shadowing him from the poursuing Conquerour who now despairing to fetch him up whom they could not see to follow gave over the chase and stood back to the Fleet so that Vluzzali escaped with about thirty Gallies many of which could not swim being alive as if death had taught them that skill floated being dead and the Sea glutted with multitudes spued up their carcases many labouring in the water for life found now more safety in their wracks then before in their Gallies and somtimes a Turk and Christian taking hold of one plank began a privat fight while a third took benefit of what they strove for the Sea in the mean time becoming victor of both here a tyred Christian calls to a friend for help ther a Turk implores it of his enemy Most lamentable and confus'd cries com from both when now the billows begin to roare lowder then all for the Navy was yet scarce collected and reduc'd to a safe Haven when towards night ther arose so sudden and violent a storm as if the battail had not now bin ended wold have bin a stickler in it To conclude the insolent enemy being thus overthrown and their spoil gather'd the next care was to cure the wounded men and repair the bruised and torn Vessells wherin the Commanders shew'd no lesse industry then in preparation for the fight and their admired valour in it It is hard to decide which of these three Admiralls Don Iohn Venieri or Colonna merited most applause they all did what could not be exceeded by any other nor equall'd but by themselfs the former distast 'twixt Don Iohn and Venieri as it had bin providently pacified by mediation of Colonna so was it in the conquest nobly forgotten of themselfs Don Iohn towards the beginning of the battail being endanger'd by inequality of nomber Venieri with his own danger bravely rescued him like two metled Mastiffs jarring among themselfs when the Bear comes forbear privat strife to joyn against the common enemy which Noble courtesie the Generall nobly and gratefully acknowledg'd honoring him with the Title of Author and which is more the Father of the Victory The whole Army in united voice gratified the Divine Mercy for so great a preservation and elevating their victorious hands to heaven acknowledg'd to be taught to fight by it ev'ry man congratulated the safety of his living friend yet moderately lamented the fate of the dead the sorrow of their death being dried by the merit of the cause those bodies that were recover'd were honorably buried the rest detain'd by the Sea were yet eterniz'd on the shore To repeat the Noble action of ev'ry particular man were a Plutarks labour ev'ry life wold be a story and we know that Plutark gave lifes to many though the longest to himself but among the most eminent shines the Noble indifferency of the Marquis of Santa Cruz who disposing of the reserve of succours distributed them not according to his own affections but other mens necessities bewraying at once excellency of judgement courage and celerity Many circumstances gave lustre to this victory but nothing more then the flight of the Christian Fleet not many years before from about the same place the infamy of the one glorifying the other and serving as a foil to it as shadows set forth and enlighten pictures It was a pleasing consideration to those who had bin forc'd to be fugitives to think they shold find their honor where they lost it To this may be added the remembrance of the like battail fought 'twixt Augustus Caesar and Marc Anthony above a thousand years past in the same place as if destiny had made it a Stage for great actions and that this Heroick Battail had bin but the second part of the first The totall nomber of the dead were 7656. The chief of the Venetians were Augustin Barbarico Proveditor Generall of the Venetian Fleet Benedetto Soranza Marin and Ieronimo Contareni Marc Antonio Lande Francesco Bicono Iacomo de Messa Caterin Maripietro Giovanni Loredano Vincenzo Quirini Andrea and Georgio Barbarici all Senators Of Romanes Horatio Caraffa Ferrante Bisball Virginio and Horatio Vrsini Of the Spaniards Iohn and Bernardinâ—… de Cardona Of the Knights of Malta divers were slain among others these three Germans Ioakin Spart Comendador of Moguncia Ro. of Hamburg Comendador of Hemmâ—…ndorf and Francis Drost the chief men wounded were Don Iohn the Generall Venieri the Venetian Admirall Paolo Iordano Marco Molino and Troylo Savello and well nigh seven thousand privat men This great losse was lessen'd by that of the Turks who are reported by some Authors to have lost nere upon thirty thousand but the multitude of their Gallies taken wrack'd and dead bodies floting on the Sea carrying with it a resemblance of the generall deluge must needs acknowledge it to be great Among the slain was the Generall Ali Mehemet Bey alias Siroch Governour of Alexandria Hassan Bassa Barbarossa the great Pyrats Son the greatest prisoners were Achmat and Mahomet sons of the Generall Ali Mehemet Bey Governour of Eubaea with thirty thousand vulgar soldiers Ther escaped Partau Bassa who since others wold not follow his counsell in abstaining from fight made use of it himself Vluzzali a desperat Renegado who fought but so alwaies that he might fly there were taken one hundred thirty Vessells whereof one hundred seventeen were Gallies thirteen Galeots som report one hundred sixty Ther was much tresure found in the Gally Cleopatra which the Generall distributed among the best deserving among others a Macedonian by whose fortunat hand Ali Bassa fell had a Noble reward but a far Nobler by the magnificent Venetian Republic who did confer three hundred duckets of yearly pension upon him But the most esteemed spoil had from the Turkish Fleet was the redemption of so many Christians in nomber twelve hundred words are but mute expressions of the pitifull slavery they were in being compell'd both actively and passively to suffer for and act against their own Religion nothing could equall it but the joy of this enlargement nor was this joy peculiar and solely to themselfs but multiplied by portions among their friends and kinsmen The nâ—…neteenth of the same Moneth Humphredo Iustiniano arriv'd at Venice with advertisement of this Victory to the Senat never any music so feasted their ears as that news The congratulating Ambassadors flock to S. Mark from all Christian Princes acknowledging him their prime Protector and Champion I will conclude this Relation with the division of the spoils of the Enemies betwixt the three Generalls The Popes share was 21. Gallies whereof 19. ordinary 2. Galeots 54. Canons wherof 12. great 42. of the smaller sort 881. Prisoners among whom were Achmat and Mahomet sons of the Generall Ali Bassa The Venetians share was 44. Gallies wherof 39. ordinary 4. Galeots and a half 131. Peeces of Ordnance 1162. Prisoners The Spanish share was 58. Gallies 214. Peeces if Ordnance 1713. Prisoners The division was thus concluded though not in a
I saw my person being a Creature of the Popes advanced to the dignity of a Hat so I moumed to the degree of a Cardinall wherein I stand now Now if my voice had strength to unmask every particular thing you would be struck with amazement to discover a life so impious in the persons of them who glory in the title of Christs Disciples I 'le tell you in a word that from the time I obtain'd the Cardinallship I never kept Lent I never recited my houres I never confess'd to God till now in these extream agonies of my sicknes Such being the custome almost of all Cardinalls who finding themselfs in a posture to aspire to the Keyes of Heaven doe think perchance to be able one day to find a way to enter there without any necessity of good workes But woe is me I perceive now to have deviated from the wayes of Heaven I discern too well by the light of Divine grace which I know not by what excesse of mercy may please to save me for all this that to lead an ecclesiasticall life is an now accustomed is nothing at all to live a Christian But if Pagans yea Atheists preceiving their own errours have hopes to be sav'd why should I dispair This is the onely argument of my hopes although I think the salvation of an Infidell more easy than that of a perverse Christian because my soul finds at this very moment that the understanding is more easily illuminated than the will humbled and rectified being too tenacious of her delights in those pleasures which she must now relinquish with the Hat But father my spirit failes me give me an absolution for I feel my self upon point of expiring S. Paul having absolv'd the Cardinall upon his departure thence he met with an Angell who after som salutations fell to relate unto him what he had overheard in a Parlatory of Nunnes as followeth You know allredy O Apostle of God that I am of those Angells which never descended before on Earth and if in strange Countrys the curious mind of the passenger desires to satisfy it self I confesse that among other things which I coveted to see one was a Monastry of Nuns who were so much spoken of in Heaven that I took them to be Angells on earth Being come therfore to one of the prime Citties of Italy I took the form of a strange youth and entred at the privatest hour I could into a Monacall Parlatory I found at the windows a young Nun which had no other busines it seemes but to attend the comming of som body I was scarce spyed by her when she asked me an account of my Country and what fancy took me to traverse the World up and down in that maner I bethinking my self of Heaven answerd my Country most gentle Sister is too far distant from this place and whereunto few of this Region arrive Touching the fancy that leads me to traverse up and down the World it is no other than curiosity which often draws youthfull lightnes to neglect their own profit and to regard others Foolish youthfulnes which canst not learn how to value thy Countries good but a far of then I added happy are they who never departing from within the Paradise of these holy walls seem as so many Angels alwayes appearing before the face of God She being as full of Spirit as She was of beauty answered thus O how many of us would willingly change our Paradise for your peregrination wherfore then doe you complain so causelesly of your travels which being no other than the motions of a civill life it cannot chuse but be so much the sweeter to elevated minds by how much the higher the movements of their souls are Behold the Sun behold the Planets which never staying still in one place delight to be continuall travellers in the Univers I being much taken with the vivacity of this femal spirit replyed It is true Lady that the Sun and the Planets are in a continuall peregrination but there are in Heaven fixed Stars also which because haply they are more noble are superiour to the other and consequently nearer the throne of the Almighty These Nuns then who to serve God are always permanent in one place like the fixed Stars may more than any other mortalls comfort themselves with an assurance that they are nearer God The beauteous Maiden sighed at these words and then answered God I deny not dwels nearer to the fixed Stars but not to desperate souls And now you discover your self to be a stranger that you are not acquainted with our condition The cruelty of our Parents and the rigour of our destiny hath pend us in here for ever the Church of Rome concurring hereunto by admitting any pretext whatsoever bear with me Sir that I speak thus It is a hard fate to be born to a perpetuall prison while it is seen that all other living creatures have the whole World to solace themselves in And that Prison which it seems the very infants fly from when they sally out of their Mothers wombs before they have as it were any sense of life we are constrainde to endure after that nature hath given us the perfect use of our sense and life and the knowledge of our miseries The destiny of that mortall must needs be a hard one who is born to live in restles infelicity This Cloyster which surrounds our Liberty is not as you imagine a Paradise for in Paradise there dwels no discontentment It is rather a Hell wherein the flames of inextinguible desire the naturall affections of our humanity are condemned to be tortured every minute I will not stand to expresse the cause why our Parents are so inhumanly cruell unto us for it is too well known that for to spare that dowry which is due to our Sex they condemne us twixt these walls to be deprived for ever of any worldly delight for no other cause but because we are born Women yet you must know that the shutting us thus by force between these stones cannot deprive us of those carnall affections which may well be covered but not quench'd in that religious habit that you see about us Nor can this kind of life conduce to Heaven considering ther 's no concurrence of the will which is so acceptable to the all-knowing Lord we are rather destinated to an Abisse by a course clean contrary to our genius being bereft also of that common privilege which other souls use to have to go to Hell what way they please In ancient times it was the custom to slay the Victimes first and then Sacrifice them to God because haply the principall seat of the corporeall affections lying in the blood 't was not held convenient to offer his Divine Majesty any holocaust which was not first purg'd by effusion of that bloud from all earthly passions But this is not observ'd in us by our Parents who do make Sacrifices of us with all our blood and passions
in the yeer having 3000. persons perpetually at work with other advantages as will appeer when we com to describe it with the Tresury for these are but prolegomena and generall Ideas of things 7. Seventhly The counterpoise of rewards and punishments may be sayed to have bin the plummetts which have made the great clock of this Commonwealth to go tru so many ages In this government whosoever is detected to have the least attempt or thought of conspiring any thing against the Republic dies without mercy On the other side whosoever finds out or invents any thing that may tend either to her advantage or honor shall be as sure of his reward as the other of punishment 8. Another reason why Venice hath lasted so long at such a constant stand is her wonderfull sagacity in discovering any privat conspiracy against Her self her cautions to prevent it and ready means to suppresse it for there is allwayes a privat Armory besides the great Arsenall wherin ther are choice armes ready for 1500. men the musketts and arquibuzes chargd match ready and every thing fitted for a present execution in case of a sudden surprize or uprore This Armory is very secretly kept nere the Dukes Palace and not to be shown without 3. Gentlemen of the great Councell being reserv'd meerly for the use and safety of the Senat in case they shold be assaulted by any ill-favour'd commotion or privat outrage while they are consulting about the affaires of the Republic It is closely and curiously kept and hath many new divises of armes as steel-bowes which shoot needles or small darts and hitt unseen ther be musketts and pistolls that will go off 6. times together halbards with pistolls in them one at each end strange kinds of polaxes with other sorts of defensive and destructive armes if occasion should require Besides this means of suppressing all violence she hath many cautions besides to prevent them It is death without mercy for any of her Senators Officers or Gentlemen to receave pensions from any other Prince or State nor is it permitted that they have any privat conversation with their Ambassadors or public Agents Her own Ambassadors must not conceal the presents and gifts they receav'd from other Princes where they are employ'd but at their return they must present them to Saint Mark 's Tresury which hath much multiplied the wealth of it 9. Another reason of her so constant subsistence may be the sundry restraints She putts to the power of the Prince which are such that 't is impossible for Him to be a Tyrant or able to attempt any thing against her liberty and government He may be sayed to be but a Collegue to the rest of the Senators diffring from them only in the hinmost part of his Capp which riseth up like a Cornet Besides though Maydens commonly love young Men yet she never chooseth any to be her Prince or Duke till he be stricken in yeers and season'd with the experience of the world untill he be half mortified having shaken hands with those extravagant humors appetits and passions that attend humane Nature Hereunto may be added the limitations She putts to the wealth of the Nobles that none of them grow over rich but to such a proportion in regard that it is a quality ever inhaerent and hereditary in the nature of man that excesse of riches puffs up the mind and incites it to ambitious and high attempts nor is there a more catching bayt for one to take vulgar affections and draw them after him than Wealth therfore one of her prime principles of State is to keep any man though having deserv'd never so well by good successe or service from being too popular Therfore when forren Ambassadors are employed to Her they have it among their privat instructions not to magnifie any of her subjects in particular for She cannot endure to hear of it though She can be allways very well contented to hear Her self extoll'd and tickled with complements in the generall 10. Add herunto that one of her policies is to exempt her Cittizens from going to the warrs but She hires others in their places by whose death she sustaineth the lesse losse for She hath bin allwayes observ'd to be parsimonious of her own bloud Moreover She entertaines som forren Prince for Her Generall whom the warrs being ended and the game played She presently discards by which cours She avoyds not only superfluous expence but likewise all matters of faction and apprehensions of danger which might well happen if She shold employ any of her own peeple in so high an employment which might elevat his spiritts to too great an altitud She hath allso another politic law that permitts not the younger sonnes of the Nobility and Gentry to marry lest the nomber encreasing so exceedingly it should diminish the dignity and her great Councell shold be too much pester'd and this may be one reason why she connives at so many Courtisans for the use of the Cadett-gentlemen 11. Eleventhly the rare secrecie She injoynes in her chiefest Councells may be a reason that no forren Prince could come nere her privy parts all this while for it is there an irremissible crime and such a mortall sin that drawes upon it death without mercy to reveale the privat transactions and secretts of her Councell of State In so much that the designes of this close Mayd may be sayed to be mysteries till they be put in execution 12. Lastly the cause of her continuance may be imputed to another reach of policy She hath not to admitt Churchmen to any of her secular Councells nor was She ever subject to the authority of Women And the reason why the Clergy is made incapable to sit in the Senat is because as it was touch'd before they have relation to another goverment viz. the Pontificiall Moreover She hath had a speciall care of the Pulpit and Presse that no Churchman from the meanest Priest to the Patriarch dare tamper in their Sermons with temporall and State-affairs or the transactions and designes os the Senat It being too well known that Churchmen are the most perilous and pernicious Instruments in a State if they misapply their talent and employ it to poyson the hearts of the peeple to intoxicat their brains and suscitat them to sedition and a mislike of the government and now Churchmen have more power to do this in regard they have the sway on the noblest part of the rationall Creature over the soul and the intellectualls Therfore if any intermeddle with matters of State in the Pulpitt they are punish'd in an extraordinary severe manner Yet they bear a very high respect unto the Church as long as she keeps within her own sphere and breaks not out into ceccentricall and irregular motions They suffer Her to this day to enjoy above 2. millions of crowns in yeerly revenue holding it for a maxime that reverence riches decency and splendor are the greatest pillers that
lendings On the tenth Tribunall sit Iudices Examinatores the Judges Examiners who determin all causes touching depositions and oaths On the eleventh Tribunall sitt Iudices praefectorum noctis the Provosts of the night that heare all brabbles or misdemenures committed in the night and punish them To them allso it belongs to adjudg all controversies twixt men and mayd servants c. The highest Councell for criminall causes except the Decemvirat is a Councell calld the Councell of forty for so many meet there upon life and death and they are very choice men In the Cittie of Venice ther are allso Officers who are Supervisers of all Manufactures and other things of moment The first are Signori di panni d'oro the Superintendents of cloth of gold these do warily looke that no fraud be usd in any cloths of tissue or other cloths of gold sylver or silk and severely punish the transgressors herin Ther are other Officers calld Proveditori della Zeccha their charge is to look to all sorts of bullions and coines that they be not embasd and adulterated and that the par of the Standard be kept even Ther be other Officers calld Signori alla farina who are to look to all sorts of grain that they be well conditiond they are allso to looke to the corn that is stord up in the public Magazins that if any grow musty they are to putt good into the place Ther be other Officers calld Signori al Sale and this is a great office for all the Salt which is brought into the Cittie out of Salt pitts round about is to be brought to them who store it up in Magazins and no privat man can sell Salt unlesse he buyes it of these Magistrats who are strictly accountable to the Senat these Salt Officers have power to decide all controversies that may arise touching this commodity Ther be other Officers calld Signori delle biaui whose care is that the Cittie be allwayes provided with a sufficient proportion of wheat and other grain Ther is no Cittie that is more carefull of her health than Venice therfore ther be Officers and they are qualified persons whose charge is to have a speciall care that the Plague creep not into the Cittie and if any infection com they are to suppresse it with their utmost endeavours they are to see that the Pesthouse be at least three miles distant from the Cittie if any hath conversd with an infected body he must for 40. dayes to the Pesthouse before he can return to his own dwelling Ther is no Shipp whatsoever that comes thither from another Countrey can have pratique or be permitted to com ashoare and sell his mar chandise unlesse he produce a Certificat that he comes from a place not infected otherwise he is to stay aboard 40. dayes Ther are other Officers calld Proveditori di comun and they are three they supervise the minor fraternities among others they looke to Printers and Stationers and sett prizes upon all new Books They have the Superintendency of Bridges Wells Conduits Wayes Cawses and such public things which they must see repaird They are allso to see that Shipps be not over laden and they have power to punish such who transgresse herin Ther are other Officers calld Proveditori all' Arsenale Provisors of the Arsenal they have care to furnish that huge Magazin of strength one of the greatest on Earth as shall be declard herafter with all things that shall be necessary as Carpenters Smiths and all other Opificers but to have speciall care that they be choice able Artists and of the most ingenuous sort unto whom they pay their wages evry eighth day Ther be other Officers of great trust calld Signori all' acque these are to have speciall care that no man whatsoever do any thing that may impaire the Banks Dikes and Stronds about the Cittie that no Carrion be thrown into the Channells running through the Streets of the Cittie that no place be choakd up with Sands to stopp Navigation These Officers have power to punish severely all such that transgresse in this kind and they may be sayed to be Conservators of the Walls of the Cittie which are the Waters These Officers are allso to appoint the Stations where Shipps shall ride at anchor and lastly that the Channels be clensed once a yeer Ther are other Officers calld Signori sopra il ben vivere which are no other than Censors but because that word is too rigid for such a free Cittie they modifie it by another title These are to take care that the Lawes and Customes of the Cittie be observd and if any one offend they have power to punish by pecuniary fines they take cognisance of the wages of Servants and punish such that have embezeld any things from their Masters Ther are other Officers calld Syndicks who supervise the acts of public Notaries that serve the Cittie and the Magistrats therof taking care that they exact no unlawfull reward and they have power so sett rates upon all commodities Ther be other Officers calld Sopra Consoli they take cognisance of Marchants and Creditors affairs and compose differences between them they preserve the Debter from Prison and allow him two months time to pay his Creditor and in the interim he hath liberty to go abroad to negotiat and compound with his Creditors but if the Creditors be so refractory and perverse that they will not hearken to any composition they may by authority compell them therunto These Officers have power to sell the goods of Bankrupts and Fugitives under the Spear as they call it They have power allso to keep moneys depositated Ther be other Officers calld Signori alla mercantia these have power to appoint wages for Mechaniques and to end all controversies twixt Man and Master they supervise the prises of all marchandises and moderat them they take care that no Mechanic use any fraud in his work and if it be found they punish him severely Ther are other Officers calld Signori della grassa they supervise all Sellers of Cheese Butter Oil Salt flesh as Bacon and Lard and sett moderat prizes upon them which if not obeyd they have power to punish by pecuniary amercement Ther be other Officers calld Ragion vecchia their charge is to register in Books the expences made upon the coming of any Prince or Ambassador into the Cittie by decree of the Senat and to take care that while a forren Prince be in the Cittie he be honorably entreated and not overreachd in the prizes of things Ther be other Officers calld Giustitia vecchia their charge is to supervise all weights and mesures and that whatsoever is sold or bought be according to the Standard they have power to impose rates upon all sorts of fruits and roots and punish such that obey them not they preside allso over Shoppkeepers and Mechaniques that none take down an old sign and set up a new without their leave If any hire a