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HIS country was anciently called Gallia Belgica, and the inhabitants elge: But it was of a much larger extent an the prefent Netherlands; of which the oundaries now are the British ocean, or orth-fea, on the north; the fame ocean, th part of Picardy, on the weft; the reft Picardy, with Champagne and Lorrain, the fouth; and the bishopric of Triers Treves, the duchies of Juliers and Cleves, bishopric of Munter, and the county Emden or Eaft-Frielland, on the ealt. s fituated between the 49th degree and minutes to the 53 degree and 25 mies of latitude; and between the 2d deand 5 minutes to the 6th degree and minutes of longitude eaft from London. The greatest part of the Netherlands was quered by the Romans; and that part which lies towards Gaul, continued heir fubjection till the decline of that re; after which the Francs became ers of it; and under the French mohy it was part of the kingdom of Metz uftrafia.

he divifion of the Low-countries into any states is derived from the Earls Counts of Ardenne, whofe origin wasthe fons of Clodion, King of France, being kept out of that fucceffion by ovee, were forced, for their fecurity, take themselves to the most defenfible s of the foreft of Ardenne, and the ries on the banks of the Mofelle, they founded the two great earldoms e Mofelle, and the Ardenne: The r belongs to Germany, and therefore all not give an account of it here. latter comprehended part of Flanders rabant, all Hainault, Namur, Limand Luxemburg, together with the of Bouillon. Thefe large eftates ued peaceably under the Earls of ne for fome time, who, growing pow. nd great, became the envy of their ours, and were attacked by DagoKing of Merz, and fon to ClothaKing of France, who in battle ne and flew Brunulph, Earl of Arand feized his country, giving only Hainault as an earldom to Albert, his fon. Dagobert fucceeded his father in the kingdom of Neuftria, in 629, whereby he became King of almost all France, being before King of Metz or Auftrafia, and of Burgundy; and gave away feveral parts of NUMB. CLXVII, VOL: XXIV.

the country or earldom of Ardenne: But the reft ftill bore the title of an earldom, and continued for a long time a very confiderable state.

Towards the year 940, Luxemburg and Limburg were given to two of the younger fons of Ricuine, Earl of Ardenne, and, about the fame time, Namur was erected into an earldom; the reft came afterwards by marriage to the houfe of Lorrain, which continued in poffeffion of it a long time. Such is the origin of the earldoms of Luxemburg, Limburg, and Namur.

Part of Brabant, as already obferved, was included in the earldom of Ardenne : The other part, which lies towards the fea, was very much infested, and even almost depopulated, by the depredations of the Danes and Normans; wherefore, to guard the coaft, and protect the inhabitants, a certain Officer was appointed, called Lord Warden of the Marches; which title was continued till Utilo, nephew of Aldiagerius, King of the Boioarians, (the people of Bavaria) having fhewn great courage against thefe pirates, was honoured with the title of Lord Marquis of Antwerp: One of his defcendants, named Anfegeftus, was Mayor of the palace in France, and made Duke of Brabant; and, his greatgrandfon Pepin obtaining the crown of France, that duchy became a province of that kingdom, and was afterwards part of the kingdom of Lorrain. About the year 980, the cities and territories of Bruffels, Louvain, Antwerp, and Nivelle, were feparated from the duchy of Brabant, and made a new ftate, with the title of the marquifate of the Holy Empire, by the Emperor Otho II, and given to his aunt, whofe grand daughter Gerburg, fucceeding her, conveyed it by marriage to Lambert, fon of Reyner, Earl of Hainault, who had the title of Earl of Louvain; he was fucceeded in it by his defcendants; one of whom, named Godfrey VII, Earl of Louvain, conquered the rest of the country, and was created Duke of Brabant.

Flanders was a wild and wafte country, the fea-coafts being infefted by the Danish' pirates, and the other parts but meanly cultivated, till it was conquered by the French Kings, who, foon after the establishment of their monarchy, appointed a certain Officer, with the tide of Forefter of Flanders, to fopprefs the robbers who infeited the woods, FI

and the fea coafts, and by government and protection to civilife the people, and encourage them to industry. This office continued in the fame family for feveral descents, and was at length changed into the title of a Count or Earl, about the year 864, by Charles the Bald, Emperor and King of France, in favour of Baldwin, the feventh Forefter, who had married his fifter. Artois was included in the earldom of Flanders, till the year 1234, when Robert, grandfon of Philip Auguftus, King of France, and hufband to Ifabella, daughter to Baldwin VIII, Earl of Flanders, was

made Earl of Artois.

Guelderland was part of the French kingdom of Auftrafia, and with that became part of the empire of Germany; and, as fuch, was governed by certain Guardians, or Protectors (first inftituted in the reign of Charles the Bald) of whom Otho of Naffau was the first free Prince, and created Earl by the Emperor Henry V, in the year 1079. And his defcendant Raynold was made Duke of Guelderland, in 1339.

Zutphen was a feparate earldom for many years, till it became united with Guelderland, by the marriage of Otho of Nassau, just now mentioned, with Sophia, the daughter of Wickmam, the laft Earl of Zutphen.

Holland and Zealand, a rude unpeopled country, being much infefted by the Norman piracies, were first made an earldom by the Emperor Lewis II, about the year 863, and given to Thierry, in whofe line the fucceflion continued till the death of John, about the year 1300, who, leaving no iffue, was fucceeded by John of Avefnes, Earl of Hainault, fon of Alcide, the daughter of Florence IV, Earl of Holland.

Frifeland was but part of the country of the ancient Frifii, fome part of Utrecht and Overyffel, as well as Eaft- Frifeland in Germany, being inhabited by thofe people, who were governed by their own Kings, till the Emperor Charles the Great conquered them; and this part, now one of the feventhen provinces, was annexed to the duchy of Guelderland, and afterwards a diftinét barony.

Overyffel and Groningen were part of the epifcopal fee of Utrecht, firtt founded about the year 600, by Dagobert, King of France, in favour of Willibald, an Englishman, the first converter of thefe countries to Chriftianity, whofe fucceffors were temporal as well as fpiritual Lords of their diocefe, for 900 years, and were very powerful Princes.

We thought it neceffary thus briefly to mention the origin of thefe dukedoms, earldoms, and lordships: We fhall now relate

how they came to be all fubject to the house of Auftria.

Philip, furnamed the Hardy or Bold, Duke of Burgundy, and fon of John, King of France, married Margaret, the only daughter of Lewis de Male, or Malain, Earl of Flanders and Artois; and fucceeded to thofe two earldoms after the death of Lewis, who died in the year 1383.

Antony of Burgundy, the fecond fon of Philip, got the duchies of Brabant and Limburg, the marquifate of the Holy Empire, and the lordship of Mechlin or Malines, in the year 1406, as heir to Jane, his aunt, by the father's fide, the daughter of John III, Duke of Brabant, and fifter to Margaret, the wife of Lewis de Male: He left two fons, John IV, who died April the 17th, 1426, and Philip, who died Auguft the 4th, 1430. As they both died childlefs, Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, their first coufin, fucceeded to thofe duchies, to the marquifate, and to the lordship of Mechlin : He had bought in the year 1429 the county of Namur of Thierry, the latt Earl, leaving him, however, the title and profits of it till his death.

John, the fon of Philip the Good, had married Margaret, the daughter of Albert of Bavaria, Earl of Holland, and filter to William, the father of Jacoba, or Joan of Bavaria, Countess of Hainault, Holland, and Zealand, and Lady of Frifeland: This Counters had four husbands, but no children by any of them; fo that Philip the Good, who was her first coufin, inherited all her eftates, the adminiftration and government of which he had been obliged to give up to him fome years before

The died.

The fame Philip did, in the year 1443, feize upon the duchy of Luxemburg, hav ing driven out of it William, Duke of Brunfwic, who had ufurped it from Eli fabeth, the widow of Antony, Duke of Brabant, and daughter of John of Luxem burg, Duke of Gorlitz, who was brother to the Emperors Wenceslaus and Sigif mond.

Charles, the fon of Philip the Good, bought, in the year 1472, the duchy of Guelderland, and the county of Zutphen, of Arnold of Egmond, the father of Adolphus, who was a prifoner at Courtray; but, Charles being killed in the year 1476, Catharine, the fifter of Adolphus, retook Guelderland for her nephew, Charles of Egmond.

Mary, the only daughter and heiress of Charles, Duke of Burgundy, just now. mentioned, married Maximilian of Auftria, fon of the Emperor Ferdinand III, and brought