a province of the Netherlands, belonging partly to France and partly to the house of Austria. It is bounded to the south by Champagne and Picardy; to the north by Flanders; to the east by the duchy of Brabant, the county of Namur, and the bishopric of Liege; and to the west by Artois and Flanders. Flanders. Its extent from north to south is about 45 miles, and about 48 from east to west. The air is pleasant and temperate, and the soil fruitful; it abounds in rich pastures, corn-fields, woods, and forests, coal, iron, lead, beautiful marble, slate, and other useful stones: it is well watered by rivers and lakes, and breeds abundance of black cattle, and sheep whose wool is very fine. Its principal rivers are the Schelde, the Selle, and the Dender. This province is reckoned to contain 24 walled towns, 930 villages, one duchy, and several principalities, earldoms, peerdoms, and baronies. The abbeys in it are 27. For spiritual matters, the greater part of it is subject to the archbishop of Cambrai, and the rest to the bishops of Liege and Arras. The states of the province consist of the clergy, nobility, and commoners. The clergy are the abbots, deputies of the chapters, and rural deans; but the chapters of St Waudru and St Germain, in Mons, send no deputies, as they contribute nothing to the public taxes. The nobility consist of the earls and barons, and all those who by their birth have a right to a seat in the assembly of the states. The commoners are composed of the deputies of the towns. The clergy in this county are uncommonly rich. The states meet only when they are summoned by the sovereign; but there is a standing committee at Mons which meets weekly. This county had counts of its own, till the year 1436; when Philip the Good, duke of Burgundy, arrived to the possession of it, upon the death of Jacqueline, the heiress, without issue.

The French acquired that part of it which they possessed, partly by the peace of the Pyrenees, and partly by those of Nimeguen and Redwicke. The arms of this county are quartered, and contain four lions, in a field or. For the government of it, there is a sovereign council, at the head of which is the high bailiff, who has very great authority; he represents the sovereign, is governor of Mons, and captain-general of the province.