Le, a town in France, formerly capital of the province of Maine, and now of the department of Sarthe, situated on the W. bank of the River Sarthe, 50 miles N.E. by N. of Angers, and 132 miles by railway S.W. of Paris. It is built on the slope of a hill near the confluence of the Sarthe and the Huisne, and consists of two parts, an old and a new town. The former is situated at the foot of the hill, and is irregularly built, with narrow, crooked, and for the most part dirty streets and lanes, but possessing many curious and interesting relics of ancient times, which are now fast disappearing. The new town is on a higher level, and is much better and more regularly built, having several fine streets and a spacious square called Place des Halles; but on the whole it is a dull and uninteresting place. There are also two good promenades,—Des Jacobins and Du Grotteur, the latter of which extends along the banks of the Sarthe. Mans is chiefly remarkable for its ecclesiastical edifices, of which the principal is the cathedral of St Julien, comprising two styles of architecture, and dating from two if not more periods. The nave, which is believed to be of the twelfth century, is Romanesque, but it has pointed arches, while the side aisles and walls, and the west front, are at least as old as the eleventh century. The south doorway is richly carved, but much mutilated; while the choir is remarkably beautiful, and has very fine stained-glass windows. This church contains the tomb of Berengaria, queen of Richard I., and also the monument of Charles of Anjou, 1474, and of Langey du Bellay, distinguished as a warrior and author in the time of Francis I. and Henri II. The church of Notre Dame de la Couture, has a very ancient choir, supposed to date from the tenth century, and of rude construction. The conventual buildings were formerly attached to the church, but these are now used for the prefecture, a museum of natural history and antiquities, and a library of 40,000 volumes. Besides these, there are also the churches of St Pierre and Notre Dame du Pré. The other chief buildings in Mans are the theatre, the theological and communal colleges, and the corn-market buildings. The manufactures of Mans consist of woollen stuffs, linen, lace, soap, paper, and leather. The commerce, which is considerable, is chiefly in these articles; and the products of the vicinity, such as iron, salt, wine, brandy, oil, corn, clover seed, cattle, pigs, poultry, &c. In the time of the Romans a town of the name of Suindinum stood here, and was the chief town in the district of the Cemani. In the fourth century the town took the name of Comanonia, whence the present name. Its history, from the most remote period, is a series of disasters and devas-