96
The connt, of Nice toon after piiffod fueeeffively into variom lunds. Htft to the
Ho«fc of Arks, then of Ana g on, and .gain returned to tl.at of Anjo«, Connt of Provence,
inwl,ofe potrcffion it remained till 1388, when itwa, a,»exed to the fiâtes of the Connt of
Savoy, Amadcns the Seventh, fornamed le Eonge, who then held Piedmont.
Varions have been tl.e opinions of writer, on tl.is point of hiflory, forae having
afferted tl.at Niee and its territories gave themfdves voluntarily to the houfe of Savoy;
others, that it was tlie IKht of his conqnefts in tlrat braneh of the Alps, at the ti.ne when
Qncen Jane, Conntefe of Provenee, to whom it belonged, was bnSed in fettling tire tronbles
at Naples. Other, again, that Yolande, mother and guardian t o t a l s theThM,
Count of Provenee and King of Naples, fold the eonnty for one hundred and fixty tlion-
6nd livres. This laft fuppofition or affertion appears to be eonfirmed by the tefUmony of
.he bell author, who have written the hiflory of the Houfe of Savoy. Be it as it may, it
has moft eertainly, to that epoeha, formed a part of the Sardinian dominion.. It is true,
that it ha. been taken and retaken teveral time., as wel l as the eaflle, whieh wa. then
elleemed one of the ftrougefi: in Europe, iilaréehal Catmat made himfelf matter of that
poll in 1691, but it wa. reflored at the peaee. It wa. again beieged and taken in 1708
by the Dol e of Eerwiek, who finally demoiifhed it, fortifieations, whieh have never f.nee
been repaired; fo that the to,vn may be faid to be perfeflly defencelefs, having only a Angle
wall, or terre-plein, very indifferent baflion. and h.lf-baffion., wiUront half-moons or
eovert-way, and only fom- pieee, of eannon to guard the beaeh.
The view of Niee, No. 13, is taken from a fmaU eminenee half-way to Cemenelion,
in order to give a general idea of the oountij. There is anotlrer Ipot on the tetraee, at the
extremity of the garden belonging to ttre monaiiery of Cimies, whieh I would reeommend
,0 thofe who vlfit that part of the South of Franee, from whenee the eity of Niee is feen to
great advantage; but, from being more diilant. the objefls appear mueh fmaller. They
wiU however be eapable of formmg a juti and aeeur.te idea of thU remarkable plaee,
and the beautiful eountty whieh fnrronnds it; for, in eonfeqnenee of its great elevafion,
the eye ftretehe. in the vaïïey of St. Pons to an extent of nearly three miles, the
whole eountry enltivated like a garden, watered by innumerable rlvnlets, whieh eome
fi-om the Paglion, and eroli the eentre of this deiightfid bafon, meandermg between
the bufhes and group, of orange., lemon., eitrons, &e. making a moll piautefeiue appearance.
Their verdant leave, eontrafting with the extreme whitenefe of the eountry honfes and
. I, 11
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