156 UNIVERSAL ERUDITION, 



had to the manner in which feveral provinces of* 

 Africa, in Italy and the Low Countries, &c. 

 have been united to the Spanifh monarchy : and 

 likewife the manner in which America was dif- 

 covered, and reduced, under the reigns of three 

 Spanifh Kings -, and many other very remark- 

 able events. 



IX. V. The hijlory of France. Thofe hiftorians 

 who iuppoie with M. Mezerai, that the Romans 

 firfl gave the name of Gaul to that large tracl: 

 of land which lies between theAlps, the Pyrenees, 

 the Mediterranean Sea, the Ocean and the Rhine, 

 feem to have lefs foundation for their opinion, 

 thart they who maintain that this extenfive and 

 pleafant country was very populous in the firft 

 ages of the world, as appears by the mod anci- 

 ent monuments ; that theie people had probably 

 a name before the exiftence of the Romans, and 

 that they called themfelves Galli; and, that be- 

 ing too numerous for their own country, they 

 pafled the Alps at the beginning of the Roman 

 republic, and occupied a part of Italy, which 

 was called Ciialpine Gaul -, that they extended 

 their colonies even to Afia, where they inhabited 

 a country called Galatia, which is the name the 

 Greeks gave to Gaul , and that other detach- 

 ments of this nation advanced into Germany, 

 beyond the Rhine. Be thefe matters however 

 as they may, the hiftory of France may be di- 

 vided into feveral periods , the principal of 

 which are characterized by events that are im- 

 portant, 



