Statistics. 
—_— 
In the time 
of the 
Franks, 
Union of the to 
provinces, 
674 
logne ; 16. Belgica prima, capital city Triers ; and, 
17. Belgica secunda, capital city Rheims. 
After the death of Clovis, the dominion of the Franks 
was divided into a ar viz. Oesterric, or the East- 
ern Kingdom, called by corruption Austrasia; and 
Westerric, or the Western Kingdom, called Neustria. 
The former contained all old France, as it existed in 
the time of Clovis; that is, all the co that reach- 
ed from the Rhine to the Loire, and the country be- 
hind the Marne, jwhich the Franks had. conquered, to- 
gether with Rheims, Chalons, Cambray, and Laon, 
which was from that time a separate kingdom, the seat 
of which was Metz in Lorraine. Aquitania was not 
comprised under the name of France; nor Burgundy, 
even after it had been conquered ; nor the lower part 
of Brittania Armorica, which was at this time an inde- 
a state. Neustria contained all the country that 
ies between the Loire and the Meuse, and was divided 
into three kingdoms: 1. France, the capital of which 
was Paris ; this comprehended what is now called the 
Isle of France; 2. Orleans; 3. Soissons. Afterwards, 
when the Franks had subdued the Visigoths and Bur- 
gundians, two other kingdoms were erected, Aquitaine 
and Burgundy. 
Beate Pesach historians and geographers are of opi- 
nion, that under the Merovingian race of kings, the 
territory of France had nearly the same limits which it 
now possesses; that under the Carlovingian race near- 
ly the whole was wrested from the sovereign by the 
abuse of the feudal system ; and that, under the Cape- 
tian dynasty, nearly the whole was recovered. The 
iginal domain of the crown under Hugh Capet seems 
ve consisted of Picardy, the Isle of France, and 
the Orleannois. Berry was the first province that was 
reunited to the crown: It was governed by Counts, who 
continued in ion of it till about the year 1100, 
when Eudes Aspin sold it to King Philip I. who united 
it to his dominions. Touraine and Normandy were 
confiscated to. the crown, or conquered under Philip 
Augustus. 0 aye was next annexed, by inheri- 
tance, under Philip the Hardy; but, according to 
some, it was not absolutely united to the crown till the 
reign of King John im 1316; Cham e@ was go- 
verned by its Counts till 1274, at which period, Jane, 
who was the last Countess, was married to Prince Phi- 
lip, son of Philip the Hardy ; and thus this province 
was united to France, though the final and permanent 
usion did not take place till 1961, in the reign of King 
John. The province of Lyonnois came into:the ypos- 
session of the crown under Philip the Fair; Dauphiny 
under Philip de Valois. Poitou, Aunis, Limosin, and 
Saintonge, were conquered by Charles V. ; and Guienne 
and Gaseony by Charles VII. Maine and Anjou were 
acquired by inheritance, under Louis XI. The same 
monareh seized the duchy of Burgundy as an escheat 
to the crown, and took possession of all Provence on 
the death of Charles, King of Sicily, who was Count 
of Provence. Anne of Brittany, the only daughter of 
Francis II. the last duke of that province, married 
Charles VIII. and afterwards Louis XII. by the last 
of whom she had two daughters, the eldest: of whom 
married Francis I. who united Brittany to the erown 
of France in 1532, Under: this monarch, Auvergne, 
Bourbonnois, and Marche, were confiscated and:united 
tothe crown. Bearn, Foix, and a: of Gascony, 
were the patrimony of Henry IV. and thus were united 
to France when he ascended the throne of that kingdom, 
Rousillon formerly belonged to Spain ; but Louis KLIK 
took it in 1642, and it was afterwards yielded to France 
by the treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659, ‘The house of 
‘ 
FRANCE. 
Austria had Artois till the reign 
but he having conquered great 
to ps bine V. King of Spain, and afterwards 
by Ch Il. his son. Alsace was yielded to the 
French by the of Ryswick, in the reign of Louis 
XIV. Franche Compté continued subject to the house 
of Austria till Louis XIV. seized it in 1668, but he was 
obliged to restore it the next year: He seized it again 
in 1674, and it was confirmed to him by the treaties of 
Nimeguen and Ryswick. That part of the Low Coun- 
tries which France retains by the recent treaty of Paris, 
were acquired by conquest in the reign of Louis XIV. 
Lorraine was the last acquisitior of France before the 
Revolution, wer os of it, the three rere “eer 
Metz, Toul, and hedung/spedingsaubilerlaaty I. and 
cee: weeitabnemer: Arvin Se in 1648: 
the other parts of this province, the ¢ of Lorraine 
rly so called, and the duchy of Bar, were seized 
by. ouis XV. and afterwards ceded to him by treaty. 
Before the Revolution, France was divided into $2 pjvisions 
distinct governments, 18 of which are in the circuit, before the 
The first na- Revolution 
and 14 in the middle of the ki 
tional assembly, by its decrees of the 15th of January, 
and the 16th and 26th of February 1790, divided France 
As, however, the divisions as © 
into 83 di 
they exhend eho the Revolution are still 
referred to, and as a an tee . 
n to the right understanding of the history 
tha img kingdom, we shall saeamraeatied pare te 
corresponding” ents. Itis ) ever, to 
premise chat cach ent is Sobdivided inte 3, 4, 
or 5 districts, called communes arrondissements. These 
districts are again divided into cantons, and, lastly, each 
canton is composed of a certain number of communes, 
that is to say, of towns and villages. A commune is 
sometimes a single town, and sometimes a union of se= 
veral villages, nape @ mayor and communal mu- 
nicipality.. Allthe considerable cities are divided into 
several communes, pesamenese 
I. The: province of Flanders, or the territories which Flanders. 
Franee | in the western part of the Nether- 
lands before the Revolution, and. which she still retains. 
This forms the department of the North, which con- 
tains 6 districts, 60 cantons, and 671 communes;; its 
territorial. extent is 6030 kilometers,—24 kilom smo es 
being very nearly equal to 7 square miles, of 60 toa 
i The principal edn this department is 
ouay. > 
II. The province of Artois forms the department of Artois. 
the Straits of Calais, which contains 6 districts, 43 can~ 
tons, and Yg53 communes’; its territorial extent is 
70424 kilometers; its oe town is Arras, - 
IK. The principal part 
ment of the Somme, which contains 5 districts, 41 can- 
tons, and. 848 communes. Its territorial extent is 
a kilometers; its principal town is Amiens: — 
IV. 
Normandy is divided into the departments Normandy. 
of the Lower Seine, the Eure, the Orme, Calvados, 
and the Channel. The Lower Seine contains $° dis- 
tricts, 20:cantons, and 79 communes ; its territorial ex- 
tent is 63724 kilometers; its principal town is’ Rouen: 
The department of the Eure contains 5 districts, 86 
cantons, and 8438 communes ; its territorial extent is 
61824 kilometers ; its principal town is Evreaux. The 
department of the Orme contains 4 districts, $8 can+ 
— and 627 communes’; its’ a see ae 4 6875 
ilometers; its principal town is Alengon. epart- 
ment of Calvados seanal 6 districts, 87 cantons, and 
896 commues ; its territorial extent is 5640 kilometers ; 
its principal town isCaen. The department of the Chan- 
of the same monarch ; Statistics. 
part of it, it was ceded = 
Picardy forms the depart- Picardy. 
ae 
