ii4 C H A 
CHARL'SURY, a fmall town in Oxford (hire, fitua- 
ted on a healthy dry foil, nearly in the centre of VVood- 
Itock, Whitney, Cliipping-Norton, and Burford. It has 
live large fairs annually, for horles, cows, and all forts of 
cattle, on the following days, viz. the firft of January, 
the fecond Friday in Lent, the fecond Friday in May, 
the fecond Friday in July, and the tenth of Oftober. 
Here was formerly a confiderable market on Fridays, and 
a manufactory of locks, both which have been for 
Lome years on the decline. In the vicinity of Charlbury, 
about a mile fouth-weft, are Blandford-houfe, and park, 
belonging to his grace the duke of Marlborough. A- 
bout two miles eaft, is Ditchley, anoblehoule, built by 
the late earl of Litchfield, now belonging to lord Dillon, 
with an elegant park; and at a mile on the north fide of 
the town, is Spelfhury, where the celebrated earl of Ro- 
chefter, and the Litchfield family, are interred. 
CHARLEMA'GNE, or Charles I. king of France by 
fucceffion, and emperor of the weft by conqueft in 800, 
which laid the foundation of the dynalty of the weftern 
Franks, who ruled the empire 4.72 years till the time of 
Radolphus Aufpurgenfis, the founder of the lioufe of 
Auftria. Charlemagne was as illuftrious in the cabi¬ 
net as in the field; and, though he could not write his 
name - , was the patron of men of letters, the reftorer 
of learning, and a wile legiflator. France had nine fo- 
vereigns of this name, for particulars of whom, lee 
France. 
CHARLEMO'NT, a town of the Netherlands, in the 
county of Namur, ceded to France by the treaty of Ni- 
meguen. It was built by Charles V. in 1555, not far 
from Giver, on a mountain near the Meufe. It is fmall 
but well fortified : eight leagues fouth-weft of Namur, 
and leven north-eaft of Rocroy. 
CHARLEMO'NT, a town of Ireland, in the county 
of Armagh. It is a garrifon, with barracks for three 
companies of foot. This town furrendered to kingWil- 
liam in 1690 : eight miles north of Armagh. 
CHARLEMO'NT, a town of the United States 
in Hamplhire county, Maftacliufetts, iixteen miles weft 
of Deerfield, having, befides ftate conluls, 665 inhabi¬ 
tants. 
CHAR'LEROY, or Charles-sur-Sambre, a town 
of the Netherlands, in the county of Namur, fituated on 
the confines of Hainault, and built on the north fide of 
the river Sambre, in a place formerly called Charnoy, 
which was a village and ligniory belonging to the prince 
of Ifenghein. The marquis de Caftel-Rodrigo, governor 
of the Netherlands, fortified and made it a city in the 
year 1666, changing its name to Charleroi, in honour of 
Charles II. king of Spain. In 1792, it again changed 
its name to Charles-fur-Sambre. It was given to France 
at the peace of Aix-la-Chappelle, in 1668. In the year 
3672, it was befieged by the prince of Orange, who in- 
velted the place the 13th of December, with a defign to 
draw the French from Holland, but the bravery of Comte 
de Montal, the governor, and a report of the king of 
France advancing in perfon, with an army to fuccour 
thst place, obliged the prince to retire before he had 
opened the trenches. 1.01677, the fame prince invefted 
it again, with an army of 60,000 men, but was foon 
obliged to retire. By the treaty of Nimeguen it was ce¬ 
ded "to Spain ; in 1698, it was taken by the French, af¬ 
ter the battle of Landen. In 1697, it was given to the 
emperor by the barrier treaty; and again, in 1746, fur- 
rendered to France. It was taken by the French repub¬ 
lican army, under general Valence, in the month of No¬ 
vember, 1792, with 4000 prifoners. It was recovered by 
the Auftrians, in the month of June, 1793, when the 
French were twice defeated, once with the lofs of 4000 
met), and again of 7000. On the 25th of July, 1794, 
it again furrendered to the French at difcretion, with 
the garrifon of 3000 men, and fixty pieces of cannon. 
It carries on confiderable trade in iron-works and foun¬ 
dry : twenty miles eaft-nortlveaft of Mons, and twenty 
C H A 
north-eaft of Maubeuge. Lat. 50. 26. N. Ion. 22. 2. E, 
Ferro. 
CHARLES, [of Cap, Sax. ftout] a proper name of 
men. 
CHARLES I. and II. kings of England; for the events 
of their lives and reign, fee England. 
CHARLES V. (emperor and king of Spain), was fon 
of Philip I. archduke of Auftria, and of Jane queen of 
Caftile. He was chofen emperor at Francfort after the 
-death of Maximilian his grandfather. He was a great 
warrior and politician: and his ambition was not latisfied 
with the many kingdoms and provinces he polfeffed; for 
he is fuppoled to have afpired at univerfal empire. For 
particulars of the reign of this monarch, and the other 
lovereigns of Spain, fee Spain. 
CHARLES XII. king of Sweden; for particulars of 
his extraordinary life and reign, fee Sweden. 
CHARLES-COUNTY CITY, in Virginia, North A- 
merica, between Chickahominy and James rivers. It 
contained formerly part of what now forms Prince 
George’s county. It has 5588 inhabitants. 
CHARLES COUNTY, on the weftern fhore of Mary¬ 
land, in the United States, between Potowmack and Pa¬ 
tuxent rivers. Its chief town is Port Tobacco, on the 
liver of that name. Its extreme length is twenty-eight 
miles, its breadth tiventy-four, and it contains 20,613 
inhabitants. The country has few hills, is generally 
low and Tandy, and produces tobacco, Indian corn, po¬ 
tatoes, See. 
CHARLES FORT, a fort of Ireland, at the eaft fide 
of the entrance into Kinfale harbour, in the county of 
Cork : one mile and a halffouth of Kinfale. 
CHARLES FORT, a fort on the weft coaft of the 
ifland of St. Chriftopher: one mile fouth-eaft of Sandy 
Point Town. 
CHARLES ISLAND, or Island of Dogs, at the 
mouth of the river Gambia, in Africa, where the En~ 
glifii had a fettlement, but were driven from it; fince 
which time the ifland has been uninhabited. 
CHARLES ISLAND, an ifland in Hudfon’s Straits. 
Lat. 62. 40. N. Ion. 79. 55. W. Greenwich. 
CHARLES ISLAND, a fmall ifland in that part of 
the Straights of Magellan called Royal Reach. 
CHARLES RIVER, in Maffachuffetts, in tire United 
States, called anciently Qujnobequin, the principal 
branch of which rifes from a pond bordering on Hopkiti- 
ton. It pafles through Hollinfton and Bellingham, and 
divides Medway from Medfield, Wrentham, and Frank¬ 
lin, and thence into Dedham, where by a curious bend 
it forms a peninfula of 900 acres of land. A ftream cal¬ 
led Mother Brook, runs out of this river in this town, 
and falls into Neponfit river, forming a natural canal, 
uniting the two rivers, and affording a number of excel¬ 
lent mills. From Dedham the courfe of the river is 
northerly, dividing Newton from Needham, Wefton, 
and Waltham, palling over romantic falls; it then bends 
to the north-eaft, through Watertown and Cambridge, 
and, paffmg into Bofton harbour, mingles with the wa¬ 
ters of Myltic river, at the point of the peninfula of 
Charleftown. It is navigable for boats to Watertown, 
feven miles. The moft remarkable bridges on this river 
are thole which connect Bofton withCharleftown and Cam¬ 
bridge. There are feven paper-mills now on this river. 
CHARLES’S WAIN, a name by which aftronomicaj 
writers have called Urla Major, or the great bear ; though 
fome fay it is the leffer bear. Indeed both of the bears 
have been called waggons or wains, and by the Latins, 
who have • followed the Arabians, two biers, Feretrum 
majus and minus. 
CHAR'LESTON, a diftriift in the lower countrv of 
South Carolina, lubdivided into fourteen parilhes. This 
diftrifif, of which the city of Charlelton is the chief town, 
lies between Santee and Combahee rivers. It pays 
21,47 31.14s. 6d. fterling to the taxes. It fends to the ftate 
legillature forty-eight reprefentatives and thirteen fena- 
tors. 
