The Seine is counted the richest , Boterus Relations . the Rhosne the swiftest , the Garond the greatest , the Loyre the sweetest , for the difference which Boterus makes of them , where he omits the Garond , and makes the Soane a principall Riuer , is generally reiected .

When we rightly consider the happie fruitfulnesse of this soyle , and the exceeding benefit of these riuers , I know not what wee should say is wanting , vnlesse yee will say , Animus , qui his vtatur , deest , wit to vse them : Terentius . for in deede the French hath these eight and thirtie yeeres abused them with their ciuill and intestine warres . Doe but conceyt in your imagination the faire Townes of Italy heere seated , and in them , the English Nation planted : and in my opinion , ye haue the right Idea of Platoes happy State : O vtinam ! O si !

But I must remember one inconuenience and discommodity it hath .

I haue heard some poore Countrey-man say , He loues not to haue his house too neere a Lawyer . It should seeme they bee ill Neighbours ; and it may be that Themistocles roued at some such matter , when hee caused the Sergeant to cry in publike place , Plutarch . in Them . that besides all the good properties which his Farme had , that hee set to sale , Qu'il auoit bon voisin : That he had a good neighbour .

This is the mischiefe , that faire France hath about her so many bad neyghbours , as Lorraine , Sauoy , and Spayne , of whose good affection to this Countrey , wee may say with the Poet , Vnum cognoris , omnes noris : Knowe one , and knowe them all : Neyther of them wish her better then other , as hath well appeared in the late ciuill warres , wherein eche thought to haue had his share , howsoeuer ( now ) they loue no Grapes .

Hauens and Ports . La Guide . The Ports and passages into France , where Custome is payd to the King , were in times past more then they be now : the names of them at this present , are these : In Picardy , Calais , Bologne , S. Vallery . In Normandy , Diepe , Le Haure de Grace , Honnefleux , Caen , Cherbrouge . In Bretaigne , S. Malo , S. Brieu , Brest , Quimpercorentine , Vannes , Nants . In Poictowe , Lusson , les sables d'Olonne . In Rochellois , Rochelle . In Xantogne , Zoubisse . In Guyenne , Bourdeux , Blay , Bayonne . In Languedocke , Narbonne , Agde , Beucaire , Maugueil . In Prouence , Arles , Marseilles , Fransts . In Lionnois , Lions . In Burgogne , Ausonne , Langres . In Champagne , Chaumont , Chalons , Trois . In the Territory Metzin , Metz , Toul , Verdun . In all , thirty seuen : Of all these , Lions is reputed to be the most aduantageous to the Kings Finances , as being the key for all silks , clothes of gold and siluer , and other marchandise whatsoeuer , which come or goe from Italy , Swisserland , and all those Southeast Countreyes , into France , which are brought to this Towne by the two faire Riuers of Rhosne and Soan : the one comming from Sauoy , the other from Burgundy , and heere meeting : where , by the way , me thinks , I may fitly compare these two Waters , to two great Princes of these two great Countries , comming to be maried at this great City , which within the walles is within ten Toyses as large as Paris . In which allusion , I make the Rhosne ( which in the French toung is of the masculine gender ) the Sauoyard Prince ; and the Soane , which is likewise in this language , the feminine , the Princesse of Burgundy ; which conceit is the better warranted , because le Rhosne is a very swift and furious Riuer , which well agreeth with the nature and condition of the man ; and la Sona , a still and sweet water , which rightly symbolizeth with the quality of a woman .

I would our Poet , Spencer . that made a marriage betweene the Medun and Thames at Rochester , had the handling of this matter ; for it becomes a Poeme better then a Relation .

For profit , next to Lions , are Bourdeaux , Rochell , Marseilles , Nantes & Newhauen : But for capability of shipping , I haue heard that Brest excelleth ; and for strength , Calais , especially as it is now lately fortified by the Spanyard , which was not let long since to bee called , Commines cap. 50. La plus belle Capitainezie du monde , au moins de la Chrestiente : The goodlyest gouernment in the world , at least in Christendome .

There are requisite in all Ports , to make them perfit , these foure things : Lipsius . 1. Magnarum & multarum Nauium capabilitas . 2. Nauibus tutissima statio . 3. Ad hostilem vim coercendam habilitas . 4. Mercatorum frequentatio : 1. Roome to receiue many and great Ships . 2. Safe riding . 3. Facility of repelling forraine force . 4. Concourse of Marchants . The most of these French Ports haue all foure properties , except onely the last , which in the time of these ciuill broyles , haue discontinued : and except that we will also graunt , that Calais fayles in the first .

The Cities in France ( if ye will count none Cities , Cities . Bodin . li. 5 but where is a Bishops Sea , are onely one hundred & foure . There be so many Archbishops and Bishops in all , as shall in more fit place be shewed : But after the French rekoning , calling euery Ville , a City , which is not eyther a Burgade , or a Village , we shall finde that their number is infinite , and indeed vncertaine , as is also the number of the townes in generall . Some say , there bee one million and seuen hundred thousand : but they are of all wise men reprooued . Others say , sixe hundred thousand ; but this is also too great to be true . The Cabinet rateth them at one hundred thirty two thousand of Parish Churches , Cabinet . Hamlets and Villages of all sorts . Bodin sayth , there be twenty seuen thousand and foure hundred , Bodin . li. 6 counting only euery City for a Parish : which will very neere agree with that of the Cabinet ; and therefore I embrace it as the truest .

By the reckoning before set downe of two hundred leagues square ( which France almost yeeldeth ) we must compute , that here is in all forty thousand leagues in square , and in euery league , fiue thousand Arpens of ground , which in all amounteth to two hundred millions of Arpens : which summe being deuided by the number of the Parishes , sheweth , that one with another , eche Village hath one thousand , fiue hundred and fifteene Arpens , which measure is bigger then our Acre .

Wee may , if wee will , abstract a third , because Bodin will not admit France to be square , but as a Lozenge : For in matter of such generality as this , men doe alwayes set downe suppositions , not certaynties .

Of all these Cities and great Townes , I will omit to speake in particular ( though a Stranger must very precisely obserue whatsoeuer he sees in his trauayle ) affying in La Noue his censure , for their maner of Fortification . La Noüe . Sion veut ( sayth hee ) regarder par toute la France , ie cuyde qu'on n'y trouuera , horsmis quelques chasteux , aucune ville qui soit à demy parfaite , s●lon les regles des ingenieures : If a man will looke throughout all France , I thinke that ( some Castles excepted ) hee shall not finde any Towne halfe perfectly fortifyed , according to the rules of Ingeners .

Onely I must adde , that since his time , which is now aboue twenty yeeres , many Townes also haue bettered their maner of fortifying : amongst which , none more ( by report ) then that of Rochell : and lately , that of Amiens , of which wee might last yeere , while the Spanyard held it , say ( as is sayd of Decelea , in the Territory of Athens ) which Alcibiades counselled the Lacedemonians , to take and fortify , namely , Plutarch . in Alc. that it did consumet et mettre a bas la puissance de la France , autant et plus que nulle autre chose : Consume and bring low the power of France , as much as any thing else whatsoeuer : And that it kept and scowred all the passages from Paris to Rouen , like that other from Athens to Eleusina .

But as the losse of this Towne wounded the whole body of France , so the regayning of it , was not onely the healing of the hurt receyued ( wherin it was better then the Pelias Hasta ) but also the raysing of it to these happy tearmes , wherein it now stands .

This Towne would giue mee good occasion to speake of the last yeeres siege , the Cardinalles comming , and the Cittyes yeelding , with many other accidents very memorable and worthy the recounting ; wherein I had rather spend an howres time in talking , then any Paper in writing ; for that , to pen it , asketh the iudgement of a Soldier , of which honour I am most vnworthy : Neyther will I also spend time in the discoursing of other Cities , which we haue seene heere in France , as of their situation , building , wealth and fortification , saue onely of Paris , because the French say , this is a world , no City .

After that , I will breefly relate of the Castles in France , and of some reasons why it is preiudiciall to the quiet of a State , to haue many of them , except they all belong to the Prince , who ought to haue of them in his frontier places , and Lymitrophes ( as they call them ) and vpon Cities which are strong to keepe them in awe , not else ; and as that of S. Katherines , which you sawe at Rouen , now rased : and then I will end the first branch of this Relation , namely , of the Topography of this Countrey .

Paris . The City of Paris , seated in a very fruitful and pleasant part of the I le of France , vpon the Riuer of Sein , is by the same deuided into three parts : that on the North towards S. Denis , is called the Burge : that on the South toward the Fauxbourges of S. Germaines , is called the Vniuersity , and that in the little I le , which the Riuer there makes , by deuiding it selfe , is called the Ville .

This part , no doubt , is the most ancient ; for saith my Authour , Caesar Com. li. 7. Lutece est vne ville des Parisiens , assisse en vne Isle de Seine : Lutecia is a City of the Parisians , seated in an I le of the Seine . We may distinguish it thus : into Transequana , Cifequana , and Interamnis : The part beyond the Seine : that on this side the Seine , and that in the I le encompast with the Riuer . It is reputed not onely the capitall City of France , but also the greatest in all Europe . It is about the walls , some ten English miles : these are not very thicke , the want whereof is recompenced with the depth of the ditch , and goodnes of the Rampart , which is thicke and defensible , saue on the South side , which , no doubt , is the weakest part of the Towne , on which side it is reported , that the L. Willoughby offred the King in foure dayes to enter , at such time as he besieged it . Wherevnto the King condescended not by the counsell of the olde Marshall Biron , who told him , M. Biron . It was no policy to take the Bird naked , when he may haue her feathers and all . On the other side , especially towards the East , it is very well fortified with Bulwarke and Ditch , fayre and moderne , Les Rampars furent faictes es portes S. Antoine , S. Michel , Antiq. Par. et S. Iaques et ailleurs , 1544. The Ramparts of the Gates S. Anthony , S. Michel , and S. Iames , and elsewhere , were made 1544.

This Bastile of S. Anthony , was built ( some say ) by the English ; and indeed it is somewhat like those peeces which they haue built elsewhere in France , as namely , that at Rouen : howbeit , I read in Vigner his Cronicle , Vigner . hist. bib. . that it was builded by a Preuost of Paris , in the time of Edward the third of England , at what time our Kings began their first clayme , and had as yet nothing to doe in this City .

Some other monuments I purpose to speake of , with their Founders , by the example of Plutarch , Plut. Peri. who in his discourse of Athens , particularizeth in this maner : Pantheon Hecatompedon , built by Ictinus and Callicraditas , the Chappell of Eleusine , by Coraebus : the Lanterne , by Xenocles : the Theater , or the Odeon , by Pericles : the Port Pyraeum , by Muesicles , and the Pallaedium of Pallas , by Phidias . So in this Towne , the Chastelet was built by Iulian the Apostata : the Vniuersity was founded by Charlemagne , Haillan . li. 1. Anno , 800. who also erected those of Bologna and Padoa .

The Church of Nostre Dame ( Our Lady ) was founded Anno , 1257. where are these verses following engrauen , to shew the greatnesse of it : Antiq. Par. Si tu veux sçauoir comme est ample de Nostre Dame le grand Temple : Il a dans aeuure pour le seur dixsept toyser de hauteur : Sur lae largeur de vingt et quattre , et soixante et cinq sans rebattre , A de long : aux , tours haut monteés trent quattre sont bien comptées , Le tout fonde sur pillotis , anssi vray , que ie te le dis :

If you would know the greatnesse of the great Church of our Lady , the roofe thereof is 17. fathom high , it is 24. fathom broad , 65. fathom long , the two Steeples are 34. fathom high aboue the Church , and al founded vpon piles .

The Hostel de la ville ( The Towne-House ) was finished by Francis 1. Anno. 1533. with this inscription ouer the Gate , S.P.E.P. that is , Senatui , Populo , Equitibusque Parisiensibus piè de se meritis , Franciscus primus Francorum Rex potentissimus , has aedes a fundamentis extruendas mandauit , accurauit , condendisque publicè consiliis et administrandae Reip. dicauit , anno vt supra :

For his wel-deseruing Senate , people & Burghers of Paris , Francis the 1. most puissant King of France , commanded this house to be built from the foundation , and finished it , & dedicated it to the calling of the Common Councell , and gouerning the Citie , in the yere aforesaid .