the capital city of Artois, a province in the French Netherlands. It is seated on a mountain; and the parts about it are full of quarries, where they get stone for building. It is divided into two parts, the town and the city. The abbe of St Vaast is lord of the town, and the bishop of Arras of the city, which is the least part. They are divided by a strong wall, a large fosse, and the little river Chirnchron, which 100 paces below falls into the Scarp. They are both well fortified, inclosed by high ramparts, and by double deep fosses, which in several places are cut out of the rock. It has four gates; and since the French are become masters of it, has a strong citadel with five battlements. The most remarkable places are, the great square where the principal market is kept; this is full of fine buildings, with piazzas all round it like those of Covent-garden. Not far from this is the lesser market, which contains the town-house, a very noble structure, with a high tower covered with a crown, on the top of which is a brazen lion which serves for a vane. In the midst of this market is the chapel of the Holy Candle, which the papists pretend was brought by the Virgin Mary herself above 600 years ago, when the city was afflicted with divers diseases, and every one that touched the candle was cured; it is kept in a silver shrine. This chapel has a spire steeple, adorned with several statues. The cathedral church of Notre-Dame stands in the city: it is a very large Gothic building, extremely well adorned; the tower is very high, and has a fine clock embellished with little figures in bronze, which represent the passion of Jesus Christ; they pass before the bell to strike the hours and half-hours. In this church there is a silver shrine, enriched with pearls and diamonds, which contains a sort of wool, which they call manna; that they say fell from heaven in the time of a great drought, almost 1400 years ago; they carry it very solemnly in procession when they want rain. The abbey-church of St Vedast is the greatest ornament of Arras, it being adorned with a fine steeple, and seats for the monks of admirable workmanship; the pulpit is of brass, fashioned like a tree, supported by two bears of the same metal, sitting on their hind legs; there are little bears in different postures coming to climb up the tree. The chimes are remarkable for the different tunes which they play. There are 11 parish churches, and a great many convents of men and women. It is from this city that the tapestry called arras hangings takes its denomination. E. Long. 2° 56'. N. Lat. 50° 17'.

Araxes, is also the name of a river of Georgia, which discharges itself into the Caspian sea.