Languedoc

Sources from old books

1635. Historia mundi: or Mercator's atlas. London. by Gerhard Mercator.

LANGVEDOC A PART OF AQƲITAINE. (Book Languedoc) THE Occitane Country of France, commonly called Languedec, is a part of Aquitane, and is so named as some conceive from the Gothes the Possessions thereof, as if you should say Land-Got. That is, the Gothes Province: Some derive it from the word Lingua a tongue and the word O•, I suppose that these conjectures are more vaine than Sicilian toyes, and are but meere vulgar trifles. The ancients tooke it for the Province of Narbon, neere the Pyrenaean Mountaines. Strabo calleth it Tectosages, the Metropolis whereof Tolouse is accounted one of the chiefe Cities of France, having an Archprelate, a Senate, and a University. Some derive the name thereof from those which fled from T•oy. Caesa mentioneth it in his first Booke of Commentaries, where he speaketh thus: It was told Caesar, that the Helvetians purposed to travell thorow the Sequans and Aeduans Country, unto the borders of the Santones, which are not farre from Tolouse, which is a City in Province: and also Lib. 3. concerning P. Crassus: Moreover valiant men being levied out of Tolouse, Carcasson, and Narbon, which are Cities of France neere to Province, &c. Ammianus Marcellinus giveth it the prerogative above all the neighbour Cities. Neither can we omit that worthy Elogie of the ancient magnificence and power thereof, written by Aus•nius a most famous Poet, and a Consull of Rome in praise of his Nurse and Foster-mother in these Verses:

Non unquam altricem nostri reticebo TOLOSAM,Coctilibus muris quam circuit ambitus ingens.Perque latus pul•ro perlabitur amne GarumnaInnumeris cultam populis, cenfinia propterNirgida Pyrenes, & Pinea Gabennarum,Inter AQUITANAS gentes, & nomen Iberum.Quae modo quadruplices ex se cum effuderit urbes,Non ulla exhaustae sentit dispendia plebis:Quos genuit cunctos gremio complexa colonas. My Nurse Tolasaes praises I will sound,Which with a Brick wall is encompas'd round,And faire Garumna runneth by her side,And many people doe in her reside.Cause the Pyrenean Ningide confinesUpon it, and the Pinean Gabinines,Betweene the Country of faire AQUITAINE,And Iberus which now is called SPAINE·

Whence the Vi•i-G•th•, having drove• out the Romane• from thence, did make this City the royall Seate of the Kingdome, untill they were quite expulsed by the French in the raigne of 〈◊〉 the first Christian King, at what time all that Province was subjected to France. Concerning the State Ecclesiastick▪ the Tolousians were instructed in the Christian faith by Ma•tiall, who was their first Prelate, after whom succeeded Saturninus, Honoratus, Silvius, Hilarius, Ex•per•u•, and many others▪ even to Lud•v•• St•ulus the Sonne of Charles 〈◊〉 King of Sicily▪ in whose time this Bishoprick was translated 〈◊〉 to an Archbishoprick: under whom are these Suffragan Bishop•• the bishop of M•nta ban. 〈…〉 of S. 〈…〉 created by Pope 〈◊〉 the •2. An has this City is larg• and popul•u• to it hath many 〈◊〉 built Churches, and also Colled••s 〈◊〉 Mo•••••ries. The chiefe Church belonging to the Bishop 〈…〉 cr•ted to S. 〈◊〉 It hath also an University famous for 〈…〉 and for the great number of Students which study there. Here •omerly Playe• i• ho•our of 〈◊〉 the Goddesse o• Flowers were ••brated▪ of which there doe yet remaine some to•••s. But the Fami•• of the E••• •ingling with the Royall Stock▪ this Cou•try wa• ••ted to the Kingdome of 〈◊〉. It will be h••• convenient to nominate some of them: a• namely 〈…〉 others ••metus reckon•t• the Earles of 〈…〉 the 〈…〉 France, who enjoyed that dignity u•to 〈…〉 The•••ly, who after the decease of his Brother ••phonsus, did unite 〈◊〉 County unto his Kingdome. There are also among others these Townes in Languedoc, Narbon, Mons •essusanus, Carcassona, Nemansus, Vzes.