134a.  the  intermediate  stage  of  an  Imperial  fief  held  by  the

heir-apparent  of  the  French  crown,  into  a  mere  province
of  France.    But  the  acquisition  of  the  Dauphiny  did  not

The  city  of   cariT  with  it  that  of  the  city  of  Vienne^  which  escaped

\  ieiine

annexed,  for  luorc  than  a  century.  Between  the  acquisition
of  the  Dauphiiiy  and  the  acquisition  of  the  city,  the

Valence,  couuty  of  Vtilence  was  annexed  to  the  Dauphiny.  Later
in  the  same  century  followed  the  great  annexation  of

Provence,  Provence  itself.  The  rule  of  French  princes  in  that
county  for  two  centuries  had  doubtless  paved  the  way


FRENCH   ANNEXATIONS.  265

for  this  annexation.     And  the  acquisition  of  Provence     chap.
.  .  .         .  ^'"1-

carried  with  it  the  acquisition  of  the  cities  of  Aries  and  ~ — ■ — "

Marseilles,  whicli  tlie  counts  of  Provence  had  de})rived
of  their  freedom.  By  this  time  tlie  whole  of  the
land  between  the  Ehone  and  the  sea  had  been  swal-
lowed up,  save  one  state  at  the  extreme  south-east
corner  of  the  kingdom,  and  a  group  of  small  states
which  were  now  quite  hemmed  in  by  French  territory.
The  first  was  the  countv  of  Nizza  or  Nice,  which  had  xizza

passes  to

passed  away  from  Provence  to  Savoy  before  the  French  savoy,i388.
annexation  of  Provence.  But  by  this  time  Savoy  had
become  an  Italian  power,  and  Nizza  was  from  hence-
forth looked  on  as  Italian  rather  than  Burgundian.
Between  Provence  and  the  Dauphiny  lay  the  city  of
Avignon,  the  county  of  Venaissin,  and  the  jjrincipality
of  Oranye.  Avignon  and  Venaissin  became  papal  })os-  Avignon
sessions  by  purchase  from  the  sovereign  of  Provence ;  and,  nnissin

become

thoufzh  they  were  at  last  quite  surrounded  by  French  Papal,  i348.
