A new description of the world, or, A compendious treatise of the empires, kingdoms, states, provinces, countries, islands, cities, and towns of Europe, Asia, Africa, and America in their scituation, product, manufactures, and commodities, geographical and historical : with an account of the natures of the people in their habits, customes, warrs, religions, and policies &c. : as also of the rarities, wonders, and curiosities of fishes, beasts, birds, rivers, mountains, plants, &c., with several remarkable revolutions and delightful histories / faithfully collected from the best authors by S. Clark.

The Dukedom of Savoy, and Country of Peimont Described, &c.

AS for Savoy, it is a very Mountainous Country bounded by the Dauphenet, Bress, Switzer∣land, Peimont and the Alps; the Antient Inhabi∣tants were the Allobroges, who submitted to Hanibal, when he entered Italy with his Carthagenians to War against the Romans; at what time Bruncius and his Brother being at variance about the Succession to the Kingdom, he reconciled them; afterward it was made a Roman Province, and was called from one of the Kings that then Reigned being a Favorite to Augustus Caesar, Alpes Coctiae; but in the declining of the Roman Empire, it became a part of the King∣dom of Burgundy, and passed with other rights of the Empire to Germany; but now is independent under a Duke, who is soveraign Lord of the Coun∣try.

The Chief Towns of Savoy are Chambiers, Scitu∣ate in a pleasant Valley amongst Mountains, and is graced with a Ducal Pallace and many stately build∣ings of the Nobles, who are for the most part very Gentile, Active and Airy, though the Country peo∣ple on the contrary are very Imbicil and Slugish. Tarantaise, an Arch-Episcopal See, Scituate amongst Mountains as the former, full of pleasant build∣ings:

Aquabelle, Mauridune another Arch-Episco∣pal See.

Under the power and Jursdiction of the Savonian D••ke, it is Peimont unless a small part of it claim∣ed by the Duke of Mantoua, seated at the Foot of the Mountains, and bounded on the East with Mi∣lain, on the West with Savoy, on the North with Switzer-land, and on the South with the Mediter∣ranean, being more fertile than the other; contain∣ing 52 Earldoms, and 15 Marquesats, besides Bar∣ronies and Lordships; and here dwell the progeny of the Albigenses, who about the year 1100 stood, for the Liberty and Doctrine of the Church of their Pre∣decessors and about the year 1250, were near all de∣stroyed and ruined by the Popes and French Kings; when the remainder prefering their Concience be∣fore their Country, retired up into the Mountains, and by their Industry and Indefatigable Husbandry, made the very Rocks bring forth Grass and Herbage for themselves and their Cattle, &c. and here they worshiped God, according to the Worship of rhe reformed Churches; greatly increasing in num∣ber, as being followed with blessings, untill the latter end of the Reign of Francis the first, at what time happened the Massacre of Merinia∣num, or Mariguan Gallis and Chabriers, and in the year 1662 and 1663, they were again persecut∣ed by the Savoiard, and since that in the year 1684 we had a Mellancholy account of their treatment: and although there are many good Towns under the Government of Savoy; yet the Duke chiefly resides at the City Turin Scituate on the River Po and is the seat of an Arch-Bishop and a University, where Erasmus took his degree, and for Scituation is accounted one of the plesantest in Europe.