A Description of the Seventeen Provinces Commonly Called the Low Countries, Province 17
The Province of Namur Described.
Namur is bounden with Brabant, Haynault, Luxembourg, and Lieg. Its a small Country, and yet abounds with Riches, and many good things. Its stored with People, and those very industrious, and faithful to their Prince. The Nobles are valiant and well used in Military Discipline. The air is very wholsome, the Country is well watred with many Rivers and Brooks, especially the Mouse, and the Sambre, which besides the benefit of Portage, furnisheth the Country with abundance of Fish.
Its well replenished with Woods, and Forrests, the greatest whereof is called Marlaign, which abounds with all sorts of Venison, and Fowl. The Valleys produce abundance of Corn and Grain: The Hills are full of goodly Woods, excellent cleer Fountains, rich Mines of Iron, and some of Lead, Quarries of fine Stone for Building, as Marble of all sorts and Colours, Black, White, Tawny, and Porphiry, or Jasper, which is red streaked with White, Blew Marble, but mingled with White, which perfects the beauty of it. Besides divers other sorts of fine Stone. They have also excellent Lime, and Sea-coal: Much Saltpeter is also made in this Country. But especially the Forges of Iron are so many that the whole Country seems to be Vulcans Forge.
In the Country of Namur are four Walled Towns; Namely, Namur, which gives name to the whole Country, Bovines, Charlemont, and Valencourt. And there are beside in it one hundred eighty two Villages, and many fair and Rich Abbeys.
The City of Namur described.
It stands between two Hills, upon the River Meuse, and through it passeth the Sambre, which there falleth into the Meuse. Its a fair and a rich Town with a strong Castle in it.
Bovines stands upon the Meuse, and is a reasonable good Town.
Charlemont is a Town wonderful strong, and of exquisite fortifications, though but small.
Valencourt stands in a very fruitful Country, and is a good little Town.
The Principal Villages in this Country of Namur are
Dave, which is a goodly Village, with a strong Castle standing upon the Meuse. It hath also a great jurisdiction, and is honoured with the Title of a Vicounty.
Other Villages of note are Floren, Vascy, and Sanson.
These are all the Low-Country Provinces: Yet because the Bishoprick of Lieg, and the Town of Aquisgrane, are Neighbours, Friends, and in League with them, take this brief Description of them.
The Bishoprick of Liege described.
This Country North and West is bordered with Brabant: East with the Meuse and Namur, and South with Luxembourg. The air is very wholsom, the Country pleasant, and abounding with all kind of Grain▪ and Fruits. As for Flesh, Fish, Venison, and Fowl of all sorts▪ there is great abundance, and of tast excellent good.
Mines there are also of Iron, and some of Lead, and veins of Brimstone, and a few of Gold that is very fine. Quarries there are also of Stone excellent good, as of Alablaster mingled with black; Marble of all sorts, as in Namur; great plenty of Pit-Cole, digged so deep, that sometimes they go under the very Chanel of the Meuse. The Cole of this Country is much sweeter, and casteth a far greater heat than that of Haynault, or Namur. The Turfe also far suppasseth that of Holland and Brabant, for which cause the Ligeoys, boast, that they have in their Country three things passing all other Countries, namely, Bread better than Bread, Iron harder than Iron, and Fire hotter than Fire. This Cole is kindled with Water, and quenched with Oile.
In this Country also is made great abundance of Salt-Peter. In brief, this Country is so pleasantly seated, the Aire so wholsome, the Soyl so fruitful of all things serving for the use and delight of Man, to which adde the great freedome which the People live in there, that it is not unfitly called, The Paradise of Priests.
Under this Bishoprick of Lieg is contained a very large Jurisdiction, of Towns, Castles, Bourgs, and Villages; namely, the Dutchy of Buillon, the Marquisat of Francymont: The County of Lotz and Hasbain: Two and fifty Baronies, and many rich Abbeys.
There are under its Jurisdiction (besides the half of Mastrieke) twenty four walled Towns, namely, Legi, Buillon, Francimont, Lotz, Borkworm, Tongres, Hoey, Asselt, Dinant, Masiek, Stochem, Bilson, St. Truiden, Tuin, Viset, Varem, Beringh, Herke, Bree, Per, Hamont, Siney, Foss, and Covines, besides one thousand and eight hundred Parishes with Churches; besides Hamlets, Castles, and Baronies of Noble men.
The City of Liege described.
Liege standeth in a Pleasant Valley upon the River Meuse, being environed with Hills on all sides. The Meuse entreth into it with two Branches, and maketh many pleasant Isles within the Town. The Rivers that pass through this City are; First, the Meuse, then the little River Lieg, and lastly three little Brooks, Ute, Vese, and Ambluar, all three being stored with excellent good Fish, especially Ute hath one sort of excellent delicate Fish above all the rest called Utins.
There are also within this City many clear Springs and Fountains, and that in such abundance, that some Houses have two or three of them. It's a very great and a large City, containing many Hills, Vallies, Rivers, and Vine grounds, being about four Italian Miles in Circuit. The buildings are very Fair, being all of Stone; And above all, the Bishops Pallace is most stately and Magnificent.
But in number of Churches, and beauty and riches of them, in Monasteries and Convents, this Town passeth all the Towns in Lower Germany, yea, of France also. For there are in it eight Collegiate Churches, with Canons, who are very Rich, especially the Canon of St. Lambert, the Patron of the Town.
In this City of St. Lambert, among divers old Rich Jewels and Reliques, is a great Image of St. Georg on Horsback, all of pure Gold, which Charles Duke of Burgundy gave, to make amends for his hard usage of this City when he took it by Storm.
There are also in it four Rich Abbeys, having in each of them a goodly Library. There are also three Nunneries, and all the Four Orders of Friers, some of which have two Convents. There are also thirty two Parish Churches; and so many other Churches, Monasteries, and Hospitals, within and without the Town, that the Churches are accounted in all above a Hundred. This City is well replenished with People, many of which live very idely, their Language is French. Its an Imperial City, but they are only bound to furnish the Emperor with a few men in his Warre against the Turks.
Hubert Thomas writeth, that at one time there were students in this City, nine Kings Children, twenty four Dukes Children, twenty nine Earls Children, besides a number of Barons, and Gentlemens Children, the greatest part of which were Canons of the Rich Colledge of St. Lambert aforementioned.
Buillon is a great Castle, stanstanding very artificially upon the Point of a Hill, with a great Bourg under it. The Castle is larg, and well Fortified, and very strong both by Art and Nature. It hath the Title of a Dutchy, and hath under it a great Country, and a large Jurisdiction.
Francimont was sometimes a Walled Town; its now but a Village, yet hath it a strong Fort in it. Neer to this place is a Village called Thou, where are many good Lead Mines, and Quarries of excellent black Marble.
Lootz, or Borchloon is a Country with a large Territory, and Jurisdiction under it. Its a pretty little Town.
Brockworm stands upon the Jecker. Its a pretty Town and well peopled.
Tongres stands also upon the Jecker, which at Mastrick entreth into the Meuse. Here is a marvelous way formerly all paved with goodly Stone, raised up of wondrous heighth between two Walls, which reached from Tongres to Paris, which is above two hundred Italian Miles, some parts whereof remain unto this Day. Certainly it was an ancient Work of the Romans, who usually imployed their Armies and Subjects in such stupendious works, to keep them from idleness, which is the Mother of Sedition and Civil-Warres.
Eight Leagues from Tongres, and five from Lieg, is the Village of Spa, or Spaw, within half a League whereof is the Fountain, so famous for the virtue that it hath to cure the Tertian Ague, the Dropsie, the Stone, the exulceration of the Lungs, the Sciatique, and all diseases of the Stomack, and the Liver. This Village of Spaw stands in a fair Wood, which is part of the Forrest of Ardenne, and the Fountain most commanded is called La Fountain de Savenier, the water whereof tasteth of Iron, there being many Iron Mines thereabout. The Water is of most virtue in July, when the Weather is hottest.
Hoey was sometimes a famous City, bearing the Name of a furious River that here falls into the Meuse. The Meuse runs through the midst of this Town, over which is built a very stately Bridg. Its now a reasonable good Town, with a strong Fortress in it. The Country about it abounds with Iron Mines and Cattel.
Hasselt stands upon the River Demere. Its an indifferent good Town and well Built.
Dinan stands upon the Meuse, and is seated in a very good Country abounding with Black Marble, with Mines of Iron, and Quarries of other very good Stones to build with. It hath a Castle in it.
Maiseeck is a reasonable good Town, standing upon the Meuse.
Stockhem is a fine little Town, standing also upon the Meuse. Bilsen is but a little Town.
St. Truden, or Centron is a fair Town, and their Language is Flemish.
Tuin, or Tovin stands in Haynault, but is subject to the Bishop of Lieg. Its an indifferent good Town.
The other Towns are Reasonanable good, and of some account. As for the Villages there is not much remarkable in them, and therefore I pass them over.
An account of the great difference that is between the Country and People of Lieg, and the Country and Citizens of Aix, though they be but six Leagues asunder, and both in the same Climate.
Lieg is in subjection, Aix in liberty, but both under the protection of the Empire. At Lieg they speak French, at Aix Dutch. The Liegeoys are pleasant, and sociable: They of Aix unsociable, and Melancholly. Yea, the very Air and Soyl retain the same difference: For its Summer at Lieg when its Winter at Aix: Yea, oft its Snow and Ice at Aix, when its warm at Liege.
The City of Aix, or Aquisgrane described.
Aix is situated between the Dutchy of Brabant, Limbourg, Juliers, and the Bishoprick of Liege. Charle-Main was the Founder of this City, who ordained it to be the chiefe City of the Empire, and that the King of the Romans should receive the Iron Crown at Aix by the Arch-Bishop of Colen, who is the Metropolitan thereof; The Silver Crown at Millan, and the Imperial Crown of Gold at Rome. Here he dyed, and was buried Anno Christi 813.
Aix is a goodly City, and the Country about it is very pleasant and fruitful, but the Buildings of the Town do not answer the fame of the Place, saving the hot Baths, which are very fairly built, and are very wholsome for many Diseases.
Aix is an Imperial City, but payeth only a small Tribute to the Emperour; otherwise it enjoyes freedome, and hath the Duke of Cleves for Protector, next Neighbour and perpetual Confederate.
FINIS.
End of the text · Samuel Clarke, A Description of the Seventeen Provinces Commonly Called the Low Countries (1672)