snow of Berlino are forced now and then as I was once to passe ouer the mountain Splug which is hill enough for any traueler From our Ladyes of Tirano I went vp a smart hill called Mount Aurigo and so makeing towards the Lake of Wallinstade I passed it ouer in boate as I did also soone after that of Isee and so fell into the territories of Brescia in Italy belonging to the state of Venice My fourth Voyage MY fourth voyage into Italy was from Lyons againe and Geneua where I now tooke the Lake on my left hand and passing along the skirts of Sauoye I came to Boueretta a little Village and so to S. Maurice the first towne in the Valetians country This towne is so called from S. Maurice the Braue Commander of the Theban Legion in the primitiue times and who was martyred here for the profession of Christian Religion together with his whole Legion Hence an Abbey was built here by Sigismond King of Burgondy and called S. Maurice Now this country is called the country of the Valesians from the perpetuall Valley in which it lyeth The people haue for their Prince the Bishop of Sion the cheif towne of the country Their Valley is aboue four dayes iourney long besides their hills which are two more Most of their little townes and Villages stand vpon hill sides leauing all the plain country for tillage and pasturage Their houses are low and darke many of them hauing no windowes and the rest very little ones Sed casa pugnaces Curios angusta tegebat As for the people here they are all Catholicks sinceare honest men of stout courage yet of innocent liues much snow quenching their lust and high mountains staueing of from them all luxe and Vanity the harbingers of Vice They haue short hair on their heads but beards in folio They are got so farre into the grande mode as to weare breeches and doublets but that 's all for otherwise their clothes looke as if they had been made by the Taylors of the old Patriarcks or as if the fashion of them had been taken out of old hangings and tapistry In fine both men and women here are great and massiue and not easily to be blowne away so that I may iustly say of this people as Cardinal Bentiuoglio sayd of the Swissers that they are good for the Alpes and the Alpes for them One thing I obserued particularly in this windy country which is that they haue many natural fooles here which makes me thinck it no vulgar errour which is commonly sayd that the climats that are most agitated with winds produce more fooles then other climats do As for their strength vpon a defensiue occasion they can assemble forty thousand men together vnder their knowne Commanders who are often times the Innkeepers in whose houses we lodge but out of their owne pit they are not to be feared haueing neither spirits nor sinnews that is neither ambition nor money to carry on a forrain warre From S. Maurice I went to Martigni a great Inn in a poore Village and from thence to Sion Sion anciently Sedunum is the cheif towne of the country and stands in the center of it Here the Bishop who is Prince resideth with his Chapter and Cathedral on one hill and his Castle stands on another hill hard by The Court of this Prince is not great because of his and his peoples quality A good Bishop hath something els to do then to be courted and good plain people must follow their trads not Courts This Prince hath no Gards because no fears and if danger should threaten him his people whose loue is his onely Arsenal haue hands enough to defend him So that the Prince and People that is the Body Politick of this state seemed to mee like the Body natural in man where the soul and the body being freinds together the soul directs the body and the body defends the Soul From Sion I went to Lucia but lodged a quarter of a mile from the towne and from thence I reached Briga at night Briga is a little Village standing at the foot of great hills where haueing rested well all night at the Colonels house the best Inn here we began the next morning to clime the hills for a breakfast For the space of three houers our horses eased vs the ascent not being so surley as we expected from so rugged a brow of hills but when wee came to the steep of the hill it self Mount Sampion one of the great Staircases of Italy we were forced to compliment our horses and go a foot It was towards the very begining of October when we passed that way and therfore found that Hill in a good humour otherwise it s froward enough Haueing in one houres time crawled vp the steep of the Hill we had two houres more rideing to the Village and Inn of Sampion where arriueing we found little meat for our great stomacks and cold comfort for all the hot stincking Stone At last haueing payd for a dinner here though we saw nothing we could eate we were the lighter in purse as well as in body to walke well that afternoone rather then that afterdinner To describe you the rough way we had between Sampion and Deuedra downe hill alwayes or fetching about hills vpon a narrow way artificially made out of the side of those hills and sometimes sticking out of them as if it had been plaistered to them were able to make my pen ake in writing it as well as my leggs in walkeing it And here I found the Prouerb false which saith that its good walking with a horse in ones hand for here we could neither ride nor lead our horses securely but either the one or the other were in danger of stumbling that is of falling fiue hundred fadome deep For here as well as in warre semel tantum peccatur a man need but stumble once for all his lifetime Yet by letting our horses go loose with the bridle on their necks and makeing a man go before each horse least they should iumble one another downe as I once saw the like done by horses in Swisserland we arriued safely at Deuedra that night You would do well also to light from horse at the going ouer all the little trembling Bridges of wood which you will finde there remembring the Italian Prouerb which saith Quando tu Vedi vn Ponte falli piu honore che iu non fai a vn Conte Haueing reposed all night in the house of the Signor Castellano we went the next morning to Domodoscela a litle garrison towne of the state of Milan troublesome enough to trauelers that passe from Milan this way and carry pistols and gunns without licence From Domodescela we passed through a fine plain country to Marguzzi a little Village standing vpon the Lake Maior anciently called Lacus Verbanus where making our bargain with our
passe their time more cheerfully But for the most part they liue alone condemned to the melancholy horror of their crimes and the solitude of seauen whole weeks in Lent when vpon payne of rigorous punishments and imprisonment they dare not admitt of any customers The like rigour is vsed against them also in Aduent that dureing the space of those holy times these vnholy women may haue time to think of themselues and admit of Gods holy inspirations for their amendment Is it not a punishment to them to be obliged to enter their names publickly in the list of whores For if Tacitus obserues that the old Romans satis paenarum aduersum impudicas in ipsa professione flagitij apud Aediles credebant thought it punishment enough against vnchast women in their very profesing themselues to be such before the Aedils I cannot but think it a great punishment to Christian whores who are at least as sensible as the heathens of the horrible disgrace of haueing their name listed to be thus defamed for euer by remaining whores vpon Record Is it not a punishing of them to depriue them all their life time as long as they liue whores of the holy Sacraments and after their death of Christian Burial Is it not a punishment and a deterring of them from vice to throw their bodyes when they dye into an obscure place out of the walls of the towne as if they deserued no other Burial place then that of Asses Is it not in fine a punishment to them not to be allowed to make any Will or Testament but to leaue all their goods confiscated either to the Hospitals of poore honest girles or to the maintaining of those gards that are to watch ouer their deportments If these punishments both of body soul and honour be inflicted vpon whores in Rome as they are do not vrge any more that whores are not punished in Rome nor discountenanced But why doth not the Pope punish them home and roote them quite out by banishment This hath been attempted by diuers Popes and namely by Pius Quintus of happy memory as Thuanus in his history writes but seeing greater inconueniences and greater sinns arose vpon it prudence which is the salt that must season all moral actions thought it not fit to carry on that rigour nor yet allow of fornication neither So that all the permission of whores in Rome that can colourably be imagined is onely a not punishing of them in all rigour and euen that too for a good end and to hinder greater euils But the Pope being both a Temporal and an Ecclesiastical Superiour is bound in my mind to break through all respects and settle innocency in the world It s zealously spoken and I wish he could do it but difficilem rem optas generis humani innocentiam he wisheth a hard thing who wisheth for the innocency of mankinde sayth a wiseman And if Princes sometimes do not punish factious subiects when they see that the punishing of them would pull the whole State in peeces ouer their heads and put the whole kingdome in danger as it did in Henry the Thirds time in France vpon his causeing of the Duke of Guise to be killed in Blois If Generals of armyes take no notice of some treacherous commander who is vniuersally beloued by the soldiers least the punishing of one man loose them the affection of the whole army as we saw latey in the case of Lubemirsky how truely guilty I know not and some yeares ago I remember in the case of Walstein whose punishment had almost vndone the Emperor why may not the Pope without approueing the sinn of whores prudently waue the punishing of it with all rigour when he sees that such rigour would cause greater disorders in that hot nation and in that citie where all nations seeme to club vices as well as vertues Hence learned Abulensis a great Diuine sayth Licet leges humanae aliqua mala permittant non puniendo nullum tamen malum permittunt statuendo But the Pope should not gouerne according either to human policy or human Lawes and Examples You pretend zeale but you would do well to take her sister Prudence with her as our Sauiour did who when he heard his disciples desireing him to let them call downe fire from heauen vpon the criminal Samaritans answered them calmely you know not of what spirit you are Nay doth not God himself who being able to punish all criminal persons and roote them quite out of the world suffer both his Sun to rise and shine vpon sinners and sinners to offend in this sunshine and often by it Hence S. Thomas sayth much to my purpose Humanum regimen deriuatur a diuino regimine ipsum debet imitari Deus autem quamuis sit omnipotens ac summâ— bonus permittit tamen aliqua mala fieri in vniuerso quae prohibere posset ne iis sublatis maiora bona tollerentur vel maiora mala sequerentur Humane gouerment is deriued from diuine gouerment and ought to imitate it Now God allthough he be allmighty and highly good yet he permits euils to be done in the world which he could hinder least by taking away them greater goods should be taken away or greater euils should follow But I wade too farre into this puddle yet remember who thrust me into it and you l pardon me Behinde the Church and Conuent of the foresayd Penitents stands the Church of San Syluestro in Capite so called from the picture of our Sauiours head and face which our Sauiour himself made by miracle and sent to Abagarus King of Edessa as you may read at length in Baronius and in Bosius in his rare booke called Roma Sotterranea Now this picture is kept here in this monastery and with great probability seing it was here that diuers Greek Monks driuen out of their country by Constantin Copronimus for the defence of sacred Jmages were entertained by the Pope Paul the First and it s very likely that these good men brought with them this famous picture of our Sauiour to saue it from the fury of the Iconoclasts Returning from hence into the Corso againe I went to see there the Colonna d'Antonino the Great Pillar of Antoninus the Emperor It s built iust like that of Traian described aboue It was built by Marcus Aurelius Antoninus the Emperor in honour of his Father Antoninus Pius It s all of white marble engrauen without with a basso rilieuo from top to bottom containing the memorable actions of Marcus Aurilius It s 175 foot high hath in it 206 stairs which lead vp to the top of it and 56 little windows giuing light to those stairs and yet this high Pillar was made of 28 stones of marble The caruing that is vpon it contains the braue actions of Marcus Aurelius ouer che Armenians Parthians Germans Wandals and Sarmats or Polonians but age hath so defaced these
where you finde water works wetting sports and a pretty girandola Hauing thus seen Frescati we went to Tiuoli some fifteen miles off This is an ancient towne standing vpon a hill some fifteen miles distant from Rome and in sight of it It was anciently called Tybur and held by the Romans for a delicious place We saw here the old Temple and the house of Sibylla Tyburtina Then we saw the Cascata much admired here by those that neuer were in Swisserland or at Terni This here is made by the Riuer Anio which falls suddenly downe a stony rock and fomes for anger to see its bed growne too short for it Indeed it makes such a murmuring complaint against nature to the stones below that it almost deafs like the Catadoups of Nilus all its neighbors Thence we went to the Villa of Cardinal D'Esté It stands high and ouerlooks the Campania of Rome But the gardens of this Villa is that which is here most looked after They lye vpon the side of a hill and are placed in four rowes of gardens with four degrees in in the descent all furnished with Cascatas Grottas and other admirable waterworks the water is let in hiâ—her from the Riuer Anio which runns behind this Hill For they haue tappt the very Hill and bored the rock quite through to the riuer so that the gardener here by turning a great cook can let in as much water as fills the Fountains the Cascatas the Grottas the Gâ—randola and the other rare water-works Hence is made the great Fountaine of Leda the stairs of water the long walke of two huÌ„dred paces set all along with little stone fountains and bassins purling in your eares and casting out little iets of water as you walk along them And here you shall see as rare things for sight and deligth as the world can afford in this kind Here a perfect representation of old Rome in a perspectiue where you see the Capitol the Pantheon the chief triumphal Arches the Circos Theaters Obelisques Mausoleas euen Tiber it self here curious groues of trees making a green spring in the midst of winter here coole grottas and fountains makeing a cold winter in the midst of Sommer Here false birds chirping vpon true trees euery one according to his true nature and all of them chattering at once at the sight of a false owle appearing and houling in a tree Here curious Grottas especially the Grotte of Nature adorned with Nymphs shelles statues and vnauoydable wetting places and organs playing without any man touching them there a fearfull Girandola of the Dragons thundering as if they would set heauen on fire with cold water and pelt Iupiter from thence with hailes stones But I wrong these things which are rather to be seen then described and my traueler will wrong himself much if hee staye not here three or four dayes to view munitamente these wonders of arte Hauing seen these famous places we returned to Rome againe where we saw its chief rarityes ouer and ouer againe for Romam juuat vsque videre all men that haue seen Rome onely once desire to see it againe Hence the Romans takeing leaue of a stranger departing from Rome after his first Voyage say iestingly to him a Riuederci that is Farewel till I see you againe knowing that euery man who hath seen Rome but once will desire to returne againe For my part I confesse I was of this sentiment in my first iourney but now hauing seen it fiue seueral times I tooke a long leaue of it and began to think of returning homeward by the way of Loreto and Venice And that we might be sure to be at Venice at the great solemnity of the Ascension we left Rome the first week after Easter We set out of Rome by the Porta del Populo all along the via Flaminia which rearched as farre almost on this side of Rome as the Via Appia did on the other that is from Rome to Rimini It s called Flaminia because the Consul Flaminius made it by his soldiers in time of peace least they should grow idle and haue their strength to seek when the warre should break out The rest of the way from Rimini to Bologna was paued by Aemilius Lepidus the Collegue of Flaminius and from him called Via Aemilia This Via Flaminia led vs first to Ponte Molo Pons Miluius a good mile distant from the Gates of Rome where Constantin the Great ouercame Maxentius the Tyrant and droue him and his men into the riuer Here it was I saw Tiber first and I woÌ„dered to finde it such a small riuer which Poets with their hyperbolical inke had made swell into a riuer of the first rate Following on the way we passed by Castel Nuouo Ciuita Castellana Vtricolâ— so to Narni so called from the riuer Nar. It was anciently called Nequinum wicked towne because of the inhabitants who being pressed with hunger in a Siege resolued to kill one another rather then fall aliue into the hands of their enemyes They began with their children sisters mothers wifes and at last fell vpon one another leauing the enemyes nothing to triumph ouer but bare walls and asshes This towne is an ancient Bishops Seat and S. Iuuenalis whose body lyeth in a neat low Chappel in the Domo was the first Bishop of it A little out of the towne are seen high Arches belonging anciently to an Aqueduct From hence we went to Terni a Bishops Seat too It was called anciently Interamna because of a world of little brooks here This towne stands in a most pleasant soyle and is famous for being the birth place of Cornelius Tacitus the great Historian Arriueing here betimes we went four miles off to see the fomous Cascata in the Mountains which farre excells that of Tiuoli From Terni we went to Spoleto This is a neat towne which giueth denomination to the Dutchy of Spoleto Anciently the country hereabout was called Vmbria but in aftertimes it was called the Dutchy of Spoleto vpon this occasion The Emperor Iustin hauing called Narses the Great General out of Italy he sent Longinus with the power and title of Exarch in his place This Longinus setled himself in Rauenna and gouerned the rest of Italy by his Captains and Officers called Duces or Dukes Hence Rome lost her Consuls Narses and Basilius being the two last Consuls and was gouerned by a Duke too as well as Spoleto This towne hath been famous anciently for holding out against Hannibal euen then when he had newly ouercomne the Romans at the Lake Thrasimene heare Perugia in which Siege of Spoleto happened that famous prodigy which I may call in a manner a Metaphysical transmutation rather then a metamorphosis mentioned by Leandro Alberti who coats Liuy for it of a man in Spoleto changed into a woman in the time of the Siege Surely it was some notable Coward whom Nature disauowing degraded him of his
Italy is to ioyne with the stronger of the two Nations France or Spayne And he hath bine often forced to put now and then a French gaâ—rison now and then a Spanish garrison into his strong towne of Casal one of the strongest places I saw in all Italy hauing an excellent Cittadel at one end of it a strong Castle at the other and strong ditches walls and ramparts euery where In fine this Duke can rayse about fifteen thousand foot and two thousand horse Of Mantua were these two excellent Latin Poets old Virgil and moderne Baptista Mantuanus a Carmelit He that desires to know the history of Mantua let him read Mario Aquicola From Mantua we went to Mirandola being inuited thither by its wonderfull name It is a principality farre more ancient then great and it is so called from Three children borne here of a great Lady at one birth The story as it is pretty so it is related by good authors and therefore I will give it you here in the end of this my Italian iourney as a faire well And t is this Constantius the Emperor Sonn of Constantin the great had à daughter called Euridis who beeing growne vp in yeares fell in loue with Manfred a courtier of her Vncle Constantin à hansome well bred yong gentleman Manfred was both courtier enough and wise enough to vnderstand this to be no small honour and therefore embraced her affection with a corresponding flame In a word they meet often talke of it giue mutual promises make all the money they can and iewels and flye away secretly They come into Italy land at Naples from thence to Rauenna and at last pitch vpon this country where now Mirandula stands It was then a place ouerspred with thickets and vnderwoods and furnishing some pasturage for sheep and cottages for shepheards Here then they choose to liue priuately and conuerse with none but country swaines and shepheards Blind loue whither doest thou hurrey Princesses to make them preferre cottages before Courts At last with their money they buy land and Manfred grows Soone to that authority among his neighbours that they choose him for their Head and recurre vnto him vpon all occasions for his aduise and protection In the meane time haueing solemnly marryed Euridis at his arriual in Italy she brings him forth three sonns at once Picus Pius and Papazzo and Manfred growes farre more considerable dayly in these parts At last the Emperor Constantius comeing into Italy vpon his accasions and being complimented by all the seueral provinces thereof this Prouince among the rest chose Manfred as their Embassador to the sayd Emperor to carry to him the tender of their respects and homage Manfred accepted of the employment and carryed himself so gallantly in the Embassy that the Emperor knighted him and vpon further tryal of his worth raysed him to high fauour Manfred seing the realityes of the Emperor thought it now high time to discouer himself vnto him Whereforecasting himself one day at the Emperors feet and begging his pardon he discouered himself vnto him and told him his whole story and aduentures At fitst the Emperor was a little troubled but findeing such freedome and gallantry in his carriage mingled with such humble ingenuity in the Confession of his fault he not onely pardoned what was past but presently sent for Euridis and her children to come to him and liue at court with him This done he makes Manfred Count and Marquis of a great part of these countryes and gives him leaue to build townes and Castles there and for his armes giues him the black Eagle In fine in memory of the three children borne so wonderfully at one birth he commands that the chief towne thould be called Miranda After the death of Constantius Manfred and his Lady returned with great riches vnto their old dwellind place and there began to build Miranda which in processe of time was called Mirandola This true story if it looke like a Romance you must not wonder seing Romances now a dayes looke like true stories The Prince of Mirandola receiues yearly fourscore thousand crownes The greatest ornament of this country was that famours Ioannes Picus Mirandulanus whose life S. Thomas Moore wrote and hauing written it liued it From Mirandula I struck to Parma and so to Piacenza Lodi and Marigno described all aboue and at last to Milan againe where I had been before and where my giro of Italy ended as now my Iourney and description doth I takeing here a new rise from Milan and crossing through Swisserland by the Lake of Como and ouer mount S. Godart came to Basil Where embarking vpon the Rhene I saw Strasbourg Brisac Spire Philipsbourg Openhem Coblentz Hamerstede Wormes Francfurt Mayence Colen Dusseldorp Skinksconce Rais Wesel Arnehem and diuers such fine Rhenish townes Then haueing Viewed Holand and Flanders I came at last to Calais and so home to my owne Deare Country England by the way of Douer FINIS A TABLE OF THE NAMES OF THE CHIEF TOWNES Contained in this second part A. ADria 361 Albano 306 Amiclae 259 Ancona 350 Assisium 321 Auersa 269 B. Baiae 297 Bergamo 440 Brecia 439 C. Caëta 263 Capua 268 Campania 267 Carigliano River 266 Casal 442 Catholica 352 Ceraualle Cesena 355 Crema 339 Cuma 303 D. Disensano 439 E. Elisian fields 298 F. Faenza 356 Fano 351 Ferrara 357 Foligni 321 Forli 355 Formiae 262 Fossa Noua 259 Firscati 307 Fundi 260 G. Gandulfo 307 Grotta dell Cane 292 Grotta di Posilipo 290 K. Kingdome of Naples 207 Kingdome of Cyprus 373 L. La Laguna 362 Lacus Auernus 302 Lago di garda 439 Loreto 322 M. Macerata 322 Mantua 44â— Marino 259 Minturna 266 Mirandola 443 Mola 262 Mons Massicus 267 Monte Falco 321 Monte Garo 267 Murano 423 N. Naples 269 Narni 318 P. Padua 426 Palma noua 575 Pansilipus M t. 290 Peperno 259 Pesaro 352 Peschiera 438 Puzzolo 296 R. Recanatà 322 Rimini 354 Rome 3 c. Ruigo 361 Rubicon Riv 355 S. Senegallia 351 Spoleto 319 Sulphatara 295 T. Taracina 259 Terni 319 Tiber Riv. 318 Tiuoli 313 Tolentino 321 Tres Tabernae 259 V. Veletri 259 Venice 363 c. Verona 436 Vesuuius M t. 284 Via Appia 261 Via Flaminia 317 Vicenza 435 M. Warcupp M. Raymond The profit of traueling Senec. Senec Strada de Bello Belg. The Traueling with profit The Character of a good Gouernour What to be learnt in France and what not What in Italy and what not What in Germany and whaâ— not What in Holland and what not Plutarch The Fertility of Italy An obiectioÌ„ against Italy Answer Baltazar Bonifacius in hist Ludicra l. 13. c. 1â— Sol homo generant hominem Plutarchus in Graccho â—alzacin 1. volum liter The InhabitaÌ„ts and their wits Poëts Ancient and Moderne in Italy Historians Orators Prodigies of learning Diuines Philosophers Architects Sculptors Painters Ancient and moderne Captains See Verstegan in his
is a midling humour between too much grauity of the spaniard and too great leuity of the French Their grauity is notwithout some fire nor their leuity without some fleame They are apish enough in Carneual time and vpon their stages as long as the visard is on but that once off they are too wise to play the fooles in their owne names and owne it with their owne faces They haue strong fancies and yet solid iudgements A happy temper which makes them great Preachers Politicians and Ingeniers but withall they are a little too melancholy and gealous They are great louers of their brethren and neare kinred as the first freinds they are acquinted withall by nature and if any of them lye in passe and fair for aduancement all the rest of his relations will lend him their purses as well as their shoulders to help him vp though he be but their younger brother They are sparing in dyet both for to liue in health and to liue hansomly making their bellyes contribute to the maintenance of their backs and their kitchen help to the keeping of their stable They are ambitious still of honours remembering they are the successors of the masters of the world the old Romans and to put the world still in mind of it they take to themselues the glorious names of Camillo Scipione Julio Mario Pompeo c. They are as sensible allso of their honour as desirous of honours and this makes them strickt to their wife 's euen to gelousy knowing that for one Cornelius Tacitus there haue been ten Publij Cornelij and that Lucius Cornificius is the most affronting man They are hard to be pleased when thy haue been once read hoat with offence but they will not meet reuenge in the face and feild and they will rather hire it then take it In fine they affect very much compounded names as Piâ—colomini Capilupo Bentiuoglio Malespina Boncompagno Maluezzi Riccobono Malatesta Homodei and such like marryed Names As for their Manners they are most commendable They haue taught them in their bookes they practise them in their actions and they haue spred them abroad ouer all Europe which owes its Ciuility vnto the Jtalians as well as its Religion They neuer affront strangers in what habit soeuer they appeare and if the strangenesse of the habit draw the Jtalians eye to it yet he will neuer draw in his mouth to laugh at it As for their apparel or dresse it s commonly black and modest They value no brauery but that of Coache and horses and Staffiers and they sacrifize a world of little satisfactions to that main one of being able to keep a Coache Their Points de Venice ribans and goldlace are all turned into horses and liueries and that money which we spend in treats and Tauernes they spend in coache and furniture They neuer whisper priuately with one another in company not speak to one another alowd in an vnknowne tongue when thy are in conuersation with others thinking this to be no other then a lowd whispering They are precise in point of Ceremony and reception and are not puzzeled at all when they heare a great man is comeing to visit them There 's not a man of them but he knowes how to entertain men of all conditions that is how farre to meet how to place them how to stile and treat them how to reconduct them and how farr They are good for Nunciatures Embassies and State employments being men of good behauiour lookes temper and discretion and neuer outrunning their businesse They are great louers of Musick Meddales Statues and Pictures as things which either diuert their melancholy or humor it and I haue read of one Jacomo Raynero a shoomaker of Bolognia who gathered together so many curious Meddals of Gold siluer and brasse as would haue becomne the Cabinet of any Prince In fine they are extreamely ciuil to one another not onely out of an awe they stand in one towards another not knowing whose turne it may be next to come to the highest honours but allso out of a natural grauity and ciuil education which makes euen schoolboyes an insolent Nation any where else most respectfull to one another in words and deeds treating one another with Vostra Signoria and abstaining from all gioco di mano Nay masters themselues here neuer beat their seruant but remitt them to justice if the fault require it and I cannot remember to haue heard in Rome two women scold publickly or man and wife quarrel in words except once and then they did it so priuatly and secretly and scolded in such a low tone that I perceiued the Italians had reason about them euen in the middst of their choler As for their particular customes they are many They marry by their eares oftener then by their eyes and scarce speake with one another till they meete before the Parish Priest to speake the indissoluable words of wedlock They make children go barehead till they be four or fiue years old hardening them thus against rhumes and catarres when they shall be old Hence few people in Italy go so warme on their heads as they do in France men in their houses wearing nothing vpon their heads but a little calotte and women for the most part going all barehead in the midst of winter it self Women here also wash their heads weekly in a wash made for the nonce and dry them againe in the Sun to make their hair yellow a colour much in vogue here among Ladyes The men throw of their hats cuffs and bandes as well as their cloaks at their returne home from visits or businesse and put on a gray coate without which they cannot dine or supp and I haue been inuited to dinner by an Italian who before dinner made his men take of our hats and cloaks and present euery one of vs and we were fiue in all with a coloured coate and a little cap to dine in At dinner they serue in the best meats first and eat backwards that is they beginn with the second course and end with boyld meat and pottage They neuer present you with salt or braines of any fowle least they may seeme to reproach vnto you want of wit They bring you drink vpon a Sottocoppa of syluer with three or four glasses vpon it Two or three of which are strait neckt glasses called there caraffas full of seueral sorts of wines or water and one empty drinking glasse into which you may powre what quantity of wine and water you please to drink and not stand to the discretion of the waiters as they do in other countrys At great feasts no man cuts for himself but seueral caruers cut-vp all the meat at a side table and giue it to the waiters to be carryed to the ghests and euery one hath the very same part of meat carryed vnto him to wit a wing and a legg of wild fowle c. least any one take exceptions that others were
better vsed then hee The Caruers neuer touch the meat with their hands but onely with their knife and forke and great Syluer spoone for the sauce Euery man here eats with his forke and knife and neuer toucheth any thing with his fingers but his bread This keeps the linnen neat and the fingers sweet If you drink to an Italian he thanks you with bending when you salute him and lets you drink quietly without watching as we do in England to thank you againe when you haue drunk and the first time he drinks after that will be to you in requitall of your former courtesy They count not the houres of the day as we do from twelue to twelue but they beginn their count from sunset and the first houre after sunset is one a clock and so they count on till four and Twenty that is till the next sunset againe I haue often dined at sixteen a clock and gone abroad in the euening to take the ayre at two and twenty They call men much by their Christen names Signor Pietro Signor Francesco Signor Jacomo c. and you may liue whole years with an Italian and be very well acquinted with him without knowing him that is without knowing his distintiue surname People of quality neuer visit one another but they send first to know when they may do it without troubleing him they intend to visit by this meanes they neuer rush into one anothers chambers without knocking as they do in France nor crosse the designes or business of him they visit as they do in England with tedious dry visits nor find one another either vndressed in clothes vnprouided in compliments and discourse or without their attendants and traine about them In the streets men and women of condition seldome or neuer go together in the same coache except they be strangers that is of an other towne or country nay husbands and wifes are Seldome seen together in the same coache because all men do not know them to be so In the streets when two persons of great quality meet as two Embassadors or two Cardinales they both stop their coaches and compliment one another ciuily and then retire but still he that is inferiour must let the others coache moue first If any man being a foot in the street meet a great man either in coache or a foot he must not salute him in going on his way as we do in England and France without stopping but he must stand still whiles the other passeth and bend respectfully to him as he goes by and then continue his march In fine of all the Nations I haue seen I know none that liues clothes eats drinks and speaks so much with reason as the Italians do As for their Riches they must needs be great That which is visible in their magnificent Pallaces Churches Monasteries Gardens Fountains and rich furnished Roomes speaks that to be great which is in their coffers and that which the King of spayne drawes visibly from Naples euery yeare shews what the other parts of Italy could do for a need if they were put to it by necessity Nay I am of opinion that the very Sacristy of Loreto the Gallery of the Duke of Florence and the Treasory of Venice would vpon an emergent occasion of a Gothick or Turkish inuasion be able to maintain an army for fiue yeares space and the Plate in Churches and Monasteryes would be able to do as much more if the owners of it were soundly frighted with a new Gothick irruption As for the Riches of particular Princes in Italy I will speak of them as I view their Stats here below In fine as for their Religion it s purely that which other countrys call by its true name Catholick and which in England they commonly call the Religion of the Papists And though there they think to nickname the Catholick by calling him Papist yet the well instructed Catholick knowing that the name of Papist comes not from any Sectmaster as Caluinist Lutheran Socinian and Brownist doe nor from any Sectary meeting place as Hugonots from the Gate of Hugo in Towers in France neare vnto which they mett priuately at first to teach and dogmatise nor from any publick sectary action as Anabaptists Dippers Quakers c. do but from the word Papa which signifies Father and is not the name of any one man or Pope but onely signifies his Fatherly office of Pastor tho Catholick I say is no more troubled at this name of Papist then he was when hee was called in the late troubles Royallist for adhearing to the king which is not the name of any of our kings but his office onely and not Cromwellist which was the name of one adhearing to a particular man called Cromwell and an vnlawfull vsurper of Power As for the true name indeed which is Catholick it is so knowne to belong to those of the Roman Church that besides that all those of that Church haue euer called themselues by no other name then this of Catholick the wisest of Protestants also acknowledge it publikely to be their distinctiue name witnesse that solemne meeting at Munster some yeares ago about the General Peace of Christendome where the Publick Jnstrument of that Peace sheweth plainly how that the Protestant Plenipotentiaries the wisest men of that Religion treated with the Papists as some call them vnder the name of Catholicks and though in many other titles and denominations they were very wary and scrupulous euen to the long suspension of the Peace yet they willingly concluded subscribed and signed that Peace made with them vnder the name of Catholicks I say this onely for to make men vnderstand what the true name of the Religion practised ouer all Jtaly is to-wit Catholick Haueing sayd thus much of Italy in Generall I will now come to a particular Description of it according to the ocular obseruations I made of it in fiue seueral Voyages through it In which Description if I be a little prolixe it is because I rid not Poste through Italy when I saw it nor will I write poste through it in describing it being assured that Epitomees in Geography are as dissatisfactory as Laconick Letters would be in state Relations and that the great Atlas in nine great volumes in folio is not onely Atlas Maior but also Atlas Melior The seueral wayes by which a man may go into Italy THE ordinary wayes which an Englishman may take in going into Italy are fiue to wit either through Flanders and Germany and so to fall in at Trent or Treuiso and so to Venice Or els by France and so to Marseilles and thence to Genua by Sea Or els by land from Lyons through Swisserland the Grisâ—ns country and the Valteline and so pop vp at Brescia Or els from Lyons againe through the Valesians country ouer Mount Sampion the Lake Maior and so to Milan Or els in fine from Lyons still ouer Mount Cenis and so to Turin the
in coaches drawne by two Cowes yoaked together These will carry the Signora a pretty round trot vnto her Villa Ther afford her also a dish of their milk and after collation bring her home againe at night without spending a penny He that desires to know more of Piacenza let him read Vmberto Loccati Of Piacenza where Cornelius Musso Bishop of Bitonti a great Preacher and a Trent Father as also Ferrante Pallauicini Parma belongs also to the Duke of Parma of the house of Farnese This Dutchy was giuen to Pier Luigi Farnese by Paulus III vpon condition it should hold of the Pope and pay him yearly ten thowsand crownes It s worth to the Duke two hundred thousand crownes This towne of Parma is three miles in compasse hath the riuer Parma running through it ouer which is built a haÌ„some stone bridge The country round about the towne is most fertill and begets such credit to the Cheeses that Parmesan Cheeses are famous ouer all the world The Chief things so be seen in Parma are these The Dukes Pallace with the gardens fountains wildbeasts the admirable Theater to exhibite Operas in The exquisite Coaches of the Duke one whereof is all of beaten syluer with the Seats and crutains embrodered with gold and syluer an other so well guilt and adorned that it s almost as rich as the former lastly the stables where I saw horses sutable both in strenght and beauty to the foresaydâ— coaches Then I went to the Domo whose Cupola was painted by the rare hand of Corregio Lastly to The Capucins in whose Church lyes buryed my noble Heros Alexander Farnese Duke of Parma whom I cannot meet in this my voyage without a compliment He was the Third Duke of Parma but the Tenth worthy Indeed his leaping the first man into the Turks Galleys in the battle of Lepantho with Sword in hand and in the eighteenth yeare onely of his age was such a prognostik of his future worth his reduceing Flanders againe with the prodigious actions done by him at the takeing of Antweep was such a makeing good of the prognostick and his comeing into France in his slippers and Sedan to succour Rouen beseiged by Henry the IV was such a crowning of all his other actions that his history begets beleefe to Quintus Curtius and makes men beleeue that Alexanders can do any thing The Reuenues of this Prince are sayd to be six hundred thousand crownes a yeare Hee is now of the French faction and in all his territories hee can rayse 28000 men Here is an Academy of wits called the Innominati as they that had rather be wise then be talked of or famed for such This towne hath furnished Italy with two excellent Painters Corregio and Parmigiano He that would know the particular history of Parma let him read Bonauentura Arrighi From Parma we went to Regio a towne belonging to the Duke of Modena here is a neat Cathedral Church of which Church S. Prosper was Bishop Of this towne were these three learned men Guido Pancirola Cardinal Tosco and snarling Casteluetro Modena is the towne where the Duke keeps his Court. It s a hansome towne and by its high steeple shews it self to trauelers long before they come to it It hath also a strong Cittadel which lyeing flat and euen with the towne showeth the towne that indeed it can be euen with it whensoeuer in shall rebell The Pallace of the Duke hath some rooms in it as neat and riâ—h as any I saw in Jtaly witness those Chambers hung round with the pictures of those of his family and wainscotted with great Looking Glasses and rich guilding This Duke is of the Family of Estè but not of the true line Wherfore for want of lawfull heirs male Ferrara and Commachio fell to the Church in Clement the VIII time and remain there euer since Of the true house of Estè was the braue Countesse Matilda the dry-Nurse as I may say of the Roman Church For it was she defended Gregory the VII against the Emperour Henry the VI and brought him to aknowlegde his fault and cry the Pope mercy It was she also that by Will and Testament left the Pope Parma Regio Mantua and Ferrara Hence Vrban the VIII out of gratitude to this Princesse caused her Statue and Tombe to be set vp S. Peters Church in Rome The will and Testament of this Princesse are kept in Lucca to his day Hard by Modena was fought the famous battle where Hirtius and Pansa being Consuls the Senate lost in them its authority Of Modena were these famous men in learning Cardinal Sadoletus Carolus Sigonius and Gabriel Falopius In Modena are made the best visards for mascarads and it s no small profit which they draw from this foolish commodity seing stultorum plena sunt omnia The Reuenues of this Duke are three hundred thousand crownes a yeare and he is now of the French faction He can rayse 30000 men From thence passing the riuer we came soone to Fort Vrban a Cittadel most regularly built by the command of Pope Vrban the VIII from whom it s called It s so strong that it is not afrayd to stand night and day alone in the fields and vpon the frontiers of the Popes Estate Passing from hence through Castel Franco anciently called Forum Gallorum we arriued betimes at Bologna Bologna is one of the greatest townes of Italy and one of the hansomest It s the second of the Popes Dominions and the Chief Vniuersity of Italy for Law Hence the Iurists say it is Musarum domus atque omnis nutricula Iuris and the very common coyne of the country tells you that Bononia docet It s named by the Common Prouerb Bologna la grassa because of the fertill foyle in which it stands to wit in the very end of Lombardy and the many springs which humect it from the Apennin hills at whose feet it stands This country was anciently called Felsina Gallia Cisalpina Gallia Togata to distinguish it from Gallia Braccata The country in France neare Narbonne And from Gallia Comata The Country in France called la Guienne In midling ages it was called Romagnola because Bologna Rauenna Cezena Forli Faenza and Imola stood constant to the Citty of Rome against the Lombards for a long time As for the towne of Bologna now it s excellently well built and for the most part vpon arches like the Couent Garden in London onely the pillars are round These Arches bring great conueniency to the inhabitants who can walk all the towne ouer coole and dry euen in Iuly and Ianuary It s fiue miles in compasse and an excellent sommer towne were it not that the ayre is not altogether so pure and the wines heating It s gouerned By a Legat a Latere sent hither by the Pope and in change it sends an Embassador
Holy Haueing sayd thus much â—f the title of Rome I will now make my Reader better acquainted with her by describing the particularyties which I obserued here And that I may not ramble in writeing of Rome as most men do in visiting of it I will begin at the Bridg called now Ponte Angelo and from thenc make the whole gyro of the Citie in order Arriuing then at the Bridg called anciently Pons Aelius because it was built by the Emperor Aelius Adrianus but now called Ponte Angelo because it was vpon this Bridg that S. Gregory the Great saw an Angel vpon the Moles Adriani sheathing his sword after a great plague here wee saw the stately new decoration of Iron worke with the twelue Marble statues set vpon it by this present Pope Clement the IX and looking downe into the riuer on the left hand wee saw the ruines of the Triumphal bridg This bridg was called the Triumphal Bridge because over it Triumphs were accustomed to passe anciently to the Capitol This made it so proud that it scorned that any rustiks or country fellowes should passe ouer it and got a Decree of the Senate for that purpose But pride will haue a fall and the proud Triumphal Bridg hath got such a great one that ther 's but iust so much of it left as to shew where it was once so true is the saying of Ausonius Mors etiam saxis nominibusque venit At first the Romans were modest enough in their Triumphs as in all other things hence Camillus was content with four white horses in his Chariot but afterwards luxe and excesse banishing out of the Citie old modesty they began to striue who should be the most vaine in this point Hence Pompey was drawne in triumph by four Elephants Mark-Antony by four Lyons Nero by four Hermaphrodites which were all four both horses and mares Heliogabulus by four Tygers Aurelianus by six staggs and Firmicus by eight Austridges At the end the Ponte Angelo stands the Castel Angelo so called because as I sayd before S. Gregory in a solemne Procession during the plague saw an Angel vpon the top of Moles Adriani sheathing his sword to signify that God's anger was appeased Before this Miracle happened it was called Moles Adriani because the Emperour Adrian was buryed here It was built anciently in a round forme of vast stones going vp in three rowes or storyes lesser and lesser till you came to the top where stood mounted that great pineapple of brass guilt which we see now in the garden of the Beluedere Round about it were set in the wall great marble pillars and round about the seueral storyes stood a world of Statues This Moles being found a strong place Bellisarius put men into it to defend it against the Gothes and they defended themselues in it a great while by breaking the Statues in peeces and throwing them vpon the heads of the Gothes that besieged them Since that time Diuers Popes haue turned it into a formal Castle Boniface the VIII Alexander the VI and Vrban the VIII haue rendered it a regular Castle with fiue strong bastions store of good Cannons and a constant garison maintened in it From this Castle I saw diuers times these Fortifications and below diuers great peeces of artillary made of the brasse taken out of the Pantheon and they shewed vs one great Cannon which was made of the brazen nayles onely that nayled that brasse to the walls of the Pantheon the length and forme of those nayles is seen vpon that Cannon to shew vnto posterity how great they were with these words vpon it ex claâ—is trabialibus Porticus Agrippae In this Castle are kept prisoners of State the 5 milions layd vp there by Sixtus Quintus the Popes rich triple crownes called Regni and the chief Registers of the Roman Church From the top also of this Castle you see distinctly the long Corridor or Gallery which runns from the Popes Pallace of the Vatican to this Castle for the Popes vse in time of danger It was made by Pope Alexander the VI. and vsed by Clment the VII who by it got safe into the Castle from the fury of the German Soldiers who being many of them Lutherans swore they would eat a peece of the Pope From hence entring into the Borgo we went towards S. Peters Church and in the way stept into the Church of the Carmelits called Santa Maria Transpontina were in a Chappel on the left hand as you enter are seen two pillars of stone enchased in wood to the which S. Peter and S. Paul were tyed when they were whipped before their death according to the Romans custome Here 's also the Head of S. Basil the Greek Father surnamed the Great Here 's also a curious picture of S. Barbara in the Vault by Caualier Gioseppe Going on from hence we came presently to the Pallace of Campeggi so called because it belonged to Cardinal Campeggi the Popes Legat in England to whom Henry the VIII gaue it Heretofore it belonged to the English Embassadors and was one of the best in Rome both for being neare the Popes Pallace and also for that it was well built by famous Bramante It belongs now to Cardinal Colonna Ouer against it stands a little Piazza with a fine fountaine and ioyning to it a little Church called San Jacomo Scozza Caualli in which vnder an Altar on the right hand I saw the stone vpon which Abraham offered to sacrifice his Sonne Isaac and vnder an other Altar on the left hand the Stone vpon which our Sauiour was placed when he was presented in the Temple Both these were brought or sent to Rome by Helen mother of the Emperor Constantin the Great Presently after you come to the Piazza of S. Peter built round about with a noble Portico of free-stone borne vp by four rowes of stately round pillars vnder which not onely the Procession vpon Corpus Christi day marcheth in the shade but also all people may go dry and out of the sun in sommer or winther vnto S. Peters Church or the Vatican Pallace This Portico is built in an oual forme and fetcheth in the great Piazza which is before S. Peters Church and therefore can be no lesse then half a mile in compasse This noble structure was begun by Alexander the VII and half of it finished and the other half is now almost finished I neuer saw any thing more stately then this The number of the pillars and of the statues on the top I do not justly remember In the midst of this Piazza stands the famous Guglia which was brought out of Egypt in the time of the old Romans and dedicated to Augustus Caesar and Tiberius as the words vpon it import It lay hid long in Neros Circus which was there where now S. Peters Sacristy is and at last Sixtus Quintus hauing proposed great rewards to him that would venture to set it
you all the way long with a sacred reuerence and are able almost to rend also a stony heart in two with the thought of our Sauiours passion Vpon the top of all this Promontory there is an ancient monument of Manutius Plancus an old Roman with a great deale of old Latin vpon it but my rideing boots put me out of all reading humour and I was very willing to let Plancus lye quietly in his monument aboue so I could but recouer againe our boate there sit still Of this towne was the famous Cardinal Caëtanus of S. Thomas Aquinas his name order and almost learning This towne was built by Aeneas in honour of his Nurse Caëta who dyed here Returning againe to Mola we went after dinner to see Ciceros Grotte and so away We had not ridden three houreâ— but we came to the Ferry of Carigliano neare to which J saw the fair rests of an old amphitheater standing alone in the fields with the rests also of an Aqueduct I wondered at first to see an Amphitheater standing alone and farre from any great towne but vpon enquiry I found that here had stood once a noble towne called Minturna but now so ruined that not one stone of it appeareth Indeed we are often at this fault in Italy and looke for townes in corne fields Luna Populonia Cuma Baiae and Minturna cheat thus our expectations and leaue vs no monument of themselues but a poore Fuit Jlium which though it be Trauelers losse yet its mans comfort that townes to dye as well as hee Hence Rutilius Non indignemur mortalia corpora solui Carnimus exemplis oppida posse mori Hauing passed ouer the riuer in a Ferry boat we entred vpon the medows in whose fennes called the Fens of Minturna Caius Marius lay hid a while and there with his sterne lookes and manly voyce saying Darest thou kill Caius Marius so terrifyed the slaue that was sent thither to kill him that he let him escape to his ship and so into Africk He may speak big that speaks for his life and any lookes become a man when he lookes to himself well in dangers While we rod along these medows we saw before vs the mountain of Garo anciently called Mons Massicus famous for excellent wines as well as the country there about which was called Ager Falernus so famed by Poets for its Vinum Falernum Passing thus along we came at night to S. Agathas and the next morneing betimes we enterd into Campania Foelix so surnamed because of its admirable ayre wonderfull plenty of corne and wine and pleasants prospects on all sides which makes an Ancient call it Câ—rtamen Cereris Bacchi the Strife of Ceres and Bacchus It was this country which with its delights broke Hannibals army which neither snow could coole nor Alpes stop nor Romans Vanquish sayth Seneca Indeed the pleasantness of this country made vs a full mends for all the ill way we had had before nature hauing set that scuruie way there a purpose that men might like her Fauorite Campania the better after it I call this country Natures Fauorite in imitation of Pliny who calls it Opus gaudentis naturae that is a country made by nature when she was in a good humour It s a Heathen that speaks and you must pardon him We intended that day to haue gone to Capua to dinner but when we came thither we did not finde it at home For this towne now called Capua is two miles distant from the place where old Capua stood Indeed the old Capua was a towne of importance for it was either the second or third in the world and stood in competition as Carthage did with Rome Nay it demanded of Rome to be vsed like a Sister not like a Subiect and stood high vpon it that one of the annuall Consuls should alwayes reside here But that Capua is vanished with its vanity and this Capua hath no reason to be so proud being famous for nothing but that action of many noble women here who to auoyd the insolencies of the French soldiers receiued into the towne friendly leapt into the riuer Vulturno to saue their Virginity honour from their lewdness an action rather wonderfull then warrantable There is a Castle here of pretty strength a good riuer and an Archbishops Seat From Capua we passed through Auersa a sweat Seat of a towne and once great till Charles the I King of Naples almost ruined it It s a Bishops Seat still Here it was that Queen Ioanne of Naples strangled her husband Andreasso and was her self not long after serued so too in the same place Traueling some eight miles further we came to Naples before we could see it This towne was anciently called Parthenopâ— from one of the Syrens It s now called Neapolis a new City because the inhabitants of Cumae hauing out of iealousy ruined Parthenope were sore vexed with a plague till they had built it vp againe better then before This happened about the yeare of the world 1449. As for Naples it s now the head of a great kingdome so called This kingdome belongd once to the Emperor but after that it had been ouerun by Sarazins and freed by Pope Iohn the Tenth vnited with Albericâ— Marquis of Toscany it acknowledged the Church for its mistrésse and the first man that was inuested by the Pope Innocent the Second an 1130 was Roger the Second a Normand Since that time the French and the Spaniard haue strugled hugely for this kingdome sometimes the one plucking it to him then the other But now it s vnder the Spaniard who holds it of the Pope and for it payeth euery yeare the purse of gold and the Gennet spoken of aboue This kingdome is of great importance to Spayne It makes his party too strong for France in Italy It corresponds conueniently with Sicily and Milan and strengthens them both In fine it beareth vp notably the interest of spayne in the Court of Rome and it squeizeth it self now and then into huge summes four millions of crownes to send tribute into Spaynes coffers For this kingdome is a thousand fiue hundred miles in compasse four hundred and fifty wide It hath in it twenty Archbishops Seats a hundred and twenty fiue Bishops Seats a thousand fiue hundred Bourgs two millions of soules ten principalityes twenty three Dutchies thirty Marquisats fifty foure Countyes and about a Thousand Baronies whereof four hundred are ancient It can rayse a hundred and fifty thousand foot and a hundred thousand horse It s ordinary squadron of gallyes are but 20. As for the towne it self of Naples if it be the third of Italy for greatness it is the first for strength neatness and therefore deseruedly surnamed La Gentile the Gentile It hath Compania on one side of it and the Mediterranean Sea on the other so that its fed by Natures best duggs Sea
part the doggs here runn whineing away when they see a troupe of strangers arriue and saw the experiment of that famous Grotta which being but three yards within the side of the hill may be seen without entring into it The experiment is this A man takes a dog aliue and holding downe his head with a woodden forke to the ground the dog begins first to cry and then to turne vp the white of the eyes as if he would dye Then letting him hold vp his head againe he recouers And haueing thus twice or thrice shewed vs the experience of this infectious place he putts downe the dogs head againe and holds it downe so long till the dog seems to be dead indeed Then takeing him by the stiff leg and running with him to the Lake Agnano some forty paces off the throws him into the shallow water of this Lake and presently he begins to recouer and to wade out They would make vs beleeue that as it is the nature of this Grotta to kill so it is the nature of this Lake to reuiue dead things againe But if the dog were dead indeed all the water of Agnano though it were Aqua Vitae would not recouer him he is onely astonied with the infectious vapor which breatheth out of this Sulphurious ground below The pestilent nature of this Grotte was shewd vs plainly by a lighted torch which as long as it was held high from the ground burnt clearly but as it was approached by little little neare to the ground it grew dimmer and dimmer till at last it burnt blew and being held close to the ground it went quite out Then we were showne hard by the stones of S. Gennaro which by a natural sulphurious vapour yssueing strongly from low causes put a man presently into a sweat and are excellent remedyes for the Neapolitan disease called by some authors Campanus Morbus Nature an indulgent mother thinking her self bound to afford a remedy to the discorders which she her self hath enclined the Neapolitans vnto Then fetching about the hills by a norrow vnfrequented way we came to the Conuent of Capucins standing there where S. Ianuarius was beheaded In a little Chappel on the right hand as you enter into the Church they shewd vs the stone vpon which he was beheaded the blood is still vpon it From hence we descended downe into the Sulphatara where the burning Sulphur smokes out perpetually from vnder ground This Sulphatara is a kind of pit enuironed on all sides with banks and it is about 1500 foot long and 1000 broad We rid downe into it on horseback and it sounded hollow vnder our horses feet as if we had been rideing ouer a woodden bridge There are diuers spiracula or Vents round about it out of which the thick smoke presseth furiously as out of a fornace and makes Poets and Potters finde matter enough those for their Fables calling it Forum Vulcani These for their Medicinal pots which they make of this brinstony earth Neare to Sulphatara stands a round poole of black thick water which alwayes boyleth and what soeuer you throw into it it comes out boyled indeed but not entire something or other of it being alwayes diminished sayth Leandro Alberti One putting in four eggs in a long ladle pulled out but three againe I wonder Poets faigned not this Lake to be that part of hell alotted to punish vsurers seing it takes vse for euery thing that 's put into it Descending from Sulphatara to Puzzolo we wondered to see the very high way smoke vnder our horses feet when yet we found not them so fiery vnder vs but I found the smoke to come out of little chinks of the dryed ground which shewd vs that the whole country was on fire vnder vs. Before we came to the towne we saw the remnants of a faire Amphitheater and Ciceros Academy Immediatly after this we came to Puzzuolo so called either from the multitude of springs about it or els a putore from the smell which this brinstony country affords The towne is but little yet anciently a Bishops Seat Takeing boat here presently we passed ouer the creek of the Sea to Baiae which is three miles from hence and as we rowd along I admired the wild designe of Caligula who built a bridge from Puzzuolo to Baiae some of the Arches yet standing on both sides show vs that his folly was real and I beleeue Suetonius meant this worke when he taxeth the insanas substructiones the mad buildings of this Emperour That which contributed much to the bold attempt was the nature of the sand of this country which made into morter and let downe into the water grows hard and solid euen to petrify there at last Puteolanus puluis si aquam attigit saxum est Reaching the other side of the bay and leauing our boate to attend vs we rambled for an hour and a half among the Antiquityes of this ruined Paradise of Baiae for you know Nullus in orbe locus Baiis praeluxit amaenis First we were led to the Mercato di Sabato looking still like a street with ruines of houses on both sides Thence we went to the Elisian Fields which are much beholding to Poets for their fame otherwise they are but a very common plot of ground without any gracefulness at all except onely that if Baiae were a towne still a man might make a fine Bowling ground here But Poets who haue power and Licence to â—rect Ithacum into a kingdome haue out-poëted it here by erecting this little spot of ground into a Paradise Thence we came presently to the Piscina Mirabili a vast building vnder ground borne vp by forty or fifty great squar pillars loÌ„g 150 paces 40 wide 30 high We descened into it by many steps it s so well walled with stone and lime on all sides that water cannot sink through and all this was onely to keep fresh water in either for the Roman Gallyes that vsed to lye hereabouts in these harbours or els for the Romans gusto who hauing their curious Villas here abouts had no mind to drink of the springs of this bituminous country At the top of this Piscina Mirabili I espied some spoutes of stone yet remayning by which they vsed to let the water from aboue into this Vast Reseruer Returning againe we were showne the Promontory of Misenum a farre off and the Mare Mortuum hard by Then we went into the Cento Camerelle so called from a hundred little roomes that were built together like chambers within one an other to keep slaues in who serued the Gallyes Going againe towards our boate we were showne the place where Agripina should haue been drowned by a false bottomed boate but that fayling her sonn Nero caused her to be stabed here Indeed breasts that had turned their blood into milk to giue suck to such a monster could expect nothing else but to be
of the seauen Bishops Seats about Rome which are giuen to the Eldest Bishop Cardinals that they may be at hand alwayes and ready to assist the Pope in his affairs of importance The others are Porto Ostia Frescati Tiuoli Preneste Veletri In Albano I saw nothing of moment but an old Church and some old houses yet seing it stands in so good an ayre I wonder the great men of Rome haue not built houses here where the wine is so exquisitly good Indeed this wine makes this towne bee much taken notice of by all strangers as being the best wine that 's constantly drunck in Rome Hard by Albano stands Castel Gandulfo the Popes country house in sommer It stands very pleasantly haueing on one side of it a Lake and woods and on the other the Campania of Rome and the Citie it self in view I stept into this Castel but found nothing but bare walls it beeing then vnfurnished From hence We went to Frescati called anciently Tusculum This is absolutly one of the sweetest places in Europe The towne is but little but round about it especially on the hill side there are so many curious Villas Pallaces Gardens Fountains Shady walkes and Sommer delights that I wonder not if Princes Cardinals and other great persons retire hither in sommer In a word here Cato was borne here Lucullus delighted himself and Cicero studyed and wrote his Tusculans Questions The first place we went to see here was the Villa Aldobrandina This Villa is also called the Beluedere of Frescati because it stands so pleasantly haueing the Campania of Rome and Rome it self in sight on one side and on the other the hill side all couered with Laurel trees curious fountains cascatas and other delightsome water works which afford here a coole season euen in the months of Iuly and August The variety of these water works are so many and so curious that I cannot but describe them First then the rare Cascata presents it self and it s made thus At the turning of a vast Cock the water which is brought throught a great Hill from a source fiue miles off spouts out of the top of two high windeing pillars of stone which stand mounted vpon the head of a high pair of open stairs and then falling downe vpon the same pillars againe it follows the winding bent of them cut into channels and little gutters and so warbles about these pillars visibly till it arriue at the foot of them There findeing yssue it falls vpon the foresayd stairs and couers them all with a thin glideing streme which mikes an open staircase of water Besides this water sets a number of little fountaeins on worke which stand on either side of these stairs and descends by degrees with them so that in a moment the whole hill side is spowting out water and filling the ayre with a sweet murmur 2. Then the Gardener turneing an other cock aboue giues at once such store of winde and water to the great Girandola below the stairs in the Grotte of Atlas that it imitateth perfectly Thunder Hale Rayne and Mist 3. By this time the great Statue of the Centaure with a hunters horne at his mouth windeth it duely and in perfect measure 4. Pan also playes on his mouth-organ tuneably 5. Whilest the Lyon and the Leopard feighting together spit angerly in one anothers faces though all passe in cold blood because in cold water 6. These waters also afford innumerable inauoidable wetting places as the false stept in the stairs the wetting place behinde Pan the other wetting place behinde the Centaure and the little vnderground spowts on all sides 7. Then the Hall of Apollo is opened were he sitting vpon Mount Parnassus and the nine Muses vnder him in a circle with seueral winde instruments in their hands strike vp all together melodiously whilest an vntouched organ vnderneath the hill playes à soft ground to the Muses instruments 8. During this melody a little round hole in the midst of the roome bloweth out from below such a coole and stiff winde that it bears vp a little hollow ball of copper a yard from the ground Ouer the dore is this distick Huc ego migraui Musis comitatus Apollo Hic Delphi hîc Helicon hîc mihi Delos erit Then being led to see this hydraulick organ and to view what fingers arte had lent vnto water I found the Organ to be made thus First the Pipes are like other organ pipes of lead and set in a close frame as the manner is with stops and touches to them Close to these stops the force of water turnes a wee le made like a great drum and as long as the organ This wheele hath in it here and there diuers peeces of brasse about the thickness of a half crowne peece and iust as broad as the stops of the organ These brasse peeces sticking out iust so farre as to reach the stops in their turning about and to presse them downe as the organists fingers do and being placed here and there in that musical distance as to strike their note in tune as they turne about leisurely they all together compose a perfect and sweet harmony the winde pipe of this roome mentioned euen now serueth sufficiently for bellowes to his organ as well as to the wind â—nstruments of the Museâ— all is caused by force of water But as we were taken with these water works which make this organ play in tune we were suddenly ouertaken with another watter worke which playing terribly vpon vs put vs quite out of tune so seldome doth winde come without water Hauing seen this garden and Pallace we went to the Villa of Prince Ludouisio which is hard by The house is but little but the garden is both large and adorned with store of waterworks so that if the gardener befriend you not you cannot escape without being soundly weâ— One thing I obserued in this Pallace here that the curtains of the beds are so wrought with little holes by neadle worke that the ayre may enter by them but not the gnatts From hence we went to the Villa of Prince Burghese called Montedragone from the Dragon in his armes It stands a mile and a half from the Beluedere and the way to it is through curious walkes of laurel trees The house is stately and capable of lodging a King with his whole court The Chambers are neat and fit for both seasons winter and Sommer I saw diuers good pictures in them The last Supper is of Alberto Dureos hand and hugely esteemed The story of Polyphemus is of the hand of Lanfranco But that which pleased me best was the hall below full of the true pictures of famous men both for learning and armes It s an excellent schoole where a man may learne much true skill in physiognomy and see how Worthyes looked This Hall lets you out into the little neat garden
whilst they were sitting in counsel And for this purpose there 's a dore which openeth out of the Senate house into this Armory and the Keys of it are alwayes layd neare the Dogè when he sitts here in consultation Nor is this so much an Italian Iealosy as a prudent caution caused by past dangers For they shew vs in the great Arsenal the armour with one arme onely to be worne vnder a Venetian gowne while the other arme was showed bare to take off all suspicion of Bajamante Theopoli and his complices to the number of eight hundred men who intended to kill the whole Senate while it was assembled and make Baiamante master of Venice But the plot was dasht in the execution because Bajamantes brains were dasht out by a poore woman who seing him march vnder her window in the head of his rebellious crew threw downe from her window a great earthen flower pot vpon his head and killed him dead His party seeing this retired and were soone subded and his house was turned into a Shambles for Butchers a fit disgrace for him who would haue been the Butcher of his Prince and countrymen here also in this Arsenal we saw the sword and armes of braue Scanderbeg Prince of Albania who wonne seauen battles ouer seauen the most illustrious Bassas the Great Turk had and dyed after all peaceably in his Estates in spite of Amurath It s sayd that the great Turk hearing how Scanderbeg with his Sword had clouen men in two sent to him and desired him to send him his sword his cutting sword which hee did the Turck tryed it vpon his slaues and findeing that he could not cleaue men as Scanderbeg had done sent him word that he had not sent him his true sword to whom scanderbeg replyed that he had sent him indeed his sword but not his arme As for this sword which they call here Scanderbegs sword it s a broad thin blade of a reasonable length but light and of as good mettal almost as its master We saw here many other curiosityes as the standard of the Dogè Zani who restored Pope Alexander the III vnto his Seat againe with his sword Buckler Helmet The standard of the great Turk The standard of horses hayre belonging also to the great Turk and which he hung out alwayes before battle as a signal of combat it was taken by a Franchman called Ciotar The Statues of Ludouico Sforza Duke of Milan and of his wife Visconti The statue or head of Carara whom they call the Tyrant but how truly I know not The Statue or head in brasse of brave Venerio General of the Venetians in the battle of Lepanto The head in brasse also of braue Bragadine flead alive by the Turks for his countryes service The picture of santa Iustina in a great case set with rich stones This case was made for a great Lookeing glasse which the Venetians sent vnto the Sultanesse of the great Turk but the ship that carryed it meeting in the way a Fregat which brought the news of a great Victory gotten ouer the Turks by the Venetians vpon Sancta Iustinas day it returnd back againe with the present and the Senate caused the glasse to be taken out and Santa Iustinas picture to be set in place of it Then we saw a rare Carpet or rather a curious peece of stuff with figures in it sent to the Republick of Venice by a King of Persia The habits of two noble Chinesi who were baptized at Venice The amour of braue Gatta Mela with the picture of a catt in his headpeece The armour of some of the ancient Dogès of Venice who to the number of forty or fifty went to warre in person and did such things there as to make their very armour to be honorable The habit buckler and sword of a King ef Persia the armes are set with rich stones The armour of Henry the IIII. of France with his pocket pistol The armour of the Duke of Rohan The compleat armour of a little boy about ten years old who was found dead in a battle feighting for the Venetians and his country and not knowne who he was Poore braue child who being worthy neuer to haue dyed doest not so much as liue in history Indeed I did not think till then that Mars had his abortiues too dyeing before their time and before they were named Then they shewd me Attilas Helmet with the head peece of his horse A Cannon shooting seauen shoots at once as yf death with his single dart went too slowly to worke An other Cannon shooting threescore thotts in ten barrels A halbard with a barrel within it shooting fourteen shotts An other halbard shooting seauen shotts A Cannon of iron carryeing two miles and curiously wrought into flowers with the points of chizels The collar of iron of the Paduan Tyrant as they call him here Carara The little iron Crosbow of the same Tyrant with which he is sayd to haue shot needles a spann long and killed many men priuatly who knew not how or by whom they were hurt Then the diuels Organs or a trunck of leather with ten pistol barrels in it of a foot and a half long and so disposed in oder like organ pipes that vpon the opening of the lock of this trunck all these barrels being charged with seuerall bullets should let fly at once and so seattering wide kill all those that should be in the roome This trunck was contriued by a reuengefull man who hauing a minde to be revenged both of his enemy and of his enemyes friends at once sent him this trunck by an vnknowne bearer as a present from a friend while he treated his friends at a dinner The holes through the sides of it made by the bullets shew the diuelish effect of this Trunck and how well it deserues the name of the Diuels organ The boxe of botargos here is iust such another inuention A pistol in a pocket booke here is as bad as the others which being charged and let off would presently read your doome Swords and daggers with pistol and little gun barrels runing along their blades which being held drawne with the broad side to a man appeare to be onely plain swords and daggers and yet they discharg thrusts not to be parried by any fenceing gard I saw also here a fine Tabernacle of Cristal a burneing Lamp found in Antenors tombe in Padua a burning glasse which burneth half a mile off a rare Adam and Eue with the Serpent and the Tree all cut out of one peece of wood by the rare hand of Alberto Dureo and in fine the picture of King Iames of England the onely picture of any forrain Prince that I saw there Hauing thus seen this Cabinet of Mars we went out of the Pallace into the Piazza of S. Mark vpon which both the foresayd Church of S. Mark and the Dogès Pallace looke This is one of the noblest Piazzas that a man can see
prodigious greatness and length and yet of such a rare timber that one filipping vpon one end of them you heare it easily at the other end by applying your care to it Some of these masts are worth fourscore pounds In other vast roomes I saw store of Cannons of all sizes both for ships and Gallyes where also I saw some Turkish Cannons with words vpon them in the Turkish Language There I saw also one Cannon shooting three shotts at once another fiue one great Cannon found buryed in Candy-full of gold medals the great Cannons cast here while Henry the III. of France dined in this Arsenal They had heretofore a prodigious quantity of Cannons here but now these roomes are much emptyed by reason of this warre with the Turks In other great roomes I saw huge heaps of Cannon bullets of all sizes with some Ensignes wonn ouer the Turks Then mounting vp into the Chambers aboue I saw in two vast roomes armes for fifty Thousand men in another armes for twelue Gallyes in another armes for Fifty Gallyes Here also I saw the sute of armour of Scanderbeg that of the Dogè zani the Lanterne of Don Iohn of Austrias ship in the battle of Lepanto the Lanterne of a Turkish Galley the armour of Baiamante Theopoli and his complices with one arme onely some armes taken from the Turks in the battle of Lepanto other armes taken from the Genuesi a great Crossebow shooting Vast arrowes of iron aboue fiue quarters long an inuention of great vse before Gunne were found out A cannon bullet with four long irons like the tops of halbards which shut vp close into it when you put it into the Cannon but open againe of themselues as soon as the bullet is out of the Cannons mouth and so spreading into four parts cut all they meet with strange fury a dangerous inuention in Sea battles to to spoyle cordage and tackling Here also they shew vs the discription of the towne and Fort of Clissa and how it was taken by the Venetians some 20 yeares agoe Then descending from thence we went to see the places where they make new Gallyes and mend old ones There I found a vast square court three hundred paces broad in euery square and full of vast penthouses capable of holding in them Gallyes of fifty paces long a peéce In the midst of this Court is a vast square Pond of water let in from the Sea where the new Gallyes are tryed and the old ones are let into the Arsenal to be mended and rigged a new Here I saw a world of Gallyes and a world of men workeing about them most busily There were heretofore diuers of these great Courts full of Gallyes but now they are much exhausted the Gallyes being abroad in warre Hence it is obserued that This Arsenal before these warres could arme 200 gallyes and two hundred thousand men Here it was that they made a Gallye and set her out at Sea while Henry the III dyued here in the Arsenal which made that King say then that he would giue three of his best townes in France except his Parlament townes for such an Arsenal Indeed the Arsenals of Paris Genua Zurick Naples and Geneua seemed to me to be little gunnsmiths shops in comparison of this They were then makeing here two new Galleasses when I was last there of vast bulk and expences In fine I saw here the old Bucentoro and presently after the new Bucentoro This last is the Gally of State of the Dogè when he goeth forth vpon the Ascension day accompanyed with the Senate to espouse the Sea as they call it here This is a noble Gallie all guilt without and wainscotted round about the Deck with guilt seats There runns a partition of wood quite along the Deck of the Gallie with seats on both sides and with a low open roof of wood to let in ayre and yet keep off the sun and all this is guilt and painted and capable of fiue hundred Senators who in their scarlat robes wait vpon the Dogè that day The Dogè fitts in the Puppe in a Chair of State with the Popes Nuncio on one hand of him and the Patriarch of Venice on the other and a place for musick behind them The slaues are all vnder hatches and not seen at all but their oares twenty on each side moue all at once like great wings which make the Bucentoro moue most maiesticaly And this is all that I can remember in this Arsenal except the Cellar of Wine and the great roomes as I came out where women onely are employed in mending old sayles and men a part in makeing great cables and indeed those wast Anchors which lye neare the woodden bridge here at the entrance stand in need of cables of the greatest size 10. I happened to be at Venice thrice at the great Sea Triumph or feast of the Ascension which was performed thus About our eight in the morneing the Senators in their scarlat robes meet at the Doges Pallace and there taking him vp they walk with him processionaly vnto the shoare wete the Bucentoro lyes waiting them the Popes Nuncio being vpon his right hand and the Patriarch of Venice on his left hand Then ascending into the Bucentoro by a hansome bridge throwne out to the shoare the Dogè takes his place and the Senators sit round about the Gallie as they can to the number of two or three hundred The Senate being placed the anchor is weighed and the slaues being warned by the Capitains whistle and the sound of trumpets begin to strike all at once with their oares and to make the Bucentoro march as grauely vpon the water as if she also went vpon cioppini Thus they steere for two miles vpon the Laguna while the musick plays and sings Epithalamiums all the way long and makes Neptune iealous to heare Hymen called vpon in his dominions Round about the Bucentoro flock a world of Piottas and Gondolas richly couered ouerhead with somptuous Canopies of silks and rich stuffs and rowed by watermen in rich liueryes as well as the Trumpeters Thus forrain Embassadors diuers noblemen of the country and strangers of condition wait vpon the Dogès gallie all the way long both comeing and going At last the Dogè being arriued at the appointed place throws a Ring into the Sea without any other ceremony then by saying Desponsamus te Mare in signum perpetui dominij we espouse thee ò Sea in testimony of our perpetual dominion ouer thee and so returnes to the Church of S. Nicolas in Lio an Iland hard by where he assists at high Masse with the Senate This done he returns home againe in the same state and inuites those that accompanyed him in his Gally to dinner in his pallace the prepatiues of which dinner we saw before the Dogè was got home This ceremony of marrying the Sea as they call it is ancient and performed yearly in memory of the grant of Pope Alexander