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France 
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FRANCE, Ise or. See Mavritivs.. 
- FRANCHE Compre’, the name of one of the 
vinces i which France was divided béfore the Revolu- 
tion. It now forms the departments of Dovuns, Jura, 
and Saonr. See France, p. 676. 
FRANCIS. See France, p. 556—563. 
FRANCONIA, a circle in the centre of Germany, 
and anciently a part of Thuringia, is situated between 
48° 45’ and 50° 50’ North Latitude, and between 9° 20’ 
and 12°10’ East Longitude from Greenwich. It extends 
in some places 140 miles from north to south, and be- 
tween 90 and 115 from west to east. It contains 7744 
geographical miles, and 1,000,000 of inhabitants. It is 
distributed into different states or principalities, namely 
those of ecclesiastical princes, of secular princes, and of 
imperial cities. 
I. The states of the ecclesiastical princes are the bi- 
shoprics of Aichstadt, of Wurtzburg, of Bamberg, and 
the territories of the Grand Master of the Teutonic Or- 
der. 
The bishopric of Aichstadt, or ‘Eichsted, is situated 
in the south-east corner of the circle, and is a tolerably 
fruitful country, watered by the Altmuhl, Anlauter, 
Schwarzach, Sulz, and Retzat. Its principal towns are, 
Aichstadt (see Arcusrapt), the pal residence, 
about 45 miles south of Nuremberg, remarkable chiefly 
for a curious piece of workmanship, in the church, called 
the sun of the holy sacrament, made of massy gold, and 
enriched with the most precious stones; Nassenfells, a 
borough and citadel, three es west of Ingolstadt, and 
in the south-east corner of the country where the ancient 
Aureatum was situated; Abenberg, a small town and 
castle, where the counts of the same name formerly had 
their residence, and near which is at present a glass found- 
for mirrors; Herreeden, Ohrnbau, Spalt, and seve- 
other small towns. 
The bi ic of Wurtzburg, situated towards the 
west part of the circle, extends about 90 miles from north 
to south, and 50 from west to east, and contains 262,000 
inhabitants. It is watered by the Mayne, the Saal, the 
Tauber, and the Jaxt; abounds in grain, fruits, and 
pastures; and yields the best wine in Franconia. Its 
principal towns are, Wurtzburg, a well-built and well- 
fortified city, containing a cathedral, an episcopal pa-« 
Jace, an university, an o , several monaste- 
ries and and about 16,000 inhabitants ; Hey- 
dinsfeld, a little town on the Mayne, surrounded with 
vineyards ; Veits-Hocheim, a small place about four 
ap Men ne containing a palace of the 
bishop Kissingen, a little town on the Saal, having se- 
veral salt springs and medicinal waters in its neighbour- 
hood; Nunnerstadt, a small town on the oe 
containing a gymnasium, a cloister of the Augustine her« 
uaiiafiadt of the Teutonic Order ; Koen- 
p soeemBr em ified town on the Saal ; Gerolsho- 
» an ancient town on the left of the Mayne, near to 
which are the ruins of the citadel of Zabelstein ; Volkach, 
a town on the Mayne, four leagues north-east of Wurtz- 
which exports considerable quantities of wine ; 
, Kitzingen, Ochsenfurt, all celebrated for good 
and situated on the Mayne; Homburg, Dettel- 
bach, and a great rumber of small market-towns. 
The bi ic of Bamberg, situated east and south 
of Wurtzburg, stretches of 65 miles from south- 
west to north-east, is between 40 and 50 miles in breadth, 
and contains 195,000 inhabitants. It is divided into 
5 
741 
two equal parts by the river Rednitz, running from south Franconia. 
FRA 
to north, and falling at Bamberg into the Mayne, which 
waters the northern parts. The soil is generally fertile, 
producing abundance of grain, fruits, and wine; and 
near the capital there are so many trees of the lauret, 
fig, lemon, and orange, that it is sometimes called the 
little Italy of Germany. The principal towns are, Bam~ 
berg (see Bampere), or Bahenberg, the capital of the 
district, a tolerably well built city, containing a magnifie 
cent cathedral, a large episcopal palace, an university, se~ 
veral monasteries, &c. and about 16,600 inhabitants ; 
Forchheim, a fortified town, about 20 miles south of 
Bamberg, defended by a strong castle, and containing 
4000 inhabitants ; Schesslitz, a neat town with a castle, 
two leagues north-east of the capital; Cronach, a meanly 
built but fortified town, situated on an eminence, and con« 
taining 4000 inhabitants ; Lichtenfels, a trading place on 
the Mayne, 20 miles north-east of Bamberg; Upper 
Scheinfeld, Vilseck, &c. 
The territories of the Teutonic Order, or Knights of 
the Virgin Mary, would form a considerable principality, 
if lying contiguous; but their estates are scattered through 
out Germany, and consist of the masterdom of Mergen- 
theim, and 12 bailiwicks. The bailiwick of Franconia is 
divided into 15 commanderies, named from the places 
where the property of the order is situated, Ellingen, 
Wiernsberg, Nuremberg, Wurtzburg, &c.° 
II. The states of the secular princes are chiefly those 
of Bayreuth, or Culmbach; Ansbach, or Onolsbach ; 
Limburg, Schwarzenberg, Wertheim, Erbach, Henne-« 
berg, Hohenloe, and several others of trifling extent. 
The principality of Bayreuth or Culmbach, belonging 
to the house of Brandenburg, borders on Bohemia, and 
extends upwards of 30 miles eastward, and 28 from north 
to south. It is generally fertile and well cultivated, di« 
yersified with mountains and plains, but in some tracts is 
remarkably hilly, d, and barren. The elevated 
ridge of Fichtelberg, or Mons Pomiferus, nearly 16 miles 
in length, and one of the highest mountains in Germany, 
contains mines of iron, copper, lead, antimony, &c. crys« 
tals and marbles of various colours, and gives rise to a 
number of rivers, especially the Mayne, Saal, Eger, and 
Nab. The whole principality contains about 205,000 in- 
habitants. Its principal towns are, Bareith or Bayreuth 
(see Barziru), the capital, and’ the residence of the 
Margrave, a considerable town, containing a palace, cas« 
tle, academy, &c. and about 10,000 inhabitants; St 
George, a town situated on the small lake Weyher, 
and containing an elegant palace recently built; Culm-« 
bach, formerly the Margrave’s residence, a small town, 
P’ situated, slightly fortified, and _ containing 
2800 inhabitants ; Himmelkron, a large village, with 
a palace of the prince, in a pleasant valley on the 
White Mayne; Hof, an ancient town on the Saal, con« 
taining 4700 people; Wunsiedel, a neat trading town 
on the Fichtelberg, containing 2400 inhabitants; Weis- 
senstadt, a small town near the source of the Eger, in a 
wild-and barren tract, formerly much famed for its mines 
of tin and copper ; Creusen, a small place, remarkable for 
its fine earthen ware ; Erlangen, (see ERLANGEN,) near 
the influx of the Schwabach into. the Rednitz, eleven 
leagues south-west of Bayreuth, consists of two small 
towns, the most recent of which was built by the French 
after the revocation of the edict of Nantes, and 
contains several handsome streets, an elegant palace of 
the Margrave, an university, manufactures of hats, stock 
