Namur

Sources from old books

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

THE COVNTIE OF NAMVRCIVM. (Book Namuricium) POntus Huterus Lib. 2. cap. 3. concerning Belgia, writeth that the Countie of Namurcium was heretofore inhabited partly by the Advaticans, and partly by the Eburonians. It is situate betweene Brabant, Hannonia, and the Dioecesse of Leodium: being a small mountainous Territory, but very pleasant. It is populous in inhabitants who are very much addicted to warfare: it hath a sweete and temperate ayre, and rivers full of fish, the chiefe whereof are Mosa and Sambra: it hath also cleare Springs, and woods for delight of hunting, which are full of wilde beasts. It hath also Mines of Iron and Lead, and stone Quarries, in which divers kinds of Stones are cut forth, and especially blacke marble, and stones like Iasper: and of late they digged forth those stones which are good to burne, which assoone as they have taken fire doe kindle by degrees, and are quenched with oyle, but water makes them burne more hotter; they are commonly called Leodian coales, the learned doe call them Lithanthracus. It is not manifest, when this Country was made a Countie. We reade of Marquesses and Earles, of Namurcium, from the yeare of Christ 277, but in broken and interrupted succession; but concerning the Princes of this Country, Gram•aius, well best informe us in his history of Namurcium. Namurcium is 10 miles broad, and 12 miles long. There are foure walled Citties in this Countie, and 182 Villages. And many Noblemens Castells. Also many Abbeys. The government of the Common-wealth belongeth to three orders, namely the Clergie, the Nobility; and the Burgesses of Citties. Namurcum, or Namucum, is the chiefe Cittie, but it is not knowne from whence the name thereof is derived, some derive Namurcum from Nanus a Heathen god, famous for delivering of Oracles; others from a new wall which the Normanes built. Huterus supposeth it to be that which Caesar calleth Nemetoenna. This Citty is situated betweene two Mountaines, on the left hand banke of Mosa, where it receiveth the River Sambra; being fortified both by Art and Nature. It is rich, and hath many faire, publicke, and private aedifices and buildings. In this Citty there is a royall Counsell, from whence appeales are brought to the high Court at Mechlin. It is also a Bishops seate, whose Cathedrall Church is consecrated to S. Albine. The Cittizens speake French, but corruptly: there are a few Merchants and Tradesmen in this Citty, but a great company of Nobles. Three miles from Namurcum there is the rich towne Audennas, in which there is an auncient Nunnery of Noble women, built by Begga the daughter of Pipin, from whom they were first called Baggine Vestalls. Also betweene Namurcum and Dinantum on the mountaine Palvagius, there are some ruines of the auncient Cittie Caprimont, which was wasted in the Leodiensian warres. Foure miles from Namurcum is Bovinae, a little Towne by the River Mosella, which the Earle Henry walled anno 11•6. In the yeare 1554, in the time of the French warre it was razed downe to ground. But afterward the Cittizens did reëdifie it. Walcuria, which the Dutchmen call Waelhovan is situated 7 miles from Namurcum, on the banck of the river Aurca, it was first a Castell, and afterward about the yeare 910 it was walled about. Carlomont was built by Charles the fifth▪ Anno 1555 against the Frenchmen, who then possessed Marieburg, it hath an impregnable Castell, it is situated on the left hand bancke of the River Mosa, three miles from Marieburg.