I left Brussels to go to Mons the Capital City of Hainault, which stands upon a Hill, on the Banks of the little River of Trouil, and is one of the strongest Places in the Low-Countries. Lewis XIV. besieg'd it in Person, and took it in 1691. It was restor'd to Spain by the Peace of Ryswic, but afterwards at the Death of Charles II. King of Spain, it return'd as well as all the Low-Countries under the Dominion of France. But at length after the Battle of Malplaquet, it became subject to the House of Austria. In this City there's a famous Abbey of Nuns, which is a very honorable Retreat for young Women of Quality, who are Orphans, or don't care to be dependant on their Parents. They wear the Habit of Nuns in the Morning, to be present at the Office; but in the Afternoon they dress like Gentlewomen; and they make no Vow.
From Mons I went to Valenciennes[38], which City is a part of the Province of Hainault, and the chief Town of French Flanders. Its beautiful Fortifications display the same Magnificence that was always observ'd in all the Works erected in the Reign of Lewis XIV. That Monarch besieg'd Valenciennes in Person, in the Year 1677; and after having taken it by Storm, caus'd a strong Citadel to be erected in it at the Expence of the Inhabitants. This City had been besieg'd by the Marshals Turenne and La Ferte in the Year 1656; but Don John of Austria, the Governor of the Netherlands, accompanied by the Prince of Condé, who at that time, bore Arms against the King, made them raise the Siege; and in this Expedition the Marshal de la Ferte was taken Prisoner.
The late Elector of Cologne liv'd at Valenciennes when I was there, the Casualties of the War having oblig'd him to quit his own Dominions. I was introduc'd to that Prince by the Prince de Tingri, when his Electoral Highness gave me a favorable Reception, and told me that he knew my Father; but I plainly perceiv'd by what he said, that this Prince would have been as glad to be in his City of Bonn, as in a Town of France.
I stay'd at Valenciennes three Days, after which I set out for Cambray[39]. This City is the Capital of the Cambresis, and one of the strongest Places in Europe. They say its Original is very ancient; for some Authors pretend, that Camber King of the Sicambri was the Founder of it. The Kings of France conquer'd it,
and were Masters of it a long while. After the Death of Charles the Bald, it was for some time a Bone of Contention between the Emperor, the King of France, and the Earls of Flanders; but the latter seiz'd it, and the Emperors afterwards declar'd it a free City of the Empire. Francis I. King of France granted it a Neutrality; but the Emperor Charles V. made himself Master of it; and afterwards during the Revolutions of the Netherlands, it fell under the Dominion of the Duke d'Alençon, Brother to Henry III. who restor'd it to the French by a Treaty, which he concluded with John de Montluc, whom King Henry IV. afterwards made Prince of Cambray. Not long after this, the Spaniards took it by surprize, and kept it till 1677, when Lewis XIV. took it, and it has remain'd ever since in the Possession of France, which Crown has considerably augmented its Fortifications.
Cambray has the Title of an Archbishopric, which was erected in 1559, by Pope Paul II. at the Request of Philip II. King of Spain. The Suffragans granted to this Metropolitan were the Bishoprics of Arras, Tournay, St. Omer and Namur, which were anciently Suffragan Sees to the Church of Rheims. The Archbishop takes the Title of Duke of Cambray, Count of the Cambresis, and Prince of the Holy Empire. He that was the Archbishop while I was there, was the illustrious M. de Fenelon, a Prelate as venerable for his Piety, as for the Delicacy of his Pen. The present Archbishop is the natural Son of the late Duke of Orleans the Regent, and was formerly Bishop and Duke of Laon. This Prelate fully answers the vast Hopes that were conceiv'd, from his good Qualities in his Non-age. His Predecessor in this
Dignity was the famous Cardinal Dubois, the Minister of France.
I forgot to tell you, that the City of Cambray is also of great Note for the famous League that was concluded between the Pope, the Emperor Maximilian, Lewis XII. King of France, and Ferdinand King of Arragon, against the Republic of Venice.
From Cambray I went to St. Quintin, which City is the Capital of the Vermandois, and is of Note for the famous Battle of St. Quintin, call'd also the Battle of St. Lawrence, because 'twas fought on the 10th of August, in 1557. After the Truce was broke between Henry II. King of France, and Philip II. King of Spain, Philibert-Emanuel Duke of Savoy, who was Governor of the Netherlands, besieg'd the City of St. Quintin, which was destitute of Troops, and moreover in a very bad Condition. The Admiral Coligni got into it with some Forces, which gave Time to the Constable de Montmorency to pass the Somme with the French Army under his Command, and throw some Succours into the Town. This was executed indeed, but with so much Precipitation, that the Men who entered it were scarce five hundred in number. The Constable perceiving the Approach of the Spaniards, and his Troops being moreover incumber'd with their Equipage, endeavored to make his Retreat; but the Duke taking advantage of his Incumbrance, surpriz'd him between the Villages of Essigny and Rizerolles, and charg'd him home before he had Time to put his Men into Order of Battle; and the Constable and his Son were taken Prisoners, with a great many Persons of Distinction. The Number of the Slain was even greater than that of the Prisoners; and among