a soâ—â— Hill the Burrough of Monte-Bourg Montis Baâ—â—gus with an Abby of St. Bennets Orâ—â—â— built by our King Henry I. There is 〈◊〉 kept every Saturday one of the greatest Markeâ—â— in the Countrey Three miles South-west near the sourse of tâ—â— Ouve and a large Forrest lyes the Town â—â— Valogne Walonia built by one Walo whicâ— word in the Old Language of the French bâ—yond the Seyne signify'd a Good man but is noâ— surnamed La Hogne a word not quite so oâ—â— intended to express the litigious and quarrâ—â—some Humour of its Inhabitants This Towâ— has a Castle the title of Viscounty and Elecâ—â—on a Bailiwick and a seat of Justice for Waâ—â—â— and Forrests Five leagues North-east upon the Sea-coâ—â—â— lyes the Burrough of La Hogue Ogae and 〈◊〉 leagues North-west upon the same Coast 〈◊〉 Town of Barfleur Barhaflot These two plaâ—â—â— were renown'd formerly because our Kâ—â— used to Land there when they went over inâ—â— France The first is yet in some Esteem for 〈◊〉 Fishing and the second for being seated in â— Valley most fruitful in Corn and therefore call'd in Latin Vallis Cereris But both wâ—â—â— be more known to Posterity for the late Selâ— fight between the English and French in 169â— where the latter had 20 of their best Shiâ—â— burnt or sunk without the loss of one man oâ— War on our side Seven leagues West of Barfleur is the strong Town of Cherbourg in Latin call'd Caro burgâ—â— and by more Ancient Authors Caesaris Burgâ—â— â—ome pretend for that reason that Julius Caesar was the Founder of it but in nine years which â—â—e bestow'd on the Conquest of the Gauls he â—ould hardly spare so much time as to employ it â—n building so that such Towns as bear his Name seem rather to be the Work of August who took the Name of Caesar after his Adoption or of the Roman Forces quartered in the Countrey Besides the strength of its situation â—n a sandy place overflow'd by the Sea twice a â—ay the French have fortified it lately It is â—he last Town which remained in the hands of â—he English under the French King Charles VII â—o whom they were forced to yield it in 1453. Four leagues West of Cherbourg lyes the Town of Beaumont a league from the Coast Six leagues Southward is the Sea-port Town of Barneville Four leagues to the East upon the River Baupteys over against Barneville is the Castle and Burrough of St. Sauveur le Viscounte an Ancient Viscounty erected into a Bailiwick about the Year 1560. Seven leagues Southward is another Burough called St. Sauueur Landelin erected into a County by the French King Charles VI. and given for part of his Portion to Lewis of Orleance It has a Bailiwick and Viscounty upon which the Burrough of Periers is depending Three leagues Westwards upon the Sea cost lyes the strong Castle of Pirou renowned for a vast quantity of wild Swans and Geese The Bishoprick of Avranches THis Countrey called by the Inhabitants Aâ—ranchin or Avranchinois has little Brittâ—â— and the Mayne on the Sputh and South-east 〈◊〉 Bishopricks of Bayeux and Coutance on the North-east and North and the Sea on the West 〈◊〉 reaches about 14 leagues East and West 〈◊〉 8 North and South some take its Inhabitantâ— for the Ambiliates of Caesar but 't is more probable that they are the Abrincatui of Pliny aâ—â— Ptolomy The chief Town Avranches Ingeâ—â— Abrincatuorum is seated upon the Rivers See aâ—â— Selune Seva and Senuna upon a Hill a gooâ— mile from the Bay of St. Michael It s not a vâ—ry big City but strengthned with good Waâ—â— and Ditches It was erected into a Bishopricâ— by Clovis the Great and Nepus its first or sâ—cond Prelate appeared in that Quality in thâ— first Council of Orleance in 511. The Episcopiâ— Palace is said to be one of the finest and strongest in Normandy Besides the Cathedral undeâ— the Name of St. Andrew there are several Parochial Churches and Monasteries a Bailiwick Viscounty and Election Seven miles West of Avranches lyes in the Sea a Rock formerly the dwelling place of Anacherets In 708. a Bishop of Avranches called Aâ—bert by Duchesne and Patern by De Valois consecrated a Church upon the top of it to St. Miâ—hael the Archangel and placed there 12 Caâ—â—ons The Dukes of Normandy having since endowed this Church with good Revenues and Richard I. repair'd or beautify'd it in the middle of the tenth Century People began to build there Houses and it became in process of time a good Burrough bearing likewise the Name of St. Michael A wholsome Fountain which cures several Diseases and the Conveniency of making Salt by throwing Sea-water upon a Sand that is to be found in this Mountain did not a little contribute to the encrease of this place which is rugged and unaccessible all round about except on a side that is Wall'd The Soil is a Gravelly Ground that is overflowed by the Tide which makes the Latin Authors call it Mons S. Michaelis in periculo Maris Over against it is another Rock called Tombelaine which had likewise a strong Castle that has been demolished Both Rocks are Nam'd in Latin Tumbae but because that of the Abby of St. Michael is the greatest of the two the other got the Name of Tumbella whence the French have made Tombelaine Three miles Southwards near the mouth of the Couesnon lyes the Town of Pontorson Pons Urstonis that bears the Name of its Founder Mortain Moretonium is a small Town seven leagues South-east of Avranches with the Title of a County erected in 1041. There is a Bailiwick Election and Viscounty upon which the Castelny of Tinchebray is depending Mortain was formerly a place almost impregnable by reason of its situation and Out-works Two or 3 leagues Eastwards lyes a famous Wood caâ—led la Forêt des landes pourries About the same dâ—stance towards the North you meet with a Hâ—â— Named Brombalium la Bute de Brimbal whenâ— spring four Rivers that take each a differeâ—â—course viz. the See Seva the Vire Viria the Egraine Egrannia and the Nereau Nigra Aqua CHAP. VIII Of Brittanny LIttle Brittain is a kind of Peninsula being included the Sea on the North West and South and having part of Poictou Anjou le Maine and Normandy on the South-east It is one of the biggest Provinces of France comprehending the greatest part of the third Lyonnoile and being extended above 70 leagues East and West and above 45 North and South from the Sea near Normandy to the Borders of Poictou but it s none of the fertilest having but little Corn and that black too little or no Wine but a great many Meadows a vast number of Marshes and Forrests some Iron Lead and Silver Mines and the best Sea-ports in the whole Kingdom They reap a great quantity of Hemp of which they make Linnen their Woods and Meadows give them the conveniency of breeding good Race-Horses and a vast number of black Cattel and Sheep that furnish
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
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
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
into this City Latins Syrians and Jews proclaim'd his Praises each in his Tongue whether these different Nations were learned Men or foreign Merchants who inhabited or frequented this Town for the sake of Trade I shall not peremptorily determine tho' the latter seems to me the most probable However it be King Phillip the Fair sounded here an University for the Civil Law in 1312. to which Pope Clement the V. added the Cannon Law in thirteen hundred sixty seven The Scholars are divided into four Nations French Germans Normands and Piccards each of which has its particular Officers There are two common and well furnish'd Libraries This City has also undergone the various fate of War We have already seen how it was rid from the hands of the barbarous Attila In 1417. it stood out a long Siege against the English on behalf of the French King Charles VII The besieg'd were so weak'ned and famish'd that they had resolv'd to surrender themselves to the Duke of Burgundy but the English would not allow of it tho' this Prince was their Ally and then in their Army This refusal may be reck'ned one of the chief causes of the Expulsion of the English out of France as it was the fatal period of the progress of their Arms. For as on the one hand it gave a mighty disgust to this Duke one of the most potent Princes in Europe so on the other the French were not loath to make an advantage of it They set up a young Maid a Shepherdess of about eighteen years who pretending a Revelation to raise the Siege of Orleans and bring the King triumphing into Rheims in order to his Coronation so encourag'd their dis-spirited Army and fright'nd the Enemies that she perform'd her promises assisted by the Valour and Conduct of the famous Count of Dunois but perhaps more by the jealousies rais'd between the English and the Burgundians and then by the Civil Wars of the English The Day of the Raising of this Siege which was the Eighth of May 1418. is still kept as a Solemn Festival in Orleans and a Monument of this Victory has been erected on the Bridge of the City It represents the Bl. Virgin with our Saviour in her Arms as ready to be buried on one side lies King Charles VII upon his Knees and on the other the Virgin of Orleans as they call her now Booted and Spurr'd as a Trooper This Maid was call'd Jeanne d' Arc she was a Native of Vaucouleurs in Lorrain but her Family being Nobilitated by the French Kings had their Name chang'd into that of Lys Flower de Luce in memorial of her Services to that Crown During the Reign of Francis II. in 1560. the Duke of Guise under the pretence of the conspiracy of Amboise disarm'd the Inhabitants of Orleans fill'd the suspected Houses with Soldiers and then brought the young King as triumphing into the City And well he might triumph for he had gain'd his point so far as to cause the Prince of Conde to be sentenc'd to lose his Head But the Death of Francis II. forc'd him to alter his Politicks In 1562. the Protestants under the Command of the same Prince of Conde seiz'd upon this place and the Duke of Guise himself was kill'd besieging it However the Roman Catholicks retook it but La Noue one of the stoutest Commanders the Protestants ever had master'd it again five years after In 1588. it declar'd for the Leaguers by the Intreagues of one Rossieux Secretary to the Duke of Mayenn but it submited to the French King Henry IV. in one thousand five hundred ninety four The Name of Orleans comes undoubtedly from the Latin Aureliani by which the Roman Historians after the second Century do call this City There is still however some remains of the antient appellation of Genabum in a nick-name given to such Inhabitants as have not Travelled abroad viz. Guepin which I am apt to take for an abbreviation of Guenapin Genabinus This City is seated on the steep of an Hill on the Northern side of the Loire that washes its Walls and represents almost the figure of a stretched Bow In sight of the Town and the middle of the River is a pleasant Island cover'd with great Trees and Buildings This Island is joyn'd with a Bridge on one side to the Town and on the other to the Suburb of Pontereau This Bridge has 16 Arches and 't is upon it that the Monument of Jeane d' Arc is erected Orleans is large and well built the Streets are broad strait and neat being pav'd with a small square-stone Some of the Markets are fine spacious and overshadow'd with Trees The most Magnificent Churches are the Cathedral of Sainte Croix and the Collegiate of S. Aignan The body of the former is an hundred foot in length sixty in breadth and one hundred and two in depth It has fifty nine Canons and nine Dignitaries the latter has but thirty one Prebendaries whereof eight are dignify d. Both have been much defac'd during the Civil Wars of Religion but the Cathedral was repair'd by Henry IV. There are twenty two Parochial Churches The Town-House has a very high Tower whence the whole City and Suburbs may be discover'd The Chastelet or Pallace of the Justice is also a remarkable Building seated on the River The Town has eight Gates and is fortify'd with a Terrass and surrounded with a Wall defended by 40 round Towers fill'd with Earth Orleans has a Bailywick to which the Royal Seats of Bois-common Chateau-renard Yanville Yevre-le-Chastel La Neufvill-auxe Loges Gien Montargis Clery Meun Baugency Gergeau and Pluviers are resorting that is all Proper Orleanois and a great part of Gastinois But the Generality of Orleans reaches yet farther comprehending all Beauce in its greatest extent that is the Country Chartrain Dunois Vendomois Blaisois Proper Orleanois Gastinois Puisaie and Sologne and having under it the Elections of Chartres Chateau-dun Vendome Blois Baujenci Orleans Pithiviers Dourdan Montargis Gien and Romorantin The Diocess has six Arch-Deaconships whose Titles are Orleans Pithiviers Beausse Sologne Baugenci and Sulli Orleans lies twenty six Leagues North of Paris â—wenty nine West of Auxerre and twenty four East of Tours almost in the middle of the Course of the Loire with a Haven very convenient for Trade which is the cause that the delicate Wines its Soil produces and the excellent Brandies that are made here are easily carry'd to Nants and thence Transported into Foreign Countries Gergeau or Jargeau Gargogilum or Jargoilum was an antient and noble Castle and is still a pretty good Town on the South side of the Loire with a Bridge to pass that River belonging to the Bishop of Orleans four Leagues East of that City In 1420. the Count of Salisbury took it for the English but the year following it was retaken by John II. Duke of Alenson and the Virgin of Orleans who made the Count of Suffolk and several other Prisoners to the number of four
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
Posterity are Nobilitated for ever â—lâ— the Briars and Thorns round about this City 〈◊〉 found great numbers of Vipers that are carried â—â—ough all Parts of France and even transportâ—â— into foreign Countries the Trochisque of â—â—per made in Poictiers it self is of great reâ—â—wn Dissay three Leagues North-East of Poictiers 〈◊〉 a small Lordship betwixt the Clain and the â—â—â—ne where the Bishop of Poictiers makes his â—esidence Bonnivet with the Title of Marquizate lies 〈◊〉 the other side of the Clain two Leagues â—â—rth-West of Dissay and almost four North 〈◊〉 Poictiers It has a very fine Castle begun 〈◊〉 William Gouffier Admiral of France under â—rancis the I. to whom it gave Name Chastelleraud Castellum Heraldi or Airaldi 〈◊〉 fifteen Miles North-East of Poictiers It 〈◊〉 formerly a Viscounty but erected into a â—â—chy and Peerdom by Francis the I. on beâ—â—â— of Francis of Bourbon Count of Montpenâ—â— in 1514. Some Years after the French â—â—â—g took it from Charles of Bourbon Brother â— Successor to the latter and Lord High-Conâ—â—ble of France as being forfeited by Rebelâ—â— But Henry the III. restor'd it by way of â—â—â—gement to Francis of Bourbon Duke of â—â—pensier in 1584. Chastelleraud is pleasant-â—â—â—ated having a prospect Westwards upon â—â—al Warren and being wash'd with the 〈◊〉 Vienne which increased with the Clain begins here to be navigable The Town is bâ— meanly built however renown'd for the gooâ— Knives that are made there tho' much morâ— for its sumptuous Bridge that has 230 Paces iâ— Length 66 in Breadth and stands upon â— Arches It was begun by Catherine of Mediciâ— but finished by the Duke of Sully Governor of POICTOV under Henry the IV. League from this Bridge a Hind is said to havâ— shewn a Ford to K. Clovis's Army when he waâ— in pursuit of Alaric King of the Wisigoths I the Ruins of an old Castle near this Town aâ—â— found little Stones which the vulgar call'd Dâ—â—amonds of Chastelleraud for being cut and pâ—â—lish'd they look'd almost as well and glistâ— as much as true Diamonds The Country dâ—pending on the Election Dutchy and Royâ—â— Justice of Chastelleraud is nam'd Pagus Castrâ— Heraldensis le Chastelleraudâ—is and comprehends many Lordships and Villages The Prâ—testants were Masters of this Town during thâ— Civil Wars and repulsed the Duke of Anâ— attempting to take it by Storm so that he wâ—â— forc'd to raâ—se the Siege Even till of late theâ—â— had free exercise of their Religion and a coâ—siderable Church at Chastelleraud Port de Piles Portus Pilae is an importaâ—â— Passage upon the Creuse near its mixing 〈◊〉 the Vienne seven Miles North North-East Chastelleraud It seems to be a Place of some Anâ—â—quity because 't is mention'd in the Records â— the Consuls or Antient Counts of Anjou 〈◊〉 name is derived from a Pile or Tower of Ericâ— that stands there Thirteen Miles West of Port de Piles beyâ—â—â— the Vienne six Leagues North-West of Chasteleraâ—d and Ten North of Poictiers lies near 〈◊〉 Source of the small River Amable the fine Town of Richelieu in the midst of pleasant â—â—â—ins abounding in Fruit Wine Corn and â—ame of all sorts It bears the name of its â—â—â—lder Armand du Plessis Cardinal of Richelieu â—â—e famous Minister of State who under Lewis â—III brought France to that point of Grandure 〈◊〉 which it stands as yet He built it on the â—attern of Manheim the prettiest Town in â—ermany before the Barbarity of Lewis XIV â—â—ried it in its ruins It s Figure is Square â—â—ring four Markets at the four Corners and 〈◊〉 great one in the Middle in which stands 〈◊〉 Church that is a very sumptuous Building â—orn'd with many Marble Pillars enrich'd â—ith a great quantity of Plate and serv'd by 〈◊〉 Fathers of the Oratory The Streets are â—â—â—cious as straight as a Line and meet all 〈◊〉 the five Markets and the Houses are so well â—pon the Level that there is nothing on one â—â—de but has its Parallel on the other Which â—â—gether with its Halls Fountains Walks and â—urdens its fine Walls and Towers its great 〈◊〉 deep Ditches cover'd with Swans The 〈◊〉 of the Duke that is as regular a Buildâ—â—â— is any in Europe its Rooms Halls Galâ—â—â— and other Apartments being beautified â—â—th all the Ornaments that Tapistry Painting 〈◊〉 Statuary can afford and surrounded with 〈◊〉 Alleys charming Parks Orchards Garâ—â—â—â—loce Springs and Grotto's All this I 〈◊〉 contribute to render Richelieu an indiffeâ—â—â—â—â—â—stâ—â—ng Place and one of the finest in France 〈◊〉 XIII erected it into a Dutchy and Peerdom for Males and Females in 1631. established a Seneschalship in it and gave great Priviledges to its Inhabitants Champigny upon the same River Amable â— League only from its fall into the Vienne anâ— five Miles North of Richelieu had formerly â— Castle belonging to the Duke of Montpensuâ—â— together with a H. Chappel where in they us'â— to be Burie'd but this Noble Family havinâ— exchang'd this Lordship with Cardinal de Râ—chelieu that Castle and Chappel were demolished to Build and Beautify the foremention'â— new Town However Champigny is still a gooâ— Burrough and has a very fine Park Loudun Lausdunum Castrum as the ancietâ— Records call it or Lodunum as 't is nam'd bâ— William the Brittain lies four Leagues West 〈◊〉 Richelieu and eleven North-West of Poictierâ— Macrinus and Scevole de Ste Marthe make it verâ— ancient and call it Juliodunum pretending â— was Built by Julius Cesar or some of his Successors but there are no footsteps of so greaâ— Antiquity It 's an indifferent good Towâ— with an Election and inferior Bayliwick resorâ—ing to the Generality and Presidial of Tourâ— tho' for the Spiritual it depends on the Bishoâ— of Poictiers It has a great Parochial Churcâ— under the name of S. Peter a Colleglaâ— Church surnam'd the H. Cross with severâ— Monasterios amongst others a Convent â— Carmelites whether Superstitious People comâ— in Pilgrimage to a Statue call'd our Lady 〈◊〉 Recovery Nostre-Dame de Recouvrance It wâ— to underprop the decaying repute of this Idoâ— as well as of the whole trade that the Men◠〈◊〉 up some Nuns to counterfeit those that are Possest with the Devil The cheat was discovered and oppos'd by a Secular Priest who suffer'd very much for it but at last it was stopp'd by the Parliament of Paris The history of this Imposture has been lately Written 〈◊〉 French by a very good Pen and deserves to be read by such as desire to know the Spirit of the Church of Rome Loudun is the head of a small Country called le Loudunois on which many other Boroughs and Villages are depending William III Duke of Aquitain gave it to Godfrey Grise-Gonellè Count of Anjou to keep it in Fealty of him â—â—der the Reign of Hugh-Capet The French King Philip August increas'd his Dominions with it Charles V. separated it from his Domesâ—â—â— but Lewis XI reunited it to the French â—own Henry III. erected the Loudunois into 〈◊〉 â—â—â—chy for the sake of a
their own party Henry of France Duke of Anjou Brother of Charles the IX laid Seige to it during the Civil Wars and had perhaps carry'd it by force had not the Ambassadors of Poland brought him a Crown which made him change his design having resolv'd by the advice of Cardinal de Rhichelieu to weaken the Protestants Lewis the XIII having resolv'd to Weaken the Protestants and to re-Establish the Roman Religion in Bearn demanded from them their Towns of security whereat the Reform'd were affray'd and assembled for that and at Rochelle Anno 1620. They being beat Anno 1622 did implore the mercy of the French King But having risen again this Prince besieged Rochelle and obliged it to surrender the 29 October Anno 1628. He demolished the Fortifications and depriv'd the Inhabitants of their Priviledges He suffer'd nothing to remain but two Towers which Charles the V had built for the defence of the Harbour and for its better security an Iron Chain is tied cross the entry of the Port every night Lewis XIV did fortify it very strongly Anno 1689. by a good Citadel and a great many other workes to prevent a Descent of the English and Dutch and to keep the pretended new Converts under his Tyranny This City was erected into a Bishoprick Anno 1648. The Episcopal Seat of Maillezais being transferr'd thither Besides these there is a Presidial Seat a Court Soveraign a Chamber of Mint and a Haven very much frequented Rochel lies about 92 Leagues West of Paris 25 West of Angouleme and 32 North North-West of Bourdeaux Rochefort is a Port in the Country of Aunis near the mouth of the Charante 6 Leagues South of Rochel Formerly it was only a little Village but now it 's a considerable Town being adorn'd with fine Building and pleasant Gardens Sea Magazins and Store Houses and a Hospital for Old Wounded Souldiers who have serv'd at Sea Marans is a Village on the Sevre Niortoise situated in a Marish ground 7 Miles North North-East of Rochel having a Castle about two Leagues from the Sea This place suffer'd much during the Civil Wars of Religion being often taken and retaken Chatelaillon is a little Village situated nigh the Sea about two Leagues from Rochelle The other places are Surgere Benon Moze Courson Port-Lupin le Plomb Angoulin Tves c. Of Angoumois ANGOVMOIS Pagus Ecolismensis hath Saintonge on the West and South-West Perigord on the South Limosin and la Marche on the East and Poictou on the North. It is about 22 Leagues in length East and West and 16 in breadth North and South It s great Fertility doth sufficienlty recompence its small extent For this little Province abounds in Corn Vine Pasture-ground Safron c. It 's watred with several Rivers namely the Charante the Tardouere the Bandiat the Boueme the Sonne the Argent the Anguienâ—e It 's the Country of Andrew Thevet Balsac and other Ingenious and Learn'd Men. Angouleme Iculisna or Ecolisma the Capital City is situated upon the Charante 60 Leagues South-West of Orleans and 28 North-East of Bourdeaux with the Title of a Dutchy a Presidial-Seat a Seneschals Court an Election and a Bishoprick suffragan of Bourdeaux It 's a very Antient Town situated upon the top of a Mountain between the two Rivers of Charante and Anguienne who join at the end of the Town It has very fine Castle which is accessible but at one side being strongly fortify'd Cognac Conniacum is upon the Charante towards the Frontiers of Saintonge between Jarnac and Saintes 10 Leagues West of Angouleme in a Country extraordinary fertile especially in delicate Wine La Rochefoucaut is a Town upon the River Tardouere four Leagues from Angoulesme to the North-East It bears the name of its founder one Foucaut being call'd in Latin Rupes Fulcaldi or Fulcaudi and has giv'n its own to I one of the most Antient and Illustrious Houses of that Kingdom which hath produced divers Great Men. Jarnac is a Borough with the Title of County situated upon the Charante between Chateauneuf and Cognac It 's famous for the Battle which the Duke of Anjou afterwards King Henry III did gain over the Protestants in the Month of May Anno 1569. they being commanded by the Prince of Condé who was treacherously killed there by Montesquiou whence come the Proverb Vn coup de Jarnac To say a Perfidy The name of Jarnac is also famous for the merite of its Lords of the House of Chabot Bouteville is a Town situated near the Frontiers of Saintonge about seven Leagues from Angouleme towards the South Rufec or Rufiacum aut Rofiacum is a little Town 10 Leagues North of Angouleme with the Title of Marquisate It 's situated in a very pleasant part of the Country The other places of note are Cbateau-neuf Blansac la Valette Montberon la Vauguion c. Of the Islands depending of the Government Orleanois THose Islands lie on the Coasts of Poictou and Aunis and are nam'd Oleron Ré Oye Isle-Dieu and Nermoutier Oleron Vliarus or Olario is an Island upon the Coasts of Aunis nigh the Mouth of the Charante about two short Leagues from Land It hath five Leagues in Diameter and about 12 in Circuit It 's fertile in Corn and abounds with Rabbits It was fortify'd in 1689. to hinder the Descent of the English The Isle of Ré Radis insula Vulgarly call'd Reacus is nigh unto Rochel and belongs to the Government of the Country of Aunis and Brouage Here is great Store of Salt and such aboundance of Wine that the Inhabitants would be forc'd to give the old to Poor People for Tunning of the New if the English Dutch and Normand Fleets came not every year to receive their Loading of it This Island hath several Villages the Cheif of which are St. Martin and Oye call'd the Isle because of a Canal which must be pass'd as they enter into it The most considerable Fort is that of la Prée pointed towards Pertuis Breton In it are two pieces of Artillery which carry even to the Continent from the Island It is Flanked with four Bastions with Half Moons and other outworks Anno 1689. they added some new Fortifications to it on the side that lookes on the main Sea Here is a high Tower where in the night time they set up a Beacon because of the Rocks call'd Baleines which are adjacent and for this cause the Tower is call'd la Tour des Baleines or the Tower of Wales L'Isle-Dieu or rather l'Isle-d'Ieu Oia or Ogia is near St. Gilles in Poictou about three Leagues from the Continent Nermontier lies not far from Britanny near Beauvoir in Poictou distant from the Continent about a League In it is a rich Abby of Benedictins resorting to the Bishoprick of Lusson whence is deriv'd the name of Nermoutier Nigrum Monasterium CHAP. XII Of the Government of Guienne IN the time of Julius Caesar Aquitain reach'd not farther than from the Garonne to the Pyrenées that is it only
the Gave of Alpe and Ossau it has its source in the highest part of the Pyrenees where Bearn is divided from Spain these Rivers are not navigable but the plenty of Fish they afford makes amends for it from the highest Mountain of Ossau one may see both the Seas and the Mountains of Castile The Soil is rendred fruitful only by the labour and industry of the Inhabitants By the care and piety of Jaâ—â— Queen of Navarre this Province and her other Countries embrac'd the Reformation So thaâ— after the reconciliation of Henry the Great her Son to the Church of Rome the Sovereign Court of Pau petition'd the King who would re-establish the exercise of the Roman Religion in their Country that the Jesuits might be excluded from it which was granted to them and observed from the year 1599 to 1620 thaâ— Lewis XIII repealed this Edict against his Fathers Murtherers In 1684. Lewis XIV forced the Bearnois with Dragoons to abjure thaâ— Holy Religion they had profest almost an Age. The City of PAV upon the Gave of Pau or Bearn with a Parliament is pretty large and well built and the native Place of Henry the Great there is also a Court of Accounts and a College of Jesuits Pau lies 27 Leagues South East of Bayonne Of the County of Bigorre THE County of BIGORRE Bigerrones or Bigerri borders upon Armagnac to the North and East on Bearn to the West and part of Arragon to the South It s length North and South from the Pyrenees to Marbouquet is above 22 Leagues its largest breadth East-West 14 and in some places but 3 or 4 Leagues It is divided into three parts viz. the Mountains the Plain and the Rustan The first contains two Principal Valleys that of Lavedan the other of Barege the Plain is 5 Leagues long and 1 broad The Rustan has some little Hills along the River Arroz The Mountains are like a rail betwixt France and Spain there are four narrow and difficult passages viz. Azun Cauteres Barege and Campan which the Inhabitants are obliged to keep This Country yields a great deal of Jasp and Slate the Mountains have Silver Iron Copper and Lead Mines but they are not digg'd out There are 3 Lakes and 4 Principal Rivers viz. Adour Eschez Arroz and Lavedan which is composed of the Gaves of Barege Cauteres and Azun Eneco Arista was in possession of this County in 828. before he founded the Kingdom of Navarre and after many changes and revolutions Henry IV. annexed it to the Crown by an Edict in the Month October 1607. The most remarkable places are Tarbe Bish Vic de Bigorre Lourde Campan Rabasteins Bagneres Luz Cauteres c. The City of TARBE or Turba or Tarvia lies upon the Adour 10 Leagues East of Pau it 's a plentiful Country with a Bishop Suffragan of Ausch and a Seneschal the Cathedral is under the name of our Lady Lourde has a good strong Castle Benac is a Dutchy Barege is famous for its Waters Of Comminge COMMINGE Pagus Convenicus lies between Languedoc and Conserans on the East Armagnac on the North the County of Bigorre on the West and the Pyrenees on the South It is divided into upper properly Comminge and into Lower or the Diocese of Lombez This Country has had its own particular Counts before it was annexed to the French Crown It is pretty plentiful in Wheat Oates Wines Pastures Fruits and especially Walnuts which yield great quantity of Oyl it also abounds in all sorts of Fowl The most remarkable places are S. Bertrand of Comminge Bish Lombez Bish Montpezat Rieume Muret S. Beat Bagneres S. Gaudens L'Ile Dodon c. The City of S. BERTRAND of Comminge or Convene or Lugdunum Convenarum lies upon the Garonne 14 Leagues South-East of Tarbe with a Bishoprick Suffragan of Ausch and a Royal Court of Justice under the Seneschal and Parliament of Toulâ—use the Bishop Seat is in the States of Languedoc Lombez is one of the Bishopricks erected by Pope John XXII in 1317. It 's Suffragan to Toulouse from which it is distant above 12 Leagues to the South-West and 12 North of S. Bertrand de Comminge It 's seated upon the Save in a very fruitful Soil bounded on one side with Hills covered with Vineyards and on the other with Plains abundant in Corn and Hay Of Conserans COSERANS or Conserans Pagus Consarannensis lies on the South of Comminge properly so called between Languedoc and the Pyrenees 't is a Viscounty which is thought to have been possessed by Arnold of Spain under the Title of a County whence the House of Montespan derives its Original After that it went over to the Counts of Carcassonne and from thence to the Kings of Navarre The chief place is S. LIZER of Conserans upon the River Salat 13 Miles East of S. Bertrand de Comminge with a Bishoprick Suffragan of Ausch and a Royal Court of Justice under the Parliament of Toulouses It is divided in two viz. City and Town the first is properly Coserans with the Concathedral Notre-Dame and the other is S. Lizier where is also the other Concathedral of the same name the Chapter consists of 12 Canons of which the first is Archdeacon of two Sextons two Precentors and one Almoner of 24 Priests Prebendaries with a Parson in each of these two Churches where the Service is perform'd at the same time Conserans is said to be properly the Episcopal See and that Valerius was its first Bishop and S. Lizier Glycerius the Fifth The other places of some note are S. Julian Cazeres Bonpaux S. Girons La Cour Castillon CHAP. XIII Of Languedoc THis Government is separated from Provence and Dauphiné by the River Rhone on the East it borders upon Auvergne Rovergue and Quercy on the North on the West and South-West the Garonne and some Mountains divide it from Gascony and Catalogne and on the South it has the Mediterranean Sea It is the first Province which the Romans conquered after Provence and the Allobroges In Caesar's time Narbonne one of the Capital Cities of this Government gave its name to Languedoc Provence Dauphiné and Savoy but Augustus divided it into two Provinces the Viennoise and Narbonnoise and this last was again subdivided into two whereof the first is our Languedoc Before Caesar the Inhabitants were called Volcae and subdivided into two powerful Nations viz. The Volcae Tectosages who possest the Western or Upper Languedoc from the Garonne and the Pyrenees to the Cevennes and the Mediterranean Sea and the Volcae Arecomici who enjoy'd Eastern or Lower Languedoc from these Mountains and Sea to the Rhone About the end of the 6th Century it began to be called Septimania from its 7 Capital Cities viz. Tolosa Toulouse Biterrae Beziers Nemausus Nimes Agatha Agde Magalona Maguelonne Leuteva Lodeve Vcecia Vzès By the Treason of Stilicon the Romans were forced to yield to the Goths all the first Narbonnoise Catalogne and a good part of Navarre and Aragon where they settled themselves and established
that according to the geniâ—s of the French Tongue Saillans cannot be derived from thence The Village of Bourdeaux gives it name to a Vally on the South of the River Achasse Of the BARONNIES THis Counary the most Southerly of Dauphine produces not only good Wine but also some Olives Figs Oranges and Pomegranates It seems to be so named from the several Lordships it comprehends in its little extent of 16 Leagues East and West and six or seven North and South It is likewise called the Bailiwick of le Buys from its Capital seated on the River Ouveze on the Borders of Provence six Leagues North East of Vaison It is but a small Town tho it be the Seat of a Baily and that the Protestants and Roman Catholicks thought it worth their trouble to fight for it the Lord of St. Auban having taken it for the former in 1561. Here and at Nions another pretty Town five Leagues North West upon the River Eygues were a great num of Protestants Near the last is a large Rock with a Hole that emits a wind almost insensible hard by but very violent at 20 or 30 Steps distance I shall not insist upon the several Lordships of this Country as Condouret Gouvernet Menouillon Montbrun which have given their Names to as many noble Families Of Gapencois THis Bayliwick extended about 18 Leagues North and South and 14 East and West tho' it be for the most part Mountainous does not want any of the conveniencies of Life It s ancient Inhabitants were called Tricorii as appears by the Description that Livy makes of Hannibal's Journy thorough Dauphine In this Territory is the trembling Meadow le pré qui tremble accounted one of the seven Wonders of Dauphine Horses and Carts dare not go over it for fear of sinking down The Capital City is called in Latin Vapincum but tho it has been along time so considerable that it was the 5th in Order among the Cities of Narâ—onnoise Gaule yet it is not mentioned by ancient Geographers It s modern name is Gap now somewhat famous by the late expedition of the Duke of Savoy It formerly belong'd to the Counts of Forcalquier till William the VI. gave it for her Portion to his Grand-Daughter Beatrix of Claustrail married to Guy Andrew Dauphin of Vienne in 1202 whence perhaps it is that the Bishop intitles himself Count of Gap This Town is not very big nor very strong neither being commanded by Mountains round about and having no other River but a small Book called Bene. During the civil Wars the Papists proved the strongest in this Town and having driven out the Protestants 1561 declared afterwards for the League The Duke of Lesdeguieres the French King's Lieutenant to keep these Rebels in awe built a Fort upon a Hill nam'd Puymore a Mile West of the Town in 1588. Last year 1692. The Duke of Savoy having taken Ambrun Gap surrendred to him but he abandoned both soon after The Inhabitants of Gap hold St. Demetrius a Martyr for their first Bishop but their first Prelate remembred in History is one Constance who assisted at the Council of Paunas in 1509. Veynes 6 Leagues South-West of Gap is the habitation of many Gentlemen who divide amongst them the jurisdiction of the place It 's seated between fruitful Mountains and Meadows but is not accounted a Town because not wall'd in However it would be as big as Gap if the 7 or 8 Hamlets depending on it were joyn'd Serres upon the River Buech 10 Leagues South West of Gap is a small Town that has its name from the Hills whereupon it is built and wherewith it is encompassed that are called in the Country Language Serres The place is capable of good Fortification and therefore in the late civil Wars the Duke of Lesdiguieres built there a strong Castle whose Ruins are still to be seen Orpierre three or four Leagues South of Serres is a considerable Burough with the Title of Barony belonging to the House of Orange La Roche has the Title of County Tallart of Viscounty Sauze and Esparron of Marquisates Montmaur and Arzilliers of Baronies c. St. Bonnet five Leagues North of Gap is the Birth-place of Francois de Bonne who from a simple Gentleman rais'd by his Valor to the Dignities of Duke and Peer Mareschal and Lord High Constable of France It 's observ'd that on the first of April 1543 that this great Captain came into the World and the 28 of September 1624 that he departed from it two memorable Incendies happen'd at St. Bonnet Lesdiguieres has a fine but not strong Castle It was erected into a Dutchy and Peerdom on behalf of the forementioned Francois de Bonne in 1611. It lies 5 Leagues West of St. Bonnet and nine North-west of Gap Of Ambrunois THis Country reaches not above ten or eleven Leagues on all sides and a great part of it is barren Mountains and Desarts It was the dwelling-place of the Caturigae whereof there are still some remains in the name of the Village of Châ—rges Catorigomagus 4 Leagues West of Ambrun and as many East of Gâ—p AMBRVN or Embrun the Capital was the chief Habitation of the Ambruareti Allies to the Romans according to Du Chesne but the name of their City was Ebredunum or Ebrodunum Caturigum to distinguish it from Ebredunum Helvetiorum which is Iverdun in Switzerland This City is now small but seems formerly to have been considerable since Caesar makes mention of it and that in the Dauphin's time it was the Title of their eldest Son The Arch-Bishop has for Suffragans 6 Cities of Provence Digne Grasse Vence Glandeve Senez and Nice and takes the Title of Prince of Ambrun and Count of Seyne and Guillestre Ambrun was formerly an Imperial Town but the Founders of the second Kingdom of Burgundy gave the Sovereignty of it to its Prelates who in process of time yielded part of their Right to the French King's as that of Coyning Mony c. However they have still part of the Towns Jurisdiction and the other is Royal under the Title of Bailiwick and Presidial Ambrun is seated on the Platform of a rugged Rock washed by the River Durance 'T is said that about the end of the first Century one of St. Nazare planted there Christianity but if so be it had been almost extinguished after his decease or departure since we do not read of any Bishop there before St. Marcellin about the Year 340. In 1583 Lesdiguieres the French King's Lieutenant took this Town from the League and the Inhabitants redeemed themselves from Plunder by a free Contribution as they have done the same way from the Duke of Savoy's Arms in 1692. The Cittadel which had been built during the civil Wars has been since demolished Seyne has the Title of a County depending on the Archbishop of Ambrun as we have already hinted however Sanson puts it in Provence and some will have it to be a remainder of the ancient Sentii Guillestre is a
Concilium was held after the Conversion of Sigismund King of Burgundy in 517. Adrian de Valois mentions a Village call'd Ebao or Tortillane which 800 years ago belong'd to the Archbishops of Vienne and consequently did not lye far off and thence infers that Ebao and Epaone are the same name but I find no such place as Ebao or Tortillane in my Maps The first considerable Town after Vienne in this Diocese is Romans upon the Isere fifteen Leagues South East of Vienne and 14 West of Grenoble It was originally an Abby founded by one Bernard Archbishop of Vienne and call'd Romanis or Romanum Monasterium either because the Romans were yet Masters of the Country or that he put in Monks and Clerks coming out of Rome Whatever be of that the Jurisdiction of the Town formerly belonged to the Collegiate Church of St. Bernard but in 1344. Pope Clement the VI. made a gift of another Mans property by transferring it to the Dauphin Humbert who yielded him up Avisan 'T is observed â—hat the Situation of this Town has some 〈◊〉 with that of Jerusalem and especially a small Hill within its Walls to Mount Calvaire which was the reason that one Romanet Bossiâ— who had travelled into the Holy Land erected there a Building representing the St. Sepulchre with a Monastery for Franciscan Fryers in 1520. In 1562 the Protestants becoming Masters of the Town plunder'd the said Convent and Church St. Marcellin 7 Leagues North East of Romans and 8 West of Grenoble is the head of a small Bayliwick that takes up 6 or 7 Leagues of the North end of the Diocese of Vienne On the Borders of this Bayliwick 8 Leagues North East of St. Marcellin and 6 North of Grenoble is the Burrough of Voyron where was a famous Abby and a goodly Town called in the old Chartres Visorontia or Veserontia if we believe the Jesuit Labbe for Adrian de Valois conjectures more probably that it is a place still called Veseronce 4 Leagues North East of the Town of Bourgoin one South of the County of Bouchage and 2 West of the Rhone In the same Bayliwick lies the small Town of Thin or Thain 7 Miles West of Romans it is seated upon the Rhone over against Tournon from which it is separated by nothing but this River It must have been of some consideration in the 4th or 5th Century since the Maps of the Emperor Theodosius published by the Brothers Peutingers mention it under the name of Tegna 15 Miles North of Romans lies the Town of Moras seated upon a Mountain 5 Miles of St. Rambert upon the Rhone Going out of the Bayliwick of Grenoble 10 Leagues North of that City you meet with the Town of Pont de Beauvoisin Pons Bellovicinus so called because it is built upon the River Giere and divided into two parts united by a Bridge This part of Viennois is all mountainous as well as Savoy and Bresse upon which it borders The Inhabitants name it Terres Froides and made a great Traffick of the Vipers which abound in their Country Six leagues West of Pont de Beauvoisin is the famous Barony of La Tour du Pin of which the Dauphins bore the Title On this Barony formerly depended the Town of Bourgoin which lies three Leagues farther to the West and is renowned for its Trade of Hemp. Five Leagues North of Bourgoin lies the Burrough of Cremieu in Latin Stramiacum where the Emperor Lewis the Meek kept an Assembly in 836. The Burrough of Anton upon the Rhone 7 Leagues East of Lyons seems to have been built or beautified by Marc Antony the Triumvir both by its Latin name Antoniacum and by these Verses of Sidoâ—ius Apollinaris Pocula non heic sunt illustria nomine pagi Quod posuit nostris ipse Triumvir agris For this Part of Viennoise was in the Territory of Lyons wherein this Poet was born so that he will say that the Country thereabouts afforded no better Wine than that of Anton. Six Leagues East of Anton upon the Rhone and the Borders of Bresse lies the Town of Quirieu 3 Leagues North of Vienne and 5 South of Lyons lies the Burrough of St. Saphorin renowned for its Post-asses These Animals are so well taught that they go to the Burrough of La Guillotiere which makes part of Lyons but shall not advance a step farther than the place where they are used to be let loose though you should beat them never so much and the same they do in their return to St. Saphorin I supersede to describe the many Lordships that are in this Country as the Marquisates of Virieu and Omacieu the Counties of Diximieu Serrieres Bouchage Roussillon Anjou Charms the Baronies of Baubec Anton c. Of VALENTINOIS THis Country included between the Rhone and Isere the Bayliwick of Die and the Tricastinois reaches 20 Leagues North and South but hardly 6 or 8 East and West The Southern part is more mountainous the Northern more plain but both abundant with all the conveniencies of life The Capital Valance lies upon the Rhone 6 Leagues South West of Romans and 18 of Grenoble The Latins call it Valentia or Julia Vallentia because of its strength and of the Colony they had transported there In their time it was Inhabited by the Segalauni one of the chief People of the Gauls and their Dominions extended even beyond the Rhone since Tournon was in their Jurisdiction VALENTINOIS was erected into a Sovereign County at the dismembring of the French Monarchy under the Successors of Charlemaign The first Count thereof remember'd in History is one Gontard who lived in 950 and who by the Sirname of Poictiers which he left to his Successors seems to be descended from the antient Dukes of Aquitain I have observ'd how Lewis of Poictiers yielded his Dominions to the French King Lewis the XI who united them to the rest of Dauphiné Lewis the XII erected this County into a Dukedom for Caesar Borgia Son to Pope Alexander the VI. but the Lords of Poictiers made a solemn protestation against it pretending their Father could not deprive them of their Inheritance The Suit was along time depending before the Parliament of Grenoble but what their good Right could not get was obtained by the Beauty of a Lady of that House Diane of Poictiers Mistress to Francis the I. who easily prevailed upon that King to present her with the contested Dutchy which after her death was united again to the French Crown Valence is the head of a Seneschalship to which the Vice-seneschalships of Crest and Montlimar are resorting It has likewise a Presidial-seat and Election and an University for the Civil and Cannon Law wherein Doctors are made and the Famous Cujas has taught It s Bishop is Suffragan to Vienne and the first is one Emilian It s Cathedral is dedicated to another of its Prelates called St. Apollinaire But I must not forget that famous Nicodemite John of Montluc Bishop of Valence who liv'd under the Reign
Lyonnois and Beaujolois together it hath Burgundy and Bourbonnois on the North Velay and Vivarais â—n the South the Mountains of Auvergne â—n the West Lyonnois and Beaujolois on the â—ast This Country is very fertil and faâ—â—ous for its great number of Noblemens â—ouses It 's proverbially said that one may â—s soon number the Stars in the Firmament as â—o count all the Rivulets and Brooks which â—rom all quarters of this Country fall into the Loire It hath many excellent Medicinal Waters It is divided into Upper and Lower The Upper is near the Cevennes and the Lower all beyond the Loire on the West-side All this Country is full of Woods and Forests especially the Upper part whence some derive the name of it and write it Forets but other deny that Original and spell it Forez and the Latin favours their Opinion besides that the Inhabitants are call'd Foresiens and not Forestiens They are famous through all the Kingdom for their Trade of Iron-Wares and for making all sorts of Iron-Works This Country has still the Title of a County It has had its particular Counts who were also Counts of Lyons since the year 1070. Some of them have been famous in History as Charles II. of Bourbon Lord High Constable of France under Francis I. Soon after this County was re-united to the French Crown by the same King It s Principal Towns are Montbrison S. Etienne Roanne and Feurs Montbrison Mons Brusonis Capital os Upper Forez is situated on the little River Vecize 14 Leagues from Lyons towards the West it hath a Bailywick an Election and a Provosâ—ship formerly it was nothing else than a Castle called Brison afterwards inclâ—sed with Walls Anno 428. Here are a Collegiate Church dedicated to our Lady and divers Religious Houses with the best Clock-spell of the whole Province St. Etienne de Furens Fanum Sancti Stephani is a Town 2 Leagues E. of the P. ver Loire and to South-west of Lyons it 's situated at the foot of a Mountain on the Rivâ—let of Furens whâ—se Waters are very proper for the tempering of Iron which occasioneth a vast quantity of Iron-Works to be made in that Country from whence â—any places of Europe are furnished In a Mountain hard by is a Mine of Stone-Coals â—hat burns since several Years Roanne Rodumna is the Capital City of a little Country called Roannois in Forez fifteen Leagues North-west of Lyons having the Title of Dutchy â—ituated on the River Loire which thereabouts â—egins to carry considerable Boats wherein â—â—ose that design to go to Orleans by water use â—â— imbark In it is a Colledge of Jesuits as â—lso divers religious Houses It had anciently its Counts issued from the House of FOREZ Feurs Forum Segusianorum is situated on the â—iver Loire where it receiveth the little River â—ignon so famous in the Romance of Astrea â—etween Lyon Roanne and S. Etienne It lies â—â—ne or ten Leagues West of Lyons St. Galmier upon the Loire half-way betwixt â—eurs and S. Etienne de Furens is renowned for â— Fountain whose Water tastes like Wine â—â—d 'tis said that if one mixes a fourth part of â—ine with it that mixture cannot be distinâ—â—ished from pure Wine St. Ferreol a League East of the Loire and â— South-west of S. Etienne de Furens has a Bayâ—ick as well as Bourg-Argental on the borders â— â—elay 3 Leagues West of the Rhone On the West-side of the Loire you meet â—â—th Leignieu Montarchior S. Rambert Bouen â— Germain-la-Val Vrsé a Marquisate the small â—â—untry of Chevalez with the Capital S. Just â—â—â—zet Chateau-Moran c. Of BEAUJOLOIS BEAVJOLOIS Bellâ—-Jocensis Pagus having the Title of Barony is situated between the Saone and the Loire it hath Lionnois on the South the Principality of Dombes and part of Maconnois on the East Charolois on the North and Forez on the West This Country is very fertil in Wine Corn Hemp and depends partly on the Bishop oâ— Macon viz. the most Northern Parts but alâ— the rest lies under the Archbishop of Lyons Itâ— chief places are Beaujeu Ville-Franche and Belle-Ville Beaujeu Bellus-Jocus is now only a Village situated on the Ardiere having a Castle which gave its name to BEAVJOLOIS and the Lord of the House of Beaujeu which is so famous anâ— ancient and seems to be a Branch of the Housâ— of Savoy It 's about 11 Leagues North North West of Lyons and is famous for some Sculptures or fine Engraven Works after the Antiquâ— Fashion Ville-Franche Francopolis or Villa Franca is seven Leagues from Lyons towards thâ— North being distant about half a League froâ— the Saone now it 's esteemed the Capital oâ— BEAVJOLOIS It has a Collegiate Church aâ— Election a Bayliwick an Academy and â— Granary of Salt There is the first Monastery of Franciscans that was ever built in France Belle-Ville is distant from Lyons about 10 Leagues and is very nigh the Saone The other places as Pereux Tâ—izy-Reignie are but inconsiderable Buroughs or Villages Of BOURBONNOIS BOVRBONNOIS Burbonensis Pagus hath Forez and Bourgogne on the East Berry on the VVest from which it is separated by the Cher Auvergne and Forez on the South and on the North it hath Nivernois with part of Berry from East to VVest it extends it self about 30 Leagues and about 18 or 20 from South to North. This Country abounds with Fruits Rye and Pulse Pastures VVallnuts Oil and Mines of Iron BOVRBONNOIS is divided into upper and lower according to its proximity to the Mountains of Auvergne Montagar is accounted the Capital of the Upper and Moulins in the Lower of the whole Câ—untry The ancient Bâ—ii a Celtick Nation having exhausted themselves by sending Colonies into Italy and Germany were afterwards extinguished in the Gaules but some of the German Plantation re-entring their original Country in company of the Switzers the latter were defeated by the Romans and the former settled themselves in some part of the Territories â—f the Autunois with the leave of thâ— Inhabitants and of the Romans The place iâ— thought to be Moulin's because it depends on the Bishop of Autun whereas the rest oâ— BOVRBONNOIS resorts either to the Bishop oâ— Nevers to the Archbishop of Bourges or to thâ— Bishop of Clermont The Loire the Allier with other little Rivers and many Ponds in this Country afford great variety of Fish to the Indabitants It s Mineraâ— VVaters occasion a great confluence of Strangers The learned Gui Coquille says that BOVRBONNOIS consisted at first only of Bourbon Larchambaud and some adjacent Lordships buâ— that its Counts encroaching upon their Neighbours made it such a large Country as 't is now â— An Image of what the French Kings of thaâ— Family should do Robert II. Son to Lewis IX was the first Prince of the Royal Blood oâ— France who bare the name of Bourbon having spoused the Heiress of it Moulins Molinae situated on the Allier in a Plain very large fertil and pleasant It haâ— that name from the
the Chalarine waters Thoissay and the Froment Amblerieu On the East-side the Saone receives the Dehune increas'd with the Bourgeoise the Corderin and the Musin the Grosne the Marnaison the Panset the Ardiere and the Yorgon Here are also several Rivers and Rivulets that fall into the Loire as the Reconze the Brebince increas'd with the Oudrach and Arrroux the Paliars the Cressonne and the Airon Some do likewise fall into the Rhone as the Versoy the Seran the Fora but especially the Dain an indifferent long River which receives the Senê the Serpentin and the Angelon near its Source waters Campagnole Tour de Maye and Pont-Dain receives the Valouze the Suzan the Arbarine and discharges it self into the Rhone betwixt Gourdan and Loyette This Government borders on Champaign to the North on Gastinois Niveâ—nois and Bourbonnois to the West on Beaujolois Lyonnois and Dauphiné to the South and on Franche-County to the East It is now divided into 13 Parts viz. Dijonnois Autunois Chalonnois la Montagne Auxois Auxerrois Charolois Briennois and Maconnois These 9 constitute the Dutchy of Burgundy the other four viz. Bresse Bugey Gex and Dombes were acquir'd in 1601. from Charles Emanuel Duke of Savoy by the Frâ—nch King Henry IV. in exchange for the Marquiâ—ate of Salusses They make up in all 59 L. N. and S. from Bar-Sur-Seyne to Trevoux 50 E. and W. where this Government is broadest as from Gex to Bourbo-l'Ansi Long. from 24 d. 15 m. to 27 d. 45 m. Lat. from 45 d. 32 m. to 47 d. 55 m. Of DIJONNOIS DIJONNOIS Divionensis Pagus included betwixt Auxois la Montagne Franche-County Bresse and Autunois It 's a Country extraordinary fruitful in Corn and delicate Wines The City of Dijon Divio Castrum is situated upon the Ouche Oscara and the Rivulet Suzon in the Diocese of Langres with a Parliament a Chamber of Accompts and a Mint where Mony is coyn'd at the Letter P. The Parliament was instituted by Lewis XI in 1476 and made Sedentary by Charles the VIII in 1491. Before Aurelian it was but an inconsiderable place which this Emperour wall'd in and adorn'd with Towers Gates and Temples It became afterwards more flourishing when the Dukes of Burgundy of the Royal Blood of France chose it for their Habitation and the Dijonnois were so shrewd that seeing their Princess married with a German Prince who was not like to come and live amongst 'em they treated privately with the French King Lewis XI to deliver themselves and the whole Dutchy of Burgundy into his Hands upon condition that he should establish among them Sovereign Courts of Justice and of the Exchequer which was done accordingly This made Dijon be resorted unto the more so that it is now one of the prettiest Towns in France It lies 43 Leagues North of Lyons The name of Dijon Divio seems to come from a Gaulish word Div signifying Fountain from whence many other Towns have been called as Divodurum Mediomatricum Metz. Divona Cadurcorum Cahors c. Here among other things are to be considered the Walls of the Town strengthened with Towers and Bastions the Castle flank'd with 4 great Towers 2 Ravelins and every where well fortified A very fine Chartreuse with the magnificent Tombs of several Dukes the Palace for Justice the King's House 16 Churches 2 Abbies 5 Hospitals and the Guild-Hall The States of that Country us'd to meet here every 3 Years Beaune Belnum Castrum lies 5 Leagues West of the Saone between Dijon Autun and Chalon it hath a Chancellery and a Bayliwick It is indifferent ancient and well built situated in a Country extraordinary fertil especially in delicate Wines and watered with a pleasant little River called la Bourgeoise passing by the Town It has an Hospital which is one of the most sumptuous Buildings in France and its Territory is called le Beaunois Pagus Belnensis The Town of Auxone or Auxossne is situated upon the Saone with a Viscounty and Bayliwick almost 6 Leagues East of Dijâ—n and 5 North-west of Dole towards the Frontiers of the County of Bourgogne It is considerably strong S. Jean-de-l'Aune or Lone Fanum Sancti Johannis Laudonensis is a little Town upon the Saone nigh to the Abby of Cisteaux between Auxone and Bellegarde It has an Abby of its own founded by King Theodorie and confirm'd in its Priviledges by the French King Robert under the inspection of the Bishop of Chalons As to Bellegarde now sirnamed Surde-Bellegarde it is seated upon the Saone nine Leagues South-west of Dijon and famous for holding out against the Imperial Army Anno 1636 commanded by the undaunted Galas Charles Duke of Lorraine and the Marquesâ— de Grana with several others who were forced to raise the Siege being harrassed by Josias Count of Rantzeau by his frequent Sallies cut off a vast Number of Men. The Abby decisteaux chief of the Order of that Name depends on the Bp. of Chalon tho it lies 5 Leagues South of Dijon and 2 West of St. Jean de Laune Robert Abbot of Molesme in the Diocese of Langres founded it Anno 1098. This Town is properly is Chalonois St. Bernard with his Companions were there receiv'd Anno 1113. Ann. 1115 they founded the Abby of Clairvaux whereof that Saint was the first Abbot That Order afterwards became very powerful and hath produced many noted Men as Popes Cardinals and Bishops and has now 1800 Monasteries under it self The other places of note in DIJONNOIS are Fontaine-Francoise near the borders of Champaign and Franche-County famous for the Victory of the French King Henry IV. over the Spaniards in 1595. St. Seyne Fleury Beligâ—â— Mulsau Bere Nuys As to Rouvre and 〈…〉 that were two Country-houses of the 〈◊〉 Burgundy they are but inconsiderabl◠〈…〉 Of AUTUNOIS THis Diocese included betwixt Auxois Dijonnois Bresse Charollois and Nivernois is but a very small part of the Dominions of the ancient Aedui which reach'd North and South from the Country of the Senâ—nois to the Cevennes and extended East and West from the Rhone and the Saâ—ne to the Loire and a good way beyond it comprehending besides the Dutchy of Burgundy Nivernois Bourbonnois Bresse Forez Beaujolois and Lyonnois for the Segusiani who inhabited the three last Countries and part of Bresse were Tributaries of the Autunois and even the Senonois were under their Protection The Autunois being so powerful were easily tempted with the desire of making themselves Masters of all the Gaules in order to which they made Alliance with the Romans But the Auvergnats and Allobroges who had as much Power and perhaps no less Ambition than they opposed their Design fought and beat them and would utterly have destroyed them had not the Autunois call'd the Romans to their help This Foreign assistance prov'd too powerful for their Enemies who were easily subdued together with all Narbâ—nnoise Gaule wherein the Quarrels of the Marseillois and Salâ—ans had already given footing to these Conquerors of the World The Contestations of the Autunois and Sequani or
Abby of Benedictins under the name of S. Valerin founded and endowed by the Emperor Charles the Bald. It depends on the Bishoprick of Chalon Clugni Cluniacum chief of the Order of that Name It was founded according to the rule of S. Benoit by William I. Duke of Aquitain Count of Auvergne on behalf of Berno Abbot of Gigniac in 910. The Monks of this Abby having murthered William III. or IV. Count of Mascon whilst he was a hunting made the vulgar believe that he had been carried away by the Devil The other 3 Towns are S. Gengoux that has been once the Seat of the Baily Marsilly les-Nonains and le-Bois-S Marie Of BRESSE LA-BRESSE Brexia Brissia or Saltus Brixius hath the Dain on the East which separates it from Bugey on the South it hath the Rhone which divides it from Dauphiné On the West the River Saone parts it from Lyonnois and the Dutchy of Burgundy and Chalonnois lies on the North. It has about six Leagues extent from South to North and nine Leagues from E. to W. This little Province aboundeth with Corn Hemp Pastures and Fishes It 's unwholesome in some parts because of several Ponds which send up noisom Vapours and thereby corrupts the Mass of Air. As BRESSE depends for the most part on the Prelate of Lyons whose Diocese was inhabited by the Segusiani and that the rest of this Province is under the Bishops of Chalon and Mascon so it seems to have been subject to the Autunois It was conquered from the Romans by the Burgundians and from them by the French In latter Ages it made part of the second Kingdom of Burgundy then came to the Lords of Beauge who possest the greatest part of it during near 400 Years The Lords of Coligny Villars and Monluel had there also considerable Estates but they melted all successively into the House of Savoy from 1272 till 1402. At last Charles Emanuel Duke of Savoy was forc'd to exchange not only this Province but also the Countries of Bugey Valromey and the Bayliwick of Gex for the Marquisate of Salusses that is a rich and plentiful Country for a barren and mountainous The Capital Town of this Country Bourg is situated on the little River Reissousse 7 Leagues East of Mascon having the Title of a Bayliwick Presidial and Election It is seated in a Marshy but fertil Soil looking to the East on the Mountain S. Claude and little Hills covered with Vineyards and Westward it hath a great Plain which extendeth it self even to the Saâ—ne The City Government is in the hands of â— Syndics or Sheriffs Philibert Emanuel Duke of Savoy built there a Cittadel in 1569 but it was demolished ann 1611. There are Halls spacious and well built next to which is the Church of St. Brou where several Dukes of â—â—voy lie interr'd Pope Leo X. gave out a Bull to establish here a Bishoprick in 1515 and 1521 but Pope Paul III. suppressed it in 1534. The Presidial was instituted by the French K. Henry IV. in 1601. The Horses of this Country are esteemed Montluel is a little Village but an ancient Lordship belonging to Monsieur le Prince five Leagues North East of Lyons The other places are Romenay S. Trivier Pont de Vaux a Dutchy Bauger Montrevel a County S. Paul de Varas Perouges a Barony the Native Country of the Famous Mr. de Vaugeias Varambon Pont-de-Vesle Chastillon Goligni Bouligneux Villarâ— c. Of BUGEY BVGEY is situated between the Rhone which separates it from Dauphiné and Savoâ— the Dain which distinguisheth it from Bresse and has the County of Burgundy to the North. Its extent from Pont-Dain or the Bridge of Dain to Seissel is almost 10 Leagues and from Dortans to the Port of Loyeâ—te almost 20 Leagues Although this Country be full of Hills and Mountains yet it 's abundantly fertil for there are many Lakes and Rivers well stor'd with Fish and Forests with Game both great and small as Bears Wild-Swines Harts Hinds Hares gray and red Patridges Pheasants Wood-hens c.. This Country has ordinarily follow'd the Condition of Bresse and been subject to the same Lords as it was in the last Age to the Dukes of Savoy and is now to the French King Belley Belica a League from the Rhone and almost 17 East of Lyons has a Bayliwick an Election and a Bishoprick Suffragan of Besancon it 's generally esteem'd very ancient and was one of the Cities of the Sequani It 's not known who was the Apostle of BVGEY for the first Bishop of Belley mentioned in History is one Vincent who subscribed to the 2d Council of Paris under Childebert Clovis the Great 's Son and to the 2d Council of Lyons under Gontran in 567. This Town was burnt to Ashes ann 1385 but Amadaeus VIII Duke of Savoy rebuilt it and surrounded it with Walls and Towers S. John Baptist is the name of the Cathedral Church whose Chapter is composed of 19 Canons four Dignities the Dean the Archpriest the Primicier and the Sinâ—er They were at first regular following the Rule of S. Austin but they were made Secular in 1579. The other Towns of BVGEY are S. Rambert with an Abby of Benedictins Nantua that keeps still the name of the ancient Nanâ—uates mentioned by Caesar Seissel an important passage on the River Rhone Chateau-neuf Capital of Valromey Chatillon of Michaille Arban near the borders of Franche-County Arlon upon the Rhone Montreal Ambournay Lagnieu c. Of the Bayliwick of GEX I Am apt to believe that this Bayliwick and and part of Bugey were the Habitation of the ancient Nantuates since the Veragri were seated in the Câ—untry of Vaux and the Seduni in the Diocese of Sion However it be this Bayliwick is but a little Country having the County of Burgundy on the North the Country of Vaux in the Canton of Bern on the East on the South it is separated from Savoy by part of the Lake of Geneva and the River Rhone and on the West it has again part of the County of Burgundy and Bugey The chief Town is GEX which is the Seat of the Baily Of the Principality of Dombes THe Principality of DOMBES Dombensis-Pagus lies between Bresse and the Saone that separates it from Maconnois Beaujolois and Lyonnois It 's a Country very agreeable to live in This Country contains 11 Chastelnies whereof the chief is Trevoux that is also the Capital of the Country It has a Collegiate Church a Bayliwick and a Mint where Mony was coyn'd with the Stamp of late Ann Mary Louise of Orleans Soveraign Princess of Dombes Daughter to John Baptist of Orleans youngest Son of the French K. Henry IV. Lewis XIV has inherited this present year 1693 the Estate of that Lady whom he would never suffer to marry This Principaliâ—y has a little Parliament residing at Lyons and made up of 3 Presidents 3 Masters of the Requests a Knight of Honour that sits with the Sword on his side 12 Councellors or Judges an Attorney General
Original in Burgundy in the Woods of the Abbey of St. Seine runs by Paris Roan Honfleur and Harfleur and disgorges it self into the Sea at Havre de Grace with a delicate Channel where it ebbs and flows It receives amongst other Rivers the Marn and the Oyse which crosseth Picardy and under Pont Oyse towards Poissy mixes with the Seine The Isle of France is inclosed by the Seine to the East and South and by the Oyse to the West The Loire springs forth in Vivarez a small Country of Languedock passes by Velay comes into Forest to Nevers Orleans Blois Amboise Tours Saumur and disburthens it self in the Sea near Nantes in Britanny with a Channel of four Leagues breadth It is the largest River of France as the Rhosne is the most rapid It receives the River of Allier which cometh out of Gevaudan in Languedock and several others France abounds in lofty and pleasant Forests that are not like those of Germany Poland and Transilvania which by reason of their greatness and thickness are not so commodious for Hunting That of Orleance is the biggest and broadest Besides those of Montargis there are a great many in the Country of Maine in Lower Britanny in Poictou in Berry in the Country of Angiers in Boulonois Vermandois Picardy in Angoumois where the Forest of Brancome is of great extent The Provinces of Burgundy Dauphine Languedock Guyenne and chiefly Rouergue and Quercy abound also with great Woods CHAP. II. Of the Air and Soil of France and its various Productions FRANCE every where enjoyeth a very wholsom and temperate Air whence it proceeds that the Plague and contagious Diseases are not so frequent and dangerous there as in other Countries She is praised for her Fertility from all â—imes not only in her fair and spacious Plains and in her Vallies but also in her Mountains which are Cultivated and bring forth Corn in such abundance that besides the Provision of her Inhabitants Spain is supplied with it from Burgundy and Languedoc To these Provinces ought to be added those of Normandy Beausse Poictou Xainconge Picardy which are also very plentiful in Corn. All sorts of Wines grow in France and such as are Excellent too Britany Normandy and Picardy by reason of the cold Air produce none but all the other Provinces do abound with it Those of Beausse grow especially about Orleance and Toury Anjou has her White-Wines which are in a particular Esteem Those of Burgundy are sold off at Baulne Sens and Auxerre whereof great Quantities are brought to Paris Guyenne is very well provided with Wines but those of Grave at Bourdeaux those of Gaillaâ— and Rabestens are most esteemed and by the Garonne Charante and Loire are Transported to England Flanders and Germany The Muscadine Wines of Frontignan and other Places near Montpellier in Languedoc are carried to Paris and Foreign Nations The Salt-Pits make the Third Wealth of that Kingdom in which they are both good and plentiful The King draws vast Revenues out of them for the Inhabitants of every Province are furnished therewith at a very high Rate and they are exported to Foreign Nations as the Switzers Dutch English and other Northern People The Salt Pits of Languedoc at Pecais are the excellentest of all There are some in Provence Poictou Xaintonge Brouage whither the Dutch come to fetch them The Hemp and Linnen of Lower Britany Calis Berry Quercy Rouergue and other Places bring likewise a great Trade and a power of Money into France Hâ—reof are made Cables and Sails for Shipping with a prodigious quantity of Cloath which is carried very far There are but some of her Provinces that produce Oyls whose Air is the hottest and sweetest Such as are Provence and Languedoc Of these is a great Trade not only in the very Kingdom but even amongst Strangers Fine Wool abounds in several Places of the Kingdom especially in Berry Soloigne Normandy and Languedoc in all which Provinces very good and fine Cloaths are Woven with Serges that are carried all over the Kingdom and into Spain Italy Piedmont and others Nations She abounds in all manner of Fruit In Normandy Britany and Picardy is a huge quantity of Apples of which they make Cyder that supplies the want of Wine Pears and other Winter-Fruit are better in these Provinces and the Isle of France where the Air is thickest than in those that are more to the South Which on the other hand are plentiful in choice Raisins Figgs Granads Musk-Mellons Apricots Peaches Nectarins Almonds and Nutts Chesnuts are in the most Mountainous Countries such as are Dauphiné the Cevennes Languedoc Auvergne the Country of Limoges and Perigord Wood is found there in some Places which is Exported into several Foreign Countries to Dye in Blue Several of her Provinces do bear Saffron Silk-Worms are fed in Languedoc Provence Dauphiné at Tours at Caen in Normandy and for this purpose a great number of Mulberry-Trees are kept She is not lacking in good Pastures both in the even and hilly Soil to feed Cattle whence comes abundance of Meat as also Milk Butter and Cheese Capons Pullets and all manner of Fowl are here in Store And Turky-Cocks and Hens are fed by Flocks Hares Conies Partridges and Thrushes do swarm There is Rice to be seen in Provence Pulse of all sorts Flowers Herbs and Simples Rosemary Juniper Myrtle-Trees Sage and all other Plants are to be found in it Box grows to a great thickness in Normandy Languedoc and other Places wherewith are made several small Moveables for Service which Strangers make use of Stones do grow in the Quarries And here are very fine Slates especially in Anjou and Marbles in Foix and in some Places of Languedoc All big Beasts for Game as Fallow Deers Chamois Stags Wild-Goats are to be found in her Forrests besides several good Races of Horses of Burgundy Normandy Britany Auvergne Poictou the Country of Limoges Gascony Foix and Languedoc yet they are not so strong as those of Germany whence they are brought to draw Carts and Coaches Spain has Mules from Auvergne and Gevaudan The Corn and Wines of France with the Salt-Houses and other Wares are the most assured Mines she has yet those of Gold and Silver are not wanting though they are not wrought at And it is not to be doubted but that in the Pyreneans and other Mountains of Auvergne Rouergue Gevaudan Languedoc and in the Cevennes may be found Veins of Gold and Silver as Germans who have visited and found them out have Related There are Mines of Iron in Auvergne and Britany of Coals Lead Pewter Azur Copperas c. in other Places Add to these the Mineral Waters as those of Pougues Mayne Bourbon Vals and the Baths of Hot Waters at Vichy Barlaruc Bagneux Encausse c. CHAP. III. Of the Inhabitants of France and of their Language THE French are Endowed with more Virtuos than Vices by the Confession even of Strangers who praise them for their Charity hospitality Courtesie
the Mashal de la Force took it Ann. 1634 for the French King Lewis XIII who caused it afterwards to be demolished Its Lordships are Marsal Remereville S. Ballemont Ramberville Homburg Mariemont and Sandacourt Phalzburg has the Title of Principality It is situated at the Foot of the Mountains on the Frontiers of Elzas seven or eight Leagues from Strasburg but is not so considerable as it was formerly Lorrain also comprehends the Dutchy of Bar which reaches to Neuf Chastel or New-Castle whereof the principal Town is Bar le Duc the less considerable S. Mihel a strong Town whose Inhabitants made bold to rebel against King Lewis XIII in behalf of their Duke Charles III. for which some of them were sent to the Gallies after the Year 1633. Then Ligni Moigneville Lon-champ Commercy c. The Mountains of Vauge Vougesi Montes who separate Lorrain from the County of Burgundy and Elzas take up about an hundred Miles in length from West to East and from South to North. Thence springs the Mosell near a Village called Bussans on the Frontiers of Franche-County and Elzas takes its Course towards Remiremont where it receives several Brooks amongst others the Vologne or Voloye increased with the Nany at a Village called Chamery then it goes down to Espinal Chastel Charmes Bayon and Chaligny where the Modon with the Waters of the Illon Vezelize c. discharges it self into it Afterwards it washes Toul and Pont à Mousson and between these two Cities receives the Meurte which comes also from the Mountains of Vauge goes by S. Dioy Raon Luneville Roziere S. Nicolas Then being Increased with several other Rivers washes Nancy and looses it self into the Mosell near the Castle of Condé As to the Mosell it pursues its Course towards Mets where it receives the Seille that seems to issue from a Lake near Marsal then goes down to Thionville and Triers There it is increased with the Sare that springs likewise from the Mountains Vauge near Salms and washes several Places to which it gives its Name as Sarburg Saralbe Sargomine and Sarpruch Finally having made several Windings and Turnings and received some other Rivers it goes to Coblentz and mixes there with the Rhine The Saone takes its Source on the other side of these Mountains which had given the thoughts of digging a Channel to joyn these two Rivers that there might be a Communication between the Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea The Project was begun under the Emperor Nero but was not followed In fine this Dutchy comprehending the Barrois is four Days Journey that is about forty Leagues in length from Stenay to Darnay and near so many in breadth from Bar le Duc to Biche the whole abounding in Wheat Wine and all other Necessaries for Man's Sustenance as in Beasts or Cattle of all Kinds Fish in their Rivers and Ponds Baths that are much esteemed and Salt-pits that are none of the worst It 's also rich in Mines of Silver Brass Iron Tin and Lead and at the Foot of the Mountains of Vauge are found Azure-Stones with some Pearls and the best Stuff in the World to make Looking-glasses of besides Cassidonies of such considerable bigness that Drinking-Cups are made of them Neither Turkey nor the Kingdom of Naples can furnish better Horses than Lorrain nor is there better fresh Water-Fish in the World than its Trouts Salmons Pearches Carps and Tenches are The Carps in a Lake that is fourteen Leagues in circuit are some of them three or four foot long As for the Manners and Customs of the Inhabitants they have been observed to be a Mixture of the German and French The People will drink hard are free and open and not as cunning or ingenious as other Nations Yet the Gentry as they are stout and brave so do they likewise pretend to Wit and good Breeding some taking to the German Fashion but a great part living after the French Under their Dukes as they were not overburthened with Taxes and lived pretty rich and easie so they denied themselves no Pleasures or Diversions and Feasts Plays Balls Musick c. were very frequent and in great request amongst them However the Country is still very good and pleasant for Men of Business may imploy themselves in Trafficking and they who neeâ— not to take so much Trouble may Hunt Feasâ— and rejoyce as pleasantly here as in any other place whatsoever CHAP. II. The Principality of SEDAN and Dukedom of BOUILLON and RETHEL I Put here this Principality because it iâ— in my way from Lorrain to Champaignâ— though it belongs now to this last Government But before I enter into it I must describe the famous Forest of Ardenne Arduenna Sylva apparently so called because 't is so rugged and craggy and the Ways in some places so narrow that Carters go along winding a Horn to hinder that others should meet with them In Cesar's time it reached from Rheims in Champain to the Rhine and thence to Tournay on the Scheld so that it was extended an hundred and thirty Miles in length fifty or sixty in breadth in some places and covered part of Champaign and Lorrain of Luxemburg and the Bishoprick of Liege and of the Counties of Namur Haynaut and Flanders which are now filled with so many fair Cities Now this Forest has not above forty Miles in length from Thionville on the Mosell in the Dutchy of Luxemburg to Donchery and Sedan The Emperours Charlemaign and Lewis the Meek took a Delight in Hunting there especially in Autumn that they made a Royal Sport of Gaming with great Preparations Sigebert King of Austrasia had built two Abbies in the midst of it which are now in the Neighbourhood This Principality which is but four Leagues in square is included between Champaign Lorrain and Luxemburg It belong'd formerly to the famous Family of the Dukes of Bouillon and Viscounts of Turene well known for their many and great Exploits untill Lewis XIII or rather his ambitious Minister Cardinal Richelieu made bold to deprive them of it in the Year 1642. It 's true they have had some Lands in exchange but they are not to be compared to these either for Profit or Honour were it but for the Title of Soveraignty This Country though it is covered with Woods as I have hinted does not want however a Competency of Corn which makes the Abode both agreeable and cheap The chief Town is Sedan whose Situation is pleasant enough because the Mosell runs by it though of one side it has a Mountain both these with its good Castle render it impregnable It 's said the Platform is so great that 2000 Men might be drawn up upon it and its Magazins so well furnished that few in the Kingdom can equal them The Town is not verâ— big and has but three principal Street There was an University that has been foâ—merly famous and filled up with greâ— Men as Du Moulin James Chappel Le Blaâ— and Jurieu nor ought the Professor Tilenâ—
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
Sant Câ—erny la â—rté Loupiere Aillant Brignon c. 4. Langres â—Ome put this Town in Bassigni and others account Chaumont for the Capital of it shall here follow the last in order to make particular Description of this ancient City â—lled by the Latins Lingonae and Andomainum Lingonum and famous ever since the Irruption of Sigovese and Bellovese iâ— Italy that is since 3464 of the World 164 of Rome Langres is seated upon Mountain near the source of the Marne aâ— its Territory which is not far from Bâ—gundy is accounted the highest of France bâ—cause five or six Rivers spring out of The Vandals wasted this City and put St. â—dier its Bishop to death in 704 but siâ— it was so well repaired that in the 12th Ceâ—tury Peter the Venerable calls it the Nâ—â— the Great and the Renowned and therefoâ— its Bishops were not forgotten in the Institâ—tion of the ancient Dukes and Peers France The Cathedral is dedicated 〈◊〉 St. Mammez Martyr but St. Savinian wâ— its first Bishop for ought we know about 〈◊〉 end of the fourth Age. 5. Of Bassigni Vallage and Perthois THE Country of Bassigni is included bâ—twixt that of Langres and Vallage 〈◊〉 the South and North the Dutchy aâ— County of Burgundy on the West and Eaâ— Vallage has Bassigni on the South the Pâ—cinct of Troyes on the East and North-Eaâ— Lorrain on the East Barrois and Rhemois 〈◊〉 the North. Perthois has Vallage on the Soutâ— the Dutchy of Bar on the East the Territâ— â—y of Rheims on the North and that of Troyes â—n the West Chaumont is the Capital of Bassigni and is situated upon a Hill near the Marne between Langres and Chalons It has 〈◊〉 very strong Castle built upon a Rock with a Tower called the Donjon There are likewise Montigni Gaeffi Nogente Roy Bourbonne-les-Bains Monteclar Andeâ—t Bisnay Choyseul Clermont with several â—thers that have strong Castles for their Deâ—ence Vallage for its chief Towns has Vassi â—nd Joinville erected into a Principality by King Henry II. for the youngest Sons of the House of Guise an 1552. It is situated upâ—n the Marne The other Towns of Vallage â—re Brienne County Vignoris Montirandel â—onlevand le Chasteau aux Forges Esclairon â—ar upon the River Aube which is renownâ—d for its excellent Wines and had formerly â—s particular Counts The Country of Perthois has Vitri 〈◊〉 François fortified the modern way or its Capital It was built by King â—rancis I. whose Name it bears in the Neighbourhood of Vitri le brulé that was 〈◊〉 former times a considerable Castle The â—ther less considerable Towns are Argilliers â—arzicourt Louvemain St. Dizier a strong â—own on the Frontiers of Barrois Serâ—aize c. 6. The Country of Brie and morâ— especially Brie Champenoise THis Country is included between thâ— Marne the Seine and the Diocese oâ— Chalons and is extended about 10 or 1â— Leagues in length and breadth It 's ferâ— in Fruits Meadows Corn and Wines thaâ— are delicate near Château-Thierry but morâ— rough about Meaux Brie is divided intâ— French Brie depending upon the Governmeâ— of the Isle of France and Champaigne's Brie divided again into Vpper Lower and Louâ— Brie or the Land of Glandevesse whereiâ— are the Boroughs of Gandelu Montmorâ— Tresmes Orbay c. The whole Province hâ— MEAVX for its Capital whose scituation upon the Maine is very pleasant and its Disposâ—tion or Order no less being divided in twâ— by a little River that runs through and separates the Town quite from the Markeâ— called otherwise the Fort. It 's so considerâ—ble that it deserv'd a Bishoprick Bailwicâ— and Election It s Cathedral is dedicated 〈◊〉 St. Stephen Besides that there is the Collegiate Church of St. Sanctin first Bishop 〈◊〉 Meaux the Abbey of St. Faron belonging 〈◊〉 the Benedictins of St. Maur and several Parochial Churches and Monasteries both iâ— the Town and the three Suburbs Meaâ— had formerly its particular Counts whose Country was united to the Crown with the â—est of Champaign During the Imprisonment â—f King John the Dauphin Charles V. his â—on fell at variance with the Parisians and â—etired to Meaux thence to Sens. The Parians would make use of the occasion to â—eize upon this Key of the Marne and sent â—ome Troops thither under the Conduct of a â—rocer but notwithstanding the Treason â—f the Mayor who opened them the Gates â—ey could not master the Market and â—aston-Phebus Count of Foix cut them inâ— pieces then ransack'd and burnt the Town However it was in few years so â—ell repair'd that it maintained a Siege of â—ree months against the English who at last â—ok it upon Charles VII then only Dauâ—hin of France in 1421. Meaux was one â—f the first Cities of that Kingdom wherein â—e Reformation was Preached for which â—ohn le Clerc and James Pavanes got the â—rown of Martyrdom the first being burnt 〈◊〉 Metz and the other at Paris about the â—ear 1525. CHATEAV-THIERRY is eight or ten â—eagues Eastwards of Meaux upon the same â—iver has the Title of a Dutchy a Bailâ—ick a Presidial Provostship and Election and 〈◊〉 accounted the Chief Town of Vpper Brie â—'s strong and pleasant by its situation has good Castle and several Churches The Duke of Mayenne took it in the last Age foâ— the League at which time it was plundereâ— by the Spaniards MONCEAVX is a Royal Castle anâ— Pleasure-house built upon the River Oâ—â— near its meeting with the Marn It 's adorâ—ed with Parks Forests Rivers and Gardeâ— that yield to none in the Kingdom for Beauty or Pleasure Queen Catherine of Mediâ— begun and Henry IV. finished it PROVINS Capital of Lower Brie anâ— formerly of the whole Province is situateâ— upon the little River Vuzie It has a Baiâ—wick and is renowned for its Roses and tâ— Conserve that is made of them The otheâ— Towns and Boroughs of Brie are Nogenâ— l'Artaud Vieux-Maisons Crecy Colommieâ— la Ferté-Gaucher and Sezanne all four upoâ— the Morin Nogent sur Seyne which has fine Bridge upon that River Montereâ—faut Yonne so called because the Yonne faâ— there and mixes with the Seine It has Bridge too upon which John Duke of Bâ—gundy was murthered by the Faction of Oleance in 1419. CHAP. IV. Of the Isle of France and its Dependencies ISLE of France is properly the Name of a small Country included between the Rivers Seine Oyse and Aysne Picardy Brie â—nd the Territory of Rheims but to make of it a Government somewhat suitable to â—he bigness of the Capital of so great a Kingdom part of the adjacent Countries have â—een taken from them and added to this Peninsula viz. out of Champaign part of Brie betwixt the Marne the Seine and the small River Yere with the Towns of Lagâ—y Ville-neuve-S George Brie-Comte-Robert built by the first Count of Champaign which â—as yet a Seat of Justice resorting to the Châteâ—et of Paris and Rosoy Out of Beausse have been taken three Countries namely Hureâ—oix on the South of the Seine with
is 〈◊〉 have a Fountain in the middle with such â—alks as the former in the other two Aâ—enues towards it Out of this Place you â—ound into another in form of a Half-â—oon it makes part of the first Court â—hich from the beginning of the Half-moon 〈◊〉 the great Court of the Castle is eighty â—athoms in length with four great Pavilions at the four Corners to lodge several Oâ—ficers in The great Court is shut in wiâ—â— iron Ballistres and two great Apartmeâ—â— that form the Wings having each a Balâ—â—ny opposite to it supported with Pillaâ— and adorned with Statues These wiâ—â— their Pavilions serve for Offices and haâ— Courts with other separate Buildings bâ—hind them There are other double Aparâ—ments that joyn these Wings and make 〈◊〉 Communication between the new and oâ— Castle and streightning the Top of tâ—â— great Court end with much Grace at tâ—â— Little which is the higher of the two As the French King has taken the Sun fâ—â— his Devise and that Poets confound it wiâ—â— Apollo there is nothing in this great Buildiâ—â— but has some Relation to that God Therefore as the two Wings of the great Couâ—â— are the Provision Offices they that had tâ—â— Care of the Work have got the four Eâ—â—ments represented at the top of the Portiquâ— of the Wings because these strive as 〈◊〉 were to furnish them with what is most eâ—quisite for Mans Support the Earth wiâ—â— its Beasts Fruits Flowers and Liquors tâ—â— Water with its Fish the Air with its Birdâ— and the Fire with its Help to dress anâ— make all ready Each Element has thrâ—â— Figures or Statues upon the four Balcâ—nies that represent it as the Earth Ceres Pâ—mona and Flora the Water Neptune Theâ—â— and Galathea the Air Juno Iris and Zeâ—hire the Fire is represented by Vulcan â—nd two Cyclops Sterops and Bronte Each â—f these Balconies has fifty foot in length â—hich is the breadth of each Pavilion Out of this Court we ascend by three Steps â—nto a large Resting-place and thence by â—ive more all Marble into the little Court which is paved with white and black Marâ—le with Streaks of white and red Marble â—nd has a Fountain Basin of white Marble â—n the middle with gilt copper Statues The Front and Wings are built of Brick and Free Stone with Marble busts upon Pendants or Brackets of the same for the greater Decoration Before this Front is a Balcony supported by eight Marble Pillars with red and white Spots like Jasper after â—he Dorique Order and their Chapters and Bases are of white Marble In the two Angles of the Wings of the Front are hangâ—ng Bottoms or Tromps that bear two Cabinets environed with gilt iron Cages and underneath are two Basins of white Marble in form of great Shell-works where young Tritons spout Water The middle Building has three gilt Iron-Doors leading into the Vestibule or Porch that has two Apartments on the Right and Left The two Wings of the little Court have two Stairs of white and red spotted Marble which lead to the upper Apartments tâ—â— on the Right-hand of one side to a Hâ—â— and Gallery and of the other to seveâ—â— Chambers that are the King's Apartmeâ—â— separated from the Queen 's by a great Hâ—â— that takes up the whole Body of the mâ—â—dle Building and has three Doors to a Pâ—â— or Platform that faces the Garden This 〈◊〉 all paved with white black and râ—â— Marble with a Basin of white Marble 〈◊〉 the middle prepared to be a great Spout The great Castle with the new Builâ—ings that this present King has added to tâ—â— old Versailles go under the Name of Neâ— Castle They have a Sight on the Gardeâ— and Courts that part them from the littâ—â— Castle to which they are joyned by greâ—â— Stair-Cases that communicate with the upper Apartments The Building on thâ— Right-hand and on the Grotto's side is composed at the lower part of several Pieces oâ— different bigness Coming out of the great Court and having passed under an open Porch you find a great Stair-case thirteen Fathoms and a half in length and five in breadth Yoâ— may go into the great low Apartment by a Fort that is beyond this Stair-case or by aâ— Arch that is at the bottom and leads into a Porch which looks into the Garden as all the other Pieces hereafter mentioned Out of this Porch you enter consecutively into two painted Halls the different Pieces of Architecture represented in the last make the Place appear as environed with several Pillars diversly adorned and far greater and higher than really it is Out of this you come into that which seems as a Vestibule when you enter by the Court into these Apartments the Cieling is supported by eight Pillars of the Dorick Order all fine Marble streaked red and white brought from Dinan in the Country of Liege the Chapters and Bases being of a greener that is called little Breche These Pillars are disposed into two parts four on each side that divide the Vestibule into three parts near the Wall and over against the Pillars are Pilasters of the same Marble that bear a Corniche which reigns all under the Plafond and over against the Windows are hollow Standings to place Statues in Next this Vestibule is another Hall whereof the Cornish that bears the Cieling is supported by twelve Pillars of the Ionique Order with their Pilasters behind them The four Pillars that are in the Angles with the twelve Pilasters are of black and white Marble and the eight other are of a Marble called Breche which comes from the Pyrenees the Ground is white with red black violet blew and yellow Spots The Chapters and Bases of the Pillars and Pilasters are of delicate white Marble Out of this you enter into another of the samâ— bigness whose Cieling is Octogone witâ— twelve double Pedestals a side of the Wiâ—dows and with Doors of fine Marble having twelve Figures of young Men witâ— Wings to their Backs that represent tâ—â— twelve Months of the Year All these Fâ—gures are Copper gilt with Gold the Pieces over the Doors and those that go across iâ— the Windows are of the Marble of Languedock Flame-coloured and White On one sidâ— of this Hall is the Chamber and Cabinet 〈◊〉 the Baths All the Pieces over the Doors anâ— Windows the Props and generally all partâ— that have no Hanging are laid with differenâ— Marble in equal Divisions so that all seemâ— solidly built therewith and this Order is observed to make use of the rarest and most precious in the Places that lye nighest to the King's Apartment so that as you go out of one Chamber into another towards it you will observe them more and more costly both in Marble Sculpture and Paintings This Order is also kept in the upper Apartments for there are eight Chambers or Halls all of a Flower that have each their different Marble and Painting The first that is five Fathoms and a half long and five wide where it wants
burned three times viz. in 1131 1152 and 1228 Notwithstanding it is yet a considerable Town well built and has Four Suburbs King Henry the Great took it from the Leaguers in 1591 but the Duke of Mayen having retaken it Two years after the King besieged and took it again in 1594. In 1516. a Treaty of Peace was negotiated there between Francis I. and Charles of Austria since Emperour and Calvin was born in it the 10th of July 1509. Chauny Contraginnum and Calniacum upon the River Oyse Three Leagues East of Noyon is a Royal Town and the Head of a Castelny After the Battle of St. Lawrence in 1557 the Imperialists having taken several Towns in Picardy put a strong Garrison in Chauny it being a Key of the Oyse CHAP. V. Of Picardy THIS Province hath the Isle of France on the South Champaign Haynaut and Flanders on the East the County of Artoys and the Streights of Dover on the North the British Sea and Normandy on the West It is one of the principal parts of the Antient Belgae Though the Name of Picardy be Modern and its Original contested The Opinion that seems to me the more reasonable is that of Adrian de Valois who derives it from Pique and se Piquer to have a Pick or to be passionate He conjectures that it was first a Nick-Name given by the Scholars of the University of Paris to their Fellows of that Province And indeed we see that it was first the Sirname of some Private Men as of one Clement in 1023 and one William in 1099 and that in process of time it became at last the name of the whole Province as may be read in Nicolas de Bray about the year 1215. Besides that the French especially in those Ages were wont to end in ard the words signifying the defects of the mind as Babillard Bavard Musard Fetard c. It was formerly one of the greatest Governments of France before the Country of Beauvaifis Noyon Soissons Valois and Laon were taken from it To make amends the County of Artois which by the Peace of Nimeguen in 1677 was wholly yielded to France has been added to it together with the old Conquests of Landrecy Quesnoy and Avenes in Hainaut This Country is extraordinary fruitful in Corn and has the conveniency to send it away by Sea to Paris and other places whence it is esteemed the chief Granary of the Isle of France but there grows no Wine either because the Inhabitants neglect to plant Vines or rather that the Country is too cold There is a great number of Nobility and of the Antientest in the Kingdom which has propagated in them the Martial Humour of the Antient Belgae Its Inhabitants are said to be free civil generous and good Natur'd but somewhat 〈◊〉 passionate As to the Seats of Justice Elizabeâ—â— Charles VI. Queen erected a Soveraigâ— Court of Justice or Parliament at Amieâ—â— during her Regency but as the Parliameâ—â— of Paris had an ill Eye upon this institâ—tion which restrain'd its Jurisdiction 〈◊〉 narrower limits and that the Supream Power did not remain long in her hands 〈◊〉 did not this Parliament likewise long subsâ—â—â— So that all the Bayliwicks Presidials anâ— Justices of this Province are still resorting to the Parliament of Paris Part 〈◊〉 this Country viz. all that is beyond the River Somme was formerly alienated from 〈◊〉 Crown of France by Charles VII aâ—â— yielded for ever to the Duke of Burgundy 〈◊〉 1435. Picardy is divided by some into upper aâ—â— lower but the most common and easie Division is into Seven Precincts or Countyes which last shall I follow here goinâ— from the East to the West and from the South to the North their Names are Tierache Vermandois Santerre Amienois Ponthicu Boulenois Pais Reconquis or the Recovered Countrey Its Rivers are besides the Oyse that has already been described The Serre that comes from the Borders of Champaigne washes Crecy and mixes with the Oyse at La-Fere The Somme that takes it source in â—ermandois at a place called Fonsomme washes St. Quintin Ham Peronne â—orbie receives the Avregne increased with the Noye goes through Amitens â—ext to it receives the Celle washes Pequigny Abbeville and near its mouth being increaâ—ed with the Trie Damboise Damerise falls â—nto the Ocean at St. Vallery The Maye â—omes from Gapennes near the Forest of â—recy makes a Lake between Bernay and â—ue and discharges it self into the Sea Six â—â—r Seven Leagues from its Source The Authie rises in the Amienois at a place called Chasteau d' Authie goes through Dourlans â—ompierre Douriers Nempont and runs into â—he Sea five Miles North of Crotoy and Six South-West of Montreuil The Canche riâ—es in Arroys near Hermanville washes Estreé Hâ—sdin Montreuil and discharges it self into â—he Sea near Estaples Lianne is a small Riâ—er of the Boulenois upon which Boulogne is â—eated Ostouvre Veredicque and Souduvre are Three small Rivers of the Recover'd Country which joyn together Two or Three Miles above Calice and then fall into the Sea Tierache This Country the most Easterly of Picardy is full of Woods and has taken its Name from a Forest call'd Teoracia Syâ—â— which separates it from Hainaut on the Nortâ—-West It has several considerable Towâ— whereof Guise upon the Oyse is accounted tâ—â— Capital It was formerly a County anâ— the ordinary Portion of the youngest Soâ— of the House of Lorrain but erected into 〈◊〉 Dutchy and Peerdom by Francis I on bâ—half of Claudius of Lorrain in 1528. Tâ—â— is that same Family that would have usurpâ— the Crown of France on pretence of Religion for which purpose they raised severâ— Civil Wars in France especially that calleâ— the Holy League to exclude Henry of Boâ—â—bon the Lawful Successor Seven Miles lower along the Oyse is thâ— Town of Ribemont Ribodi Mons. It has aâ—â— Abby under the Title of St. Nicholas des Prâ—â— Ansell of Ribemont was one of the Lords thâ—â— went to the Holy Land in 1096 and waâ— kill'd in the Siege of the Castle of Ptolemaâ— Seven Miles still lower in a Marshy place where the Serre falls into the Oyse is the strong Town of La Fere with thick Brick-Walls good Bastions and Rampiers and a Castle It was already a strong hold iâ— 958 so that it seems a Colony of the Antient Francs who call'd Fara such Boroughs as were inhabited by one Family or Race without mixture of any other During thâ— Wars of the League the Marquess of Maignelay Governour of that place had promised to restore it to the French King Henry IV. but he was murder'd before he could perform his promises The Duke of Mayenn gave the Government of La Fere to one Colas the Marquess's Murderer Colas deliver'd it afterwards to the Spaniards who allowed him to enjoy it under the Title of a County but Henry IV. got it from his hands in 1597 by a Capitulation that Colas subscrib'd with the Title of the Count of La Fere. Four Leagues
Vineâ—cus the Land of Vimeux is included between â—nienois and Normandy from which it is seâ—â—rated by the River Bresle call'd likewise Auâ—â— and betwixt the Sea and the River Somme â—at divides it from the County of Ponthieu â—s extended above 14 leagues East and West â—om Molien le Vidame in Amienois to Cayeu on â—e Sea-cost and 5 North and South from S. â—â—lery to Bauchen upon the Bresle S. Valery â—â—e Capital is seated on a Hill near a Bay made â—y the mouth of the Somme and call'd S. Valery â—r mer to distinguish it from another Sea-town 〈◊〉 Normandy call'd S. Valery en Caux or S. Vaâ—ry les Plains It 's Port is not extreamly good â—ecause of the great quantity of Downs that â—re about it neither are Cayeu Cadocum Augst 〈◊〉 Augusta better tho they seem to have formerly â—een of some Consideration Notwithstanding â—he Countrey is fill'd with a vast number of Villages and good Burroughs whereof the chief â—re Bauchen Gamaches a Marquizate Anssennes â—nd Sennerpont all upon the Bresle Arguel Riencour Oysemont Bailleul whence John de Bailleul that became King of Scotland wâ—â—ther Lord or Ordinary or of another â—leul in the Countrey of Dieppe Ponthieu THis County included between the Riâ—â— Somme and Canche on the South and Noâ—â— the Ocean on the West Amienois and Artoiâ—â— the East is about nine leagues East and Wâ—â— and nine or ten North and South It is waâ—â—ed with many fine Rivers as the Somme 〈◊〉 Maye Authie c. It was in former Aâ—â— but thinly inhabited because of the mâ—â— Woods that almost took up the whole Coâ—trey but it s now very thick peopled tâ— there be still several Forrests This County 〈◊〉 been often given in Portion to the Câ—â—dren of the French Kings and has had befâ—â— its particular Counts since the tenth Centuâ—â— In 1279 Eleanor of Castile Heiress of Ponthâ—â— was Married to Edward I. King of England 〈◊〉 brought this County to these Monarchs whâ— was the occasion of many bloody Wars Abbeville upon the Somme is the Capâ—â— of this County eight or nine leagues Nortâ—west of Amiens It is one of the biggest aâ— strongest in this Province and some will 〈◊〉 it was never taken for which reason they 〈◊〉 it the Faithful or the Virgin City of that Coâ—â—trey It has a Bailiwick Presidial five Gaâ—â— twelve or thirteen great Parishes and seveâ— Monasteries The River Somme and the small â—ver Cardon which discharges it self into it â—ake it a great Trading Town and give it the â—nveniency of exchanging its Linnen Cloth â—ooll and Corn for other Commodities that â—e brought in Boats from the Sea into the very â—own 'T is uncertain in what time this City â—as built for I find no mention made of it beâ—â—re the tenth Century That Hugh Capet gave 〈◊〉 in Portion to his Daughter Giselle Howâ—er it seems by the Original of the Name of â—bbeville Abbattis villa that it was built by â—me Abbot of St. Riquier for there is yet a â—own of that Name two leagues North-east â—on the River Cardon which Opinion Adrian 〈◊〉 Valois seems to confirm Abbeville has lately produced the best Geoâ—aphers of France as Nicolas Sanson who dyâ—â— 1667 William Sanson his Son and Peter du â—l who are yet alive for ought I know and the â—esuit Philip Briet who died in 1669. It is said â—at in 1636. some Women disguised in Mens â—oaths fought the Spaniards near S. Riquier â—d brought away two of their Colours Nine miles North-west of Abbeville on the â—orthside of the mouth of the Somme is the Seaâ—ort Town Le Crotoy Two leagues South east 〈◊〉 Abbeville is an important passage in an â—land formed by the same River called Pontâ—-Remi near to which are to be seen the reâ—ains of one of Caesar's Camps Rue upon the â—aye five leagues North-west of Abbeville is a â—rong Town by reason of its scituation being â—viron'd with Marshes and having a Pond or â—ake on the East-side Near the source of the same River is 〈◊〉 Burrough of Crecy which gives its name 〈◊〉 Forrest hard by but is much more famous 〈◊〉 a Battel fought there between the English 〈◊〉 the French in 1346 King Edward III. coâ— into Ponthieu of which he was Lord encâ—â—ed at the Village of Crecy King Philip of Vâ— came to encounter him on the 26th of Aâ—gâ— But the last was totally routed and left 30â—â— Foot upon the spot and 1200 Horse beâ—â— that he lost fourscore Colours and the Fâ—â—â—er of his Nobility as John of Luxenburg 〈◊〉 of Bohem. Charles Count of Alencon the Kiâ—â— Brother Raoul Duke of Lorrain the Count 〈◊〉 Flanders Harcourt and Sanserre the Dauphâ—â— Viennois c But the greatest mischief for 〈◊〉 French was that a Fog having kept them sâ—â— the sight of the Enemy till nine or ten a Clâ— in the morning the English in the mean wâ— planted the Colours they had taken fâ—â— them upon a height which the deceiâ—â— French taking for their own resorted to thâ— and received a greater overthrow than the 〈◊〉 day Their dead Bodies were Interred by Kâ— Edward's order at Monstreuil and the burâ—â— lasted 3 days Crecy had formerly a Royal House whâ— Ebroin Mayor of the Palace besieg'd when 〈◊〉 Warr'd against K. Thierry and his Mayor Lâ—â—â—sius and took both the King and the Town Fredegarius relates The Town of Monstreâ—â— scituated upon the Canche nine leagues 〈◊〉 of Abbeville five North-west of Crecy and tâ—â— East of the Sea It was but at first a Villaâ— which encreased into a Town by the builâ—◠〈◊〉 a Castle and of a Monastery by S. Salvius â—â—shop of Amiens where he would be Intterr'd â—d whence it has gotten the name of Monasteâ—â—lum Monstreuil or Monstrelet Besides there â—e still two Ancient Abbyes of St. Bennets Orâ—r one of Monks and the other of Nuns â—ng Philip I. having divorced from him his â—ife Berthe sent her away to this Town upâ—â— which he assigned her Dowry and where â—e dyed in 1093. Monstreuil is divided into â—pper and lower Town and has a strong Citâ—del and Baillwick Great Bâ—ats can go up â—he River by the help of the Tide to this â—own Boulenois THis County is but 13 or 14 leagues long North and South and about 7 broad East and West It was Anciently inhabited by the Morini as well as Teronane if it be true that Boulogne is the Gesoriacum of Pliny and Ptolomy It is still the most mountainous paâ—t of Picardy especially along the Coast which render them almost unaccessible However it does not want either Woods or Rivers and affords such a good race of Horses that the Inhabitants can furnish 3000 Troopers It was erected into a County together with St. Paul Guines and Artois by Charles the Bald Emperor and King of France when he marryed his Daughter Judith to Baldwin Ironside Count of Flanders in 863. The County of Boulogne was successiâ— enjoyed by several illustrious Houses whâ—â— allied themselves at one time or other with
Work if once finish'd will be of dangerous consequence to the Trade of England the rather for that the Port of Dover is not capable of receiving Men of War at least but at high Spring-Tides However it is not yet so far advanc'd but a stop may be put to it by our Men of War Calice is not very big but well built and well Peopled there is a Town-House the Palace of the Baily the Tower of the Watch and several Churches Calice was but a Burrough before the Year 1228 that it was Wall'd in by Philip Count of Boulogne In 1347 King Edward III. besieged Calice which John of Vienne its Governour defended 10 or 11 months but being almost starved and having no hope of Relief he proffered at last to Capitulate which the King of England refused unless six of the chief Citizens brought him the Keys bear-headed and barefoot with Ropes about their necks and upon that condition that he should have an Absolute power over their Lives Tho these Conditions seem'd somewhat hard and that those upon whom the Lot of his Embassy should fall might scarce hope to escape with their Lives however there were Men so Zealous for the publick Good as willing to undertake it but the Generous Monarch of England sent them back without doing them any wrong The Town was Peopled with English and remained in their power 200 and ten years The French had not been Masters of it 38 years when the Cardinal of Austria took it from them in 1596 but he restored it by the formentioned Peace of Vervins CHAP. VI. Of Normandy especially the Higher THo' this Goverment comprehends only the Ancient Dutchy and Peerdom of Normandy and the French Vexin has been cut off from it however 't is still one of the biggest of France being extended East and West from Aumale to the Coasts of Coutantine above 62 leagues and 40 three South and North-east from Alencon on the Frontier of Maine to the Town of Eu near the Coasts of Picardy As the Kingdom of France was very large under the first Race of their Kings since Clovis the great and that youngest Sons had a share in the Succession to the Soveraignty so this Realm was divided into two great parts whereof the most Easterly which reached from Picardy and Champaign to Upper Germany or from the Meuse to the Rhine and beyond that River was called Ausstrie or Austrasie The other more Westerly extended it self from Normandy the Isle of France and Beausse to the Coasts of that Kingdom and was called Neustrasia Neustria sometimes Neptricum and in French Neustrie It was at first included between the Meuse and the Loire then between the Seine and the Loire and at last this name was appropriated to the second Lyonnoise considered as a part of the Kingdom of Soissons until the Year 912 that Raoul or Rollon a Swedish or Norwegian Prince having wholly subdued this Province embraced the Christian Faith and setled himself there with the consent of Charles the simple King of France and then Neustrie took the name of Normandy from its Northern Conquerours The Normans began to shew themselves under Charlemaign by Privateering in Low-Saxony Freeze and the Northern Coasts of France Their strength encreas'd through the Weakness of Lewis the meek for then they began to extort Contributions from the Freezons But the Civil Wars of Lewis's Sons made them so bold as to undertake Conquests which they at last performed under Charles the simple This Ancient Dukedom has the Isle of France on the East the Brittish Sea on the North and West Bretaign and the Government of Orleanois on the South It is divided into upper and lower The first contains the Roman Vexin the Countries of Roumois Caux and Bray and the Bishoprick of Evreux The second includes the Diocesses of Lizieux Bayeux Coutance Avranches and Seez The Soil is every where fruitful enough in Corn Meadows Hemp Apples Pears and all sorts of Fruits There are a great many Forrests and several Iron-mines but there grows little or no Wine except it be on the Southern parts towards the Isle of France and Orleanois This Province has many Noblemen but the Countrey people is extraordinary Oppressed because the Tailles or Impositions are not real or upon Lands but personal so that a Peasant that has nothing to live upon but his Spade must pay to the King ten or twelve Crowns yearly for his head and proportionably if he have a Family tho' he be not the Richer for that True it is that Provisions are cheap enough especially Fish along the Sea-coast and every where Cyder which is the ordinary drink of the Countrey people their chief Trade consists in Wood Coals Linnen and Cattle and some Herbs fit for Dyers which the Inhabitants call Garence Guesde and Pastel The chief Rivers of Normandy besides the Seyne that has been mentioned elsewhere are the Bresle that comes from the borders of Picardy washes Aumale Blangis and falls into the Ocean at Eu the Sart that runs into the Sea at Criel the Arques that receives the Eaune and discharges it self into the Sea at Dieppe the Sâ—ye and the Seane running to the Ocean not far from the said Town then you find the Aubette the Robec the Andelle and the Epte which run all into the Seyne on the north-side of it Oâ— the South-side you meet with the Eure which comes from some Lakes in Beauce on the Frontier of the Bishoprick of Seez receives the Vaupillon the Loupe washes Chartres receives the Gas and the Blaise near Dreux then encreased with the Vegre and the Iton that goes thro Evreux falls into the Seyne at Pont-de-Larche The Rille comes from a Forrest in the Diocess of Seez hides it self into the Earth near la Ferriere then coming out washes Beaumont le Roger receives the Carenton and runs into the Sea two leagues North of Ponteau de Mer. The Touques receives the Lezon the Orbec washes Lisieux Pont l'Evesque receives the Calonne and falls into the Sea near a Town of the same name call'd Touques The Dive receives the Ante the Lesson the Meance the Vye and discharges it self into the Sea near St. Sauveur The Orne comes likewise from the Bishoprick of Seez and being encreased with the Nereau and Drance washes Pont d'Olly Tury receives the Oudon near Caen and falls into the Sea at Estrehan Along the same Sea-coast you find the Seille which runs into the Ocean between Gray and Barnieres Then the Aure and the Drome or Dronine which lose themselves into a great Ditch called Fossé du Soucy The little River of Triviers the Vire and the Carenten run all three into a Bay of the Ocean called Groin de la Dune the Vire is the longest of all washes St. Lo and receives the Elle the Carenten is encreased with the Rivers of Baupteys and Ouve Betwixt la Hogue and Barfleur runs the River Sart and farther on the North that of Cherbourg On the
West coast you meet with the Souille that receives the Herouille and the Burd which go by Coutances The See and the Ardee fall both into the Bay of Avranches I would begin here the particular description of this Province were it not that I think my self Obliged to say something of the first Dukes of Normandy from whom our Kings of England are descended and by the way to show the just claim they may still lay to that Noble Dukedom their Ancient Patrimony Raoul having setled himself in Normandy not only by Conquest and force of Arms but also by the voluntary yielding of Charles the simple and his Marriage with Gisele Niece to that King gave good Laws to his Subjects Among others that the Poor might have right done to them without any Expence he ordered that any Murderer Robber Incendiary or any one that should pursue another with a naked Sword should be stop'd and brought before a Justice without any other Warrant than the Out-cry of the Wronged Person This is the Origin of what the Normans call the Clamour of Haro which they make use of when they think themselves wrong'd or oppress'd perhaps too often as they are accus'd to be of a litigious Temper Howsoever it may be Haro seems to be an abbridged word for Ha Raoul as tho' they would still implore the Justice of their first Duke Raoul took the name of Robert at his Baptism was succeeded by William I. surnamed Long-sword in 917 or 920 and was succeeded by three Princes named Richard Robert II. Son to the last of them in 1028. was Father to our William the Conquerour whom he got from Helen Grand Daughter to Edmond Ironside one of our Saxon Kings if we may believe Thomas Rudborn who quotes several Authors for this History Thus England and Normandy were quietly enjoyed by our Monarchs till the French King Philip August taking hold of the Civil War which the English Barons raised against King John deprived him of his Dutchy of Normandy under pretence that he had caused his Nephew Arthur to be murther'd It was reconquered by Henry V. but lost again under Henry VI. during the Civil Wars between the Houses of York and Lancaster However it remains uncontested that this Province has been possess'd successively by fourteen Dukes of the same Race six of whom were Kings of England I must not forget that the Normans are Witty and Ingenious especially in making Establishments which their Envious Neighbours would find fault with and on that account stain them with Treachery Their Countrey is so great and so Populous that there are reckon'd a hundred Towns and a hundred and fifty considerable Burroughs So that the Reader may not expect I should describe them all but only such as are most Eminent and of which some Particulars are come to my knowledge Norman Vexin THis Countrey was anciently inhabited by the Veliocasses Velocasses or Belocasses whose Territories reached from the Andelle to the Oysâ— but after the Normans had conquer'd the best part of Neustrie it was divided into two parts whereof that which obey'd the French King was called the French and the other the Norman Vexin De Valois relates a remarkable thing namely that the feuds between these two People are yet as great as if they were still Enemies and had not the same Master so that they seldom marry together nor will they Trade or have any thing common one with another The Norman Vexin confines upon the Isle of France from which it is separated by the River Epte The first considerable Town you meet with is Gisors scituated upon the same River fourteen leagues Northwest of Paris with a Bailiwick resorting to the Parliament of Rouen Under the Reign of Philip I. King of France William the red King of England took it from a Knight call'd Payen and fortified it in 1228. Henry III. King of England had an Interview between this Town and Trie with Philip August King of France upon the news of the taking of Jerusalem by Saladin And having consulted about the means to recover the Holy Land they resolve to take the Cross together with many other Princes in memory of which they erected a Cross in the Field where they had made this Agreement and promised one another to leave off their differences till their return Pont de l'â—rche Pons arcûs eleven leagues almost West of Gisors and seven miles South of Rouen is an important passage upon the Seyne near the fall of the Eure into it and therefore it has a particular Governour It was the first Town which surrendred it self to Henry IV. after his coming to the Crown in 1589. Dâ— Chesne esteems that Pont de l'arche is the Castle Pistae which Charles the bald built to withstand the Incursions of the Normans but most of the other Geographers believe it to be one of these tvvo neighbouring places Pistres or Poses Rouen nine leagues South-east of the mouth of the Seyne and above thirty North-west of Paris situated upon the same River and is one 〈◊〉 the biggest richest and most populous Ciâ—â—â—s in that Kingdom and the Capital of Norâ—â—â—dy It s Archbishop calls himself Primate 〈◊〉 that Province hath the six Bishops of it unâ—â—r him and does not acknowledge the Meâ—â—opolitan of Lyons since the Year 1457. The â—athedral Church under the Name of our Laâ—â— has ten Dignitaries fifty Canons eight petâ—â— Canons and a great number of Chaplains 〈◊〉 has three great Towers the first call'd the â—â—ower of St. Romain is cover'd with Lead â—â—d has one of the finest Steeples in the World â—â—ith 500 fifty steps the second is call'd the â—â—tter-Tower built out of that Money which â—ardinal George of Amboise the Pope's Legate 〈◊〉 France gather'd from the Inhabitants to give â—â—em leave of eating Butter in Lent the third â—â—ower is all made of Wood and raised upon a â—â—orch with great Art Duchesne speaks of two â—â—eat Bells the first in the Tower of St. Roâ—ain is one of the biggest in France and bears â—â—e name of George of Amboise who caus'd it to 〈◊〉 made the other is in the Wooden Tower 〈◊〉 this Church are also to be seen the Mausoleys 〈◊〉 Sepulchres of the Dukes of Normandy and 〈◊〉 the Archbishops of that City a white Marâ—â—e Statue of the French King Charles V. and â—â—at of the Count of Bedford who was Proteâ—or of France during 13 years under our Henâ—â— VI. He is represented on Horseback upon â—â—s Monument in the Chappel of the Virgin â—ary behind the great Altar Lewis XI visitâ—â—g this Church some body told him It was 〈◊〉 shame that so great an Enemy to his Crown should have so fine a Tomb and that he 〈◊〉 to be removed from thence No answered French King It is well that he lyes thâ— for if he were alive he would frighten 〈◊〉 away There is likewise a Chappel under the 〈◊〉 of the Saints Innocents where is represâ—â—â— St. Romain Archbishop of Rouen in the 〈◊〉 Century with a
Malo from one of its Prelates Named Maclovius or Machutes in the tenth Century It was also called the Isle of Aron The Cathedral under the Name of St. Vincent is said to bâ— very Ancient but one of its greatest Ornaments was James Cartier who in 1534. made a Voyage to Canada and at his return published an exact Description of the Islands Capes Coasts Sea-ports Streights Gulfs and Rivers which he discovered and to which he gave Names that are yet in use Three leagues North-east of St. Malo lyes the Burrough and Sea-port of Cancale renowned for the fishing of Oysters Dinant Dinannum is the most considerable Town of this Diocess after St. Malo from which it is six leagues distant towards the South It 's built upon the River Rance and is the head of a small Countrey call'd le Dinanois It was formerly the frequent Residence of the Dukes of Brittany and the Portion of their Youngest Sons under the Title of a County Ten leagues Southwards upon the River 〈◊〉 lyes the Town of Montfort with an Abby of St. Augustins Order and ten or twelve leagues South-west the Towns of Ploermel and Jocelis near the River Ouste There are three other Abbies of St. Augustins Order in this Diocess viz. Plaimpont St. Mehen and Beaulieu Of the Bishoprick of St. Brieux THis Diocess lyes in the middle of Brittany between the Sea and the Diocess of Triguier Cornâ—aille Vennes and St. Malo It 's about twenty or one and twenty leagues North and South and seventeen or eighteen East and West along the Sea-coast and has the figure of an irregular Triangle The Capital St. Brieux St. Brioci oppidum is seated on the mouth of a Bay between two small Rivers in a pleasant and fruitful Valley The Town is well built and well Peopled but there is a Rock before it which hinders the sight of the Sea to its Inhabitants tho' the Ocean be but at half a leagues distance Near this Rock is a Church dedicated to St. Michael and a Castle which commands the Town and the Port that is convenient enough for great Boats This Bishoprick was erected in 552. by Pelagius or as others pretend more probably in 844. by King Neomones 'T is said of this Town that it was the only one in the Dutchy that remained in Peace during the Civil Wars between the Houses of Montfort and Blois The Buildings of the Cathedral Church under the Name of St. Stephen the Episcopal House and the Palace of the Justice are in some Esteem The other Towns and considerable Burroughs of this Diocess are Beauport on the Sea-coast 〈◊〉 leagues Northwest of St. Brieux with an Abby of the Order of Prémontré Pontrieux six leagues South-west of Beauport Busquien an Abby of St. Bennets Order eleven miles Southwest 〈◊〉 St. Brieux Quentin nine miles South of the same near a Forrest of ten leagues Circuâ—â— Lamballe six leagues North-east of Quentin is thought to be the habitation of the Ambillâ— of Caesar It belonged formerly to the House 〈◊〉 Clisson and is yet considerable for its abâ—â—dance of Cattel for the Trade of Parchmeâ—â— and for its good Pioneers Jugon four leagâ—â— East of Lamballe was formerly a consideraâ—â—â— Town where the Dukes of Brittany did 〈◊〉 times reside but it is now almost ruiâ—â— Montcontour Mons Contorius lyes between Qâ—â—tin and Lamballe five or six leagues South-â—â—â—â— of St. Brieux and has a Priorate dedicated to Sâ— Michael Avaugour has the Title of a Couâ—â— and was the Patrimony of an Illustrious Fâ—â—â—ly descended from the first Dukes of Brittâ—â—â— St. Jacut St. Aubin and Lantenac are thâ— Abbies of St. Bennet's Order along the Confâ—â—â— of the Bishoprick of St. Malo Of the Bishoprick of Nants THis Diocess lyes on the South-east of Brittany between Poictou Anjou and the Biâ—â—opricks of Rennes and Vennes It is above 20 â—â—agues North and South and 24 or 28 East â—â—d West The Capital Nants call'd by Ptoâ—my Condivicnum and by other Ancient Geoâ—â—aphers Civitas Namnetum is seated upon the â—eeting of the Rivers Ardre and Loire 17 leagues â—ast of the Sea which by the help of the Tide â—â—rries the greatest Boats and small Vessels to â—ur leagues distance of it and makes it a great â—rading Town It has the Title of a County â—ll'd by the Ancient Records and Historians of 〈◊〉 French Media Consulatus Namnetensis and â—omitatus Namneticus which was the ordinary â—ortion of the Eldest Sons of the Dukes of Britâ—ny during their Fathers Lives and thô the City of Rennes has been so far preferred to it â—s to be the Seat of the Parliament however â—he Bishop of Nants enjoys still the Priviledge â—f Councellor born in that Court and the â—own it self has a Presidial Generality and Chamber of Accompts and an University â—his County has been some times in the Possesâ—â—on of the Counts of Anjou as it was in 1080. when it was enjoy'd by one Foulques and still distinguished from the rest of Brittany as 〈◊〉 Principality of Wales is from England whâ—â— apparently it comes that it constitutes yet a pâ—â—ticular Government independent from the â—â—neral of Brittany As to the Capital City is well fortified has a good Haven and a Câ—stle strengthned with big round Towers 〈◊〉 half Moons Besides the Suburb of St. Cleâ—â— Nants has three others and its Cathedral Chuâ—â—â— dedicated to St. Peter is adorned with 〈◊〉 high Towers and some Monuments of 〈◊〉 Dukes of Brittany I pass over the Colleâ—â— Church of our Lady founded by Alain suâ—med Twisted-beard 'T is observ'd that the â—â—habitants mortally hate the Normans of whâ—â—â— this may be the Cause After the bloody â—tel of Fontenay between the Sons of the Empâ—ror Lewis the Meek in 841. Neomenes descâ—â—ed from the Ancient Dukes of Brittany 〈◊〉 himself Soveraign of this Dutchy He was thâ— Confederate with Count Lambert who 〈◊〉 this Occasion to avenge himself of his Compâ—titor Renauld Count of Poitiers to whom 〈◊〉 Emperor Charles the Bald had given Nants 〈◊〉 that Lambert with the help of the Brittains 〈◊〉 ster'd this City and kill'd Renauld In 〈◊〉 mean while there arose some Fewds betwâ—â—â— Neomenes and Lambert so that the last went 〈◊〉 implore the help of the Normans returâ— with great Succours laid Siege before Nâ—â— took it by Scalado kill'd most of the Inhaâ—â—tants who thought to shelter themselves in 〈◊〉 Church of St. Peter Murdered even the Biâ—â—â— upon the great Altar and took away the 〈◊〉 of the Men. This hapned in 844. and in 〈◊〉 â—â—e same Count took Nants again from the â—rench who had seized upon it In 1598. the â—rench King Henry IV. residing at Nants to take â—he Oath of Allegiance from the whole Proâ—ince which had revolted from him to the â—eague made that Famous Edict of Nants in â—ehalf of his Protestant Subjects This Edict â—as Registred in the Parliament-Court of Paâ—is as an Unrepealable Law the 25th of February â—599 It was since confirmed by Lewis XIII â—nd Lewis XIV himself who
Inhabitants who speak the Brittish more naturally than their Neighbours call Leondoul Cozque Oudet or the Ancient Town and tell us that its Jurisdiction was at first very large but that this their Capital having been ruined its Dependencies were divided into the three Diocesses of St. Pol de Leon Treguier and St. Brieux It is likewise one of the Ancientest Viscounty's of Brittany which has been possessed by the House of Rohan issued from the first Christian Counts of this Province during 700 years till they sold it to John I. Duke of Brittany in 1254. This Town is pleasant enough and some of the Dukes of Brittany have made it their Abode There are some inland Towns as Lanhouerneau Lesneven Carvilis Lenvilis Landerneau of which I find nothing in my Authors neither of some small Islands on the West of this Diocess save that Landerneau is seated upon the River Eloene Herium six leagues North-east of Brest in the fertilest Soil of Brittany and that the Isle of Ouessant or as we pronounce it Ushant is call'd by the Latin Authors Axantis Uxantis Osa or Ossa that it is about 4 leagues in compass defended by the Castle of Lampool and by several Banks and Rocks And therefore I shall finish with the Description of Brest call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Brivates Portus by Ptolomy This famous Sea-port Town lies 16 leagues South-west of St. Pol de Leon 11 miles East of Conquests-Bay and 12 leagues North of Quimper-Corentin It 's seated on the South-side of a Bay of 5 leagues in length and 3 miles broad whose depth is in most places from 10 to 15 Fathoms and no where under 7. The entrance of the Bay is two leagues in length and half a league broad where it is largest and but half a mile where it is narrowest The Town is situated on the steep of a Hill on the side of the Port whose Entry is defended by a strong Castle digged in a Rock This Port is seated in a Gulf whereinto flows the Sea by four different places and is esteem'd the best in Europe because the greatest Men of War may continually float therein The Town is strongly fortified inhabited by many Privateers and is the Store-house of the French Admiralty for the Ocean On the South-side of this Bay is the Sea-port of Landevenec which seems to be the Vindana Portus of Ptolomy it has an Abby of Benedictine Monks CHAP. X. Of the Government Orleannois THis Government is the biggest as well as the Fertilest part of France for it reaches 110 leagues East and West from Chauteau-Chinoâ— in Nivernois to the Sea or the Isle of Nermouslier in Poictou and 70 North and South from the River Aure in Normandy to Monbrun in Angoumois It has part of the Isle of France and Normandy on the North Brittany and the Ocean on the West Saintonge Perigort Limousin and Auvergne on the South la Marche Bourbonnois Burgundy and Champaign on the East In this Government are included 14 or 15 smaller Countries situated North and South and along the River Loire which divides the whole into two parts very near equal Maine Perche High-Beauce or Land Chartrain Vendemois and part of Gatinois lye on the North of that River going from West to East Nivernois Orleanois or lower Beauce Blaisois Touraine and Anjou lye round about the Loire East and West Poictou the Land of Aunis Augoumois and Berri are the most Southern parts All these Countries are fruitful in Corn Wine Fruits Cattle and Game There are a great many Woods especially in upper and lower Beauce the most considerable of which is the Forrest of Orleans said to contain 70000 Akers of Land and to have been of greater extent in Francis I. time since it then took up 140000. The Forrest of Senonches in the Countrey of Chartres is 7 miles long and 5 broad That of S. Cyr les Antrain in the Election of Clamecy is well near 10 miles in length but of no considerable breadth There is no Province in France which has so many paved ways As to its Rivers besides the Loire which is rather a River of France since it waters 3 of its Governments than of Orleanois there are the Loing Lupa which comes from the Mountains of Auxerre near Linsec and the borders of Burgundy goes by S. Sauveur S. Fergeau Blesneau Chastillon and at Conflans receives the Ouane which rises at a Village of that Name and waters Thoussy and Château-renard The Loing pursuing its course goes thrô Montargis and by Cepoy Here is digg'd a Canal for the Communication of the Seyne and Loire which intercepting part of the Water of the Loing and that of several Rivulets is divided into two branches both Navigable by small Boats the Eastern goes through Montargis and Chatillon ends at Briare upon the Loire and is call'd the Canal of Briare the other passes by Chevillon runs through the Forest of Orleans discharges it self into the Loire near St. Denis en Vallée 3 miles East of Orleans and is call'd the Canal of Orleans Down Montargis and Cepoy the Loing becomes still more and more Navigable being encreas'd at Fontenay with the Clairy that comes from St. Martin-Dordon and washes Courtenay and Ferrieres It receives another Rivulet near Chateau-Landon goes by Nemours and Moret and a mile Northwards discharges it self into the Seine The Escolle and Essonne which fall into this last River are neither of them Navigable The Eure issues from a Lake near the Forrest of Senouches washes Bellomer Pont-gouin Courville Chartres Nogent-le-Roy Dreux and mixes with the Aure at Nonancourt The Huisne rises at some Mountains in the Countrey of Perche washes Mauves Condé Nâ—gent-le-Rotrou la Fertè-Bernard Connarey and mixes with the Sarte at le Mans. This comes from the borders of Normandy waters Alensson Fresnay Beaumont-le-Vicomte and having received the Orne near la Guierche and the Huisne at le Mans goes by la Suze Malicorn Sablé Pince Châteauneuf and mixes with the Loir and the Mayenne at Anger 's The Loir Ledus Lidericus takes its source from the Lake of Villebon in the Province of Perche waters Illiers and Alluie receives the Ousanne near Bonneval the Conie which is a Marshy River near Marboe and the Yerre near St. Hilaire below Chateaudun after it has hidden it self under the ground Then pursuing its course goes by Cloye Moree Freteval Vendome Montoire Chateau du Loir Durestail and Anger 's The Mayenne Meduana rises on the borders of Normandy waters Domfront Mayenne Laval Chatean-gontier le Lion-d ' Anger 's Anger 's and here uniting with the other two Rivers fall together into the Loire near Pont-de-cé The Charente Carantonus rises at a Village call'd Cheronoc on the borders of Limosin and Angoumois goes by Chantrezat Vieille-Chaize Bendis Sivray and Rufec it is then encreas'd with the Rivers Argent and Or the Sonne and the Tardouére This takes likewise its source in the borders of Limosin washes la Vauguion les Salles Pont Chabrot Mont-beron la Rochefoucaud and
Coâ—quests in Italy In the Year 160 from tâ—â— building of Rome Elitovius chief of the Peopâ—â— of Maine and their Prince Belovesus made 〈◊〉 Eruption into the North-eastern part of Itaâ—â— whence they drove the Natives and thâ— built the Cities of Bresse Verona Trent Câ—â—â— Bergemo Mantoua and many others Thus is that the Poet John Baptist Ignatius exprâ—â—seth himself in their Favour Cenomanique acres non ignobile semen c. This Province was subject to the Gauls tâ—â— Romans the Francks and the English In tâ—â— middle of the eighth Century Pepin Head 〈◊〉 the second Stock of the French Kings gave thâ— County with 12 others to his Brother Grisâ— or Grippon But the Names of the succeediâ—â— Counts are not known till Hugh I. in 1020. 〈◊〉 fell by Inheritance to our K. Henry II. but 〈◊〉 confiscated by the French Monarchs upon oâ— K. John under pretence of the Murther of Aâ—thur of Brittany Since that time it has beeâ— several times detatched from and reunited â—gain to the Crown of France In 1674. Leâ—â—â— XIV made bold to give it as an Appanage oâ— Portion to one of his Bastards call'd Linâ—â— whom he had got on the Wife of the Marâ—â—â—â— of Montespan bestowing upon him the Tiâ—e 〈◊〉 Duke du Maine and the Charge of Colonel Geâ—eral of the Switzers The City of Mans or le Mans in Latin Ciâ—tas Cenomanorum Suindinum or Subdinnum is â—â—tituted upon the Confluence of the Sarte and â—e Huisne having the Title of a Bishoprick â—â—ffragan of Tours It is said that this City was â—uilt by Sarrhon Grandson of Samothes K. of the â—auls and being afterwards ruined by the Druides â—nd the Sarrhonides whilst they contested for it 〈◊〉 was rebuilt by Lemant King of the Gauls who â—ive to it his Name However it be for this â—ccount is look'd upon as fabulous le Mans is 〈◊〉 very Ancient City And in Charlemaign's time â—as one of the most flourishing in the Celtick Saul but the incursions of the Normans and â—he War with the English have much abated of â—s former Grandure It is now built upon a â—ountain which is raised up high beyond the â—irte between the North and the West and as a Bailiwick and a Presidial Seat with a Caâ—â—edral Church under the Name of St. Julian â—ho is esteem'd the first Bishop of it The â—rench Kings by a Prerogative of their Crown â—e Canons born in this Church It 's observed â—â—at the English during the Siege they laid to â—is City in 1425 were the first who made use â—f great Artillery in France Mayenne-la Juhel Meduana has its Name â—â—om the River Mayenne upon which it is seatâ—d and from the Lord Juhel who liv'd under â—he Reign of Philip August It lyes not far from 〈◊〉 Frontiers of Normandy being distant from le â—â—â—s about 18 leagues towards the North-west 〈◊〉 a Town very agreeable with the Title of a Dutchy under which Charles of Guise becaâ—â—â— so famous during the Wars of the Leagâ—â— whereof he was Head In 1661. Cardinal Mâ—zarin bought this Dutchy from the Heirs oâ— that House to give it in Portion to his Nâ—â—â— Hortensia Mancini Marry'd with Armand Charâ—â— de la Porte Duke of Mazarin it had before the Title of a Marquizate Laval or Laval-Guion Vallis-Guidonis is upon the River Mayenne in lower Maine about 〈◊〉 or 7 leagues from Mayenne towards the South It has the Title of a County and belongeth tâ— the House of la Trimouille it is famous foâ— the fine Cloth which is made there as alsâ— for a Council which was held there Aâ—â— 1242. La Ferté Bernard Firmitas Bernardi a Barâ—ny is situated upon the River Huisne beiâ—â— distant from le Mans about 9 or 10 leagues towards the East and the Frontiers of Percâ—â— there is a seat of Justice which resorts immediately to the Parliament of Paris It gaâ—â— Birth to Robert Garnier who at the end of thâ— last Age before Tristan Mairet and P. Corneilâ— arose was accounted the Prince of the Tragiâ—â— Poets amongst the French The Territory â—bout this Town is call'd by the Latin Authoâ— of the French Affairs Ager Firmitatensis Sablé a Marquizate is situated near the Sâ—â—â— between the little Rivers of Vergete and Erâ—â— about 10 or 11 leagues from Mans towards 〈◊〉 South-west Beaumont le Vicomte is a fine Towâ— with the Title of a Dutchy it lyes upon 〈◊〉 Sarte 6 leagues North of Mans and 5 South 〈◊〉 Alencon Raoul who was Lord of it Assâ—â—â— Anno 1093. at the Translation of the Reliques of St. Julian the first Bishop of Mans. Chateau du Loir a Barony is situated upon the River Loir in the Frontiers of Vendomois distant from le Mans about 8 or 9 leagues to â—â—wards the South-east There are other places of some Note as Lavardin Villaine-la-Juhel Gesvres Vibray Vassé Ballon and Galerande that are Marquizats Brulon Suze and Belin are Counties Bresseau is a Viscounty and S. Suzanne is a Barony Of the Country of Perche or Le Perche LE Perche hath Normandy on the North 〈◊〉 Maine to the West Vendomois and Blaisâ—â— on the South and towards the East it hath Beauce This Country seems not to have beeâ— known to the Ancients the reason of which I imagine to be that the middle-part of it was all cover'd with Woods and the borders belonged to the Neighbouring Nations And therefore it was that an Anchoret whom Posterity has since venerated under the Name of St. Avy S. Avitus retsred into these Forrests as into a wide and impenetrable Solitude The Country was yet for the most part Woody at the beginning of the third Race of the French Kings about 700 years ago and call'd for that reason Perticus Saltus the Forrest of Pearches perhaps because it consisted in great part of Fir-trees or other long and even Wood. And you may observe by the reading of the Latin Authors of the French History how they were fell'd down and the Country peopled by degrees which however is still Woody enough It s therefore labour lost to look for its Ancient Inhabitants since there were none for the Ilnelli and the Aulerci Diablintes were an Armoâ—ick Nation who seem'd to have dwell'd the â—irst in the Western Coasts of Normandy and the â—ast on the Southern of Brittany Le Perche is divided into higher and lower â—he higher part is the County and the lower â—s call'd Perche-Gouet or rather it 's divided inâ—o Grand Perche Perche-Gouet from the Name of its Ancient Lords Terre Françoise or French Country and Terres Démembrées or Dismember'd Lands 1. Grand-Perche contains Nogent-le Rotrou Mortaigne Bellesme Perriere the Barronies of Loupe Illiers Courville and Pontgoin Nogent le Rotrou Novigentum Rotroci or Rotroldi so call'd from Rotrou its Founder Count of Perche is seated upon the Huisne where it receives the Ronne and is the Capital of Upper Perche tho' it be commonly accounted a Burrough but one of the finest and richest in France by reason of its Manufactures of Serges
Secular Clergy freed these from all Episcopal Jurisdiction and Innocent III. granted them this vain Priviledge that their Abbot might take upon him the Title of Cardinal of St. Priscus In 1563. the Protestants being Masters of this Town broke down the Images and it having since followed the League the French King Henry IV. took it by Storm in 1569. and caus'd Maillé Benehard the Governour and a Franciscan Fryer to be Executed forgiving the rest of the People In this Town there is a very ancient Castle a Colledge of the Fathers of the Oratory and some Religious Houses It is distant from Paris about thirty two Leagues to the South-West Peter Ronsard a Poet famous in the last Age was Originary of Vendomois in which I find no other considerable Places but Mâ—ntoire and Ville aux Cleres Of Anjou ANjou Ducatus Andegavensis hath Maine on the North Brittany on the West Poictou on the South and Touraine on the East This Province is about 30 Leagues in length 20 in breadth It aboundeth with great Quarries of Slate wherewith most of their Houses are covered and even oft employed by Masons instead of Stones There are reckoned about 36 or 40 Rivers whereof the principal are the Loire the Sarte the Loir the Mayenne the Dive the Vienne the Couesnon the Oudon the Authion the Tonay the Layion the Eure the Guinate and such a number of Lakes Ponds Brooks and Fountains that several believe the Name of Anjou to be derived from that of Aiguade Du Chesne rejects this Conjecture as impertinent but when I consider that most of the Names of Countries have a reference to their situation that the Gascons who in their vulgar Language have preserv'd many ancient Gaulish Words call a River Gave that the Romans named the Inhabitants of Anjou Andicavi or Andegavi and that the Celtick Speech had a great affinity with the Teutonish I am apt to look on the Name Andegavi as a word compounded of three An-degaven In the Brooks to denote Men inhabiting a Country wash'd with many Rivers However it be this abundance of Water makes the Riches of Anjou both by a vast quantity of sweet Fish and the great number of Gardens and Meadows they make therewith fruitful This Province is partly Champian and has many Woods and Forrests where abound Stags Hinds Bucks Does Hares and all sorts of great and small Game and partly mountainous and cover'd with Vineyards that produce as delicate Wine as any in France most of which together with their Brandies and those of Orleanois are transported along the Loire to Nantes and thence into Forreign Country for Brittany has none or but very little of its own This Country is divided into higher and lower following the Course of the River Loire Anger 's is in the lower and Saumur in the higher The other most considerable Towns are la Fleche Montreuil-Belley Chateau-Gontier Beaufort en valée the Dutchies of Brissac Beaupreau Brezé Vaujour le Lude the Marquisates of Jarzay Bellay Touarcé the Counties of Monsoreau Maulevrier the Barrony of Craon c. the Abbies of Fontevraut and Borguéil the Castle and Convent of Verger c. The ancient Inhabitants of Anjou call'd in French Angevins and in Latin Andes Andi Andecavi or Andegavi had their own Commanders afterwards the Romans and since them the Kings of France and those of England enjoy'd it In 861. the French King and Emperor Charles the Bald bestow'd the Countries included betwixt the Seinâ— and Loire upon Robert the Strong Duke and Marquess of France on Condition that he should defend them against the Incursions of the Normans But the Posterity of Robert having obtain'd the very French Crown for his two Sons were Crown'd Kings viz. Eudes in 898. and Robert in 922. and his great Grand-son Hugh Capet began the third Race of the French Kings the Issue of Tertulle or Terculf to whom the same Charles had given some part of Anjou were accounted sole Counts of it during part of the Ninth the Tenth and the Eleventh Century They grew so potent and famous that Fulk V. became King of Jerusalem in 1131. and Henry Plantagenet Son to Godfrey III. Count of Anjou and le Mayne succeeded in the right of his Mother Mathilda to the Crown of England under the Name of Henry II. His Son Richard I. surnam'd Lions Heart enjoy'd likewise these Counties but they were Confiscated upon his Brother K. John by Philip August whose Successors gave them since several times in Portion to their Sons The French K. John erected Anjou into a Dutchy in 1360. in behalf of his second Son Lewis who became afterwards King of Naples and Sicily Count of Provence and Titular King of Jerusalem Charles the last of that Family instituted K. Lewis XI his Universal Heir and ever since this Province has been an Apannage or part of the Portion of the second Son of the French Kings as it is now enjoy'd by Philip Duke of Orleance Lewis XIV's Brother The City of Anger 's or Juliomagus Andegavorum Andegavae or Andegavi is situated on the River Mayenne after it hath receiv'd the Sarte and the Loire It 's the Capital of this Province having divers Seats of Justice Presidial Seneschalship Bailiwick Election a Mint where Money is coyn'd at the Letterâ— an University and a Bishoprick suffragan to Tours It is seated in a Plain very fertil producing delicate Fruits and very good Wine the River Mayenne divides it into 2 parts whereof the greatest which is call'd the City lyes on the steep of a little Hill where the Church of St. Maurice and the Castle of Anger 's are to be seen This Church which is the Cathedral is distinguished from all others by 3 high Steeples raised up on the body of the Church the middle of which being built on an Arch and underpropt only by the two others is accounted a Marvel On solemn Days are shewn the Relicks as the Sword of St. Maurice one of the pretended Pitchers wherein our Lord chang'd Water into Wine said to be brought from Jerusalem by Renatus K. of Sicily and resembling a Jasper Here is the Tomb of this Prince whose Body was brought hither from Aix in Provence as also his Picture drawn by himself The Chapter of the Cathedral is composed of 29 Canons a Dean a great Archdeacon a Treasurer an Arch-deacon beyond the Mayenne an Archdeacon beyond the Loire a Singer two other Treasurers and a Penitenciary This City has been beautify'd and encreas'd from time to time by its Counts but especially by our King John who built that part which lyes now beyond the Mayenne some surname it the Black City because its all covered with Slates Anger 's is much resorted unto at a Festival which the Roman Catholicks call La-Fete-Dieu the Feast of God Then you may see all the Priests and Monks and 4000 Inhabitants bearing as many kindled Torches and withall as many engraven Histories of the Holy Scripture as there are Wards in the
by this great General In the Division of Augustus Berry was made a part of Aquitain and continu'd so under the French During the weakness of Charlemaigne's Successors the Governors of this Province made themselves Sovereigns and had the Title of Counts of Bourges till Harpin undertaking a Journey into the Holy Land sold his Estate to the French King Philip I. for sixty thousand golden Pence This Lord turning a Monk at his return this County was united to the Crown till the year 1360 that the French King John erected it into a Dutchy and Peerdom for his youngest Son John who dying without Male Issue Berry return'd to the Crown King Charles VI. gave it in portion to his fifth Son Charles since the VII of that name King of France and because during the Wars with the English this Province stood firm to his Int'rest his Enemies call'd him contemptuously King of Bourges Since that time Berry has often been the portion of youngest Sons Daughters and Queen Dowagers of France This Province is about 28 Leagues North and South and as many East and West being divided into two Parts almost equal by the Cher and water'd by a vast number of other Rivers which make this Country very pleasant and fertile in all the necessary Conveniencies of Life It especially abounds in Corn and the Pasture-Ground is so excellent that the Wooll and Cloth of Berry out-do all the others in France The Name of Berry is derived from a Latin word us'd in the decay of that Tongue Biturium More antient Authors call the Berruyers Bituriges Cubi to distinguish them from the Inhabitants of Bourdeaux Bituriges Vivisci who seem to be a Colony of the former Bourges Avaricum Biturigum and in latter Ages Biturigae Bituricae Betoricae lies 19 Leagues South South-East of Orleans upon the River Eure or Yeure Avara or Avera whence the Latin Name of this City Avaricum seems to come It 's seated in a Soil fertile in Fruits and Wine that is not so delicate but more healthful than that of Orleans The River Eure divides it self into three Branches one of which serves to cleanse the Town and withal to Dyers Tanners and the like the other refreshes the Ditches that surround the Walls and the third runs along the Suburb of St. Peter These three Branches being joined and the Eure encreased with the Waters of the Oron Vtrio the Aurette Avara Minor and the Moulon Molo near the Monastery of St. Sulpice this River begins to be Navigable The Situation of Bourges is not only convenient but also very strong for besides these Rivers and Ditches it is defended by broad and deep Marshes surrounded with good Walls fortified with eighty Towers so that three Camps would needs be required to besiege it on all sides as one at Bourbon's Gate the other at Oron's Gate and the other at the Gate of St. Privatus Cesaer observes that he could not shut it up with Trenches and laid siege to it only on that side that was between the River and the Marsh Nevertheless he took it partly by Storm and partly by Stratagem having raised two high Towers whence his Soldiers leaped on the Wall which so frighted the Garison and Inhabitants that they retir'd to the great Market and thence endeavoured to make their escape thorough the Gates but the Romans having master'd them spar'd neither Sex nor Age they were so incens'd at the Murther of their Fellow Soldiers in Gien This was the Cause that of 40000 People that were in this City 800 hardly could save their Lives by retiring into the Army of Vercingentorix General of the Gauls In the V. Century Bourges was taken from the Romans by the Visigots and from them by Clovis and made part of the Kingdom of Orleans under Clodomir and of that of Burgundy under Gontran his Nephews Desiderius or Didier General of Chilperic the first King of Paris or France took it from the last in 583 and burnt it almost intirely Charlemaign repair'd it and Phillip August fortified and adorn'd it with a Castle call'd the Great Tower which was almost quite ruined in 1651. It was cut Diamond wise on the outside and rais'd so high that from the top the Country might be viewed four Leagues round about There has been seen a long time a Wood or Iron-Cage where the jealous King Charles the VIII kept Lewis of Orleans Prisoner who nevertheless succeeded him In 1412 the Duke of Burgundy brought the French King Charles the VI. before Bourges whither the Duke of Orleans and his Confederates had retir'd and laid siege to it with an Army of 100000 Men but in vain for at last both Parties were glad to accept of the Mediation of the Duke of Guyenn then Dauphin of France In 1562 The Count of Montgommery Commander of the Protestants under the Prince of Conde seiz'd on this Town May 27 but left Governour therein one Yvoy a Man of no great Courage and Trust who surrendered it the same Year to the Duke of Guise and therefore it remained in the Power of the Leaguers till 1594 that it was reduced by the French King Henry the IV. Notwithstanding these various Changes Bourges is still a considerable City being of an Oval Figure with seven Gates and as many Suburbs Its Walls seem to be a Roman Work being still almost intire and so strongly built that it requires a great deal of Labour to pluck some few Stones out of them It has seventeen Parochial and seven Collegiate Churches three Abbies a College of Jesuites and a vast number of Monasteries besides the Cathedral of St. Stephen said to be buiâ—t in 254 and the St. Chappel founded by John Duke of Berry Brother to the French King Charles the V. and therefore depending immediately on the See of Rome That Duke was buried there in 1417 and there is still his Crown with several Vessels of Gold and Silver curiously wrought There are likewise shewn the pretended Bones of a certain Giant call'd Briat said to have been 15 Cubits high The Romans had here a Pallace which K. Pepin repair'd and called there an Assembly of his Barons in 767 but I know not whether it be the same which the Dukes of Berry made afterward use of and is now the Seat of the Presidial Besides the Bailiwick Bourges has a Generality to which the Elections of Chateau-Roux and la Chastre in Berry and St. Amand in Bourbonnois are resorting as also a Chamber of Acompts for all the lands depending on this Dutchy erected by the said Duke in 1379. It s University is famous for the Civil and Canon Law the best Lawyers in France having taught here in the last Age and the beginning of this such as Alciat Baroâ— Duarenus Baldwin Conti Hortomun Cujus c. It was founded by the French King Lewis the IX re-establisht by Charles Duke of Berry Brother to Lewis the XI and endow'd with many Priviledges by Pope Paul II. in 1464. But now I am
comprehended what was since call'd Novempopulana and now Gascony But August extended it Limits to the Loire so that it contain'd besides the present Government of Guienne the Provinces of Poictou Touraine Berry la Marche Bourbonnois and Auvergne and made the fourth part of the Gauls Charlemaign and Lewis the Meek follow'd this division when they erected it into a Kingdom for their youngest Sons Most of those Provinces were since possest by the Dukes of Guienne fell to the English by the Marriage of the Dutchess Eleonor with Henry II. and were Conquered from them by Charles VII The Dukes of Guienne had the third rank among the twelve Ancient Peers of France The name of Guienne is a maimed Word from the Latin Aquitaniae that is it self deriv'd from Aquae because there are many Springs of Warm Water whence many Cities in this Government are still call'd to this day as we shall see hereafter This Government borders to the North upon Poictou Angoumois and la Marche to the East upon Auvergne and Languedoc on the South to the Pyrenean Hills by which it is divided from Spain and the West to the Ocean It lies between 42 D. 30 Min. and 46 D. 20 Min. of Latitude and between 18 D. and 24 D. of Longitude which amount from the South to the North to 100 Leagues from Aragnoet in the Pyrenées to Niort in Poictou and to about 112 from St. John de Luz beyond Bayone to Saint Geniez in Rouergue near Gevaudan The Soil is pretty Fruitful in Corn Wines Fruits Pastures c. except the Lands or Sandy-grounds near the Pyrenées where is nothing but Heaths and Pastures that feed abundance of Cattle The Air is there sweet and wholesom This Government is Water'd by many Rivers of which the Chiefest are the Garomne and the Charante that have been already described the Dordonne the Lot and the Adâ—ur of which are after The Garomne above all facilitates the Trade of Wine Corn Oyls Brandy Plums Wooll One may say for this Country that it has given to France brave Soldiers and great Schollars for it is certain that Guienne and Languedoc get as much honour in the Armies and the Republick of Letters at the rest of the Kingdom besides The Inhabitants of this Province are generally Ingeniouâ— Valiant Cunning but much derided for their Pride which has even passed into a Proverb As to the Rivers of Guienne the chief are the Garonne which has been describ'd p. 8. the Charente p. 263. the Seudre that waters part of Saintonge and falls into the Bay of pertuis de Maumusson South-East of the Isle of Oleron and South of Brouage The Dordonne that rises in Auvergne near a place call'd Murat receives the Chavanoy near its source then the Rue the Sumene the Auze the Louesse the Somene the Estarreau the Sere increas'd with the Jordane and Autre the Bave the Nea the Ser then goes through Bergerac Saincte Foy Libourne where 't is increa'd shith the Lisle This springs up in Limosin at a place called Meisse receives near its source the Loulour and the high Vezere goes by Perigueux Montpont Lussac where it receives the Larrey increased with the Palais and a little higher the Droune increased with the Coles Boulon Janade Emâ—ere Voutrou Les Fontaines Tude and Rissonne and then the Save three Miles North of Liâ—â—urne The Dordonne thus swoln and able to bear great Boats pursues its way to the West receives the Moron not far from St. Andreas and mixing with the Garonne at a place call'd Bourg they run together into the Ocean maâ—ing up a Bay of 2 or 3 Leagues in breadth â—nd 20 in length under the name of Gironde The Drot rises in Perigord near a place call'd 〈◊〉 washes Villereal Castillonnes Monsegur â—â—lls into the Garonne at Caudrot and carries no â—â—ats The Lot springs from the Mountains â—f Gevaudan waters Mende Entraygues where 〈◊〉 receives the Truyere increased with the Bes Lander and Epic goes by La Vinzelle Cadeâ—â—â— and Cayrac is increased with the Seze the Cole and Iboly that water Figeac then runs through Cahors where it begins to be navigable receives the Masse and the Lede with several other Rivulets and discharges it self into the Garonne betwixt Clerac and Esguillon The Aveyrou issues in Rouergue near the Fronteers of Gevaudan washes Rhodez receives the Biaur and together with this River makes the separation betwixt Albigeois and Rouergue then is increased with the Cerdu and Ceret the Bonnette the Vere and the Conde mixes with the Tarn 5 Miles East of Moissac where having received the Lute and Lemboulas they run both into the Garonne The Seune and some other Rivulets of less note fall also into the Garonne betwixt the Lot and the Averrou Then come the Tarn the Agout and the Lers which I now go by because they belong to Languedoc to speak only of the Rivers of this Government which fall into the Garonne on the South-side of it as the Touche near Muret the Save increased with the Gesse at Grenade the Nadesse betwixt this Village and Verdun the Gimone increased with the Farampionor over against Castel-sarasin The Corre the Ayroux the Camesan inconsiderable Brooks the Ratz the Giers that goes through Aux Lectoure and discharges it self into the Garonne over against Agen. The Baise that comes from Armagnac washes Condom and Nerac receives the Losse the Lausou the Lante the Gelise and falls into the Garonne over against Esguillon Lower down to the West this great River is increas'd with many other Rivulets as the â—â—lizos the Lavassane the Loubens c. The Leyre or Erre rises in that barren Counâ—ry call'd Landes and falls into the Bay nam'd Cape de Buchs in the Country of Medoc The Adour issues from the Pyrenees goes â—hrough Tarbe receives the Leschez and the â—arrez increased with the Bouez waters Ayre Grenade and Dax receives the Gabas the Leus the Luy the Gave of Pau which waters Pau â—â—d Lescar and is increased with the Vedan â—he Gaves of Cauteres and Azun the Lazon the â—â—es the Baisse the Gaves of Ossau Aspe Oleâ—â—â— and Salies the Rivulets of Lou-vert and â—essas Then the Adour receives the Bidouse â—he Ayguette and the Nive at Bayonne 3 Miles â—rom its Mouth On the North-side it is inâ—reased with the Midou that goes through Villeâ—â—â—ve Mont de Marsan and Tartas and carries â—long with it the Waters of the Ladon Douze â—stampen Ganeire Lestrigon and Gelouse Guienne is now divided into 19 Provinces â—hereof the first 8 belong to Guienne and the â— others to Gascony Proper Guienne Basadois â—genois Querci Rouergue Limosin Perigord â—â—intonge Armagnac Chalosse Condomois Lanâ—â— Terre de Labour Lower Navarre Viscounty Soule Bearn Bigorre Comminge Conserans â—â—eir Capital Cities are Bourdeaux Archbishopâ—â— Bazas Bishoprick Agen Bish Cahors Bish â—â—des Bish Limoges Bish Perigueux Bish â—â—â—tes Bish Auch Archbish S. Sever Condom â—â—h Dax Bish Bayonne Bish S. Palais Mauâ—â— Pau Tarbe Bish S. Bertrand Bish S. Lizer Of
Proper Guienne GVienne Proper Burdigalensis Ager lies between the Ocean on the West Gascogne and Bazadois on the South Agenois and Perigord on the East and Xaintonge on the North. This Country is less plentiful in Corn then VVine amongst which that of Grave is remarkable and is transported every where by Sea the Soil is not toward the Coasts like in the little Counties of Medoc and Buch. There are chiefly to be taken notice of Bourdeaux Libourne Blaye Lespares Rions Cadillac c. The City of Bourdeaux Burdigala or Burdigala Biturigum Viviscorum who seem to be a Colony of the Bituriges Cubi or Berruyers lies upon the Garonne It has an University a Parliament and an Archbishop who entitles himself Primate of Guienne Clement V. decided the priority in his behalf against that of Bourges because he had been Archbishop of the former though the right of Primacy belongs to the latter It is one of the finest greatest and most trading Cities of the Kingdom seated in a fruitful ground Ausonius speaks thus of it Burdigala est natale solum clementia Coeli Mitis ubi rigua larga indulgentia Terrae Ver longum Brumaeque breves juga frondea subsunt c. It s Haven is very famous it is called the Haven of the Moon because it has the Figure of a Crescent Bourdeaux is likened to a Bow of which the Garonne is the String they reckon 15 Leagues from this City to the Sea and the Fare called La Tour de Cordouan which is very remarkable and is the Work of Lewis of Foix an able Engineer The University has been very flourishing King Charles VII restored it to its luster the Pope Eugene IV. gave it great Privileges and Lewis XI increased them S. Jerome and Ausonius speak of the great Men it has brought forth both for Learning and Piety Libourne is upon the Dordonne at its conjunction with the River Lisle 7 Leagues from Bourdeaux to the North-East Near this Town rises a Mountain of Water which the Inhabitants call the Mascaret of Bourdeaux at the very time that the Waters are most calm it is formed in a trice and runs a great way along the River overthrowing all the Boats it meets with It 's said that the River Pegu in the Kingdom of Martaban now depending on the Emperour of Siam has still more violent fâ—â—s Blaie Blavia or Blavutum lies upon the Gironde 7 Leagues down from Bourdeaux Northward and 4 Leagues from the Bec d'Arnbés where is the confluence of the Garonne and Dordonne The Country about Blaye is called le Blaiguez Blaviensis pagus Of Bazadois Bazadois Ager Vasatensis lies between Propeâ— Guienne on the North and West the Landes on the South and Agenois on the East 't is a Country pretty fruitful in Corn VVines and Fruits There are chiefly Bazas Bish the Capital La Reole whether the Parliament of Bourdeaux was once transferr'd 12 or 14 years ago Castelgeloux Nerac Genissac Caudrot Buzet Castelnau de Mames c. BAZAS Cossio Vasatum or Vasatae is a City near the Source of the Lavassane or Vassanne with a Seneschal's Court and a Bishoprick Suffragan of Auch It is seated upon a Rock whose bottom is watered by that little River in a Country full of Woods and sandy Grounds almost 4 Leagues North of the Garonne and 11 North-East of Bourdeaux under 44 Deg. 24 Min. of Lat. and 19 Deg. 54 Min. of Long. St. John the Baptist has the Cathedral Church dedicated to his Name and Sextilius is accounted its first Bishop Of Agenois AGenois Borders upon Armagnac to the South to Querci to the East on Perigord to the North and Bazadois to the West This is the most plentiful Country of Guienne and supplies many Provinces with Corn Wine and Oyl of Nuts It s call'd in Latin Pagus Aginnensis The Places of more note are Agen Bish Villeneuve Aiguillon Tonneins Clerac S. Foy c. The City of Agen Aginnum Nitiobrigum lies upon the Garonne with a Presidial and Seneschalship and a Bishoprick Suffragan of Bourdeaux It was the chief City of those ancient Nitiobriges that were so considerable among the Gouls and the true Founders of this City without ascribing to it any fabulous original This City is great and populous Of Quercy QVERCY Pagus Cadurcinus lies betwixt Languedoc on the South Rouergue and Auvergne on the East Limosin on the North and Perigord and Agenois on the VVest its extent from South to North is above 30 Leagues from Montauban in Languedoc to Turenne in Limosin 20 East and West from Mont-murat near Cadenac to Pestillac near Villefranche in Perigord which are its greatest length and breadth This Country is pretty fruitful in Corn Wines Fruits and Pastures There is a great Trade of Plums Saffron and good VVool. Its Inhabitants brought in formerly about 12000 Men in the League of the Gauls against the Romans Querci is divided into upper and lower the upper called Causse contains the Valleys that are along the River Lot the lower or Villes basses is extended along the Aveirou This Province belongs to the Government of Guienne though it depends on the Parliament of Toulouse and the generality of Montauban which has under it 3 Elections viz. Cahors Montauban and Figeac Querci was annexed to the Crown in the beginning of the Reign of Philip the Bold as being the Inheritance of the Counts of Toulouse In 1306. Philip the Fair did covenant with Raimond Paucholi Bishop of Cahors for the right of Peerage allowing him to take the title of Count. The most remarkable Places of Quercy are Cahors Bishop The Capital Gourdon Moissac Figeae Lauserte Montratier Montpesat Souillae Martel Cadenac c. CAHORS Cadurcum or Divona Cadurcorum has an University a Seneschal's Court and a Bishoprick Suffragan of Bourges It lies upon the Lot in a Demi-Island which is formed by that River which has three Bridges of Stone and is very useful to the Inhabitants for several Manufactures It is rais'd upon a steep Rock where was formerly a Cittadel James Ossa Bishop of Frejus afterwards a Cardinal and Pope under the name of John XXII was born in this Town where he Founded in 1331. an University to shew his Love towards his own Country which has had famous Professors It s Cathedral Church is dedicated to S. Stephens and if we believe fabulous Authors it was consecrated by S. Martial himself there are many other Churches and Monasteries with a College of Jesuits since 1605. Cahors lies 42 Leagues East of Bourdeaux Gourdon is 8 Leagues from Cahors Northward Moissac lies on the River Tarn which soon after looses it self into the Garonne with a Seneschal's Jurisdiction 17 Leagues from Cahors to the South and 6 Leagues from Montauban to the West It is a very ancient Town that has often been ruined for the Goths took it from the Romans and King Clovis took it again from the Goths afterwards it was seiz'd by Gaiges Duke of Aquitain and retaken by King Pepin in
1212. Raimond Count of Toulouse made it side with the Albigenses Simon Count of Montfort storm'd and plunder'd it the English did utterly destroy it and it suffered much during the Wars against the Protestants so that this Town is very different from what it has formerly been though it has yet a very famous Abbey of St. Bennets Order where as 't is said have been near 1000. Monks at once The Abbot is Joynt-Lord of it with the King which was regulated by a Sentence in 1229. c. Of Rouergue ROVERGVE Rutenicus Ager Borders to the East upon the Cevennes to the North upon Auvergne to the West upon Quercy and to the South upon Languedoc It lies between 43 Deg. 30 Min. and 44 Deg. 46 Min. of Lat. and betwixt 22 Deg. 22 Min. and 24 Deg. 15 Min. of Long. So that it takes up 37 Leagues East and West from S. Jean de Breuil to S. Antonin in its greatest length and 28 North and South from Mur de Barrez to Brusquez This Province is divided into three Parts viz. the County the Upper and Lower Marche the chiefest City of the first is Rodez of the second Milhau of the third Villefranche The Country is very plentiful in some places but barren in others There are Mines of Iron Antimony Copper Brimstone Alum Silver and as Strabon says of Gold too The greatest revenue of Rouergue consists in Cattel Wools Fruits Cheeses Hemps and Lines the only Trade of Mules that are bought there for Spain brings in every Year above 200000 Crowns It s Principal Rivers are the Tarn the Lot and the Aveirou It depends on the Parliament of Toulouse and boasts of 25 Towns and 50 great Burroughs 2 Bishopricks and a Elections under the Generality of Montauban There are ordinarily commended Rodez for his People Conques for its Gate Milhau for plenty of Almonds Nerac for Vitriol St. Antonin for Plunis Roquefort for Cheeses Monsalvi for its delicate blew and green Peases Vouse and Espaliou for excellent good Bread the Abbey of Aubrac for its Hospital and Alms Severac for its Castle Marcillac a Principalty for the Cave or den call'd Bouche-Roland that is near it and reaches four Leagues under ground The Inhabitants are both Couragious and Honest The Nobility there is very Generous and much respected by the Common People The City of Rhodez Segodunum or Ruteni is seated on the Aveirou 24 Leagues South East of Cahors and has the title of a County a Seneschalship and Bishoprick Suffragan of Albi. It is very Ancient but it has lost its former Ancient greatness having been often ruin'd by the Goths Saracens French c. The Cathedral is under the name of our Lady there are many others Churches and Monasteries and a fine Colledge of Jesuits Its first Bistop was as 't is believ'd St. Amand. The Counts of this City were of the House of Carlat and possessed that part which is called the Borrough and the Bishops were Master of the other that bears the name of the City The County belonged to the Counts of Toulouse Alfonsius the I. having resolv'd to take the Cross and to make a Journy into the Holy Land sold it in 1147. to Richard Son of Raimond Viscount of Carlat Richard left it to his Son Hughes I. Count of Rodez c. It was afterwards annexed to the County of Armagnac by a Marriage and a Judgment in the year 1312. John I. Count of Armagnac had a Grant of the French King Charles V. in 1375. that the four Juridictions of Rouergue should be Annexed to the County of Rodez which are St. Geniez la Roque-Valsergue Castagnes Begonimez and la Guiole After that all the Estates of the House of Armagnac came into that of Albret and the French King Henry the IV. carried to the Crown the County of Rodez as being the Patrimony of the House of Armagnac There is near that City the Mountain of Cansac which burns in the rain There are Mines of Copper Arsenick Azur and Silver Two Leagues from that Place is an Abyss called Tindoul 60 Paces broad and 200 deep On the side of that Abyss is to be seen a hole without Bottom The City of VABRES Castrum Vabrense is a Bishoprick and County Suffragan of Alby It was formerly a Famous Abby of St. Benets Order which Pope John XXII in 1317. Erected to a Cathedral Church The Abbot Peter Orlageo was its first Bishop It is 12 Leagues South of Rodez MILHAV Amilianum or Aemilianum is the Chief Town of the Upper Marche being upon the Tarn toward the Frontiers of Gevaudan 14. Leagues South-East of Rodez There are a great many Almond-Trees This Town has been famous during the Wars of Religion it being a strong hol'd but is Fortifications were razed in 1629. The Country depending on it is call'd Aemilianus-Pagus VILLEFRANCHE is the Chief Town of the Lower March with a Seneschalship and Presidial 12 Leagues West of Rodez The People is there very Civil and serviceable and provisions plentiful and cheap Saint Antonin lies upon the Confluence of the Aveirou and Bonnete 18 Leagues West South-West of Rodez with high Walls round it In the year 1226. Guy of Montfort yielded to the French King the Right he had on that Town Raimond Count of Toulouse protested against that Gift but in 1229. he approved by an Act of the Arbitrators Sentence pronounced by the Popes Legate and the Count of Champagne upon the Matter So that St. Antonin was adjuged to the Crown in 1245 Besnard Hugonis Son to Frocard Viscount of St. Antonin having sold to the French King Lewis IX what ever Right he had upon it The Protestants had Fortified themselves there but Lewis XIII turned them out of it in 1622. This Town is famous for its Plums There are besides others considerables Places as St. Just Estain Entraigues St. Come St. Geniez the Town and County of Espaliou Severac le Castel la Guiole the Abby of Anbrac c. Of Limosin LIMOSIN Lemovicinus Pagus Borders upon Auvergne to the East upon la Marche to the North part of Poictou Angoumois and Perigord to the West and Quercy to the South It lies between 44 Deg. 52 Min. and 45 Deg. 45 Min. of Latitude and between 21 Deg. 40 Min. and 23 Deg. 20 Min. of Longitude which make from South-East to North-West about 38 Leagues from Port-Dieu on the Frontiers of Auvergne to la Roche-chouart in Angoumois in its greatest length and 24 North and South from S. Priech on the Confluence of the Vienne and Taurion and the Borders of la Marche to Beaulieu on the Dordonne near the Province of Quercy This Country is generally cold and barren there is scarce any good Wine Save in the Lower Limosin and little Wheat but plenty of Rye Barley and Chestnuts of which the poorer sort make bread and because when they first go out of that Country and meet with good bread they eat it most greedily thence bread-gluttons have gotten in French the Sirname of
Limosins In Caesar's time the Limosins brought in 10000 Men for the Confederacy of the Gauls against the Romans This People is now adays ingenious prudent laborious and saving they have given 5 or 6 Popes to the Church Limosin is divided into Upper and Lower the chief City of the first is Limoges of the second Tulle The Principal Rivers are the Dordonne the Vienne the Vezere and the Upper Vezere c. The City of Limoges Ratiastum and Le Movicae is seated partly on the top of a little Hill and partly in a Valley upon the River Vienne surrounded with good strong Walls and deep ditches a Gaulish Prince as 't is pretended built it and gave it his name it has much suffer'd in divers times by the Goths French and English Under King Charles V. the Lord High Constable du Guesclin took it from the English in 1371 and the Prince of Wales retook it a little while after by storm where 4000 People fell a Sacrifice to his wrath but the French King got it again soon after The Cathedral is under the name of St. Stephen whose first Bishop St. Martial is accounted to be tho with little proofs There are three considerable Abbeys of St. Austin S. Martial and S. Martin and several other Monasteries with a Presidial and a Generality This Town has had its Hereditary Viscounts who were Sovereigns of the whole Province Many Councils have been held there Limoges lies near the borders of la Marche 34 Leagues North of Cahors and 19 North-East of Perigueux TVLLE Tutela Castrum is watered by two Rivers Courreze and Soulane 15 Leagues South-East Limeges the Abbey of St. Martin was erected here to a Bishoprick by Pope John XXII in 1318. of which Arnold of St. Astier was the last Abbot and the first Bishop Its Prelates are Viscounts and Lords of the Town There is a Presidial and an Election this is the Country of the ancient Family of Gardia There are also to be noted the Viscounty of Turenne Brive la Gaillarde Vserche a strong Town the Dukedom of Ventadour Roche-Abeille famous for a Fight in the year 1569. St. Hivier S. Junian Chalus considerable for its Markets of Horses Aix renowned in that Country for the excellent Bread that is bak'd there Preige-buffiere the first Barony of Limosin Of Perigord PERIGORD Pagus Petrocoricus Borders to the East on part of Quercy and Limosin to the North Angoumois to the West on part of Xaintonge and Guienne properly so called to the South on Agenois and part of Quercy it lies betwixt 44 Deg. 38 Min. and 45 Deg. 30 Min. of Latitude and betwixt 20 Deg. 30 Min. and 22 Deg. of Longitude which makes 24 Leagues North and South from the Source of the Droune to the Barony of Biron near the Source of the Drâ—t and 26 East and West from Sarlat to Roche-Chalais 'T is a rough stony and mountainous Country but for all that pretty fruitful There are many Medicinal Springs and some Mines of Iron and Steel it is divided into Upper and Lower Perigord the first called Blanc or White because of its Mountains 't is North-West betwixt the two Venzeres and the other that was South-East along the Rivers l'Iles and Dordonne is called Noii or Black because of its Woods There are abundance of Wall-nuts Chest-nuts several sorts of Simples and Wine in some places this Province since the declining of the Monarchy had particular Counts till Lewis XII who gave them other Lands in exchange and which the French King Henry IV. annexed to the Crown The City of Perigueux call'd at first Vesunnae Petrocoriorum and afterwards Petrocorii or Petrocori by the name of its ancient Inhabitants is the chief of the Upper Perigord and of the whole Province lies upon the River l'Isle with a Bishoprick Suffragan of Bourdeaux of which it's distant 28. Leagues to the North-East It is a very ancient City yet not so ancient as to have been founded by one of Noah's Sons as some would have it it has often been ruined by the incursions of Barbarians In 768. Pepin le Bref or the Short got near that Town a famous Victory over Gaifer Duke of Aquitain St. Front was its first Bishop its Cathedral under the Name of St. Stephen was much defaced during the Civil Wars The most considerable places are besides Perigueux and Sarlat Beaumont Bergerac Roche-chalais Brantosme Ville-Franche de Perigord Montignac on the Vezere in whose Castle the ancient Counts of Perigord used to reside Montpont the Head of a small Country call'd the Conquest betwixt the Rivers L'Isle and Double and the Village of Mucidan Castillon on the Dordonne 9 Miles East of Libourne and 25 North-East of Bourdeaux where our English General Talbot who had maintained the Wars many years with a handful of Men against all the Power of Charles VII was at length routed in 1451. At Miremont is to be seen a subterraneous Cavern or Den that reaches very far under the Ground At la Douzé a Burrough and Marquizate betwixt Montignae and Miremont is made the best Paper in the Country Hautefort Bourdeilles and Exidueil have also the Titles of Marquizates Riberac that of a County Mareuil Bainac and Biron are ancient Baronies and La Force which gives the name of Dukes to an illustrious Protestant family is the finest House in Perigord Of Saintonge SAINTONGE and corruptively Xaintonge Pagus Santonicus c. Sarlat Sarlatum and Sarlatium Capital of Lower Perigord and more especially of a small Country thereabouts call'd Pagus Sarlaticus Le Sariadois lies on the source of the Nea 2 Leagues North of the Dordonne and but one from the Borders of Quercy There was an ancient Abbey of Benedictins chang'd by Pope John XXII in 1317 into a Cathedral Church of which Raimond of Roquecor was the first Bishop This Town has a Seneschal's Court and is strong by its situation for it maintained two Sieges during the Civil Wars of the Princes in 1652. Santonicus Borders upon Angoumois and Perigord to the East on Poictou and the Country of Aunis to the North on the Ocean to the West and on proper Guienne to the South it lies between 19 Deg. 5 Min. and 20 Deg. 53 Min. of Longitude and between 45 Deg. 5 Min. and 46 Deg. 20 Min. of Latitude which makes about 34 Leagues East and West from Roche Beaucourt and les Fontaines to the Bay call'd Pertuis of Maumusson and 32 North and South from the Sevre Niortoise to very near the Save in proper Guienne This Country is very plentiful in Corn Wine Pastures Saffron good Fish and above all in Wormwood and Rosemary that have particular Virtues A great quantity of good Salt is made upon the Coast and it is a common saying that were France an Egg Xaintonge would be the Yolk of it its principal Rivers are the Garonne the Charante the Seudre c. which are very convenient for the Carriage and Transportation of Commodities The City of SAINTES or Xaintes Mediolanum Santonum
and in latter Ages Santoni lies upon the Charante with a Bishoprick Suffragan of Bourdeaux from which it is distant 22 Leagues to the North and almost 10 from the Sea to the East It has had particular Counts as well as the whole Province and is very ancient there are still to be seen the remains of an Amphitheatre and Aqueducts of a triumphant Arch upon the Charante and many Inscriptions of the Romans S. Eutropius is accounted its first Bishop and its Cathedral Church is dedicated to St. Peter but it was almost ruin'd during the Wars of Religion Brouage Santonum portus lies on a narrow Bay over against the Isle of Oleron 8 Leagues West of Saintes It is called in vulgar Latin Broagium from the mildness of its Soyl and is the head of the Country thereabouts called le Brouageois that constitutes a particular Government in which are two of the finest Burroughs in France Marennes and la Tremblade where the French King has a Store-house for his Vessels And tho the Country be but small yet because of the customs it yields 14 Millions of Livers which amount near to 1100000 pound Sterling to the French King This together with the conveniency of the Havens and Salt-pits makes Brouage an important Town for which reason it is strongly fortified The other places of note are S. Jean d' Angeli Engeriacum or Ingeriacum on the River Boutonne 8 Leagues North of Saintes It was formerly very strong and given to the Protestants as one of their Towns of security but Lewis XIII who took it from them by storm in 1621 pull'd its Walls down Taillebourg has a Bridge on the Charante and is famous for a Battel fought there in 1242. by Lewis the IXth's Forces with the Count of La Marche that had revolted against him Soubize and Royan are two Sea-ports the first who gave the name of Duke to a famous Protestant Commander lies on the Mouth of the Charante and the other on the Bay of the Gironde Mortaigne and Chalais have titles of Principalities Posnac and Matha of Counties Aubeterre of a Viscounty Montausier was erected into a Dutchy and Peerdom in 1665. Pons is a Sirauté or ancient Lordship on which 250 fees are depending Barbezieux gives now Title of a Marquess to one of Louvoys Sons Secretary of State to Lewis XIV Jonsac and Mirembeau are also considerable Lordships Of Armagnac ARMAGNAC Armaniacum is a County in Gascogne between Languedoc on the East the Garonne and Condomois on the North Chalosse and Bigorre on the West and Cominges on the South There is a great plenty of Corn excellent Wines Cattel and Fowls This Country in Caesar's time was inhabited by the Elusates whose Capital Euse or Eause Elusa or Aceluso was then a Metropolitan and Aux a Bishoprick only but the two Dioceses having been melted in one and the Archiepiscopal Seat transferr'd to Aux Eause became an inconsiderable place and retains nothing of its former grandeur but an Archiepiscopal Palace Eause is seated on the River Gelise and the Borders of Condomus almost 14 Leagues South of Bazas so that from Serignac on the Garonne and Aragmer in the Pyrenees Armagnac is extended 43 Leagues North and South in its greatest length and 30 East and West from Verdun on the Garonne to Aire or Barcelone on the Adour Thus this County together with the Countries of Riviere and Verdun are included betwixt 42 Deg. 40 Min. and 44 Deg. 10 Min. of Latitude 19 Deg. 50 Min. and 21 Deg. 40 Min. of Longitude It has had famous Counts and has above 1800 Fees subject to the Ban and Rear-ban The most remarkable places are Ausch Archbishoprick Lectoure a Bishoprick and strong City with a Cittadel Vic d'Armagnac where the Counts of Fosensac us'd to reside who receiv'd homage of 300 Gentlemen Vic de Lomagne Capital of the Country of that Name There is also Miradou which stopp'd the designs of the Prince of Conde in 1652. Mirande Capital of the Country of Estrac Verdun Capital of the Country of that Name La Bastide Jegun Naugaro Trie c. The City of Aux or Ausch Augusta Auscorum and Ausci lies upon the Giers with a Presidial and Archbishoprick 'T is said to have been a Roman Colony which is confirmed by its Antiquities it has some remains of the magnificence of the Counts of Armagnac Clovis the Great is thought the Founder of the Cathedral which is one of the most magnificent and richest Churches in the Kingdom its first Bishop is thought to be Aufronius its Chapter consists of 15 Dignitaries and 20 Prebendaries of which 5 are Lay-men who sit in the Quire and have a share in the Distributions These are the Count of Armagnac and the four Barons of Montaut Pardillan Montesquiou and l'Ile The 15 Dignitaries are the Provost 3 Abbots of Faget Idrac and Cere 7 Archdeacons of Angles Sabanes Sos Vic d'Armagnac Magnoac Astarac and Pardillan two Priors of Montesquiou and S. Mary of Snow a Sexton who is withal a Parson and a Theolocal or Professor of Divinity There are also 36 Incumbents eight Chaplains of the Holy Ghost and St. Denys 37 Chaplains in ordinary and divers Clerks for the Divine Service The Archbishop has the Moiety of the Lordship of the City there are many other Churches and Monasteries c. Of Chalosse CHALOSSE or Gascony properly so called lies between Armagnac on the East Condomois on the North the Lanâ—â— on the West and Bearn on the South This Country bordering too much on the â—andes or wasts of Gascony produces nothing â—â—t Rye Millet and some Pastures It reaches â—3 Leagues North and South from the Source 〈◊〉 the Gelouse to the Burrough of Mant upon â—â—e Luy and 13 East and VVest from Aire to â—eyond Gaviac c. The chiefest Places are â—ires Bish Cap. S. Sever Meugron Arsac â—â—â—â—muy The City of Aires Vicus Juli Aturensium â—nitatis or Aturae is a Bishoprick Suffragan of â—â—sch seated on the Adour in a plentiful Country â—â—most 27 Leagues South of Bourdeaux It deâ—ends on the Seneschal of Bazas and the Parâ—iament of Guienne without further appeal The Kings of the Visigoths made their Residence â—here there is still to be seen on the River â—â—de the Ruins of Alaric's Palace he that made publick in 506 the Theodosian Code â—hich had been revised by Anian his Chancelâ—or Since that time this Town has often been â—â—in'd by the Saracens Normans c. it sufferâ—d much during the late Civil VVars There is an Abbey of S. Quiterne which is celebrateâ— for the Martyrdom of that Saint it is conâ—â—thedral with that of Aires which has the Blesseâ— Virgin for Patron The ancientest Bishop 〈◊〉 St. Marcel who sent in 506. one of his Priesâ— to the Council of Agde the Chapter has twâ— Archdeacons and the whole Dioceses is divideâ— under 6 Arch-priests c. Of Condomois CONDOMOIS Pagus Condomiensis is small Country betwixt Armagnac anâ— Agenois on the East Basadois on thâ— North the Landes
and Chalosse on the VVesâ— and part of Chalosse and Armagnac on the Soutâ— It reaches 30 Leagues East and West from â—staffort on the Giers to beyond the Gelouse bâ— its greatest extent North and South is hardâ— 12 Leagues and in some places only 2 4 6 â— 7. However 't is subdivided in other smallâ— Countries as Mursan Gavardan Fesensagueâ— c. They say that Condomois yields all the nâ—cessaries for life and borrows nothing of iâ— Neighbours The most considerable Places aâ— Condom Bish Gondrin Corrensan Mezin Sâ— Rimbes Montreal Gabaret Cap. of Gavardaâ— Mauvesin Capital of Fesen saguet Mont de Maâ—san with Roquefort and St. Justin c. The City of Condom Condomium Vasconum is â—â—â—ted upon the Baise Balisa with a Bishopâ—â—er Suffragan of Bourdeaux three Leagues â—â—om Nerac it has a Presidial and Election â—â—â—e it was separated from the Bishoprick and â—â—â—schalship of Agen. The Pope John XXII ereâ—ed it into a Bishoprick in 1327. and gave it â—â—e revenues of an Abbey of St. Benedict conâ—â—crated to St. Peter which is now the Catheâ—â—al Raimond Gontard last Abbot of that Abâ—â—ey was the first Bishop of Condom and the â—anons were secularized in 1549. There are â—any other Churches and several Monasteries This City was taken in 1569. by Gabriel of â—â—tmorency Commander of the Protestants Of the Landes THE LANDES are along the Sea between the Country of Labourd on thâ— South Chalosse on the VVest and Bourdelois oâ— the North. This is a barren Country that haâ— in some places nothing but Heaths and Pastures where abundance of Cattel is feeding in somâ— other places it yields a little Corn and a greaâ— deal of Rye by the means of burnt Earth whicâ— mixed with the sandy Soyl fattens it and makeâ— it fruitful It 's extended 33 Leagues North East and South-West from Belin to Bayonne Buâ— only 12 in its largest breadth from Tartas oâ— the Adour to the Sea It was the Habitation oâ— the ancient Tarbelli whom Caesar and Strabâ— describe as living on the Sea-Coast of Aquitaâ— from Bourdeaux to the Pyrenees The Places tâ— be noted are Dax Bish Tartas Belin le Mâ—ret Magese Albret c. The City of Dax or Aqs Aquae Augustâ— or Aquae Tarbellicae lies upon the Adouâ— with a Bishoprick Suffragan of Ausch and a Sâ—neschal's Court 13 Leagues North-East of Baâ—onne It is a trading City rich and well builâ— with a Castle flank'd by many big rounâ— Towers with a Garrison in it it is famouâ— for its warm and healthful Bathes which werâ— in great consideration in the times of the Râ—mans whence comes its name of Aquae and that of Aquitain Of Labourd THE Land or Country of LABOVRD or rather Lapord Lapurdensis pagus lies on the Frontiers of Spain between Bearn on the East the Landes on the North and the Ocean on the West This Country has in most â—â—tees little Corn and Wine but is plentiful in Fruits especially Pears and Apples of which they make excellent Syder It yields a great deal of Millet and Physical Herbs of great Virtue Whales have been taken upon its Coasts and there are Mineral Waters good for several Distempers This Country reaches 17 Leagues East and West from Bidache to Fontarabie but his extent North and South is not above six or seven Leagues The chief Places are Bayonne Bish St. J hn de Luz Luisium that is muddy places Bidache Siboule c. The City of Bayonne Lapurdum Boatium Ciâ—itos and vulgarly Baiona lies on the Confluence of the Adour and Nive which three Miles after disburthen themselves into the Sea It has a Bishoprick Suffragan of Ausch and is one of the Keys of the French Kingdom toward Spain it is very rich because of its Trading and very strong The word Bayonne comes from Baie a Port and from Juna which signifies gooâ— in the Bask or Country Language so that it as much as to say Good Port. 'T is in the Castâ— of this City called Lapurdum that the Tribâ—â— of the Novem Populan Cohort made his Residence it is under the Seneschal's Jurisdictioâ— of Dax Near this City is a Hill on the top 〈◊〉 which one may see part of three Kingdoms viâ— of France Castile and Navarre The Cathedral is dedicated to the blessed Virgin anâ— St. Leon There are many other Churches anâ— several Monasteries This Bishoprick was onâ—â— extended into three Kingdoms viz. France Nâ—varre and Castile but in 1565. Philip II. 〈◊〉 of Spain obtained from the Court of Roâ—â— the dismemb ing of it on behalf of Pampeluâ—â— This Country had formerly its own Viscounts Ships of any rate come up the River which 〈◊〉 very deep as far as the middle of the City Of Lower Navarre THE LOWER NAVARRE Borders on the Country of Labourd to the North-West and West on the Pyrenees to the South and the Viscounty of Soule to the East It is a Mounâ—â—inous Country which produces little Corn or Wine and yields only Millet Oates Pears and Apples of which they make Syder that is the usual drink of the Inhabitants Pasture ground is very good here the flesh of Cattel very delicate and the Wool very fine Game both small and great is likewise very common The most remarkable places are St. Palais the Capital St. John pie de Port S. Johannes â—â—â—pyrenaei Garris Garrucium la Bastide de Clarences S. Palais Fanum Sancti Pelagii is seated on the Rivers Bidouse almost 12 Leagues South-East of Bayonne It was the Seat of Chancery and Sovereign Justice before the Institution of the Parliament of Pau in 1620. it has still a Court of Mint c. Of Soule THE Viscounty of SOVLE Subola is 〈◊〉 little Country that makes part of Navarreâ— and lies betwixt it and Bearn There is no remarkable place but Mauleon of Soule which iâ— its chief Town called by the Latins Malleâ— Oppidum or Castrum and is seated in the hearâ— of it It 's the birth place of Henry Sponde Bishop of Pamiez who has continued the Annalâ— of Baronius Of Bearn BEARN or Benearnensis pagus with the Title of Principality lies near the Pyrenees bordering on the County of Bigorre to the East Lower Armagnac to the North the Precincts of the Provost of Acqs Lower Navarre and the Viscounty of Soule to the West and the Mountains of Arragon and Ronçal to the South The chief Town of this Province is Pau the other most remarkable are Benearnum now Lescar Lascurris Oleron Iluro Nay Ourtes or Ortez Navarreins Morrane Sauveterre Pontac Sanbege Salies and 434 Burroughs or Villages 2 Bishopricks and 3 Abbeys It lies betwixt 42 Deg. 50 Min. and 43 Deg. 40 Min. Latitude and between 18 Deg. 50 Min. and 20 Deg. of Longitude its greatest strength East and West being about 22 Leagues and 20 North and South There are two Principal Rivers called Gave one has its source in the Mountains of Bareges in Bigorre and is called the Gave of Bearn and the other is that of Oleron which is a compound of
navigable besides the Snow-water of the neighbouring Mountains that might be spar'd in Reservers Ponds and Sluces None of these things has been forgotten for a canal has been digg'd of 127600 Toises which make above 63 common Leagues of France in length upon 30 foot or 5 Toises in breadth every where There are several surprising works as the Reserver of S. Ferreol which has above 2000 Toises in Circuit and is 90 Foot deep in some places It 's used to receive and to keep the Waters of the black Mountain which are detain'd there by a Causey and 3 strong Walls These Waters fall into the Bason of Naurouse which is 200 Toises long and 150 broad and lin'd all over with Free-stone This Bason is digg'd in the highest place of the Canal so that the included Waters may be let loose on both sides and go each a contrary way The Bridge of the Torrent Repudre is also considerable by the novelty of its use for while Boats somewhat large row over this Bridge which is 70 Toises long built with Free-stone and cover'd every where with 7 Foot of Water the Rivulet runs under the Bridgeâ— The Vault of Malpas is yet more surprising for it is a Rock pierced through to give way to the Waters that has eighty Toises in length four in breadth and four and a half in heigth and on both sides is a rais'd way to draw on the Boats Of Toulousan THis Country included between the Rivers Aveyrou Garonne and Arriege the County â— Foix and Albigeois is 26 Leagues North and â—outh but hardly 10 or 12 East and West It â—ontains the Diocese of Toulouse Montauban La â—â—ur and S. Papoul or the Country of L' Auraâ—â—â— of which I shall speak in the same order Of the Diocese of Toulouse THE ancient Inhabitants of Toulouse the Volcae Tectosages filled up a far greater Country than this Diocese and even the Toulousan for their Dominions reached as far as the Northern end of the Cevennes they confin'd to the very Santones or Saintonge if we believe Caesar and had the Mediterranean Sea and the Pyrenees on the South Their Territory abounded with Gold which having raised a sedition amongst 'em such as prov'd the weakest went in search of a new Land under the Conduct of Brennus and having landed in Phrygia conquered the best part of it which afterwards was call'd from them Galatia and Gallograecia But a difference arising about the division of their Conquests 20000 parted from Brennus and went back to Thracia now Romania headed by two of their Kings Lomnorius and Lutatius These were as successful as their Confederates for they overcame such as withstood them made the others their Tributaries and took Byzanice now Constantinople the chief Town of that Country Some time after hearing of the riches of Asia they past the Hellespont or Streights of Gallipoli and taking hold of a Civil War betwixt Tit. Liv. l. 38. Nicomedes and Zybaen who disputed the Kingdom of Bithynia they assisted the first who remained victorious by their help then pursuing their Conquests farther into Asia tho from 20000 they were reduced to 10000 yet they brought such a terrour upon the neighbouring Nations even beyond Mount Taurus that they all submitted to their Empire As they were issued from three Gaulish Nations * The two first are unknown it seems they were neighbours or a branch of the Tectosagi who perhaps after their departure seiz'd upon their Country and thus came the name of both to be lost It may be that they liv'd in the Diocese of Alby for the Albigeois Albienses are not mention'd by any ancient Geographer Trocmi Tosistobogii and Tectosagi so they divided Less Asia into 3 parts the Trocmi had the Borders of the Hellespont the Tolistobogii Aeolis Ionia and the Tectosagi the inland Country taking Aâ—cyra for the Seat of their Kingdom These became so powerful that they put even the Kings of Syria under contribution and remain'd in that State till they were overcome by a Roman Consul Cneus Manlius Vulso in 565. of Rome Ptolomy ascribes eight Capital Cities to the Gaulish Tectosages viz. Toulouse Collioure or Illiberis Roussillon or Ruscino Narbonne Carcassonne Beziers Cessero esteem'd by some Castres and by other S. Tubery and Agde or Agatha Speaking of Languedoc I have observed the several changes of Masters and Governments which Toulouse as the head of this Province has undergone so that I have but to mention that even long after the French had conquer'd all Septimania as under the Reign of Lewis the Meek the Toulousan Pagus Tolosanus made up a distinct Country as having been in the French hands long before the rest of Septimania Toulouse and its Latin name Tolosa are very ancient for Caesar makes mention of the Tolosates but the time of its foundation is altogether uncertain for those who ascribe it to one Tolus Grand-child to Japhet are fabulous Authors As it came early under the domination of the Romans so they pleased themselves in beautifying it with several stately Buildings as a Palace an Amphitheater and a Capitole which last honour they made common with Rome to two other Towns only viz. Narbonne and new Carthage or Carthagena but there are no remains of any of ' em All what we know of that of Toulouse is that it was dedicated to Jupiter built in a very high place and still in being in the middle of the XIII Century but made use of as a Town-house for the Senators or Magistrates assembled there in Council as Peter Maurice Abbot of Cluny relates in a Letter against the Petrobrusians Thence probably it is that the Sheriffs of this City are yet call'd Capitouls Anciently they were 24 in number who were reduced to 12 under Alfonse of Poictiers last Count of Toulouse 6 for the City and as many for the Burrough and again to 4 and then to 6 in 1390. by an Edict of the French King Charles VI. to which two others were added 1392 5 for the City and 3 for the Burrough In 1401 they were increased to 12 8 for the City and 4 for the Burrough but in the very same year they were again reduc'd to 8 and 2 only left to the Burrough which diâ—ision has ever since subsisted Aulu-Gellius relates that Q. Servilius Cepio a Roman Consul having taken and plunder'd Toulouse in 648 of Rome found a great quantity of Gold in its Temples but that all those who were partakers of this Booty came to a Tragical end For Orosius says that he sent this Treasure to Marseille but caus'd all the Leaders to be put to death in the way that he alone might enjoy it which perfidious cruelty so meens'd the Romans against him already inrag'd at his having been defeated by the Cimbres that they confiscated his Goods and bought Lands of it for the People As for him he dy'd most miserably in Exile whence came the Proverb habet aurum Tolosanum he has of Toulouse's Gold said of
such whose riches did not prosper Valerius Maximus assures that this Booty was found in Marshes and consisted in Wedges of Gold and Silver 15000 Talents worth Orosius fixes it to the value of 100000 Found in Gold and 110000 in Silver but Justin increases it to 110000 Pound of Gold and 5000000 of Silver and adds that it was the plunder which the Tectosages brought home from the expedition of Delphos which last account is altogether fabulous since such of the Tectosages who went into Greece and Asia never returned back to their own Country having either been kill'd or settled themselves there as Polybius Pausanias Livy and all the ancient Authors testifie So that the matter of fact is true viz. that there was a vast quantity oâ— Gold and Silver in or about Toulouse which was taken away by Cepio but it remains doubtful whence it came whether it had been extracted out of Mines they had in their Country or gathered up through the course of many years by this industrious and warlike People averse to Luxury and Expences as Valerius Maximus qualifies them Toulouse has twice had the honour to be the head of a Kingdom under the Wisigoths before Clovis and under Charibert to whom Dagobert his Brother King of France yielded the Tolosaâ— Quercy Agenois Perigord Saintonge and Gascony As to the State of the Church though the Cathedral be dedicated under the name of S. Stephen yet S. Saturnin is thought to have been the first Bishop of it in the second Age and to have been precipitated by the Heathens headlong the Capitole Pope John XXII erected this City into an Archbishoprick in 1317. and submitted to it the Bishoprick of Pamiez with six Monasteries that he chang'd into Episcopal Sees viz. Montauban Rieux Mirepoix la Vaur Lombez and S. Papoul of which the 5 last were formerly included within this Diocese The Parliament of Toulouse was instituted by the French King Philip the Fair in 1302 and made sedentary by Charles VII in 1442 or 1443 who subjected to it all Upper and Lower Languedoc and the 3 Countries of the Cevennes besides some part of Guyenne and Gascony as Quercy Rouergue Cominges Gaure Armagnac Estrac Lomaigne Magnoac and Bigorre This if we believe Du Chesne was occasioned by a difference between the King and Matthew of Fâ—ix Count of Chastelbon Husband to Jane Daughter to the Earl of Cominges and Boulogne The French Monarch pretended to be Heir to that Lady and on that account he summoned them both to appear before his Parliament of Toulouse in 1442 and at the same time fixed there the Seat of that Sovereign Court Besides the Parliament there is an Office of Chancery a Seneschalship and Presidial whose Chief justice is call'd Juge-Mage a Viguery that is the same Court which on this side the Loire is call'd Prevoté or Provostship General Treasurers and a Receiver General of the King 's Dâ—nesne Add to this the Court of the Capitouls who judg of all such things as belong to Police or the City Government as appears by that they have lately condemned * See the Journal des Savans Dec. 22. 1692. This happen'd on the 21 of July 1691. a pretended Hermaphrodite but a real Woman born in 1669 and call'd Margaret Mallaure to be from henceforth cloath'd as a Man and to bear the name of Antony Mallaure because when she became 14 years of Age it was given out that she had more of the Man than of the Woman This young Maid thus disguised against her will came to Paris last Winter 1693 where the Physicians of that great City more learn'd than those of Toulouse discovered that it was but a sort of broken Belly and having cur'd her of that Disease She presented a Petition to the French King in order to reverse the Sentence of the Capitouls against her and to restore her to he natural Cloaths and Fame which was granted The University for Civil and Canon Law waâ— instituted by Raimond VII Count of Toulouse and endow'd with many fine Privileges by Popâ— John XXII and by Innocent VI. who founded the College of S. Martial the others as thaâ— of Foix Narbonne Maguelonne Pampelune Perigord Ste. Catherine and Mirepoix have been founded by several Prelates and Noblemen Toulouse will not yield to any City in France for bigness magnificence or the number of Inhabitants and 't is not of late that it is grown so considerable for in the fourth Century Ausonius bestows on it the following Elogy Non unquam altricem nostri reticebo Tolosam Coctilibus Muris quam circuit ambitus ingens Perque latus pulchro perlabitur amne Garumna Innumeris cultam populis confinia propter Ninguida Pyrenes pinea Coebennarum Inter Aquitanas Gentes nomen Iberum Quae modo quadruplices ex se cum effuderit urbes Non ulla exhauste sentit dispendia plebis Quos genuit cunctos gremio complexa colonos I shall never forget Toulouse wherein I have been educated whose large circuit is surrounded with Brick-walls and wash'd with the fine River Garonne which is inhabited by a numberless People whose Borders reach near the Snow of the Pyrenees and the Pine-trees of the Cevennes being seated between Aquitain and Spain which when four Cities shall flock out of it it shall not feel the loss nor be exhausted of People if it but keep such Inhabitants as are born within its bosom If this be the true sense as it seems the most natural to me Toulouse was doubtless one of the greatest Cities in the Gaules Adrian de Valois pretends that these quadruplices Vrbes are four Countries which had newly modo been added to the Toulousan but he neither names them nor gives any proof for it Besides that the Poet does not speak as he supposes in an absolute sense or say that Toulouse has but lately set out four Cities on the contrary his expressions are hypothetical cum essuderit that though it should happen so however it would hardly feel the loss provided it should keep â—â—do complexa fuerit its native Inhabitants The Romans used to solemnize Floral Games at the beginning of May in honour of the Goddess Flora but accompany'd with very dishonest shews Those that the Toulousaans still celebrate under that name and at the same time are only attended with such circumstances as are most proper to stir up vertue and ingenuity A President and 4 Counsellors of the High Court of Parliament with the eight Capitouls and the other Magistrates of the City come in their Nobes on the 1. of May into the Council-hall to hear the Poets recite their Verses and on the 3d. day after a sumptuous Treat and a Sonnet to be made immediately by the pretenders to the Prizes who are included to that effect in a great Hall these Prizes are distributed by the plurality of Votes They are three in number and consist in so many golden Flowers each of the value of about 14 Pound the first is a
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
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
Nismes reaching 22 Leagues North and South from beyond Sialgues to Val Francesqueâ— and 18 East and West from Lambrusche to Sâ— Laurens de Revidol It 's the habitation of thâ— ancient Gabales or Gabali who were subjecâ— to the Auvergnats Though this Country lies betwixt 43 Degâ— 40 M. of Latitude yet the Mountains are cover'd with Snow all the Winter but the Plains named Lower GEVAUDAN are indifferent fruitful The Inhabitants of the Mountains call'd Vpper GEVAUDAN or GIVAUDAN as welâ— as their Neighbours of Vpper Vivarais Vpper Velay and Vpper Limosin use to go into Spain every year before the beginning of the Winter where they suffer themselves to be employ'd in the vilest Services to get their livelyhood Wherefore the Spaniards use to call Gavaches from Gavali poor dirty low-spirited Fellows Pepin Head of the second race of the French Kings Conquer'd this Country from Gaifer Duke of Aquitain In the IX Century the Governors of GEVAUDAN usurp'd the Soveraignty of it â—rder the name of Counts It fell afterwards to the share of the House of Rouergue then to the Counts of Toulouse and with their other Estates was re-united to the French Crown in 1271. It was for the most part in the power of the Protestants during the Civil Wars Mende Memmas Memmate or Mimmate is â—â—ted at the foot of a Mountain hard by the River Lot Olita 26 Leagues East of Viviers and almost 20 East of Rodez Mende is an indiffeâ—ent good Town but is of no long standing for â—â—s Original is related thus (a) Gregor Turon L. 1. c. 32. In the third Cenâ—â—ry under the Empire of Valerian and Gallien â—he Alamanni a German Nation made an irruâ—tion into the Gauls and overflow'd like a Torâ—â—â—t most of the Southern Provinces of France â—â—der their King Crocus They took plunder'd â—nd ruin'd the City of the Gabales or Gevauâ—an which is now but a poor Village call'd â—â—avaux or Javoux a word nearer to the Laâ—ia Gabali than the very name of GEVAUDAN Those that could make their escape reâ—â—d into the Fortress of Gredo now Greze â—â—ted amongst Mountains 3 Leagues South 〈◊〉 Javaux and almost four West of Mende 〈◊〉 the Bishop S. Privat fled into the Caverns 〈◊〉 Memmate or Mende whether the Germans â—â—â—low'd and kill'd him with blows The Holy â—â—elate was interr'd in the neighbouring Vilâ—â—ge that bore the name of the Cavern and 〈◊〉 veneration People had for his memory increas'd it by degrees to a considerable place However it does not appear that the Episcopal Seat was transferr'd thither immediately after for until the middle of the 10th Century the Bishops of GEVAUDAN are call'd by no other name but Gabalitani Episcopi or Episcopi Civitatis Gabalum or Gabalorum neither was Javaux ever rebuilt so that I am apt to believe that two neighbouring Towns Marenge or Marveiois two Leagues South and Mende eleven Miles South-West of Javaux increas'd by itâ— ruins though the City of the Gabales still obtain'd the seventh rank among the 8 Episcopaâ— Sees of the first Aquitain but that the Prelates of GEVAUDAN fix'd at last their Seat at Mende great numbers of People resorting thitheâ— by reason of the Sepulchre of S. Privat The Bishop of Mende has a fine Palace there he intitules himself Count of the Country by virtue of an Agreement made with the French King Philip the Fair in 1306. He also pretendâ— to be Lord Partner of the Town with the King and to have right of coyning Money The other places of some consideration in thiâ— Country are Sialgues S. Lazier de Malzion Serverette Chanac La Canourgue S. Chely dâ— Tarn S. Eremie Quessas where during the Civiâ— Wars the Protestants made a Booty of Relickâ— valued to 280 Marks Espagnac Bagnols Barres des Cevennes known by its fairs and Montwert Chateau neuf de Randon is only a Village but famous by the death of that brave Warrior Bertrand du Guesclin Lord High Constable oâ— France There are besides 8 Lordships thaâ— give the Title of Barons to those Lords that assist by turns at the General States of Languedoc and â—eside at the particular of GEVAUDAN viz. â—â—rceaur Canillac Apcher Peyre Senaret Tourâ—â— Randon and Florac Of VELAY VELAY Vellavus Pagus is included betwixt Vivarais on the East and South East Gevaudan on the West and South West Auvergne on the North West and Foretz on the North reaching 18 Leagues North and South from Aurech in Foretz to Jonchieres on the Borders of Gevaudan and above 16 East and West from Claâ—as to Prades in its greatest length and breadth The Mountains of Meziâ—es Pertuis and Meigal which are cover'd with Woods and run across the Country from North West to South East divide it into Velay on this side and Velay on that side the Woods The Inhabitants are call'd by ancient Authors Vellavi Vallavi and Velauni and in Caesar's time were Tributaries to the Auvergnats wherefore their Capital is named indifferently Podium Avernorum and Podium Vellavorum le Fay en Auvergne and le Puy en Velay Le Puy so call'd from the Mountain on which it 's seated Puy in old Gaulish signifying a Hill lies 16 Leagues South West of Annonay and almost 14 North East of Mende It seems not to have been always the Capital of Velay for Ptolomy names it Rovesio and the Maps of the Emperor Theodosius publish'd by the Brothers Peutingers Revessio which is taken by some modern Authors for S. Paulian a small Town two Leagues off Languedoc North North West of Le Puy whence say they S. Evodius or as the vulgar call him S. Vosy translated the Episcopal See to Mont-Anis Montem Anicium whereupon Le Puy has been since built And accordingly Gregory of Yours (a) L. x. c. 25. speaks of the City of the Velauni and of Anicium as of two different places However the time of this Translation is uncertain and seems not to have preceded the sixth or seventh Century for 't is only since that time that the Volains are call'd indifferently Velauni and Puates or Buates Le Puy is now the biggest City in Languedoc after Toulouse to whose Parliament its Bayliwick and Presidial-seat resort The Bishop intitles himself Count of Velay pretends to the Right of Fallium to be free from the Jurisdiction of his Metropolitan the Archbishop of Bourges and to be immediately Suffragan to the Pope He boasts to have in his Cathedral dedicated to our Lady the Praeputium (b) Du Chesne of our Saviour or that Flesh that was cut off when he was circumcis'd together with the mitre of Aaron the first High-priest of the Jews and such fine Relicks cannot fail of producing strange wonders and drawing great numbers of People in order to present them with Oblations which is the principal aim The Chapter is made up of a Dean a Provost a Singer a Treasurer a Sexton the Abbot of S. Peter the Abbot of S. Evodius and 24 Prebendaries The other places worth taking notice of are Montfaucon
Tence Duniere S. Didier Monistrol en Velay Craponne Chalencon Issignaux on the North East side of the Woods S. Paulian La Volte Solignac S. Privat Chapteys Le Monastier S. Chastie on the South West CHAP. XVI Of PROVENCE IT 's known that 60 or 70 years before the intire Conquest of the Gauls by Julius Caesar the Romans having vanquish'd the Salians and the Allobroges in 631 and 632 of Rome reduc'd into a Province the South-Eastern part of the Gauls included betwixt the Cevennes Mount-Jura the Alps and the Mediterranean Sea and call'd Gallia Braccata or the Gauls wearing Breaches They pleased themselves more in this Country than in any other of their Conquests for which reason they us'd to name it Our Province or absolutely the Province In process of time several Changes Divisions and Subdivisions having been made that part nearest to the Sea and Italy carried alone the name of Provincia or Provence in the Country Language probably because of the strict relation it kept with Italy in the midst of all those Revolutions Gallia Narbonensis was subdivided into five Provinces the first and second Narbonnoise the Viennoise the Greek the Apennin and the Maritim Alps. PROVENCE is made of the second Narbonnoise except Gap the Maritim Alps except Embrun together with the Dioceses of Vaison Orange Caraillon Avignon Carpentras Arles and Marseille taken from the Viennoise And therefore it borders to the North on the Tricastinois Diois Gapencois and Embrunois which make part of Dauphiné to the East the Alps and the Rivers Var and Tence separate it from the County of Nice and Marquisate of Saluces to the South and South East it has the Mediterranean Sea and to the West the Rhone divides it from the Dioceses of Nismes and Vzès in Languedoc so that it reaches above 42 Leagues North and South from La Breoulz on the fronteers of Embrunois to Cape de Dormes in the Isle of Porquerolles and above 53 East and West from the Confluence of the Tence and Var to the Rhone betwixt Condoules in Languedoc and Caderousse in the Principality of Orange In the decay of the Roman Empire the Wisigoths and Burgundians conquer'd this Province Theodoric an Ostrogoth King having master'd Italy seiz'd upon PROVENCE under pretence of Guardianship to Atalaric King of the Wisigoths his great Grandson The French King Clovis and his four Sons expell'd the Goths out of PROVENCE and when that famous General of the Emperor Justinian Belisarius had reconquer'd Italy by the defeat of Theodat and Vitiges Kings of the Goths he thought fit to yield PROVENCE to the French lest he should draw such powerful Enemies upon him In the division the Sons of the Emperor Lewis the Meek made of his Dominions PROVENCE together with Italy fell to the share of Lotharius the eldest of ' em And though during the weakness of the French Monarchy Counts usurp'd the Sovereign Power in PROVENCE as did one Robaud or Râ—tbâ—ld about the year 900 which was continued almost six Centuries through several Families yet these Counts were sometimes Kings in Italy as Boson his Son Hugh and the Dukes of Anjou who were Counts of PROVENCE and Kings of Naples and Sicily from Charles II. call'd the Lamb in 1285 to Charles IV. Sirnamed du Maine that bequeathed by his Will the County of PROVENCE to Lewis XI and the French King's Successors in 1481. The Rivers of PROVENCE besides the Buech and the Durance that are describ'd in Dauphiné are the Rivulets of Sosse Jabron Bleone Targue Laro and Asse falling into the Durance from Sisteron to Manosque The Verdon rises in the Mountains of the Diocese of Digne washes Colmars Castellane Montpezat receives the Issolet the Nartabre and the Auvestre and mixes with the Durance at S. Paol The Rocks and steep downfalls of the Durance hinder it from being navigable till about this place however it 's yet increas'd with the Tese the Durancole the Calevon that goes through Apt and some other Rivulets before it discharges it self into the Rhone betwixt Avignon and Barbentane The Louveze springs in the Baronies at a place call'd Montauban goes through le Buys Mâ—olans Valzon receives the Russe that waters Carpentras and the Sorgues at Pont de Sorgues that falls into the Rhone a Leagues North of Avignon The Tolobre and the Arc and Lionne fall into the Gulph of Martegue The Veaune into the Bay of Marseille near Chateau d'if the Aran discharges it self into the Sea near La Ciutat the Gapcau near Hyeres the Batailler into Cape negre the Gisole into Gulf de Grimaut Then you meet with the Alla the Candune the Caranne the Caujou or Chalilan the Pis the Tendole which joyn together betwixt Roquebrune and Frejus and mix with the Sea near Cape S. Vincent Farther Eastwards are the Rairan or River d' Agan the Bencon the Siagne and the Loup At last you find the Var that takes its source in Embrunois receives the Tuebie the Coremp the Vaine goes through Glandeves and La Pene is increased with the Tence the Vesubie and the Esterâ—n and disembogues its Waters into the Sea betwixt Nice and S. Laurens PROVENCE view'd in a Map affords but an unpleasant prospect for it seems as though the greatest part of it were cover'd with barren Mountains However it is not so for except in some few places of the Bayliwick of Seyne bordering upon Embrunois all the other Mountains are fruitful Hills or Hillocks which not only produce the best Corn and the most delicious Wine in France but sometimes one and the same Mountain will yield such Fruits as require a different Climate being cover'd on the South side with Vines Plume and Olive-trees Pomegranates Oranges Citrons Limons and on the North side with Cherries Apples Pears Almonds and Walnuts Neither does the Country want Pastures and Woods especially in the Northern parts though the latter be not in great quantity because of the industry of the Inhabitants The Air is as temperate as the Soyl is fruitful for the Sky is clear most part of the year and rain falls very seldom The Southern parts along the Sea-coast would be very hot were it not for the Bize or North Wind that refreshes and purifies the Air but creates a severe cold when it blows in Winter Those that keep there Sheep and Herds of Cattel send them in Summer to Devolui and other Mountains of Dauphiné having Pastures of their own the greatest part of the Winter They make vast quantity of Silk by feeding Silk-worms with leaves of Mulberry-trees as also Salt upon the Sea-coasts Thence are transported into Foreign Countries the Salicor a kind of Ashes fit to make Glasses and Soap of together with Saffron Vermilion Cork and Rosin an oily juice running out of the Male Pine-trees The few heaths and wastes that are there are covered with Thyme Hysop Lavander Rosemary Sage Juniper and Myrtle-trees The Provencaux or Inhabitants of PROVENCE aâ—e ingenious and industrious Dante and Petrarcha two famous
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
of the antientest Towns in the Gauls and even in all Europe and therefore its original is very uncertain for 't is not likely that it should have been built by Vennerius an African Exile and called Bienna because it was raised in two years for the Latin Tongue was not yet so far spread as to derive the Etymology of such an antient Town from one of its compounded Words Neither is the Original related by Stephanus less fabulous for he pretends that the Inhabitants of Biennus a Town of Crete or Candie which no body mentions but himself being driven out of their Country by a great drought came by the direction of the Oracle to a marshy place along the Rhone where they built this Town and call'd it Bienna from the name of one of their Virgins who had been swallowed up by the ground whilst she was dancing But as this Town is named Vienna Allobrogum by the antient Geographers who used to give to Cities the name of their Founders so it is apparent that it has been built by the Natives of the Country the Allobroges However 't is stiâ—l very difficult to determine the time of its Foundation only we know that about the year 366 of Rome when the Senenois passed over Italy they built two Temples at Vienna one dedicated to Mars and the other to the Victory This Town has flourished a long time under tho Romans Tiberius Graâ—chus built there a Bridge in 566 of Rome and fortified the two ends of it with a strong Castle Caesar made it his Store-house for Arms. Tiberius built there that high Tower which the People call the Tower of Pilate as though he had died in this place There is another antient Building now named Notre Dame de La Vic. Our Lady of Life which was formerly a Heathen Temple where the Romans used to render Justice for which reason the People calls it the Pretory or the Palace of Pilate as though he had sate there as Judge during his Banishment They add that he was a Native of Vienne but there is no proof of his being born or ever exil'd thither and this fabulous Tradition seems to take its Original from Humbert Pilati Secretary to the last Dauphin who had a Country-House near St. Vallier which the vulgar also calls the House of Pilate The Emperor Galba granted many Privileges to this Town in requital of the affection of its Citizens who had declared for him against Nero whilst those of Lyons held still for that Tyrant wherefore he also confiscated their Goods During the Civil Wars of Otho and Vitellius a Captain of the last took Vienne in his possession and while this Emperor was sitting on the Tribunal Seat a Cock light'd on his shoulders and then on his head signifying as the Augures explain'd it that he should fall into the hands of a Gaulish Man and so it happened for the first who defeated him was one Antony of Tolosa Nickname Becco or Cock-beak Diocletian and Maximian who strove to perpetuate their memory through the most famous Cities called one of this Town-Gates Herculia Besides all this Vienne is remarkable for the Banishment of Archelaus Herode the Great 's Son and Successor for being the Native Country of Valerius Asiaticus who was twice Consul which shews that the Viennois were a Roman Citizens born and might become Senators in that Capital of the World There also it was that Julianus Caesar began his Consulship by the Celebration of solemn Games that the Emperor Valentinian the young was kill'd by Count Arbogast Constant the Usurper by Gerontius and Godegile Prince of Burgundy by his Brother Gondebaud The Romans had adorned Vienne in which they much delighted with several Magnificent Buildings as an Amphitheatre an Aqueduct a Palace c. whereof there are still considerable remains and this is not at all strange since Vienne was the Capital of the Narbonnoise which they first conquered and beautified above the rest The Burgundians were the first who took this Town from the Romans and made it the head of their Kingdoms but after they had been subdued by the French Vienne remained united to that Monarchy till it became part of a second Kingdom of the Burgundians in Charles the Simple's time At the dismembring of this new Realm it passed under the Power of the Dauphins who intitled themselves Dauphins of Viennois and Counts of Albon a Castle along the Rhone between Vienne and Valance It will be worth our enquiry to see how this great Town is by degrees fallen to the low State it is now in for 't is hardly extended a Mile in length from Lyons Gate to that oâ— Avignon and its breath comes not near it Vienne was then at first the Capital City of the Narbonnoise that is of Savoy Dauphine Provence and Languedoc and when it was converted to Christianity its Metropolitan had under him the Bishops of all their Provinces And indeed the first Christians of Vienne besides the Dignity of their Town seem'd to desâ—rve that honour for they not only confessed the name of our Saviour in the middle of a cruel Persecution under the Emperor Decius but also encouraged the other faithful by their Writings and Examples as may be seen by a Letter which Eusebius has inserted in his Ecclesiastical History Soon after the Narbonnoise was subdivided into 5 Provinces of which the Viennoise had the honour to be the first and had 13 Episcopal Cities depending on it In process of time Arles one of its Suffragans growing in Wealth and bigness was erected into an Archbishoprick and deprived its Metropolitan of seven of its Suffragans of which however it kept but 4 viz. St. Paul Trois Chasteaux Orange Marseille and Toulon the Popes making afterwards their dear Avignon an Archbishoprick and subjecting to it the Cities of Vaison Cavaillon and Carpentras so that the Metropolitan of Vienne has now but 5 real Suffragans viz. Valence Die Viviers Grenoble and St. John de Maurienne to which may be added the Titular Bishop of Geneve But the greatest unhappiness of Vienne came from that which was designed to keep the lustre of its Metropolitans namely the Gift which the Emperors made to them of the Sovereignty of the Town for this caused several broils betwixt these Prelates and the Dauphins which by succession of time much depopulated this ancient City so that in 1448 the Archbishops were forced at last to yield up their Right to Lewis the XIth then Dauphin and afterwards King of France The name of this easie Prelate was John of Poictiers whose Successors have been ever since in a little esteem whereas his Predecessors made a great figure in the World Vienne has had the Privilege of coyning Money as appears by several pieces bearing its name under the first and second race of the French Kings Thirteen Miles North East of Vienne lies upon a Mountain the Village of Ponay which Mr. Chorier esteems to be the place where the Epaâ—nense or Ponense
Frano-Countois were the cause of a second coming of the Romans The Sequani being too weak for the Aedui had invited the Germans and with their Succors defeated 'em twice Upon this Divitiacus an Autunois Lord was deputed to Rome and Prevailed easily with the Senate to send an Army into the Gaules The Great Caesar was chosen for this expedition who knew to make a good use of the Friendship of the Aedui and of the Dissensions of the Gaules so that he overcame them all one after another The Autunois perceiv'd but too late they had been mistaken in their Politicks and would feign have been rid of the imperious Master they had given to themselves and their Country-men but the Gaules were already exhausted in a manner of Men and Mony neither had they learn'd the War-Stratagems and Military Discipline of their Conquerors so that their League with Vercingentorix for the relief of the Alesia one of their Towns avail'd nothing but to bring them into the contempt of the Romans who deprived them insensibly of their Countries and Priviledges and made Lyons head of the Celtick Gaules The Autunois rais'd a third time under the Emperor Tiberius but with as little success as before They could never since recover their Liberty and much less their Empire but were always subject either to the Romans the Burgundians or to the French But the greatest losses the Autunois suffer'd were by the rebellion of the Bagaudes or Gaulish Peasants who plundered the Country and all the Towns they could Master under the Conduct of one Amanâ— and Elian but were at last defeated by Herculius Maximian associated to the Empire by Diocletian The two Emperours at the sollicitations of Constantius Chlorus Caesar and afterwards Emperour of the Gaules England and Spain began to repair Auâ—un which Constantius and Constantine his Son finished For this reason the Senate of Autun made a Decree that their City should be called Flavia and the Inhabitants Flavienses from the proper Name of these two Emperours Flavius but this lasted only as long as the Family of the Flavians sat upon the Throne for they retook afterwards their former Name of Augustodunum In the mean while since Augustodunum is compound of a Gaulish and Latin word signifying the Mountain of Augustus it remains unknown what was the name of the Capital of the Aedui before that Emperour for Bibracte was a considerable Town not far from Autun but not Autun it self In Constantius and Constantine's times there was a Capitole dedicated to Jupiter Juno and Minerva a Temple of Apollo and a famous School for Rhetorick and Humane Learning Before the Auntunois were reduced into a Roman Province they govern'd themselves as a Common-wealth chusing every Year a Sovereign Magistrate call'd Vergo-brete who had absolute Power of Life and Death and over their Goods They had then a Senate of Druides an Accademy for the Nobility of the Gaules and a School for the younger Sort. Autun lies now on the confluence of the Aâ—oux and Tavernay 37 Miles South-west of Dijon St. Lazare of old Nazaire is the Cathedral Church and very considerable both for iâ—s Structure and Chapter This City is divided into two Parts Higher and Lower The Diocese contains 24 Archpriests and above 600 Parishes The Bishop presides at the States of Burgundy Besides the Cathedral Autun harh a great number of other Churches as alâ—o many Abbies and other religious Houses Bourbon l'Ansi Burbo Anselli is a Town and a Bayliwick with a Castle in the Diocese of Autun about a Mile from the Loire whiâ—h separates it from Bourbonnois The Territory of Bourbon towards the Frontiers of Burgundy is encompassed with fertiâ— Mountains the Town it self is built upon the top of a little Hill its Castle is guarded with a Ditch hewen out of the Rock During the Civil Wars it could never be taken being defended by Sieur d' Amanze The Mineral Waters of Bourbon were in great esteem even in the Time of the Romans and are as much now priz'd since the Reign of Henry the III. who preferr'd them to all other Waters There are few other places worth to be mentioned save Vianges Blanot Chissey Lucenay-l'Eveque Icy-l'-Eveque La-Motte-S Jean le-Mont-Ceny Brandons and Drapâ—y-S Loup Of CHALONOIS THis Diocese called also Bresse Chalonoise was of the dependencies of Autun It is included betwixt the County of Burgundy Bresse Maconnois Charolois and Autunois The City of Chalon Cabillo Aeduorum or Cabillonum is situated on the Saone with the Title of a County a Bayliwick and a Bishoprick Suffragan to Lyons between Verdun and Tenare 15 Leagues South of Dijon The antiquity of this City appeareth from the great number of Statues and Inscriptions in the ruins of an Amphitheatre and of many other publick Buildings Here it was that the Romans made Magazines of Corn for their Armies and afterwards the Emperours appointed the Rendevouze of their Forces at this place It was almost ruined by Aittila but soon after repair'd The French King 's Gontran and Thierry made their Residence here This City is very spacious and fine the Saone makes here an Isle which they term Fauxbourg Saint Laurence between two Bridges one of Stone and the other of Wood. The most remarkable things in this City are the Palace of the Prince the Cathedral Church of St. Vincent formerly of S. Stephen consisting 25 Canons whereof 7 are Dignitaries the Dean the Singer the Treasurer and four Arch-Deacons S. Marcel is esteemed to be the Apostle of Chalon St. Donatian was Bishop of it in the 4th Century and was at the Council of Cologne Anno 346. Besides the Cathedral Church there are many Parishes as St. George S. Laurence S. Mary which is a Commandership of S. Antony and a fine College of Jesuits The Cittadel of Chalon is fortified with four Royal Bastions The Town of Verdun is upon the Doux nigh its fall into the Saone about 4 Leagues North-East of Chalon The other places of some note are Chaigny Rully Givry la Ferte-Sur-Grosne Tenare Cuzery Branges Sagy Savigny Bojana Beluvre Paigny and Seure de Belle-garde a Dutchy Of the Country of La Montagne THE Country of la Montagne is situated toward the North of the Dutchy of Burgundy about the origin of the Seine betwixt Franche County Champaign Anxerrois Auxois and Dijonnois and depends upon the Bishop of Langres as well as Dijonnois The Capital is Chatillon Castellio ad Sequanam situated on the Seine between Aisei-le-Duc and Bar-sur-seine 31 Miles North-west of Dijon It 's a pretty good Town and the seat of the Baily of la Montagne the River divides it into two Parts one call'd the Bourg and the other Chaumont Here are to be seen the ruins of an old Castle It was the Native Country of William Philander who has made learned Commentaries on the X Books of Vitruvius Bar-sur-seine Barrum ad Sequanam is upon the River Seine where it receives the Ourse the Arse and the Leigne towards the Frontiers of Champaign about 7
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
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
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
Charges in France especially the Lieutenancy of Provence You have yet in this Diocese Donzere Pierre-Latte La Palu Suze Mondragon c. CHAP. XIX Of the Government Lyonnois THE most ancient Authors especially the Greeks us'd to call Gaule Celtick 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Then that appellation became proper to that part that was included betwixt the Rhone the Seine and the Marne the Ocean and the Garomne but Augustus took off that which lay betwixt the Garomne and the Loire to ineâ—ease Aquitain and gave it the name of Lyonnoise from Lyons its Capital City At this present the Government Lyonnois is far narrower comprehending only 6 Provinces viz. Lyonnois properly so call'd Forez and Beaujolois that are very little and make scarce together 25 Leagues North and South and 35 East and West The other three are Bourbonnois La Marche and Auvergne which reach all together 52 Leagues North and South from Germigny in Bourbonnois over against Dun-le Roy in Berry to Entraygues in Auvergne on the River Lot and 76 East and West from Belle-ville on the Rhone in Beaujolois to Availle on the Vienne in the Country of La Marche Most of the Rivers that water this Government belong more properly to others where you will find their course described as the Vienne the Creuse and the Indre in Orleannois the Dordonne in Languedoc the Loire and the Rhone in the General Description and the Saone in Burgundy Remains then only the Allier Elaver which rises in the Cevennes on the Borders of Gevaudan and Velay waters Les-Chazes Langeac Peyrusse La Voute Brioude Auzon Issoire Vic-le Comte Pont du Chateau Vichis S. Germain des fossez Varennes Mâ—ulins receives in its way the Alagnon near Auzon the Duore or Dore and the Siolle or Sioulle increas'd with the Bouble near Maringues betwixt Pont du Chateau and Vichy Then falls into the Loire 3 Miles South West of Nevers after it has separated Nivernois from Bourbonnois during 10 Leagues Of Proper LYONNOIS LIONNOIS properly so called is about 12 Leagues in length and 7 in breadth it is situated between Dauphine from which 't is separated on the East by the Rhone it has Bresse and Beaujolois on the North Forez on the West and Vivarais on the South It s Soil about Lyons is more proper for Wine than Corn in other things it is abundantly fertil affording great quantity of excellent Fruits and some Mines of mixt Mettals Besides the Rhone and the Saone which carry abundance of things to Lyons there are some small Rivers the Azargues the Mornance the Brenne and the Giez which have not 15 Leagues in their whole Course Lyons the chief City of this division and of the whole Government is seated on the Confluence of the Rhone and the Saone Its Situation is very pleasant its Original antient and its Trade the greatest in the Kingdom so that Lyons is generally esteem'd one of the Principal Cities of Europe Here is an Archbishop who is Primate of the Celtick Gaulae the Archbishops of Rouen Tours and Sens depending by right upon him as Metropolitans of the second third and fourth Lyonnoise to whom may be now added the Archbishop of Paris as the head of a 5th Province The Diocese of Lyons extends through all Proper LYONNOIS Forez and Beaujolois Here are also a Count of the Treasury of France a Presidial Seat a Seneschals Court an Election a Tribunal of Commerce which is annext to the Consulate under the Title of the Conservation of Lyons Authors vary very much about the Foundation of Lyons and the Original of its Name Some say that Lugdus King of the Celtes was the Founder of it so that from Lugdus and Dunum which signifies a Mountain did arise Lugdidunum or Lugdunum some will have it to come from Lug which in the Cimbrique Tongue signifieth Fortune and Dunum a Hill that is the Hill or Mountain of Fortune others from two Gaulish words Lugo-dunum which they interpret the Mountain of the Raves And others again from Lucius Plancus who by order of the Senate brought thither a Roman Colony from Vienne It is sure that before that time that is before the Triumvirate Lyons was already a considerable City though not so famous as it became afterwards In 744 of Rome 60 Gaulish Cities contributed towards the erection of an Altar dedicated to Augustus and built on the confluence of the Saone and Rhone at a place call'd Ainay where is still a famous Abby of Benedictins Here Caius Caesar celebrated Games and Prises were given to those that deliver'd the best Discourse in Greek and Latin Under the Empire of Nero a great part of this City was burnt down to whose rebuilding this Emperor gave out of his Exchequer 400000 Sesterces as much as they themselves had contributed before in troublesome times This made the LYONNOIS so faithful to his interest that they withstood Galba and stuck to the false Nero until they were undeceiv'd In Antonine's time there was an Amphitheatre which according to an ancient Chronicle had been built by the Emperor Trajan at a place call'd now Serviere where stands the Collegiate Church of S. Thomas In the Collegiate Church of S. John the Canons have the Title of Counts and the Dean that of Duke Pontius Pilate who condemn'd our Lord was a Native of Lyons and confin'd thither for his Concussions as well as Herod Antipas and his Miss Herodias the Murtherers of S. John the Baptist and starv'd there Pierre-Cize is an old and strong Castle where Prisoners of State are kept It has its name from the Rock in which it is built there is no Author who speaks of this City without giving it great Elogies In antient Inscriptions it is term'd Colonia Claudia Copia or the Colony of Claudius and the abundance of Gaule because the Emperor Claudius was born there he mixt that Colony with that of the Viennois and order'd that Lyons should be the Granary of the Gauls as being situated between Bresse Bourgogne Auvergne Velay Vivarais Dauphine Bugey c. from whence it receives all sorts of commodities by the means of the two Rivers that water it Herodian call'd it great and happy City Ptolâ—my gave it the name of famous Metropolis Sidonius Apollinaris call'd it Rhodanusia or the best City on the Rhone Scaliger term'd it un Nouveau â—â—nde dans le vieux un vieux dans le Nouveau â— new World in the old and an old in the new The Country about that City is extraordinary â—leasant The other places of some note in LYONNOIS are Chavaney Coindrieu renown'd for its Wine Vimy Chasselay Anse along the Rhone â—arare Chazal La Bresle S. Genis-l'Argentier S. Genis-la-Val S. Saphorin le Chastel Monâ—agny Revirie S. Andiol S. Martin en Jarez â—â—ive de Giez S. Chaumont a Marquisate known 〈◊〉 the Manufactory of Silk S. Jean de Bonneâ—â—s c. Of FOREZ FOREZ Segusianus Ager or Pagus Forensis hath as great an Extent as