The present state of the universe, or, An account of I. The rise, births, names, matches, children, and near allies of all the present chief princes of the world, II. Their coats of arms, motto's, devises, liveries, religions, and languages, III. The names of their chief towns, with some computation of the houses and inhabitants ... IV. Their revenues to which are added some other curious remarks, as also an account of common-wealths, relating to the foregoing heads.

FRANCE. (Book France)

1. HUGH the Great, Duke of France, Burgundy and Aquitain, Marquess of Orleans, and Earl of Paris, died in the year 956. His eldest Son Hugh Capet, upon the Death of Lewis the Slothful, last King of France, of the Race of Charlemagne, was by the unanimous consent of the Peers of France inaugurated King of that Kingdom, ann. 987, from whom is descended Lewis the Fourteenth, the present King of that Kingdom, born at St. Germains, Sept. 5. new style, 1638. Of the several Branch∣es of the Line of Hugh Capet, he is descended in a direct Line from Robert, Count of Clermont, and Lord of Bourbon, youngest Son of Lewis the Ninth, who died of the Plague, at the Siege of Tunis, ann. 1270. The Surname of Bourbon is derived to the present French King from the said Robert: King Henry the Fourth, his Grandfather, being the first King of France, of the said Sur∣name, who having first professed himself of the Roman Religion, whereas before he had been a Protestant, was crown'd King of France, ann. 1594. The present King succeeded his Father, ann. 1642, or 3, and Sept. 7. 1651. he was declared Major: for by a Sanction put forth by King Charles the Fifth, surnamed the Wise, who came to the Crown of France, ann. 1364: the eldest Sons of France, were for the future, to be declared of Age at fourteen years old, and fit to be crown'd, and govern: he was crown'd at

Rheims by the Archbishop of that See, Jun. 7. 1654, and Jun. 9. 1660, he was married at St. John de Luz, to Maria-Teresa, Daughter to Philip the Fourth, King of Spain, by his first Wife, the Princess Elizabeth, Daughter to Henry the Fourth, King of France. She died July 30. 1683, by whom the King has only one Son now living, namely,

Lewis the Fifteenth, surnam'd the Hardy, the present Dolphin, born Nov. 1. 1661; and March 7. 1680, was married to the Ele∣ctoral Princess of Bavaria, Maria-Anna Victoria-Christina, Daugh∣ter to Ferdinandus-Maria, the late Elector of Bavaria. The Con∣tract was signed at Munic, Dec. 30. 1679. She since died ann. 1690. The Dolphin has Issue by her three Sons, viz.

• 1. Lewis, Duke of Burgundy, born at Versailles Aug. 6. at twen∣ty minutes past ten of the Clock in the Evening, ann. 1682.
• 2. Philip, Duke of Anjou, born Nov. 9. 1683.
• 3. Gaston, Duke of Berry, born Aug. 31. 1686.

Concerning the Dolphin, note that he is so called, because Humbert the Second, Earl of Dolphiné, descended of the Blood Royal of France, seeing himself destitute of Issue, made over the Province of Dolphiné, an. 1358, to Philip de Valois, the then King of France, for forty thousand Florins, and on condition, that, for the future, the eldest Son of France should still be styl'd, The Dolphin. And Charles the Fifth above-mentioned, surnamed, The Wise, who came to the Crown of France, ann. 1364, was the First, who in his Father's Life-time was styled, The Dolphin.

Now, besides the Dolphin, the present King of France has se∣veral natural Children, viz.

• 1. Maria▪ Anna de Bourbon, born ann. 1666, and married anno 1680 to Lewis de Bourbon, Prince de Conti.
• 2. Lewis de Bourbon, Duke of Vermandois, born ann. 1667, su∣preme Intendant of the Marine. He died ann. 1683.

  These two were born him by Aolisia-Frances de la Beaume, la Blanche de la Valiere, Duchess of Vaujour, and Peeress of France, Daughter to Lawrence de la Valiere. She is now a Carmelite Nun, by the name of Sister Aloisia de Misericordiâ.

• 3. Ludovicus-Augustus de Bourbon, Duke of Maine, born ann. 1670, and made legitimate three years after, viz. 1673.
• 4. Ludovicus-Caesar de Bourbon, Count of Vexin, born ann. 1672. He died 1683.
• ...

• 5. Aloisia-Frances de Bourbon, Mademoiselle de Nantes, born An. 1673. and married An. 1685. to Lewis, Duke of Bourbon.
• 6. Aloisia-Maria-Anna, deceased An. 1681.
• 7. Ludovicus▪Alexander de Bourbon, Count of Toulouse, born An. 1678. Legitimated An. 1681: Intendant of the Marine.
• 8. Frances-Maria de Bourbon, Mademoiselle de Blois, born An. 1681.

These six were born him by Frances Athanasia de Roche▪Cho∣vart, Gabriel Prince de Mortemars Daughter, and Wife to Henry-Lewis Paidallan, Marquess of. Montespan.

The French King has only one Brother, viz. Philip, Duke of Orleans, born Sept. 1. An. 1640. He espoused for his first Wife, the Princess Henrietta-Maria, youngest Daughter to our late King Charles the First. She was born at Exeter, Jun. 16. 1644, and died An. 1670. He had by her four Children, viz.

• 1. Maria-Aloisia, born March 27. 1662. and married Nov. 17. 1679. to Charles the Second, King of Spain. She died without Issue by him An. 1689.
• 2. Philip, who died an Infant.
• 3. Another Daughter, not named.
• 4. Anna-Maria, born Aug. 27. 1669. and Apr. 9. 1684. married to Victor Amadeus the Second, the present Duke of Savoy.

The next year after the forementioned Duchess of Orleans died An. 1671. The Duke married Elizabeth Charlotta, Daugh∣ter to Charles-Lewis, Elector Palatine, who was born in May 1652. The Espousals were celebrated at Metz, Nov. 26. of the said year, he has Issue by her,

• 1. Philip, Duke of Chartres, born Aug. 2. 1671.
• 2. Elizabetha-Charlotta, Mademoiselle de Chartres, born Sept. 13. 1676.

The Princes of the Blood.

BEing to name the Princes of the Blood, I shall shew withal, how they are descended and allied to the King of France. Robert the Fifth, Count of Clermont, and Lord of Bourbon, youngest Son to King Lewis the Ninth (as mentioned before) was the person, in whom the Line of Hugh Capet is continued in the Crown of France. Charles Duke of Vendôme, lineally

descended from him, was born An. 1489. And left among other Children, two Sons, viz. Anthony, the eldest who was Duke of Vendôme, and King of Navarr, Great Grandfather to the present King of France. 2. Lewis, Prince of Conde, Great Grandfather to the present Prince of Conde, Henry-Julius de Bourbon, born Jul. 29. 1643. formerly stiled Duke D'Enghien, and now, since his Fathers death, Prince of Conde. He was married Dec. 11. 1667. to the Princess Anne, Daughter to Edward Prince Palatine of the Rhine, who was born July 23. 1647. and is since deceased, but he has by her the following Issue.

• 1. Maria-Teresa, Mademoiselle de Bourbon, born 1666.
• 2. Lewis de Bourbon, Duke D'Enghien born 1668. and married 1685. to Aloisia-Frances, Natural Daughter to the King of France by Madam de Montespan, who was born 1673.
• 3. Maria-Anna, Mademoiselle de Monmorency, born 1675.
• 4. Anna-Maria Victoria, Mademoiselle D'Enghien, born 1676.
• 5. Aloisia-Benedicta, Mademoiselle de Conde, born 1678.

The Prince of Conde had also a Brother, viz. Armand, Prince de Conti, born 1629. married to Anna-Maria de Monmorency, Car∣dinal Mazarines Neice, by the Sister 1659. Deceased 1666, leaving behind him two Sons, viz.

• 1. Lewis de Bourbon, Prince of Conti, born 1661. and in 1680 he married Anna-Maria de Bourbon, the Kings Natural Daughter, by Madam de la Valiere, who was made Legitimate. He died without Issue An. 1685.
• 2. Francis-Lewis de Bourbon, the now Prince of Conti, born, 1664, or 8.

Besides these Princes of the Blood, the King has also three Cousin Germans living; Daughters to his Uncle Gaston-John-Baptist, late Duke of Orleans.

• 1. Anna-Maria, Duchess of Montpensier, born An. 1627. un∣married.
• 2. Margarita-Aloisia, born An. 1645. and married An. 1661. to Cosmus the Third, Great Duke of Tuscany.
• 3. Isabella, born, An. 1649, and married An. 1667. to Joseph-Lewis, Duke of Guise, She is now a Widow.

Note, That tho this King of France be but the twenty sixth King inclusively of the Line of Hugh Capet, yet he is the sixty first▪King of France: for there preeceded twenty one Kings of

the Race of Merovius, and thirteen Kings of the Race of Char∣lemagne, before the Line of Hugh Capet came in.

II. For Arms, he bears Azure, three Flower de Luces Or, two in Chief, and one in Base; the Escutcheon is environed with the Collars of the Orders of S. Michael, and the Holy Ghost: It has for Crest, an Helmet Or, entirely open, thereon a Crown Clos'd after the manner of an Imperial Crown, with eight Inarched Rayes, topt with a double Flower de Luce. The Sup∣porters are two Angels habited as Levites; the whole under a Pavilion Royal, semè of France, lin'd Ermines, with these words. Ex omnibus floribus elegi mihi Lilium. Lilia neque laborant, neque nent.

These words, The Lilies do not Spin (as a late French Writer tells us) import, that the Flower de Luces, which represent the Crown of France never fall to the Distaff, and that the Female Sex cannot inherit, according to the Salique Law. The same Custom having prevailed among the Chaldeans, Egyptians, Persians, Chi∣neses, Turks, Tartars, and Parthians: tho the Daughters have sometimes succeeded in England, Spain, Sicily, Sueden, &c.

The King of France pretending likewise a right to Navarre, bears also for that Kingdom, Gules, a Carbuncle noued Or; which having a resemblance to Chains of Gold, is Blazon'd by some, Chains of Gold Interlac'd, parted into Orbes, Pales, Fesses, Counterbands or Saltiers.

The King of France's Device is, Consiliis Armisque Potens, or also this, Nec pluribus Impar.

Note, That the Arms of France in the days of Pharamond, and his three Successors, were Gules three Crowns Or. Clovis the Great altered them to Azure, semè of Flower de Luces Or, and Charles the Sixth, who came to the Crown, An. 1380, reduc'd the Lilies, in his Coat of Arms, to three. The Kings Livery is of a blew colour. He professes the Roman Religion, and uses the French Language.

III. Paris is the Capital City of France, which has the plea∣sant River Seine running thro the midst of it. I shall speak con∣cerning the extent, and number of the Houses and Inhabitants of this, and other Cities when I come to speak of London; wherefore I shall pass by these things at present.

As for his chief Seats of pleasure, the chief is that noble Seat at Versailles, four Leagues South of Paris, of which there being

a full and clear description extant in English, as also of the Seat of Monsieur at S. Clou, and of the Treasury of S. Denis, I shall say nothing here of them. He has also the noble Seats of Fontainbleau, and S. Germains, beside the Louvre at Paris, cele∣brated by that famous Distich

Non Orbis Gentem, non Urbem Gens habet ullam, Urbsve domum, Dominum nec habet ulla parem,

4. The Revenues of the King of France are said to amount to eleven millions of Pounds Sterling; being above the fifth part of the Revenues of that Kingdom; and the French averr France to contain fifty thousand Parishes.