of the Hill on which the Town stands it seems the ground began to fail so to support it they have raised a vast Fabrick which has cost more than the Church it self for there is a Platform made which is a square to which the Church is one side and the further side is a vast Wall fortified with buttresses about 150 foot high They told me that all the ground down to the bottom of the Hill was dug into vaults this plat-form is the chief walk of the Town chiefly about Sun set and the River underneath presents a very beautiful prospect For there is a Cut taken off from it for the Mills but all along as this Cut goes the Water of Aar runs over a sloping bank of Stone which they say was made at a vast charge and makes a noble and large Cascade The second Church is the Dominicans Chappel where I saw the famous hole that went to an Image in the Church from one of the Cells of the Dominicans which leads me to set down that Story at some length For as it was one of the most signal cheats that the World has known so it falling out about twenty years before the Reformation was received in Bern it is very probable that it contributed not a little to the preparing of the spirits of the people to that change I am she more able to give a particular account of it because I read the originâ—â— process in the Latin record signed by the Notaries of the Court of the delegates that the Pope sent to try the matter The record is above 130 sheets writ close and of all sideâ— it being indeed a large volum and I found the printed accounts so defective that I was at the pains of reading the whole process of which I will give here a true abstract The two famous Orders that had possessed themselves of the esteem of those datk ages were engaged in a mighty rivalry The Dominicans were the more learned they were the eminentest Preachers of those times and had the conduct of the Courts of Inquisition and the other chief officer in the Church in their hands But on the other hand the Franciscans had an outward appearance of more severity a ruder habit stricter rules and greater poverty all whicâ— gave them such advantages in the eyes of the simple multitude as were able to ballance the other honours of the Dominican Order In short the two Orders were engaged in a high rivalry but the devotion towards the Virgin being the prevailing passion of those times the Franciscans upon thiâ— had great advantages The Dominicans thar are all engageâ— in the defence of Thomas Aquinas's opinions were thereby obliged to assert that she was born in Original Sin thâ—â—â— was proposed to the people by the Franciscans as no less than Blasphemy and by this the Dominicans began to lose ground extreamly in the minds of the people who were strongly prepossed in favour of the immaculate Conceptioâ— About the beginning of the 15th Century a Franciscâ—â— happened to preach in Francfort and one Wigand a Dominican coming into the Church the Cordelier seeing him broke out into exclamations praising God that he was noâ— of an Order that prophaned the Virgin or that poysoneâ— Princes in the Sacrament for a Dominican had poysoneâ— the Emperor Henry the VII with the Sacrament Wigaâ—â— being extreamly provoked with this bloody reproach gavâ— him the Lye upon which a dispute arose which ended in a tumult that had almost cost the Dominican his life yet he got away The whole Order resolved to take their revenge and in a Chapter held at Vimpsen in the year 1504. they contrived a method for supporting the credit of their Order which was much sunk in the opinion of the people and for bearing down the reputation of the Franciscans four of the juncto undertook to manage the design for they said since the people were so much disposed to believe Dreams and Fables they must dream of their side and endeavour to cheat the people as well as the others had done They resolved to make Bern the Seene in which the project should be put in execution for they found the people of Bern at that time apt to Swallow any thing and not disposed to make severe Enquiries into extraordinary Matters When they had formed their design a fit Tool presented it self for one Ietzer came to take their habit as a Lay-brother who had all the dispositions that were necessary for the execution of their project For he was extream simple and was much inclined to Austerities so having observed his temper well they began to execute their project the very Night after he took the Habit which was on Lady-day 1507. one of the Fryers conveyed himself secretly into his Cell and appeared to him as if he had been in Purgatory in a strange figure and he had a Box near his mouth upon which as he blew fire seemed to come out of his mouth He had also some Dogs about him that appeared as his Tormentors in this posture he came near the Fryer while he was a Bed and took up a celebrated Story that they used to tell all their Fryers to beget in them a great dread at the laying aside their habit which was that one of the Order who was Superiour of their House at Soloturn had gone to Paris but laying aside his habit was killed in his Lay-habit The Fryer in the Vizar said he was that person and was condemned to Purgatory for that Crime but he added that he might be rescued out of it by his means and he seconded this with most horrible Cries expressing the Miseries which he suffered The poor Fryer Ietzer was excessively frighted but the other advanced and required a Promise of him that which he should desire of him in order to the delivering him out of his Torment The frighted Fryer promised all that he asked of him then the other said he knew he was a great Saint and that his prayers and mortifications would prevail but they must be very extraordinary The whole Monastery must for a week together discipline themselves with a Whip and he must lie prostrate in the form of one on a Cross in one of their Chappels while Mass was said in the sight of all that should come together to it and he added that if he did this he should find the effects of the love that the B. Virgin did bear him together with many other extraordinary things and said he would appear again accompanied with two other Spirits and assured him that all that he did suffer for his deliverance should be most gloriously rewarded Morning was no sooner come than the Frieâ— gave an account of this Apparition to the rest of the Convent who seemed extreamly surprised at it they all pressed him to undergo the discipline that was enjoyned him and every one undertook to bear his share so the deluded Fryer performed it all exactly in one of the Chappels of their
the Greek Church with the Latin in the matter of Transubstantiation where penned and how obtained With an account of the ignorance and corruption of the Greek Priests p. 97 98. A famous Venetian Lady that spake Greek and Latin well besides three other Languages and who commenced Dr. of Physick Of the Ancient Noble Families of Venice To whom and upon what occasion the honor of being Noble Venetian is imparted p. 98 99 100. The limited Power of the Duke and that that Dignity is not worth a wise Mans Courting The reason of Sagrâ—do's being put by from being Duke his retiring thereupon from the City and the Books he wrote during his retirement p. 102 103. Why married Men are not now chosen to that honour and of Titles forbidden and allowed p. 103. The Authority of the Senate over the Ecclesiasticks and the limited power of their Bishop and that the very Clergy have little dependence upon him Of the Election of their Curat 's by the Inhabitants of every Parish and the Liberty which the Candidates take to defame and expose one another p. 103 104. Ignorance and Vice the chief Characters of all Priests especially at Venice The licence assumed by many of their Nuns particularly by those that call themselves Noble Venetians All Ecclesiasticks precluded from a share in the Government and in case any be promoted to the Hat their Friends and Relâ—tions become uncapable during their lives both of Imployments and of sitting in the Great Council p. 104 105. The Inquisition at Venice through being subject to the Senate does little hurt Many Protestants there whom the Senate gives no trouble to The Hosty not carried openly in procession The Venetians generally unconcerned as well as ignorant in matters of Religion p. 105 106. Most of the young Nobility corrupted in their Morals and wholly decline all Military Imployments So that their Officers as well as Souldiers are strangers The reason of the degeneracy of the Italians and in particular of the Venetian Nobility p. 106 107 108. The pleasures which they pursue are all bruitish but the noble and innocent pleasures of Friendship and Marriage c. they understand not Their Houses stately but not convenient Neither their Bread Wine not the Cookery of their Flesh good Their Coaches uneasy and the Carriages through all Lombardy inconvenient p. 108. to 111. Of the late created Nobility the Sum they obtâ—ined it for their number and the prejudices arising hereby both to the Republick and the ancient Nobility p. 111 112 113. By whom Crimes committed by any of the Nobility against the Statâ— are judged and by whom the Offences of other Subjects are tryed p. 114 115. Of the Inquisitors of State. The extent of their Authority The Quality and Merit of their persons and the usefulness of that Tribunal p. 115. to 118. Of Mr. de la Hay French Ambassador at Venice His Character p. 118. The Road from venice to Ferrara The Town as well as Country of Ferrara forsaken of their Inhabitans through the ravenousness of the Priests and the oppressiveness of the Government However the Churches and Convents are vastly rich and that from the Vanity of the people more than from their Superstition p. 119 120. Of Bologna which having delivered it self to the Pope upon a Capitulation hath thereby preserved many of its Priviledges and so continues Wealthy and well peopled p. 121. Its Palaces Churches and Convents in one of which namely that of the Canons Regular of St. Salvator there is a Scrowl of the Hebrew Bible pretended to be written by Ezra's own hand but falsely The Meridional Line which Cassini laid along the pavement of St. Petrones's Church p. 122. Of Ioan's Statute there and the Authors unbelief as to such a person 's having been Pope Of the Monastery of St. Mâ—chael on the Hill above Bologna and of a Madona of St. Lukes four miles from the Town p. 123. Of the Appenine Hills and of Pretolino one of the Duke's Palaces which stands on the last of them with some account of the Gardens in Italy p. 124 125. Of Florence The Great Dukes Palace The Dome with its Cupolo and Baptistery Of the Chappel of St. Laurence where the Bodies of the great Dukes lye deposited The Statues in it particularly that of the Virgin by Mich. Angelo The Library belonging to it well replenished with Manuscripts p. 125 126 127. Florence much decayed and Siena and Pisa shrunk into nothing and that more from the severity of the Government than the Decay of their silk Trade p. 127 128. A comparison between the Territories of the Venetians Genoa's and Switzâ—rs in Italy which are well peopled and the Inhabitants rich and the Territories of the Great Duke the Pope and the King of Spain where there are few people those miserably poor However the Churches are rich which helpt also to sink their Trade p. 128 129. The Inns when one hath past the Appenines wretchedly accommodated p. 130. The Fourth LETTER From Rome THe great desolation that appears in all the Popes Territories through the rigour of the Government For a Prince to be Elective and yet Absolute a great solecism in Government The Pope the most Absolute Prince in Europe in Temporals allowing the Cardinals no share with him in that tho he admit them to share with him over the Affairs of the Church The incongruity both of the one and the other p. 131 132 133. A brief account and Character of the present and the three preceding Popes The scandal arising to Christian Religion through the neglect of Justice and Mercy by him that stiles himself Christs Vicar A handsome Reflection made to the Author by a Roman Prince upon the folly of Oppressions p. 134 135 136. The present Vice-Roy of Naples the Marquis of Carpi commended for Wisdom Moderation and Justice His suppressing the insolency of the Spaniards over the Natives His maintaining the Souldiers in Discipline and paying them exactly His Reforming the Courts of Judicature His extirpating the Banditi and by what means The design he is upon of bringing the Money to its true value p. 136 137 138. The Iesuites being the Proprietors of near the half of Apulia treat their Tenants with that rigour that the Country is much desolated and many die of hunger The Sloth and Lasiness of the Neapolitans hinders their making those advantages of the produce of the Country which they might The provision here for Travellers bad and the accommodation worse Four parts of Five of all the Wealth of the Kingdom of Naples in Church-mens hands p. 139 140. Of the Churches and Convents in Naples particularly of the Hospital stiled the Annunciata The Iesuites great Merchants especially in Wine wherein the Minims also deal but more scandalously in selling it by retail p. 140 141. A priviledge which the Convents have as to buying Houses in the Town And that the Wealth of the Clergy is so great that they are in a fair way of making themselves
Town but their numbers are not considerable I was told there were some ancient Manuscripts in the Library that belongeth to the Cathedral but one of the Prebendaries to whom I addressed my self being according to the German Custom a Man of greater Quality than Learning told me he heard they had some ancient Manuscâ—ipts but he knew nothing of it and the Dean was absent so I could not see them for he kept one of the Keys The lower Palatinate is certainly one of the sweetest Countryes of all Germany It is a great Plain till one cometh to the Hills of Heidelberg the Town is ill scituated just in a bottom between two ranges of Hills yet the Air is much commended I need say nothing of the Castle nor the prodigious Wine-Cellar in which tho there is but one celebrated Tun that is seventeen foot high and twenty six foot long and is built with a strength liker that of the ribs of a ship than the Staves of a Tun yet there are many other Tuns of such a prodigious bigness that they would seem very extraordinary if this vast one did not Eclipse them The late Prince Charles Lewis shewed his capacity in the peopling and setling this State that had been so intirely ruined being for many Yâ—ars the Seat of War for in four years time he brought it to a Flourishing condition He raised the Taxes as high as was possible without dispeopling his Country all mens Estates were valued and they were taxed at five per cent of the value of their Estates but their Estates were not valued to the rigour but with such abatements as have been ordinary in Englaâ—d in the times of Subsidies so that when his Son offered to bring the Taxes down to two per Cent of the real value the Subjects all desired him rather to continue them as they were There is no Prince in Germany that is more abâ—oâ—â—te than the Elector Palâ—tine for he layeâ—h on his Sâ—bjectâ— what Taxes he pleaseth without being limited to any forms of Goâ—ernment And here I saw that which I had alwayes believed to be true that the Subjects of Germany are only bound to their particular Prince for they swear Allegeance singly to the Elector without any reserve for the Empâ—rour and in their Prayers for him they name him their Soveraign It is true the Prince is under some ties to the Emperour but the Subjects are under none And by this Dâ— Fabritius a learned and judicious Professor there explained those words of Pareus's Commentary on the Romans which had respect only to the Princes of the Empire and were quite misunderstood by those who fancied that they favoured Rebellion for there is no place in Europe where all rebellious Doctrine is more born down than there I found a great spirit of Moderation with relation to those small Controversies that have occasioned such heat in the Protestant Churches reigning in the University there which is in a great measure owing to the Prudence the Learning and the happy Temper of Mind of D. Fabritius and D. Mick who as they were long in England so they have that generous largness of Soul which is the Noble Ornament of many of the English Divines Prince Charls Lewis saw that Manheim was maâ—ked out by Nature to be the most important place of all his Territory it being scituated in the point where the Neckar falleth into the Rhine so that those two Rivers defending it on two sides it was capable of a good Fortification It is true the Air is not thought wholsome and the Water is not good yet he made a fine Town there and a Noble Cittadel with a regular Fortification about it and he designed a great Palace there but he did not live to build it He saw of what advantage Liberty of Conâ—cience was to the peopling of his Country so as he suffered the Iews to come and settle there he resolved also not only to suffer the three Religions â—olerated by the Laws of the Empire to be professed there but he built a Church for them all three which he called the Church of the Câ—ncord in which both Calvinists Lutherans and Papists had in the order in which I have set them down the exercise of their Religion and he maintained the peace of his Principality so intirely that there was not the least Disorder occasioned by this Toleration This indeed made him to be lookt on as a Prince that did not much consider Religion himself He had a wonderful application to all affairs and was not only his own chief Minister but he alone did the work of many But I were Injust if I should not say somewhat to you of the Princely Vertues and the Celeâ—rated Probity of the present Pr. Elector upon whom that Dignity is devolved by the extinction of so many Prâ—nces that in this Age composed the most numerous Fâ—mily of any of that rank in Europe This Prince as he is in many respects an honour to the Religâ—on that he professes so is in nothing more to be commended by those who difâ—er from him than for his exact adhering to the Promises he made his Subjects with relation to their Religion in which he has not even in the smallest matters broke in upon their establisht Laws and tho an Order of Men that have turned the world up-side down have great credit with him yet it is hitherto visible that they cannot carry it so far as to make him do any thing contrary to the established Religion and to those â—acrâ—d Promises that he made his Subjects For he makes it appear to all the world that he does not consider those as so many words spoken at first to lay his people asleep which he may now explain and observe as he thinks sit but as so many Ties upon his Conscience and Honour which he will Religiously observe And as in the other parts of his Life he has set a Noble Pattern to all the Princes of Europe so his exactness to his Promises is that which cannot be too much commended of which this extraordinary Instanâ—e has been communicated to me since I am come into this Country The Elector had a Procâ—ssion in his Court last Corpus Christâ— day upon which one of the Ministers of Heidelberg preaâ—ht a very severe Sermon against Popery and in particular taxed that Procession perhaps with greater plainness than discretion Thâ—s being brought to the Electors Ears he sent presently an Order to the Ecclesiastical Senate to suspend him That Court is composed of some Secular men and some Churchmen and as the Princes Authority is delegated to them so they have a sort of an Episcopal jurisdiction over all the Clergy This Ordâ—r was a surprise to them as being a direct bâ—each upon their Laws and the liâ—erty of their Reliâ—ion so they sent a Depuâ—ation to Court to let the Elector know the reasons that hindred them from obeying his Oâ—ders which were heard with so muâ—h Justice and Gentleness that the Priâ—ce
SOME LETTERS Containing An Account of what seemed most Remarkable in Travelling through SWITZERLAND ITALY Some parts of GERMANY c. In the Years 1685. and 1686. Written by G. Burnet D. D. to the honble R. B. The Third Edition Corrected and Altered in some places by the Author To which is added an Appendix containing some Remarks on Switzerland and Italy writ by a Person of Quality and communicated to the Author Together with a Table of the Contents of each Letter AMSTERDAM Printed for the Widow Swart Bookseller in the Beurs Stege 1688. A TABLE Of the Contents of all the LETTERS The First LETTER From Zurich THE Desolation that is to be seen all the way from Paris to Lions occasion'd by the oppression which the People lye under p. 1 2. A short Account of some of the Rarities and Inscriptionsâ—t â—t Lions The Authors opinion concerning an â—â—usual and obscure Inscription p. 2 3. A â—â—ssage in Vegetius de Re Militari misprinted in â—ll the publick Editions corrected from a 〈◊〉 at Grenoble p. 3. Of Geneva Their â—â—amber of the Corn. The moderation of the Government in the price they â—ell it at compared with the exorbitant Rates imposed by the Pope in all his Territories upon Grain the buying and vending whereof he monopolizeth to himself p. 4 5. How the profit arising from Corn with the other Revenues of the State are applyed to the benefit of the Publick and not to the Enriching particular men ibid. The Learning and Knowledge of the Citizens beyond what is found commonly elsewhere Their publick Justice personal Vertue and Sobriety and Severity to open lewdness Their way of selling Estates and the Security of Titles there above what is in other places The Constitution of their Government with the Method of Electing Members into their several Councils and of Chusing their Sindics and by whom p. 5 to 8. A Description of Lausanne with some account of the Lake thaâ— lyes between it and Geneva p. 9 10. The perpendicular height of the Hill Maudit p. 10. Of thâ— Canton of Bern Its Extent Government anâ— Manner of Electing Persons into the several Degrees of Magistracy with the Advantages accruing to those chosen into Bailiages Thâ— Wealth of their peasants how attained Thâ— Tâ—mper and Constitution of the People in general The application of their Women to domestick Affaits and Disposition of their Men foâ— War p. 10 to 15. Their Military Lists and whaâ— number they can bring into the Field Arm'd anâ— Disciplined upon a sudden Emergency and general Summons The oversight of the Govâ—rnment in suffering the French to possess themselves of the Franche Comtâ— after they were Masters of Alsace and how they were partly brib ' into it and partly wheedled p. 16 17. Of thâ— War between the Canton of Bern and the Canton of Schwits 1656. being occasioned by a Laâ— made by the Popish Cantons rendring it capitâ—â— to any to change their Religion making theâ—â— goods confiscable p. 19 20. A Description of the Town of Bern. The Great Church The Dominicans Chappel with the famous Hole that went to an Image in the Church from one of the Cells of the Dominicans p. 21 22. The Difference betwixt the Dominicans and Franciscans about the maculate or inmaculate Conception of the Virgin The Story of Ietzer with a large account of the horrid Cheat and imposture of the Dominicans for which several of them were executed at Bern 1509. p. 22 to 30. That Switzerland is better peopled than France or Italy tho Countries incomparably more rich and better scituated Which proceeds from the Gentleness of the Government in the First and intolerable and oppressive Severity of it in the two latter p. 30 31. Of Soloturn and Friburg two of the chiefest Popish Cantons The strange Bigottry of the people there and their gross and sottish Idolatry and Superstition How the Iesuites multiply in those Places and from the number of ten to which they were limited at Soloturn and one thousand Livres a year allowed for their Maintenance they are not only grown numerous but become so rich that they are raising a Colledg and Church which will cost 400000 Livres p. 31 32. Of the Wealth of some other Religious Houses in Soloturn and of the Fortification they are rasing about the Town p. 33. Of the Government of that Canton and of the ill Administration of Justice there beyond what is in the Protestant Cantons ibid. Of â—aden which tho the Seat of the general Diet of the Cantons yet is not one of them but a Batliage belonging to eight of the ancient Cantons p. 33 34. Of the Canton of Zurich It s Wealth The number of disciplined Men which it can bring into the Field upon 24. hours warning The Nature of its Magistracy and the Regulation of their allowances Their Trade by means of a large Lake Their Manufactory of Crape and its goodness p. 34. The scituation of the Town of Zurich The Manners and Customs of the Inhabitants and their Freedom from Luxury and Vanity The Magistracy of the City The division of the whole Canton It s honour in not being debauched by French Money to alter the ancient Capitulations with that Crown Their Justice and Vertue in applying the ancient Revenues of the Church to pious uses Their prudence in keeping the Edifices of their Hospitals mean and expending their Charity upon maintaining the poor that arâ— in them p. 35. Of the Salary of their Ecclesiasticks and the great Labour they are obliged unto p. 36. Several Letters written by the most Eminent of the English Reformers to Bullinger preserved among the Archives of the Dean and Chapter in which they lament the retaining the Popish Vestments and the aversion they found in the Parliament to all the Propositions that were made for the Reformation of Abuses And Iewel having declared in one how the Queen refused to be called Head of the Church adds that it could not be ascribed to any Mortal being only due to Christ p. 36 37 38. Of the disagreement of ancient Manuscripts concerning that passage of St. Iohns Epistle There are thrâ—e that bear Witness in Heaven c. To which are subjoyned many things worthy of observation p. 38. to 41. A new Regulation at Bern for the better Electing persons into Bailiages p 41. The generous protection and unexemplified Charity which the Protestant Cantons have expressed to the French Refugies p. 41 42. A Reflexion of the Author on the Censure past by the Divines in Switzerland against the Opinions of Amirald concerning the Divine Decrees and the Extent of the Death of Christ c. p. 42 43. Of a Tax under which the Switzers lye when Estates are sold and how it serves to prevent ill Husbandry p. 44. A further account of those Cantons where both the Reformed and Popish Religion are tolerated and how from the diminution of the Papists in Glaris some endeavoured to raise a War betwixt the Protestant and Popish Cantons
and in the inteâ—im while things seem'd to tend to a rupture how the French begun their Fortification at Hunningen p. 44 45. The Second LETTER From Milan OF the Bridge upon the Lake at Ripperswood p. 46. Of Coire the chief Town of the Grisons Of the Chappel pretended to be St. Lucius's and what the Author said to the Bishop of Coire to convince â—hat all related of King Lucius in that Matter and of his writing to Pope Eleutherius was a Fable Of a difference between the Bishop and his Chapter about Exemptions and the Authors opinion in reference to that pretended Priviledge p. 46 47 48. The temper of the present Bishop The yearly Revenue belonging to him and to the several Prebendaries The Nature of the Country with the Wealth of the People and how it ariseth The Constitution of the Government The Division of the Countrey into Leagues Whence and upon what occasion it came to be inhabited Of whom the General Diet consists and of a late contest among themselves and with the Emperor p. 48. to 51. How they shook off the Austrian Jurisdiction and their zeal and Courage in vindicating and defending their Liberty p. 51. The Distribution of the several Leagues into so many Communities and in which Communities the Popish Religion is received and in which the Protestant The absolute Authority that each hath within itself p. 52. The manner of keeping their Diets and the Customs therein observed ibid. Of the Valteline Chavennes and Bormio Territories which the three Leagues possess in Italy and how they obtained them With an account of the Fertility of the Soil in the Valteline p. 54 55. Of the Ease and Liberty that those Districts enjoy under the Leagues and of a Constitution among them by which the Peasants may demand a Chamber of Iustice when they judge themselves oppressed or aggrieved Of the Massacre in the Valteline anno 1618. and the War that ensued upon it with the issue of it through the Wisdom and Conduct of the Duke of Rohan p. 55 to 60. Of the Laws by which they are governed with some of the Civil and Religious Customs that prevail among them p. 62 63. A remarkable Story of about 2000. that fled anno 1685. out of a Valley of Tirol for fear of being destroyed upon the score of their Religion and who seem by the Articles of their Faith and the simplicity of their Worship to be a remnant of the old Waldenses p. 64 65. Of the way from Coire to Chavennes with an account of the most observable Villages upon the Road p. 65 66. Of Chavennes Its scituation The fertility of the Soil Easiness of the Government Plentifulness as to all sort of Provisions with an account of the Nature of their Wine and the manner how they both make and preserve it p. 66 to 69. A Kind of Stone here and in the Valteline which they use instead of Mettle for making pots p. 69. The deplorable Fate of the Town Pleurs which was buried together with its Inhabitants by the fall of a Mountain anno 1618. p. 70 71. Of the Lakes of Chavennes and Como p. 71 72. Of Codelago and Lugane with other small Provinces here belonging to the Switzers where as the people live at ease so the Country tho extreamly barrâ—n is abundantly peopled p. 73. Of Lago Maggiore and of the Borromean Islands which as to loveliness and fertility nothing equals p. 73 74. Of Lombardy It s Extent pleasantness goodness of Soil The Inhabitants inconceivably poor by reason of the severity of the Government p. 75. The Lake cut by Francis the First from the River Tesine to Millan ibid. Of the City Millan The Dimensions of the Dutchy It s Wealth The Extent of the Town The Nobleness of the Structures The Grandure and Beauty of the Dome where the Body of S. Carlo Borromeo lies A short Character of that Prelate and what marks of his Wealth and Beneficence are to be seen in the Town p. 76 77 78. Of other Churches and Convents The Hospital with the Lazarette adjoyning to it p. 78 79. Of the Ambrosian Office used here and its distinction from the Roman p. 79 80. A remarkable passage in the Books of the Sacraments ascribed to S. Ambrose where the Hosty is said to be the Figure of the Body and Blood of Christ p 81 82. Of Ancient Offices and why none to be seen in the Vatican A Manuscript Translation of Iosephus by Ruffinus in the Ambrosian Library p. 82. No Glass Windows in Millan not yet in Florence The people deplorably poor while the Churches and Convents are so extravagantly rich The Decay of their Wealth occasioned in part through a faileur in the exportation of their Silks p. 83. An account of a Gentlewomen at Geneva who besides her being greatly accomplished in Languages Sciences writes legibly tho blind since she was a year old p. 83 to 86. The Third LETTER From Florence THe Frontier Towns of the Spaniards and Venetians in Italy ill fortified as appears by Lodi the last Garrison belonging to the Spaniards in Millan and Crema the first Garrison appertaining to the Venetians Of the Civil and Military Officers which the Venetians send into their several Territories and Provinces The Cheese that goes by the name of Parmesan is made chiefly at Lodi p. 86. Of Brescia where the best Barrils for Pistols and Muskets are made A famous Nunnery there fallen into disgrace occasioned by the Priests conversing with the Nuns through a private Vault p. 87. Of the Lake of Guarda aâ—d the difference between the Miles in Lombardy and Naples p. 88. Of Veâ—ona It s poverty The baseness of the Coyn. The Remains of an old Roman Amphitheatre The Museum Calceolarium furnished with many Antiquities and Rarities p. 88 89. The Wine called Vino Santo that grows near the Lake Guarda Of the Colour of the Cattel and Hoggs in Italy p. 89. Of Vincenza The riches of the Palaces and Churches A modern Theatre Count Valerano's Gardens The Courseness of the Images and their gross Idolatry p. 90. Of Padua The Vniversity much decay'd and by what means The Quarrels among the Paduan Nobility and what Advantages the Venetians make of them p. 90 91. Their Churches and the Devotion payd to S. Anthony who in one of the little Vows that hang without the holy Chappel is said to hear those whom God himself doth not hear p. 92. Why the Venetians imploy not their own Subjects in their Wars p. 93. The Palaces from Padua to Venice on both â—ides the River Brent ibid. Of the Lagunes and that they grow dayly more shallow Of the City of Venice The Buildings Palaces Churches Bridges Arsenal Convents Their Beauty and Wealth with the meanness of the Library of S. Mark p. 93. to 97. Of the small Consideration they have for Father Paul and of the Memorials out of which 〈◊〉 collected his History p. 97. The Attestâ—tions produced by Mr. Arnaud for the agreement of
unbaptised Child This Composition was a secret which the Subprior did not communicate to the other Friers By this the poor Frier Ietzer was made almost quite insensible when he was awake and came out of this deep sleep he felt this wonderful impression on his body and now he was ravished out of measure and came to fancy himself to be acting all the parts of our Saviours Passion he was exposed to the people on the great Altar to the amasement of the whole Town and to the no small mortification of the Franciscans The Dominicans gave him some other draughts that threw him into convulsions and when he came out of those a voice was heard which came thro that hole which yet remains and runs from one of the Cells along a great part of the wall of the Church for a Frier spoke thro a pipe and at the End of the hole there was an Image of the Virgins with a little Iesus in her arms between whom and his mother the voice seemed to come the Image also seemed to shed Tears and a Painter had drawn those on her Face so lively that the people where deceived by it The little Jesus askt why she wept and she said it was because his honour was given to her since it was said that she was born without sin in Conclusion the Fryers did so over act this matter that at last even the poor deluded Fryer himself came to discover it and resolved to quit the order It was in vain to delude him with more Apparitions for he well nigh kill'd a Fryer that came to him personating the Virgin in another shape with a Crown on her head he also over-heard the Fryers once talking amongst themselves of the Contrivance and Success of the imposture so plainly that he discovered the whole Matter and upon that as may be easily imagined he was filled with all the horror with which such a Discovery could inspire him The Fryers fearing that an imposture which was carried on hitherto with so much success should be quite spoiled and be turned against them thought the surest way was to own the whole Matter to him and to engage him to carry on the Cheat. They told him in what esteem he would be if he continued to support the reputation thaâ— he had acquired that he would become the chief person of the Order and in the end they persuaded him to go on with the Imposture but at last they fearing lest he should discover all resolved to poyson him of which he was so apprehensive that once a Loaf being brought him that was prepared with some spices he kept it for some time and it growing green he threw it to some young Wolves Whelps that were in the Monastery who died immediately His constitution was also so vigorous that tho they gave him Poyson five several times he was not destroyed by it they also prest him earnestly to renounce God which they judged necessary that so their Charms might have their effect on him but he would never consent to that at last they forced him to take a poysoned Hostie which yet he vomited up soon after he had swallowed it down that failing they used him so cruelly whipping him with an iron Chain and girding him about so strait with it that â—o avoid further Torment he swore to them in a most imprecating stile that he would never discover the secret but would still carry it on and so he deluded them till he sound an opportunity of gâ—tting out of the Coâ—vent and of throwing himself inâ—o the hands of the Magistrâ—tes to whom he discovered all The four Fryers were seised on and put in prison and an account of the whole Matter was sent first to the Bishop of Lausanne and then to Rome and it may be easily imagined that the Franciscans took all possible care to have it well examined the Bishop of Lausanâ—e and of Zyon with the Provinâ—ial of the Dâ—miâ—iâ—ans were appointed to form the Process The four Fryers first excepted to Ietzers credit but that was rejected then being threatned with the Question they put in a long plea against that but tho the Provincial would not consent to that yet they were put to the question some endured it long but at last they all confessed the whole progress of the Imposture The Provincial appeared concerned for tho Ietzer had opened the whole Matter to him yet he would give no credit to him on the contrary he Charged him to be obedient to them and one of the Friers said plainly that he was in the whole secret and so he withdrew but he died some dayes after at Constance having poyson'd himself as was believed The Matter lay â—sleep some time but a year after that a Spanish Bishop came authorised with full power from Rome and the whole Cheat being fully proved the four Friers were solemnly degraded from their Priesthood and Eight dayes after it being the last of May 1509. they were Burnt in a Medow on the other side of the River over against the great Church The place of their Exeâ—ution was shewed me as well as the Hole in the Wall thro which the Vâ—ice was Conveyed to the Image It was certainly one of the blackest and yet the best Carried on Cheat that has been ever known and no doubt had the poor Fryer died before the discovery it had pasâ—ed down to posterity as one of the greatest Miracles that ever was and it gives a shrewd suspition that many of the other Miracles of that Church were of the same nature but more successfully finished I shall not entertain you any further with the State of Bern but shall only add one general remark which was too visible not to be observed every where and of too great importance not to deserve a particular reflection it belongs in general to all the Cantons but I give it here because I had more occasion to make it in Bern having seen it more and stayed longer in it than in the other Cantons Switzerlaâ—d lies between France and Italy that are both of them Countries incomparably more Rich and better furnished with all the Pleasures and Conveniences of Life than it is and yet Italy is almost quite dis peopled and the people in it are reduced to a misery that can scarce be imagined by those who have not seen it and France is in a great measure dispeopled and the inhabitans are reduced to a poverty that appears in all the maâ—ks in which it can shew it self both in their houses furniture cloths and looks On the Contrary Switzerland is extream full of people and in several places in the Villages as well as in their towns one sees all the marks he can look for of Plenty and Wealth their Houses and windows are in good case the High Wayes are well maintained all people are well Clothed and every one lives at his ease This Observation surprised me yet more in the Countrey of the Grisons who have almost no
soil at all being situated in Valleys that are almost all washed away with the Torrents that fall down from the Hills and swell their brooks sometimes so violently and so suddenly that in many places the whole soil is washed away and yet those Valleys are well peopled and every one lives happy and at ease under a gentle Government whilst other rich and plentiful Countries are reduced to such Misery that as many of the inhabitants are forced to change their seats so those who stay behind can scarce live and pay those grievous Impositions that are laid upon them the rude people generally â—eason very simply when they enter into Speculations of Government but they feel true tho they arguâ— false so an easy Government tho joyned to an ill soil and accompanied with great inconveniences draws or at least keeps people in it whereas a severe Government tho in generall ideas it may appear reasonable drives its subjects even out of the best and most desirable seats In my way from Berâ— to this place I passed by Soloturn and I came thro Friâ—ourg in my way from Lausanne to Bern these are two of the Chief of the Popish Caâ—tons after Lucerne and one sees in them a heat and bigotry beyond what appears either in France or Italy long before they come within the Church doors they kneel down in the Streets when Mass is a saying in it The Imâ—ges are also extream gross In the Chief Church of Soloturn there is an Image of God the Father as an old man with a great black beaâ—d having our Saviour on his knees and a Pigeon over his head Here also begins a devotion at the Ave-Marybel which is scarce known in Fraâ—ce but is practised all Italy over At noon and at Sun set the Bell rings and all say the Ave-Mary and a short prayer to the Virgin buâ— whereas in Italy they content themselves with putting off their Hats in Switzerland they do for the most parâ— kneel down in the Streets which I saw no where practised in Italy except at Venice and there it is not commonly done But notwithstanding this extream bigotry all the Switzers see their common interest so well that they live in a very good undeâ—standing one with another This is indeed chiefly owing to the Canton of Lucern where there is a spirit in the Government very different from what is in most of the other Popish Cantons the residence of the Spanish Ambassador and of the Nuntio in that Town contributes also much to the preserving it in so good a temper it being their interest to unite Switzerland and by this means the heat and indiscretion of the rest is often moderated The Iâ—suits begin to grow as powerful in Switzerland as they are elsewhere they have a noble Colledge and Chappel situated in the best place of Friburg It is not long since they were received at Soloturn where there was a revenue of 1000 Livres a year set off for the maintenance of ten of them with this provision that they should never exceed that number but where they are once settled they find means to break through all Limitations and they are now become so rich there that they are raising a Church and Colledge which will cost before it is finished above 400000. Livres to which the French King gives 10000 Livres for the frontis-piece For this being the Câ—nton in which his Ambassador resideâ— he thought it suteable to his glory to have a monument of his bounty raised by an order that will never be wanting to flatter their bâ—â—â—factors as long as they find their account in it In the same Canton there is an Abbey that has 100000 Livres of revenue there is also a â—ery rich House of Nuns that wear the Capuchins Habit that as I was told had 60000 Livres of revenuâ— and but 60 Nuns in it who having thus 1000 Livrâ—â— apiece may live in all possible plenty in a Countrey where a very little mony goes a great way But that which surprises one most at Soloturn is the great Fortification that they are building of a Wall about the Town the noblest and solâ—dest that is any where to be seen the Stone with which it is faced is a sort of course Marble but of that bigness that many Stones are 10 foot long and two foot of breath and thickness But tho this will be a woâ—k of vast Expence and great Beauty yet it would signifie little against a great Army that would attack it vigorously The Wall is finished on the side of the River on which the Town stands the Ditch is very broad and the Counterscarp and Glasier are also finished and they are working at a Fort on the other side of the River which they intend to fortify in the same manner This has cost them near two millions of Livres and this vast expence has made them often repent the undertaking and it is certain that a fortification that is aâ—le to resist the rage of their Peasants in the case of a Rebellion is all that is needful This Canton has two Advoyers as Bern the little Council consists of 36 they have 12 Bailiages belonging to them which are very profitable to those that can carry them they have one Bursar and but one Banneret All the Cantons have their Bailiages but if there are disorders at Bern in the choice of their Bailifs there are far greater among the Popish Cantons where all things are sold as a forreign Minister that resides there told me who tho he knew what my Religion was did not stick to own franckly to me that the Catholick Cantons were not near so well governed as the Protestant-Cantons Justice is generally sold among them and in their Treaties with forreign Princes they have sometimes taken mony both from the Fâ—enâ—h and Spanish Ambassadors and have signed contradictory Articles at the same time Baden has nothing in it that is remarkable except its convenient situation which makrs it the seat of the general Dyet of the Cantons tho it is not one of them but is a Bailiage that belongs in common to eiâ—ht of the ancient Cantons At last I came to this place which as it is the first and most honourable of all the Cantons so with relation to us it has a precedence of a higher nature it being the first that received the Reformation This Cantâ—n is much less than Bern yet the publick is much richer they reckon that they can bring 50000. Men together upon 24. hours warning their subjects live happy for the Bailifs here have regulated appointments and have only the hundred Penny of the fines so that they are not tempted as those of Bern are to whom the Fine belongs entirely to strain matters against their Subjects and whereas at Bern the constant intrigue of the whole Town is concerning their Bailiages here on the contrary it is a service to which the Citizens are bound to submit according to their Constitution but to which they
was believed consented he was put in Prison as he came out of the Cathedral By the common consent both of the Popiâ—â— and Protestant Communities a Law was long ago made against Eâ—â—lesiastical Immunities this attempt on â—he Dean was made four years ago as soon as he was let oâ—â— he went to Rome and made great complaints oâ— the Bishop and it was thought the Popish party intended to moâ—e in the Diet while we were there â—or the repealing of thâ—â— Law but they did it not The foundation of â—he Quarâ—â— between the Bishop and Dean was the Exemptions to which the Dean and Chapter pretended and upon which the Bâ—shâ—p made some Invasion Upon which I took occasion â—o shew him the novelty of those Exemptions and that in the primitive Church it was believed that the Bishop had the Authority over his Presbyters by a divine right and if it was by a Divine Right then the Popâ— could not exempt them from his obedience but the Bishop would not carry the matter so high and contented himself with two maxims the one was That the Bishop was Christ's Vicar in his Diocess and the other was That what the Pope was in the Catholick Church the Bishop was the same in his Diocess He was a good-natured Man and did not make use oâ— the great Authority that he has over the Papists there to set them on to live uneasily with their neighbours of another Religion That Bishop was antiently a great Prince and the greatest part of the League that carries still the name of the House of God belonged to him tho I was assured that Pregallia one of those Communities was â— â—ree State above six hundred years ago and that they have Records yet extant that prove this The other Communities of this League bought their liberties from several Biâ—hops some considerable time before the Reformation of which the Deeds are yet extant so thâ—t it is an impudent â—hing to say as some have done that they shook off his Yoke at that time The Bishop hath yet reserved a Revenue of about one thousand pound Sterling a Year and every one of the Prebâ—ndaries hath near two hundred pound a Year It is not easie to imagin out of what the Riches of this Country is raised for one sees nothing but a tract of vast Mountains that seem barren Rocks and some litâ—le Vallies among them not a mile broad and the best part of these is washed away by the Rhine and some Brooks that fall into it but their wealth consists chiefly in their Hills which afford much pasture and in the hot months in which all â—he Pasture of Italy is generally parched the Cattle are driven into these Hills which brings them in a Revenue of above two hundred thousand Crowns a Year The Publick is indeed very poor but particular persons are so rich that I knew a great many there who were believed to have Estates to the value of one hundred thousand Crowns Mr. Schovestein that is accounted the richest man in the Country is believed to be worth a Million I mean of Livres The Government here is purely a Commonwealth for in the choice of their Magistrates every man that is above sixteen Years old hath his Voice which is also the constitution of some of the small Cantons The Three Leagues are the League of the Grisons that of the House of God and that of the ten Iurisdictions They believe that upon the incursions of the Goths and Vandals as some fled to the Venetian Islands out of which arose that famous Common-wealth so others came and sheltred themselves in those Valleys They told me of an ancient inscription lately found of a Stone where on the one side is graven Omitto Rhetos Indomitos and ne plus ultra is on the other which they pretend was made by Iulius Caesar the Stone on which this inscription is is upon one of their Mountains but I did not pass that way so I can make no judgment concerning it After the first â—orming of this people they were cast into little States according to the different Valleys which they inhabited and in which Justice was administred and so they fell under the power of some little Princes that became severe Masters but when they saw the Example that the Switzers had set them in shaking off the Austrian Yoke above two hundred years ago they likewise combined to shake off theirs only some few of those small Princes used their authority better and conâ—urred wiâ—h the people in shaking off the Yoke and so they are still parts of the Body only Haldenstein is an absolute Soveraignty it is about two miles from Coire to the West of the other side of the Rhine the whole Territory is about half a mile long at the foot of the Alps wheâ—â— there is scarce any breadth The authority of these Baroâ—â— was formerly more absolute that it is now for the Subjects were their Slaves but to keep together the liâ—â—lâ— Village they have granted them a power of naming a list for their Magistrates the person being to be named by the Baron who hath also the Right of Pardoning a Right of Coyning and every thing also that belongs to a Soveraign I saw this little Prince in Coire in an Equipage not suitable to his Quality for he was in all poinâ—â— like a very ordinary Gentleman There are three other Baronies that are Members of the Diet and subject to it the chief belonged to the Arâ—h-Duke oâ— Inch-pruck the other two belong to Mr. Schoven-stain and Mr. de Mont they are the Heads of those Communities of which their Barâ—nies are composed they name the Magistrates out of the lists that are presented to them by their Subjects they have the right of pardoning of conâ—iscations That belonging to the House of Aâ—stria is the biggest it hath five voices in the Diet and iâ— can raise twelve hundred Men. One Travâ—rs bought it oâ— the Emperor in the year 1679. he entred upon the Righâ— of the ancient Barons which were specified in an agreement that past between him and his Peasaâ—ts and waâ— confirmed by the Emperour Travers made many iâ—croachments upon the Priviledges of his Subjects who upon that made their Complaints to the League but Travers would have the Matter judged at Inchpruck and the Emperor supported him in this Pretension and sent an Agent to the Diet I was present when he had his Audience in which there was nothing but General Complements But the Diet stood firm to their Constitution and asserted that the Emperour had no Authority to judge in that Matter which belonged only to them so Travers was forced to let his Pretentions fall All the other Parts of this State are purely Democratical there are three different Bodies or Leagues and every one of these are an intire Government and the Assembly or Diet of the Three Leagues in only a Confederacy like the Vnited Provinces or the Cantâ—ns There are sixty-seven Vâ—ices in the
the Palatinate where they were better instructed in matters of Religion and these brought back with them into the Valley the Heidelberg Cateâ—hism together with some other German Books which ran over the Valley and they being before that in a good disposition those Books had such an effect upon them that they gave over going to Mass any more and began to worship God in a way more suitable to the Rules set down in Scripture some of their Priests eoncurred with them in this happy Change but others that adhered still to the Mass went and gave the Arch-Bishhop of Saltsburg an account of it upon which he sent some into the Countrey to examin the Truth of the Matter to exhort them to return to Mass and to threaten them with all severity if they continued obstinate so they seeing a terrible Storm ready to break upon them resolved to abandon their Houses and all they had rather than sin against their Consciences And the whole Inhabitants of the Valley old and young Men and Women to the number of two thousand divided themselves into several Bodies some intended to go to Brandenburg others to the Palatinate and about sive hundred took the way of Coire intending to disperse themselves in Switzerland The Ministers told me they were much edified with their Simplicity and Modesty for a Collection being made for them they desired only a little bread to carry them on their way From Coire we went to Tâ—ssane and from that through the way that is justly called Via Mala. It is through a bottom between two Rocks through which the Rhine runs but under ground for a great part of the way The way is cut out in the middle of the Rock in some places and in several places the steepness of the Rock being such that a way could not be cut out there are Beams driven into it over which Boards and Earth are laid this way holds an hour After that there is for two hours good way and we past through two considerable Villages there is good lodging in both from thence there is for two hours Journey terrible Way almost as bad as the Via Mala then an hours Journey good way to Splugen which is a large Village of above two hundred Houses that are well built and the Inhabitants seem all to live at their ease tho they have no sort of soil but a little Meadow ground about them This is the last Protestant Church that was in our way it was well indowed for the provision of the Minister was near two hundred Crowns Those of this Village are the Carriers between Italy and Germany so they drive a great Trade for there is here a perpetual Carriage going and coming and we were told that there pass generally a hundred Horses through this Town one day with another and there are above five â—undred Carriage Horse that belong to this Town From this place we went mounting for three hours till we got to the top of the Hills where there is only one great Inn. After that the way was tolerably good for two hours and for two hours there is constant descent which for the most part is as steep as if we were all the while going down stairs At the fooâ— of this is a little Village called Campdolein and here we found we were in Italy both by the vast difference of the Climate for whereas we were freezing on the other side the heat of the Sun was uneasy here and also by the number of the Beggarâ— tho it may seem the reverse of what one ought to expect since the richest Countrey of Europe is full of Beggars and the Grisons that are one of the pooresâ— States have no Beggars at all One thing is also strange that among the Grisons the rich Wine of the Valteline after it is carried three Dayes Journey is sold cheaper than the Wine of other Countries where it grows at the door but there are no Taxes nor Impositions here From Campdolein there is three Hours Journey to Chavenneâ— all in a Slow descent and in some Places the Way is extream rugged and stony Chaveunes is very pleasantly scituated at the very Foot of the Mountains there runâ— through the Town a pleasant little River It is nobly built and hath a great many rich Vineyards about it and the Rebound of the Sun-Beams from the Mountains doth so increase the heats here that the Soil is as rich here as in any Place of Italy Here one begins to see a Noble Architecture in a great many Houses in short all tâ—e Marks of a rich Soil and a free Government appear here The Town stood a little more to the North about five hundred years ago but a Slice of the Alps came dowâ— upon it and buried it quite and at the Upper-end of the Town there are some Rocks that look like Ruins abouâ— which there hath been a very extraordinary Expence to divide them one from another and to make theâ— fit Places for Forts and Castles the Marks of the Tooâ—â— appeared all over the Rock in one place I measured the Breadâ—h of the one from the other which is twentâ— Foot the length is four hundred and fifty Foot and aâ— we could guess the Rock was two hundred Foot high cut down on both sides in a Line as even as a Wall towards the top of one the name Salvius is cut iâ— great Letters a little Gothick On the Tops of thosâ— Roâ—ks which are inaccessible except on the one siâ—e and to that the Ascent is extream uneasy they had Garrisons during the Wars of the Valteline there were fifteen hundred in Garrison in that which is in the middle There falls down frequently Slices from the Hills that do extreamly fatten the Ground which they cover so that it becomes fruitful beyond expression and I saw a Lime Tree that was planted eight and thirty years ago in a piece of Ground which had been so covered that was two Fathom and a half of Compass On both sides of the River the Town and the Gardens belonging to it cover the whole Bottom that lieâ— between the Hills and at the Roots of the Mountains they dig great Cellars and Grottoes and strike a hole about a foot Square ten or twelve foot into the Hill which all the Summer long blows a fresh Air into the Cellar so that the Wine of those Cellars drinks almost as cold as if it were in Ice but this Wind-pipe did not blow when I was there which was towards the end of September For the Sun opening the Pores of the Earth and rarifying the exterior Air that which is compressed within the cavities that are in the Mountains â—ushes out with a constant Wind but when the operation of the Sun is weakned this course of the Air is lesâ— sensible Before or over those Vaults they build little pleasant rooms like Sommerhouses and in them they go to collation generally at night in Summer I never saw bigger Grapes than grow
Italy that can be compared to them they have the full view of the Lake and the ground rises so sweetly in them that nothing can be imagined like the Terrasses here they belong to two Counts of the Borromean Family I was only in one of them which belongs to the Head of the Family who is Nephew to the famous Cardinal known by the name of S. Carlo on the West-end lies the Palacâ— which is one of the best of Italy for the Lodgings within tho the Architecture is but ordinary there is one noble Apartment above four and twenty fooâ— high and there is a vast Addition making to it and here is a great Collection of noble Pictures beyond any thing I saw out of Rome The whole Island is a Garden except a little corner to the South set off for a Village oâ— about forty little Houses and because the figure of the Island was not more regular by nature they have builâ— great Vaults and Portico's along the Rock which are all made Grotesque and so they have brought it to a regular form by laying Earth over those Vaults There iâ— first a Garden to the East that rises up from the Lakes by five Rows of Terrasses on the three sides of the Garden that are watered by the Lake the Stairs are noble the Walls are all covered with Oranges and Citrons and a more beautiful spot of a Garden cannot be seen There are two Buildings in the two Corners of this Garden the one is only a Mill for fetching up the Water and the other is a noble Summer-house all wainscotted if I may speak so with Alabaster and Marble of a fine colour inclining to red from this Garden one goes in a level to all the rest of the Alleys and Parterres Herb-Gardens and Flower-Gardens in all which there are variety of Fouâ—tains and Arbors but the great Parterre is a surprising thing for as it is well furnished with Statues and Fountains and is of a vast extent and justly scituated to the Palace so at the Further-end of it there is a great Mount that face of it that looks to the Parterre is made like a Theater all full of Fountains and Statues the height rising up in five several Rows it being about fifâ—y foot high and about fourscore foot in front and round this Mount answering to the five Rows into which the Theater is divided there goes as many Terrasses of noble Walks the Walls are all as close covered with Oranges and Citrons as any of our Walls in England are with Laurel the Top of the Mount is seventy foot long and forty broad and here is a vast Cistern into which the Mill plays up the Water that must furnish all the Fountains The Fountains were not quite finished when I was there but when all is finished this place will look like an Inâ—hanted Island The Freshness of the Air it being both in a Lake and near the Mountains the fragant Smell the beautiful Prospect and the delighting Variety that is here makes it such a Habitation for Summer that perhaps the whole World hath nothing like it From this I went to Sestio a miserable Village at the end of the Lake and herâ— I began to feel a mighty change being now in Lombardy which is certainly the beautifullest Countrey that can be imagined the ground lies so even it is so well watered so sweetly divided by Rows of Trees inclosing every piece of ground of an Acre or two Acres compass that it cannot be denied that here is a vast extent of Soil above two hundred Miles long and in many places a hundred Miles broad where the whole Countrey is equal to the loveliest spots in all England or France it hath all the Sweetness that Holland or Flanders have but with a warmer Sun and a better Air the Neighbour-hood of the Mountains causes a freshness of Air here that makes the Soil the most desirable place to live in that can be seen if the Government were not so excessively severe that there is nothing but Poverty over all this rich Countrey A Traveller in many places finds almost nothing and is so ill furnished that if he doth not buy provisions in the great Towns he will be obliged to a very severe Diet in a Countrey that he should think flowed with Milk and Hony but I shall say more of this hereafter The Lago Maggiore discharges it self in the River Tesine which runs with such a force that we went thirty Miles in three hours having but one Rower and the Water was no way swelled From this we went into the Canale which Fâ—anâ—is is the First cut from this River to the Town of Milan which is about thirty foot broad and on both its Bankâ— there are such provisions to discharge the Water when it rises to such a height that it can never be fuller of Water than is intended it should be it lies also so even that sometimes for six Miles together one sees the line so exact that there is not the least crook it is thirty Miles long and is the best Advantage that the Town of Milan hath foâ— Water Carriage I will not entertain you with a long description of this great City which is one of the noblest in the World to be an Inland Town that hath no great Court no Commerce either by Sea or any Navigable River and that is now the Metropolis of a very small State for that which is not Mountainous in this State is not above sixty Miles square and yet it produces a Wealth that is surprising It pays for an establishment of seven and forty thousand Men and yet there are not sixteen thousand Souldiers effectively in it so many are eat up by those in whose hands the Government is lodged But the Vastness of the Town the Nobleness of the Buildings and above all the surprising Riches of the Churches and Convents are signs of great Wealth The Dome hath nothing to commend it of Architectâ—re it being built in the rude Gothick manner but for the vastness and riches of the Building it is equal to any in Italy St. Peters it self not excepted It is all Marble both Pavement and Walls both outside and Inside and on the Top it is all flagg'd with Marble and there is the vastest Number of Niâ—hes for Statuâ—s of Marble both within and without that are any where to be seen It is true the Statues 〈◊〉 some of the Niches are not proportioned to the Niches themselves the Frontispiece is not yet made it is to be all over covered with Statues and Bas-reliefs and Pillars of which there are four Rows in the Body of the Church have each of them eight Niches at the top for so many Statues and tho one would think this Church so full of Statues that almost every Saint hath his Statue yet I was assured they wanted seven thousand to finish the design but these mâ—st chiefly belong to the Frontispiâ—e The Church as I could measure it
by walking over it in an equal pace is five hundred foot long and two hundred wide the Quire is wainscotted and carved in so extraordinary a manner that I never saw Passion so well expressed in Wood it contains sixty Stalls and they have almost all the Histories of the Gospel represented in them Just under the Cupulo lies S. Carlo's Body as I was told in a great Case of Cristal of vast value but I could not come near it for we were there on two Hoâ—y-dayes and there was a perpetual crowd about it and the Superstition of the People for his Body is such that on a Holy-day one runs a hazard that comes near it without doing some Reverence His Canonization cost the Toâ—n a hundred thousand Crownâ— they pretend they have Miracles too for Cardinal Fredâ—rigo Bâ—rromeo but they will not set about his Canonisation the price is so high The Plate and other Presents made to S. Câ—rlo are things of a prodigious value some Services for the Altar are all of Gold some very Massive and set wiâ—h Iewels others so finely wrought that the fashion is thought equal to the value of the mettle the Habits and all the other Ornaments for the Function of his Canoniâ—ation are all of an incredible Wealth He was indeed a Prâ—late of great merit and according to the Anâ—wer that a Fryer made to Philip de Comines when he asked him how they came to qualifie one of the worst of their Princes with the Title of Saint in an inscription which he read which was that they gave that Title to all their Benefactors never man deserved of a Town this Title so justly as Cardinal Borromeo did for he laid out a prodigious Wealth in Milan leaving nothing to his Family but the honour of having produced so great a man whiâ—h is a real temporal inheritance to it for as there have been since that time two Cardinals of that Family so it is esteemed a Casa Santa and every time that it produces an Ecclesiastick of any considerable merit he is sure if he lives to it to be raised to this Archbishoprick for if there were one of the Family capable â—f it and that did not carry it that alone might dispose the State to a Rebellion and he were a bold man that would adventure on a Competition with one of tâ—is Family He laid out a great deal on the Dome and consecrated it tho the work wâ—ll not be quite finished yet for some Ages that being one of the Crafts of the Italian Priests never to finish a great design that so by keeping it still in an unfinisht estate they may be alwayes drawing great Donatives to it from the Superstition of the People He built the Arch Bishops Palace which is very noble and a Seminâ—ry a Colledge for the Switzers several Parish Churches anâ— many Convents In short the wâ—ole Town is full of the marks of his Wealth The Riches of the Churches of Milan strike one with amazement the Building the Painting the Altars and the Plate and everything in the Convents except their Librairies are all signs both of great Wealth and of a very powerful Superstition but their Librairies not only here but all Italy over are scandalous things the Room is often fine and richly adotned but the Books are few ill bound and worse chosen and the ignorance of the Priests both secular and Regular is such that no man that hath not had occasion to discover it can easily believe it The Convent of S. Victor that is without the Town is by much the richest it is composed of Canons Regular called in Italy the Order of Mount Olive or Olivetan that of the Bernabites is extream rich there is a Pulpit and a Confessional all inlaid with Agates of different colours finely spotted Marbles and of Lapis Lâ—zulis that are thought almost inestimable S. Laurenâ—e has a noble Cupulo and a Pulpit of the fame sorm with that of the Bernabites The Iesuits the Theatinâ—s the Dominicans and S. Sebastians are very rich The Cittadâ—l is too well known to need a description it is very regularly built and is a most effectual restraint to keep the Town in order but it could not stand outagainst a good Army three dayes for it is so little and so full of Buildings that it could not resist a showr of Bombs The Hospital is indeed a Royal Building I was told it had ninety thousand Crowns Revenue The old Court is large and would look noble if it were not for the new Court that is near it which is two hundred and fifty foot square and there are three rows of Corridors or Galleries all round the Court one in every stage according to the Italian manner which makes the Lodgings very convenient and gives a Gallery before every door It is true these take up a great deal of the Building being ordinarily eight or ten foot broad but then here is an open space that is extream cool on that side where the Suâ— doth not lye for it is all open to the Air the Wall being only supported by Pillars at the distance of fifteen or twenty foot one from another In this Hospital there are not only Galleries full of Beds on both sides as is ordinary in all Hospitals hut there are also a great many Chambers in which persons whose condition was formerlâ— distinguished are treated with a particular Care. There is an out-house which is called the Lazarette that is without the Walls which belongs to this Hospital it is an extract quarter of a mile square and there are three hundred and sixty Rooms in it and a Gallery runs all along before the Chambers so that as the service is convenient the sick have a covered walk before their Doors In the middle of this vast square there is an Octangular Chappel so contrived that the sick from all their Beds may see the elâ—vation of the Hostâ—e and adore it This House is for the Plague or for infections Feavers and the Sick that want a freer Air are also removed hither As for the Devotions of this place I saw here the Ambrosian Office which is distingusshed from the Roman both in the Musick which is much simpler and some other Rites the Gospel is read in a hiâ—h Pulpit at the lower end of the Quire that so it may be heard by all the people tho this is needless since it is read in a language that they do not understand when they go to say high Mass the Priest comes from the high Altar to the lower-end of the Quire where the Offertory of the Bread and the Wine is made by some of the Laity they were Nuâ—s that made it when I was there I heard a Capucin Preach here it was the first Sermon I heard in Italy and I was much surprized at many Comical Expressions and Gestures but most of all with the Conclusion for there being in all the Pulpits of Italy a Crucifix on the side of the Pulpit
towards the Altar he after a long address to it at last in a forced Transport took it in his Aâ—ms and hugged it and kissed it But I observed that before he kiss'd it he seeing some dust on it blew it off very carefully for I was just under the Pulpit He entertained it with a long and tender Caress and held it out to the people and would have forced Tears both from himself and them yet I saw none shed But if the Sermon in the morning surprized me I wondred no less at two Discourses that I heard in one Church at the same time in the afternoon for there were two Bodies of men set down in different places of the Church all covered and two Laymen in ordinary habits were entertaining them with Discourses of Religion in a Cateâ—histical stile These were Consrairies and those were some of the more devout that instructed the rest This as I never saw any where else so I do not know whether it is peculiar to Milan or not My Conductor could not speak Latin and the Italian there is so different from the true Tuscan which I only knew that I could not understand him when he was ingaged in a long discourse so I was not clearly informed of this matter but I am apt to think it might have been some institution of Câ—rdinal Borromeos The Ambrosian Liâ—rary founded by Cardinal Frederick Borromeo is a very noble Room and wel furnished only it is too full of School-men and Canonists which are the chief studies of Itâ—ly anâ— it hath too few Books of a more solid and useful learning One part of the disposition of the Râ—om was pleasant there is a great number of Chairs placed all round it at a competent distance from one another and to every Chair there belongs a Desk with an Eâ—ritoire that hath Pen Ink and Paper in it so that every Man finds tools here for such extracts as he would make There is a little Room of Manuscripts at the eâ—d of the great Gallery but the Library-keeper knows little of them a great many of them relate to their Saint Charleâ— I saw some fragments of Latin Biâ—les but none seemed to be above six hundred Years old there are also some fragments of Saint Amâ—roses Wâ—rks and of Saint Ieroms Epistles that are of the same antiquity I was sorry not to find Saint Ambrose's Works intiâ—e that I might have seen whether the Books of the Sacraments are ascribed to him in ancient Câ—pies for perhaps they belong to a more modern Author It is true in these Books the Doctrine of a sort of a corporal presence is asserred in very high expressions but there is one thing mentioned in them which is stronger against it than all those Citations can be for it for the Author gives us the formal Words of the Prayer of Consecration in his time which he prefaces with some solemnity will you know how the change is wrought hear the Heavenly Words For the Priest saith c. But whereas in the present Canon of the Mass the Prayer of consecration is for a good part of it very near in the same Words with those which he mentions there is one essential difference for in the Canon they now pray that the Hosty may be to them the Body and Blood of Christ which by the way doth not agree too well with the notion of Transubstanâ—â—â—tion and approacheth more to the Doctrine of the Luâ—herans whereas in the Prayer cited by that Author the Hosty is said to be The Figure of the Bâ—dy and Blood of Christ here is the language of the whole Church of that time and in the most important part of the Divine Office which signifieâ—h more to me than a thousand Quotations out of particular Writers which are but their Private Opinions but this is the Voice of the whole Body in its Addresses to God and it seems the Church of Rome when the new Doctrine of the Corporal Presence was received saw that this Prayer of Consecration could not consist with it which made her change such a main Part of the Office. This gave me a curiosity every where to search for ancient Offices but I found none in the Abbey of St. Germains that seemed older than the times of Charles the Great so I found none of any great Antiquity in all Italy Those published by Cardinal Bona and since by P. Mabillon that were brought from Heidelberg are the most ancient that are in the Vatican but these seem not to be above eight hundred years old There are none of the ancient Roman Offices now to be seen in the Vatican I was amazed to find none of any great Antiquity which made me conclude that either they were destroyed that so the difference between Ancient and Modern Rituals might not be turned against that Church as an undeniable Evidence to prove the Changes that she hath made in divine Matters or that they were so well kept that Hereticks were not to be suffered to look into them But to return to the Ambrosian Library there is in it a Manuscript of great Antiquity tho not of such great consequence which is Ruffinus's Translation of Iosephus that is written in the old Roman hand which is very hard to be read But there is a deed in the curious Collection that Count Mascardâ— haâ—h made at Verona which by the date appears to have been written in Theodosius's time which is the same sort of wâ—iting with the Manuscript of Ruffinus so that it may be reckoned to have been writ in Ruffinus his own time and this is the most valuable tho the least known Curiosity in the whole Library I need not say any thing of the curious Works in Christal that are to be seen in Milan the greatest quantities that are in Europe are found in the Alps and are wrought here but this is too well known to need any further inlargement It is certain the Alps have much Wealth shut up in their Rocks if the Inhabitants knew how to search for it But I heard of no Mines thaâ— were wrought except Iron Mines yet by the colourings that in many places the Fountains make as they run along the Rocks one sees cause to believe that there are Mines and Minerâ—ls shut up within them Gold has been often found in the River of Arve that runs by Geneva The last curiosity that I shall mention of the Town of Milan is the Cabinet of the Chanoine Settala which is now in his Brothers hands where there are a great many very valuable things both of Art and Nature there is a lump of Ore in which there is both Gold and Silver and Emeralds and Diamonds which was brought from Peru. There are many curious motions where by an unseen Spring a Ball after it hath rowled down through many winding descents is â—hrown up and so it seems to be a perpetual motion this is done in several forms and it is well enough disguised to deceive the vulgar
much of their old and unsubdued Insolence and treat such as are under them so cruelly that the Venetians are as secure in those Conquests as if they had many strong Cittadels and numerous Garrisons spread up and down among them From Padua down to Venice all along the River Brent there are many Palaces of the Noble Venetians on both sides of the River built with so great a variety of Architecture that there is not one of them like another there is also the like diversity in the laying out of their Gardens and here they retire during the hot months and some allow themselves all the excesses of dissolute Liberty that can possibly be imagined From Lizza Fucina which is at the mouth of the Brent we pass for five or six miles on the Lagunes or shallows to Venice these shallows sink of late so much that the preserving Venice still an Island is like to become as great a charge to the Venetianâ— as the keeping out the Sea is to the Dutch for they use all possible industry to cleanse the Channels of their Laguneâ— and to keep them full of Water and yet many think that the Water hath failed so much in this last age that if it continues to abate at the same rate within an age oâ— two more Venice may become a part of the Terra firmâ— It is certainly the most surprizing sight in the whole World to see so vast a City scituated thus in the Sea and such a number of Islands so united together by Bridges brought to such a regular figure the Pilotty supplying the want of earth to build on and all so nobâ—â— built which is of all the things that one can see the moâ—â— amazing And tho this Republick is much sunk from what is was both by the great Losses they have suffered in their Wars with the Turks and by the great decay of Trade yet there is an incredible Wealth and a vaâ—â— plenty of all things in this place I will not offer to describe neither the Church nor the Palace of S. Mark which are too well known to need a long digression to be made for them the painting of the Walls and the roofs of the Halls and publick Rooms in the Palace are of vast value Here I saw that Story of Pope Alexander the III. treading on the neck of the Emperor Fredericâ— Barbarossa The Nobleness of the Stair-â—ases the Riches of the Halls and the Beauty of the whole Building are much prejudiced by the Beastliness of those that walâ— along and that leave their marks behind them as if this were rather a common House of Office than so Noble a Palace And the great Hall where the whole body of the Nobility meet in the Great Council hath nothing but the roof and walls that answers to such aâ— Assembly For the Seatâ— are liker the benches of an Auditory of Schollars than of so glorious a Body Wheâ— the two sides of this Palace are built as the third which is the most hid it will be one of the gloriousest Palaceâ— that the World can shew The two sides that are moâ—â— seen the one facing the square of St. Mark and the other the great Canale are only of Brick the third being all of Marble but the War of Candy put a stop to the Building St. Mark 's Church hath nothing to recommend it but its great Antiquity and the vast Riches of the Building it is dark and low but the pavement is so rich a Mosaick and the whole roof is also Mosaiâ—k the outside and inside are of such excellent Marble the Frontispice is adorned with so many Pillars of Porphiry and Iasper and above all with the four Horses of Corinthian Brass that Tiridates brought to Tiberius which were carried afterwards to Constantinople and were brought from thence to Venice and in which the gilding is still very bright that when all this is considered one doth no where see so much cost brought together I did not see the Gospel of St. Mark which is one of the valuablest things of the Treasure but they do not now open it to Strangers yet Doctor Grandâ— a famous Physitian there told me that by a particular order he was suffered to open it he told me it was all writ in Capital Letters but the Characters were so worn out that tho he could disâ—ern the Ends of some Letters he could not see enough to help him to distinguish them or to know wheter the M.S. was in Greek or Latin. I will not say one Word of the Arfenal for as I saw it in its worst State the War that is now on foot having disfurnished a great deal of it so it hath been oâ—ten described and it is known to be the Noblest Magazine the best ordered and of the greatest variety that is in the whole World its true it is all that this Statâ— hath so that if the Magazines of other Princes which lie spread up and down in the different Places of their Dominions were gathered together they would make a much greater shew The Noblest Convent of Venice is that of the Dominicans called Saint Iohn and Saint Paul the Church and Chappels are vastly rich there is one of Saint Luke's Madona 's here as they pretend the Dormitory is very great the Room for the Library and every thing in it except the Books is extream fine But Saint George's which is a Convent of the Benedictines in an Isle intirely possessed by them over against Saint Marks square is much the richest the Church is well contrived and well adorned and not only the whole Building is very Magnificent but which is more extraordinary at Venice they have a large Garden and noble walks in it The Redemptore and the Salute are two Noble Churches that are the effects of Vows that the Senate made wheâ— they were afflicted with the Plague the latter is much the finer it is to the Virgin and the other is only to our Saviour so naturally doth the Devotion of that Churcâ— carry it higher for the Mother than the Son. It is true the Salute is later than the other so no wonder if the Architecture and the riches exceed that which is more ancient The School of Saint Roch and the Chappel and Hall are full of great pieces of Tintoreâ—â— a Cena of Paulo Veronese in the Refectory of St. George and the Picture of St. Seter the Martyr of Titians are the most celebrated pieces of Pâ—saro's Tomb in the Friary is the Noblest I ever saw Bâ—â— if the riches of all the Convents and the Parish Churches of Venice amased me the Fronts especially many of which are of white Marble beautified with several Statues the meanness of the Library of S. Marâ— did no less surprize me There are in the Antichamber to it Statues of vast value and the whole Roof of the Library is composed of several pieces of the greateâ—â— Masters put in several Frames but the Library hath nothing answerable to the Riches
of the Case for the Greek Manuscrips are all modern I turned over a great many and saw none above five hundred years old I was indeed told that the last Library-keeper was accâ—sed for having conveyed away many of their Manuscrips and that four years ago being clapt in prison for this by the Inquisitors he to prevent further Severities poisoned himself I went to the Convent of the Servi bâ—t I found Father Paul was not in such consideration there as he is elsewhere I asked for his Tomb but they made no account of him and seemed not to know where it was it is true the person to whom I was recommended was not in Venice so perhaps they refined too much in this matter I had great Discourse with some at Venice concerning the Memorials out of which F. Paul drew his History which are no doubt all preserved with great care in their Archives and since the Transactions of the Council of Trent as they are of great Importance so they are become now much controverted by the different Relations that F. Paul and Cardinal Pallavicini have given the World of that matter the only way to put an end to all Disputes in matter of Fact is to print the Oriâ—inals themselves A Person of great Credit at Venice promised to me to do his utmost to get that Proposition set on foot tho the great Exactness that the Government there hath alwayes affected as to the matter of their Archives is held so sacred that this made him apprehend they would not give way to any such search The Affinity of the matter brings into my mind a long Conversation that I had with a person of great Eminence at Venice that as he was long at Constantinople so he was learned far beyond what is to be met with in Italy he told me he was at Constantinople when the Inquiry into the Doctrine of the Greek Church was set on foot occasioned by the famous Dispute between Mr. Arnaud and Mr. Claude he being a zealous Roman Catholick was dealt with to assist in that business but being a Man of great Honour and Sincerity he excused himself and said he could not meddle in it He hath a very low and bad Opinion of the Greeks and he told me That none of their Priests were more inveterate Enemies to the Church of Rome than those that were bred up at Rome for they to free themselves of the prejudices that their Countreymen are apt to conceive against them because of their Education among the Latines do affect to shew an Opposition to the Latin Church beyond any other Greeks He told me that he knew the Ignorance and Corruption of the Greeks was such that as they did not know the Doctrines of their own Church so a very little Money or the hope of Protection from any of the Ambassâ—dors that came from the West would prevail with them to sign any thing that could be desired of them He added one thing that tho he firmly believed Transuâ—stantiation himself he did not think they believed it let them say what they pleased themselves he took his measures of the Doctrine of their Church rather from what they did than from what they said For their Rites not being changed now for a great many ages were the true Indications of the Doctrines received among them whereas they were both ignorant of the Tradition of their Doctrine and very apt to prevericate when they saw Advantages or Protection set before them therefore he concluded that since they did not adore the Sacrament after the Consecration that was an evident sign that they did not believe the Corporal Presence and was of a force well able to balance all their Subscriptions He told me he was often scandalized to see them open the Bag in which the Sacrament was preserved and shew it with no sort of respect no more than when they shewed any Manuscript and he looked on Adoration as such a necessary Consequent of Transuâ—stantiation that he could not imagine that the latter was received in a Church that did not practise the former To this I will add what an Eminent Catholick at Paris told me he said the Originals of those Attestations were in too exact and too correct a stile to have been formed in Greece he assured me they were penned at Paris by one that was a Master of the Purity of the Greek Tongue I do not name these Persons because they are yet alive and this might be a prejudice to them One of the chief Ornaments of Veâ—ice was the famous young Wâ—man that spake five Tongues well of which the Latin and Greek weâ—e two she passed Doctor of Physick at Padua according to the ordinary Forms but which was beyond all she was a person of such extraordinary Vertue and Piety that she is spoken of as a Saint she died some Months before I came to Venice she was of the noble Family of the Cornaro's tho not of the three chief Branches which are Saint Maurice Saint Paul and Calle who are descended from the three Brothers of the renowned Queen of Cyprus but the distinction of her Family was Piscopia Her extraordinary merit made all people unwilling to remember the blemish of her descent of the one side for tho the Cornaro's reâ—kon themselves a size of Nobility beyond all the other Families of Vâ—nice yet her Father having entertained a Goudalier's Daughter so long that he had some Children by her at last for their sakes married the Mother and payed a considerable Fine to save the forfeiture of Nobility which his Children must have undergone by reason of the meanness of the Mothers birth The Cornaro's carry it so high that many of the Daughters of that Family have made themselves Nuns because they thought their own Name was so Noble that they could not induce themselves to change it with any other and when lately one of that Family married the Heir of the Sagredro which is also one of the antientest Families that was extream rich and she had scarce any portion at all for the Câ—rnaro's are now very low some of their Friends came to wish them joy of so advantagious a Match but they very coldly rejected the Complement and bid the others go and wish the Sagredo's joy since they thought the Advantage was wholly of their side There are of the truly Ancient Noble Families of Veniâ—e four and twenty yet remaining and even among these there are twelve that are thought superior to the rest in rank since the first Formation of their Senate they have created many Senators In their Wars with Genua they conferred that honour on thirty Families several of their Generals have had that honour given them as a reward of their service They have also offered this honour to some Royal Families for both the Pamilies of Valoâ—s and Bourbon were Nobles of Venice and Henry the III. when he came through Venice from Poland to take possession of the Crown of France went and
and he is accounted the best of all their mordern Authors The other was Memoires of the Government and History of Venice which hath never been Printed and some say it is too â—incere and too particular so that it is thought it will be reserved among their Archives It hath been a sort of Maxim now for some time not to chuse a married man to be Duke for the Coronation of a Duâ—hesâ— goes high and hath cost above a hundred thousand Dâ—â—ats Some of the ancient Families have affected the Title of Prince and have called their branches Princes of the Blood and tho the Cornaro's have done this more than any other yet oâ—hers upon the account of some Principalities that their Ancestors had in the Islands of the Archipelago have also affected those vain Titles But the Inquisitors have long ago obliged them to lay aside all those high Titles and such of them as boast too much of their blood find the dislâ—ke which that brings on them very sensibly for whensoever they pretend to any great Imployments they find themselves alwayes exâ—luded When an Election of Ambassadors was proposed or of any of the chief Oâ—â—ices it was wont to be made in those terms that the Counâ—il must chuse one of its Principal Members for such an imployment But because this lookt like a term of Distinction among the Nobility they changed it five and twenty years ago and instead of Principal they use now the term Honourable which comprehends the whole body of their Nobility without any distinction It is at Venice in the Church as well as in the State that the Head of the Body hath a great Title and particular Honours done him whereas in the mean while this is a meer Pageantry and under these big words there is lodged only a ligâ—t shadow of Authority for their Bishop has the glorious Title of Patriarch as well as the Duke is caled their Prince and his Serenity and hath his name stampt upon their Coyn so the Patriarch with all this high Title hath really no Authority For not only Saint Mark 's Church is intirely exempted from his jurisdiction and is immediately subject to the Duke but his Authority is in all other things so subject to the Senate and so regulated by them that he hath no more power than they are pleased to allow him So that the Senate is as really the supream Governour over all persons and in all causes as the Kings of England have pretended to be in their own Dominions since the Reformation But besides all this the Clergy of Venice have a very extraordinary sort of Exemption and are a sort of a body like a Presbytery independent of the Bishop The Curats are chosen by the Inhabitants of every Parish and this makes that no Noble Venetian is suffered to pretend to any Curaâ—y for they think it below that dignity to suffer one of their body to engage in a competition with one of a lower order and to run the hazard of being rejected I was told the manner of those Elections was the most scandalous thing possible for the several Candidates appear on the day of Election and set out their own Merits and defame the other Pretenders in the sowlest Language and in the most scurrilous manner imaginable the secrets of all their Lives are publisht in most reproachful terms and nothing is so abject and ridiculous that is not put in practice on those occasions There is a sort of an Association among the Câ—rats for judging of their common concerns and some of the Laity of the several Parishes assist in those Courts so that here is a real Presbytery The great Libertinage that is so undecently practised by most sorts of people at Venice extends it self to the Clergy to such a degree that tho Ignorance and Vice seem the only indelible Characters that they carry generally over all Italy yet those appear here in a much more conspicuous manner than elsewhere and upon these popular elections all comes out The Nuns of Venice have been under much scandal for a great while there are some Nunnerys that are as famous for their strictness and exactness to their Rules as others are for the Liberties they take chiefly those of Saint Zachary and Saint Laurence where none but Noble Venetians are admitted and where it is not so much as pretended that they have retired for Devotion but it is owned to be done meerly that they might not be too great a Charge to their Family They are not vailed their neck and breast is bare and they receive much company but that which I saw was in a publick Room in which there were many Grills for several Parlors so that the conversation is very confused for there being a different company at every Grill and the Italians speaking generally very loud the noise of so many loud Talkers is very disagreeable The Nuns talk much and very ungracefully and allow themselves a liberty in Rallying that other places could not bear About four years ago the Patraiarch intended to bring in a Reform into those Houses hut the Nuns of S. Laurence with whom he began told him plainly they were Noble Venâ—tians who had chosen that way of life as more convenient for them but they would not subject themselves to his Regulations yet he came and would shut up their house so they went to set fire to it upon which the Senate interposed and ordered the Patriarch to desist There is no Christian State in the World that hath expressed a Jealousie of Church mens getting into the publick Councils so much as the Venetiâ—ns for as a Noble Venetian that goes into Orders loses thereby his right of going to vote in the great Council so when any of them are promoted to be Cardinals the whole kinâ—red and family must during their lives withdraw from the great Council and are also incapable of all imployments And by a clause which they added when they received the Inquâ—sition which seemed of no great consequence they have made it to become a Court absolutely subject to them for it being provided that the Inquisitors should do nothing but in the presence of such as should be Deputed by the Senate to be the Witnesses of their proceedings those Deputies either will noâ— come but when they think fit or will not stay longer than they are pleased with their proceedings so that either their absence or their withdrawing dissolves the Court for a Citation cannot be made a Witness cannot be examined nor the leaâ—â— point of Form carried on if the Deputies of the Senate aâ—â— not present and thus it is that tho there is a Court of Iâ—quisition at Vâ—nice yet there is scarce any person broughâ— into trouble by it and there are many of the Protestaâ—â— Religion that live there without any trouble and tho there is a Congregation of them there that hath their exercises of Religion very regularly yet the Senate gives them no trouble It is true the
were really the Fathers of â—heir Country nothing can be imagined more changed than all this is now The soil is abandoned and uncultivated nor were there hands enough so much as to mow their Grass which we saw withering in their Meadows to our no small wonder We were amazed to see so rich a soil thuâ— forsaken of its Inhabitants and much more when we passed through tâ—at vast Town which by its extent shews what it was about an age ago and is now so much deserted that there are whole sides of Streets without Inhabitants and the Poverty of the Place appears signally in the Churches which are mean and poorly adorned for the superstition of Italy is so ravenous and makes such a progress in this Age that one may justly take the meaâ—ures of the Wealth of any place from the Churches The Superstition or Vanity of this Age is so much beyonâ— that of the past tho the contrary to this is commonly believed that all the vast Buildings of great Churches or rich Convents and the surprising Wealth that appears in them on Festival dayes are the Donatives of the present Age so that it is a vulgar error that some have taken up who fancy that Superstition is at a stand iâ— not in a Decay unless it be acknowledged that the craâ—â— of the Priests hath opened to them a new method to support their riches when the old ones of Purgatory and Indulgences were become less effectual in an Age of more knowledge and better inlightned and that is to ingage men to an Emulation and a Vanity in Enriching theâ—â— Churches as much as other Italians have in the enrichinâ— their Palaces so that as they have a Pleasure as well as 〈◊〉 Vanity in seeing so much dead wealth in their houses they have translated the same humour to their Churcheâ— and the vanity of the present Age that believes little or nothing of those contrivances of Purgatory or the like produceth the same if not greater effects in the building and enriching their Churches and so carries it in Expence and Prodigality from the superstition of the former Ages that believed every thing But to returnâ—â— Ferrara I could not but ask all I saw how it came that so rich was so strangely abandoned some said the Air was become so unhealthy that those who staâ— in it were very short lived but it is well known thâ—â— fourscore years ago it was well peopled and the ill Air 〈◊〉 occasioned by the want of Inhabitants for there noâ— being people to drain the ground and to keep the Ditcheâ— clean this makes that there is a great deal of water thâ—â— liâ—s on the ground and rots which infects the Air in thâ— same manner as is observed in that vast and rich 〈◊〉 uninhabited Champaign of Rome so that the ill Air is tâ—â— effect rather than the cause of the dispeopling of tâ—â— Popes Dominions The true cause is the Severity of the â—â—vernment and the heavy Taxes and frequent Confisotions by which the Nephews of several Popes as theâ— have devoured many of the Families of Ferrara so theâ— have driven away many more And this appears moâ—â— visibly by the different State as well as the Constitutioâ— of Bologna which is full of people that abound in Wealth and as the Soil is extream rich so it is cultivated with all due care For Bologna delivered it self to the Pâ—pedom upon a Capitulation by which there are many Priviledges reserved to it Crimes there are only punished in the perfons of those who commit them but there are no confiscations of Estates and tho the Authority in criminal matters belongs to the Pope and is managed by a Legate and his Officers yet the Civil Government the Magistracy and the power of Judicature in Civil matters is intâ—rely in the hands of the State And by this Regulation it is that as the Riches of Bologna amazes a Stranger it neither being on a Navigable River by which it is not capable of much Trade nor being the Center of a Soveraignty where a Court is kept so the Taxes that the Popes fetch from thence are so considerable that he draws much more from this place of Liberty than from those where his Authority is unlimited and absolute but that are by those means almost quite abandoned for the greatness of a Prince or State rising from the numbers of the Subjects those Maxims that reâ—ain the Subjects and that draw Strangers to come among them are certainly the truest Maxims for advancing the greatness of the Master And I could not but with much scorn observe the folly of some Frenchmen who made use of this Argument to shew the Greatness of their Nation that one found many Frenchmen in all places to which one could come whereas there were no English nor Dutch no Switzers and very few Germans but â—his is just contrary to the right consequence that ought to be drawn from this observation It is certain that few leave their Country and go to settle elsewhere if they are not pressed with so much uneasiness at home that they cannot well live among their Friends and Kindred so that a mild Government drives out no swarms whereas it is the sure mark of a severe Government that weakens it self when many of the Subjects find it so hard to subsist at home that they are forced to seek that abroad which they would much rather do in theiâ— own Country if Impositions and other Severities diâ— not force them to change their Habitations But to return to the Wealth of Bologna it appeaâ—â— in every Corner of the Town and all â—ound it tho iâ—scituation is not very faâ—ourable for it lyes at the foot of the Appenins on the North-side and is extream cold in Winter The Houses are built as at Padua and Berâ— so that one walks all the Town over covered under Piâ—zza's but the walks here are both higher and larger than any were else there are many Noble Palaâ—es all over the Town and the Churches and Convents are incredibly rich within the Town the richest are the Dominiâ—ans which is the chief House of the Order where their Founders Body is laid in one of the best Chappâ—â—â— of Italy and next to them are the Franciscans the Servites the Iesuites and the Cannons Regular of St. Salvator In this last there is a Scrowl of the Hebreâ— Bible which tho it is not the tenth part of the Bible they fancy to be the whole Bible and they were made believe by some Iew that hath no doubt sold it at a high rate that it was written by Ezra's own hand and this hath past long for current but the Manuscript is only a fine Copy like those that the Iews use in their Synagogues that may be perhaps three or four hundred Years old that part of it on which I cast my eye was the Book of Esther so by the bulk of the Scrowl I judged it to be the collection of those small books of the Old Teâ—â—â—ment
that the Iews set after the Law but those of the House fancy they have a great treasure in it and perhapâ— such Iews as have seen it are willing to laugh at their ignorance and so suffer them to go on in their Error The chief Church in the Town is St. Petrone's and there one sees the curious and exact Meridâ—onal-line which thâ—â— rare Astronomer Cassini laid along a great part of the Pavement in a â—rasâ— Circle it marks the true point of midâ—ay from June to Ianuary and is one of the best Performances that perhaps the World ever saw In the greaâ— square before the Church on the one side of whiâ—h is the Legates Palace among other Statues one surprized me much it was Pope Ioans which is so named by the people of the Town it is true the learned men say it is the Statue of Pope Nicolas the IV. who had indeed a youthly and womanish face But as I looked at this Statue very attentively through a little prospect that I carried with me it appeared plainly to have the face of a young Woman and was very unlike that of Pope Nicolas the IV. which is in St. Maria Maggiore at Rome For the Statue of that Pope tho it hath no beard yet hath an age in it that is very muâ—h different from the Statue at Bologna I do not build any thing on this Statue for I do not believe that Story at all and I my self saw in England a Manuscript of Martinus Polonus who is one of the ancient Authors of this matter which did not seem to be written long after the Authors time in it this Story is not in the Text but is added on the margin by another hand On the Hill above Bologna stands the Monastery of St Michael in Bosco which hath a most charming scituation and prospect and is one of the best Monâ—steries in Italy it hath many Courts and one that is Cloistered and is Octangular whiâ—h is so nobly painted in Fresco that it is great pity to see such work exposed to the Air All wâ—s retouâ—hed by the famous Guido Reni yet it is now again much decayed The Dormitory is very Magnifiâ—ent the Chappel is little but very fine and the Stalls are richly carved On the other side of Bologna in the Bottom the Carthusians have also a very rich Monastery Four miles from Bologna there is a Madona of Saint Lukes and because many go thither in great Devotion there is a Portiâ—o Building which is already carried on almost half way It is walled towards the North but stands on Pillars to the South and is about twelve foot broad anâ— fifteen foot high it is carried on very vigorously for in eighâ— or ten years the half is built so that in a little time the whole will very probably be finished and this may prove the beginning of many such like Portico's in Iâ—aly for things of this kind want only a beginning and when they are once set on foot they do quickly spread themselves in a Couâ—try that is so intirely subdued by Superstition and the Artifices of their Priests In Bologna they reckon there are seventy thousand persons I saw not one of the chief Glories of this place for the famous Malphigius was out of Town while I was there I saw a Play there but the Pâ—â—sâ— was so bad the Farces so rude and all was so ill acted that I was not a little amazed to see the Company expresâ— so great a Satisfaction in that which would have been hiss'd off the stage either in England or Franâ—e Fâ—om Bâ—logna we go eight miles in a Plain and then we ingage into that range of Hills that carry the name of Appenâ—â—s tho that is strictly given only to one that is the highest All the way to Florence this track of Hills continues thâ—â— there are several bottoms and some considerable little Towns in them but all is up hill and down-hill anâ— Florence it self is just at the bottom of the last Hill. The high-ways all along these Hills are kept in so very gooâ— case that in few of the best inhabited Countrys doth one find the High-wayes so well maintained as in those forsaken Mountains but this is so great a Passage that 〈◊〉 that are concerned in it find their account in the expence they lay out upon it On the last of these Hills tho in a little bottom in the midst of a Hill stands Pratoliâ— one of the great Dukes Palaces where the retreat 〈◊〉 Summer must be very agreeable for the Air of thosâ— Mountains is extream thin and pure The Gardens in Italy are made at a great cost the Statues and Fountains aâ—â— very rich and noble the Grounds are well laid out aâ—â— the Walks are long and even But as they have no Gâ—â—vel to give them those firm and beautiful walks that we have in England so the constant greenness of the 〈◊〉 doth so much please them that they preferring the sighâ— to the smell have their Gardens so high sented by 〈◊〉 made with them that there is no pleasure to walk 〈◊〉 them they also lay their walks so between Hedges that one is much confined in them I saw first in a Gardâ—n at Vinâ—enza that which I found afterwards in many Gardens in Italy which was extream convenient there wenâ— a course of Water â—ound about the Walls about a foot from the ground is a channel of stone that went along the side of the Wall and in this there were holes so made that a pipe of white Iron or Wood put to them conveyed the Water to such plants as in dry seaâ—on needed watring and a Cock set the Water a running in this course so that without the trouble of carrying Water one person could easily manage the watring of a great Garden Florenâ—e is a beautiful and noble Town full of great Palaces rich Churches and stately Convents The streets are paved in imitation of the old Roman High-wayes with great Sâ—one bigger than our common pavement Stone but much thicker which are so hollowed in their joynings to one another that horses find fastning enough to their feet There are many Statues and Fountains in the streets so that in every corner one meets with many agreeable Objects I will not entertain you with a description of the great Dukes Palace and Gardens or of the old Palace and the Gâ—llery that joyns to it and of the vast Collection of Pictures Statues Cabinets and other Curiosities that must needs amaze every one that sees them the Plate and in particular the Gold Plate and the great Coach are all such extraoâ—dinary things that they would require a very copious description if that had not been done so often that it were to very little purpose to Copy what others have said and these thiâ—gs are so exactly seen by every Traveller that I can say nothing that is more particular of these subjects â—han you will find in the common Itinerarys of all Travellers The
great Dome is a magnificent building but the Frontispiece to the great Gate is not yet made The Cupulo is after St. Peters the greatest and highest that I saw in Italy it is three hundred foot high and of a vast compass and the whole Architecture of this Fabrick is very singular as well as regular Only that which was intended to adâ— to its Beauty lessened it very much in my thoughts for the Walls that are all of Marble being of white and black Marble laid in different figures and orders looked too like a Livery and had not that air of Nobleness which in my opinion becomes so glorious a Fabrâ—â—k The Baptistery that stanâ—s before it was a Noble Heathen Temple iâ—s Gates of brass are the best of â—hâ—t sort that are in the World There are so many History so well represented in Bas Reliefs in them with so much Exactness the Woâ—k is so natural and yet so fine that a curious man could find entertainement for many dayes if he would examine the three Gates of this Temple with a critical exactness The Annunciata St. Marks St. Croce and St. Maria Novella are Churches of great Beauty and vast Riches but the Church and Chappel of S. Laurence exceeds them all as much in the Riches within as it is inferiour to them in the outside which is quite flea'd if I may so speak but on design to give it a rich out-side of Marble In a Chappel within this Church the Bodies of the great Dukes lye deposited till the famous Chappel is finished But I was much scandalized to see Statues with Nudities here which I do not remember to have seen any where else in Churches I will not offer at a description of the Glorious Chappel which as it is without doubt the richest piece of building that perhaps the World ever saw so it goes on so slowly that tho there are alwayes many at work â— yet it doth not seem to advance proportionably to the number of the hands that are imployed in it Among the Statues that are to be in it there is one of the Virgin 's made by Michael Angelo which represents her grief at the Passion of her Blessed Son that hath the most life in it of all the Statues I ever saw But the famous Liâ—rary that belongs to this Convent took up more of my time than all the other Curiosities of Florence for here is a collection of many Manuscripts most of them are Greek that were gathered together by Pope Clement the VII and giveâ— to his Country there are very few Printed Books mixed with them and those Books that are there are so rare that they are almost as curious as Manuscrips I saw some of Virgâ—ls Pâ—ems in old Capitals There is a Manuscript in which some parts both of Tacitus and Apuleius are written and in one place one in a different hand had writ that he had compared those Manuscripts and he adds a date to this in Olibrius's time which is about twelve hundred Years ago I found some dipthongs in it cast into one Letter which surprized me for I thought that way of writing them had not been so ancient but that which pleased me most was that the Library-keeper assured me that one had lately found the famous Epistle of St. Chrysostome to Cesarius in Greek in the end of a Volume full of other things and not among the Manuscripts of that Fathers Books of which they have a great many He thought he remembred well the place where the Book stood so we turned over all the Books that stood near it but I found it not he promised to look it out for me if I came back that way But I changing my design and going back another way could not see the bottom of this It is true the famous Magliabecchi who is the Great Dukes Library-keeper and is a person of most wonderful Civility and full of Candor as well as he is learned beyond imagination assured me that this could be no other than a mistake of the Library-keepers he said such a discovery could not have been made without making so much noise that he must have heard of it He added there was not one man in Florence that either understood Greek or that examined Manuscripts so that he assured me I could not build on what an ignorant Library-keeper had told me So I set down this matter as I found it without building much on it Florence is much sunk from what is was for they do not reckon that there are above fifty thousand â—ouls in it and the other States that were once great Republicks such as Siena and Pisa while they retained their Liberty are now shrunk almost into nothing It is certain that all three together are now not so numerous as any one of them was two hundred years ago Legorn is full of peâ—ple and all round Florence there are a great many Villages but as one goes over Tuscany it appears so dispeopled that one cannot but wonder to find a Country that hath been a Scene of so much Action and so many Wars now so forsaken and so poor and that in many places the Soil is quite neglected for want of hands to cultivate it and in other places where there are more people they look so poor and their Houses are such miserable Ruins that it is scarce accountable how there should be so much Poverty in so rich a Country which is all over full of Beggars and here the stile of Begging was a liâ—tle altered from what I found it in Lombardy for whereas there they begged for the sake of St. Anthony here all begged for the Souls that were in Purgatory and this was the stile in all the other parts of Italy through which I passed In short the dispeopling of Tuscany and most of the Principalities of Italy but chiefly of the Popes Dominions which are more abandoned than any other part of Italy seemed to flow from nothing but the Severity of the Government and the great Decay of Trade For the greatest Trade of Italy being in Silk the vast Importation of Silks that the East-India Companies bring into Europe hath quite ruined all those that deal in this Manufacture Yet this is not the chief Cause of the dispeopling of those rich Countrys the Severity of the Tax is the true Reason notwithstanding all that Decay of Trade the Taxes are still kept up Beside this the vast Wealth of the Convents where the only people of Italy are to be found that live not only at their Ease but in great plenty and Luxury makes many forsake all sort of Industry and seek for a retreat in one of those Seats of Pleasure so that the People do not increase faâ—t enough to make a new race to come instead of those whom a hard Government drives away It must needs surprize an unattentive Traveller to see not only the Venetian Territory which is indeed a rich Country but the Bailiages of the Switzers and the
making those Advantages of so rich a soil that a more industrious sort of people would find out For it amazes a Stranger to see in their little Towns the whole men of the town walking in the Market places in their torn Cloaks and doing nothing and tho in some big towns such as Capua there is but one Inn yet even that is so miserable that the best Room and Bed in it is so bad that our Footmen in England would make a grievous Outcry if they were no better lodged nor is there any thing to be had in them the Wine is intolerable the Bread ill Baked no Victuals except Pidgeons and the Oil is rotten In short except one carries his whole Provision from Rome or Naples he must resolve to indure a good deal of Misery in the four days journey that is between those two places And this is what a Tâ—â—veller that sees the Riches of the soil cannot comprehend but as they have not hands enough for their soil so those they have are generally so little imployed that it is no wonder to see their soil produce so little that in the midst of all that abundance that Nature hath set before them they are one of the poorest Nations of Europe But beside this which I have named the vast and dead Wealth that is in the hands of the Churchmeâ— is another evident cause of their misery One that knew the State of this Kingdom well assured me that if it were divided into five parts upon a strict survey it would be found that the Churâ—hmen had four parts of the five which he made out thus they have in Soil above the half of the whole which is two and a half and in Tythes and Gifts and Legacies they have one and a half more for no man dieâ—â— without leaving a considerable Legacy to some Church oâ— some Convent The Wealth that one sees in the City of Naples alone passeth imagination there are four and twenty Houses of the Order of the Dominicans of both Sexes and two and twenty of the Franciscans seven of the Iâ—suites besides the Convents of the Olivitaâ—es the Theatines the Carmelites the Benedictines and above all for scituation and riches the Carthusians on the top of the Hill that lieth over the Town The riches of the Annunciata are prodigious It is the greatest Hospital in the World the Revenue is said to be four hundred thousand Crowns a year the number of the Sick is not so great as at Milan Yet one convenience for their Sickâ— observed in their Galleries which was considerable that every Bed stood as in an Alcove and had a Wall on both sides separating it from the Beds on both hands and as much void space of both sides of the Bed that the Bed it self took up but half the Room The young Children that they maintain are so many that one can hardly believe the numbers that they boast of for they talk of many thousands that are not seen but are at Nurse a great part of the wealth of this House goeth to the inriching their Church which will be all over within crusted with inlayings of lovely Marble in a great variety and beauty of colours The Plate that is in the Treasury here and in the Dome which is but a mean building because it is ancient but hath a Noble Chappel and a vast Treasure and in a great many other Churches are so prodigious that upon the modestest estimate the Plate of â—he Churcâ—es of Naples amounts to eight millions of Crowns The new Church of the Iesuites that of the Apostles and that of S. Paul are surprizingly rich the gilding anâ— painting that is on the Roofs of those Churches have cost millions And as there are about a hundred Câ—nvents in Naples so every one of these if it were in another place would be thought well worth seeing tho the riches of the greater Convents here make many of them to be less visited Every year there is a new Governour of the Annun inta who perhaps puts in his own Pocket twenty thousand Crowns and to make some Compensation when he goeth out of Office he giveth a vast piece of Plate to the House a Statue for a Saint in Silver or some Coloss of a Candlestick for several of those pieces of plate are said to be worth ten thousand Crowns and thus all the Silver of Naples becomes dead and useless The Jesuites are great Merchants here their Wine-Cellar is a vast Vault and holds above a thousand Hogsheads and the best Wine of Naples is sold by them yet they do no retail it out so scandalously as the Minims do who live on the great square before the Viceroys Palace and sell out their Wine by retaâ—l they pay no Duty and have extraordinary good Wine and are in the best Place of the Town for this retail It is true the Neapolitans are no great Drinkers so the Profâ—s of this Tavern are not so great as they would be in colder Countries for here men go only in for a draught in the mornings or when they are athirst Yet the House groweth extream rich and hath one of the finest Châ—ppâ—ls that is in all Naples but the Trade seems very unbecoming men of that Profession and of so strict an Order The Câ—nvents have a very particular priviledge in this Town for they may buy all the Houses that ly on either side till the first street that discontinueth the Houses and there being scarce a street in Naples in which there is not a Convâ—nt by this means they may come to buy in the whole Town And the progress that the Wealth of the Câ—ergy makes in this Kingdom is so visible that if there is not some stop put to it within an Age they will make themselves Masters of the whole Kingdom It is an amazing thing to see so profound an ignorance as reignâ— among the Clergy prevail so effectually for tho all the Secular persons here speak of them with all possible scorn yet they are the Masters of the Spirits of the People The Women are infinitly Superstitious and give their husbands no rest but as they draw from them great presents to the Church It is true there are Societies of men at Naples of sreer thoughts than can be found in any other place of Italy The Greek Learning begins to flourish there and the nâ—w Philosophy is much studied and there is an Assembly that is held in D. Ioseph Valletâ—'s Library where there is a vast Collection of well chosen Books composed of Men that have a right tast of true Learning and good Sense They are ill looked on by the Clergy and represented as a set of Atheists and as the Spawn of Pomponatius's School But I found no sucâ— thing among them for I had the Honour to meet twice or thrice with a considerable number of them during the short stay that I made among them There is a learned Lawyer Francisco Andria that is considered as
while There are several Rests of Roman Aniiquities at the Mole of Cajeta but the Isle of Caprea now called Crapa which is a little way into the Sea off from Naples gave me a strange Idea of Tibeâ—ius's Reign since it is hard to tell whether it was more extraordinary to see a Prince abandon the best Seats and Palaces of Italy and shut himself up in a little Island in which I was told there was a tradition of seven little Palaces that he built in it or to see so vast a body as the Roman Empire so governed by such a Tyrannical Prinâ—â— at such a distance from the chief Seat so that all might have been reversed long before that the News of it could have been brought to him And as there is nothing more wonderful in Story than to see so vast a State that had so great a sense of liberty subdued by so brutal and so voluptious a Man as Anthony and so raw a Youth as Auâ—â—stus so the wonder is much improved when we see a Prince at a hundred and fifty Miles distance shut up iâ— an Island carry the Reins of so great a Body in his hand and turn it which way he pleased But now I come to Rome which as it was once the Empress of the World in a succession of many Ages so hath in it at present more â—urious things to entertain the attention of a Traveller than any other place in Europe On the side of Tuscany the entry into Rome is very surprizing to Srrangers for one cometh along for a great many miles upon the remains of the Via Flamminis which is not indeed so entire as the Via Appia yet there is enough left to raise a just Idea of the Roman Greatness who laid such Causewayes all Italy over And within the Gate of the Porta di Populo there is a Noble Obelisk 〈◊〉 vast Fountaâ—n two fine little Churches like two twins resembling one another as well as placed near one another and on several hands one sees a long Vista of Streets There is not a Town in these parts of the World wherâ— the Churches Convents and Palaces are so Noble anâ— wbere the other Buildings are so mean which indeeâ— discovers very visibly the Misery under which the Româ—â— groan The Churches of Rome are so well known tha◠〈◊〉 will not adventure on any description of them and indeeâ— I had too transcient a view of them to make it with thâ— degree of exactness which the subject requires S. Petâ—â— alone would make a big Book not to say a long Letteâ— Its length height and breadth are all so exactly propoâ—tioned and the eye is so equally possessed with all these that the whole upon the first view doth not appearâ— vast as it is found to be upon a more particular attentioâ— and as the four Pillars upon which the Cupulo rises are of such a prodigious bigness that one would thiâ—â— they were strong enough to bear any superstructure whaâ—soever so when one climbs up to the top of that 〈◊〉 height he wonders what Foundation can bear so hugâ— a weight for as the Church is of a vast height so 〈◊〉 Cupulo rises four hundred and fifteen big steps above 〈◊〉 Roâ—f of the Church In the height of the Concave of 〈◊〉 Cupulo there is a representation that tho it can hardly be seen from the floor below unless one hath a good sight and so it doth not perhaps give much scandal yet it is a gross indication of the Idolatry of that Church for the Divinity is there pictured as an antient man compassed about with Angels I will say nothing of the great Altar of the Chair of S. Peter of the great Tombs of which the three chief are those for Paul the III. Vrban the VIII and Alexander the VII nor of the vast Vaults under this Church and the Remains of Antiquity that are reserved in them nor will I undertake a description of the adjoy-ning Palaâ—e where the painting of the Corridori and of many of the Rooms by Raphael and Miâ—hael Angelo are so rich that one is sorty to see a woâ—k of that value laid on Fresco and which must by consequence wear out too soon as in several places it is almost quite lost already I could not but observe in the Sala Regia that is before the famous Chappel of Sisto V. and that is all painted in Fresco one corner that represents the Marther of the renowned Admiral Chastilion and that hath written under it those words Rex Colinii necem probat The vast length of the Gallery on one side and of the Library on another do surprize one the Gardens have many Statues of a most excessive value and some good Fountains but the Gardens are ill maintained both here and in the Palace on the Quirinal And indeed in most of the Palaces of Rome if there were but a small cost laid out to keep all in good case that is brought together at so vast a charge they would make another sort of shew and be looked at with much more pleasure In the Apartments of Rome there are a great many things that offend the sight The Doors are generally mean and the Locks meaner except in the Palace oâ— Prince Borghese where as there is the vastest collection of the best Pieâ—es and of the hands of the greatest Masters that are in all Europr so the Dooâ—s and Locks give not that â—istast to the eye that one finds elsewhere The â—looring of the Palaces is all of Brick which is so very mean that one sees the disproportion that is between the Floors and the rest of the Room not withoâ—â— a sensible perception and dislike It is true they say their Air is so cold and moist in Winter that they cannot pave with Marblâ— and the heat is sometimes so great in Summer that Flooring of Wood would crack with heat as well as be eat up by the vermin that would nestle in it But if they kept in their great Palaces servantâ— to wash their Floors with that care that is used in Holland where the Air is moister and the Climaâ—e is more productive of Vermine they would not find such effects from wooden floors as they pretend In â— word there are none that lay out so much Wealth all as once as the Italians do upon the building and finishinâ— of their Palaces and Gardens and that afterwards bestoâ— so little on the preserving of them another thing I observed in their Palaces there is indeed a great series of Noble Rooms one within another of which their Apartmenâ—â— are composed but I did not find at the end of the Apartments where the Bed-Chamber is such a dispositioâ— of rooms for Back-stairs Dressing-rooms Closets Servants rooms and other Conveniences as are necessary for accommodating the Apartment It is true this is not so necessary for an apartment of State in which Magnificeâ—â— is more considered than Convenience but I found the famâ— want in those
are upon the Walls and the Inscription on the Columna Rostrate in the time of the first Punick War is without doubt the most valuable Antiquity in Rome From this all along the sacred way one findeth such remnanâ—â— of Old Rome in the Ruins of the Temples in the Triumphâ—l Arches in the Portico's and other Remains of that Glorious Body that as one cannot see these too often so every time one sees them they kindle in him vast idea's of that Republick and make him reflect on that which he learned in his youth with great pleasure From the height of the Convent of Araceli a man hath a full vieâ— of all the extent of Rome but literally it is now seges ubi Roma suit for the parts of the City that were most inhabited anciently are those that are now laid in greâ—â— Gardens or as they call them Vineyards of which some are half a mile in compass The vastness of the Româ—â— Magnificence and Luxury is that which passeth imagination the prodigious Amphitheâ—ter of Titus that could convenienly receive eighty five thousand spectators the great extent of the Circus Maximus the vaults where the Waters were reserved that furnished Titus's Baths and above all Dioclesiâ—n's Bâ—ths tho built when the Empire was in its decay are so far above all Modern Buildings that there is not so much as room for a comparison The extent of those Baâ—hs is above half a mile in compass the vastness of the Rooms in which the Bathers might swim of which the Carthusians Church that yet remains intire is one and the many great Pillars all of one stone of Marble beautifully spotted are things of which these latter Ages are not capable The beauty of their Temples and of the Portico's before them is amazing chiefly that of the Rotunda where the Fabrick without looketh as mean being only brick as the Architecture is bold for it riseth up in a Vault and yet at the top there is an open left of thirty foot in Diameter which as it is the only Window of the Church so it filleth it with light and is the hardiest piece of Architecture that ever was made The Pillars of the Portico are also the noblest in Rome they are the highest and biggest that one can see any where all of one Stone and the numbers of those â—ncient Pillars with which not only many of the Câ—urches are beautified chiefly S. Mary Maggiore and 〈◊〉 Iohn in the Lateran but with which even private houses are adorned and of â—he Fragments of which there are â—â—ch mulâ—itudes in all the Streets of Rome giveth a great idea of the Expencefulness of the old Romans in their builâ—â—ngs for the hewing and fetching a few of those Pillars â—ust have cost more than whole Palaces do now since â—ost of them were brought from Greece Many of these Pillars are of Porphiry others of Iasp others of granaâ—ed Marble but the greatest number is of white Marble The two Columns Trajans and Aâ—tonius the two Horses that are in the Mount Cavallo and the other two Horsâ—s in the Capitol which have not indeed â—he postures and â—otion of the other The brass Horse that as is believed carrieth Marcus Aurelius the remains of Nâ—ro's Colossus the Tâ—mple of Baâ—â—hus near the Catacomb of S. Agnes which is the intirest and the least altered of all the ancient Temples The great Temple of Peace those of â—he Sun and Moon that of Romulus and Remus which I considered as the ancientest Fabrick that is now leâ—t for it is little and simple and standeth in such a place that â—hen Rome grew so costly it could not have been let alone unchanged if it had not been that it was reverenced for its Antiquity the many o her Portico's the Arcâ—es of Severus of Titus and Constantine in the last of which one sees that the Sculpture of his Age was much sunk from what it had been only in the top there are some Bas Reliefs that are clearly of a much ancienter time and of a better manner And that which exceedeth all the rest the many great Aqueducts that come from all hands and run over a vast distance are things which a man cannot see oft enough if he would form in himself a just idea of the vastness of that Republick or rather Empire There are many Statues and Pillars and other Antiquities of greaâ— value dug up in alâ— the quarters of Rome these last hundred and fourscore years since Pope Lâ—o the tenth's time who as he was the greatest Patron of Learning and Arts that perhaps ever was so was the generousest Prince that ever reigned and it was he that first set on foot the inquiring into the Riches of Old Rome that lay till his timâ— for the most part hid under ground and indeed if â—e had been less scandalous in his Impiety and Atheism of which neither he nor his Court were so much as ashamed he had been one of the most celebrated persons of any Age. Soon after him Pope Paul the III. gave the ground of the Monte Palatino to his Family But I was told that â—hiâ— large piece of ground in which one should look for the greatest collection of the Antiquities of the highest value since this is the Ruin of the Palace of the Romun Emperors hath never been yet searched into with any exactness So that when a curious Prince cometh that is willing to imploy many hands in digging up and down this Hill we may expect new Scenes of Roman Antiquities But all this matter would require Volumes and therefore I have only named these things because I can add nothing to those copious Descriptions that have been so oft made of them Nor will I say any thing of the modern Palaces or the Ornaments of them either in Pictures or Statues which are things that carry one so far that it is not easie to give bounds to the Descriptions inâ—o which one findeth himself carried when he once enters upon so fruitful a Subject The number of the Palaces is great and every one of them hath enough to fix the attention of a Traveller till a new one drives the former out of his thoughts It is true the Palestrina the Borghese and the Farnesâ— have somewhat in them that leave an impression which no new Objects can wear out and as the last hath a noble Square before it with two great Fountains in it so the Statue of Hercules and the Bull that are below and the Gallery above stairs are unvaluable the Roof of the Gallery is one of the best pieces of Painting that is extant being all of Carrachio's hand and there are in that Gallery the greatest number of heads of the Greek Philosophers and Poets that I ever saw together That of Homer and that of Socrates were the two that struck me most chiefly the latter which as it is without dispute a true Antick so it carrieth in it all the Characters that Plato and Xâ—nophon give us of Socrates the
judged it so extraordinary that I thought it was worth communicating to so curious an Inquirer into Nature And since I am upon the subject of the Changes that have been made in Nature I shall add one of another fort that I examined while I was at Geneva There is a Minister of S. Gervais Mr. Gody who hath a Daughter that is now sixteen Years old Her Nurse had an extraordinary thickness of hearing at a year old the Child spoke all those little words that Children begin usually to learn at that age but she made no progress yet this was not observed till it was too late and as she grew to he two years old they preceived then that she had lost her hearing and was so deaf that ever since tho she hears great noises yet she hears nothing that one can speak to her It seems while the milk of her Nurse was more abundant and that the Child suckt more moderately the first year those humors in the Blood and Milk had not that effect on her that appeared after she came to suck more violently and that her Nurse's Milk being in less quantity was thicker and more charged with that vapour that occasioned the deafness But this Child hath by observing the Motions of the Mouths and Lips of others acquired so many Words that out of these she hath formed â— â—ort of Iargon in which she can hold conversation whole days with those that can speak her own language I could understand some of her words but could not comprehend a period for it seemed to be a confused noise She knows nothing that is said to her unless she seeth the Motion of their Mouths that speak to her so that in the Night when it is necessary to speak to her they must light a candle Only one thing appeared the strangest part of the whole narration She hath a Sister with whom she has practised her language more than with any other and in the Night by laying her Hand on her Sister's Mouth she â—an perceive by that what she says and so can discourse â—ith her in the night It is true her Mother told me that this did not go far and that she found out only some short period in this manner but it did not hold out very long thus this young Woman without any pains taken on her hath meerly by a natural sagacity found out a method of holding discourse that doth in a great measure lessen the Misery of her Deafness I examined this matter critically but only the Sister was not present so that I could not see how the conversation past between them in the dark But before I give over writing concerning Rome I canâ—ot hinder my self from giving you an account of a conversation that I had with one of the most Celebrated persons that lives in it I was talking concerning the credit that the Order of the Iesuites had every where It was said that all the World mistrusted them and yet by a â—â—range sort of Contradiction all the World trusted them and tho it was well known that every Iesuite was truer to the Interests of his Order than he could be â—o the Interests of any Prince whatsoever yet those Princes that would be very careful not to suffer Spys to come into their Courts or into their Counâ—els suffered those Spys to come into their Breasts and Consciences and tho Prinâ—es were not generally very tender in those parts yet as they had oft as much Gâ—ilt so they had sometimes as much Fâ—ar as other people which a dextrous Spy knew well how to manage Upon which that Person that pretended to be a zealous Catholick added that for their part they considered only the Character that the Church gave to a Priest and if the Church qualified him to do the functions of a Priest they thought it very needless to enquire after other personal Qualities which were but common things whereas the other was all divine On the Contrary they thought it was so much the better to have to do with a poor Ignorant Priest for then they had to do only with the Church and not with the Man. Pursuant to this that persons Confessor was the greatest and the most notorious Bloâ—khead that could be â—ound and when they were asked why they made use of so weak a man they answered hecause they could noâ— find a weaker and when ever they found one better qualified that way if it were a Groom or a Footman that got into Priâ—sts Orders they would certainly make use of him For they would ask counsel of a Friend but they knew no other use of a Confessor but to confess to him and to receive Absalution from him and in so doing they pretended they acted as became a true Catholiâ—k that considered only the Power of the Church in the Priest without regarding any thing else So far have I entertained you with the short Ramble that I made which was too short to deserve the name of Travelling and therefore the Inquiries or Observations that I could make must be received with the Abâ—tement that ought to be made for so short a stay and all will be of a piece when the Remarks are as slight as the Abode I made in the places through which I past was short As I have avoided the troubling you with things that are commonly known so if I have not entertained you with a long recital of ordinary matters yet I have told you nothing but what I saw and knew to be true or that I had from such hands that I have very good reason to believe it and I fancy that the things which made the greatest impression on my self will be acceptably received by you to whom as upon many accounts I owe all the expressions of Esteem and Gratitude that I can ever pay so I had a more particular reason that determined me to give you so full an account of all I saw and observed for as you were pleased at parting to do me the Honour to desire me to communicate to you such things as appeared most remaâ—kable to me so I found such a vast advantage in many places but more particularly at Veniâ—e Rome and Naples by the Happiness I have of being known to you and of being so far considered by you that I could give a copious account both of your Person and Studiâ—s to those in whom your curious Discoveries had kindled that esteem for you which all the World payeth both to you and to your immortal Inquirâ—es into Nature which are among the peculiar Blessings of this Age and that are read with no less care and pleasure in Italy than in England This was so well received that I found the great advantage of this Honour I did my self in assuming the glorious Title of one of your Friends and I owe a great part of that distinction which I met with to this favourable Character that I gave my self so that if I made any progress in the Inquiries that
any sort of Death a happy conclusion of their Sufferâ—ngs seeing no prospect of such a glorious issue out of their Trouble are prevailed on by the many lingring Deaths of which they see no end to make Shipwrack of the Faith This appearance of Mercy in not putting men to Death doth truly verifie the Character that Soloâ—â—â— giveth of the tender Mercies of the wicked that they 〈◊〉 cruel But I will stop here tho it is not easy to retire from so copious a subject that as it affordeth so much matter so upon many accounts raiseth a heat of thought that iâ— not easily governed I will now lead you to a Scene that giveth less passion I past the Winter at Geneva with more satisfaction than I had thought it was possible for me to have found aâ—y where out of England tho that received great allayes from the most lamentablâ— Stories that we had every day from France But there is a Sorrow by which the Heart is made better I ought to make the most publick aknowledgments possible for the Extraordinary Civilities that I met with in my own particular but that is too low a Subject 〈◊〉 entertain you with it That which pleased me most was of a more publick nature before I left Geneva the â—umber of the English there was such that I â—ound we could â—ake a small Congregation for we were twelve or fourâ—een so I addessed my self to the Council of 25. for Liberty to â—â—ve our own Worship in our own Language according to the English Liturgy This was immediately granted in so obliging a manner that as there was not one person that made any Exception to it so they sent one of their Body to me to let me know that in case our number should grow to be so great that it were fit for us to assemble in a Church they would grant us one which had been done in Queen Maries Reign but till then we might hold our Assemblys as we thought fit So after that time during the rest of my stay there we had every Sunday our Devotions according to the Common-Prayer Morning and Evening and at the Evening Prayer I preacht in a Room that was indeed too large for our small Company but thete being a considerable number in Geneva that Understand English and in particular some of the Professâ—rs and Ministers we had a great many Strangers that met with us and the last Sunday I gave the Sacrament according to the way of the Church of England and upon this occasion I found a general joy in the Town for this that I had given them an Opportunity of expressing the respect they had for our Châ—rch and as in their publick Prayerâ— they alwayes prayed for the Churâ—hes of Great â—rittain as well as for the King so in private Discourse they shewed all possible esteem for our Constitutions and they spoke of the unhappy Divisions among us and of the Separation that was made from us upon the account of ouâ— Government and Ceremonies with great regret and dislike I shall name to you only two of their Professours that as they are Men of great Distinction so they were the peâ—sons with whom I conversed the most The one is Mr. Tâ—â—retin a Man of great Learning that by his Indefatâ—gable Study and Labour has much worn out and wasted hiâ— strength amidst all the affluence of a great plenty of Fortune to which he was born one discerns in him all 〈◊〉 Modesty of a humble and mortified temper and of aâ— active and fervent Charity proportioned to his Abuâ—dance or rather beyond it And there is in him such â— melting Zeal for Religion as the present conjuncture 〈◊〉 for with all the seriousness of Piety and Devotion whiâ—â— shews it felf both in private conversation and in his most edifying Sermons by which he enters deep into the Consciences of his Hearers The other is Mr. Tronâ—hin a Man of a strong Head and of a clear and correct Judgment who has all his thoughts well digested his Conversation has an engaging charm in it that cannot be resisted He iâ— a Man of Extraordinary vertue and of a Readiness to oblige and serve all persons that haâ— scarce any measures His Sermons have a sublimity in them that strikes the Hearer as well as it edifyes him His Thoughts are noble and his Eloquence is Masculine and exact and has all the Majesty of the Chair in it tempered with all the Softness of Persuasion so that he not only convinces â—is Hearers but subdues them and triumphs over them In such Company it was no wonder if time seemed to go off too fast so that I left Geneva with a concern that I could not have felt in leaving any place out of the Islâ— of Brittain From Geneva I went a second time through Switzerland to Basil at Avanche I saw the Noble Fragments of a great Roman Work which seems to have been the Portico to some Temple the Heads of the Pillars are about four Foot square of the Ionick Order the Temple hath been dedicated to Neptune or some Sea-god for on the Fragments of the Architrave which are very beautiful there are Dolphins and Sea-horses in Bas Reliefs and the Neighbourhood of the place to the Lakes of Iverdâ—n and Morat maketh this moré evident there is also a Pillar standing up in its full height or rather the Corner of a Building in which one seeth the Rests of a regular Archiâ—â—cture in two ranks of Pillars If the ground near this were carefully searcht no doubt it would discover more â—ests of that Fabrick Not far from this is Morat and a little on this side of it is a Chappel full of the Bones of â—he Burgundians that were killed by the Switzers when this place was besieged by the famous Charles Duke of â—urgundy who lost a great Army before it that was â—ntirely cut off by the besieged the Inscription is very extraordinary especially for that Age for the bones being so piled up that the Chappel is quite filled with them the Inscription bears that Charles Duke of Burgundy's Army having besieged Morat Hoc sui Monumeâ—tum reliquiet had left that Monument behind it It cannot but seem strange to one that views Morat to imagin how it was possible for a Town so scituated and so slightly fortified to hold out against so powerful a Prince and so great an Army that brought Canon before it I met with nothing remarkable between this and Basil except that I staid sometime at Bern and knew it better and at this second time it was that My Lord Advoyer d' Erlach gave Order to shew me the Original Records of the famous Process of the four Dominicans upon which I have retoucht the Letter that I writ to you last year so that I now send it to you with the Corrections and Inlargements that this second stay at Bern gave me occasion to make Basil is the Town of the greatest extent of all Switzerland but it is not
about these as a Gallery and in these Closets all round there are the Books of the several Professions lodged apart There is one for Manuscripts in which there are some of considerable Antiquity I need say nothing to you of the vast height and the Gothick Architecture of the Steeple and of the great Church nor of the curious Clock where there is so vast a variety of motions for these are well known The Bas Reliefs upon the Tops of the great Pillars of the Church are not so visible but they are surprizing for this being a Fabriâ—k of three or four hundred years old it is very strange to see such Representations as are there There is a Procession represented in whiâ—h a Hog carrieth the Pot with the Holy Water and Asses and Hogs in Priâ—stly Vestmeâ—ts follow to make up the Processiâ—n there is also an Ass standing before an Altar as if he were going to Consecrate and one carrieth a Cafe with Reliques within which one seeth a Fox and the Trains of all that go in this Procession are carried up by Monkies This seems to have been made in hatred of the Monks whom the Secular Clergy abhorred at that time because they had drawn the Wealth and the following of the World after them and they had exposed the Secular Clergy so much for their ignorance that it is probable after some Ages the Monks falling under the same contempt the Secular Clergy took their turn in exposing them in so lasting a Representation to the Scorn of the World. There is also in the Pulpit a Nun cut in Wood lying along and a Fryer lying near her with his Breviary open before him and his hand under the Nuns habit and the Nuns feet are shod with iron shoes I confess I did not look for these things for I had not heard of them but my Noble Friend Mr. Ablancourt viewed them with great exactness while he was the French Kings Resident at Strasburg in the company of one of the Magistrates that waited on him and it is upon his credit to which all that know his eminent sincerity know how much is due that I give you this particular From Strasburg we went down the Rhine to Philipsburg which lyeth at a quarter of a Miles distance from the River it is but a small place the Bastions are but little there is a Ravellin before almost all the Cortines and there ly such Marishes all round it that in these lyeth the chief strength of the place The Frenâ—h had begun a great Crowâ—-work on the side that lyeth to the Rhine and had cast out a Horâ—-work beyond that but by all that appears it seems they intended to continue that Crown-work quite round the Town and to make a second Wall and Ditch all round it which would have inlarged the place vastly and made a compass capable enough to lodge above ten thousand Men and this would have been so terrible a Neighbour to the Palatinate and all Franconia that it was a Master-piece in Charles Lewis the late Elector Palatine to ingage the Empire into this Siege He saw well how much it concerned him to have it out of the hands of the Freâ—ch so that he took great care to have the Dâ—ke of Lorrain's Caâ—p so well supplied with all things necessary during the Sieâ—e that the Army lay not under the least uneasiness all the while From thence in â—hree Hours time we came to Spire which is so naked a Town that if it were attacked it could not make the least resistance The Town is neither great nor rich and subsisted chiefly by the Imperial Chamber that fitteth here tho there is a constant dispute between the Town and the Châ—mber concerning Privileâ—gâ—s for the Government of the Town pretends that the Iudges of the Chamber as they are private men and out of the Court of Iudiâ—ature are subject to them and so about a year ago they put one of the Iudges in Prison on the other hand the Iudges pretend that their persons are sacred It was the consideration of the Chamber that procured to the Town the Neutrality that they injoyed all the last War. I thought to have seen the forms of this Court and the way of laying up and preserving their Records but the Court was not then sitting The Building the Halls and Chambers of this famous Court are mean beyond imagination and look liker the Halls of some small Company than of so great a body and I could not see the places where they lay up their Archives The Government of the City is all Lutheran but not only the Cathedral is in the hands of the Bishops and Chapter but there are likewise several Convents of both Sexes and the Iâ—suites have also a Colledge there There is little remarkable in the Cathedral which is a huge building in the Gothick manner of the worst sort The Tombs of many Emperors that ly buried there are remarkable for their meanness they being only great Flagstones layed on some small Stâ—ne-ballisters of a foot and a half high There are also the marks of a ridiculous Fable concerning St. Bernard which is too foolish to be related yet since they have taken such pains to preserve the remembrance of it I shall venture to write it There are from the Gate all along the Nâ—f of the Church up to the Steps that go up to the Quire four round Plates of Brass above a foot Diameter and at the distance of thirty foot one from another laid in the pavement on the first of these is ingraven O Clemens on the second O Pia on the third O Felix and on the fourth Maria The last is about thirty foot distant from a Statue of the Virgins so they say that St. Bernard came up the whole length of the Church at Four Steps and that those four Plates were laid where he stept and that at every Step he pronounced the word that is ingraven on the Plate and when he came to the last the Image of the Virgin answered him Salve Bernarde upon which he answered Let a Woman keep silence in the Church and that the Virgins Statue has kept silence ever since This last part of the Story is certainly very credible He was a Man of Learning that shewed me this and he repeated it so gravely to me that I saw he either believed it or at least that he had á mind to make me believe it and I asked him as gravely if that was firmly believed there he told me that one had lately writ a Look to prove the truth of it as I remember it was a Iesâ—it He aâ—knowledged it was not an Article of Faith so I was satisfied There is in the Cloister an old Gothick Representation of our Saviours Agony in stone with a great many Figures of his Apâ—stles and the Company that came to seize him that is not ill Sâ—ulpture for the Age in which it was made it being some Ages old The Calvinists have a Church in this
instead of exâ—ressing any Displeasâ—â—e against them recalled the Order that he had sent them The way from Heidelberg to Fraâ—kfort is for the first twelve or fifteen Miles the beautifullest piece of ground that can be imagined for we went under a ridge of little Hills that are all covered with Vines and from them as far as the eye can go there is a beautiful Plain of Corn-fields and Meadows all sweetly divided and inclosed with rows of Trees so that I fancied I was in Lombardy again but with this advantage that here all was not of apiece as it is in Lombardy but the Hills as they made a pleasant inequality in the prospect so they made the Air purer and produced a pleasant Wine The way near Darmstat and all forwards to Frankfort becometh more wild and more sandy There is a good Suburb on the South-side of the Main over against Frankfort which hath a very considerable Fortification there is a double Wall and a double Ditâ—h that goeth round it and the outward Wall as it is regularly fortified so it is faced with Brick to a consiâ—erable height The Town of Frankfort is of a great extent and seemed to be but about a third part less than Sâ—rasburg The three Reliâ—ions are also tolerated there and tho the number of the Papists is very inconsiderable yet they have the great Church which is a huge rude building they have also several other Churches and some Coâ—veâ—ts there There are several open Squares for Market places and the Houses about them look very well without Among their Archives they preserve the Original of the Bâ—lla Aurea that which is shewed to Strangers is only a great Parchment writ in High Dutch but the Original is preserved with more Care and is in Latin yet since I made a short stay there I was not at the Pains of desiring to see it for that is not obtained without difficulty The Lutherans have here built a new Churâ—h called St. Katherines in which there is as much paintiâ—g as eâ—er I saw in any Popish Church and over the high Altar there is an huge carved Cruâ—ifix as there are painted ones in other places of their Church The Pulpit is extream fine of Marble of different coâ—ours very well polished and joyned I was here at Sermon where I understood nothing but I liked one thâ—ng that I saw both at Strasburg and here that at the end of Prayers there was a considerable interval of silence left before the conclusion for all peoplâ—s private Devotions In the House of their publick Discipline they retain still the old Roman Pistrina or Hâ—nd-mill at which lewd Women are condemned to grind that is to drive about the Wheel that maketh the Milstones go There is a great number of Iews there tho their two Synagogues are very little and by consequence the Numbers being great they are very nasty I was told they were in all above twelve hundred The Women had the most of a tawdry Imbroidery of Gold and Silver about them that ever I saw for they had all Mantles of Crape and both about the top and the bottom there was a border above a hand breadth of Imbroidâ—ry The Fortification oâ— Frankfort is considerable â—heir Ditch is very bâ—oad and very full of Water all the Baâ—â—ions have a Countermine that runneth along by the brim of the Ditch but the Counterscarp is not faced with Brick as the Walls are and so in many places it is iâ— an ill condition the covered Way and Glacy are also in an ill case The Town is rich and driveth a great Trade and is very pleasantly scituated Noâ— far from hence is Hockam that yieldeth the best Wine of those parts Since I took Frankfort in my way from Heidelbâ—rg to Mentz I could not pass by Worms for which I was sorry I had a great mind to see that place where Luther made his first appearance before the Empeâ—our and the Diet and in that solemn Audience expressâ—d an undaunted Zeal for that Glorious Cause in which God made him such a blessed Instrument I had another piece of Curiosity on me which will perhaps appear to you somewhat ridiculous I had a mind to see a Piâ—ture that as I was told is over one of the Popish Altar there which one would think was Invented by the Enemies of Transubstantiation to make it appear ridiculous There is a Windmill and the Virâ—in throws Christ into the Hoppâ—r and he comeâ— out at the Eye of the Mâ—â—n all in Waters which some Priests take up to give to the People This is so course an Emblem that one would think it too gross even for Laplandâ—rs but a man that can swallow Transubstantiation it self will digest this likewise Mentz is very nobly scituated on a rising ground a little below the conjunction of the two Rivers the Rhine and the Maâ—n it is of too great a compass and too ill peopled â—o be capable of a great defence there is a Cittadâ—l upon the highest part of the Hill that commandeth the Town it is compassed about with a dry Ditch that is considerably deep The Walls of the Town are faced with Briâ—k and regularly fortisied but the Counterscarp is not faced with Brick so all is in a sad condition and the Fortification is weakest on that side where the Electâ—rs Palace is There is one side of a new Palace very nobly built in a regular Archâ—tectâ—re only the Germans do still retain somewhat of the Gothick manner It is of a great length and the design is to build quite round the Coâ—rt and then it will be a very magnificent Palaâ—e only the Stone is red for all the Quarries that are upon the Rhiâ—e from Baâ—il down to Coâ—lentz are of râ—d stone which doth not look beautiful The Elecâ—or of Mentz is an absolute Prince his Subjects present Lists of their Magistrates to him but he is not tied to them and may name whom he will. The Ancient Demeasn of the Electorat is about â—orty thousand Crowns but the Taxes rise to about three hundred thousand Crowns so that the Subjects here are as heavily taxed as in the Palatinate Theâ—e is twelve thousand Crowns a yeâ—r given the Elector for his privy Purse and the State bears the rest oâ— â—is whole expence It can Arm ten thousand Men and â—here is a Garrison of two thousand Men in Mentz this Electâ—r hath three Counâ—ils one he is Châ—â—câ—llour of the Empire consisting of three persons The other two are for the Policy and Iustiâ—e of his Principality He and â—is Chapter have Months by turns for the Nomination of the Prebends In the Month of Ianuary he names if any dyes and they chuse in the Room of such as dye in Feâ—ruary and so all the year round The Preâ—endaries or Dome-Heers have about three thousand Crowns a year aâ—iece When the Eâ—ector dieth the Emperor sendeâ—h one â—o see the Election made and he recommendeth one but â—he Canâ—ns may chuse whom
suffered to see the Apartment where he lodged There is a great Silver Casolette gilt all set with Emeralds and Râ—bies that tho they made a fine appearance yet were a Composition of the Princes own making His Oâ—ficerâ— also shewed us a Bason and Ewer which they sâ—id were of Mercury fixed by the Prince himself but they added that now for many years he wrought no more in his Labâ—uâ—atory I did not easily believe this and as the weight of the Plate did not approach to that of Quick-Silver so the Medicinal Vertues of fixed Mercury if there is any such thing are so extraordinary that is seemed very strange to see twenty or thirty pound of it made up in two pieces of Plate A quarter of a mile without the Town the best Garden of those parts of Germany is to be seen in which there is a great variety of Water-works and very many Noble Aâ—iâ—s in the French manner and the whole is of a very considerable extent but as it hath no Statues of any value to adorn it so the House about which it lyeth is in Ruins and it is strange to see that so rich and so great a Prince during so long a Regency hath done so little to inlarge or beautifie his Buildings Bonne and Coblâ—ntz are both poor and small Towns. Collen is three hours distant from Bonne it is of a prodigious extent but ill built and worse peopled in the remote parts of it and as the Walls aâ—e all in an ill case so it is not possible to fortify so vast a compass as this Town maketh as it ought to be without a charge that would eat out the whole Wealth of this little State. The Iews live in a little Suburb on the other side of the Rivâ—r and may not come over without leave obtained for which they pay considerably There is no Exercise of the Protestant Religion suffered within the Town but those of the Religion are suffered to live there and they have a Châ—râ—h at two miles distance The Arsenal here is suitable to the Fortificatâ—ons very mean and ill furnished The Quire of the Great Church is as high in the â—oof as any Church I ever saw but it seemes the Wealth of this place could not finish the whole Fabrick so as to answer the height of the Quire for the Body of the Church is very low Those that are disposed to believe Legends have enough here to overset even a good degree of Credulity both in the Story of the Three Kings whose Chappel is visited with great Devotion and standeth at the East â—nd of the Great Quire and in that more copious Faâ—le of the eleven thousand Vrsulins whose Church is all over full of rough Tombs and of a vast number of Bones that are piled up in rows about the Walls of the Church These Fables are so firmly believed by the Papists there that the least sign whiâ—h one giveth of doubting of their truth passeth for an infallâ—ble Mark of an Heretick The Iâ—suites have a great and Noble Collâ—dge and Churâ—h here And for Thaulâ—r's sake I went to the Dominicans House and Church which is also very great One grows extream weary of walking over this great Town and doth not find enough of entertainment in it The present Subject of their Disâ—ourse is alâ—o â—ery melanâ—holy The late Rebellion that was there is so generally known that I need noâ— say much concerning it A report was set about thâ— Town by some Iâ—â—enâ—iarys that the Magistrates did eat up the publick Revenue and were like to ruin the City I could not learn what ground there was for these reports for it is not ordinary to see reports of that kind fly through a body of men without some Foundation It is certain this came to be so generally believed that there was a horrible disorder occasioned by it The Magistrates were glad to save themselves from the storm and abandoned the Town to the popular fury some of them having been made sacrifices to it and this rage held long But within this last year after near two years disorder those that were sent by the Emperor and Diet to judge the matter having threatned to put the Town under the Imperial Bann if it had stood longer out were received and have put the Magistrates again in the possession os rheir Authority and all the chief Incendiâ—rys were clapt in Prison many have already suffered and a great many more are still in Prison they told us that some executions were to be made within a week when we were there Dusseldorp is the first considerable Town below Collen it is the Seat of the Duke of Iuliers who is Duke of Newburgh eldest Son to the present Elector Palatine The Palace is old and Gothick enough but the Iesuites have there a fine Colledge and a noble Chappel tho there are manifest faults in the Archiâ—ecture the Protestant Religion is tolerated and they have a Church built here within these few years tbat wat procured by the intercession of the Elector of Brandenburgh who observing exactly the Liberty of Religion that was agreed to in Cleve had reason to see the same as duly observed in his Neighbouâ—hood in favour of his own Religion The Fortification here is very ordinary the Ramparts being faced but a few fooâ— high with Brick But Keiserswâ—rt some hours lower on the same side which belongeth to the Elector oâ— Collen tho it is a muâ—h worse Tâ—wn than Dusseldorp yet is much better fortified it haâ—h a very broad Ditch and a very regular Fortification the Walls are considerably high faced with Brick and so iâ— the Counterscarp which is also in a very good Condition The Fortification of Orsoy 〈◊〉 now quite demolished Rhineberg continueth as it was but the Fortificatiâ—n is very mean only of Earth so that it is not capable of making a great Resistance And â—esel tho it is a very fine Town yet is a very poor Fortification nor can it ever be made good except at a vast expence for the ground all about it being sandy nothing can be made there that will be durable unless the Foundation go very deep or that it be laid upon Piloty In all â—hese Towns one sees another air of Wealth and Abundance than in much richer Countrys that are exhausted with Taxes Rees and Emmerick are good Towns but the Fortifications are quite ruined So that here is a rich and a populous Country that hath at present very little desence except what it hath from its scituaâ—ion Cleve is a delicious Place the scituation and prospect are charming and the Air is very pure and from thence we came hither in three hours I will not say one word of the Country into which I am now come for as I know that is needless to you on many accounts so a Picture that I see here in the Stadthouse puts me in minâ— of the perfectest Book of its kind that is perhaps in being for Sir William Temple whose
of Italy do know that Pâ—sa was formerly a very powerful Commonwealâ—h that it flourished in Trade and Commerce and that there were a great many wealâ—hy Citizens belonging to it there needs no other proof of this than what we read that upon a certain occasion a hundred of the Citizens equip'd each of them a Gally at their own Charges whiâ—h they maintained during all the War. The great Actions are well known whiâ—h they have done in the Levant by their Flâ—ets and how they a long time opposed the Duke of Florenâ—e who at length subdued them by the Assistance of the Spanish Arms. Pisa is one of the largest and most beautiful Cities of Italy the Buildings are stately and fine so is one of their Churches which with its Dependencies is one of the finest in all Italy The City is built upon the River of Arne which divides it in the midst it is navigable for Vessels of a great burthen â— and at Ligorne which is twelve Miles distance it falls into the Sea. It is one of the best scituated Towns in all Italy for Trade with which it flourished extreamly whilsâ— it was a Republick at present not only the City but â—he Country belonging to it is wholly depopulated Writers say that there were formerly above one hundred and fifty thousand Inhabitants whereas now there are not twelve thousand The Grass grows in most of the Places Streets of the City and most of the Houses are deserted and lye void I was my self in a fair large Pallace which was let for six Pistoles per annum the greatest part of their Lands lye wast and the Air is very unhealthy in most parts because of the small number of Inhabitants The Duke of Florence thought there was no way to secure himself of this great City but by depopulating of it and ruining the Trade which rendred it so potent so that at present there is not any Trade there at all The City of Sienna was also formerly a very fine Common Wealth and had in it many noble rich and powerful Families but since that the Duke of Florence hath reduced it to his Obedience he hath ruined most of the Nobility and Gentry many of them retiring into France and into the territories of some of the Princes of Italy As to the City of Florence it self it is extreamly decayed to what is was since it came under the Government of the House of Meâ—icis It is plain from the History of Machiavil and other Italian Authors that lived in those times that it was three times more populous when it was a Republick than it is now The Great Duke keeping his Court and residence there one would think should make the City flourish the more yet it wants a great deal of that Luster and Splendor it had when it was a Commonwealth Remarks upon the Temporal Government of the POPE THere are certainly very few People so miserable aâ— those who live under the Dominion of the Pope most of the States of Italy and where there are the most Subsidies and Impositions have not put any tax upon Corn and Grain which make Bread because there is no person tho never so miserable that can subsist without it there is that humanity and regard had to the People in not laying Taxes upon Bread because 't is the common Nourishment and absolutely necessary even for the most Indigent and Poor tho Impositions are laid without scruple upon Wine and other Merchandises because thy are not so necessary as Bread yet the Pope makes no scruple to lay very great Impositionâ— upon Corn and Bread throughout all his Dominions except in those places that have yet preserved their Liberties It was Donna Olimpia that during the Pontificat of Innocent the X. began to put Taxes and Imposts upon Corn and made such Laws which have ruined the most part of the great Nobility and Gentry that live under the Ecclesiastical Government who had their revenues consisting in Corn. All the Popes who have reigned since Innocents time have found such a great Advantage to themselves by these Laws of Donna Olympia that they have continued them ever since and it is at present a very Considerable part of the Ecclesiastical Revenue The substance of which said Law or Ordinance is this That no person whatsoever is suffered to sell Corn to any Strangers but all those that have any are obliged to sell it at a price certain to the Ecclesiastical Chamber which is not at the most above one moiety oâ— the real Value and then the Ecclesiastical Chamber sells it again at double the price In Italy there is no person either in City or Country in the Popes Dominions who is permitted to make their own Bread but eveâ—y one is obliged to buy it of the Bakers who are appointed by the Chamber in each Village and Burrough there is but one Baker Established by the Chamber to make and sell Bread the Baker is obliged to take the Corn of the Chamber at a certain price and to make the Bread of such a quality and weight and to sell it at a price Certain In the great Cities as at Rome there are Very many Bakers who are all obliged to buy a certain quantity of Corn of the Ecclesiastical Chamber for a whole Year to come which they pay for beforehand and give ten Crowns the Salme or measure when at the same time the Chamber bougt it of the particular persons for five Crowns at the beginning of the year all the Bakers are obliged to take the same Quantity of Corn for the Year ensuing altho sometimes they have a great deal of the last years Corn upon their hands which they must deliver to the Chamber for five Crowns the Salme or measure and then the very same Corn is sold them again for ten Crowns I do not believe that there is any Country in the World that draws more profit from their Subjects for Corn â—â—an the Pope doth in his Dominions which hath been partly the Cause of the ruin of the Ecclesiastical Estate since the Establishment of the said Law which was about thirty years since the Country is unpeopled and great part of the Lands lie void and uncultivated because it is not worth while to manure them when the greatest advantage and profit arising thereby goes to the Pope In travelling through the Ecclesiastical Territories in Romania and between Rome and Naples there are vast quantites of Land unmanured A Traveller passing through the Estate of a Roman Prince told the Prince upon his return to Nâ—ples he would if he pleased send him Husbandmâ—n that should manure his Land thinking that it had been for want of Labourers that the Lands lay yoid and wast The Prince told him that he did not want people to Cultivate his Lanâ—s but because they were obliged to sell all their Corn and Grain to the Chamber at a Very Low Price it would not quit Cost to Manure and Cultivate it Touching the