Nancy called St. Nicolas that should deserve rather to be called one of the greatest Towns of Lorrain for the Number of its Inhabitants and considerable Traffick than a simple Borough if it were walled in The other most considerable Places near the Capital are Fruart which is but a League off it Ormes Bayon Pont a Mousson famous for its University founded by Charles Cardinal of Lorrain on behalf of the Jesuits An. 1573 and very pleasant by reason of its fruitful Soil and of the Mosell which runs through the middle of the Town and is passed with 〈◊〉 Bridge whence and from a neighbouring Mountain called Mousson is derived thâ— Name of Pont à Mousson Then Vezelize Roziere Blancmont Gerbevillier Charmes Chastenoy Moranges Vaucouleur the Birth-place of Jane d' Arc called the Virgin or Maiden of Orleans Mexan-sous-Bresse Dompaire Deneure Hoden Chasteau-Rambervillier Raon Bellemont Neuf-chastel Magstat Marchainville Espinal Bruyeres Darney Ormont Valderfing Beauzains Vaigni Estraye Estival Luneville Fauquemont Sare-Louïs a new Fortress with a Presidial Vandervange the Seat of a Baylwick c. Its Counties are Vaudemont Chaligni Amence formerly the Chancery of Lorrain Mirecourt Remiremont and La Mothe At Remiremont upon the Mosell is a famous Monastery of Canonnesses where Noble Mens Daughters are only received The Abbess is not suffered to leave the Habit but all the Nuns can go out and marry if they please La Mothe was a small Town on the Frontiers of Champaign but being built on a steep Rock washed by a Brook it was accounted impregnable before
to be forgotten though he lost his Placâ— because he maintained Arminius's Teneâ—â— The Principality of Raucourt and the Prâ—vostship of Donchery are depending upon Sâ—dan the first lying North and the Seconâ— South-West of it 2. The Dutchy of Bouillon between Sâ—dan Luxemburg and Liege belongs yet tâ— the Dukes of that Name It is of no greaâ— extent and the Capital Bouillon is but 〈◊〉 good Burrough situated on the River Sâ—moy but has a Castle built on a steep Rock with Lodging-rooms even in the Rock sâ— that Bombs and Mines can have but littlâ— effect upon it In the Year 1683 the Spâ—niards having declared War against France that they might ingage the Hollanders to do the same the French King by derision caused the Duke of Bouillon to give out a Declaration of War against Spain 3. At the coming out of Sedan is seen thâ— Town and strong Castle of Mesieres where the French King always keeps a good Garrison and then you come into the Dutchy of Rethelois which belongs to the Duke oâ— Mantua whereof the Capital called Rethel is one of the strongest Places in the Kingdom It 's now called Mazarin and makes part of the Government of Champaign The Prince of Condé who was then on the Spaniards side took it in 1653. In the same Dutchy is Charleville a very pleasant and strong Town built upon the Meuse by Charles Gonzague Duke of Nevers and Mantua On the other side of the River is Mount Olymp with the Ruins of an old Castle that was as 't is believed a Temple of the Heathens and where the French King keeps a Governour Rocroy was also a very strong Town whence the Spaniards made Incursions into Champaign but since besieged it in vain and were defeated near it in 1643 by the Duke of Anguien Stenay upon the Meuse was one of the Keys of Lorrain but having been taken from his Duke was united to Champaign in 1633. Mouson on the other side of Meuse between Sedan and Stenay belonged formerly to the Empire having been taken from the French by Count Nassau General of Charles V. but was retaken Thirty Years â—fter and a small Hill which commands it was extreamly fortified The French King keeps there a Governour too CHAP. III. Champaign THIS Province is one of the best and largest of the whole Kingdom it has Franche-County Lorrain and Barrois to the East Burgundy to the South Picardy the Isle of France and the Gastinois to the West Luxemburg and Hainaut to the North. It is about Ninety Miles East and West from Tilly to Claye in Brie and an Hundred twenty six North and South from Rocroy in Rhetelois to Fontaine-Françoise in Burgundy It 's called Champaign from its great Plains and divided into upper and Lower the Upper which is more Northerly has great Chalky Plains without Trees Rivers or Fountains and produces no other Corn but Rye with great Woods towards the North. The Lower is more fruitful especially in Wines Champaign is likewise divided into eight Baylwyks or Precincts Proper Champaign or the Country of Troyes Rhemois Perthois Rethelois Vallage Bassigny Senonois Brie-Champenoise For the Province of Brie is partly a Dependance of this Goverment and both were in Caesar's time part of the Belgick Three of the ancient Counts of Champaign have been Kings of Navarre viz. Thibaud IV. Thibaud V. and Henry III. that left but a Daughter called Jane married in 1284 to Philip the Fair King of France who united this County to his Crown after it had been separated from it 326 Years since Robert the first Soveraign Earl of Champaign in 958. These Counts have been once so powerful that they made bold to war against the French Kings and at other times against the Kings of Burgundy and the Emperours of Germany They had seven Counts for their Vassals called the Peers of Champaign namely those of Joigni Retel Brienne Rouci Braine Grand-Pré and Bar upon the Seine Champaign has yet two Archbishopricks Rheims and Sens four Bishopricks Chalons upon the Marne Langres Troyes accounted by most the Capital of the Province and Meaux the chief Town of Brie Its Rivers are 1. The Seine which receives the Yonne the Marne the Aube and has been already described The Yonne comes from the Nivernois three Leagues from Clemessi receives the Cure the Armançon and the Venne goes by Auxerre and Sens and falls into the Seine at Montereau The Marne Matrona has its Source in Champaign in a Place called the Marmote washes Langres Roland-Pont Chaumont Joinville S. Dizier Vitry Chalons Espernay Dormans Chateau-Thierry La Ferté under Jouarre Meaux and Lagni and being encreased with the Waters of Vannori St. Geome the Mousche the Swize the Blaize the Saude the Roignon the Moyvrâ— the Soupe and great and little Morin mixeâ— with the Seine at the Bridge of Charentoâ— about a League off Paris The Aube Albâ— and Albula springs in the Diocess of Laâ—gres at a Place called Auberive washes Lâ— Ferté Clervaux Bar Romeru and dischargeâ— it self into the Seine near Marcilly 2. The Aisne Axonia is formed from two Fountains the one comes from Beaulieu in Argonne up higher S. Menehould whereby iâ— passes the other from the Dutchy of Bar beyond Clermont which it goes by Theâ— both Fountains being united at Mouron wash Rethel Chateau-Porcien Soissons and having received the Vesle that passes through Rheims and Fismes it mixes with the Oysâ— above Compiegne 3. The Meuse springs in Champaign near a Village of that Name and Montigni le Roi but goes soon out of it through Lorrain and Barrois the County of Namur the Bishoprick of Liege Gueldres and Holland where it falls into the Sea below Rotterdam and near the Briel 1. Rheims RHeims esteemed by some Capital of Champaign is a very ancient Town as appears by Caesar's Fort that is not far off it It s Compass is wide surrounded with good Walls of about a League in circuit and embellished with very magnificent â—tructures especially the Archiepiscopal Church consecrated to our Lady which is â—ne of the most sumptuous and most acâ—omplished Buildings in the whole Kingâ—om It s Portail Raising as high as the very Towers Sixty seven Canons officiate dayâ—y in this Church besides there is another â—onsecrated to St. Remy with the Title of Abby wherein the Ampoule pretended to â—e brought from Heaven at the Consecraâ—ion of Clovis and since destined for anointâ—ng the Monarchs of France is carefully kept with several other Curiosities as the Representation of the Twelve Dukes and Peers of France dressed as when they assist at the King's Coronation which Ceremoâ—y is for the most part performed in this Town It s Archbishop is the first Duke and Ecclesiastical Peer of France and has for Suffragans Soissons Chalons upon the Marne Laon Senlis Beauvais Amiens Noyon and Boulogne and before Cambray was erected into an Archbishoprick this City together with Arras and Tournay depended upon the Metropolitan of Rheims The ancient Latin Authors called
in St. Antony's Street Sorbonne is but the first House or Colledge of Divinity at Paris though this Name be sometimes given to the whole University founded by Charlemaign about the Year 791 but since increased and made more commendable by Lewis VII and Philip August It is divided into four Faculties Divinity Law Physick and Arts. This last is the most ancient and composed of four Nations French Picards Normans and Germans Out of their Body is taken the Head of the University called Rector who in publick Solemnities immediately follows the Princes of the Blood and at the King's Burial walks by the Archbishop's Side His Robe of Ceremony is a Purple Gown tyed up with a Girdle that has goâ—den Hangings and an old fashioned Purseâ— which denotes his Priority and Power oveâ— all the Pursers of the University He alsâ— wears a short Purple Mantle lined with aâ— Ermine-Skin and has a Tribunal composeâ— of the three Deans in Divinity Law and Physick and of the four Attorneys of the four Nations A new Rectâ—â— may be elected every three Months but hâ— that is in Office is often continued and haâ— such an Authority upon all the Faculties that he may cause all publick Acts to ceaseâ— and four times in the year at his Processioâ— Day actually forbids all Preachers to ascend the Pulpit As to the House of Sorbonne it 's very ancient being founded by Robert Sorbonn St. Lewis's Almoner in 1252 or 1253. This Colledge is one of the most rigorous of Europe none being admitted to the Degree of Batchelor unless he studies three years in Divinity in it after he has been received Master of Arts and sustains nine or ten publick Theses Neither is the Degree of Doctor given to any without going through the Sorbonique Act that holds from Sun-rise to Sun-set the Candidate answering all that time to such as come to dispute against him The Dean of the Faculty is committed to oversee these Theses and each Doctor that Disputes is to have a Crown from the Answerer who must satisfie all their Arguments without any body's Help so that he ought to be an able Scholar and have a strong Purse too Those that are admitted that way take the Title of Doctors of the House and Society of Sorbonne but the others that only of Divinity 's Doctor in the Faculty of Paris As for the Building it 's enough to observe that Cardinal Richelieu has taken care to make it one of the most sumptuous of Paris in enriched it with vast Revenues and a good Library The second House after Sorbonne is that of Navarre founded by Jane Queen of Navarre Soveraign Countess of Champaign and Wife to Philip the Fair King of France Humane Learning Philosophy and Divinity are taught in this House which has the Priviledge of making Doctors as well as Sorbonne There are a great many other considerable Colledges founded by Kings Princes Popes c. which I pass by to speak of that called of The Four Nations founded by Cardinal Mazarin and built over against the Louvre His Design in this sumptuous Building is said to have been to encourage Strangers to come to this Capital of the Kingdom to make them have an Esteem and Love for France use themselves to its Ways and learn its Fashions Of these four Nations are kept Sixty Gentlemen Fifteen from Pignerol for Italy Fifteen froâ— Elzas for Germany Twenty Flemings anâ— Ten Spaniards from Roussillon The Hotel-dieu or Hospital destined foâ— the Poor is also very ancient being builâ— since the Year 660 and well worth thâ— seeing It 's very spacious and kept very clean considering the vast number of Sicâ— always attended there by religious Women that make their Vows in the Hands of the Dean of our Lady-Church Behind the House of these Ladies is a Statue of Stone which most People believe to be that of Esculapius The Hospital of the Quinze Vints or Twenty Score founded by St. Lewis in Memory of the Three hundred Christians that had their Eyes put out by the Saracens ought not to be forgotten That of St. Lewis founded by Henry IV. for those that should be sick of the Plague is renowned for its Building Courts Offices and Fountains That of La Charité kept and served by Fryars of that Name is very neat and the People well attended Besides these there is the Incurable and 25 other Houses for the Sick and Poor The great and little Chastelets are the two ancientest Buildings in that City said to be built by Caesar or at least by Julian the Apostate who called Paris his Delight and well beloved Town now they are Prisons of the Civil Lieutenant and Presidial that keep their Courts there The Palace of Cluni in the Maturins Street where the Pope's Nuncio's generally Lodge deserves to be seen It was formerly Julian the Apostate's Baths and the Water was convey'd thither by Aquaeducts from the little Village of Arcueuil near Paris as may still be seen by some Remains of the Ruines The Bastille is a very strong Castle built above the Gate of St. Anthony It s Form is square with four great Towers that defend it of every side its Ditch very deep and other Fortifications as regular Here Persons of Quality suspected of Crimes against the State are imprisoned and there is a Governour to take care of it The Arsenal built just by the River is a great Building with store of Arms fine Gardens and curious Sets of Elm-Trees the Great Master of the Ordnance has his Apartment and keeps his ordinary Residence there The Town-House built by Francis I. was new built by Henry the Great the Front is extraordinary well worked the Chambers spacious the Pavilions uniform and the Pillars and Clock-Tower magnificent Its Revenues are so great that the King very often orders Payments of vast Sums â—hence They must be able Men that are received Sheriffs here and sometimes the whole Court move to have the Man they like chosen Lord Mayor or Provost of Merchants because the Place is of such consequence and he that has it has so much Authority over the People that he may raise them against whom he pleases The Government of the Town is in his and the four Sheriffs Hands who stand but two years in their Office Besides these there are twenty six Councellors and ten Sergeants that serve the Provost and his Sheriffs with sixteen Quaterniers and their Commissaries and other under Officers to hinder any Disorder or Tumult an hundred and twenty Archers or Watch-men who with sixty Arbalestiers or Cross-bow-men an hundred Arquebusiers or Small-shot-men the Foot and Horse Watch go the Rounds every Night commanded by the Captain of the Watch called the Knight of the Watch Le Chevalier du guet The Town 's Attorney takes the Title of King's Attorney The Company of Wine-Cryers to the Number of twenty four are imploy'd in Funerals and twenty four Salt-Porters that carry the King's Bodies are a sort of other Officers of this
Lasiniacum has an Abby very ancient as its Walls testifie Brie Comte Robert six Leagues South-East of Paris is esteemed by some Capital of the French Brie other give that Honour to Rosoy which has an Election and is situated five or six Leagues farther on the same side Ville-Neuve-S George is a new Town well built situated in a pleasant Place where the River Yerre discharges into the Seine three or four Leagues Southwards of Paris Hurepoix GOing up the Seine towards the South to enter into the Hurepoix the first considerable Town you meet with is Corbeil situated thirteen Miles off Paris upon the same River where the Essonne discharges it self into it This Town had its particular Counts in the Tenth and Eleventh Centuries one of whom called Aimon built the Collegiate Church of St. Spire and appointed yearly Incomes for its Canons Lewis the Burly got this small Soveraignty from Hugh du Puiset since which time it râ—mained united to the Crown of France aâ—â— was the Head of a Provostship and Chasteâ— It 's said that Caesar who calls this Towâ— Metiosedum built the great Tower nameâ— in Latin Castrum Corvolium which servâ—â— still as a Citadel to Corbeil and whence tâ—â— French Name seems to be derived Queeâ— Isemburg having been divorced from Phiâ—â—â— August built there a Pleasure-house 〈◊〉 which some remains are still to be seen neâ—â— the Essonne in a place called old Corbeâ—â— where she lies interred In 1418 the Duâ—â— of Burgundy besieged this Town but wâ—â— perswaded to raise the Siege by the Iâ—treagues of Elizabeth of Bavaria Charles thâ— Sixth's Queen MELVN upon the Seine four Leagueâ— South-East of Corbeil and ten of Pariâ— Robbe puts it in Hurepoix but Du Chasâ—â— makes it the Head of Justice in Gastinois for it has a Presidial Baylwick and Election upon which the greatest part of Gastinois and Hurepoix and some part of Briâ— are depending Melun is divided into three Parts as Paris viz. the City the new Town and the Isle This last was already on fooâ— in Caesar's time who calls it Melodunum and has now a Castle and two Churches The Normans destroyed Melun in 845 but since it was repaired and given by Hugh Capet to Bouchard his Favourite From about that time it began to have its Viscounts whose Family is yet subsisting in the Princes of Espinoy Eudes Count of Champaign took this Town by Money but King Robert retook and restored it to its Viscount in 999. It seems that Melun became every day stronger for in 1410 the English could not take it but by Famine nor the French retake it in 1435 but by Intelligence Melun is yet strong big and well Peopled the Seine runs through it but the Communication is kept by fine Bridges It has a Collegiate Church four Parishes and several Monasteries Fifteen Miles North-west of Melun and â—welve South of Paris is the Town of Montâ—lehery built by one Thibaud File-estoupe in 1015. There was formerly a strong Castle but it was all razed besides the Tower that is yet on foot by Lewis VI. sirnamed the Burly because of the Rebellion of Hugh de Crecy Count of that Place Guy his Father was Great Seneschal of France and married his Daughter Luciane to the Son of Philip I. afterwards King Lewis VI. But the young Prince not liking the Match repudiated Luciane in 1107 upon which Hugh raised a Civil War and so caused the Destruction of his Lordship and Family However this Town became famous in 1465 for the Battel which was fought near it on a Tuesday the 6th of July between Lewis XI and Charles Duke of Berry his Brother who had entred a League called the Publick Good with the Duke of Bretaign the Count of Charolois and several other French Lords against that Monarch The King had some Advantage though the Confederates remained Masters of the Field but what was pretty singular was that a Gentleman fled out of the King's Army aâ— far as Luzignan in Poictou that is near 150 Miles and another out of the Allies to Quesnoy in Hainaut about 120 both giving out that they had lost the Day Montlehery is built upon a Hill near the River Orge and has the Title of a County Provostship and Chastelny King Lewis XIII united it to the Dutchy of Chartres and gave it in part of his Portion to Gaston-John-Baptiste his Brother Duke of Orleans Upon the same River two Leagues South of Montlehery is the Town of Chartres neaâ— whose Walls are the Gardens of Chantelon which in King Henry the Fourth's time had not the like in the whole Kingdom and were especially admired for their Box and Myrtle-Trees Harbours and Hedges clipt into Figures of the ancient Gods Heroes Roman Gladiators c. But this fine Place being fallen into the Hands of some covetous or lazy Nuns of St. Bennet's Order is extreamly decayed Rochefort on the River Remande is an Earldom four Leagues West of Châtres and almost five North of Dourdan a pretty good Town and a County too on the River Orge â—ear its Spring and the Frontiers of Beausse It was the Patrimonial Estate of Hugh Capet before he ascended the Throne of France and has since been alienated and reunited to that Crown several times La Forté-Alais lies twenty Miles South of Paris and thirteen West of Melun Between these two Places thirteen Leagues South South-East of Paris in the Forest of Biesvre is the Borough of Fontaine-Bleau so called for the great Number of its fine Fountains It 's said the Royal House was built by Francis I. at the Solicitation of his Daughter Claudia who one day seeing a Hound or Spaniel discover a Spring desired her Father to build an House there This Design was since continued by most of the succeeding Kings and perfected by Henry the Fourth and is now one of the finest in France by reason of the great Number of its Springs the vast Scope of its Forests the Beauty of its Gardens the Length of its Canals the Richness of its Apartments Paintings Statues and other Curiosities It would be too tedious to describe all these in particular there being about 900 Chambers Cabinets Halls and Galleries that belong to this great Place therefore I will only hint at the most principal The First thing to be observed in going in is the great Court of the White Horse round whicâ— are the Apartments of the Officers hencâ— are fine Steps to the Queens Apartmenâ— in which there is a Garden with a Fountaiâ— that represents Diana holding a Deer bâ— the Horn and followed by four Dogs anâ— as many Bucks at the bottom There is also a curious Copper Statue in this Gardeâ— that represents a young Man naked anâ— pulling a Thorn out of his Foot The Figure of Laocoon with two of his Childreâ— and Serpents stinging them to Death The Tennis-Court and Bird-house anâ— sideways as also the Queens Gallery after that is the Deer-gallery which is very long and beautified with fine Paintings and above
and the Lord oâ— la None King Henry IV's Generals leaving Fifteen Hundred Men upon the spot Crespy Eleven Miles East of Senlis anâ— Thirteen Leagues North-East of Paris wâ— formerly a considerable City and the Capital of Valois It had the Title of a County or was the Seat of the Counts of Valâ—â— who are indifferently call'd by these Two Names This Title has likewise been borne by some Children of the French Kings In Castle which is now almost ruined is said to have been built by K. Dagobert and keeps still some remains of its Antiquity and of the greatness of the Town that haâ— not at present above Five Hundred Houses However it is yet the head of a Provostship and Castelny Francis I. concluded a Peace in this Town with the Emperour Charles V. on the Eighteenth of September 1544. La-Ferte-Milon upon the little River Oâ—â—e 4 Leagues South-East off Crespy and almost 6 North-East of Meaux is another Provostship and Castelity It is called in Latin Firmita Milonis that is the Castle or Fortress of Milon having been built by a Count of â—hat Name under the Reign of Lewis the Burly For as the Authors of the middle Age of the Latin Tongue said firmare for munire and firmitas for munimentum So the French who formed their Language upon this corrupted Speech call'd Ferte such places as were strong by Art and Nature and distinguished 'em from one another either by the Name of their Founder or by some particular circumstance of their scituation As to this it 's a pretty good Town with a Castle and Suburbs Villers-Costé-Res on the West-side on the Forest of Res Five Miles North of La Ferté Milon was formerly a Royal House where the French Kings often dwelt to take the pleasure of Hunting Pont St. Maixence is a considerable Burrough upon the Oyse Three Leagues North-East of Senlis Bethisy upon the River Ottenete a Mile Southwest of the Forest of Compiegne is a good Burrough which had formerly a strong Castle that is now almost ruined John of Bethisy Physician to King Philip the Bold was Famous under his Reign This Burrough is still the Head of a Provostship and Castelny as well as Pierrefons a Mile East of the same Forest Compiegne Compendium at the meeting 〈◊〉 the Rivers Aisne and Oyse above Eigâ— Leagues North-East of Senlis was built 〈◊〉 the Romans or at least before the Frenâ— master'd the Gauls It 's still a considerabâ—â— Town and hath often been the Residence oâ— the French Kings for Clotaire I. died aâ—â— was buried there in 564 and the Emperoâ— Charles the Bald repaired and increased iâ— and called it after his Name Carlopâ—â— Charles VI. took it from the Duke of Bâ—â—gundy in 1415 and Fifteen years after thâ— same Duke besieging this Town assisted by the English the Virgin of Orleans was takeâ— in a Sally Besides King Cloatire Lewis II and V. and Henry III. have been interâ—â—â— in this Town in which are made severâ—â— Manufactures and whence a great quantity of Wood is carried down to Paris Soissonnois The Diocess of Soissons above the River Aifne has the Dutchy of Valois on the West Laonnois and Champaigne on the West Brie on the South and Picardy on the North Soissons its Capital City is a very Antient City for in Caesars time it was already the Head of the Suessiones whose Jurisdiction was pretty large William the Britain a Latin Poet of France who lived in the Thirteenth Age says that it was built by some banished Sueves who imposed that Name upon it Whatever it may be sure it is that when Coesar subdued the Gauls Soissons had Twelve other Towns under it and could put Fifteen Thousand Men in Arms which were Smeden in their Capital During the Roman Emperors the Praetors of Belgick Gaule made their ordinary Residence in this City and under the French Kings of the first Race it has been some time the Capital of a Kingdom of that Name It is yet somewhat big and as a Bayliwick Presidial and generality and an Academy of Humane Learning which was the first that was associated to that of Paris It 's Bishop is the first Suffragan to the Arch-Bishop of Rheims he has the right of anointing the French Kings in the absence of his Metropolitan and has sometimes performed that Office This Diocess has Seventeen Parochial Churches besides the Cathedral Six Abbyes in the Town and Eighteen in the Country thereabouts and several Monasteries It 's Territory is fruitful in Corn with which Paris is chiefly provided Laonnois Laon was but at the beginning a Castle seated on the top of a Hill and called by the Inhabitants Laudunum and Lugdimum Clavatum in the Territory of Rheims Cloviâ— the great increased it into a City and St. Remy Arch-Bishop of Rheims erected it into a Bishoprick making his Friend Genebaut Partner of the Gifts and Possessions he had received from that Prince Hugh Capet made this Bishop the Second of the Six Ecclesiastical Dukes and Peers of France because thâ—â— Prelate had betrayed into his hands Charles of Lorrain his Competitor This is related by Du Chesne but if it be true 't is a wonder how this Bishop is not mentioned among the Suffragans of Rheims in a Notice or Catalogue of Bishops ending at the year 1220 and that in others of latter Date all quoted by Valesius he is put in the last rank Whatever it may be this Prelate assumes still the Title of Duke of Laon Peer of France and Count of Anisy and it appears that he had already some Temporal Jurisdiction in 1112 since Waldric Bishop of Laon was then kill'd endeavouring to keep his Citizens from entring into an association they had sworn against the Kings Consent Another nam'd Roger far'd better in an undertaking of the same Nature for at the head of some Troops he routed his Diocesans who had sworn an Association with the French King Lewis the Burly's leave This Town was besieged Twice by Lewis IV. who was taken Prisoner there This Diocess has Two places renowned for many pretended Miracles The first is Nostre-Dame-de-Liesse or our Lady of Joy the second is called St. Marcoul whether the French Kings must needs undertake a Pilgrimage immediately after their coming to the Crown if they will get the power of curing the Kings-Evil Noyonnois Noyon is seated betwixt Three small Brooks called La Versette La Golle and La Marguerite near the River Oyse Nine Leagues East of Laon and almost Eight of Scissons It 's an Antient City called by the Latins Noviomagus The Bishoprick of St. Quentin was transferred thither in 524 after the Town had been ruined by the Vandals This Prelates Jurisdiction was formerly very great since all Flanders depended on him before Tournay was erected into a Bishoprick in 1146. However the Bishop of Noyon is still one of the Antient Counts and Peers of France This City has had several misfortunes for it was plunder'd by the Normans in 859 and
them with abundance of Butter and Milk and their Sea-ports make them the best Fishers and Mariners in France The Inhabitants appear Clownish but are really shrewd and cunning Tho' Pliny asserts l. 4. c. 17 19. That the Galli call'd in their own Language Aremorica the Countrey included between the Garumne the Sea and the Pyrenean Mountains which the Romans nam'd afterwards Aquitain yet it appears that Caesar and other Ancient Geographers understood by Armorica and Armorici the Nations and Cities bordering upon the Ocean from the mouth of the Seyne to that of the Loire so that the Ancient Armorique comprehended all Brittany and a good part of Normandy that is all the third Lyonnoise and about one half of the second but this Name deriv'd from an old Gaulish word Armor Ad mare or near the Sea became in process of time proper to Britanny Beda relates l. 1. c. 1. That in old times some Armoricans came over into our Island and master'd the Southern parts of it however 't is not from them that our Ancestors got the Name of Brittains since these Gauls were only known by that of Armorici whereas it cannot be doubted but that our Brittains gave their Name to Brittanny Annal. Egin ad An. 786. For Eginhard testifies that about the Year 441. at the beginning of Valentinian's Empire the English and Saxons having invaded our Island a great part of the Inhabitants put to Sea and Landing on the borders of Vannes and Cornouaille made themselves Masters of the Countrey Accordingly we find one Mansuetus Bishop of these Brittains subscribing to the Council of Tours in 461. Our Refugees made not long since a great Figure in the World for about the end of the fifth Age their King â—â—othimas having made a League with the Emperor Anthemius against the Goths was defeated by them on the borders of Berry before he could joyn with his Confederates and lost in that Battle the best part of 12000 men So great a loss however was not able to run them altogether down for we find that even in the following Century they were a Terror to the French so that Clovis the Great 's Grand-Children Theodebert and Thierry were forc'd to keep Counts and Marquesses on the Frontiers to oppose the Incursions of the Brittains into the Territory of Nants They being so Warlike and their Castles and Forts being surrounded with Woods and Marshes the Captains of Charlemaign were not like to have subdued them as they did about the end of the eighth Century had they not divided themselves into several petty principalities notwithstanding they recover'd their liberty under Charles the Bald by the Valour of Nomenoius and Herispoius his Son to whom Charles yielded the Territories of Rennes Nantes and Retz when he saw that he could not recover them Others relate the Settlement and Adventures of our Brittains somewhat differently They say that about the Year 393. a Brittish Captain called Conan Meriadoc Lieutenant to Maximus who had been saluted Emperor in England in 382. obtained leave of his Master to erect a Kingdom in Little Brittain which his Successors enjoyed independently from any other till about the Year 570. that Chilpric I. King of France made them Tributary After the Death of Judicael about the Year 700 This Kingdom was rent into several petty Principalities so that Charlemaign had no great trouble to subdue them as he did in 787. Neomenes or Nomenoius descended from the Ancient Kings of Brittany was made Lieutenant to the Emperor Lewis the Meek but he revolted against him took the Title of King and dyed in 852. Heruspeus or Herispoius his Successor maintain'd the War against the French King till 866. that he was kill'd by his Cousin Solomon This last reigned 12 years and was murdered in 878. After his Death this Province was rent again by several Lords who made themselves Soveraigns in their respective Countries This lasted to the Year 930 or 935. that Alain I. subdued the whole Province and enjoyed it under the Title of County He was succeeded by twelve or thirteen more who possesesed it under the same Title but in all Soveraignty till a French Prince called Peter of Dreux Grandson to the French King Lewis the Burly having married Alix Heiress of this County in 1213. consented to acknowledge the French King Lewis IX for his Liege Lord who in recompense gave him the Title of a Duke And for having thus betray'd the Liberties of the Brittains he was surnamed by them the Duke Mauclerc that is The Ignorant or unskilful Duke Philip the fair King of France made John II. Grand-child to Peter Mauclerc Duke and Peer of France After the Death of John III. surnamed the Good in 1341. there hapned a long and bloody War between two pretenders to this Dutchy John IV. surnamed of Monfort and Charles of Blois John was Son to Arthur II. by a second Wife Charles had Spoused Jane Countess of Ponthievre Grand Daughter to the said Arthur The French King Philip of Valois maintained Charles and Edward III. King of England took the part of John This Quarrel lasted about 14 or 15 Years till John V. Son to the said John of Montfort totally routed and killed his Competitor Charles at the Battel of Aury in 1364. This Great Duke surnamed the Warlike and the Conqueror was succeeded by six others the last of whom Francis H. left but one Daughter Ann Dutchess and Heiress of Brittain Married to the French King Charles VIII and then to Lewis XII She had a Daughter by the last called Claudia Married to the French King Francis I. whose Son Henry II. was the first King of France that was Duke of Brittain by Succession and United that Dutchy inseparably to his Crown The chief Rivers of Bretagne besides the Loire of which we have spoken in the General Description are the Vilaine Vicenonia which comes from a Place in the Maine called la Croisille washes Vitrey receives the Pinelle mixes with the Lille at Rennes then encreased with the waters of Seiche Bonau and Sevonne St. Aubin Ouste Adon falls into the Sea near the Isle of Mai t six leagues South-west of Vennes and four North of the mouth of the Loire The Blavet comes from the Bishoprick of Quimpercorentin runs thrô the Bishoprick of Vennes washes Pontivy and Hennebont and having received the Elle at his mouth discharges it self into the Sea at the bay of Blavet The Laita separates the Bishopricks of Vennes and Quim percorentin and having received the Isotte at the Abby of St. Croix runs into the Sea at the Abby of St. Maurice three or four leagues West of the Bay of Blavet The Rivers of Oder and Benaudet meet at Quimpercorentin and run into the Ocean at a Village called Benaudeâ— The River Ausen or Auen washes the greatest part of this Bishoprick and falls into the Bay of Brest on the South-side which on the North-side receives the River Eloen The River of Morlaix washes the Town
Linnen and Leather and of its excellent Knives call'd also by the Name of the Country Coutaux Pergois The Inhabitants having rebell'd against the English the Count of Salisbury took it and caus'd many of them to be hang'd but the French King Charles VII retook it in 1449. It lyes 30 leagues South-west of Paris and almost 22 North-west of Orleance Mortagne Moritolium or Moritonium near the source of the Huisne 8 leagues North-west of Nogent le Rotrou is a goodly Town well peopled and adorned with several Churches It has a Castle and had formerly the Title of a County Perriere is now of little consideration having been ruin'd by the Wars â—eâ—me Bellismum or Bellissimum sup Castruâ— is seated on a Brook that encreases the Huifâ—â— la Ferte-Bernard and has near it a Mines Fountain as much esteem'd as those of Pougâ— and Forges The States of the Province use 〈◊〉 be kept in this Town which has the first Voâ—â— and is distant 6 leagues from Nogent le Rotrou 〈◊〉 the South-west The Barony of Pontgouin belongs to the Bâ—shop of Chartres and has several Lordships depending on it Conde sur Huisne Condate ad Egâ—â—nam is of some Consideration and lyes 2 leaguâ— North of Nogent le Rotrou 2. Perche-Gouet hath 5 Ancient Barronies tâ— wit Auton Monmirail Alluye Basoche and Brou 3. La Terre-Françoise consists in the Bailiwick of La Tour-Grise upon the River Aure over against Verneuil in Normandy 4. Les Terres â—membrées have the small Countrey of Timeraâ—â— the Town of Château-neuf and the Principality and Town of Senonches This little Province is about 18 leagues in length and almost as much in breadth It 's very fertile in Corn and well furnisht with Meadows and Pasture-ground which together with their Forrests and the Manufactures formerly mention'd make the Inhabitants subsist Remy Belleau a Lyrick Poet famous in the last Age was Originary of this Province Perche hath a dependance upon the Generallty's of Orleans and Alençon as to the Court of Exchequer on the Parliament of Paris for secular Justice and for the Spiritual it resorts to the Bishops of Chartres and Seez It had its â—articular Counts the most Ancient of whom â—s named Agombert or Albert in the time of Louis le Debonnaire in the IX Century But â—hey were call'd Counts of Bellesme Alençon or Mortagne and the first who took the Title of Count du Perche was Rotrou II. in 1149 that Country having been before of too little Consideration to give Title to a great Lord. Of Beauce DU Val and several other Geographers comprehend under the Name of Beauce Belsa or Belsia several small Countries as the Territory of Chartres le pais Chartrain that part of Gastinois which is annexed to the Government Orleanois besides Vendosmois Dunois Puisaye proper Orleanois Sologne and the Southern part of Blaisois which make up an extent of 35 leagues North and South from Dreux to Remorentin and above 50 leagues East and West from the borders of Champaign and Burgundy to the Frontiers of Maine being included with Berri and Nivernois on the South Perche on the North Maine and Touraine on the West and Champaign and Burgundy on the East These Countries taken together consist in large and fruitful Plains so very abundant in Corn that they are call'd the Granary of France The Learned Adrian de Valois following Ancient Authors gives to this Province an extent of 15 leagues and divides it into three parts Belsa Carnutensis le pais Chartrain Belsa Dunensis or Dunois Belsa Pitiverensis the Election of Pithiviers To avoid confusion I shall speak first of the County of Chartres or Pays Chartrain which is call'd by some Proper Beauce THis Country is situated between the Isle of France Perche Blaisois and Orleanois The City of Chartres call'd in Latin Autricum Carnutum from the River Autura Eure on which it lyes has a Presidial Seat and Bishoprick formerly suffragan of Sens and now of Paris since the Year 1622. This City is so Ancient that some Authors believed that the Issue of Gomer having pass'd into the Gauls some time after Noah did lay the Foundation of it Others maintain that the Druides and Sarrhonides the Ancient Priests of the Gauls did build it and foretold that a Virgin should one day grow big with Child without the Company of a Man It was this which obliged Prisâ—ns Governour for the Romans to erect a Temple to that Blessed Virgin with this Inscription Virgini Pariturae or to the Virgin who is to bring forth Thus it was that they ador'd at Athens an unknown God But whatever be of it the People of this Countrey made a long and bold Resistance to the Romans kill'd one Tasgetus tho' he was of the Royal Blood of their own King's because Caesar had set him over them and after that great Conqueror had subdued them he was glad that they would accept of the Alliance of the Romans and keep their Peace The Bishops of this City are thought to be of very Ancient Institution for Solemnis who informed K. Clovis in the Christian Religion is reckon'd its 14 Prelate by Duchesne At least 't is probable that under the French Kings of the first and second Race they were Lords Temporal as well as Spiritual of it if what the same Author relates be true that one Elias the 40th Bishop gave the Revenues of the Abby of S. Pere en Vallée to the Nobility of Chartres and that Hardwin the 50th Prelate was the first who Dismember'd the County from the Bishoprick to enrich a Nephew of his call'd Odo or Eudes I know not whether his Posterity forfeited their Estates but Hugh the Great Father to Hugh Capet the first French King of the 3d. Race being then very powerful in that Kingdom gave this Country together with those of Blois and Tours to a Kinsman of his call'd Theobald the Old or the Tricker His issue in process of time viz. in 1037. acquired the County of Champaign and had been the greatest Lords in France had they not weak'ned themselves by the Portions they gave to Youngest Sons In 1286. Lewis IX bought the County of Chartres from Jane of Chatillon the Heiress of it It has been since united to the French Crown and separated from it several times and now it makes part of the Portion of Monsieur Lewis XIV.'s Brother his Eldest Son bearing the Title of Duke of Chartres This City and Country have under gone several Revolutions for at the end of the sixth Age Thierry K. of Burgundy took it by Storm from his Brother Clotaire In 743. Hunold Duke of Aquitain took Chartres and burn'd it Francis I. erected it into a Dutchy in Favour of Madam Reneâ— of France Dutchess of Ferrara Anno 911. Rollon chief of the Normans besieged it and Anno 1019. it was almost quite burnt down Anno 1568. the Protestants laid Seige to it under the Reign of Charles IX and would certainly have taken it the Admiral
of Chatillon having defeated la Valette who came to relieve it and the Duke of Anjou not daring to ventuâ—e a Battle against that great Captain But the Protestant Nobility lured with the fair promises of Liberty of Conseience by that entreaguing Princess Katherine of Medicis rais'd voluntarily the Siege whereupon ensued the short Edict of Pacification at Longjumeau Ever since Chartres followed the party of the League till Anno 1591. Henry â—he Great took it and was there Crown'd and Anointed King of France the City of Rheims still persisting in its Rebellion If you ask whether they took Consecrated Oyl to perform that Ceremony Du Kerâ—â—er will answer you that there is another holy Ampull or Vial kept at Marmoutier an Abby near Tours for that purpose and that the Oyl of that Vial is no less Sacred than that of Rheims The River Eure divides Chartres into two inequal parts which lye partly on a Valley of difficult Access and partly at the end of a large Plain the Streets are generally narrow as â—t uses to be in Ancient Towns the Houses hoâ—eveâ— are fine the Walks pleasant and the Churches Magnificent The Cathedral dedicated to the Holy Virgin is very considerable its Quire the Church under ground and its 2 Steeples are the Admiration of all Strangers The Chapter hath 72 Canons 17 whereof are Dignitaries among whom are 6 Archdeacons viz. of Chartres Blois Dunois Vendome Dreux and Pincerais 4 Provosts namely those of Ingre Normandy Mesange and Anet In this Diocess are reckon'd 30 Abbies 257 Priories and more than 1300 Parishes the Churches of St. Julien and St. Agnan are very fine In a word 't is one of the biggest and richest Diocesses of France comprehending four other Cities the heads of so many Countries each of which might conveniently enough be made the Seat of a Bishop viz. Blois Chateaudun Vendome and Dreux if we believe De Valoâ—s In the City it self are 3 Abbies viz. those of St. Josaphat St. Pere en Vallée and St. Cheron besides many other Religious Houses Several considerable Manufactures are made at Chartres by reason of the waters of the River Eure which are esteemed very proper for that purpose This City lyes 14 leagues North-west of Orleance and 16 South-west of Paris Nogent le Roi is situated upon the Euâ—e 5 miles South of Dreux and 9 North of Chartres It 's call'd Novigentum Regis because as some say King Philip VI. dyed here or as others pretend because it was given by one Isaselle to K. Philip August Dreux Durocassae Carnutum and corruptively Drocae and Drocum lyes also upon the Eure 13 miles North of Chartres on whose Bishop it depends as likewise on the Governour of Orleanois tho' as to the Exchequer its Election resorts to the Generality of Paris It has the Title of a County and the precedency of Chartres in the Assembly of the General States it being one of the Ancientest Cities in the Kingdom Nay if we believe the suppositious Berose it was built Anno 410. or thereabouts after the Deluge by Drius IV. King of the Gauls and Founder of the Druides So much at least is sure that these Druides who were together the Priests the Teachers the Judges and the Physicians of that Nation kept here their Assemblies as esteeming this Place blessed and holy and the middle or Center of Gaul Here also it was that they gather'd the Misletoe from the Oaks with many Ceremonies after the solemn Sacrifice of two young white Bulls on the sixth day of the Moon the Priests cutting the Shrub with a Gold Sickle and the People receiving it on white Cloath For those crafty fellows made the Vulgar believe that the Misletoe was an heavenly Gift a Soveraign Remedy and preservative against all Diseases Robert Son of Lewis the Burly had the County of Dreux given him Anno 1137. when he marryed the Widdow of Rotrou Count of Perche He is the Stock of the Counts of that Name and the Dukes of Brittany descended from him His Grandson Peter of Dreux having married Guy Alix Heiress of that Sovereignty in 1250. About the end of the twelfth Century our K. Henry II. and his Son Richard burn'd this Town and Vendome because Count Robert of Meular their Kinsman and Vassal had made Homage of his Lands to the French K. Philip August This Town is likewise famous for the Battle which the Roman Catholicks gained over the Protestants Anno 1562. in which the Generals of both Parties the Duke of Monmorency Lord high Constable of France and the Admiral of Coligny were made Prisoners Gaillardon Galardo is scituted upon a little River which emptieth it self into that of Eure 3 leagues and a half from Chartres to the North-East It 's remarkable for the Birth of St. Hildeburg whose Life has been not many years since published by Don Luke d' Achery Espernon Sparno lyes 5 leagues North-East of Chartres and 5 Miles East of Nogent le Roy. It has a Priory under the Name of St. Thomas but is much more famous for having been erected into a Dutchy and Peerdom in 1582. by the French King Henry III. on behalf of John Lewis of la Valette Nogaret whom he rais'd to the highest Dignities in that Kingdom and madâ— him his chief Favourite Bonneval is scituated on the Frontiers of Blaisois in a fruitful Soil where the Loir receives the Mesuve 6 Leagues and a half South of Chartres There is a famous Abby of Benedictines of which one Arnauld an intimate Friend of St. Bernard was Abbot in the 13th Century Maintenon Mesteno 7 Miles North-East of Chartres and 3 South-East of Nogent le Roy upon the River Eure is now famous for giving the Title of Dutchess to the Widdow of the Poet Scarron Fransoise d' Aubigne the principal She-minister of State and Cabinet Counsellor of Lewis XIV There are some other Towns or considerable Burroughs in this County as Auneau Ouerville Voves Viabon c. In 1682. the Duke of Guise defeated the Germans near Auneau Of Vendomois VEndomois Vindocinensis or Vindusnensis Pagus hath Perche on the North Maine on the West Touraine on the South and Blaifois on the East Here is especially remarkable Vendome Vindocinum Castrum situated upon the Loir and the Capital of Vendomois with the Title of Dutchy and Peerdom erected by Francis I. in 1514. on behalf of Charles of Bourbon Father of Antony of Bourbon and this of Henry IV. During the first Race of the French Kings this Country made part of the Kingdom of Orleance and was since possest by the Counts of Anjou In 1342. Godfrey Martel one of them built here the Abby of the Holy Trinity after he had overcome William Count of Poictiers and Conquer'd from him the City of Saintes He fill'd it with Benedictine Monks and presented it with a pretended Tear of our Saviour said to have been wept on the Grave of Lazarus The Popes who never fail'd of gratifying the Monks at the Expences of the
Kingdom Soulogne or Sologne Secalaunia or Segalonia is another small Country on the South of Blaisois between the Loire and the Cher. Some derive its Latin name Secalaunia from the abundance of Ry Secale that grows in the Country but de Valois takes it for a proper name just such another as the Segalauni of Dauphine the Inhabitants of Valence However it be Sologne depends for the Spiritual on the Bishop of Chartres and is the fourth in number among his six Archdeaconships and as for the Temporal it resorts to the Bayliwick of Blois as well as Dunois It abounds with Fruits and Corn and especially with Millet The City of Blois Blesum Blesae or Castrum Blesense is situated upon the Loire with the Title of County Bailiwick and Chamber of Accounts It is almost equally distant from Orleans and Tours being near thirteen Leagues from the former to the East and twelve from the latter to the West This Town has some Antiquity for tho' Caesar does not mention it and that there be no great reason to take it for the Corbilo of Strabo yet it appears by Gregory of Tours that the Inhabitants were already in some consideration in the V. VI. Centuries since in conjunction with the Orleanois they invaded the Dun is and Anno 584 kept Prisoner Eberulf in the Church of St. Martin at Tours The sight of Blois is very pleasant on the steep of a Hill on the North-side of the Loire the River running through the Town and Suburb Vienne that are joyn'd by a Stone-Bridge whereon is a Pyramid erected in 1598. With an Inscription to shew that Henry IV. rebuil'd it There is a sumptuous Castle begun by the Kings Lewis XII and Francis I. beautified by Queen Katharine of Medicis by the French King Henry IV. and by several Dukes of Orleans As also a curious Garden adorn'd with Water-spouts and antick Statues Henry III. call'd here twice the States of his Kingdom in 1577 and 1588 and during the last of these Assemblies caus'd Henry Duke of Guise and the Cardinal Francis his Brother to be murther'd The excellency of the Air and fertility of the Ground have given to Blois the Sir-name of The City of Kings or perhaps it was because in this Country they brought up the Children of the Fr. Kings and that some of the Kings themselves have resided there To which may be added That the first Counts of Blois were the Fore-fathers of Hugh Capet from whom the present Kings are lineally descended These Counts were as Sovereign as are now the Electors and other Princes of Germany for they coyn'd Mony with an Hebraick Letter a Flower de luce and their own Name on one side and on the backside a cross with a B. and these two words Castro Blesis Besides what has been alledged for the antiquity of Blois there are remains of an Aqueduc wherein three Men can ride on Horseback abreast and 't is the common Tradition of the Inhabitants that at a Village call'd Orchese almost 5 Miles West of the Town Julius Caesar kept his Magazines which they endeavour to confirm by the Ruins of some great Buildings Arches strong and thick Walls and the like Antiquities but have no other ground that I know of As to new VVorks besides the Castle and Gardens there is a Tennis Court esteemed the biggest in France being 57 Foot in length and 20 in breadth Between Blois and Orchese not far from that Village was discovered about a hundred Years since a Mine of Terra Sigillata or seal'd Earth which is pretended to be as good as that of Lemnos The Pasture Ground in the Valley of Loire and the Exhalations that come out of the Vaults of St. Gervais are so wholesome that the Milk of the Cattle that feeds thereabouts is excellent especially the Cream that is esteemed one of the Dainties of the Country The Boon-Christian-Pears and Perdigron Plums are also rare Fruits and amongst Handy-works the VVatches of Blois have got a Name through the whole Kingdom but that which is most taking with Strangers is the Purity of the French Tongue that is spoken here with a good Accent as well by Country Men as by Gentlemen and with all the charming Humour and singular Honesty of the Inhabitants I had almost forgotten that Peter l'Hermite the first Preacher of the Crusado's was a Native of Blois Tho' the Royal House and Park of Chambort or Chambourg be not antient Monuments yet they deserve a particular description The House lies almost seven Miles West of Blois on the South side of the Loire in the midst of the Park and of a pleasant Forest It was begun by King Francis I. at his coming out of the Prison at the same time that he built Madrid-Castle near Paris but tho' he employ'd eighteen hundred Workmen at the building of Chambort during twelve years yet it was not perfectly finished in his life time A small Brook abounding with Fish surrounds the Palace which is adorn'd with many little Towers and Chimneys that give a very fine prospect from far off and the Forest is so pierced through that it hinders not the view of the adjacent Meadows nor even of the Town of Blois from the top of the Towers The most remarkable thing is a Winding Stair-Case of 274 Steps so large that several persons can go abreast and so contriv'd that those who go up on one side and come down on the other cannot see each other tho' they can talk together Add to this that one may throw a Ball perpendicularly through the Newel from the top of the Stairs to the bottom At the end of the Queens Garden which takes up five hundred acres of Land towards the Forest of Blois is a Lane of six thousand great Elms a Mile in length and six Fathoms in breadth I pass over the other Curiosities to observe that the Park is encompass'd with a square-Wall lying as a Parallelogramm inclin'd along the Loire and cut through the River Cousson being three Italian Miles East and West two Miles North and South-West and one and two thirds North and South-East There are 6 other Towns of some consideration in the little extent of Blaisois Mer or Menars the Town and the Castle Suevre-cour-sur Loire and Die these two lie over against Chambort the former on the North the latter on the South-side of the Loire Onzain mid-way between Amboise and Blois Landes on the borders of Vendomois and Contres on the Frontiers of Soulogne Chateau-Dun Castellodunum is the Capital City of the little Country of Dunois 11 Leagues North of Blois It has its Name from the Hill on which it 's seated on the East-side of the Loir Dun in old Gaulish signifying a Hill but I know not where Duchesne has found that it was antiently call'd Rubeclara for Vrbs Clara because it may be seen from far off There is a Castle strong by its Scituation and Works but the Suburbs are larger and better built than the
Chastillon Sur Indre-Igorandis Aigurande Montfaucon Monsfalconis towards Nivernois has one of the finest Ponds in the Country Nancey Pelluau Charrox Corrocium have the Title of Counties Ligneres Lineriae and St. Severe are Buronies Valansay Vatan Vastinum Culant Cullencum are considerable Lâ—rdships La Cheze-al-Benoit is an Abby the chief of St. Benet's Order Of Poictou THis Province is the biggest of those that are comprehended in the Government Orleanois for it reaches 48 Leagues East and West from Port de Piles in Tourain to the Isle of Nermoutier and 20 North and South from Loudun to Aunay or 26 from Champigni on the Vienne to Marsillai on the Charante and the Borders of Angoumois It 's included betwixt Britany Anjou and Tourain on the North. Berri and La Marche on the East Angoumois Saintonge and Aunis on the South and the Sea on the West It 's divided into upper and lower the latter extending along the Ocean from Fontenay le Comte to Mortaigne and the former taking up the rest of the Province The whole Country is fruitful in Corn Wine and Pasture-Grounds and feeds great numbers of Sheep and Herds of Cattle besides that there is good Fishing on the Sea-Coast and a vast quantity of Game in the Forrests and Warrens The Inhabitants of POICTOV are mentioned by Cesar Strabo Ptol my and other antient Geographers under the Name of Poictones But there is little appearance they should have gotten that Name from a Scythian Nation call'd properly Agathyrses and sirnam'd Picti because they used to Paint their Hair and Faces to make themselves the more terrible to their Enemies That these Pictes having possest themselves of the Northern Parts of great Britain should have Shipp'd over a Colony that made a Descent on the Coasts of POICTOV Conquered the Country and gave their Sirname to it All this is grounded upon a bare Resemblance of Words without any Foundation on History for theses Pictes began to appear in the Year 87. of our Lord under the Empire a Domitian and we have quoted Cesar who call'd the Inhabitants of POICTOV Pictones an hundred Years before So that this must needs be a Gaulish Name whose original is unknown that Tongue being almost altogether lost The swiftness of Cesars Conquests in the Gauls will not surprise those who shall consider the Constitution of that Country separated into a vast number of petty States independing from one another That Great Captain us'd the methods that have ever prov'd so successful to Conquerors to sow dissension among their Enemies make Alliances with some profer Neutrality to others and use the Forces of the vanquished to subdue the unconquered Thus Cesar having submitted the Inhabitants of the Country of POICTOV and Saintonge imbark'd his Troops in their Vessels to Land Men into the Country of Vennes and by those means subdued the most potent Nation that liv'd on the Sea-Coast of Gaul Neither could the League which Vercingentorix a young Gentleman of Auvergne endeavoured to make among several Nations of the Celtick Gaul restore their broken Power The Quota of the Pictones came then to 8000 Men which shews how considerable they were in those days Notwithstanding Alesia whose relief was intended by this League was taken and destroyed by the Romans the Pictones with all their Confederates being likewise subdu'd Ever since the Pictones remained under the Romans and not long after the Emperour Claudius going over into England was accompanied with the Flower of their Nobility whom at his Return he allow'd to rebuild their Capital City in Recompence of their good Services But in 410 the Vandals plundered and destroyed it in part and two Years after it fell with all POICTOV Guienn and Languedoc in the Power of the Wisigoths who maintained themselves in the Possesion of all those Provinces 84 Years under six Kings that is till 509 that Clovis King of the French won the Battel of Civaux near Poictiers kill'd Alaric King of the Wisigoths and drove them out of POICTOV and a great part of Guienn and Languedoc Under the French King and Emperour Charles the Bald this Province began to have Counts of its own who in process of Time beeame Dukes of Guienn William the X. the last of them Married Alienor his only Daughter and Heires to the French King Lewis the VII but the crafty Policy of the Popes procuring a Divorce betwixt them this rich Princess spous'd Henri Plantagenet afterwards King of England which was the Source of continual Wars betwixt the two Kingdoms during two or three Centuries Pictones is the true Latin Name of the Inhabitants that has been since corrupted into Pictavi Pictavenses and Pictavini whence comes the French Poitevins and likewise the Name of Petaux given to some part of the French Foot by Froissard and Thibaud de Maroiles as most probably the Name of Bidaux in the same Historians signifies the Foot-Soldiers levied in the Province of Berry Bituriges As there are great Numbers of Gentry in this Province and the Inhabitants of Towns are well bred and live at Ease the Reformation made great progresses in POICTOV and was oft therefore the Seat of War in the last Age. But nothing can be compar'd to the Cruelties which the Intendant of Marillac and his Officers exercised upon the Protestants of this Province in the Years 1680. and 1681 by Lewis the XIV's Order The waste of their Goods and the plunder of their Houses were tolerable Vexations in comparison of the Racks and Tortures which they put those poor Men upon without any other Cause than that they were pretended Hereticks The Reader may consult two Books Erat des Reformez en France Par. 1. Chap. 8 to 14. but especially Pag. 141 142. and Les derniers efforts de l'innocence affligee Pag. 82 -123 Besides the general Division of POICTOV into Upper and Lower 't is subdivided into ten smaller Countries as le Chastelleraudois le Loudunois le Miâ—aâ—elois le Toâ—â—rcois la Gastine Arbauge le Lussonois 〈◊〉 â—â—oâ—â—ois les Mauges and le Pais de Tifaâ—â—◠〈…〉 I shall describe under the Towns whom they hâ—ve their name Poictiers Capital of the whole Province lies forty Leagues from Orleans and sixty five from Paris to the South East It s antient Name is Augustoritum according to Ptolomy who also mentions another City under the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Limonum which Sanson takes for Poictiers but that antient Geographer distinguishes them so plainly that I had rather to confess I know not what place Limonum is than to contradict him In process of Time Augustoritum was call'd Pictavi by the Name of the People of which it was the Head as Parisii Remi and many other Cities in the Gauls and afterwards Pictava Pictavorum Vrbs and Pictavium It seems to have formerly stood lower to the North at a place call'd le Vieux Poictiers not far from Chastelleraud because of the name of old Poictiers and of some Ruins of old Walls that are yet to be
for the Helvii of Caesar who are rather those of Vivarais and Sanson for the Fleutheres or Heleutheres subject to the Auvergnats as well as those of Quercy Gevaudan and Velay adding withal that the Cambolectri whom Pliny places in Aquitania inhabited the Diocese of Alby and the Cambolectri Atlantici the Diocese of Castres But as he grounds his conjectures upon no certain foundation so they are rejected by De Valois We have already seen that the Tectosages fill'd up all the Western part of Languedoc to the very Cevennes and the Mediterranean Sea and consequently that the Albigeois might well be the ancient Tolistobogii or Trocmi Neighbours Allies or Subjects to the Tectosages I have observ'd in the first part of this Book how the Disciples of Vigilantius spread in Guyenne and Languedoc were for a long time as a Bank that stopp'd the overflowing superstition But when this Torrent grew so strong that this Barrier prov'd too weak God rais'd new Defensors to his Church At the beginning of the XII Century Peter of Bruys a Native of Dauphiné Preached and writ successfully against the prevailing Errors and was happily seconded by Henry a Monk of Toulouse The Papists had recourse to their usual Arms Fire and Sword by which means they both got the Crown of Martyrdom But their Blood prov'd as well as that of the first Christians the Seed of the true Church so that after the Dispersion of Valdo's Disciples about 1160 some ofâ—â—em retiring in those parts they were kindly receiv'd The vulgar had so good an Opinion of them that they commonly call'd them les Bons Hommes the Good Men and even Raymâ—â—d the old Count of Toulouse Peter King of Arragon the Counts of Foix Comminges and the Viscounts of Bearn spoused their Cause And as Error and Vice are always timorous so the Popes began to fear that their fatal day was come and publish'd a Croisade against those pretended Hereticks as though they had been Heathens or Mahometans The Albigeois under the Wings of their Lords and Protectors defended themselves almost an Age but at last they were over-pow'red by the number the French King 's catching hold of that opportunity to deprive those petty Soveraigns of their Principalities Then it was that such as had escap'd the Sword in the Field of Battel fell in the bloody hands of the Inquisitors who at long run made an end of them however not so as wholly to root the seeds of the truth out of their heart which sprouted out again when our first Reformers appear'd in the last Age for then the Provinces of Languedoc and Guienne the ancient Seat of the Albigeois produced more Converts than all the others of France taken together We have hardly any Account of the Albigeois then by such as were their sworn Enemies Accusers or rather Executioners so that upon the plain confession of Popish Authors that the Albigeois held almost all the same Doctrines with the Protestants and that they rejected the same Superstitions for which the last are still divided from the Church of Rome we might look as Calumnies some Manichean Tenets ascrib'd to them as to deny the Divinity of the Old Testament to admit a good and a bad Principle c. But to clear these Christian Hero's for ever we have but to observe that the Manicheans having been banish'd the East by the Greek Emperours they first spread themselves into Germany thence they passed into Italy and France where meeting with a People averse from Persecution they readily crept and skulk'd amongst them and the malicious Inquisitors catching some of these Hereticks took hold of this occasion to defame the true Albigeois The R. D. Allix has given such incontestable proofs of these Matters of Fact that I cannot imagine that a Roman Catholick of any sincerity will ever renew such notorious Calumnies ALBY Albia or Albiga Capital of this Country lies upon the River Taâ—n 17 Leagues North-East of Toulouse and 14 South-East of Montauban It s Foundation and Antiquity are unknown for no antient Geographer remembers it and the first mention of it that De Valois could find is in an old Notice of the Gaules which puts Civitus Albiensum in the fourth place among the 8 Cities of the first Aquitain though some of latter date name it but the seventh in Order Gregory of Tours testifies that one Salvius was Bishop of Alby under the Children of Clovis and another call'd Sabinus subscrib'd to the Council of Agde in 506. but whether S. Clair a Martyr planted there Christianity and was the first Bishop of that Town is uncertain Charlemaign having erected Aquiâ—â—â—â— into a Kingdom on behalf of Lewis the Meek his Son establish'd Counts in the Principal Cities who together with the Bishops were to be the young Prince's Counsellours and Aimoin was nam'd the first Count of Alby All these Counts having made themselves Soveraigns during the decay of the French Monarchy the Estate of the Counts of Alby pass'd by marriage into the House of Toulouse and then both returned to the French Kings by the 〈◊〉 I have hinted speaking of Languedoc Alby has been a long time a Suffragan to Bourâ—â—â— and one of the richest Bishopricks in France being about 50000 Crowns worth but 〈◊〉 it was made a Metropolitan by Pope â—â—cent XI in behalf of Hyacinthe Serroni a Roman Gentleman and the Dioceses of Rodez Castrer Cahors Vabres and Mende detached from Bourges to whose Prelate has been given a recompence of some additional Revenues The Archbishop of Alby is still Lord temporal of that City and the King has but there a Viguier for his Chief Justice The Cathedral under the name of S. Cecile has one of the finest Quires in that Kingdom The other Towns or considerable Burroughs of this Diocese are Pennes upon the Aveyrou Cordes Monestier and Caramous upon the Ceron Pampelone upon the Biaur Gaulene and Valence near the source of the Ceron Tais Maillat Ville-neuve Cajousac Castelnau de Montmirail and Peucelsy upon the Vere Rabasteins l'Isle Gaillac la Bastide de Lenis Lescure and Trebas upon the Tarn on the North side Grioussens Cadelens Denat Albain on the South of that River Lombers on the Assou Realmont on the Dadou c. Gaillac is famous for its white Wines whose Drunkenness is not felt but an hour after the Debauch At Rabasteins was fought a memorable Battel between the Duke of Berri and the Count of Foix in 1381. Castres the second Bishoprick contain'd in Albigeois is seated on the Agout nine Leagues South of Alby and 16 East of Toulouse Both the Town and the Bishoprick are new for we find no mention of the Town in ancient Geographers only the Historians of the Albigenses as Peter the Monk mention it as an illustrious Castle under the name of Castra and as the head of the Country of Albigeois As to the Bishoprick it was erected by Pope John XXII in 1317 instead of the Abby of S. Vincent whose body was secretly convey'd from
Valence in Spain hitherto by Audald a Monk of Gascony in 858 if we believe Aimoin-Castres has still the name of a County and has been possest under that Title by the Counts of Mountfort and then by those of Armagnac the last of whom James of Armagnac was beheadâ—d under Lewis XI in 1417. This King gave â—t to one Bouffil of Juges his Lieutenant in Râ—usâ—â—â—n but under Francis I. it was re-united to the French Crown In the time of its Counts Castres had a Seneschal Comtal and a Judg of Appeals but now all its Officers of Justice are resorting to the Seneschalship of Carcassonne The French King Henry IV. had establish'd there â— Chamber of the Edict or a Sovereign Court consisting of Counsellors one half Protestants â—nd the other half Roman Catholicks but â—ewis XIV transferr'd it to Castelnaudary and then abolish'd it with all the others in 1679. under pretence of uniting it to the Parliament of Toulouse This Town divided into two parts by â—he River Agout was taken by the Reformed â— 1567 and is very much known by the Maâ—â—factory of Crapes It has several Churches â—nd Monasteries especially a Chartreuse or Convent of Carthusians hard by the City The Bishop's Palace is a very sumptuous Building There is a great huge Rock call'd the Rock of Luâ—el two Leagues from Castres that is worth taâ—ing notice of if it be true what I am assured â—y Mr. Boyer a Gentleman of parts and a Nâ—â—â—re of that Country viz. that it may b◠〈◊〉 â—y any ones Hand or Finger though it stâ—â—â—â—â—â—movable when Carts and Coaches go 〈◊〉 it 〈◊〉 it lies under a Bridge I shall here subjoyn another observation communicated to me by that ingenious promoter of Learning Sir Theodore de Vaux Physician to the Late King Charles II. Fellow of the Royal Society concerning the Mountain of the Priapes as they call it that lies betwixt Castreâ— and Carcassone much out of the road It is â— little Hill amongst other Hills where thâ— Stones are shap'd like Mens Yards with two Stones perfectly made some great like those oâ— big Men some like Boys and some like Children We gathered said he amongst us above 40 oâ— them some of which I gave during my Travels in sundry places to the curious to puâ— them into their Closet of Rarities Amongsâ— others I presented Caualier del Puzzo a Virtuosâ— of Rome with one very much resembling the natural parts of a Man of middle Age. Thesâ— Stones being broken there is a vein of Cristâ— in the midst I gave one to King Charles Iâ— not so big as that at Rome but of as exact shape I had many of them at Padoa buâ— our Maid that found them on a Shelf fluâ—â— some of them away and others she broke thinking we had put them there to laugh aâ— her one broken I gave to the Royal Society with one that is made like a Womans thinâ— the earth round about this place is a Sand likâ— blood almost The reason of this I leave to Phâ—losophers observing only that the Inhabitanâ— use to ascribe it to a Celestial Influence foâ— want of a more proper cause So far my woâ—thy Friend whose relation I have inserteâ— here the rather that I never saw nor hearâ— before of any thing like it Three Leagues North-West of Castres lies the small Town of Lautrec with a ruined Castle and the Title of a Viscounty that has been born by the Counts of Foix and since by several illustrious Families in Languedoc This Town is seated upon a Mountain that produces excellent Wines and the Chapter of S. Peter of Burlas has been transferred thither The other places are Briateste Graulhet and Mondragon upon the Dadou Venais S. Germier and Roque-courbe near Castres Brassac and Castelnau de Brassac Pierre-Seguade Viannes and La Caune upon the Gigeou La Salvetat Boissesson de Murviez and S. Gervais Of the County of Foix. THis County comprehending the Dioceses of Rieux Pamiez and Mirepoix has that of Toulouse on the North those of S. Papoul Carcassonne and Alet on the East part of Catalogne on the South and the Counties of Conserans and Comminges on the West It reaches 20 Leagues South and North from Lavet Coronat near the source of the Arriegue to its mixing with the Lers between Sabaudun and Calmont and 14 or 16 East and West This Country has had its particular Counts issued from the Earls of Carcassonne during six Ages Bernard I. if we believe the Learned De Marca was the first Count of Foix in 1012. Raimond Roger the Sixth in order took the part of the Albigeois about the beginning of the XIII Century It 's reported that as in a conference betwixt the Roman and these true Catholicks the Sister of the Count would speak in behalf of the last a rough Monk Stephen of Minia told her most uncivilly that She ought to go and spin from her distaff and not to meddle with Religious Matters whereupon the ingenious Princess reply'd that the very Stones will speak where Men keep an unworthy silence and that she must needs discharge a Duty which he was either unable or unwilling to perform The zealous Count lost a great part of his Estate in this quarrel but his Son Roger Bernard II. to preserve the rest reconcil'd himself to the Church of Rome and made Peace with the French King Lewis IX in 1246. The Counts of Foix became afterwards more powerful and acquired either by Marriage or Inheritance the Viscounties of Bearn and Chastelbon the Lordships of Grailly and Albret and even the Kingdom of Navarr till all these Dominions and Estates past into the House of France by the coming of Henry IV. to that Crown This County has several Quarries of fine Marble and some Silver Mines FOIX upon the Arriegue Fuxum has the Title of a County and Peerdom erected by Charles VII in behalf of Gaston of Foix in 1458. It has an election and is the Seat of a Seneschal and of the Estates of the Province It lies near the Pyrenean Mountains 17 Leagues South of Toulouse and resorts for the spiritual to the Bishop of Pamiers Pamiers Apamia upon the same River 4 Leagues North of Foix and 13 South of Toulouse was anciently a Town called Fredelac where the Counts of Carcassonne foundâ—d in the 8 Age an Abby of Regular Canons of S. Austin under the name of S. Antonia De Valois esteems him to be the same who has written an Itinerary or a Journal of his Travels from France to the Holy Land through Italy but at the same time he quotes an ancient Martyrology wherein this S. Antonin is said to have suffer'd Martyrdom at Pamiers by the Heathens V. Nonas Sept. or the 2. of September but the Year is not mention'd so that the whole remains uncertain Sure it is that this Towr had already a considerable Castle in the time of the Albigeois whose Historians call it Apamia and Apamiae that in 1149 Roger Bernard Count
confirm'd this gift or sale so that Montpellier remain'd to his Posterity who because of the increase of their Town and the consideration it came to be in allied themselves with very illustrious Houses as the Kings of Jerusalem and of Aragon the Dukes of Burgundy and the Counts of Foix and became at last Kings of Majorca But this small Kingdom was the ruine of their Patrimonial Estate for James III. King of Majorca and Lord of Montpellier having been depriv'd of his Realm by Peter of Arragon his Brother in Law was compell'd by want and misery to sell his Lordship to the French King Philip of Valois in 1349. Physick has the precedency in the University of Montpellier yet both parts of the Law are taught in one of its Colleges by four Royal Professors with power of making Licentiates and Doctors There are besides a generality of the King's Treasurers a Court of Aides a Chamber of Accounts a Mint and a Presidial-seat Montpellier was one of the Towns of security which Henry IV. had granted to the Protâ—stants but Lewis XIII designing the ruin of this part of his Subjects forc'd them by Arms to surrender this pledge of his protection and took this City after a long Siege and a vigorous defence in the Month of October 1622. Then it was that the Roman Catholicks got again into their hands the Cathedral of S. Peter for the Bishoprick of Maguelonne had been transferred thither in 1536 with the consent of Pope Paul III. Soustancion being now but a ruin'd Village However they were still fewer in number and have been so till this last Persecution Montpellier is govern'd by six Consuls or Sheriffs who are also Viguiers or Baylies of the Town and have a great attendance The Merchants have likewise their Consuls under the came of Consuls of the Sea to distinguish 'em from the Sheriffs call'd Consuls Majours There is a particular Court for Debts whose Judge sirnamed of the little Seal has jurisdiction over them who submit to him by contract Besides the University the Churches and the Palace of the Justice there are other Buildings worthy to be taken notice of as the Royal College for Humane Learning the Cittadel rais'd since the taking of Montpellier from the Protestants and flank'd with four Bastions two within and two without the Town Near to its Wall is the Royal Garden of Simpâ—es extraordinary well kept and furnished The Ceremonies us'd in taking the degree of Doctor in Physick is worth seeing were it only for their putting seven times on and off the Back of the new Doctor the old Gown of Rabelais The Confection of Alkermès is likewise made in a solemn manner before the Magistrate and one of the Professors of Physick Their Triacle is in as great esteem as that of Venice and their Powders of Cypre Queen of Hungary's Waters Essences and Scent-waters are vended through alâ— Europe The Inhabitants of Montpellier are also famous for making Verdegreese whitening Wax working upon Silk with Mills and severaâ— other Manufactures Add to this that theiâ— Soyl is one of the best and the Air one of the wholsomest in France Lates mention'd by Pomponius Mela undeâ— the name of Castellum Latara and by more modern Authors under those of Castrum de Latis and Castrum de Palude is seated in an Island made by the Mouth of the Lez Ledum which discharges it self into a great Pond call'd by Pliny Laterna and by Mela Stagnum Volcarum This Island lies but a Mile South of Montpellier and is reck'ned its Haven A League more Westwards on the Mouth of the Caulazon lies the Town of Ville-neuve over against Magueloune and 4 Leagues South-West upon the same Lake or Pond of Lates the Town of Frontignan so famous for its Muscadine Wines De Valois takes it for the Forum Domitii of the Antients so called from Cn. Domitius Aenobarly who having vanquished the Allobroges and Auvergnats was carry'd in triumph upon an Elephant through the whole Province Three Miles North-West you meet with the small Town of Balaruc renown'd for its Bathes Lunel Lunate 5 Leagues East of Montpellier gives its Name to a Bridge upon the Vidourle over against the Town It has a Monastery under the Name of S. Peter but is more renown'd for being the Birth-place of a Learned Jew Rabbi Salomon who took from thence the Sirname of Jarchi The other places of this Diocese are Montferrand Murvieil Pignan Fabregues Sanson mentions a great many other but he marks them all for Villages NISMES Nemausus Volcarum Arecomicorum lies seven Leagues North-East of Arles and ten and a half North-West of Montpellier in a fertil Plain overshadowed with Fruit-trees and at the foot of Hills cover'd with Vineyards It 's a very ancient City though the time of its foundation be uncertain Stephanus and Suidas after him ascribe it to one Nemausus of Hercules's posterity whence Du Chesne infers that it is a Greek Colony of the Marseillois but as there have been many Hero's of that name and that the Descendants of the Greek Hercules have been long in repute this does not precisely determine the time of its first Building De Valois derives it from a Fountain springing hereabouts which Ausonius calls Nemausus but it will still be doubtful whether the City has given its name to the Fountain or the Fountain to the City and whence both have got this appellation It will be more useful and diverting to consider the rise and various fortunes of Nismes and withal the precious remains of its Antiquities It owes its first increase to a Colony of Roman Soldiers who return'd with August from the Conquest of Egypt as appears by an ancient Inscription which this City has taken for its Arms COL NEM Colonia Nemausensis the Colony of Nismes Before that Julius Caesar had put a Garrison in this Town to defend it against the incursions of those of Reuergue and Querci The Volcae Arecomici were already one of the most powerful Nations of the Gauls in the time of Hannibal according to Livy and under the Empire of August and Tibere Strabo * L. 21. L. 4. testifies that Nismes was the Metropolis of the Volcae Arecomici and that tho it was not to be compar'd to Narbonne as to the number of Strangers and Merchants yet it exceeded this Capital of the Province as to the State of its Government for it had 24 Villages or Commonalties 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 under it inhabited by considerable Persons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who enjoy'd the privileges of the Latins so that one might find at Nismes Rom. Citizens who had discharged the Offices of Edile or City Surveyor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and of Quaestor or Treasurer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And therefore this Plantation did not answer before the Tribunal of the Governors that were sent thither from Rome But though they were so favoured by the Senate and Emperors a particular hatred they had against Tiberius †Suetonius made 'em throw
Viguery Vissec Arrey Alzou Aumezas c. Of the CEVENNES THis Country the most North-Eastern and Mountainous part of Languedoc has the Dioceses of Nismes and Lodeve on the South Rouergue on the West Auvergne and Forez on the North and the Rhone of the East These Mountains reach a great way through Auvergne and Languedoc but their extent is commonly reckon'd from Lodeve to Montpezat near the source of the Loire about 30 Leagues and the name of CEVENNES more properly given to the Country about Anduse Alais St. Ambroise and St. Hippolite The Greek Authors call these Mountains 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Latin Cemmeni Montes or Cebenna Caesar says that the Auvergnats were separated from the Helvians or Inhabitants of Vivarais by the CEVENNES but other Latin Authors as Pliny Mela and Ausonius give that name to all that long ridg of Mountains from the Rhone to the Pyrenées and the Garonne which formerly divided the Celtes from the Narbonnoise Gaul Nay some Geographers as Olivarius pretend that the Ancients comprehended even the Mountains of Auvergne under the general name of CEVENNES Whatever be of that here are several Lead and Tin Mines and of Gold and Silver too as De Valois believes which are not digg'd out and improved for want of Slaves The Protestants were very strong in this Country and the conveniency of the Mountains enabled them to resist Lewis XIII but no Foreign Power taking their part and even their Brethren of other Provinces leaving them in the lurch they were soon forced to yield In 1683 the Protestants beyond the Loire or of the Southern parts of France drew up a project which had it been made sooner or even then constantly and vigorously follow'd would most probably have stopp'd the Persecution For Lewis XIV how cruel soever he is would have been loth to exterminate two Millions of Men. Namely they agreed amongst them as many as could come together from several parts in those troublesome times not to comply willingly any longer with the Edicts and Declarations given against 'em in order to pull down their Churches to forbid their Assemblies to put their Pastors into Prison c. but to obey God rather than Men and generously to encounter Death and Martyrdom still keeping themselves in a passive and defensive way But the Inhabitants of the Wealthiest Cities especially of such where the number of Roman Catholicks prevail'd could not assent to nor put this project into Execution They being thus divided having no Head to command 'em nor any settled union and correspondence amongst themselves this Brave and Christian resolution came to nothing being only perform'd in some parts of the CEVENNES and of the Valleys of Dauphiné where it serv'd for a pretence to the Ministers of the Popish barbarities to represent 'em in Foreign Parts as a set of seditious Men. However they never attacked any body but because the King's Dragons pursued them into Forests and Desarts whether soever they might retire themselves the Men went arm'd with the Women and Children to keep them harmless But the King's Officers took their time so well that they seiz'd on the most couragious and got 'em broken upon the Wheel Those that remained united had the better fate for many obtain'd passes to go out of the Kingdom I have seen a young Man in Holland who was one of the Heads of the Vivarois that forc'd the Intendant or the King's Overseer in the Province to grant him a Pass and to 500 of his Camerades and safely to conduct 'em on the Territories of Spain whence after they had suffered much by the blind and barbarous zeal of the Spaniards and the cruelty of the Inquisitors some at last made their escape into Protestant Countries The Precincts of CEVENNES comprehends three small Countries each of which keeps its separate States after the Assembly of the General States of Languedoc viz. Vivarais on the East Gevaudan on the West and Velay on the North. Of VIVARAIS VIVARAIS comprehending the Dioceses of Viviers and Vzès according to the division of some modern Geographers â—eaches 36 or 37 Leagues North and South â—â—om Mount Pilate and the small River Limoâ—â— on the Borders of Lionois to the River â—ardon that separates it from the Diocese of â—â—ismes and 12 14 or 17 East and West from â—â—e Rhone to the Mountains Cevennes But VIâ—ARAIS properly so called contains only the Diocese of Viviers which is large enough to â—â—ve been the Inhabitation of the ancient Helâ—â— being still 22 Leagues North and South This People were comprised as well as the Inâ—â—bitants of Vsès under the Volcae Arecomici â—â—de part of the Roman Province or Galliae Narbonensis and were so faithful to their Maâ—â—ers that in the times of the conspiracy of â—â—e Gauls to recover their liberty they made 〈◊〉 their own accord incursions into Gevaudan â—â—d Velay but were repuls'd Cn. Pompeius â—â—de the VIVAROIS Subjects to the Marâ—â—â—ois VIVARAIS is divided into Upper and Lower â—y the River Eryeu each having a Bayliwick â—â—e at Annonay for the Upper and th' other at Ville-neuve de Berg for the Lower Thoâ— parts that Border on the Mountains feed vaâ— numbers of Sheeps and Herds of Cattel bâ— produce only Rye and a little Wine wherein the Plains especially along the Rhone theâ— grows abundance of Hemp Corn and Fruiâ— of all sorts and such excellent Wines thâ— Pliny makes mention of them There are â— ancient Barons who by turns assist at the gâ—neral States of Languedoc and preside to tâ— particular States of Vivarais viz. 1. Joyeuse S. Remaize 3. Montlor 4. Crussol 5. La Vouâ— 6. Annonay 7. Largentiere 8 Tournon 9. Bologne 10. Aps 11. Brion 12. Chalencon annex to Privas The Protestants were so numeroâ— in this Province that in many places the Pâ—pish Priest said Mass only for his Clerk and hiâ—self VIVIERS lies 500 paces West of the Rhoâ— upon the small River Scoutay above 3 Leaguâ— South-West of Montelimar almost 3 Nortâ— West of S. Paul-Trois-Chateaux on the othâ—â— side of the Rhone in Dauphine and 18 Nortâ— East of Nismes The Latin Authors call it â—varium since the 5th Century The originâ— of that modern name is unknown for the Câ—pital of the Helvians was call'd Alba Helvioruâ— or Alba Augusta and even gave the name Albenses to the Inhabitants of the whole Couâ—try Neither is it a firmly grounded conjâ—cture that the old Barony of Aps seated bâ—twixt Mountains near the source of the Scoâ—ray should be the ancient Alba Augusta whiâ—â— having been destroy'd by Crocus King of tâ—â— Alamanni the Episcopal See should have beâ— â—ransferr'd to Viviers because that Translation â— mention'd no where The most ancient Prelate â—f it spoken of in History is one Venantius who â—â—bscribed to the Council of Epaone or Ponay 〈◊〉 Bishop of Albe and Viviers at the beginning 〈◊〉 the 6th Century This Diocese contains â—155 Parishes and depends on the Metropolitan 〈◊〉 Vienne The Bishop takes the Title of Count 〈◊〉 Viviers
and Prince of Donzere and Chateauâ—â—f Annonay Annonaeum a Marquisate upon the â—all River Deume lies 3 Leagues West of the Rome and almost 19 North of Viviers in a very fruitful Soyl. It 's the Capital of Upper VIVARAIS and the Seat of a Bayliwick Some pretend that it was formerly a Store-house of â—he Roman Armies Most of the Inhabitants â—mbraced the Reformation in the last Age so â—hat it remain'd under the Protestants during â—he Civil Wars notwithstanding the attempts â—he Leaguers made against it in 1562 and 1563. Tournon Turno Castrum because it was formerly but a Castle seated on a neighbouring Hill lies upon the Rhone over against Thain iâ— Dauphine has the Title of a County and has given name to an Illustrious Family that has produc'd several Cardinals and many Prelates It 's one of the ancientest Baronies in that Country but is grown more famous and flourishing of late by a College of Jesuits that draws thiâ—her great numbers of Scholars It was Founded by Francis Cardinal of Tournon Archbishop of Lyons under Charles IX This Town has besides a Collegiate Church and several Monasteries and the County extends its Jurisdiction over 72 Parishes Aubenas Albenacum is an indifferent gooâ— Town upon the steep of a Mountain wash'd bâ— the River Ardesche almost 8 Leagues North West of Viviers Most of the Inhabitants werâ— Reform'd Villeneuve de Berg lies near thâ— source of the Rivulet Hibie 11 Miles West oâ— Viviers But though it be the Capital of thâ— little Country of Les Botieres yet 't is only coâ—siderable for its being the Seat of an inferioâ— Judge or Baily The other places of some note are Serriereâ— Andance Chasteaubourg Cornaz Crussol a Couâ—ty Soyons a principality belonging to the Bishoâ— of Valence in Dauphiné Charmes Beau-Chasteâ— La Voulte Poussin Bays sur Bays Meisse Roche Maurette Le Teil Le Bourg St. Andiol all seaâ—ed along the Rhone from North to South I the middle of the Country or near the Mountains you find upon the River Beaune Joyeusâ— a Dutchy and Peerdom erected by Henry IIâ— in 1581 I. ' Argentiere near the small Country oâ— Borne Vauguel Mirabel S. Laurent Boulogâ—â— l'Estrange Meyras Montpezat Rioutort neaâ— the Borders of Velay 3 Leagues down the sourcâ— of the Loire where that River is yet so narrow that a Lady having leap'd it over by putting foot on a Silver Plate she laid in the middle oâ— the Channel made the Italians believe she haâ— past over the Loire on a Silver-bridge The you meet with Pierre-ville Chalençon Le Cheâ—lars S. Agreve c. Of the Diocese of Uzès THis Diocese is included betwixt the Rivers Ardesche Rhone and Garden and the â—ountains Cevennes having the County Venaisâ— the Principality of Orange and the Tricaâ—â—is to the East Vivarais to the North and â—â—vaudan with the Diocese of Nismes to the West and South-West It s length and breadth â—e almost equal being about 12 or 14 Leagues â—t drawing a diagonal North-West and South-â—ast from Villefort near the Source of the Arâ—â—he on the Borders of Gevaudan to Monfrain 〈◊〉 the Gardon near its fall into the Rhone the â—reguoiâ— reaches above 18 Leagues VZES Vindomagus Volcarum Arecomicorum â—d in latter Ages Vcetia or Castrum Vâ—eciense 〈◊〉 near the Spring of the small River Aysene â—uch after a course of 5 or 6 Miles diâ—charges â— self into the Gardon Magus is an old Gauâ— word that signifies Habitation and because is oft chang'd into r and V into G as Caâ—â—elus for Carantonus la Charante so Vindo â—â—y have been said for Virdo or Vardo the Garâ— In the ancient Notices of the Gauls this â—â—thedral Church is put in the last place or 〈◊〉 one before the last but since the erection 〈◊〉 the new Bishopricks S. Pons de Tomiere's and Alet it is the 7th in order VZES had â— first the Title of a Barony then it was erecteâ— into a Dutchy and at last into a Dutchy aâ—â— Peerdom in 1572 for Antony of Crussol Bâ—sides this the Bishop is Count of the Town anâ— the King is also Conseigneur or Lord Partner anâ— has his Seat of Justice and his Viguier or Bayly so that the King the Bishop and the Duke havâ— each their Castle and their Jurisdiction whicâ— oft causes many disputes VZES is pretty biâ— rich and trading because of the Manufactory Cloaths the Serges of VZES being renown throughout all the Kingdom Most of the Iâ—habitants had embrac'd the Reformation foâ—lowing the example of their Bishop John of Gelais who turn'd Protestant with all his Chaâ—ter and â—ent for Ministers to Geneva in the laâ—â— age and there has been still a considerable Râ—form'd Church even till these latter times Thâ— City lies 4 Leagues of Languedoc or eleven Eâ—glish Miles South of Nismes and almost 8 coâ—mon Leagues of France North-West of Avâ—non Five Miles South-East of VZES upon tâ—â— River Gardon is to be seen the most sumptuoâ—â— remainder of Roman Antiquities that is extaâ—â— perhaps in all the World It 's called Pont Guard pons Vardonis and consists of three Briâ—ges built upon one another The undermâ—â— has 6 Arches and is the common road of Mâ— and Beasts the middlemost has eleven Aâ—ches and the uppermost 30 the whole reacâ—ing to the height of 82 Foot Under these Briâ—ges is a Canal 6 Foot deep and 3 broad câ—ver'd with large Stones through which tâ— Water of the Gardon was made to pass and to â—cend to the highest of those Bridges whence â— through an Aqueduct it was brought into â—â—smes to serve for their Arens Mills and other 〈◊〉 For Nismes being not seated on the bank 〈◊〉 a River and having but a small Fountain as â—s been observ'd in its proper place wants Water the most part of the Summer These â—ridges tho not so entire as to be of use are â—ll however a glorious Monument of the Roman â—â—â—andure On the North-East above 9 Leagues from â—ZES lies Pâ—nt S. Esprit a pretty strong â—own and an important passage upon the Rhone Wherefore it has a Cittadel and a parâ—â—cular Governor The Town has its name â—rom a Bridge that is a curious piece of Workâ—anship being under-propt by 22 Arches 1206 â—rench Toises or 7236 Foot long and 90 Foot â—ord The other places of note in this Diocese are â—â—amon Ville-neuve-lez-Avignon S. André Rocâ—â—emaure Condoules all upon the Rhone from South to North. Villefort and Chamhonas upon â—he Chassezat Salavas and Ayguese upon the â—â—desche S. Ambroise Monclus Cornillon Bagnols â—pon the Ceze Les Vens Bane Bezas Bargeac â—agnas La Bastide de Virac betwixt those two Rivers Genouillas and Chambourigaud near the â—â—vennes Couvillargues and Lodun upon the â—â—ve Lussan betwixt the Ceze and Tave Blanâ—u near the Gardon St. Laurens des Aubres near the Rhone c. Of GEVAUDAN THis Mountainous Country is separated from Velay and Vivarais by the Allier to thâ— East to the North it has Upper Auvergne tâ— the West Rouergue and to the South the Diocese of
East and West is but 5 Leagues and not quite 4 North and South That it belongs by right to His Majesty William III. as part of his Patrimonial Estate is undeniable though to put an affront if it were possible upon that great Prince the Parliament of Paris have adjudg'd it to Charles Paris of Orleans last Duke of Longueville kill'd in the Dutch War of 1672 and tho Lewis XIV pretending to be his Heir lords now over it as though it were his own But to determine whether the French Kings as Counts and Marquesses of Provence are Lords Paramount of this Principality would require too long a discussion I shall only observe 1st That in 793 William au Cornet or au Court-nez High Constable of France having conquered Orange from a Sarracen King called Theobard took the Title of Count by the Grace of Goâ— which was then proper to Sovereigns 2dly That since the Right Prince of Orange is now King of England he may in compensation justly lay his claim to those vast and rich Dutchies and Counties of Normandy Guienne Poictou Maine Touraine Anjou that were the undisputable inheritance of his Predecessors besides his right to the whole Kingdom of France The City of ORANGE Aurasio Cavarum or Secundanorum Colonia lies a League West of the Rhone and 6 North of Avignon with the Title of Principality and a Bishoprick Suffâ—agan of Arles This was formerly a Roman Colony of the second Legion there are still to be seen the remains of a Cinque and a Triumphal Arch almost whole There was a kind â—f little Parliament whose Members were one half Roman Catholicks and the other Protestants but it was cashier'd by the French King in 1687 and changed into a Viguiers Jurisdiction under the Parliament of Aix It has still a Mint and an University It s strong Cittadel and other Fortifications were razed in 1660. against the Agreement made some Months before with Count Dhona Governour of the Town The Protestant Religion was forbidden there though there are 12 or 15 Jewish Families offered in the City and above as many in the dependencies of it The other places of note are Caderousse Courtezon Jonquieres Vaqueyras and Gigondas but formerly this Principality extended much farther within Tricastinois Diois Valentinois Gapencois Sisteronnois the County of Nice the County Venaissin and even beyond the Rhone into the Dioceses of Montpellier Nismes and Lodeve in Languedoc Of the Islands of Provence THE Isles of Martegues Maritimae Avaticorum which are called by some Venice of France are made of a Triple Town with the Title of Principality belonging to the Duke of Vendome For they are divided into 3 Parts Ferriere l'Isle and Jonquieres and seated on the Pond of Berre from whence they have digg'd great Ditches for a Communication with the Sea distant about an English Mile so that the greatest Boats come up to the Town from the Sea and go through the Pond for the conveniency of Trade and they may easily go from one Town to the other upon Bridges There are all sorts of good Fish caught in certain high Sea-rushes called Bourdigaux the Inhabitants are great Lovers of Dancing and Mirth whence comes the common Proverb to dance the Martingale This Town has had several Masters for it belong'd once to the Viscounts of Marseille then to the Counts of Provence Francis of Lorrain Dutchess of Mercoeur Estampes Ponthievre Princess of Martegues brought all her Estate into the House of Vendome by her Marriage with Caesar Duke of Vendome a Legitimated Son to Henry IV. These Islands lye 8 Leagues West of Marseille 10 South East of Arles and 12 South West of Aix The Islands Stacades call'd also the Golden â—â—ands or Hyeres Olbia and Areae because â—ey lie over against the Town of that name â—e 3 in number call'd by the Latins Sturium â—henice Phila and in French Island of Leâ—ant or of Tilan Porte-Cross which has a Garâ—ison and Porquerolles all three in the Diocese â—f Toulon In Cassian's time these Islands were â—nhabited by Monks some of whom under â—ope Innocent the III. were Cisternians They â—re so fertile that after the loss of Rhodes the â—nights of S. John designed to settle there with â—he French King's leave The Islands of Lerins Lero Planasia or Leâ—iâ—us are but two in number oveâ— against the Town of Cannes towards Antibes which are call'd Islands of S. Margaret or Lero and of S. Hâ—norat Planasiae or Lerinus The first draws â—ts name from a Chappel dedicated to that Saint â—t is three quarters of a League long and one quarter broad there are five Ports and a Cittadel newly fortified to defend it The other draws it from S. Honorat who founded there a Monastery in 375. driving away as 't is said the Serpents that made it desart and cauâ—ing a Fountain of fresh-water to spring there which is still in being He was afterwards Biâ—hop of Arles This Solitude has been for â—any Ages together the Nursery of the Preâ—ates of Provence and of the neighbouring Churches For thence are issued 12 Archbiâ—hops as many Bishops 10 Abbots 4 Monks numbred among the Holy Confessors and 105 Martyrs The Air is very temperate the Soâ— fertile The Spaniards surpriz'd these Islanâ— in the beginning of this Age laid waste thâ—â— holy place pull'd down those fine Forests oâ— Pine-trees which formed many covered Walks adorned by a vast number of Oratories but iâ— 1637. they were turned out of them Therâ— are in the Island of S. Honorat 3 Walls and â— Chappels they Fish there a great deal of Corral As for Chateau-d'if it is a little Island twâ— Leagues South of Marseille with a good stronâ— hold where the biggest Ships stop becausâ— they cannot get in the Port of that City foâ— want of Water There are some Islands oâ— the Mouth of the Rhone but cover'd only witâ— Grass and Mountains CHAP. XVII Of Dauphiné THis Province the nearest to Italy confines on the North to that of Bresse and the Dukedom of Savoy is separâ—ted from Piedmont by the Alps on the East from the County of Nice Provence the County Venaissin and the Principality of Orange by the samâ— Mountains tho' interrupted in some places towards the South and from Languedoe on the West by the Rhone It reaches above fifty common Leagues of France or 38 of DAVPHINE East and West from Pignerol to the Rhone and above forty North and South from Fort de Baraux on the Borders of Savoy to Cisteron in Provence The Country is Mountainous all over except in the North-West of Low Dauphine however it produces excellent Wine and abundance of Corn of all sorts as Wheat Rye Barly Oats Spelt Lentil Beans Pease and other kind of Pulse There are also many Woods and some of them are pretty large and full of Bucks Deers Shamoys and other Beasts of Game but the greatest part of their Woods are Warrens that abound with Hares Conies Pheasants red and gray Pratridges c. Neither does it want
2 Sollicitors or Advocates General and 4 Secretaries This Soveraign Court of Justice nobilitates its Members and has the same Rights and Privileges of other Parliaments of France The Dean of Trevoux is Counsellor born in it The other Chastelnies are Beauregard Monmerle Toissey Lans Chalamont Chatelet S. Trivier Ville-Neuve Amberieu and Lignieu CHAP. XX. Of the County of Burgundy Or Franche-County THe County of Burgundy or Upper Burgundy call'd also Franche-County hath Switzerland on the East Bresse Bugey and Gex on the South Lorraine on the North the Dutchy of Burgundy and part of Champaign on the West It s extent is from 46 d. 10 m. to 41 d. of Latitude which take up about 47 Leagues from Dortans to Fontaine le-Chaste and between 26 d. 20 m. and 28 d. 28 m. of Longitude which make up about 33 Leagues from the Frontiers of the Bishoprick of Basil to Autrey beyond Gray It abounds in Corn Wine Cattle Horses Woods and Salt-Springs Here are to be found several Quarries of black Marble Jasper of divers Colours and fine Alabaster with some Mines of Iron and Silver This Country is water'd with several considerable Rivers and Brooks as the Saone the Dou the Lougnon the Soubre and of ex-the Louve c. which abound with various soâ—ts cellent Fish among which the Carps of Saone the Pikes of the Dâ—u the Barbel-Fish of the Lougnon and the Trouts of the Dain are in great esteem The course of these Rivers has been already described in the Government of Burgundy All Criticks and Geographers agree that Franche-County was anciently inhabited by the Sequani who were so powerful as to dispute the Empire of the Gaules with the Autunois which was the occasional cause of Caesar's Conquests as may be seen in the Description of Autun This great Captain and Historian ranks the Sequani as well as the Helvetii or Switzers among the Celtae or Galli properly so called But Augustus added these two Nations to the Belgick Gaule as he did also those who dwelt betwixt the Loire and the Garumne to Aquitain and gave to the Country of the Sequani the name of Maxima Sequanorum because it was one of the greatest Provinces of the Gaules taking up all that space that is included betwixt the Rhone Mount Jura the source of the Rhin and the Saone from Basil or rather August Augusta Rauracorum to Lyons This Country was conquer'd from the Romans by the Burgundians and from them by the French During the decay of that Monarchy under the second Race of their Kings it made for a little while part of the second Kingdom of Burgundy Then its Counts made themselves Sovereigns and their Posterity enjoy'd it from the end of the 10th Century to 1369 that Margaret Heiress of this Country married Philip the bold Duke of Burgundy of the Royal Blood of France And therefore this Province being originally the Portion of a Princess remain'd to Mary Daughter to Charles the Rash last Duke of Burgundy and to her Heiâ—s the Kings of Spain till Lewis XIV seiz'd upon it in 1674 and kept it by the Peace of Nimeguen Franche-County is said to have got this name from one or two of its Counts Renald I. and III. who refused to make Homage to the Emperours pretending that their Country was altogether free from that Subjection Whatever be of that this County is now divided into three Bayliwicks bearing the names of Vesoul Dole and Poligni or highest middle-most and lowest Franche-County Of the Bayliwick of Vesoul THe Bayliwick of VESOVL or Amont or Highest Burgundy County is situated in the North part of this Province VESOVL Vesullum Capital of this Division is seated on a â—ittle River which emptieth it self into the Saone 21 Miles North of Besancon in a Soil fertil in excellent Wine It had formerly a good Cittadel Gray Gradicum Castrum upon the Saone 9 Leagues North of Dolo and 10 North-East of Dijon It was formerly a place of great strength but Lewis XIV having surpriz'd it in 1668 â—az'd its Cittadel and all its Fortifications Beaune les-Nonnes lies a Mile North of the Dou and 7 Leagues North-East of Besancon Luxeuil Luxovium is a little Town towards â—he Frontiers of Lorraine and Mount Vauge â— Leagues North-East of Vesoul The Abby of Lure or Luders Lutera is situated on a little River which emptieth it self into the Lougeon towards the Frontiers of Lorraine 15 Leagueâ— North-East of Besancon In this Bayliwick towards the borders of Elzas is included the small Country of Mouâ—beliard called by the Germans Monpelgart In Latin Mons-Beliardi or Mons Peligardi The Capital of the same name is situated on the river Halle which emptieth it self into the Dou. It 's built at the foot of a rugged Rock on which is a Castle and a strong Cittadel This County formerly belong'd to the Dukes of Wirtemberg who were also Lords of the Imperial Abby of Lure and all the Inhabitants professed the Reform'd Religion The other places of note in this Bailywick are Fougerevil-la-ville and Le Chastel Faueougney Jussey Pont and Port sur Saone Chemilly Mâ—ntjustin Rup Rey Montboson Grammont Rougemont Isle S. Loup Pesme Cromarcy c. Of the Bayliwick of Dole THE Bayliwick of Dole call'd also thâ— Middlemost is situated in the middle oâ— this Province extending it self from the Frontiers of the Dutchy of Burgundy eveâ— to those of Swisserland about the River Lâ—agnon Dou Duâ—is and Louve Lupa Besancon Vesontio Visontio and in lattâ— ages Chrysopolis or the Golden City lies upoâ— the Dou 22 Leagues East of Dijon It waâ— formerly the Capital of the Sequani and a â—â—ace of so great strength and consequence that when the Romans had it into their power they planted there a Colony fortify'd and adorn'd it with several buildings whereof there remains but some few names in and about â—he Town In 274. this plantation rais'd a Triomphal Arch in honour of Aurelian the Emperour but some years after it was plunder'd and ruin'd by the Alamanni under their King Crocus so that it was in a pitiful condition in 366. It had scarce been repair'd when the Fandals besieg'd it in vain in 406. The Burgundians were more successful in 413. but Attilae destroy'd it a second time in 451 or 452. it was afterwards rebuilt in the form it has now somewhat different from what it was in the â—omans time The River Dou separates it into two parts of which the biggest resembles a Peninsula and is clos'd up by a hill whereon the Cittadel was built Besancon has still an Archbishoprik of which Belay and the titular Bishop of Lausanne and Basil are suffragans The Chapter is compos'd of a Dean an Archdeacon a Singer a Treasurer two Under-Singers 43. Canons and 24 Chaplains The Churches of St. Stephen and St. John pretend both to the dignity of Cathedral there are eight Parishes besides the Abbys of St. Vincent and St Faul several Colegiate Churches and Monasteries and a Coledg of Jesuits The