or three where vnder the fresshe herbers hedges and boowes amongest the delicate fruites they triumph in as muche pleasure as maie be imagined And for the most parte eche man hath his make with some instrumentê of musicke and suche other thynges as serue for his recreacion And if euer the tenaunt haue good daie than lycketh he his lippes of his maisters leauynges As for the women Some be wonders gaie And some goe as they maie Some at libertee dooe swymme a flot And some woulde faine but they can not Some be meerie I wote well why And some begile the housbande with finger in the eie Some be maried against theyr will And therfore some abyde MAIDENS still In effect they are women all Euer haue been and euer shall ¶ But in good earnest the gentilwomen generally for gorgeouse atyre apparaile and iewelles excede I thynke all other women of our knowen worlde I meane as well the courtisanes as the maried women For in some places of Italie speciallie where churchemen doe reigne you shall finde of that sorte of women in riche apparaill in furniture of householde in seruice in horse and hackeney and in all thynges that apperteyne to a delicate Ladie so well furnisshed that to see one of theim vnknowynglie â—he shoulde seeme rather of the qualitee of a princesse than of a common woman But because I haue to speake hereafter in perticuler I woull forbeare to treate any further of theym in this place Of the states of Italie THe greatest prince of dominion there at this present is Charles the .v. emperour of Almaine who for his part hath the realme of Naples and the Duchie of Mylaine whiche realme is diuided into .8 regions and to the entent the readers maie the better be satisfied I haue set foorth as well the auncient names of those regions as the present The realme of Naples ¶ The present names ¶ The auncient Parte of Campagnia di Roma Maremma Latium Terra di Lauoro Campania Principato Picentini Basilicata Lucania Calabria Brutij Grecia magna Puglia terra d'otranto Salentini Calabria antiqua Iapigia Mesapia Puglia Apulia Peucetia Aetholia Apulia Daunia Abruzzo Frentani Peligni Marrucini Vestini Precutij Marsi Valle Beneuentana Samnites As for that parte of the Duchie of Mylaine that the emperour hath it lieth in Lumbardie aunciently called Gallia Cisalpina for the most part on that side of the riuer Pò that was called Transpadana The bisshop of Rome hath for his parte the citee of Rome with these countreys folowyng ¶ The present names ¶ The auncient Parte of Campagnia Maremma Latium Parte of Tuscane Hetruria The Duchie of Sposeti Vmbria Marca D' Ancona Piceni Romagnia Flaminia Emilia The citee of Bononia  The Uenetians for theyr parte haue the Citee of Uenice with those townes in and about their marishe called La Contrada di Venetia La Marca Triuigiana and a great part of Lumbardy aunciently called Gallia Cisalpina on the same side of the Pò that was called Transpadana And parte of the countrey of Istria The common wealthe of Genoa haue the countrey about theim nowe called Jf Genouesato and auncientlie Liguria Tuscane auncientlie called Hetruria is diuided into diuers dominions wherof a small parte the bisshop of Rome hath but the greatest is the Duke of Florence who hath .vii. citees vnder him And than there be two common wealthes Siena and Lucca whose territories are not great The Duke of Ferrare hath parte of Romagnia and parte of Lumbardie The Duke of Mantua is all in Lumbardie And the Duke of Urbine is betweene Marca d' Ancona and Tuscane whose people are called of Plinie Metaurensi The Citees of Parma and Placentia in Lumbardie haue ben of late transposed from the churche vnto the astate of a Duchie but nowe it is diuided agayne as hereafter you shall perceiue ¶ Now here is to be noted that euery perticuler prince and common wealthe of Italie within his owne dominion accompteth him selfe absolute lorde and kyng and lyueth vpon the customes taxes and tallaiges that he raiseth of his subiectes For lightlie they haue littell or no landes at all of theyr owne And generallie they procede all together by the ciuile lawes and are so diligent in the administracion of iustice specially against murderers and theues that I thynke no countrey more quiete than it the realme of Naples and some part of the Romaine territorie excepted where many tymes happeneth muche robbyng by the waies ¶ An abbridgement of the state of Italie from the beginnyng vntill the Romaine empyre was vtterly diuided AFter the generall floudde remaigned no moe but Noe his .iii. soonnes and theyr wifes betweene whom it shoulde seeme the whole worlde was diuided Sem toke the easte parte Cham the southe and Iafet the weast Some write that Iafet was the same Ianus that fyrst reigned in Italie and some that Ianus was Iafettes soonne But whether so it be this Ianus was euer taken for father of the gods and was peinted with two faces either because he was father of two nacions the Greekes and Italians orels because the moneth of Ianuarie whiche hath two respectê one to the beginnyng and an other to the ende of the yeere toke name of hym While this Ianus reigned in Italie Saturne beyng chased out of the realme of Candia by his soonne Iupiter came in a maner naked vnto hym and Ianus not onely receiued hym But also gaue him the halfe of his dominion For memorie wherof either of theim builded a citee to his owne name that is to wete Ianicula and Saturnia from Ianus vnto Numitor were .xxi. kyngê of the latines whose names with the yeres of theyr reigne hereafter folow Ianus Saturnus Picus beyng a great talker was therfore feigned of the poetes to be conuerted into a pie Faunus was after woorshipped for a God of the wooddes Latinus chaunged the name of his people from Laurentini to Latini and gaue his daughter Lauinia to Eneas the Troiane promised before vnto Turnus sonne of kyng Daunus These .v. kynges reigned about .200 yeres Eneas maried the daughter of Latinus and after his death reigned .iii. yeres and builded the citee Lauinia Ascanius sonne of Eneas and of Creusa kyng Priamus daughter reigned .38 yeeres and builded Alba longa to the whiche he brought his fathers idollê called the gods Penates but they of theim selfes tourned iii. tymes backe againe to Lauinia Siluius Posthumius seconde son of Eneas and begotten on Lauinia reigned .xxix. yeres Of whom all the latine kynges afterwardes surnamed theim selfes Siluij and after some authours he was father to Brutus that first named this realme Britaine and that slewe his owne father by mischaunce whiche thyng Polidorus Virgilius doeth not grauâ—t Eneas Siluius reigned .31 yeres Latinus Siluius reigned .50 yeres Alba Siluius reigned .39 yeres and builded Alba whiche he made his royall citee but after it was destroyed by Tullus Hostilius Of that citee descended those that to this daie are called Albanesi though
he had taken from them in those warres the castelles of Gieradadda onely excepted that the kynge of Naples shoulde do the like to the Florentines Castiglione excepted and the Florentines to doe the lyke to the Senese And that whan anie controuersy shoulde happen of newe betwene them the bishop of Rome should order the mattier without any businesse of warre ¶ The Genowaies were left out of this peace by meane of the kyng of Naples ¶ Federike emperour of Almaine requyred ambassadours from all the princes of Europe to make a newe league against the Turke ¶ But this meane whyle Bartholomeo Marcello retourned from Constantinople with an ambassadour of the Turkes that brought certeine articles of agreement to the senate whiche the Uenetians accepted and thervpon was confyrmed amitee betweene the Turke and theim ¶ After the death of Foscaro succeded Pasquale Malipiero of whom I fynde nothyng of importaunce sauyng that in his time hapned the terrible earthquake in Italie that specially in the realme of Naples did so muche hurte and that emprintyng was than fyrste inuented ¶ After him succeded Christofero Moro in whose time the Turkes wanne by force and rased to the earth the Uenetian walle made vpon Istmus of Morea and after didde in maner what they woulde thoroughout all that region ¶ This Morea aunciently called Peloponnessuâ— is the chiefe parte of Greece a verie riche countrey compassed about with the sea except in one narow place that it seemeth racked vnto the maine lande in whiche place beyng about sixe myle ouer was suche a walle made as with reasonable furniture had been sufficient to resiste a wonderfull power But the Uenetians because they fyrste of Christian princes entred in amitee with those infidelles trustyng to muche in theyr newe friendship attended more to the vndoyng of theyr neighbours at home than to the earnest prouision that so worthie a countrey agaynst so puissaunte an ennemie the Turke requyred So that shortly after the losse of that wall thei were shamefully discoumfited at Patrasso Iames Barbarico beyng theyr Proueditore And than also they loste Negroponte where was suche a slaughter of Christians as woulde make any Christian herte wepe to heare it Besides a huge summe of money that they were constreigned to geue to the kyng of Hungarie to resist the Turkes passage that with an other armie by lande was than comyng towardes Dalmatia ¶ Than succeded Nicolo Trono who was cause of the establishemeÌ„t of Ercole da Este in the duchie of Ferrara ¶ He entred in league with Vsnucassan kyng of Persia whose successour is nowe called Sophie against the Turke ¶ In his tyme the Uenetians gatte the realme of Cyprus by this meane Iames last kyng of the same for the great amitee betweene his forefathers and the Uenetians came vnto Uenice and requyred the Signoria to adopte one of theyr daughters as daughter of theyr common wealth and than woulde he be contented to accepte hir vnto his wyfe ¶ This large offer was soone accepted and Katheryn Cornaro a goodly yonge gentilwoman espowsed to the kynge who therupon retourned into his realme continuyng in peace the tyme of his life At his deathe leauyng his wife great with childe he ordeined that she and hir childe not yet borne shoulde enioy the realme â–ª But the childe after the birth liued not longe Assoone as the Uenetians hearde of the kynges death they armed certaine galleis and sent them with Georgio Cornaro brother to the Quene into Cyprus to comforte hir on the Signorias behalfe with this wile that whan Cornaro shoulde arriue before Famagosta the principall citee of Cyprus he should feigne him selfe so sicke that he might not goe out of the shippe and whan his sister the Quene with hir barons shoulde come to visite hym than shoulde he kepe theim sure from retournyng and sodeinelye entre the citee subduyng it with the whole realme vnto the Uenetian obedience As it was deuised so it happened from poinct to poinct albeit that the Quene was counsailed not to go abourde the galey and that some businesse was made after for it yet in effect the Uenetians preuailed the Quene was brought to Uenice where she passed the rest of hir yeres ¶ Some esteme this doing treason but many men allow it for a good policie ¶ After Trono folowed Nicolas Marcello in whose tyme happened no notable thyng other than the victoriouse defence of the towne of Scodra in Albania against an infinite numbre of Turkes ¶ Next hym succeded Peter Mocenigo whiche at the tyme of his election was capitaine of an armie by sea wherwith he had in Cyprus quieâ—ed a great rebellyon preserued Scodra from the Turkes furie and restored the kynge of Carramania to his astate ¶ For these woorthie deedes and for his other vertues was in his absence first made Proctour of S. Marke and than as I saied created Duke And beyng called home from the armie to gouerne the dominion Antonio Loredano was sent foorth in his stede who deliuered Lepanto frâ—m the Turkes siege and vsed great diligence in the conseruacion of the countrey of Morea ¶ After Mocenigo Andrea Vendramino was elected Duke In whose tyme the Turkes retournyng into Albania came fyrste before Croâ—a and after ouerran all the countreis betwene that and the riuer of Tagliamento in Fâ—riuli so that the Uenetians were faine to call backe the capitaine Carlo Montone who not long before put out of wages was than gone into Tuscane ¶ This Duke attempted a peace with the Turkes but his purpose was interrupted by meanes of the kynge of Hungarie and of Naples ¶ After Vendramino folowed Iohn Mocenigo brother to Peter beforenamed ¶ This man agreed with the Turke after they had warred with him .17 yeres The articles of accorde were that the Uenetians shoulde yelde into the Turkes handes Scodra the principall citee of Albania with the ilandes of Corfu Tenaro and Lemno and besides that shoulde paie him .8000 duckates a yere In consideracion wherof the Turke for his parte graunted theim safe passage for trafficque of merchaundise into the sea nowe called Mare Maggiore and auncientlie named Pontus Euxinus and that the Uenetians shoulde haue power to sende an officer of theirs vnder the name of Bailo to Constantinople to iudge and order all their merchauntes businesse ¶ Not longe after this agreement the I le of Corritta in Dalmatia was broughte vnder the Uenetian dominion ¶ And in the .iiii. yere of this mans rule warre was moued against Ercole Duke of Ferrara for the breache of certeine articles betwene hym and the Uenetians ¶ After that Robert of S. Seuerino was sente with an armie against Ferrando kyng of Naples in whiche enterprise the Uenetians discomfited Alfonse Duke of Calabria sonne of the foresaied kynge But those warres by meane of the other Princes of Italie were soone appeased whan the Duke of Ferrara besides the losse of Comacchio had susteined verie great damage for his parte
At the communion of the masse the Cardinall that celebrated brake the host in .iii. peeces wherof he eate one hym selfe and the other two he deliuered vpon the paten to a Cardinall appoincted that brought it to the bishop and in his presence for feare of poysonyng toke assaie of the seconde peece and deliuered hym the thyrde ¶ Whan the masse was finisshed the bishop gaue his benediction with many yeres of pardon and than returned to the palaice in lyke ordre as he came ¶ As for the pompe he vseth whan he rideth abroade I nede not to speake of it consideryng what I haue saied sauyng that you shall vnderstande how Corpus domini is alwaies caried in a tabernacle before hym on a white hackeney that is taught to kneele both at the settyng vp and also at the takyng downe of it ¶ In dede the bishop for his owne ordinarie kepeth no great house but his traine excedeth all that I haue seen For euery Cardinall and prelate kepeth house accordyng to his habilitee and some of theim are so precise that if one of theyr retinewe be myssyng whan they goe out of theyr dores be it gentilman or other he forfeiteth a certain peece of money which he is constreigned forthwith to paie And lightlie there is none of theym without iii. or .iiii. paiges trymmed like yonge prynces for what purpose I wolde be loth to tell ¶ If I shoulde saie that vnder theyr longe robes they hyde the greattest pride of the worlde it might happen some men wolde beleue it but that thei are the vaynest men of all other theyr owne acres doe well declare For theyr ordinarie pastime is to disguise them selfes to go laugh at the Courtisanes houses and in the shrouyng tyme to ryde maskyng about with theym whiche is the occasion that Rome wanteth no iolie dames speciallie the strete called Iulia whiche is more than halfe a myle longe fayre buylded on both sydes in maner inhabited with none other but Courtisanes some woorthe .x. and some woorthe .xx. thousande crownes more or lesse as theyr reputacion is And many tymes you shall see a Courtisane ride into the countrey with .x. or .xii. horse waityng on hir ¶ Briefelie by reporte Rome is not without .40000 harlottes mainteigned for the moste parte by the clergy and theyr folowers So that the Romaines theim selfes suffer theyr wifes to goe seldome abrode either to churche or other place and some of theym scarcelie to looke out at a lattise wyndow wherof theyr prouerbe saieth Jn Roma vale piu la putana che la moglie Romana that is to saie In Rome the harlotte hath a better life than she that is a Romaines wife ¶ In theyr apparaile thei are as gorgeouse as maie be and haue in theyr goyng suche a solemne pace as I neuer sawe In conclusion to liue in Rome is more costly than in any other place but he that hath money maie haue there what him liketh But now remaigneth to speake of the new buildynges Of saincte Peters churche THe churche of saincte Peter standeth somewhat alofte on the hill Vaticane and hath before it a verie fayre and large roume as it were a market place in the middest wherof is a goodly fountaine of marble that gussheth out water of a great height ¶ From this place vp to the churche are about .30 steppes or grices of square stone the solemnest that I haue seene For they are almost .30 paces longe At the toppe of this staire ouer the middest of a goodly porche is a great image of sainct Peter of fine marble Within that is a large courte paued with fine marble in the middest wherof is an antike pineaple of brasse of a wonderfull biggenesse and so many images pillers and other riche stones that haue been gathered out of the antiquitees and brought thither to furnishe the new buildynges withall that it should be an endelesse woorke to descriue theim Out of this courte is the entrie into the churche whiche hath .iii. great gates of brasse wherin the stories of the actes of Eugenie the .iiii. are finely grauen ¶ This churche within is nothyng faire to the eie but it hath in it manie beautyfull and fine thynges as the tabernacle of marble where they saie Christes sudarie and one of the .iii. nayles lieth the goodly brasen sepulture of Sixtus the .iiii. the brasen images of sainct Peter and Paule a numbre of goodly pillers and diuers other thynges ¶ But aboue all the newe buildyng if it were finished wolde be the goodliest thyng of this worlde not onelie for the antike pillers that haue been taken out of the antiquitees and bestowed there but also for the greatnesse and excellent good proporcion that it hath Neuerthelesse it hath been so many yeres adoyng and is yet so vnperfect that most men stand in dout whether euer it shal be finished or no. ¶ In the middest of this newe buildyng is a preaty chapell wherin the bisshop with all his Cardinalles and clergie vse to celebrate theyr solemne cerimonies Of the bishops palaice with Beluedere THe bishops palaice ioigneth to the churche which to myne eie seemeth muche greatter than goodlie notwithstandyng the lodgynges within foorth are faire but I can moste commende the staier that goeth downe from the palaice to the churche almost a quarter of a myle about so fayre paued and playne that a man may easily ride vp and downe ¶ About .iii. quarters of a myle from the palaice is the bisshops bankettyng house called Beluedere one of the finest buildynges that is to be seen so ryche so plesant and of so goodlie a prospecte that it seemeth almoste an other paradyse The garden walled rounde about is full of faire oringe trees and hath in the middest a goodlie fountaine with perfeite plottes in molde of the riuer of Nile in Aegypt and of Tyber that renneth through Rome Besides the images of fine marble of Romulus and Remus plaiyng with a woulfes teates of Apollo with his bowe and arowes of Laocoonte with his .ii. children wrapped about with serpentes of Venus beholdyng little Cupido of the sorowfull Cleopatra liyng by the riuer side and of diuers other to long to reherse ¶ Of Castell Sant ' Angelo THis Castell is no lesse notable than some of the rest It standeth on the banke of Tyber in maner cleane without the towne and hath .iii. wardes one within an other excellently wel builded and strong and after most mens opinions is impregnable vnlesse it be by famine The two inner wardes stande vpon the sepulchre of the emperour Adrian whiche is a certaine blacke masse of earth of a great heyght compounded of certain mixtures which being dried is harder and more durable than stone it selfe Upon this foundacion Adrian made his tombe and decked it with suche ornamentes of marble and other sumptuouse thynges as made it seeme one of the rarest thynges of the worlde But after it came to the bishops handê consideryng the force of the place and stronge foundacion
yere some .40 some an .100 and some I wote not how longe that it is a wonder to see it And euery of these galeys hath his coueryng or house by hym selfe on the drie lande so that the longe liyng vnoccupied can not hurt theim Their mastes cables sailes ankers rooders ores and euery other thyng are redy in houses of offices by theim selfes that vnseen it is almost incredible with suche a quantitee of artillerie bothe for sea and lande as made me to wonder besides the harneyse and weapons that suffise as they saie to arme an â—00000 men Finally the noumbre of woorkemen waged for terme of life about those exercises is wonderfull For by all that I could learne theyr ordinarie is neuer lesse than .600 woorkyng in the Arsenale be it peace or warre And because thei haue suche a numbre of botemen that continually liue by gaine vpon the water within the citee they neede not to seeke further for mariners to furnishe their galeys withall For it was crediblie tolde me that there are no lesse than 12000. botes daiely seruyng in those theyr chanelles and almost no bote rowed but of a sufficient mariner So that if the Uenetians had ben men as the Romains were geuen as well vnto chiualrie by lande as vnto the exercise on the water no doubt thei might many yeres agoen haue subdued the worlde But sure theyr power hath been more warely gouerned than valiantly enlarged For sens Constantinople was gotten by the Turkes theyr dominion hath decreased bothe by reason as the â—ame gothe they rather practise with money to bie and sell countreys peace and warre than to exercise deedes of armes and for that moste Uenetians are at these daies become better merchauntes than men of warre ¶ And now methynketh it conuenient to speake in this place of the armorie that is in an hall of the Dukes palaice called La Sala del Consiglio d'i dieci whiche surely is a verie notable thyng ¶ There be as thei recken a thousande cotes of plate parte couered with clothe of golde and veluette with gilte nayles so fayre that princes myght weare theim besides diuers other fayre harneyses made of late whiche are bestowed in so fayre an ordre with theyr dyuers kyndes of weapons furnisshed of the beste sorte that a great while lookyng on could not satisfie me This hall is diuided into diuers seuerall porcions as the hous dooeth geue it and euery porcion hath his sorte by him selfe verie handsomely ¶ Finally for prouision of fresshe water it is a wonder to see theyr noumbre of costly welles made onely to receiue the raine that falleth from the houses I call theim costly because fyrst euery well hath his bottome as low as the salt water and must therfore be so surely walled and stopped with sande on the vtter syde that it defende the salte water from sokyng in And on the inner side it must haue his vent to receiue the water that falleth from the houses grauell within to passe thorough and last of all a fayre pauyng of bricke or stone in the bottome closed about lyke a cesterâ—e to preserue the purged water ¶ And though they haue a great noumbre of those welles and plentie of raine yet the poore men that dwell in the countrey doe gaine yerely aboue .20000 crownes by bringyng theyr botes laden with fresshe water from the riuers to Uenice Yet all this notwithstandyng you shall many tymes heare muche lamentacion amonge the poore folke for lacke of water Of the dominion BEsides all those townes and habitacions that are in theyr marishes and on that longe banke betwene theim and the sea as Murano Mazzorbo Torcello Malamoco Chiozza and others they haue on the maine lande the countrey of Friuli anciently called Forum Iulij the citees of Treuiso Padoa Vicenza Verona Bressa Bergamo and Crema with theyr appurtenaunces ¶ The most part of the countrey of Istria and vpon the costes of Dalmatia now called Schlauonia they haue Zara and Zebenico In the mouthe of the Adriatike sea the I le of Corfu and in the Leuant seas otherwise called Mare Mediterraneum the notable ilandes of Candia and Cyprus So that if the grounde that thei be lordes of were in one mans handes he should be no lesse woorthie to be called a kyng than most kynges that are knowen at these daies For not longe agoen Cyprus a parte of this hath had a kynge alone And how and whan they gotte these thynges this briefe historie hereafter folowyng particulerly declareth Of reuenue AS I haue been crediblie enformed by some gentilmen Uenetians that haue had to dooe therin they leauey of theyr subiectes little lesse than .4 millions of golde by the yeere whiche after our olde reckenyng amounteth to the summe of tenne hundred thousande poundes sterlyng A thyng rather to be wondred at than beleeued consideryng they reyse it not vpon landes but vpon customes after so extreme a sorte that it would make any honest herte sorowfull to heare it For there is not a graine of corne a spoonefull of wine a corne of salte egge byrde beast foule or fisshe bought or solde that paieth not a certaine custome And in Uenice specially the customers part in many thyngê is more than the owners And if any thyng be taken by the waie vncustomed be it merchaundise or other neuer so great or small it is forfeited For those customers kepe suche a sorte of prollers to serche all thyngê as they come to and fro that I thynke Cerberus was neuer so greedie at the gates of hell as they be in the chanelles about Uenice And though thei in serchyng a bote finde no forfeiture yet woull they not departe without drinkyng money And many times the meanest labourer or craftesman throughout all theyr dominion paieth a rate for the Poll by the moneth Insomuche that a Candiote my friende one that had dwelled in Constantinople sware to me by his faieth the Christians liued a great deale better vnder the Turke than vnder the Uenetians It is almost incredible what gaine the Uenetians receiue by the vsurie of the Iewes bothe priuately and in common For in euery citee the Iewes kepe open shops of vsurie takyng gaiges of ordinarie for .xv. in the hundred by the yeere and if at the yeres ende the gaige be not redemed it is forfeite or at the least dooen awaie to a great disaduantage by reason wherof the Iewes are out of measure wealthie in those parties Of dignitees and offices THei haue a Duke called after theyr maner Doge who onely amongest all the rest of the nobilitee hath his office immutable for terme of life with a certaine yerely prouision of .4000 duckates or theraboutes But that is so appoincted vnto him for certaine ordinarie feastes and other lyke charges that his owne aduauntage therof can be but small And though in apparaunce he seemeth of great astate yet in veraie deede his power is but small He kepeth no house liueth priuately and is in so muche
he woul haue his wife goe gaie and sumptuously apparailed and on his woman besides if he be a louer as in maner thei be all he woull sticke for no coste To the mariage of his daughter .30.40 or .50 thousande duckates is no meruaile Finally his greatest triumphe is whan saincte Marke hath neede for vnder that name is comprehended theyr common welth to be hable to disburse an huge summe of money in lone to receiue yerely till he be repaied .10.12 or .15 of the hundreth ¶ This kynde of prest the Signoria vseth to take borowyng of all them that are hable to lende whan thei happen to haue warres And they that maie doe the more willyngly lende because they are not onely well paied againe with the vsurie but also the more honoured and fauoured as long as theyr money is out of their handes ¶ This is theyr trade saieth the straunger But the Uenetian to the contrary defendeth hym selfe on this wyse ¶ Admitte saieth he that this report were true If I be proude I haue good cause for I am a prince and no subiecte If I be spare of liuyng it is because my common wealth alloweth no pompe and measure is holesome If I kepe few seruantes it is because I nede no moe If I bie my meate my selfe it is because I woul eate that that I loue that hauing little a do I woul exercise my selfe withall As for my tenaunt he liueth by me and I am no tyranne for husbandyng myne owne If I gaine I gaine vpon my money and hide not my talent in the grounde If I loue I hate not if she be fayre I am the more woorthie If I spende little I haue the more in my purse If I spend largely with my daughter it is because I woull bestow hir on a gentilman Uenetian to encrease the nobilitee of myne owne bloudde and by meane of suche aliaunce to atteine more habilitee to rule and reigne in my common wealth Besydes that my money if hir housbande die is hirs and no mans els If my wyfe goe gaie it is to please myne eie and to satisfie hir In kepyng my money to lende vnto sainct Marke it is both an helpe to my common wealth and a profite vnto my selfe ¶ And thus defendeth the Uenetian it that in maner all the worlde laieth vnto his charge ¶ But surely many of theim trade and bringe vp theyr children in so muche libertee that one is no sooner out of the shell but he is hayle felow with father and friend and by that time he cometh to .xx. yeres of age he knoweth as muche lewdnesse as is possible to be imagined For his greatest exercise is to goe amongest his companions to this good womans house and that Of whiche in Uenice are many thousandes of ordinarie lesse than honest And no meruaile of the multitude of theyr common women for among the gentilmen is a certeine vse that if there be diuers brethern lightly but one of theim dooeth marie because the numbre of gentilmen shoulde not so encrease that at length their common wealth myght waxe vile wherfore the rest of the brethern dooe kepe Courtisanes to the entent they maie haue no laufull children And the bastardes that they begette become most commonly monkes friers or nunnes who by theyr friendes meanes are preferred to the offices of most profite as abbottê priours and so foorth But specially those Courtisanes are so riche that in a maske or at the feast of a mariage or in the shrouyng tyme you shall see theim decked with iewelles as thei were Queenes So that it is thought no one citee againe hable to compare with Uenice for the numbre of gorgeouse dames As for theyr beaultie of face though they be fayre in deede I woull not highly commende theim because there is in maner none olde or yonge vnpeincted In deede of theyr stature they are for the most parte veraie goodly and bygge women well made and stronge ¶ The libertee of straungers AL men specially strangers haue so muche libertee there that though they speake verie ill by the Uenetians so they attempt nothyng in effecte against theyr astate no man shall controll theim for it And in theyr Carnouale time whiche we call shroftide you shall see maskers disguise theim selfes in the Uenetians habite and come vnto theyr owne noses in derision of theyr customes theyr habite and miserie ¶ Further he that dwelleth in Uenice maie recken him selfe exempt from subiection For no man there marketh an others dooynges or that meddleth with an other mans liuyng If thou be a papist there shalt thou want no kinde of supersticion to feede vpon If thou be a gospeller no man shall aske why thou comest not to churche If thou be a Iewe a Turke or beleeuest in the diuell so thou spreade not thyne opinions abroade thou arte free from all controllement To lyue maried or vnmaried no man shall aske the why For eating of flesshe in thyne owne house what daie so euer it be it maketh no mattier And generally of all other thinges so thou offende no man priuately no man shall offende the whiche vndoubtedly is one principall cause that draweth so many straungers thither An abbridgement of the Uenetian histories from the edificacion of the citee vnto this daie OMittyng the diuers opinions of many men touchyng the beginning of the Uenetian name I will recite that whiche most writers agree vpon that is to saie either they are descended of certaine people called Heneti whiche after the destruction of Troie came with Anthenor into Italie and landyng in those marishes of the Adriatike sea enhabited the countrey theraboutes orels of certaine Britons called Veneti parte of those Frenchemen that fyrst passed the mountaines whose habitacion in Britaine at that time called Veneti is supposed to be now called Vanes So that whether it be of Heneti or of Veneti at length they were called Venetiani ¶ Now to come to the foundacion of theyr citee I find that betwene the yeeres of grace .422 and .456 about the tyme that Attila plaged the whole region of Italie the gentilmen and citesins principally of Padoa and generally of all the countrey about betwene the Alpes and the Uenetian Goolfe to flee the furie of the Hunni that with fyre and swoorde consumed all thynges before theim resorted with theyr gooddes and richesse into the marishes where Uenice with hir other membres now standeth and perceiuyng what a commoditee or sauegarde those marisshes were against the enemies rage Italie beyng so ofte scourged with warres at that tyme they vpon agreement begaâ—ne the edificacion of that citee in the place Riuo alto now called Rialto where was builded the churche of saincte Iames that yet vnto this daie remaineth And all be it that before this tyme the bankes within those marishes had been occupied and enhabited yet because the inhabitauntes were poore fisshermen the place merited not to be writen of or mencioned vntill suche tyme as those gentilmen and citesins
warre or of other like occasion that requireth or rogacions suche processions thei assemble and clothe them selfes in sacke linnen or buckeramme with their backes naked and their faces couered sauyng littell holes to loke out at And hauyng certaine skourges or whippes some of wyer in their handes they goe about the towne whyppyng theim selfes that the bloud shall renne from the backe downe to the heeles so painefully that it moueth the poore people to compassion For whan this is done thei thinke God must nedes fulfill their praier The lyke wherof is vsed in all other places of Italie but because I thynke no two citees are able to matche Genoa in the number of these Battuti I thought good to make mencion of theim here ¶ Finally the astate is holden by a Duke chaungeable euery .ii. yere who with .viii. gouernours and .viii. proctours assigned vnto hym ruleth the whole for the tyme. Neuerthelesse Andrea Doria the emperours admyrall for the myddell seas vseth all at his will in mattiers of peace or warre and almoste in euerie other thyng The buildyng of Genoa OF the edificacion of Genoa be dyuers opinionsâ— but because no certaintee is written therof I will omitte theyr saiynges that ascribe it to Ianus or to Genuus the sonne of Saturne and agreeyng with the opinion of the bishop of Nebio that perticularly wrote the Chronicle therof I thiÌ„ke it to be of suche antiquitee that neither the tyme of foundacion nor yet the authour therof can well be knowen As for the name it is not vnlyke but that because it is the veraie entrie from the seas vnto Lumbardie it was fyrste called Ianua a gate or dâ—ore and afterwardes corruptely Genoa But how or whan it was builded or for what cause it was so named this is cleere that in the Romaines tyme almost .300 yeres before the comyng of Christ this citee ruled the countrey about it as appeareth bothe by a table of brasse lately founde in the vale of Poceuera and also by the mencion that Liuie maketh of the destruction of it by Mago Anniballes brother and of the repairyng of it againe by the Romaine Consule Lucretius Spurius ¶ From whiche tyme to the comyng of Charlemaine into Italie I find nothyng notable of Genoa saue that it was one of the fyrst citees that openly professed the Christian feith But after Charlemaine was crowned emperour and his sonne Pepine made kynge of Italie Ademaro a baron of Fraunce was sent thither so be capitaine who by commaundement of kynge Pepine fought by sea with the Sarasines and though he was taken prisoner in the battaile yet the Genowaies ouercame theyr enemies toke .xiii. Sarasine shippes and the I le of Corsica whiche in maner euer sens hath remained vnder the Genowaies dominion and so continued Genoa obedient to the emperours capitaines the space of .100 yeres ¶ In the yere .936 there happened in a little strete than called Fontanella and now Bordigoto nere to the piere of the hauen a littell spryng in stede of water cast foorth bloud and ranne so a whole daie to the great wonder of the people wherupon folowed that the Sarasines armie came sodeinely vpon the towne and takyng it by force sacked and rifled it sette it on fyre and caried awaie the people men women and children in suche wise that thei left the towne as a plaine wildernesse But the Genowaies armie whiche was than abrode mette with these Sarasines on the sea about Sardegnia where they foughte with theim cutte theim in peces and recouered their prisoners with double praie and so restored their citee ¶ After this the emperour Berengario graunted theim certaine priuileges with full dominion ouer the townes that they than possessed By reason wherof thei shortly encreased not onely in welth but also in suche power that in the voiage made into the holy lande by Godfrey of Boloigne and other princes the Genowaies armie was one of the notablest of that company firste at the wynnyng of Antioche and after at the gettyng of Ierusalem in comyng to whiche secounde enterprise the Genowaies were faine to drowne theyr owne ships in the hauen of Iaffo because they were not able to resist the Soldanes armie that came vpon theim thought better to drowne them than to encrese the enemies power with their losse and shame both how be it thei firste discharged all thynges that mighte be had out of them whiche they caried with them vnto the siege of Ierusalem and there behaued them selfes so worthily that almost none other company of the christian armie was comparable to theim ¶ After this they armed .27 galleis and .vi. shippes and sente theim into Soria in ayde of Boemonde than kyng of Ierusalem where they gatte the citee of Caesarea in Palestina and leauyng it in possession of the christians retourned home with great tryumphe and praie ¶ Finally within the space of .13 yeres the Genowaies sent .vii. seuerall armies into Soria by whose meanes the principall townes from the golfe of Laiacia southewardes to the golfe of Rissa that is to wete Malinistra Solino Antioche Laodicia Tortosa Tripoli Baruti Accon sometyme called Ptholemaida Acres Ghibelleâ—to Caesaria Assur Iaffo Acaron and Ascalon were gotten out of the Turkes handes â–ª For whiche great seruice Bauldewyn than kynge of Ierusalem nexte after Boemonde gaue to the Genowaies diuers notable priuileges through all his dominion whiche thei enioied longe tyme. ¶ After these manie victoryes retournyng to Genoa the warre that ceased so farre of sprange vp nerer home For the Pisani contended with the Genowaies for consecracion of the bishop of Corsica and for the I le of Sardegnia Wherupon folowed sharpe warres betwene them for the moste parte to the disauauntage of the Pisani so that at last beyng plainely ouercomen the Genowaies entred into Pisa by force and rased all the houses therof downe to the fyrst floore ¶ Thus finishyng those warres and wantyng occasion where to be occupied thei made out an army against the Sarasines and first ouerranne the I le of Minorica and after assaulted the citees of Almeria and Tortosa in the confines of Granata whiche thei toke by force with the slaughter of an infinite noumbre of Moores besides 10000. slaues that they caried with them to Genoa and suche a quantitee of treasure and booties as fewe lyke had ben seen in those daies diuidyng the dominion that was gotten into three partes the Erle of Barcelona chiefe of this enterprise had two to hym selfe and the Genowaies the thyrde ¶ The glorie and wealth of whiche victories were such to the Genowaies that for many yeres after thei enterprised no great mattier farre from home but suche sedicion fell amonge them selfes that theyr owne braulingê many times gaue courage to forein princes to woorke against theim For the emperour Federike the fyrst after he had conquered Lumbardie thought also to subdue theim and made open preparacion for it Whiche was cause of theyr vnion againe For
kynge of Englande At the sumptuouse feaste of whose mariage Petrarcha hapned to be present How be it some haue written that she was maried to the Frenche kynges sonne with the dower of an .100000 crownes But how so euer it were hir husbande lyued not passyng fiue monethes after the mariage and shortly thervpon the father Galeazo also died ¶ After whose death his sonne Giangaleazo growen to sufficient yeres diuided the state with his vncle Bernabo on this maner He kept to hym selfe Pauia Tortona Alexandria Nouara and the other townes neere vnto the Alpes with the one halfe of Myllaine and gaue vnto Bernabo Parma Pâ—accuza Cremona Lodi Crema Bergamâ— Como and the other halfe of Myllaine with this aduauntage that for as muche as Bernabo was the more aunciente he should dwell in Myllaine and Giangaleazo in Pauia Thus beyng agreed after a certaine tyme Giangaleazo was aduertised by his wife howe Bernabo hir father and his vncle had diuers tymes sought his death to ridde hym out of the state so that Giangaleazo incontinentely determined to preuente hym and goyng vnto Millaine vnder pretence of pastyme or of some other busynesse Bernabo to honour hym the more issued out against him and so was taken died in prison and parte of his sonnes slayne parte banished Whiche acte onely excepted though it was not yet all against reason this Giangaleazo in all his doynges was accompted so worthy noble and valiaunt a prince that of the people he was called II Conte di Virtu that is to say The Eâ—le of vertue For he was not onely beautifull of personage but also lerned eloquent wise hardy and lyberall And was the fyrst that euer was inuested Duke of Millaine paiyng therfore to the emperour Vinceslao an .10000 duckates After the obteinyng of this honour he encreased his astate by the gettyng of Verona Vicenza Padoa and Bologna ¶ He discomfited the armies of the leage made betwene the Florentines and Bologniese with other their confederates at Casalecchio and broughte the Florentines at length to that takyng that had he not died the rather they muste nedes haue yelded to benne his subiectes ¶ He ouercame Antonio della Scala and buylded the fayre palayce in Pauia with that goodly librarie that yet is seen there walled the parke about beyng of a great circuite and edified the Charterhouse that to this houre amongest the beautifull buildynges of the worlde may be rekened one of the rarest ¶ He brought Italy into suche feare that the Pisani the Senesi the Perugini the Ascesiani and the Lucchesi willyngly became his men so that he founde him selfe lorde ouer .29 citees and thought to haue ben kynge of Italy if death had not so soone taken him ¶ He had two wifes the one called Lisabetta doughter to the kynge of Boeme by whom he had a doughter named La Valentina maried afterwardes to the Duke of Orliens with the dower of the Erledome of Aste that hath ben cause of no small trouble in Italie and the other wife named Caterina de Visconti by whom he had two sonnes Giouanni and Philippo Maria. ¶ He had one bastarde called Gabriello who afterwardes solde Pisa to the Florentines ¶ Finally this notable prince at Marignano died and accordyng to his owne order was from thense caried to the saied Charterhouse besides Pauia and there buried ¶ Than succeded in the astate Giaâ—maâ—â—a the eldest sonne whose dealynges were so greuouse to the Milanese without any their deseruyng that hearyng masse on a daie in the churche through the fury of the people and of his owne men together he was slayne firste causyng his mother to die in prison for ofte warnyng him of that that happened in dede ¶ He was wonte to say many times in excusyng of his errours that in a great house it was necessary there shoulde growe men of diuers sortes and that he therfore vsed the contrary of his fathers doinges so that through his crueltee and his death together many citees rebelled in suche wiâ—e that the Milanese were constreigned to call the sonnes of Bernabo to the Douchy who enioied the same vntill that Philippo maria recouered the dominion and driuing them out mette with one of them called Nestore in a skirmish and slew him ¶ This Philippo was first lorde of Pauia and had maried Beatrice the doughter or as other say sometime wife of Fazino Cane della Scala for none intente but because she was enheritour of many fayre lordeshippes beyonde the Pò and had also verie muche money By meane wherof sleayng Crabrino lorde of Verona he gatte that citee to him selfe ¶ He was constreigned to yelde Bologna Furli and Imola to the bishop of Rome Neuerthelesse he gatte Genoa though afterwardes he loste it againe ¶ He lykewyse toke Bressa whyche beyng recouered against him by the Uenetians caused betwene them verie longe and cruell warre Wherin on the Uenetian side were capitaines Francesco Carmignuola Giouanni Malauolta Gianfrancesco Gonzaga and Nanni Strozzi a Florentine knight And on the side of Philippo against the Uenetians were Francesco Sforza Agnola da Pergoletto the one and other Nicolo Guerriero and Piccinino and one Fierauante da Perugia with the helpe also of Alfonso kynge of Naples who beyng before tyme brought prisoner to Philippo by the Genowaies and by hym restored to libertee lyke a faythfull friende for a great whyle after succoured hym in all his businesse ¶ Thus whan Philippo had finyshed the enterprise againste the Uenetians and by meane of those his capitaines gotten Piacenza Como and Lodi he made the Marques of Monferrato so afearde of hym that wyllyngly he yelded vnto Philippo's handê Vercelli Alexandria and Aste And Nicolo da Este of Ferrara came to visite hym renderyng Parma that before had ben taken from Ottone and knowlageyng hym selfe to holde the citee of Reggio in fee of Philippo ¶ The citeee of Florence fearyng the power of this man entred in leage with the Uenetians whose two armies vnited togethers were foughten withall by certaine of Philippo's capitaines in the Countie of Faenza and there ouercomen ¶ Notwithstanding that the same victory was of much lesse importaunce than that whiche the noble Florentine Cosmo di Medici obteigned in the plaine of Anghiari against the army of Philippo ledde by Nicolo Piccinino towardes the Florentine damage for the whiche victory Cosmo at his retourne to Florence was called father of his countrey ¶ But for all that those warres had neuer ende as long as Philippo liued who finally fell out with the forenamed Alfonse kyng of Naples and by force restored the Queene Giouanna to hir possession ¶ He receiued into Myllaine Martine the .v. bishoppe of Rome as he retourned from the counsaile of Constance and maried his daughter Bianca vnto Francesco Sforza ¶ Finally findyng hym selfe fallen in great aduersitee what thoroughe blindenesse that toke hym in his age what through the losse of Genoa and what through the discoumfiture of his armie at Casale Maggiore
great infyrmitee blinded of one eye died without issue leauyng the astate of Myllaine wholly to the emperour who euer sens hath gouerned the same by his lieuetenauntes The fyrst wherof was named Antonio di Leua so lame a man of his limmes that he vsed to be caried on mens shoulders but on the other side so prudent and ware a capitaine in his doyngê as in his daies was not lyghtly to be founde againe ¶ Next vnto whom folowed the Marques of Vasco a verie honourable and courtly man but not altogether man but not altogether so happie in his procedinges as suche noble men couette to be ¶ Finally after his death the emperour hath placed there the famouse Don Ferrando Gonzaga vncle to the Duke of Mantua whose prosperitee hath not onely been great in feates of warre but also wonderfull in purchasyng of fame through the sincere and rare administracion of iustice that he vseth ¶ I call it not rare for other cause than for the rare correction he hath vsed against the offendours wherby he hath wonne the hertes of theim that loue iustice ¶ As for the progresse of the thynges happened in the state of Myllaine sens the death of Francesco Sforza in whom it semeth the house of Visconti to haue taken his ende I shall not neede here to make any rehersall because on the one syde the dooynges of the same haue not been verie great and on the other side they are present and fimiliare ¶ Of the astate of Mantua THe citee of it selfe is very fayre and stronge and standeth richely by reason the countreis about are plaine and no lesse plentiful than the other partes of Lumbardie be It is stronge because the riuer of Meltio or Mentio as some call it fallyng out of the lake of Garda thoroughe the towne of Peschiera passeth to the Pò by Mantua and maketh about it suche a poole that thre partê of the citee are defended with the bredth of a quarter of a myle of water euery waie whiche in some places is deepe and in some shalow that it can not be passed with botes And than in the necessarie places suche bulwarkes are made to defende that it semeth impossible to be wonne by assaulte on that side ¶ And for the .iiii. parte whiche is towarde the weast it is verie well fortified with stronge wallê and bulwarkes and a large byche well watered besides that the grounde on that side is in maner all marisshe or at the least so ranke that in the driest of the sommer there can none artillerie passe so that the citee is vndoubtedly one of the strongest that I haue seen ¶ The dominion that the Duke hath is not great neyther of circuite nor of reuenew For at the best as I haue ben enformed the rentes neuer passed an .100000 duckates a yere and many times it hath ben much lesse by reason it is not standyng but riseth of customes and casualtees ¶ It is true that the state is muche encreased by reason of Monferrato that the last Duke had by the mariage of his wyfe so that now the Duke of Mantoa's rentes by estimacion are reckened at .130000 duckates or theraboutes ¶ And as for notable buildinges in Mantua other than suche as be vniuersall in the goodly citees of Italie I finde none sauyng certaine propre lodgeynges that the Duke Federico deceased hath made on the southe part of his palaice whiche vndoubtedly are galaunt and riche Wherfore procedyng now to the originall of the citesins and citee with the successe therof hitherwardê ¶ The Originall of Mantua BY agreement of most aucthours I fynde that the people of Mantua are descended of those auncient Tuscanes that before the siege of Troie departed out of Lydia in Asia and vnder the leadyng of theyr prince Tirreno came and enhabited the region of Italie Part of whiche Tuscanes chosyng afterwardes the place of Mantua for theyr habitacion builded the citee before the comyng of Eneas into Italie and before the edificacion of Rome more than .300 yeres The capitaine of which people at that time was named Ogno a verie expert man in Astronomie or in the science of diuinacion For his vertue in whiche science folowyng the Greeke woorde Mantia he named the citee Mantua How be it Dante speakyng therof referreth the beginnyng of Mantua to Manto daughter of Tiresia kynge of Thebes whom the poetes feigne lost his sight for iudgeyng betwene Iupiter and Iuno that the woman in the vse of nature had more pleasure than the man taken for iudge in this mattier because through the killyng of certayne serpentes he before tyme had ben chaunged from a man to a woman and had vsed in bothe kyndes So that Iupiter in recompence of his sight that Iuno had taken from him gaue hym the science of diuinacion and he hauyng a doughter afterwardê according to that science named hir Manto who comyng into Italy was aucthour bothe of the beginnyng and also of the name of Mantua But howe so euer it were I finde that ones it was destroied by Attila kyng of the Goti and after by Agilulfo kynge of the Lumbardes thyrdely by Cacciano kyng of Bauiera and lastly by the Hungariens And than beyng reedified Nicolas the secounde bishop of Rome helde a generall counsaill there in the which these holy Pilates I wold say Prelates decreed that from thense forth the bishops of Rome shulde be elected by the college of Cardinalles to the intent the emperours shoulde haue no more to doe withall At the tyme oâ— whiche counsaill Matilda doughter of the Conte Bonifacio was ladie of Mantua ¶ This Conte Bonifacio was lorde of the citees of Luca Parma Reggio Mantua and Ferrara called altogethers at that tyme Il Patrimonio and was so great a man that he obteigned vnto wife Beatrice sister of Henry the secounde emperour of Almaine Whiche Beatrice after hir husbandes death gouerned the whole dominion 15. yeres and was finally buried in Pisa leuyng hir doughter Matilda before named with an husbande named Godfrey in the astate ¶ Matilda after the death of hir husbande Godfrey maried againe and at length founde meane to be diuorsed insomuche that diyng without issue she lefte hir whole astate vnto the churche of Rome and was buried in the abbey of S. Benette di Bondeno besides Mantua ¶ After whose death the citee of Mantua was gouerned by Romaine vicares and legates vntill aboutes the yere of grace .1220 one Sordello founde the meanes to be principall gouernour therof the mightiest man of body and strength that was in those daies insomuche that beyng prouoked many tymes to feighte he alwaies remained vanquisher Through the notable fame wherof the Frenche kynge sente for hym and beyng arriued in his presence merily saied vnto him he belieued not that he shoulde be Sordello wherwith Sordello beyng offended incontinently tourned his backe without speakyng any worde and beyng called againe was demaunded by the Frenche kyng what he meaned so sodeinly to tourne