Hannonia

Sources from old books

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

THE COVNTIE OF HANNONIA, unto which is joyned the Countie of NAMVRCIVM. (Book Hannonia)

• 1.1HAnnonia was heretofore the seate of the Nervians, the chiefe Cittie whereof is now called Tornacum, which Ptolemie, calleth Baganon. This Countrie hath often changed her name: for at first it was called Pannonia, as Lessabaeus witnesseth, from the worship of Pan: afterward Saltu• Carbonarius, and afterward Lower Piccardie: and last of all Hannonia, from the River Hania, which runneth through the middle of the Country, which they call in their owne language Hanault or Henegow, from the same River, which the Frenchmed call Hanie or Hene, and the auncient Germaine word Gouw, which signifies a Countrie or Village.* 1.2 It hath on the North Brabant and Flanders, on the South Campania and Piccardie, on the East Namurcium, and Leodium, with the aforesayd Brabant, on the West Flanders and Artesia. The whole Country is 20 miles long, and 16 broade. The ayre is temperate, sweete,* 1.3 and cleere: the soyle is fertile, abounding with all kind of fruites,* 1.4 but especially hath great store of excellent good Corne. It hath many faire meddowes, pastures, and Orchards in it. It hath the best Iron and Lead: besides, Mines of divers kindes of Marble, and also of hard flints, which Ovid calls Touch-stone, and Lithanthracon, the Leodians, call it in their speech Houlles. They take fire, and will burne like coales, and they are used to make fires of them with some little wood amongst them. Here also those cleeres sheetes of glasse are made, with which they glaze their Churches and houses to keepe out the weather, and these are better than those which are made in other places. Also all kinde of Glasse-ware is made here. This Province hath had many Lords,* 1.5 and at length it came from the family of the Montensians to the Earles of Flanders, and at last it came to the Batavian family, afterward to the Bavarian, and from thence to the Burgundian, and last of all to the Austrian familie. There are foure and twenty Citties in Hannonia fortified with rampiers and ditches. The chiefe whereof are Montes, and Valencenae Montes, commonly called Mons, is a Cittie by the little River Tralla, which is yet capable of great ships, being a faire Cittie, well seated and fortified with walls, and Rampiers. There are many fountaines in it: and it is wealthy by merchandise, Manufactures, and husbandry. Valencenae, or Valencena, or as some would have it, Valentiniani or Valencienne, from an Emperour of that name, is situate by the River Scaldis; in a pleasant plaine, and safe from the enemie. There is in it an Armory well furnished for warre. Two Churches, one consecrated to the blessed Virgin, of auncient building, the Pillars whereof are of marble and Porphyrie: the other consecrated to Saint Iohn, built latelier by Pepin, the father of Charles the Great. There are many monasteries, especially the Monasterie of Franciscans, which is more famous than the rest, in which the Earles of Hannonia and Lords of Valencena are buried. The Court thereof is large, having a famous Diall, which was set up by William Bonus, Earle of Hannonia, Holland and Zeland. There are also Condatum or Conde on the right hand bancke of Scaldis, being two miles distant from Valencena; it is a faire Towne: also Landresium or Landresi, by the River Scambra, being famous for the seige which Charles the fifth layd against it in the yeare 1543, which yet he could not take by force: Also Avesne which is a Cittie and Bulwarke on the frontiers of France; by the River Hepra: Chimacum or Chimay is a Cittie by the River Blanca, in the middle of a wood; in the late warres it was often set on fire and •ac•d, yet at length it was reedified againe, so that it is now more beautifull than before. It hath a Pallace with a garden, and an artificiall and curious Labyrinth therein. Plalla is neere unto the confines of Brabant: Boucha••e is a free towne, situate on the bancke of the River Scaldis, betweene Cameracum and Valencena, it is famous for traffique and merchandising. Bellus Mons, or Beaumont, is a little neate Towne. Philippoli•, or Philippe ville, was so named from King Philip, and Mariae-Burg from Mary Queene of Hungarie; they are strong places built to suppresse the inroads of the French, Bavacum in French Bavis, which some suppose to be that which Ptolem• calls Baganum or Bagacum; some say that Caesar calleth it Belgium in his Commentaries, but they are refuted by those, who bring more stronger arguments, to proove that it was placed in Bellovacum, or some part of Picardie. There are also Maubeuge, Bins, Reux, S•igny, B•ain le Conte, Engien, Lessine, Chevre, A•, S. Guillein, and Leuz•. Moreover there are 250 Villages, the most of which are faire, pleasant and rich. The Countrey is watered every where with Lakes, standing Pooles, Fountaines, and Rivers, with Rivers; as Scala•, Sambra, Tenera, Hania, and others. It hath pleasant woods and Forrests; the chiefe whereof are Morman, and S. Amandi. Moreover the Commonwealth of Valence is governed by such wise and good lawes, that the Norimbergians would institute and frame their Common-wealth according thereunto, & sent some wise and prudent men thither for this purpose, which the Romaines also did in framing their Common-wealth after Athens. And therefore it is no marvell if in so excellent a politicke government, there have beene Cittizens who have beene famous through the whole world for vertue; the chiefe whereof were the Emperour Henry the 7. the Duke of Lutzenburg, Mary the onely Daughter and heyre of Charles the Bold, the Grandmother of Charles the fifth; also Iohn Froissard, a famous Historian, who declareth as much in the beginning of his worke.

The Politicke state of Hannonia doth consist of five members, which are, first the 12 Peeres, namely Longueville, Lens, Filly, Chievre, Au•sne, Chimay, Levreux, Barbanson, Baudour, Rebaux, Walecourt. 2. Ecclesiasticall Pr•lates, namely the Abbot and Earle of S. Waldrut. 26 Abbots, S. Guislaine, Marchennes, Cambron, Hasnon, Marville, Anein, Haultmot, ••essy, S. Denys, Vicogne, •eullien, Crespin, B•nne Esperance, S. Iean, S. Aldegonde, Geilenghien, Spinleu, Ath, Fontenelle, Beaumont, Denain, Quesnoy, Wat••braine, Lolive, B•lliay, Leture, besides the Colledges of Cannons. Thirdly Noble men, and one principality of Chimay; 10 Counties, as La•ain, Beaumont Ostervant, the chiefe Cittie whereof is Bouchin, also Barbanson, Auesne, Barlaymont, Bossu, Montigni, Reux, Terrache. 22 Baronies, as Engh••n, Leuze, Havre, L•agne, A••oing, Vuerchin, Fontaine, Havaide, Kinrain, Barlaymont, Ville, Gomegnie, S. Aldegonde, Se•zelle, Condet, Haurdain, Belleule, Fagneille, Bousie, Roesin, Frusne, Harchies. One Marshall, one Steward, one great Ranger, one Chamberlaine. And foure ordinary Officers.

The Countie of Namu••••m remaineth. It is seated betweene Brabant, Hannonia, and the Dioecesse of Leodium: it is a small mountainous Territorie, but pleasant, having a sweete and temperate ayre. The soyle is fruitfull yeelding all things,* 1.6 which are necessary for the sustentation of mans life. It hath also Mines of Iron and Lead, and stone Quarries, out of which divers kinds of stones are cut, and especially blacke Marble, and stones like Iasper. And not long since those stones were digged forth which were good to burne, we may call them Iathantracas, of which we spoke in the aforesayd description. Moreover this Countrie at first was governed by a Marquesse:* 1.7 and afterward it changed often her Lord. Philip the brother of Balduin, Earle of Flanders, was Marquesse hereof in the yeare 1200. And Theodorus was Earle of it: after whose decease, the whole Country came to Philip Bonus Duke of Burgundie, as we have declared in the description of the Low Countries. There are foure walled Citties in this Country, Namurcum, Bovina, Carlomontium, and Valen•our•ium. And 182 Villages. Namurcum or Namur is the chiefe Cittie; whence the name thereof is derived, is uncertaine: some suppose from Nanus a God of the Heathens, who being used formerly to deliver Oracles, yet at Christs comming grew dombe, and spake no more. And therefore from this dumbe & mute god Nanus, it was called Namurcium: some think it was so called from a new wall which was built there by the Roman•s. The Cittie is situate betweene two Mountaines, on the left hand bancke of the River Mosa, where it receiveth Sambra. It is eight miles distant from Lovanium, 10 from Leodium, and as many from Bruxells. It is rich and hath many faire publicke and private buildings, and it is fortified with a strong Castell. Foure miles from Namurcium is Bouvinae, a small towne, which was often wasted by the warres, and last of all it was for the most part ruinated by Henry the second, King of France, in the yeare 1555. Afterward the Cittizens did reedifie it. Charlemont was built by Charles the fifth in the yeare 1555, against the French-men who then possessed Mar•enburg▪ Valencourtium is a town of good noate, being distant from Namurcium 7 miles. This Country hath many Rivers which are full of fish:* 1.8 the chiefe whereof are Mosa and Sambra: it hath also faire fresh springs. It hath also woods for pleasure and hunting,* 1.9 * 1.10 which are full of wilde beasts. There are many Churches in this Country, & famous Monasteries, which were built heretofore at the costs and charges of the Earles of Namurcium, and endowed with great revennewes. Three miles from Namurcium there is the rich Towne Audennas, in which there is an auncient Nunne•ie for noble women, built by Begga daughter of Pepin, from whom they were first called Baggine Vestalls. The politicke state of the County of Namurcium, doth consist of three members, which are the Clergie, the Nobility, and the chiefe Citties. The Clergie are the Abbots of Floref, Granpre, Anden, Bonef, Wassore, Hastieis. The Nobility are the Vicount Done, &c. The chiefe Citties are Namur, Bovinae, Charlemont, Valencourt, or Walencourt. In the Cittie of Namurcum there is a Royall Counsell, from whence appeales are brought to the Court of Mechlin. There is also a Bishops seate, whose Cathedrall Church is consecrate to S. Albine. The Cittizens are used to armes and martiall discipline, they speake French, but corruptly. There are few merchants and Tradesmen: but a great company of Nobles, but such as be either the Princes Bastards, or comming of a base stocke.