Machlin

Sources from old books

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

THE CITTIE AND PROVINCE OF MACHLIN. (Book Machlin)

MAchlin is situated almost in the middle of Brabant, and is as it were enclosed within it, neere the River Dilia, which cutteth through the middle of it, being equally distant from Antwerp, Bruxells, and Lovanium, in a Champion Countrie and fertile soyle, having a light and sandie ground; the Cittie is very faire & conspicuous, both in regard of the pleasantnesse of the situation, the cleanenesse and breadth of the streetes, the largenesse and curiousnesse of the houses: some reckon it as a part of Brabant, but yet truely it is a distinct country from it. There are divers uncertaine conjectures concerning the originall thereof, but this is manifest, that in one of the letters Pattents of Pepin King of France, dated in the yeare 753, there is mention made of it, and that it is there called M•slinas, as it were the line of the Sea, because the Sea doth flow and ebbe before it; which Etymologie pleaseth some better, than to call it Machel from one Michael who possessed these parts, as Orte••us doth deliver in his Itinerarie of the Low Countries. Others doe deduce the name from other derivations. But as we sayd, Machlin, after the yeare 753, had Adon to be Earle thereof, which he held by fealty and service. But who were his Praedecessors, or successors is not yet knowne. Long time afterward there follow'd the Bertoldi, who denyed fealty and homage to Godfrey Barbatus, Duke of Brabant, which occasioned warres betweene them. After the Berltoldi, Machlin had various fortunes, and divers Lords; at length it recovered libertie, and was not subject unto any in the yeare 1336. And afterward it came to the Burgundian family in the yeare 138•. And lastly, unto the Austrian family, in the yeare 1477. And it is now one of the 17 Provinces of the Low countries, where the chiefe Counsell doth sit, whither the last appeale in the Low Countries is made; & instituted by Charles of Burgundie, Prince of the Low Countries, and at length in our time it was made an Archbishopricke, the chiefe Metropolitan seate, whereof is Saint Rumolds Church. Besides, there is an Armorie in it, which in the yeare of Christ, 1546. in the moneth of August, the Gunpowder being set on fire by lightning, was burnt downe, and the Cittie much defaced thereby.

Here Nicasius of Woerden, a most learned Lawyer, although hee were blinde, was borne; also Christopher Longolius, Rombert Dodonaus, the Emperours Phisitian, and professor of Phisicke at Leyden: and also Philibert of Bruxells an excellent Lawyer. It doth also produce many excellent artificers and workemen▪ especiall stone-cutters, and carvers of Images. He that desireth to know more concerning this Cittie, and the antiquitie of this Province, let him have recourse to Iohn Bapt. Gremajus his large description of Machlin, and he shall finde very good satisfaction therein.