p. 201 he says that No-gent-le-Roy is situated on the River Eure betwixt Dreux and Chartres which is true Then he adds Dreux or Drocum is upon the Blaise c. The worst Map in the World might have shewn him that those three Towns are seated on the same River It 's true Moreâ—y has lead him into that mistake but what his pardonable in the compiler of a great Dictionary who is â—irâ—d out by the length and tediousness of the Work and distracted by the â—ariety of matters is not so in a Geographer Besides that there is a River call'd Baise in Guienne but no River Blaise in all France A Vocabulary of this Authors Faults would make up a small Volume and therefore I shall only add an instance or two more P. 309 he calls twice after Robbe Briancon a Bishoprick Neither Morery nor any other Author that I know of mentions any such thing For the Brianconnois were ever as they are still a dependency of the Caturiges and the Prelate of Ambrun P. 320. He puts after Robbe Serres in Viennois that is in the Northern part of Dauphiné tho it lies in Gapencois or in the South of that Province This as true as what he says p. 17 that at the beginning of this War the French King put 700000 Men in Arms and that he alone has more Religion Merit Glory Revenus and Soldiers then all the Crown'd Heads of Europe together without excepting his dear Ally the Turk The former Description of France being so faulty I let the Reader judg what trouble I have been at in chusing the best and including what ever seem'd to me most essential in the Compass of this Book It is divided into two parts whereof the first is an introduction to the Second a general survey of the whole Country and an explication of several Offices and terms that can scarce be fully undeâ—stood without it Tho this part be very short yet you will find there several things concerning the French Monarchy and Politicks the power of their Parliaments the state of their Nobility and Gentry the increase of Popery the breaking up of the Reformation the causes that retarded its progress and have altogether eclips'd it in that Kingdom all which is not easily to be met with any where-else The second contains an Historical and Geographical Description of the twelve Great Governments into which France uses to be divided besides Lorraine and the County of Burgundy There I treat of the different Revolutions of Each Government of its ancient Inhabitants of its Gaulish and Latin names and other Antiquities of its borders extent subdivisions Air Climate Fertility Rivers Lakes Mountains natural Curiosities c. I set down the distance of the Capital Cities from Paris or from each other and of the most considerable Towns in each Government from their Capital their Latin names Antiquities Lords and Titles their Civil and Ecclesiastical Government with the several Changes they have undergone their most remarkable Buildings Trade Inhabitants the Great Men they have produc'd their Soyl and Territory c. Books newly Printed for T. Salusbury at the Kings-Arms next St. Dunstan's Church in Fleet-street THe Reformed Gentleman or the English Morals rescued from the Immortalities of the present Age shewing how inconsistent those pretended Genteel Accomplishments of Swearing Drinking Whoring and Sabbath-breaking are with the true Generosity of an Englishman With an account of the proceedings of the Government for the Reformation of Manners By A. M. of the Church of England bound in 8. Price 1 s. 6 d. 2. An Essay against Vnequal Marriages in 4 Chapters 1. The Introduction 2. Against old Persons Marrying with Young 3. Against Persons Marrying without Parents or Friends Consent 4. Against Persons Marrying against their own Consent By S. Sufford in 12's bound Price 1 s. 20. The safety of France to Monsieur the Dauphin or the Secret History of the French King proving that there is no other way to secure France from approaching ruin but by deposing his Father for a Tyrant and Dostroyer of his People Done out of French 12. bound price 1 s. 21. The History of the late great Revolution in England and Scotland with the Causes and Means by which it was accomplished with a particular account of the Extraordinary Occurences which happened thereupon as likewise the settlement of both the Kingdoms under their most serence Majesties King William and Queen Mary with a List of the Convention 8. bound price 5. s. A General and Particular DESCRIPTION OF FRANCE PART I. THE Method I shall observe in this Description is To give at first a General View of this ancient and large Kingdom To speak of its old and modern Bounds and Divisions Of its Soil Inhabitants Government Policy Magistrates Religion c. And then to give a Particular Description of each of its Provinces CHAP. I. Of the ancient and modern Bounds and Divisions of France Of her Mountains Ports Rivers and Forests FRANCE has not changed her ancient Limits to the South West and North seeing as Gallia of old it has to the West the Ocean of Aquitain to the North the British Ocean as far as Calis by which Sea it is divided from England the Mediterranean Sea on the South which is also called the French Sea with the Pyrenaean Mountains that part her from Spain As to her Limits on the East and North-East they are very uncertain especially in this time of War Before the late Conquests it was bounded by the County of Burgundy Elzas the Dukedom of Lorrain and Barrois and part of the Spanish Netherlands viz. the Province of Luxembourg Hainault Brabant and Flanders But at present the French King is Master of all those Countries except of a little part So that his Kingdom has almost recover'd its ancient Limits on that side viz. the Rhine and the Mouth of the Meuse Her Form is almost round and in a manner oval so that she is as broad as long and may be of 25 days Journey in length from Brest to Strasbourg and of as many in breadth from Dunkerque to Perpignan that is 250 Leagues which make about 1000 Leagues in circuit The ancient Galli called Celtae transplanted themselves into Asia where they gave their Name to a whole Country called Galatia Gallo-Graecia or Gallia Minor and now Chiangare being part of Natoly or Less Asia Another Colony of the Gallick Nation having passed the Alpes conquered a good part of Italy which made the Romans to distinguish them into Cisalpins and Transalpins However the Country on this side the Alpes retained the ancient Name of Gallia and falling afterwards under the Power of the Romans was divided by Augustus into four Parts viz. Gallia Narbonensis called also Gallia Braccata because of the Braccae a kind of broad long Coats the Inhabitants wore The other Parts were the Celtick Gallia or that of Lyons the Belgick and the Aquitanick which had all three the common Surname of Gallia Comata because the
into Foreign Countries The French Monarchy strove many Ages before it came to that high Point of Grandeur to which it has attained of late The Weakness of Charlemaign's Successors and the Incursions of the Normans had reduced it to so narrow Limits that the French King was hardly Sovereign in Paris The Governors of the several Counties and Provinces taking hold of the occasion made their Charges Hereditary and soon after render'd themselves Lords of the Countries they Govern'd So that France at that time was rather an Aristocracy or a Confederacy of several Petty-Princes under the French King their Head as Germany now is under the Emperor then a Monarchy properly so call'd But the Victories which Charles VII got over the English in the Fifteenth Age during the Wars of the Houses of York and Lancaster gave him means to Unite to his Crown the large Provinces of Guyenne and Normandy together with Poictou le Maine and Tourain Lewis XI his Son and Successor after the Death of Charles the Râ—sh last Duke of Burgundy in 1477 usurp'd upon his Sole Heiress Mary Spouse of Maximilian of Austria the Dutchy of Burgundy and some part of Picardy Charles VIII and Lewis XII by their Marriage with Ann Daughter to Francis II. late Duke of Britany United that Dutchy to their Crown Anno 1514 Then it was that France began to look as a mighty Kingdom So that Francis I. King of France was a sit Match even for Charles V. Emperor and King of Spain Naples and Sicily Duke of Milan and Lord of all the Low Countries The extent of the French Kings Jurisdiction was yet increas'd by the Accession of Bearn or Lower Navarre of which Henry IV. was in Possession when he came to that Crown And by his Acquisition of the Province of Bresse with the Lands of Bugey Valromey and the Bailwick of Gex which he Exchanged with Charles Emanuel Duke of Savoy for some Pretensions on the Marquisate of Salusses in 1601. Lewis XIII his Son Divested the Duke of Lorrain of his Dutchy the Emperor and the King of Spain of a good part of Elzas and the Netherlands and this present King has not only Conquer'd the County of Burgundy and the rest of Elzas but push'd so far his Conquests in the Low Countries that what now remains in the Hands of the King of Spain is not able to withstand him any long time The Authority of the French Monarchs grew stronger and more absolute within their Kingdom as the Bounds of it were extended without at least in this latter Age. For in former times even that mighty Emperor Charlemaign would do nothing without the Advice of his Barons no not so much as establish and endow a Bishoprick and by their means it was that his Son Lewis the Pious was re-inthron'd The Power of the French Lords lasted not only under the Second Race but three or four Ages too under the Third And as these petty Princes were extinguished their Authority was transferr'd to the States of the several Provinces under whose hands it remained till the Civil Wars under the pretence of Religion gave a mighty check to it and the shrewd Policy of the Cardinals Richelieu and Mazarine made it altogether arbitrary Now the French Kings pretend that they are Emperors in France as Bodin and du Tillet have endeavoured to prove That their Authority is Absolute and Sovereign and that as to the Temporal they have no other Superior than God alone upon whom their Crown immediately depends it not being in the Power of the Prelates of their Kingdom either to excommunicate them or to publish them to be such By reason of their Consecration they are look'd upon to be of the Body of several Cathedral Churches in France where they hold the Prebends The nominating to Bishopricks Abbeys c. belongs to them even by the Pope's Consent and the Concordat made betwixt Francis I. and Leo X. They alone can make Laws in their Kingdom grant Favors and Pardons naturalize Strangers and legitimate Bastards They build Colleges Universities Courts and Companies of Justice create Offices and provide for the same The Males only by Salique Law which the French call the Fundamental of the State have Right to Succession and the Crown always is devolved to the next Heir that is to the eldest Son of the King and to the Issues of the eldest Infinitely This First-born during his Father's Life is commonly called the Dauphin by the Donative of Humbert last Dauphin of Viennois of his Lands of Dauphiné to Philip of Valois King of France upon condition that his eldest Son should be call'd Dauphin and bear quarterly the Arms of France with those of Viennois It was in the year 1343. Philip at the intreaty of John his Son who reigned after him gave the Land to his Grandson who reigned under the Name of Charles called the Wise and was the first Son of France who bore the Title of Dauphin The Arms of France are Three Flowers de Luce Or in a Field Azure King Charles VI. reduced them to Three his Predecessors having had them without number contrary to the Custom even of the first Kings The Consecration of the Kings is solemnly performed at Rheims where they are anointed with Oyl of the Holy Ampoule kept religiously in the Abbey-Church of St. Remigius whence it is carried under a Canopy by four Knights of the Holy Ampoule created by Clovis IV. The Royal Ornaments are kept at St. Denis from King St. Lewis's time The twelve Peers of France assist at the Consecration six whereof are Ecclesiastical to wit the Archbishop and Duke of Rheims who consecrates the King the Bishop and Duke of Laon the Bishop and Duke of Langres the Bishop and Earl of Bonâ—vais the Bishop and Earl of Chaalons the Bishop and Earl of Noyon The Six Lay Peers were formerly the Duke of Burgundy the Duke of Normandy the Duke of Guyonne the Earl of Tolouse the Earl of Flanders and the Earl of Champagne but these Peers subsisting no more they are represented by as many French Princes or Lords The King's Guards are composed of two strange Nations viz. Scots and Switzers and of his French Subjects The Scotch Guard is the first Company of the King's Guard du Corps However it ought to be observed that this Name is but a remainder of the ancient Alliance between the Scotch and the French for since the Reformation and the Union of England and Scotland there has hardly been a Scotch Man among these preâ—ended Scotch Guards However as this Company is the ancientest so it enjoys the greatest Privileges for their Captain precedes the three others and begins always to serâ—e the first Quarter of the Year and when the Guard du Corps are quartered they chuse the first Lodging This Company was at first composed of 100 Gentlemen or chosen Soldiers 24 of whom have yet a good Stipend are Privileged and have at their Head the first Man at Arms of France
who makes the 25th and these are the Archers of the Guard du Corps who wear Hoquetons or white Cassocks covered with gilt Silver-Shells whence they are commonly called Hoquetons The three French Companies have been instituted by three several Kings and wear upon their Arms and Cassocks the Livery Colours and Devices of the Reigning Kings Those that are called Exempts of the Guards precede the other Archers they wear neither Hoquetons nor Cassocks and command the Guards in the absence of their Officers They carry a Stick as a Mark of their Power and Employment The hundred Switzers wear the King's Livery with a Halbert and are cloathed after their own Country fashion These four Companies have their Captains who are all qualified Lords And besides these the King has a Regiment of Switzers and another Regiment of French Guards with all their Officers These make as 't were a small compleat Army kept ordinarily with a Company of Musqueteers or Horse-Guards whom King Lewis XIII had instituted and whose Head he was During the Minority of the Kings which ends so soon as they are 14 years old a Regent or Protector was provided by the General States of the Kingdom or by the Court of Parliament of Paris He was commonly the King 's nearest Kinsman or the Queen his Mother as Queen Catherine of Medicis was to King Charles IX Queen Mary of Medicis to King Lewis XIII But since the Monarchy is become Absolute the Will of the deceased King has only been regarded And Ann of Austria Mother to K. Lewis XIV now Reigning carried the Regency against the Princes of the Blood who disputed it with her though they had the Parliament of Paris on their side whence ensued a bloody War in which the Queen and Cardinal Mazarine got the better of the Princes Patents Edicts and Arrests are expedited under the Name of the King with this Title By the King and Queen-Regent The Queens of France have often been Crowned whereof History gives several Examples They were anointed with another Chrism than that of the Holy Ampoule Queen Mary of Medicis was Consecrated and Crowned at St. Denis in the year 1610. on the 13th of May by Cardinal de Joyeuse In their Widowhood they have been formerly called White Queens but that has not been used for some Ages There is no sharing in the Royal House and Succession since the Third Stock of the Kings of France so that second Brothers must be contented with a Patrimony in Land bearing the Title of Dutchy Peerdom and County They may have in their House such Officers as the King himself has viz. Chancellor Secretary and others with the Title of Grandees and they are stiled Your Highness as if they were Sovereign Princes The youngest Sons of the French King subscribe only with the proper Name as well as the King himself but their Posterity take their Title of the principal Country that makes up their Portions as being henceforward accounted a separate Branch of the Princes of the Blood The Daughters of the French Kings have not any other Portions than Sums of Money instead of Lands which they have had heretofore It is They alone who properly are called Dames or Ladies in France The Princes of the Blood who become Church-Men keep the Rank belonging to their Birth and not to the Ecclesiastical Order The King 's Natural Sons have no share in the Succession either of the Crown or of the Royal Patrimony but have an Entertainment at the King's Pleasure They do not bear the Surname of France but that of the Land given them or of the Branch which they come from as now the Duke of Longueville is called of Orleance He or his Predecessors being descended from Lewis Duke of Orleance Brother to King Charles VI. The Duke of Engoulême was called de Valois as being born of Charles IX of the Branch of Valois The Duke of Vendosme and his Issue bear the Name of Vendosme because of that Land which King Henry IV. gave to their Fore-father CHAP. V. Of the Chief Officers of the Crown and Kingdom THE greatest Office of the King's House is that of Grand Master of his House before whom all the Officers that serve therein take the Oaths and whom they are to obey There is a Chief Steward of the Household and a Steward of the Household in Ordinary and others that serve quarterly having a Stick in their Hands set in Silver gilt at both Ends. They precede the Serving Gentlemen when the Kings Meat goes by There is a Grand Provost of France or Provost of the Houshold which is a very ancient and authorized Office Justice is exercised under his Name by two Lieutenants the one in a long and the other in a short Gown by Serjeants and by fifty Archers cloathed in Hoquetons or Cassocks of Livery that follow him attend the Court and prosecute the Guilty six Leagues thereabouts He also makes the Procedures of criminal Causes betwixt the Officers of the King's Houshold and others that follow the Court and when the King is on his March he sets a Price upon Bread Wine Flesh Hay Oates and other Provisions The Place of great Chamberlain is also very ancient honourable and priviledged He is Superintendant of the King's Chamber of his Cloathings and Moveables He lyes at the King's Feet when he holds his Bed of Justice or at the General States of the Kingdom when the Kings used to call them There are four Chief Gentlemen of the King's Chamber that serve quarterly a Master of the Wardrobe a Master of the Ceremonies a Leader of Ambassadors who all take the Oaths in the King's Hands There was formerly a Grand Queux or a Great Master of the King's Kitchin but this Charge is now abolished there having been none since Lewis of Prie Lord of Buzancoâ—â— who died under Charles VIII An. 1490. There are yet four Masters Queux or Cooks who serve quarterly in the King's Kitchin The Great Master of the Pantry and the Grand Butler or Cup-bearer of France do discharge their Duty but in great Solemnities as at the King's Coronation and the like but there are Gentlemen of the King's Table and Cup-bearers in ordinary who make the Assay of the Meat and Drink that is presented to the King There is a great and little Stable of the King the Gentlemen of the Little pass upon the King when he is on Horseback The Great Master of the Horse is constituted upon them all and bears the Sword in a Velvet Scabbard marked with Flower-de-Luces on great Solemnities before his Prince The Marshals of France judge of all Military Causes and have their Lieutenants and Provosts to inform against and seize upon Vagabonds and Deserters They ordinarily wear a Stick as a Badge of their Dignity and when they receive it from the King they take the Oath of Allegiance to him in the High Court of Parliament at Paris The Seat of their Jurisdiction is at the Marble-Table in the Palace of
the Love of the Truth was the chieâ— Motive of their Change This Inconvenience might have been prevented by some Foundations for promoting Learning and Piety and erecting up Schools Colledges and Places for the Retirement of the Learned who had served the Church a certain time or were fitter for Writing than Preaching 2 Calvin chancing to light upon Geneva established there a Form of Ecclesiastical Government very suitable to a Common-wealth but not at all to a Kingdom The French Protestants however set up the fame amongst them which was pardonable enough during the Persecution since they had not the Means to keep up Bishops and that they had been more exposed than simple Ministers both because of their Dignity and their Opposition to the Roman Prelates But when God had given them a Protestant King who conquered a good part of his Realm with the Dint of his Sword when so many of the Bishops and Nobility resorted to Henry IV 't is a wonder that his Presbyterian Ministers never thought of submitting to the Prelates provided the Prelates would submit to the Truth 3. Thence arose another Evil for there being no Means of Subsistence for Dignitaries amongst the Reformed no not so much as an honorable Recompence for the Learned after the Separation was made very few came over to them out of the Roman Church and a greater Number of their Ministers was seduced to the Popish Tenets 4. To cheat People of their Money the Monks had invented or adorned with fabulous Stories the Doctrine of Purgatory and made them believe at the saâ—â— time that they might redeem themselâ— either with Money or painful Satisfactioâ— which the Reformers perceiving drove perhaps too forwardly the Doctrines absolute Predestination and free Grace Tâ— subtil Controvertists of the Roman Churâ—â— let not slip this Occasion of ridiculing thâ— Adversaries and traduced them as Enemâ— to good Works and such as overthrew 〈◊〉 Moral of the Gospel These Accusatioâ— how false soever they were being set up 〈◊〉 able Pens were sufficient to amuse the Vâ—â—gar and to hinder them from opening thâ— Eyes to see the gross Errors of Popeâ— which in the mean time were not urged 5. It 's well known that there has beeâ— pretended Holy League in France for maiâ—taining the Roman Catholick Religion aâ—â— that the Dukes of Guise were Chieftenaâ—â— and Promoters of it but they who haâ—â— not read the Books of those Times are 〈◊〉 so well acquainted with the Artifices thâ— used to draw in so many of the Nobilitâ— They perswaded them that the Huguenâ—â— were Commonwealth-men who intendâ— to subvert the Kingdom and dismember 〈◊〉 into several petty Principalities and Repuâ—licks just as their Brethren the Switzers 〈◊〉 the Free Towns and Princes of Germanâ— By these Insinuations great and aspiriâ—â— Men who cannot make considerable Foâ—tunes under a weak Government stuck close them 6. As to the last Persecution of the French â—â—â—testants as it has been long and in a â—â—nner insensible during Thirty or Forty â—ars but at the latter end extreamly cruâ—â— sudden and unfore-seen so it could 〈◊〉 be prevented either by any Forreign â—wer or any Insurrection within The â—â—ench Cardinals and Jesuits no less cruel â—â—d cunning than the Wolves of the Fable â—â—ok from the Reformed their Places of â—â—rety seduced their great Men invaded â—eir Priviledges and fell upon Dragoonâ—g them when they were disarmed and â—â—t of state of making any Defence But will smart them I hope before it be long â—or besides that God never left such a perâ—iousness unpunished they are so far â—â—om having extirpated the Reformation at they have spread it farther by mingling â—â—e Protestants amongst them And any one â—ay easily suppose that during the Separatiâ—n the Reformed had not so many fair Occaâ—ons of instilling into them a secret Horror â—â—r superstitious Practices as they have now And let this suffice to the First Part of â—ur Description I had resolved to follow 〈◊〉 the Second Part the ordinary Division â—f France in Twelve Governments but â—â—nce I considered that this Method would â—e troublesome both to me and my Readers and perhaps make me overskip some of thâ— Countries included in the general Goverâ—ments Besides that there are now Nineteeâ— and not Twelve of them so that I thought more convenient to begin at one End 〈◊〉 with Lorrain then pursuing my way Nortâ—wards to make the Grand Tour of Francâ— and go out of it through the County 〈◊〉 Burgundy than to puzzle my self and â—thers with unnecessary Bounds and Divâ—sions However I will not fail to maâ— the Extent of each Government and thâ— Countries belonging to it A DESCRIPTION OF FRANCE PART II. WHEREIN â—ach of its great Provinces smaller Counties Cities Towns Royal Houses Forests Mountains Coasts Rivers and Lakes are Geographically and Historically described CHAP. I. LORRAIN the Three Bishopricks and the Dutchy of BAR. THIS Province is called thus from Lothaire Grand-Son of Lewis the Meek Emperour and King of France who was Soveraign thereof when it was far greater and bore the Name of Kingdom The whole Dutchy belongs now to thâ— King of France who has usurped the greaâ—est part of it upon Charles III. the true Sâ—veraign and forced him to make over 〈◊〉 Right to him The present Bounds of thâ— Province are Elzas and the Palatinate oâ— the East Champaign on the West Luxeâ—bourg and the Electorate of Triers on thâ— North and the County of Burgundy on thâ— South The Inhabitants are Warlike anâ— the Country for the most part covered witâ— Woods and Forests yet well stock'd witâ— Corn Vines and Minerals nor does it waâ— pleasant Rivers and good Waters It s Town are well built strong and rich NANCY the Capital of Lorrain was the ordinary Residence of the Dukes whose Courâ— was crouded with great Numbers of Nobilitâ— and Gentry It was here that those Princes Riches made a fine Sight especially two Tables of a great Length and Breadth one Marble the other Silver-gilt or washed over witâ— Gold with several Figures and Emblems and Latin Verses most artificially engraveâ— upon them There were also costly Hangings and the Effigies of a Man in Wood whose Muscles seemed to move and werâ— interwoven with so much Art that it waâ— a perfect Wonder The Dukes Tombs arâ— likewise here amongst which that of Renatus who overcame the Burgundians is moâ—â— considerable that of Charles Duke of Buâ—gundy is there also The Arsenal was well provided with all Necessaries and its Fortifications seemed to render it impregnable before the French took it There is a Bog or fenny Place pretty nigh the Town in the midst of which is a Cross of Stone with an Inscription in French that marks the Defeat of the Burgundians under Charles the Rash their last Duke An. 1477. The Town is situated about an hundred Steps from the Meurte which discharges it self into the Moselle four or five Miles from thence Nancy is divided into Old and New Town the Old has the Palace of the Dukes
but the New is greater and better fortified The French destroy'd its Fortifications in 1664 and afterwards repaired them There is a Chamber of Accounts and a Seneshalship This Province has also Bar le Duc Capital of the Dutchy of that Name It was built by Frederick Duke of the Mozellane Lorrain in 951 and fortified with a strong Castle to prevent the Incursions of the Champenois There were several other strong Places amongst the rest Marsal and Moyenvic whose Fortifications the French have destroyed as well as the Castle of Bar le Duc. Near Moyenvic are commodious Salt-Pits I must not forget the three Bishopricks taken from Charles V. in 1552. viz. Toul Mets and Verdun because they are included in this Province and are nearly ty'd to it especially in what concerns Spiritual Jurisdiction though as to the Civil they make a separate Government Toul Tullum Leucorum is a Town well built situated upon the Mosell twelve Miles from Nancy It 's pretty big and boasts of St. Bernard's Tomb over which is a Crown extraordinary well worked its Diocess is pretty large Verdun Verodunum a very pleasant City situated in a fruitful and good Soil on the River Meuse Twenty six Miles from Mets Its Bishops take the Title of Counts of Verdun and Princes of the Holy Empire It has a strong Citadel and Baylwick and is renowned for its Aniseed Mets is also a very pleasant Town both for its Houses its Cathedral of St. Stephen a true Master-piece of Architecture and the River Moselle and Seille that wash it It is a very ancient City since Cesar Plinius Tacite and Ptolomy mention it under the Name of Divodurum Mediomatricum and speak of it as the chief Town of that Country and of the People called Mediomatrices now Les habitans du pais Messin In process of time it became still more and more Famous and under the French Kings of the first Race was Capital of the Kingdom of Austrasia called also the Kingdom of Mets since Theodoric Son to Clovis the Great had chosen it for the Seat of his Empire In the Decay of Charlemaign's House Mets erected it self into a free Imperial Town under the Government of its own Magistrates who had Power of Life and Death and of Coining of Money And so jealous they were of their Liberty that Charles VII King of France besieging them â—n 1444 on the behalf of Renatus Duke of Lorrain they rather chose to see their Country wasted during seven Months and to redeem themselves with 300000 Livres than to loose their Liberty Thus they kept it till the Year 1552 that their City was taken by the Lord of Montmorency High Constable of France In the Month of October of the same Year Charles V. besieged it in vain and as it was the last Undertaking of this Emperour it gave occasion to this Verse alluding to the modern Name of this Town in Latin Metae Siste viam Metis haec tibi meta datur There is seen in St. Stephen's Church a Vessel of Red Porphyry ten Foot long and all of a piece which serves to keep their Holy Water in This great Town has no Subâ—urbs and is all surrounded with a strong Rampier and deep and wide Ditches that can be filled at pleasure only opening a Sluce to let in the Moselle Yet for its greater Strength a Cittadel with four Bastions have been built there of late The People are well bred Civil and Numerous and drive a great Trade into Germany The Circumference of the Town is pretty big its Bishop entitles himself Prince of the Empire and has four Arch-Deacons under him with 623 Parishes In 1633 Lewis XIII established there a Parliament which the Commissioners of the Emperour opposed saying That the French King was only Protector of the three Bishopricks and not absolute Sovereign thereof and consequently that he might not deprive the Inhabitants of their ancient Laws and the Right they had to bring their Appeals before the Imperial Chamber at Spire These Complaints lasted to the Peace of Munster in which the three Bishopricks and Moyenvic were yielded unconditionally and for ever to the Crown of France save only the Right of Metropolitan to the Archbishop of Triers This Parliament as it was the last so it was at first the least considerable next to that of Pau the three Bishopricks only resorting to it But since the Conquest of Lorrain Luxemburg and adjacent Countries its Jurisdiction is mightily inlarged It made a great Noise some time after the Peace of Nimeguen about the Year 1680 when the French King erected there a Chamber of Dependencies whose Judges summoned the Spanish Subjects to come and swear Allegiance to the French King under pretence that they were depending upon some of his new Conquests By this Shrewdness he got more Lands during the Peace than he had done in the War The Dukedom of Luxemburg is under the Governour of Lorrain but I supersede to make a particular Description of it because the Low-Countries deserve a Treatise by it self I shall only observe that there is a Soveraign Council in the Capital whereunto the whole Province resorts At a League 's distance from the Town is a Village called Jovy where are still to be seen some Remains of an Aqueduct built by the Romans with Arches of a fine white Stone cut in Form of Bricks and above Sixty Foot high Besides this there is another considerable Place near Nancy called St. Nicolas that should deserve rather to be called one of the greatest Towns of Lorrain for the Number of its Inhabitants and considerable Traffick than a simple Borough if it were walled in The other most considerable Places near the Capital are Fruart which is but a League off it Ormes Bayon Pont a Mousson famous for its University founded by Charles Cardinal of Lorrain on behalf of the Jesuits An. 1573 and very pleasant by reason of its fruitful Soil and of the Mosell which runs through the middle of the Town and is passed with 〈◊〉 Bridge whence and from a neighbouring Mountain called Mousson is derived thâ— Name of Pont à Mousson Then Vezelize Roziere Blancmont Gerbevillier Charmes Chastenoy Moranges Vaucouleur the Birth-place of Jane d' Arc called the Virgin or Maiden of Orleans Mexan-sous-Bresse Dompaire Deneure Hoden Chasteau-Rambervillier Raon Bellemont Neuf-chastel Magstat Marchainville Espinal Bruyeres Darney Ormont Valderfing Beauzains Vaigni Estraye Estival Luneville Fauquemont Sare-Louïs a new Fortress with a Presidial Vandervange the Seat of a Baylwick c. Its Counties are Vaudemont Chaligni Amence formerly the Chancery of Lorrain Mirecourt Remiremont and La Mothe At Remiremont upon the Mosell is a famous Monastery of Canonnesses where Noble Mens Daughters are only received The Abbess is not suffered to leave the Habit but all the Nuns can go out and marry if they please La Mothe was a small Town on the Frontiers of Champaign but being built on a steep Rock washed by a Brook it was accounted impregnable before
of Chatillon having defeated la Valette who came to relieve it and the Duke of Anjou not daring to ventuâ—e a Battle against that great Captain But the Protestant Nobility lured with the fair promises of Liberty of Conseience by that entreaguing Princess Katherine of Medicis rais'd voluntarily the Siege whereupon ensued the short Edict of Pacification at Longjumeau Ever since Chartres followed the party of the League till Anno 1591. Henry â—he Great took it and was there Crown'd and Anointed King of France the City of Rheims still persisting in its Rebellion If you ask whether they took Consecrated Oyl to perform that Ceremony Du Kerâ—â—er will answer you that there is another holy Ampull or Vial kept at Marmoutier an Abby near Tours for that purpose and that the Oyl of that Vial is no less Sacred than that of Rheims The River Eure divides Chartres into two inequal parts which lye partly on a Valley of difficult Access and partly at the end of a large Plain the Streets are generally narrow as â—t uses to be in Ancient Towns the Houses hoâ—eveâ— are fine the Walks pleasant and the Churches Magnificent The Cathedral dedicated to the Holy Virgin is very considerable its Quire the Church under ground and its 2 Steeples are the Admiration of all Strangers The Chapter hath 72 Canons 17 whereof are Dignitaries among whom are 6 Archdeacons viz. of Chartres Blois Dunois Vendome Dreux and Pincerais 4 Provosts namely those of Ingre Normandy Mesange and Anet In this Diocess are reckon'd 30 Abbies 257 Priories and more than 1300 Parishes the Churches of St. Julien and St. Agnan are very fine In a word 't is one of the biggest and richest Diocesses of France comprehending four other Cities the heads of so many Countries each of which might conveniently enough be made the Seat of a Bishop viz. Blois Chateaudun Vendome and Dreux if we believe De Valoâ—s In the City it self are 3 Abbies viz. those of St. Josaphat St. Pere en Vallée and St. Cheron besides many other Religious Houses Several considerable Manufactures are made at Chartres by reason of the waters of the River Eure which are esteemed very proper for that purpose This City lyes 14 leagues North-west of Orleance and 16 South-west of Paris Nogent le Roi is situated upon the Euâ—e 5 miles South of Dreux and 9 North of Chartres It 's call'd Novigentum Regis because as some say King Philip VI. dyed here or as others pretend because it was given by one Isaselle to K. Philip August Dreux Durocassae Carnutum and corruptively Drocae and Drocum lyes also upon the Eure 13 miles North of Chartres on whose Bishop it depends as likewise on the Governour of Orleanois tho' as to the Exchequer its Election resorts to the Generality of Paris It has the Title of a County and the precedency of Chartres in the Assembly of the General States it being one of the Ancientest Cities in the Kingdom Nay if we believe the suppositious Berose it was built Anno 410. or thereabouts after the Deluge by Drius IV. King of the Gauls and Founder of the Druides So much at least is sure that these Druides who were together the Priests the Teachers the Judges and the Physicians of that Nation kept here their Assemblies as esteeming this Place blessed and holy and the middle or Center of Gaul Here also it was that they gather'd the Misletoe from the Oaks with many Ceremonies after the solemn Sacrifice of two young white Bulls on the sixth day of the Moon the Priests cutting the Shrub with a Gold Sickle and the People receiving it on white Cloath For those crafty fellows made the Vulgar believe that the Misletoe was an heavenly Gift a Soveraign Remedy and preservative against all Diseases Robert Son of Lewis the Burly had the County of Dreux given him Anno 1137. when he marryed the Widdow of Rotrou Count of Perche He is the Stock of the Counts of that Name and the Dukes of Brittany descended from him His Grandson Peter of Dreux having married Guy Alix Heiress of that Sovereignty in 1250. About the end of the twelfth Century our K. Henry II. and his Son Richard burn'd this Town and Vendome because Count Robert of Meular their Kinsman and Vassal had made Homage of his Lands to the French K. Philip August This Town is likewise famous for the Battle which the Roman Catholicks gained over the Protestants Anno 1562. in which the Generals of both Parties the Duke of Monmorency Lord high Constable of France and the Admiral of Coligny were made Prisoners Gaillardon Galardo is scituted upon a little River which emptieth it self into that of Eure 3 leagues and a half from Chartres to the North-East It 's remarkable for the Birth of St. Hildeburg whose Life has been not many years since published by Don Luke d' Achery Espernon Sparno lyes 5 leagues North-East of Chartres and 5 Miles East of Nogent le Roy. It has a Priory under the Name of St. Thomas but is much more famous for having been erected into a Dutchy and Peerdom in 1582. by the French King Henry III. on behalf of John Lewis of la Valette Nogaret whom he rais'd to the highest Dignities in that Kingdom and madâ— him his chief Favourite Bonneval is scituated on the Frontiers of Blaisois in a fruitful Soil where the Loir receives the Mesuve 6 Leagues and a half South of Chartres There is a famous Abby of Benedictines of which one Arnauld an intimate Friend of St. Bernard was Abbot in the 13th Century Maintenon Mesteno 7 Miles North-East of Chartres and 3 South-East of Nogent le Roy upon the River Eure is now famous for giving the Title of Dutchess to the Widdow of the Poet Scarron Fransoise d' Aubigne the principal She-minister of State and Cabinet Counsellor of Lewis XIV There are some other Towns or considerable Burroughs in this County as Auneau Ouerville Voves Viabon c. In 1682. the Duke of Guise defeated the Germans near Auneau Of Vendomois VEndomois Vindocinensis or Vindusnensis Pagus hath Perche on the North Maine on the West Touraine on the South and Blaifois on the East Here is especially remarkable Vendome Vindocinum Castrum situated upon the Loir and the Capital of Vendomois with the Title of Dutchy and Peerdom erected by Francis I. in 1514. on behalf of Charles of Bourbon Father of Antony of Bourbon and this of Henry IV. During the first Race of the French Kings this Country made part of the Kingdom of Orleance and was since possest by the Counts of Anjou In 1342. Godfrey Martel one of them built here the Abby of the Holy Trinity after he had overcome William Count of Poictiers and Conquer'd from him the City of Saintes He fill'd it with Benedictine Monks and presented it with a pretended Tear of our Saviour said to have been wept on the Grave of Lazarus The Popes who never fail'd of gratifying the Monks at the Expences of the
the Kingdom of the Visigoths It seems it is they who gave to the first Narbonnoise the name of Septimania and so jealous they were of that Title that having lost by the Battel of Vouillé where their King Alaric was killed by Clovis in 507. the Towns of Toulouse and Vzès they supplied that number by the addition of Narbonne and Careassonne The Visigoths enjoyed Septimania above 250 years which is the cause that it is sometimes call'd by the Latin Authors of the middle Age Gothia Thence some derive the modern name of Languedoc as tho it were said for Langue de Goth or Langue-Goth but this Etymology does neither agree with the spelling of Languedoc nor with the appellation of Occitania and Lingua Occitana which the said Authors give it And therefore I more approve of those who observe that the French have been distinguished time out of mind into Langue D'Ouy and Langue D' Oc that is in such as say Ouy and such as say Oc for Yes the first living on this side and the second on that side of the Loire In process of time the Sirname of Langue D'Oc was appropriated to Septimania wherein it is more general to say Oc for Yes than any where else The French having expell'd the Goths beyond the Pyrenees Charlemaign established Governors in Languedoc with the Title of Counts of Toulouse of whom the first was one Corson in 778. The second was St. William du Court-Nez or Aux Cornets whence the Princes of Orange derive their pedigree as may be infered from the hunting horn they bear in their Arms. This William who lived about the year 790 founded the Abbey of St. William the Desart in the Dioceses of Lodeve wherein he took the Habit of Monk After his death or retirement the State of Languedoc was very much troubled by the quarrels of the several pretenders who making use of the weakness of the French Kings endeavour'd to erect their Governments into Sovereign Principalities Raimond-Pons Count of Toulouse in 907. made himself Proprietary of the Dutchy of Septimania or Marquisate of Gothia but not being able to subdue some particular Governours as the Counts of Carcassonne Melgueil and Foix the Viscounts of Narbonne Besiers Agde Nismes Lodeve Vzès c. who formerly depended on the Dukes of Septimania and would now become Sovereigns as well as themselves the Counts of Toulouse allow'd them to enjoy their Usurpations In the mean while they acquired by Marriage Inheritance or War the Counties of Querei Perigord Albi the Agenois the Milhaud the Gevaudan the County Venaissin Melgueil Asterac nay they were sometime Marquesses of Provence * Godefrid Annal. as in 1235 and in that quality made homage to the Emperor These Lords being so powerful the French Kings were glad to make them the first Counts and Peers of their Kingdom that by this Title of honour they should be drawn to stick the closer to the French Interest However this House remain'd not long in its lustre for Raimond the 6th sirnamed the Old maintaining the persecuted Albigeois as his Subjects the fourth Council of Lateran excommunicated him and gave his Estate to Simon Count of Montfort in 1215. Amauri Son to Simon dead in 1218 not being able to keep the unlawful Conquests of his Father yielded them to the French K. Lewis the VIIIth in 1224. Raimond the 6th was dead two years before in 1222 and his Son Raimond the 7th or the Young perceiving that he could not withstand the whole power of Popery thought best to reconcile himself to the Church of Rome as he did in 1228. At the same time he made a Treaty with K. Lewis the VIIIth by which he betrothed Jane his only Daughter to Alfonse of Poictiers the King's Brother upon condition that if they happened to dye without Issue the States of the Counts of Toulouse should fall to the Crown of France they both died without Children in the Month of August 1271 upon which King Philip the Bold took possession of their Dominions and in 1361. King John reunited this Country to the Crown of France by his Patent Letters which were confirmed in in an Assembly of the General States of that Province These States the only ones that have yet any shadow of power are made up of the 3 Orders of a Kingdom namely the Clergy the Nobility and the People the Clergy is represented by the 22 Prelates of that Province whereof 3 are Archbishops and 19 Bishops the Nobility Votes there by the Mouth of 22 Barons of the following Families 1. Rieux 2. Mirepoix 3. Florensac 4. Vauvert 5. Castelnau d' Estrete Fons 6. Capendu 7. Haute-rive 8. Confoulens 9. St. Felix 10. Ville Neuve 11. la ' Gardiole 12. Lanta 13. Alais 14. Polignac 15. Clermont 16. Arques 17. Cauvisson 18. Ganges 19. Castries 20. Castelnau de Bonnefons 21. Ambres 22. Ferrals The People speaks in the Persons of 22 Consuls or Sheriffs deputed out of the 22 Bishopricks The Archbishop of Narbonne is President born of that Assembly which is seldom called for any thing else but to give the King money by laying besides the ordinary Taxes an extraordinary and heavy imposition under the name of Don-gratuit or free Gift Languedoc lies between 21 Deg. 16 Min. and 26 Deg. 10 Min. of Longitude 41 Deg. 45 Min. and 45 Deg. of Latitude It reaches 23 Leagues East and West from Beaucaire upon the Rhone to Rieux upon the Garonne or 79 from Crussol upon the Rhone over against Valence in Dauphine to Castel-Sarasin on the Garonne in the Diocese of Montauban It 's extent North and South is still more unequal from Moissac in Quercy to Lavet Coronat in the County of Foix it is of 40 Leagues of 53 from La Garde Biaur on the Borders of Rouergue to beyond Prat de Mollo in Roussillon and 50 from Serrieres in Vivarais to beyond Fort de Peccais near Aigues-mortes in the Diocese of Nismes It is one of the most fruitful and healthful Provinces of France divided into Upper and Lower Languedoc and the Cevennes The first comprehends the Toulousan the Albigeois the Lauragais and the County of Foix The second is distinguish'd into 3 Precincts or Quartiers that of Narbonne of Beziers and of Nimes the Cevennes are subdivided into 3 Countries Gevaudan Vivarais and Velay Both parts of Languedoc produce great quantity of Corn that they use to carry into Spain and Italy their Wines are delicious and their Fruits most esteem'd especially pickled Olives and Raisins Their Salt-pits and Dyers-wood make up a considerable Trade besides Azure Saffron Verdigrease Vermilion or artificial Cinoper Sope Glasses Box-trees and several Simples and Plants that are transported thence The Air is so wholsome that it is thought a specifick remedy against consumptions chiefly about Montpellier which temperature of the Heavens contributes not a little to make Women comely and Men ingenious as appears by the great number of Poets either in French Latin or the Country-Language and
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
Note in Upper Marche are Bellegarde Capital of the little Country of Franc-aleu with an Election under the Generality of Moulins Aubusson that gives name to a noble Family whence is issued a famous great Master of Maltha Bonlieu Cheneraille Jarnage S. Julien Chastelus Dunaise all on the East of the Creuse On the West of that River are Celle Glenic Sevignac Granmond an Abby chief of the Order of that Name Murat Ahun Bourganeuf Dougnon Pont-aurion S. Leonard Chastain Feletin c. Le Dorat Dauratum for Deauratum Capital of Lower Marche lies not far from the Gartempe and Seve 12 Leagues North-west of Gueret with an Election resorting to the Generality of Limoges Belac two Leagues Southwards is another pretty Town with an Election under the same Generality Crouzan now an inconsiderable Village near the borders of Berry has been the Residence of the ancient Counts of La Marche The other places are Brosse a Viscounty Lussac-les-Eglises les-Plats Pont-S Martin Mombas a Viscounty Availle Confoulens Brigueuil a Viscounty all near the Borders of Poictou S. Junien Embazais Lesegaux Oradour Mortemar a Dutchy not far from Limosin Touron Rencon Maignac la Sousterraine c. East of le Dorat CHAP. XIX Of the Government of Burgundy AT the beginning of the 5th Century under the Empire of Honorius the Burgundians Burgundiones a German Nation entred into the Gaules and having conquered several Countries from the Romans their King Gaudisele laid there the Foundation of a Realm in 408 which under his Successor Gaudicare in 413 took the name of its Conquerors and was called the Kingdom of Burgundy whereof Vienne in Dauphiné was the Capital It was made up of some Provinces of the Narbonnoise and Celtick Gaule comprehending Switzerland Savoy Dauphiné the Northern part of Provence Burgundy Dutchy and County As they were War-like and of a Stature that frighted the Galli and Romans for Sidonius Apollinary describes them as being 7 Foot high they would have extended their Dominions farther but thaâ— the French on the North and the Wisigoths on the South and West that were as barbarous and as great Warriors as they opposed their Progresses By the Conquest of Clovis the French having brought the Wisigoths very low his Sons after his Death attack'd the Burgundians and Childebert and Clotaire having kill'd or routed Godomar the IX and last King of that Nation in 527 their Empire finished 119 after its beginning The Burgundians are esteemed part of the Vandals and were settled on the South-side of the Danube in Bavaria and Austria before their coming into the Gaules After this defeat nothing remained of the ancient Kingdom of Burgundy but the Name for it was subject to the French during 340 years until the Divisions of Charlemaign or Lewis the Meek's Successors gave occasion to one Beuves or Beuvon to usurp the Soveraignty of it under Charles the Bald. Boson Son to Beuves plotted so well with the Prelates that he got himself Crown'd King of Burgundy by the Metropolitans of Lyons Vienne Tarantaise Aix Arles and Besancon and 17 Bishops in 879 his Son Lewis sirnam'd the Blind succeeded him in 888 but his Grandson Charles Constantin was only Prince of Vienne and never Crown'd King one Hugh Son to Theobald Count of Arles having made himself Master of Arles and Italy in 926. This yielded all the Countries belonging to the Kingdom of Burgundy to Rodolph Son of another Rodolph who in 888 had erected another Realm within the Alps beyond Mont Jura under the Name of the Transjuran Burgundy In the mean while the Dutchy of Burgundy fell again to the share of French Lords from whom Robert Son to Hugh Capet King of France took it in 1001 and left it in 1031 to his second Son Robert who was the head of the first Race of the Dukes of Burgundy Philip I. the last of this Stock dying without Issue in 1361 this Dutchy with its dependencies was inherited by the French King John who in 1363 gave it to his second Son Philip II. sirnam'd the Bold he was succeeded by John without fear Philip III. or the Good and Charles the Rash who leaving but a Daughter call'd Margueret in 1477 the French King Lewis XI seized upon the Dutchy of Burgundy as a Male Feet the Princess Margaret who had spoused Maximilian of Austria keeping Franche-County and the Netherlands as acquisitions of her Predecessors The chief Rivers of the Dutchy and County of Burgundy for I think fit to describe them together to avoid confusion besides the Lâ—ire the Rhone and the Yonne already described are the Serain that rises near Mont S. Jean in Auxois washes Noyers Poilly Chablys Ligny-le-Chateau and falls into the Yonne betwixt Seignelay and Epoigny The Armancon Springs likewise in Auxois near Chateauneuf on the Borders of Dijonnois washes Semeur receives the Brenne increas'd with the Ozerain and Loze goes by Aney-le-Franc Tonnerre S. Florentin where it receives the Armance and mixes with the Yonne below Brignon l'Archeveque in Champaign The Seyne that has its Source in this Province near Chanceaux on the Frontiers of Dijonnois and runs through the Country of La Montagne until you come to Bar-Sur-Seyne receives there a vast number of Rivulets among which the Leigne the Ource and the Arce are the most considerable The Saone has its Source in the Mountains of Vauge Bonville Attigny Chastillon goes through Jussy and Pont-Sur-Saone receives the Coney the Angrogne and the Laterne from the Mountains of Vauge the Mance and the Ayron from Champaign runs through Chemilly Rey Gray and Pontraille receives in its way the Fonvens the River des Planches the Salon the Biez de Citez the Vigenne increas'd with the Torelle and the Lougnon This is a pretty long River that comes from the Mountains of Vauge and is increas'd with the Linotte and several Brooks As to the Saone it pursues its way through the Dutchy of Burgundy waters Aussone S. Jean de Laune Verdun Chalon Tenare Mascon Thoissey Ville-Franche in Beaujolois Trevoun in the Principality of Dombes Vimy in Lyonnois and Mines with the Rhone at Lyons The Rivers that fall afterwards on the West-side of the Saone are the Dou. This is a River of a strange course and as long as that of the Saone It springs from Mount S. Claude near a place call'd la Motte in the Bayliwick d' Aval in Franche-County Then runs North-East along Mount Jura till it comes to S. Vrsace near the Borders of Elzas Here it makes an Angle whereof S. Hippolite is the point Near Mont-Beliard it begins to run South-west waters Besancon and Dole receives the Louve and the Orion with the Glanstine One meets afterwards with no considerable Rivers for the Bruyne the Selle the Solvan the Panette the Dorlande the Solinan the Chevron Sane-la-vive and Sane-la-Morte are but Rivulets that unite together before their fall into the Saone the Resouzes goes through Bourg en Bresse and Pont de vaux the Vesle receives the Yrance and the Renon
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
AN HISTORICAL AND Geographical DESCRIPTION OF FRANCE Extracted from the best Authors both Ancient and Modern By J. De LACROSE Eccl. Angl. Presb. LONDON Printed for T. Salusbury at the King's-Arms near St. Dunstans Church in Fleet-street 1694. To His Most Excellent MAJESTY WILLIAM III. By the Grace of God King of Great Britain France and Ireland Defender of the Faith c. May it please Your Majesty THE Kingdom of France tho' never so large and powâ—rful has formerly belong'd either â—n part or in whole to Your glorious Ancestors The vast Dutchies of Normandy and Guyenn Maine Touraine Perche and Poictou the Counties of Ponthieu and Guisnes Calais Boulogne Ardres 〈◊〉 and their dependencies were thâ— Patrimonial Estates of the Kingâ— of England besides many Countieâ— and Lordships that Your Predecessors the Princes of Orange havâ— enjoy'd in Dauphine Provence Languedoc and Burgundy 〈◊〉 that tho the pretended Salick Law by which the Houses of Valois anâ— Bourbon endeavoured to maintain their usurpation should takâ— place Your Majesty has still thâ— lawful claim of inheritance to thâ— best part of the French Territories All the World knows that nâ— such motives have ingaged Youâ— Majestâ— in this present War Youâ— generous Mind aims at nothing else than to get restor'd to your Allieâ— what an ambitious Prince has usurped from them But as when Solomon prefer'd Wisdom to Riches God gave him the latter too as an Overplus So it may be that the just Distributer of Kingdoms being pleased with that act of Justice of Your Majesty will add to Your Dominions the vast Estates of Your Fore-Fathers and lâ—t us sâ—e another Henry of England Crown'd in Paris A great nâ—mber of those who appear Your inveterate Enemies are most concern'd for Your Majesty and truâ—st to Your Interest The Secular Clergy of France depriv'd of their Authority the Nobility of their Power the Gentry of their Estates the Parliaments reduc'd to be only the unworthy Ministers of the Passions and Pleasures of a few arbitrary Courtiers the Learned overloaden with Superstitions the persecuted Protestants forc'd to a Worship which they detest in their Heart most or all the French Cities or Countries robb'd of their Liberties and Privileges and even the whole Kingdom beggar'd and famish'd sigh and long for such a Deliverer as Your Majesty who is not afraid of the tempests of the Sea and bids defiance to the Fire of Canon's who has â—eceiv'd so many Wounds and looâ—'d so many Dangers in the Face for our Security May Almighty God animate Your Subjects with so â—uch Zeal and bless Your Arms with so great a Success that Your Majesty may afford an occasion to Your secret Friends to declare themselves and procure them such a settled Welfare and constant Liberty as may have no other end but the Consummation of the World Which is the earnest Desire Of Your Majesty's Most humble most obedient And most faithful Servant J. De LACROSE THE PREFACE SOme Readers may imagine that it is no hard matter to describe a Country so near so full of Learned men and so stor'd with excellent Books as France is especially for a Native of it because of the many helps an Author may meet with I have made use of all those I could come at Books Maps Memoirs Inquiries of living persons besides what I knew of my own But I was soon aware that the Description of those who have Written before me even in the middle of that Kingdom are very imperfect All the Journeys into France I have read as du Verdier Sinceri Accii Itinerarium Galliae Le Grand Tour de France les Delices de la France and the late Voyages Historiques de l'Europe observe neither order nor method confounding not only the several Counties into which each great Government is subdivided but even the great Governments themselves As to Geographers Comminges and Darity are too old and confus'd The Maps of Sanson the Father and the Son are excellent those of Du Val next to them and by comparâ—ng them together as I have done one may be pretty sure of the Longitude and Latitude situation and distance of places But neither of the Sansons has made a modern and particular Description of France and that of Du Val is too short and not methodical enough As to Antiquities Andre du Chesne in his curious Inquiries concerning the Towns of France is full of Fables and ought not to be follow'd but very cautiously tho he is a Man of a vast reading and much to be commended for having published several Historians of the middle Age that have Written of the French affairs and made use of them in his Antiquities of that Country and Monarchy Joseph Scaliger how Learned soever he may be in other things does not come near Du Chesne in this and proposes many bold conjectures concerning the ancient names of the French Cities and Countries for which he often gives no other authority but his bare saying Baudrand is but a pitiful compiler of modern Books who never look'd into ancient Authors Sanson in his Pharus Galliae Antiquae is more accurate than the fore mentioned Writers and has made many curious and useful discoveries But the most exact of all in my Judgment is Adrian de Valois in his Notitia Galliarum as to the Latin names of Places for there is hardly any thing else in that huge Folio besides some few hints of History to be gâ—ther'd here and there with great trouble I have perus'd three other modern Geographers which I must not forget viz. Robbe's Memoires Geographiques Morery's Grand Dictionnaire Historique and Geographique with the supplement of Perayre and De la Croix's Geographie Vniverselle As to the first he cannot commit many faults for he has almost nothing besides French names but as soon as he presumes to say something more for instance to determine the extent of a Government or its Latitude and Longitude one may very near be sure to find him in an error As to Morery it is pity he did not live long enough or had not the conveniency to read ancient Authors His want of Learning in Ecclesiastical History and Mysteries of State makes him too passionate when he speaks of the Protestants and leads him into many mistakes as to Latin names and other Antiquities As to De la Croix all his performance consists in having put an abâ—idgment of Morery into Robâ—e's method and a very unjudicious one too for he leaves out what is most curious and essential in the Great Dictionary and the rest he takes it word for word unless it be to corrupt and abridg it again but for the most part he is so faithful as to transcribe the very faults of the press as p. 200. l. 29. Anvers for Anâ—t Whatever he adds of his own here and there as the Latitude and Longitude and the distance of places is always falâ—e for he never took the 〈◊〉 of looking into one of Sanson's or du Val's Maâ—s For instance
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
adorned with cast Copper Trâ—phies of embossed Work representing thâ— most memorable Events of that Reigâ— The Statue is properly a Groupe or a Complâ—cation of three Figures namely of the Kinâ— in his Royal Robes of the Victory behinâ— him who puts a Crown on his Head anâ— of Cerberus or the infernal Dog kick'd under the Feet of this Sham-conqueror by the three Heads of which they would signifie the triple Alliance of England Holland and Swede or perhaps the House of Austria The Victory has one of her Feet on a Globe the other in the Air and with her two display'd Wings seems ready to fly There are besides a Hercules's Club a Lyon's Skin and a Helmet so that the whole weighs above thirty thousand though 't is said that it was all made at one Cast On the four Avenues or Sides of the Market are so many Marble-Columns adorned with Bassâ—-Relievo's of Brass representing this Prince's Actions Upon each of these Pillars is a Lanthorn of gilded Brass whereâ—â— Light is perpetually kept to venerate â—is new Idol which is sufficiently denoted â—y this Inscription amongst others Viro imâ—ortali to the immortal Man Paris as to its Form is rather square than â—ng and divided into three Parts the City 〈◊〉 ancient Town built in the Isle of the Paâ—â—ce formed by the Seine The new Town â—â—lled La Ville which is the Northern or â—â—west part of Paris and the University â—hich is the highest They were shut up â—ith seventeen Gates leading unto ten Subâ—rbs whereof that of St. Germain likes to â—e a goodly Town but some of their Gates â—ave been demolished These several Parts â—re joyned and communicate together by â—en Bridges most of which are filled with â—uildings Paris lies so convenient that Rouen supâ—lies it with what it has occasion of from â—ther Countries and the neighbouring Proâ—inces with all Home-Necessaries Besides â—his its Situation is so very advantagious â—hat there is no place in the Kingdom so fit â—or so great a City or such a Court. The Houses generally are high and spacious the Streets kept very clean Fountains wholesome and in great numbers The Air mild and healthful and Provisions cheap so that People may live there and spend much less than what is generally thought Besides these there is another great Convenienâ—â— in that City that Men may go any time 〈◊〉 the Night about their Occasions as safe 〈◊〉 by Day because the Watch are so exaâ—â— that no Thieves or Rogues can scape theâ—â— being Lanthorns very close that give greâ—â— Light and Chains in every Street to 〈◊〉 drawn up upon such Occasions Physiciaâ— have the Liberty of the Royal Garden 〈◊〉 the Suburbs of St. Victor where they wâ—â— find many rare Simples The Learned câ—â— visit the Royal Library at the Cordeliers of St. Victor in the Abby of that Name weâ—â— furnished with ancient and curious Manâ—scripts that of Navarre but especially thâ—â— of the President of Thou that is well looked after and in good Order Besides thesâ— each Religious House as poor as it is hâ—â— it s own particular Library I shall concludâ— this Article by mentioning Val de Grace thâ—â— sumptuous Monastery in the Suburbs 〈◊〉 St. James belonging to the Nuns of St. Beâ—net's Order and built by the Queen Motheâ— Ann of Austria It 's one of the finest Placeâ— of this great City which a famous Poet haâ— commended thus Vrbs orbi similis toto celeberrima mundo Musarum sedes Regina Lutetia salve Francigenae tu Metropolis pulcherrima Gentis Hospitio regum grato regis que ministros Excipis reliquas das jura suprema per urbes Towns and Places of Note in the Parisis or the Territory of Paris ON the South Side of Paris entring into the Deanship of S. Cel is the Village â—f Gentilly upon the River Bievre or des Gobelins where the Kings of the first and â—econd Race kept their General States and â—ometimes their Parliaments but it was â—estroyed by the Normans and is now onâ—y renowned for its many fine Gardens At â—he top of this Village was the Royal Castle â—f Winchester corruptly called Bicestre beâ—ause in the time of the English it belonged â—o John Bishop of Winchester It has been â—ft ruined and rebuilt King Lewis XIII â—aused there an Hospital to be built for Lame Souldiers who having been transfer'd â—nto another Place it was designed to shut up â—he Beggars of Paris On the South-West of the City in the Castelny of St. Maur are the Villages of Isi where the Goddess Isis was adored Vanâ—â—es which was heretofore inhabited by the Water-men of the River Seine and is now â—enowned for its Fountains Gardens and Meadows that furnish Paris with Milk and Butter Arcueuil formerly a Pleasure-House of the Romans whence Julian the Apostate brought Water through Lead-Pipes into his Palace that was built wheâ—â— now is the House of Clugny Farther to the West near the Seinâ— is the Village of Meudon two Leagues froâ— Paris with a strong Castle built upon 〈◊〉 Rock in the middle of a pleasant Foreâ—â— There is a Grotto that affords Water in abundance and is paved with Porphiry spoâ—ted with White Red Green and severâ—â— other Colours The Chambers of this Castle built by Cardinal Sanguin under Charâ—â—â— IX are adorned with Marble Statues fiâ—â— Pictures of the first Roman Emperors 〈◊〉 Aristotle Cicero Demosthenes c. and upoâ— one of the Chimneys is a Marble that reflects the Rays of the Light as a Looking Glass The Town of S. Clou Head of a Casteâ—ny on the West of Paris is situated upoâ— the Seine about two Leagues from the Câ—pital It was formerly a Village calleâ— Nogent and has gotten its present Naâ—â— from Cloüaud or Cloud Son to Clodonir Kiâ—â— of Orleance This Cloud for fear of his crâ—el Uncle Clotaire King of Paris who hâ—â— already murthered two of his Nephews râ—tired to Nogent where he built a Monastâ—ry and ended his Life There also dieâ— King Henry III. being stabb'd by James Câ—â—ment a Dominican Fryar The present King Brother has there a very fine House Versailles THIS Royal House about four Leagues Westward of Paris is become of late 〈◊〉 considerable that it deserves a particular â—escription The present King began to â—uild or beautifie it in 1661. It consists â—f the old Castle built by this Prince's Faâ—â—er of other Buildings of the same Symeâ—y which he has added for Lodgings and â—f a very stately Pile of Buildings that enâ—â—rons it on the Garden Side The House 〈◊〉 built upon a little height in the middle of 〈◊〉 Valley encompassed with Hills at the â—ottom of them on Paris side begin three â—â—e Walks formed by four delicate Sets of â—im the middle Alley being twenty Faâ—â—oms and the two side ones ten each wide â—hese end at the great Royal Place enviâ—â—ned with very regular Pavilions which â—e Princes and Lords of that Court have â—â—ilt there and with the other Houses that â—â—rm the new Town This Royal Place
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
nevertheless to â—ew that he is far above the Laws and even â—bove his own Promises and Oaths has made â—old to Repeal it in the Month of October 1685. Iâ—dre or l'Isle d' Aindre Antrum It was â—â—mous for a Monastery founded by one Herâ—â—â—land of Nimeghen who from Cup-bearer â—o K. Thierry became Monk of the Abby of â—ontanelles in the Diocess of Rouen and then Abbot in this Convent which was ruined by â—he Normans in 843. Ancenis is esteemed to be the Ancenisium or Angenisium of the Latins Capital of the Amâ—â—ites a People that liv'd about the mouth of â—he Loire There was formerly a strong Caâ—tle built by Aremberg Wife to Gueree a Britâ—ish Count but 't is now ruin'd as well as the greatest part of the Town which lyes 7 leagues â—ast of Nants upon the same River near anoâ—her place 3 miles South-west call'd Oudon which makes De Valois take 'em for the Uldo and Andenisium of Rigord Chasteau-briant Castrum Brientii or Briani 13 Miles North of Nants has taken its Name from its Founder In 1551. the French King Henry II. renewed there all the Ancient Eâ—â—â— against the Hereticks and gave even power the Judges of Presidials to determine Causes 〈◊〉 Heresie without Appeal ordering farther 〈◊〉 none should be admitted into any Royal Oâ—â—â—â— or the publick Profession of any Science wiâ—â—out a right Certificate that he was a Roâ—â—â— Catholick and withall that certain Assâ—â—blies call'd Mercurials should be kept 〈◊〉 Wednesday in all the Soveraign Courts of Jâ—stice to examine the Sentiments and Conducâ— the Judges about Matters of Religion Clisson Clichio upon the River Sevre Sepâ—â—â— six leagues South-east of Nants is a Town 〈◊〉 a Castle which gives its Name to a small Trâ—â— of Land call'd le Clissonnois but is much 〈◊〉 famous for having been the Title of Oliver 〈◊〉 Clisson High Constable of France under tâ—â— French King Charles VI. it is the same wâ—â—â— routed the Flemmings in 1382. and kill'd 400â—â— of their Men upon the spot Between this Town and Montesgu on the bâ—â—ders of Poictou is the Forrest of Gralla wherâ— that famous High-way Robber Guillery 〈◊〉 built a strong-hold wherein with his two Brothers and Companions they stood out a Siege â—gainst 17 Provosts and 5000 Men but were taken at last and broken upon the Wheel in 160â— Machecou Capital of the small Dutchy and Peerdom of Raits Ratiatensis or Ratiensis Pagus erected by the French King Henry III. 〈◊〉 1581. This Town lyes near a Forrest 11 leagues South-west of Nants The Bishops of Poâ—tius have sometimes subscribed Episcopi Ratiatenses or de Civitate Ratiatica as did Adelphius in the Synod of Orleance because they kept in this Countrey their ordinary Residence It was there â—lso that the Emperor Charles the Bald invested Herispoius Neomenes's Son with the Kingdom of Brittany adding the Counties of Nants Rennes and Raiz to his Dominions in 851. Guerande is situated near the mouth of the Loire between Lakes and large sandy grounds 18 leagues West of Nants there are some good Salt-pits Two leagues North-east is the small Town of Asserac with the Title of a Marquisate The Abby's are Meleray of Cisteaux Blanche-Couronne of St. Bennet Pornie and Geneston of St. Augustin all of Fryars CHAP. IX Of Lower Brittany The Bishoprick of Vennes IT 's undoubted but this Diocess is the Countrey of the Ancient Veneti whose Capital was so powerful in Caesar's time and whose Inhabitants were the most skilful of the Gauls in Sea Affairs so that some have pretended that the Venetians were descended from this Veneti as the Ancient Geographer Strabo relates What were the bounds of their Dominions is uncertain but now this Diocess is included between the Sea the Bishoprick of Nants St. Malo St. Brieux and Cornoaille and reaches 25 leagues East and West and about 13 or 14 North and South This Countrey was Conquer'd from the Romans by our fled Brittains but Clovis the Great took it from them and the French kept it 90 Years till Waroc a Brittish King reconquer'd it His Successors maintain'd themselves against their mighty Neighbours to the time of Pepin and Charlemaign In remembrance of this Conqueror this Diocess was call'd Broguerec that is the Land of Gueâ—ec or Waroc The Capital Vennes call'd Venetia by Caeâ—ar and in some Notices of the Gauls Civitas Cintium or Cinesium is thought to be the Daâ—iorigum of Ptolomy by De Valois it is situated two leagues from the Sea which Ebbs and Flows there along the Channel of Morbihan and has a Haven of the same Name This Town has kept its Ancient lustre long enough for the Duke John of Montfort built there a Castle named Ermine where his Successors have often kept their Court Vennes is by no means so considerable as formerly however it has yet some Parochial Churches besides the Cathedral under the Name of our Lady and the Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul St. Patern whom the Vulgar calls St. Poix is thought to have been its first Bishop Auray four leagues West of Vennes is seated upon the same Channel of Morbihan and famous for the Victory which John V. got over his Competitor Charles of Blois the 29th of September 1364. This Battel left the former in possession of the whole Dutchy which was confirmed to him by the Treaty of Guerande on the 12th of April 1365. Blavet now better known under the Name of Port-Louis is one of the best and strongest Sea ports of France situated on the mouth of the River Blavet so call'd for the blew Colour of its Water The Leaguers gave it to the Spaniards who restored it to the French King Henry IV. by the Peace of Vervins in 1598. The Lord Soubize took this Town for the Protestants in 1625. but was forced 〈◊〉 leave it because he could not master the Câ—tadel Some time after the French Prinâ—â— Confederated against Lewis XIII seized upâ—â— this Town and Castle and when the Peace 〈◊〉 made the French King caused the Fortificâ—â—â—ons of Blavet to be demolished but after â—â—cond Thoughts he raised them up again 〈◊〉 made them stronger than before Hennebont Cosedia according to Adrian de Vâ—lois p. 291. is a small Town 7 leagues Noâ—â— of the Sea upon the River Blavet with a â—â—mous Abby of Nuns of the Order of Cisteâ—â— Pontivy lyes upon the same River betwixt 〈◊〉 Forrests 11 leagues North-east of Hennebont Rohan upon the River Ouste 3 leagues South-east of Pontivy has the Title of a Dutchy aâ—â— Peerdom erected by the French King Henâ—â— IV. in 1603. and since renew'd by Lewis XIV In 1645. but much more famous for having gâ—ven its Name to a Family issued from the Ancient Princes of Brittany Several Dukes oâ— Rohan are Renowned in History but the moâ—â— Illustrious of all is Henry II. Duke of Rohâ—â— who dyed in 1638. of the Wounds he had received at the Battel of Rhinfeld or rather of the Poysonous Apparel that a Physician corrupted by the Jesuits applied upon them
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
Lady of the House 〈…〉 but after her Death the Patent Letâ—â—â— were suppress'd In 1569. the Protestants â—â—re Masters of Loudun under the conduct 〈…〉 Prince of Conde (a) Du Chesne The Duke of 〈◊〉 came to besiege it and did expect no reâ—â—stâ—ned the Town being not strongly fortiâ—â—â—â— But he was very much surmiz'd when 〈…〉 the Enemies draw out in Battalla to reâ—â—â—â— him and the ways so Freez'd that there was incoming at 'em so that after several Skirmishes therein he had still the worst he was forc'd 〈…〉 The last National Synod of the Reâ—â—â—â—'d Churches kept with the leave of the 〈◊〉 French King was assembled at Loudun in 1659. if my memory does not fail me Moncontour for Mâ—nt-Contourné Mons Contoriâ—â— for Mons Contornatus because 't is seated upon a round Mountain that appears as tho' it were turn'd upon the Wheel is wash'd by the Riveâ— Dive which tho' very small is not very fordable It lies 9 Leagues North-west of Poictierâ— and 3 South-west of Loudun It was built by Fulk III. sirnamed Norra Consul or Count oâ— Anjou and therefore call'd Mons Consularis oâ— Mons Gomitis The same Count built also Mirebeau Mirebellum 5 Leagues South-East and Faye-la-vineuse 6 Leagues North-East of Moâ—contour But this last place is the most considerable and especially famous for two Battelâ— gotten by Godfrey Martel Son and Successor to the said Fulk one over the Poictevins in which he took William Count of Poictou Prisoner worâ—â— the other over the Manseaux wherein Heâ—â—â—â— Bacon Count of Maine fell likewise into 〈◊〉 hands In 1569 on Monday October 3. the Protestants under the Admiral of Coligny lost also the day near Moncontour against the Romaâ— Catholicks headed by the Duke of Anjou finde Henry III. King of France Notwithstand 〈◊〉 which Charles IX was fain to grant an honourable Peace to the Reformed in 1571. The â—â—miral was so great a Captain that he will 〈…〉 great many shifts after his Defeats Luzignan or Lesignar Liciniacuni Castâ—â—â— or Licineium is an ancient Castle founded 〈◊〉 one Licinus upon the small Riâ—er Vonbeustâ—â— Leagues South-west of Poictiers It is called corruptively Liziniacum and Lesinâ—oâ— by Lâ—tiâ— Authors of the middle Age because the French use to change c in s. and to pronounce s between two Vowels as a z. Thus they have made from racemus raisin Sarracenus Sarrasin platere plaisir c. One John of Artois who writ the History of Luzignan in 1383. ascribes the foundation of this Castle and of the Noble Family to which it gives Name to a Fairy call'd Melusine half Woman and half Snake What has giv'n occasion to this fabulous account is uncertain Aimery of Luzignan King of Cyprus and titular King of Jerusalem had a wise and beautiful Daughter call'd Melisinde ma ry'd to Boemond IV. Prince of Antioch but I cannot tell whether 't is she whom that romantick Author has taken for the Subject of his fables Whatever be of that the House of Luzignan is very illustrious and known in France since the Tenth Century having possest there the Counties of la Marche and Angouleme till the Year 1203 and reign'd in the Island Cyâ—â—â— from 1192 till 1473. The Castle of Luzignan was esteem'd impregnable however the brave Teligni seiz'd on it for the Protestants 〈◊〉 1569. The Duke of Montpensier lay four Months before it in 1574 and having taken it at last demolish'd it so that it is now but an inconsiderable place 〈◊〉 or Melle Metullum Castrum or Melle is 〈◊〉 Burrough of some consideration that had 〈◊〉 the right of coining Mony It lies 〈◊〉 the soâ—â—â—e of a small River that falls into 〈◊〉 Charenâ—eâ—â— 12 Leagues from Poictiers and 〈◊〉 from Lusignan to the South-west Some preâ—â—d that the famous Melusine got that Name because she was Lady of Melle and Luzignan S. Maixant Cellula S. Maxentii or S. Maxentii oppidum owes its Rise as well as its Name to Maxentius a holy Solitary who retir'd thither in the sixth Century It 's said that he miraculously preserv'd his Monastery from being plunder'd by King Clovis's Soldiers The famous S. Leger Bishop of Autun who was Minister of State under Clotaire III. and Childeric II. had been Abbot of S. Maixant This Town had then two fine Collegiate Churches The Abby has been repair'd and beautifi'd by the Emperour Lewis the Meek and by Eubulus Bishop of Limoges S. Maixant is renown'd for the Manufactory and Trade of Serges It lies on the Sevre Niortoise 7 Leagues West of Luzignan and 12 South-west of Poictiers Partenay Partiniacum or Pertinaculum haâ— the Title of a Barony and is the Capital of the small Country of Gastine so call'd from the Heaths and Wastes wherewith it is fill'd It lies 10 Leagues West-north-west of Poictiers About the end of the ninth Century there was an Assembly call'd to procure the Peace of the Churches of Aquitain where William Count of Poictou the Bishop of Chartres and S. Bernard Abbot of Clairvaux were present Thouars Toarcis Castrum 6 Leagues West of Loudun and 15 North-west of Poictiers has the Title of a Dutchy and Peerdom erected by Henry IV in 1595. It 's an indifferent good Tâ—â—â— and of a long standing since in the eight Century it was already one of the strongest Places in Aquaitain Historians mention the calling of the Castle of Thouars by King Pepin as a very remarkable conquest for this Fortresse had then its particular Count or Governour whom Pepin carry'd prisoner into France The Country and dependencies of Touars Ager Toarâ—â—sit le Touarsois had afterwards Viscounts under the Counts of Poictou since the Reign of â—aâ—â—l in the X Century Their Estate passed by Marriage first to the House of Ainboise and then to the House of La Trimeuille Niort Niortum seated in a fruitful soyl on the banks of the River Sevre Separis to which it gives the sirname of Niortoise is a considerable Town and accounted the second in upper Poictou It has a Seat of Royal Justice resorting to the Presidial of Poictiers from which it lies 16 Leagues to the South-West and four from St. Maixant The Country round about call'd Niortois breeds the best race of Mules in the whole Kingdom and the Town is rich and trading because of its Fairs Maillezais lies five Leagues West of Niort and 20 South-West of Poictiers It 's seated on the River Autise Altisa that surrounds it on all sides for which reason the Latin Chronicles of the French ordinarily call it Insula Malliacum In 1003. under the Reign of King Robert William V. Count of Poictiers Son to William IV. sirnam'd Fierabras and Grand-son to William III. sirnam'd Tete-d Etoupe founded here an Abby whether he retir'd In process of time this â—onastery made this place a Town of some â—ote so that either for this consideration or rather to lessen the Jurisdiction of the Prelate of Poictiers Pope John XXII erected Maillezais into a Bishoprick in 1317. and Godfrey of Pouvrelle the
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
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
said to yield to none of that Country in well breeding and comeliness but to those of Montpellier The late Governours of Languedoc as the Duke of Montmorency and the Prince of Conti have kept here their ordinary Residence and the States of the Province have been consequently held here which has much contributed to the enriching and beautifying of this Town The other places of this Diocese are Marseillan Florensac Castelnau Montagnac Le Pouget Gignac Ville-Magne Loupian and Meâ—e the Mesua of Pomponius Mela tho the Island he speaks of seems rather to be Lates Lodeve seated between Mountains near the meeting of the Rivers Solondre and Lergue not far from the Cevennes and the Borders of Roâ—â—rgue and Gevaudan lies almost 9 Leagues North of Pesenas and 13 of Agde It s antient name in Latin is Forum-Neronis and then Leuâ—eva both known to Pliny and its Bishop kept already the 4th or 5th rank among the Suffragans of Narbonne at the beginning of the 5th Century Lodeve is not now very big for it has suffer'd several devastations during the Wars of the Goths then of the Albigeois and lastly during the Civil Wars between the Prâ—testants â—â—d Roman Catholicks and the Duke of Montmorency took it in 1585. This Town had formerly the Title of a Viscounty which one of its Prelates Raimond Guilhen Brother to the Lord of Montpellier bought off from Viscount Geldin whence it comes that the Bishops of Lodeve are Lords of it appoint the Magistrates and take the Title of Counts of Montbrun a Castle near it And 't is asserted that 800 Noblemen depended on and made homage of their Lands to this Prelate who on this account was Sirnam'd the Noble Bernard Gui and John Plantavit de la Pause Bishops of Lodeve have published Chronicles of their Church Denis Briconnet and Francis Bosquet are likewise in the number of Authors The Diocese of Lodeve comprehends besides the Towns or Burroughs of Las Ribbes S. Michel Ganges Brisac S. Jean de Buege S. Guillem ley Desert with a famous Abby of Benedictins founded by one of the Ancestors of the Princes of Orange Mont-Peyroux S. Jean de Foz S. André Clermont de Lodeve and Canet Of the Precinct of Nismes THis Precinct is not near so great as the ancient Territories of the Volcae Arecomici who extended themselves through the Dioceses of Montpellier Nismes Vzès and Lodeve enjoyed the Town of Pezenas and even some Lands beyond the Rhone Now it is restrained within the Episcopal Jurisdiction of Montpellier and Nismes and has the district of Beziers on the West Gevaudan and Vivarais on the North and North-East the Rhone on the East and the Sea on the South It s greatest length from Frontignan on the Pond of Maguelonne to the source of the Eraut is 17 Leagues North and South and its greatest breadth from Beaucaire on the Rhone to Anagne on the Eraut 22 Leagues East and West but in some places it is so very tarrow that it has hardly 4 or 5 Leagues Montpellier 3 Leagues South of the Sea 13 East of Pesenas and 14 North-East of Agde is call'd in Latin Mons-pessulus Mons-pessulanus Mons-peslerius and Mons-puellaris but every one may see that these are not old Latin names and likewise this Town is hardly known in History since 600 years though it be now the biggest and richest in Languedoc after Toulouse It is seated upon a Hill whose foot is wash'd by the small River Lez which receives there another Rivulet called Merdanson after it has serv'd to the uses of the Town The original of Montpellier is related thus There was formerly a strong and considerable City call'd Maguelonne Magalo in a Gulph nam'd by Pliny Laterna and by the French l'Etang du Tau de Lates or de Perraut The foundation of Maguelonne is uncertain for tho the Coast of Lower Languedoc has been sometime in the power of the Marseillois and Stephanus mentions Alonis as an Island belonging to them whose Inhabitants were call'd Alonites yet having no other testimony a small and far fetched resemblance of names can scarce prove them to be one and the same However it be sure it is that Maguelonne was an Episcopal City in the 5th and 6th Centuries and a famous Sea-port too which was the cause of its ruin For after the Saracens had conquered Spain they spread themselves in Lower Languedoc in 730 and threatned the whole Kingdom of France with a Barbarian Invasion when they were utterly routed by Charles Martel near Tours As this great Captain had observ'd that they commonly landed at Maguelonne when it had retaken this Town in 736 he raz'd it to the very ground and transferred the Episcopal See to Soustancion Sextatio almost a Mile East of Montpellier Soustancion is mention'd in the Geographical Tables of the Emperor Theodose and in the Travels of Aethicus but the Inhabitants finding the Situation of the place where now Montpellier lies more convenient and the Air sweeter began to build there Thus the new Village increas'd by degrees during 300 Years that the B. of Maguelonne kept their Seat at Soustancion But in 1060 Arnauld Julian one of these Prelates rais'd up the Walls of Maguelâ—nne fortify'd them with Towers and the Haven where the Saracens us'd to land being stop'd built another in a more convenient place Before this the Governour of Maguelonne had retir'd to a place call'd now Mauguio where he built a Castle under the name of Melgueil and having usurp'd the Sovereignty of his Government during the troubles of the French Monarchy he took upon him the Title of Count of Melgueil and Soustancion and coyn'd a kind of small Money call'd the Melgoris pence The Estates of these Counts pass'd in 1172 into the House of Toulouse by the Marriage of Ermessende their Heiress with Raymond VI. Sirnamed the Old and was confiscated upon his Son by Pope Innocent III. and the Council of Latran in 1215. In the mean while Montpellier increas'd apace for it appears by a passage of S. Bernard Abbot of Clairvaux that there was already a School or Seminary of Physicians in 1155 and in 1156 we find mention of its Baths which were farm'd by the Lords of that Town as being of a considerable Revenue However the first Institution of its University is commonly ascrib'd to the Disciples of Averroes aâ—d Avicenne in 1196 and its perfect establishment is said to have been made but in 1220. About this time the Lords of Montpellier were in great esteem This Lordship was first detached from the Patrimony of the Counts of Melgueil to be the Portion of Eustorgia a Daughter of that House She had a Son call'd Fulcran who became Bishop of Lodeve and two Daughters who bequeathed their Estates to the Church of Maguelonne in 975. These Prelates sold Montpellier to a Gentleman nam'd Gui on condition that he should keep it as a Fee of the Church and defend it against the Saracens The French Kings and the succeeding Bishops of Maguelonne
Capital that â—00 years ago was a considerable place being â—ivided into City and Burrough The City has â—till three Gates is surrounded with Walls and â—efended by square Towers and the ruin'd â—alls of the Burrough shew it to have been 600 â—â—ces in Circuit Its first decay came from â—â—at King Renatus Count of Provence transferâ—ed to the City the Fairs that were in the Burâ—â—ugh An. 1437 and during the Civil Wars of â—â—e last Age the Inhabitants retiring to the â—â—y as to the strongest place left the Burâ—â—ugh almost Desart DIGNE is seated at the Foot of a Mountain â—â—sh'd by the River Bleone which receives there â—e Mardaric a Rivulet of warm Water that â—akes this City famous for its Bathes It has a â—meschal Seat a Bailywick and a Bishoprick Suffragan of Ambrun Our Lady is the Cathedral Church whose Chapter which was once Regular of the Order of S. Austin is now composed of a Provost a Capiscol a Sexton and 9 Canons of which one is an Incumbent with 8 Prebendaâ—ies more and 2 Parsons The most considerable places are Mirabel Aiglun Corbons Brusquet-Toart-Collobrioux and Verdache As to Seyne which Robbe and hiâ— transcriber Dela Croix put in this Diocese it depends upon Embrun Of the Diocese of ARLES THis Diocese extends 18 Leagues East anâ— West from Salon on the Bâ—rders of thâ— Diocese of Aix to Peccais in Languedoc and iâ— North and South from beyond Tarascon to thâ— Mediterranean Sea The City of ARLES Arelâ—s Arelatae Arelâ—te or Arelatum lies upon the Rhone with a Archbishoprick a Seneschal's Seat and an Acâ—demy of Humane Learning associated to thâ— of Paris It was formerly the Chief of thâ— Kingdom of Burgundy and Arles The Romaâ— settled there their Sixth Colony and there aâ— still to be seen the remains of an Amphithâ—atre of an Obelisque a great many Mausole or stately Tombs of the Ancients withoâ— the City and many other considerable Monuâ—ents of Antiquity The Original of ARLES â—s uncertain because too ancient 't is sure that â—t is of Gaulish Foundation At first there were only Houses on the East â—â—de of the Rhone but the Emperor Constantine the Great built a new Town on the West side â—nd joyn'd it to the old with a fine Bridge He â—leas'd himself extremely in this City Here â—â— was that his youngest Son Constantine was Born that he call'd a Council against the Doâ—â—tists that he established the Seat of the Capâ—ain General or Governor of the Gauls and besides that he would it to bear his name and â—o be call'd Constantina for the future though â—is orders as to that have not been obey'd The Church of Arles is said to have been â—ounded by S. Trophime Disciple of S. Paul The Secular Power of this City has contributed â—uch to that of the Church It was at first Suffragan to Vienne but erected to a Metropoâ—is under the Empire of Hâ—norius Then it had 〈◊〉 Suffragans viz. Marseille Orange S. Paulâ—uis-Chasteaux Toulon Avignon Vaison Carpenâ—tas Cavaillon But Avignon having been made â— Primate has carried away the 3 last with it â—elf To compensate this loss the Popes made â—e Archbishops of ARLES Vicars of the Roâ—an See in the Gauls with power to declare â—aster to ordain Bishops and to celebrate Councils The Chapter of the Cathedral conâ—ists of 20 Canons among which there is a Proâ—â—st an Archdeacon a Sexton an Arch-priest 〈◊〉 Capiscol a Treasurer a Primicier and a Theologal there are also 20 Prebendaries or Incumbents It was made Secular in 1497 under Nicolas Cibo The Territory of this City â— 50 Leagues in Circuit consisting in two Islands called Great and Little Carmargue formed bâ— two Branches of the Rhone and in the Crau the latter is a large extent of Land covereâ— with Flint Stones on which Aeschylus says that Jupiter rain'd Stones to destroy the Ligâ—rians that were fighting against his Son Hercules This stony Champaign produces little Winâ— and Corn but there are vast quantities of Simples and Vermilion As to the Camargue whicâ— has its name from Caius Marius vanquisher â—â— the Cimbers the Pastures that these Island bring forth are so good that the Cattel thaâ— feeds upon them grows extraordinary fierce anâ— strong Tarascon Tarasco Salyorum was the Capital â—â— the Salyies before the building of Aix It lieâ— 3 Leagues North of ARLES and above 5 Souâ— West of Avignon upon the River Rhone ovâ—â— against Beaucaire next to a little Island whicâ— as it increases every day so it will at last maâ—â— the Proverb prove a lye That Betwixt Thain and Tournon Betwixt Beaucaire and Tarascon There feeds neither Cow nor Mutton This I observe to shew that new Islands mâ—â— be form'd by the Rivers and Sea washing aâ— carrying away the ground and letting it suâ—side when they meet with a stop Tarascon hâ— an indifferent good Castle built by Renatus of Sicily and Count of Provence a Collegiaâ— Church wherein they boast to have the Relicks of S. Martha and several Monasteries Besides â—his 't is the head of many Villages resorting to â—s Viguier There happen'd of late a pretty Story A Man digging in his Cellar met with â— Wall and an Iron-gate which he caused to â—e open'd and found it led into a vaulted way â—ut there he heard such a frightful noise that â—e durst not proceed farther The Magistrate was advis'd of it and with much ado got a Man condemn'd to dye to go through who at the end of that way met with another Iron-gate which was likewise shut and at which he â—nock'd in vain He related that the noise increas'd whilst he went along but that as he came nearer to the other Gate it seem'd as though he left that noise behind him This relation kindled the stronger the Magistrate's curiosity who still big with the hopes of undiscover'd Treasures got some Masons to go and open the Gate by promising them the 25th part of whatever should be found They perform'd it accordingly and found that this Gate led into Beaucaire Since what time the Masons of Tarascon use to say in a jearing way that the 25th part of Beaucaire belongs to them The other places of note are Salon a pretty good Town with a Principality depending â—pon the Archbishop of ARLES but more known for being the Birth and burying Place of that famous Astrologer Michael Nostradamus Les Baux a Marquisate belonging to the Prince of Monaco and formerly a Principality belonging to the Princes of Orange S. Martin in the Crau Notre-Dame de Dormet and les Trois Maries in the great Camargue S. Remi S. Gabriel Orgon Senas S. Chamas Berre that haâ— good Salt-pits Vitrolles Istres Marignane Ferriere the Isle of Martegue Jonquieres c. Buâ— I conclude because the remarkable things thaâ— are in the Diocese of ARLES would require a whole Volume Of the Diocese of Marseille THis Diocese that lies on the Sea-coast is very narrow having the Gulf and Island of Martegue on the West the Archbishoprick of Aix
and on Languedoc to the West It is about 13 or 14 Leagues from South to North and from West to East it is the first of the Pope's Legateships a fruitful and pleasant Country there are an Archbishoprick 3 Bishopricks 4 Baronies and 78 Towns Burroughs or Villages In the Romans time it was inhabited by the Cavares and Memini since it pass'd under the French and from them to the Marquesses and the Counts of Provence In 1228 the Estates of Raimond Count of Toulouse having been seiz'd from him because of his protecting the Albigeois it was agreed amongst the Usurpers that the Lands which Raimond had possest on the East of the Rhone should be settled in trust only for a time to Gregory IX as appears by the Letters of this Pope to the French K. Lewis IX and Queen Blanche his Mother in 1230 and 1233. It s modern name Venaissin comes from Venatione because of the vast quantity of Game that is in this Country Avignon and its Territory made up a separate Dominion which still belong'd to the Counts of Provence but in 1348 Jane Queen of Naples and Sicily Countess of Provence sold this City with its Suburbs and Territory for the Summ of 80000 Golden Florens that is 48000 French Livres to Pope Clement VI. and lest it should be said that this summ came not near the value of so considerable a City it was inserted in the Agreement that the Queen made a free gift of the over-plus to the Pope Hereupon the French Historians observe 1. That this Princess being born in 1328. was not yet out of Age no more than her second Husband Lewis of Tarante 2dly That the sale was made without the consent of the Guardians given her by K. Robert her Grandfather when he instituted her his Universal Heir against his express will 3. That some years after the same Pope to hinder Queen Jane of selling others of her Countries gave out a Bull declaring void all the alienations made or to be made by the said Queen both in the Kingdom of Naples and in the County of Provence against the will of the said K. Robert her Grandfather 4thly That in 1365 Queen Jane declar'd void the sale of Avignon and all the others she had made to that very time These are the Chief reasons on which the French Kings ground their pretensions over Avignon and County Venaissin and for which they never fail of seizing upon this City and County as soon as they are at variance with the Court of Rome as did Lewis XIV in 1663. and 1688. I leave the Reader to judge of them as he may do very impartially since they are both our Enemies only with this difference that the one viz. the Pope is irreconcilable to us as long as we are Protestants whereas within some years we may be at peace with the other The City of AVIGNON Avenio Cavarum is upon the Rhone 8 Leagues North of Arles almost as many South East of Vzès and 10 North East of Nismes with an University and an Archbishoprick only since the year 1475. under Sixtus V. It was before that time a Bishoprick Suffragan of Arles Pope Clement IV. removed the Pontifical See to Avignon in 1305. Clement VI. bought that City 37 years after his Successors lived there quietly till the year 1380. as also during the Schism that is to the Council of Pise in 1409. It has a Court of Inquisition a Mint where Money is coyned with the Pope's Arms its Walls are fine its Churches magnificent its Avenues pleasant The justice is administred by the Consuls and their Assessor who is the Judge of the City the Viguier who is like the Provost of Merchants in Paris or the Lord Mayor in London judges without farther appeal all Causes and Suits not exceeding four gold Duckets but in other Causes one may appeal to the Vice-Legate who commits the matter to the Rote which consists of five Auditors and from thence one may still appeal to Rome All the Canons of the Cathedral Church of our Blessed Lady are clothed in Red and the Chaplains in Purple seven Popes have seated there during 70 years from 1307. till 1377. viz. Clement V. John XXII Benedict XII Clement VI. Innocent VI. Vrban V. and Gregory XI who by the persuasion of St. Catherine of Sienne remov'd to Rome again together with three Antipopes Clement VII Boniface IX and Benedict XIII from 1378 till 1409. This is called by the Italians The Babylonian Captivity of the Church And well may they compare their Church to Babylon for 't is as like to the Mystical Babylon of the Revelation as two drops of Water are to each other Amongst other resemblances the following will not be unpleasant viz. that the number of Seven the number of the Heads of the Beast seems to be affected in the publick buildings of Avignon which is the Master-piece of the Popes for there are 7 Parishes 7 Monasteries 7 Hospitals 7 Colleges 7 Palaces 7 Markets and 7 Gates which make up 7 times 7. The City of Carpentras Carpentoracte Meminorum lies upon the Russe 5 or 6 Leagues from Antignon with a Judge in Ordinary an Office of the Pope's Exchequer and a Bishoprick Susfragan of Avignon It is seated on the foot of Mount Ventoux which is four Leagues high and on the ruins of Venasque or Vindausca in a fruitful Soil with good Walls about it This is properly the Chief City of the County Venaissin Cavaillon Cabellio Colonia lies upon the Durance in an Island form'd by that River the Calevon and the Durancole 9 Miles South West of Avignon It was formerly seated on a Hill where are still some remains of old Buildings but now it lies in a very fruitful Plain though for the rest it is small and ill built the Cathedral is dedicated under the name of S. Veran one of its Bishops in the 6th Century It belong'd to the Cavares Vaison Vasio is seated upon a Hill washed by the Louveze It 's mention'd by Pliny Ptolomy and other ancient Geographers as one of the Cities of the Vocontii and seems to have been pretty considerable But it has been so oft ransack'd and plunder'd by the Goths Vandales and Sarracens that there is but a heap of ruins where it formerly laid viz. in the plain about the Church of our Lady The other places of note are Mâ—rnas Chateau-neuf-du-Pape Barbentanes and Boulbon upon or near the Rhone Graveson Chateau-renard Noves Caumont and Valorges about the Durance Chateau-neuf L' Isle Pernes Pont de Sorgues near the River Sorgues Bedarides Sarrian Caron Flassan Mazan Venasque S. Didier about Carpentras Miolans Queyrane and Cameret about Vaison Of the Principality of Orange I Put here this Principality because it cannot be describ'd any where else since it 's included by the County Venaissin on all sides save on the West by the Rhone It is very small though its Territory be extraordinary fertil in Wine Corn Fruits c. for its greatest length
good Village not otherwise considerable than that it gives its name to a River and is one of the Passes of Dauphine into the Marquisate of Saluces and so farther into Piemont Of Brianconois THis Mountainous Country reaches 18 or 20 Leagues East and West from Pignerol to the Mountains call'd Produissen and 16 North and South from Chateau-Dauphin to Col de La Roue It was formerly of a narrower extent before Pignerol and the adjacent Vallies were yielded to the French King In this Territory falls a sweet and purging Dew called La Manne de BRIANCON and accounted one of the seven Wonders of this Province The Capital BRIANCON is now the head of that Bailiwick and the Seat of a Presidial but was never a Bishoprick tho Robbe calls it so Under the Dauphins it had the Title of a Principality of which they bore the name but under the Romans it was at first one of the places where they used to incamp but by little and little it became a Place of some note Both this Town and Country made part of the Kingdom of Cottius that famous Gaulish Prince whom Augustus not being able to subdue persented with the Alliance of the Roman Empire His whole Realm consisted in 12 Towns of which Suse was the Capital but he knew so well how to inâ—â—ench himself that both his Subjects and his Enemies concurr'd to give his name to the Mountains whereon he reign'd calling them Cottian Alps during the extent of 14 Leagues â—rom Mount Viso to Mount Cenis This Town â—n Latin Brigantio or Brigantium depended for â— long time upon the Segusiones or the Princes â—f Suze BRIANCON is now built on the foot of â— Rock near Mount Genevre on the meeting â—f two small Brooks one of which bears the â—â—me of Dure viz. the most Easterly and the â—â—ther that of Ance but after their junction â—he common name of Durance BRIANCON is esteemed by reason of its Situation the â—ighest Town in Europe tho it be commanded â—y a Castle built upon the Rock at the bottom â—f which the Town lies Two Leagues South 〈◊〉 BRIANCON is a pierced Rock call'd â—â—tuis Rostan some believe that Caesar caused â—â—is Passage to be made thorough this Rock for â—is Troops at his entrance into the Gaules Others â—e of opinion that it is the same Rock which â—nnibal caused to be pierced with Fire and â—inegar that his Elephants might pass thorough â—thers again think that it is a Work of King â—â—tius in honour of Augustus whose Statue he â—â—ected upon it Whatsoever it may be BRIâ—NCON has not been considerable before 〈◊〉 13th Century In the last Age the Leaguers â—â—zed upon it but the Duke of Lesdiguieres â—ok it from them in 1590. This Town has produced one of the learnedest Mathematicians of France called Oronce Finé who was professor Royal at Paris and died in 1555. Pignerol is properly a City of Piedmâ—nt and formerly was the Title and Portion of the Dukes of Savoy's youngest Sons It is seated upon the small River Cluson or Chisson which falls into the Po near Moncallier two Leagues South of Turin It had formerly a good Cittadel only but since the French have it in their possession they have fortified it so as to make it almost an impregnable place The Cittadel is built on a Rock and the Town between the last Mountains of the Alps seven Leagues South-East of Turin and 12 North West of BRIANCON There 's is a Fort call'd St. Bridge which has communication with the Cittadel by a cover'd way and subterraneous passages The Duke of Savoy at the head of the Confederate Forces took it this year 1693. But instead of going on vigorously with the Siege of the Town and Cittadel they left them block'd up and went to sight Catinat the French General who lay incamp'd with 12 or 14000 Men betwixt the Mountains of Col de Fenestrelles and Col de Rossa seven or eight Leagues North West of Pignerol But when they were gone so far they perceived they could not come at him So that after much time lost they went back and open'd the Trenches before Pignerol in September rais'd the Siege and were deseated October the 4th 1693. 'T is a pleasure to read the cunning fetches of that shrewd Politician Cardinal Rihelieu to get this Strong-hold into his Master's Hands There arose a Civil War in Piedmont perhaps by this subtle Minister's Devices The Uncles of the young Duke pretending to the Regency against the Dutchess Dowager who had been left in possession of it by her Husband As she was a Princess of the French Blood she presently implor'd the assistance of her Cousin especially seeing that her Competitors were assisted by the Spaniards It had been an easy matter for the French Monarch to maintain the Dutchess in the quiet possession of her Right But the Policy of his chief Minister suffered her to come to that extremity that she kept nothing else beyond the Alps besides Turin and its Cittadel Whilst she was in those Fears she was promised a sufficient Succor to restore her into all her Dominions provided she would yield to the French King Pignerol and all the Vallies of Piedmont She was very loath to part with such a large Portion of her Territories but at last for fear of loosing all she consented to yield Pignerol with the Vallies on the East-side of the River Cluson whereupon the Treaty was secretly concluded in the Town of Queyras the 31th of March 1631 so that ever since the important Vallies of Perouse and Pragelas belong'd to the French King There are some other places that give their Name to Vallies as the Burough of Bardonanche the Town of Queyras with a strong Castle and a Mountain washed by the River Guillestre the Burough of Chasteau-Dauphin which seems to have been built by the Princes of that Country against the Incursions of the Piemontois for it lies on the utmost Borders of Dauphine ten Leagues South East of BRIANCON The Fort of Exilles is another considerable passage from France into Italy 13 Miles North-West of Brianon and but 3 East of Suze Caesar makes mention of it in the first Book of his Commentaries under the name of Ocelum The Country about it is called by the Inhabitants the Valley of Duren CHAP. XVIII Of Low DAUPHINE Of VIENNOIS THis Country that now comprehends the Bayliwicks of Vienne and St. Marcellin was formerly called the Isle of the Allobroges it being included between the Rivers Rhosne on the North and West the Isere on the South and the Giare on the East and reaching 24 Leagues North and South and 18 East and West it is the best and most inhabited part of Dauphiné being water'd with several Rivers and less interrupted with Mountains than the others The Capital Vienne built upon the Rhone where it receives the small River Gere lies 8 Leagues South of Lyons 18 Norli of Valence and as many North-West of Grenâ—ble It is accounted one
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
many Water-Mills that are about it and its rise if we believe Samson â— from a Bridge which Caesar rebuilt here Thiâ— Town has a strong and fine Castle and is especially renowned for the good Knives and Cizerâ— that are made in it Formerly 't was the ordinary Residing-place of the Dukes of Bourbon Moulins is divided into four Parts the City iâ— self the new Town the Suburb of the Carmelites and that of the Allier It 's a City pretty ancient and its Medicinal Waters render it very famous It hath a Collegiate Church 3 or 4 Parishes divers religious Houses a Colledge of Jesuits a Presidial-Seat a Generality on which the Elections of Montlussâ—n Gaâ—â—â— and Esvaon and several others in Nivernâ—is and Upper Marche are depending Moulins lies 39 Leagues North-west of Lyons Bourbon-l'Archambaut Burbo Erchenbaldi is a Town and a Castle situated in a fruitful Valley betwixt four Mountains It is as ancient as King Pepâ—n's time and was but at first a Barony which the French King Charles the Fair erected into a Dutchy and Peerdom in 1327. The Castle is seated on a Rock and surrounded with 24 Towers The Dukes have founded there an â—â—oâ—y Chappel with 12 Canons and a Treasurer There are also a large Pond and renown'd Baths The other places of Bourbonnois are Vichâ— Cusset a fortified Town S. Germain-des-Fossez Billi La Palisse a County where is a fine Castle and a large Park S. Germain-le-Puy Varennes Jaligni Doinpierre c. All betwixt the Allier and the Lotre St. Amand at the foot of the fortress Montrond that was raz'd in 1652. Aâ—â—ay-le-Vieux and Montlucon all three upon the Cher. The last lies in a very good Territory with Woods Pastures and Vines Near it is a Box-Tree Warren which being green all the year round goes there for a Wonder Neris is famous because of its Baths and has 13 Mills upon a Brook of warm Water La Marche is the Capital of the little Country of Combraille Montegut lez Combraille resorts to no inferio Justice but depends immediately on the Parliament of Paris Chantelle and Fourrilles are two Marquisates the former of which has a very fine House Bellenave is a considerable Lordship Ville-Franche St. Hilaire Herisson Sâ—ncoin are places of some note all lying betwixâ— the Allier and the Cher. Of AUVERGNE AVVERGNE Arvernia having the Title of a County hath Forez on the East Bourbonnois on the North Limosin Quercy and La-Marche on the West Rouâ—rgue and the Cevennes on the South Thiâ— Province from North to South is about forty Leagues and about thirty from West to East It 's divided into Higher and Lower The Lower called Limagne Lemane lieth along the River Allier in a very fertil Plain abounding in Corn Wine and Mineral Waters They trade much in Tapestry-Hangings Laces Cloaths Knives and other Commodities The Inhabitants in general are skilful industrious good Soldiers and understand their Interest very well The Auvergnats Arverni have been one of the Wealthiest and Mightiest Nations in the Gauls and are said to have extended their Dominions to the Rhine and the Mediterranean Sea They were still powerful enough in the Gauls in Caesar's Time since the Gevaudans the Velains and the Quercinois were their Tributaries and Vercingentorix an Auvergnat had interest enough in the Gauls to make them rise against the Romans They had some time before wag'd War against those Conquerors of the World having in conjunction with the Allobroges attack'd the Autunois Allies to the Romans but they had been beaten and their King Bituitus taken Prisoner Vpper Auvergne or Le-haut-pays lies in the Cevennes which from thence are call'd the Mountains of AVVERGNE The Capital S. Flour S. Flori Oppidum has its name from one Florus Bishop of the Velains It lies on the top of a Mountain which is flat and is wash'd by the Rivulet Lander call'd Indiciacum It was erected from a Priory to a Bishoprick in 1317 by Pope John XXII and the Chapter of the Cathedral was seculariz'd by Pope Sixtus IV. It is and has been still an inconsiderable Town eighteen Leagues North-East of Rodez and 39 South-west of Lyons Aurillac Aureliacum bears most probably the Name of one Aurelius its Founder though others derive it from an adjacent Lake where 't is pretended that Grains of Gold were found There is a famous Abby of Benedictins which has still the name of its Founder being called l'Abbaye de S. Giraud Mauriac is considerable for its Fairs whether are brought vast numbers of Horses and for a College of Jesuits Madic has a Castle one of the finest Houses in the whole Province both bordering upon Limosin The other places are Entraygues Ghaudes-Aigues Carlat Vic en Carladez Roquebrou Bleaux Salers Murat Lastic a Viscounty Massiat a Lordship Alanches Achon Riom-des-Montagnes Miramont Blesâ—e c. The Mountains of AVVERGNE are not rugged and naked but full of Grass and excellenâ— Simples which are much esteem'd by Physicians The chief of this Country have a greaâ— Name through the whole Kingdom and Milk is so abundant here that it surpasses the quantity of the Wine that is made in Lower Auvergne or at least in Limagne the best part of it Mounâ— Cantal betwixt S. Flour and Aurillac is the highest of all being always cover'd with Snow and has 3 Leagues in length Lower-Auvergne is divided again into two Parts by the River Allier and the East-side iâ— called Limagne Lemane Limmane and Limane since the Time of Gregory of Tours Clermont Nemetum Augustonemetum afterwards Arverniâ— and at last Clarus Mons the Capital of aâ— AVVERGNE is seated upon a Mountain whencâ— it has its modern Name betwixt two Rivulets Artier and Bedat that discharge themselves into the Allier on the West-side It has the Title oâ— a County a Court of Aydes a Presidial and â— Bishoprick Suffragan of Bourges Caelius Rhodiginus relates that in Julius Caesar's Time there was a wooden Tower thaâ— could never be burnt because it was of Larix which resists Fire In the Time of the Emperor Nero Zenodorus a famous Statuary made there 〈◊〉 Colosse 〈◊〉 Mercury 400 foot high which was the cause that he was called to Rome to make a Colossean Statue of that Emperor of an 110 Foot There was then at Clermont a Temple covered with Lead pav'd with Marble of inlaid Work and having a double Wall 3â— foot thick The Cathedral Church is still a sumptuous Building â—overed with Pewâ—er or Lead mix'd with Tin Mony has formerly been coyn'd here as appears by a Tower that bears still the Name of the Tower of the Mint The Records of this Town make also mention of a Capitole where Weights and Measures were kept Not far of Cleâ—ment is a Mountain call'd Gergoye on which the ancient City of Gâ—rgovia was apparently seated It 's this Town which Vercingentorix so b arely defended against Julius Caesar that he forc'd that great Captain to raise the Siege There is likewise a Brook called Tiretaine whose Waters are thick and slimy