The present state of France containing a general description of that kingdom corrected and purged from the many gross mistakes in the French copy, enriched with additional observations and remarks of the new compiler, and digested into a method conformable to that of the state of England / by R.W. ...

The Departments of the aforesaid four Principal Se∣cretaries of State, are thus laid out.

1. Mr. Louvois has for his Department,

The three Months of February, June, and October, and the affairs of

Poitou, la Marche, Catalonia and Rousillon, Pig∣nerol, Lorain, and the three Bishopricks, Alsatia, the places yielded, or Conquered in Flanders, Artois and Hainaut, the Fortifications of the Places Con∣quered or recovered: all affairs relating to War, the Tax called the Taillon, the Artillery, the Forti∣fications of the said Generalities, the Buildings and Royal Houses, and the Arts and Manufactures of France.

In this Department are the Parliament of Mets, the Soveraign Councils of Perpignan, Pignerol, Tour∣nay, Alsatia, and the Provincial Council of Ar∣tois.

2. M. Seignelays Department comprises,

The Months of January, May and September, and the affairs of

Paris, and the Isle of France, and Soissonnois, as far as Noyon, the Countries of Orleans and Blois, the Fortifications of all Maritime Places, and other Places within the Kingdom, the Kings Houshold, the Clergy, the Admiralty and Sea-Affairs, Commerce both within and without the Kingdom, Manufa∣ctures

out of the Kingdom, the Gallies, the East and West-India Companies, and the Company of Se∣negal, and other Countries within the Limits of their Patents, the Breeding Horses and Pensions.

In this Department there is only the Parliament of Paris.

3. Monsieur de Chateau-neufs Department com∣prises,

The Months of April, August, and December, and the affairs of

Languedoc both higher and lower, and the Coun∣ty of Foix, High and Low Guienne, as far as Fon∣tarabie, Perigort, Rouerge, and Quercy; Broüage, the Country of Aunix, the Town and Government of Rochelle, Ré and Oleron; Tourain, Anjou, Maine, Perche, and the County of Laval, Bourbonnois, Ni∣vernois, High and Low Auvergne, Picardie and the Country of Boulogne, Normandie, Roüen, Caen and Alençon; Burgundy, Bresse, Bugey, Valtomey and Gex; and in general, all Affairs relating to the Reformed Religion.

In this Department are the Parliaments of Tou∣louze, Bourdeaux, Roüen, Dijon, and Besançon.

4. Monsieur Colbert de Croissy's Department con∣tains,

The Months of March, July, and November, and the affairs of

Champagne and Brie, Provence, Brittany, Berry, Li∣mousin, Angoumois, Xaintonge, Lyonnois, and Dau∣phiné, Navarre, Bearn, Bigorre, the Principality of Sedan, Foreign Countries, and Pensions.

In this Department, are the Parliaments of Aix, Grenoble, Rennes, and Pau.

The Months set down under the name of each Se∣cretary of State, are those in which their turn is to dispatch all Letters, or Patents, for all the Libera∣lities, Gifts, and Benefices granted by the King in those Months.

The Parliaments contained within each Depart∣ment

are set down likewise under them, to show, that the Dispatches the King sends to any of the said Parliaments, must all pass through the hands of that Secretary of State, in whose Department they are; and that the Deputies sent by the said Parlia∣ments, or States of the Provinces therein specified to the King, are Conducted to their Audiences, by the Secretaries of State, to whose Department they belong.

In the time of Henry the second, for the speedier Expedition of the many Affairs of State then de∣pending, there were six Secretaries of State chosen, with this Proviso, that the two first Vacancies a∣mong should not be filled up: In that manner were the Secretaries of State established, and reduced to the number of four, as they continue to this day.