should be the center to which Travell should tend Moreover one should evertuate himselfe to bring something home that may accrue to the publique benefit and ad vantage of his Countrey and not to draw water to his own Mill only For of those three that the Orator saith challenge a share in our Nativity our Countrey is the first and our selfs last Therefore he should pry into the Policy and municipall Lawes of other States and Cities and be able to render an accompt of their government and by collation thereof with that of his own Examine well whether any wholesome constitution or custome may be applyable to the frame of his owne Countrey It is recorded in an ancicient Greek Author that the famous Ptolomey he who conversed and Travelled so much amongst Heavenly bodies culled out a select number of his pregnantest young Nobles and Gentlemen to go to Greece Italy Carthage and other Regionâ— and the prime Instruction they had in charge was to observe 〈◊〉 Government as they Travelled along bring back 〈◊〉 of the wholesomest Lawes out of every Countrey Being returned they related that in the Roman Republique a most singular veneration was had of the Temples a punctuall obedâ—ence to Governors and unavoydable punishments inflicted upon malefactors In Carthage the Senat commanded the Nobles executed and the People obeyed In Athens the Rich were not suffered to be Extortioners the Poore idle nor the Magistrates ignorant In Rhodes Old men were Venerable Young men modest and Women solitary and silent In Thebes the Nobles did fight the Plebeians labour and Philosophers teach In Sicily Iustice was entirely administred Commerce was honestly exercised and all enjoyed equall priviledges and interest in the State Among the Sicionians there were admitted neither Physitians to hinder the operations of Nature nor Strangers to introduce innovations nor Lawyers to multiply Contentions These men it seemes diâ— not go out to see feathers fly in the Ayre or Reeds shaken with the wind they did not go to get Complements or Cringes or Cariage of bodies or new Modes of cloathing or to tip the tongue with a little Language only but they searchd into the solidest and usefullest part of humane Wisdome which is policy And doubtlesse that rare wise King made excellent use of their observations and rewarded them accordingly And one of the happiest advantages to a Monarchy is to have a discerning and bountifull King when occasion requires for Subjects are accordingly active or idle as they find their Prince able to judge of their merit and endeavours and so empâ—oy them for in the Common-wealth of Letters and speculative Orbe of Vertue the benigne aspect and iufluence of the Prince is as Apollo was to the Muses it gives a kind of comfortable heate and illumination whereby they are cherished and made vigorous The most materiall use therefore of Forraine Travel is to find out something that may bee applyable to the publique utility of one's own Countrey as a Noble Personage of late yeares did who observing the uniforme and â—regular way of stone structure up and down Italy hath introduced that forme of building to London and Westminster and else where which though dâ—stastfull at first as all innovations are For they seeme like Bug-beares or Gorgons heads to the vulgar yet they find now the commodity firmenesse and beauty therof the three maine principles of Architecture Another seeing their Dikes and draynings in the Netherlands hath been a cause that much hath beene added to lengthen the skirts of this Island Another in imitation of their aqueducts and sluces and coÌ„veyance of waters abroad brought Ware-water through London streets And it had been wished so great and renowned a City had not forgot Him so soon considering what infinite advantages redounds to her thereby for in other Countreys I have seene Statues erected to persons in the most eminentest places to eternize their memories by way of gratitude for Inventions of farre lesser consequence to the encouragement of others for it is an old Rule of State and will be in date to the Worlds end that Honor nourisheth Arts and is the golden spâ—rre of Vertue and industry SECT. XVII AMongst many other fruits of Forraine Travell besides the delightfull ideas and a thousand various thoughts and selfe contentments and selfe contentments and inward solaces it raiseth in the memory of things past this is one That when one hath seene the Tally and taillage of France the Milstone of Spaine the Assise of Holland the Gabels of Italy where one cannot bring an Egge or roote to the market but the Prince his part lyes therinna When he hath felt the excesse of heat the dangerous Serains the Poverty of soyle in many places the Homelinesse and incommodity of lodging the course cloathing of the best sort of Peasants their wooden shooes and straw hats their Canvas breeches and Buckram petticoates their meager fare feeding commonly upon Grasse Hearbs and Roots and drinking Water neere the condition of brute animals who find the cloth always ready layed the buttry open When hee hath observed what a hard shift some make to hewe out a dwelling in the holes of the Rocks others to dig one under the Sea when he feeles how in some Climes the Heaven is as Brasse in others as a dropping Sponge in others as a great Bellowes most part of the yeare how the Earth in many places is ever and anone sick of a fit of the Palsie When hee sees the same Sun which only cherisheth and gently warmes his Countrey men halfe parboyle and tanne other people and those rayes which scorch the adusted soyles of Calabria and Spaine only varnish and guild the green hony-suckled plaines and hillocks of England When he hath observed what hard shifts some make to rub out in this world in divers Countreys What speed Nature makes to finish her cours in them How their best sort of women after forty are presently superannuated and looke like another Charing-Crosse or Carackes that have passed the Line in three voyages to the Indies When hee hath observed all this At his returne home hee will blesse God and love England better ever after both for the Equality of the Temper in the Clime where there is no where the like take all the Seasons of the yeare together though some would wish She might bee pushed a little nearer the Sun For the free condition of the subject and equall participation of the Wealth of the Land for the unparallelled accommodation of lodging and security of Travell for the admirable hospitality for the variety and plenty of all sorts of firme food for attendance and cleanlinesse for the rare fertility of Shoare and Sea of Ayre Earth and Water for the longevity well favourednesse and innated honesty of the people And above all for the moderation and decency in celebrating the true service of God being farre from Superstition one way and from Prophanesse the other way though with a quaking heart I speake it there
ayre which in a manner besiegeth it round and so makes the intrinsique heate unite and concentre it selfe the more strongly to resist the invading Enemy After Religion it is fitting he should be well versed in the Topography Government and History of his own Country for some are found Foris sapere and domi caecutire to be Eagles abroad and stark Buzzards at home being not able to satisfie a stranger by exchange of discours in any thing touching the State of their owne Countrey To this end it were not amisse to run over Cambden Sir Iohn Smiths Common-wealth with those short pieces of Story as Daniel and others who have written of the English Kings since the Conquest and extract out of them what traverses of war what other passages and entercourses of State have happened 'twixt us and other Nations since the last Conquest specially the French our nearest neighbors It is also very behooffull that he have a passable understanding of the Latine tongue whereof the Italian the Spanish and French are but as it were branches of the same Tree they are but Dialects or Daughters and having gain'd the good will of the Mother hee will quickly prevayle with the Daughters That hee understand the use of the Map and Globe to find out the Longitude and Latitude of all places and to observe and compare the temper of them as hee shall passe along Lastly that hee seriously contemplate within himself how the eyes of all the World are upon Him as his are upon the World what his parents kindred and acquaintance yea his Prince will expect at his returne That he is now in the very forge of his hopes either upon making or marring That being of Noble extraction he is like to be a Star of the greatest Magnitude in the Spheare of his owne Countrey therefore common qualities will not serve his turne that the higher the building is the more it requires exquisit forme and symmetry that Nobility without inward ornaments is as faire guilded shels without kernels or like a sattin doublet with canvas linings whereas on the Other side Vertue reflecting upon a Noble subject is as the Sun-beames falling upon a rock of Cristall which makes the reverberation stronger and far more resplendent or as rich goldembrodery upon a piece of Tissue Such thoughts as these will worke much upon an ingenious Spirit and bee as a golden Spur to set him forward and cheere him in this high roade of Vertue and Knowledge SECT. III. THe first Countrey that is most requisite for the English to know is France in regard of neighboured of conformity in Government in divers things and necessary intelligence of State and of the use one shall have of that Language wheresoever he passe further And the younger one goeth to France the better because of the hardnesse of the accent and pronunciation which will be hardly overcome by one who hath passed his minority and in this point the French Tongue may bee said to be like Fortune who being a woman loves youth best Whereas for other Tongues one may attaine to speake them to very good purpose and get their good will at any age the French Tongue by reason of the huge difference 'twixt their writing and speaking will put one often into fits of despaire and passion as wee read of one of the Fathers who threw away Persius against the wals saying si non vis intelligi debes negligi but the Learner must not bee daunted awhit at that but after a little intermission hee must come on more strongly and with a pertinacity of resolution set upon her again and againe and woe her as one would do a coy Mistres with a kind of importunity untill he over-master her Indeed some of riper plants are observed to over-act themselves herein for while they labour to trencher le mot to cut the word as they say and speake like naturall French-men and to get the true genuine tone and every tongue hath a tone or tune peculiar to her self specially the French which hath a whining kind of querulous tone specially amongst the peasantry which I beleeve proceeded from that pittifull slavery they are brought unto I say while they labour for this they fall a lisping and mincing and to distort and strain their mouths and voyce so that they render themselves fantastique and ridiculous let it bee sufficient for one of riper yeares to speake French intelligibly roundly and congruously without such forc'd affectation The French tongue like the Nation is a bold and hardy speach therefore the learner must not be bashfull or meale mouth'd in speaking any thing whatsoever it is let it come forth confidently whither true or false Sintaxis for a bold vivacious spirit hath a very great advantage in attaining the French or indeed any other Language He must be cautelous not to force any Anglicismes upon the French Tongue that is certaine vulgar Phrases Proverbs and Complements which are peculiar to the English and not vendible or used in French as I heard of one that could not forbeare a great while to salute his Land-Lord by bon matin Another would be alwayes complaining at play of his mauvaise Fortune Another when at the racket court he had a ball struck into his hazard hee would ever and anon cry out estes wous là avec vos Ours Are you there with your Beares which is ridiculous in any other language but English for every speech hath certaine Idiomes and customary Phrases of its own and the French of all other hath a kind of contumacy of phrase in respect of our manner of speaking proper to it selfe He must alwayes have a Diary about him when he is in motion of Iourneys to set down what his Eyes meetes with most remarquable in the day time out of which he may raise matter of discours at night and let him take it for a rule that Hee offend lesse who writes many toyes than he who omits one serious thing For the Penne maketh the deepest furrowes and doth fertilize and enrich the memory more than any thing else Littera scripta manet sed manant lubrica verba It were very requisit to have a book of the Topographicall description of all places through which hee passeth and I think Bertius or the Epitome of Ortelius which are small and portable would bee the best At his first comming to any Citie he should repaire to the chief Church if not Idolatrous to offer up his sacrifice of thanks that hee is safely arrived thither and then some have used to get on the top of the highest Steeple where one may view with advantage all the Countrey circumjacent and the site of the City with the advenues and approaches about it and so take a Landskip of it Being come to France his best cours will be to retire to some Vniversity abou◠the Loire unfrequented by the English for the greatest bane of English Gentlemen abroad is too much frequency and communication with their
behold a thing of wonder an Impossibility in an impossibility a rich magnificent City seated in the very jaws of Neptune where being built and bred a Christian from her very infancy a Prerogative she justly glorieth of above all other States she hath continued a Virgin ever since nere upon twelve long ages under the same forme and face of Government without any visible change or symptome of decay or the least wrinkle of old age though her too neer neighbour the Turk hath often set upon her skirts and sought to deflowre her wherein he went so farr that he took from her Venus joynture which she had long possessed and was the sole Crown she ever wore But if one in Story observes the cours of her actions he shall find that she hath subsisted thus long as much by Policy as Armes as much by reach of Wit and advantage of treaty as by open strength it having beene her practise ever and anon to sow a piece of Fox tayle to the skinne of S. Marks Lyon Here one shall find the most zealous Patriots of any yet some would maintaine though I do not that the Venetians are but indifferently wise single though they be very Politique when they are together in the Senat. Having observed in the Republique of Venice what is most remarquable and there are many things in that Government worth the carying away specially the sight of Nova Palma a Castle built after the newest rules of Fortification he may visit the other ancient Townes of Italy and so to Naples where he may improve his knowledge in Horsmanship and then repasse through other free States whereof Italy is full And truly a wonder it is to see how in so small an extent of ground which take all dimensions together is not so big as England there should bee so many absolute and potent Princes by Sea and Land which I beleeve is the cause of so many Dialects in the Italian tongue which are above ten in number As hee traverseth the Countrey hee must note the trace forme and site of any famous Structure the Platforms of Gardens Aqueducts Grots Sculptures and such particularities belonging to accommodation or beauty of dwelling but specially of Castles and Fortresses wherwith Italy abounds the whole Countrey being frontier almost all over SECTION IX And with the naturall situation of Countreyes a Travellershould observe also the Politicalposition thereof how some are seated like Mercury amongst the Planets who for the most part is either in combustion or obscurity being under brighter beames than his own Such is Savoyand Loraine and other Princes of Italy who are between more potent neighbours than themselves and are like sâ—reens tossed up and down and never at quiet And they that are so situated may say as the Mouse once answered the Cat who asking how she did made answer I should be far better if you were further off How the state of the Popedome running from the Tirrhene to the Adriatique Sea is sited in Italy as France is in Europe in the midst and so fittest to embroyle or preserve in peace to disunite or conjoyne the forces of their neighbours and so most proper to be Umpires of all quarrels How the Dominions of Spaine are like the Planets in the Heaven lying in vast uneven distances one from the other But cleane contrary those of France are so knit and clustered together that they may be compared all to one fixed constellation How Germany cut out into so many Principal ties into so many Hansiatiqued and Imperiall Townes is like a great River sluced into sundry Channels which makes the maine streame farre the weaker the like may be said of Italy How the Signory of Venice is the greatest rampart of Christendome against the Turk by Sea and the hereditary territories of the house of Austria by Land which may be a good reason of State why the Colledge of Electors hath continued the Empire in that Line these 200 years He must observe the quality of the power of Princes how the Cavalry of France the Infantery of Spaine and the English Ships leagued together are fittest to conquer the World to pull out the Ottoman Tyrant out of his Seraglio from betweene the very armes of his fifteen hundred Concubines How the power of the North-East part of the European World is balanced between the Dane the Swede and the Pole c. And the rest between great Britaine France and Spaine as for Germany and Italy their power being divided 'twixt so many they serve only to balance themselves who if they had one absolute Monarch a piece would prove terrible to all the rest Spaine in point of treasure hath the advantage of them al She hath a Veteran Army always afoot but She is thinne peopled She hath many Colonies to supply which lye squandred up and down in disadvantagious unsociable distances Her people are disaffected by most nations and incompatible with some She wants bread She hath bold accessible coasts and Her West Indy Fleet besides the length of the passage and incertainty of arrivall is subject to casualties of Sea and danger of interception by Enemies And if England should breake out with Her in good earnest into acts of hostility those Islands which the English have peopled colonized and fortified lately being warned by Saint Christopher in the carrere to Her mines would be found to be no small disadvantage to Her France swarmes with men and now more than ever with Soldiers She is a body well compacted though often subject to Convulsions and high fits of Feavers the bloud gathering up by an unequall diffusion into the upper parts and it is no small advantage to Her that Her forme is circular so that one part may quickly run to succour the other She abounds with Corne and being the thorough fare of Christendome She can never want money She hath those three things which the Spaniard said would make Her eternall viz. Rome the Sea and Counsell for She hath the the Pope for Her friend having had his breeding in Her twenty years together Shee hath Holland for Her Arsenall and Richelieu for Counsell who since he sate at the helme hath succeeded in every attempt with that monstrous cours of Felicity They of the Religion are now Town-lesse and Arme-lesse and so are Her greatest Peeres most of them out of Office and Provinciall command So that if one would go to the intrinsique value of things France will not want much in weight of the vast unweldy bulk and disjointed body of the Spanish Monarchie Great Britaine being encircled by the Sea and there being an easie going out for the Natives and a dangerous landing for Strangers and having so many invincible Castles in motion I meane Her Ships and abounding inwardly with all necessaries and breeding such men that I may well say no King whatsoever hath more choyce of able bodies to make Soldiers of having also most of Her trade intrinsique with many other Insulary advantages She
all things conspired to rayse Holland to this passe First the humour of the people being patient and iudustrious and of a genius more in clinable to a Democraticall Government than to a Monarchy Adde hereunto the quality of the Countrey being every where half cut and as it were inlayed with water and thereby much fortified and made in many places inaccessible so that if need were Holland could turne her selfe into a huge pond when she list Hereunto concurred a further advantage of situation having behind her the Baltique Sea which affoords her all kind of Materials for shipping and for all kind of Nutriment and Military forces England and France both swarming with superfluous people suspectfull of the Spanish greatnesse and so not unwilling to contribute auxiliary strength for mutuall security and conservation Navigation and Mercantile Negotiation are the two Poles whereon that State doth move and to both these it seemes Nature her selfe hath expresly designed both Countrey and People Them be an extraordinary kind of Propensity the Countrey by apt position for having no Land to manure they plow the very bowels of the Deep the wrinkled fore-head of Neptune being the furrowes that yealds them encrease Moreover there being many great Rivers that slice and cut the Countrey up and down to disgorge themselvs into the Ocean those Rivers may be said to pay them tribute as well as to the Sea which Rivers branching themselves into large and bearing streames do so fitly serve one another and all the whole that it may bee said Nature in the frame of humane bodies did not discover more Art in distributing the veines and arteries for the easy conveyance of the masse of bloud into each part as she hath shewed here in dispersing those waters so orderly for trafique These Rivers bring her what the large continent of Germany and other Easterne Countreys affoord and shee lying between them and the Sea furnisheth them with all far fetched Indian African and Spanish commodities Here you shall see the most industrious people upon earth making a rare vertue of necessity for the same thing which makes a Parrot speake makes them to labour For having nothing of their own yet they abound with all things and may be said to live by the idlenesse of some of their neighbours I am loth to name here who they are Here you shall find a people grow Rich also by that which useth to impoverish others even by Warre for priâ—es and booties abroad go to make a good part of their wealth Yet in conversation they are but heavy of a homely outside and slow in action which slownesse carieth with it a notable per severance and this may bee imputed to the quality of that mould of earth whereon they dwell which may be said to bee a kind of â—â—â—â—ding poole of Ayre And which is known to have such a force of assimilation that when people of a more vivacious temper come to mingle with them at the second generation they seeme to participate of the soyle and Ayre and degenerate into meere Hollanders the like is found dayly in Horses and Dogs and all other animals Occulta est Batavae quaedam vis insita terrae One remarquable piece of Policy I forgot that hee should observe in the Vnited Provinces viz. Why in so small an extent of ground they have so many rich wel-built and populous Townes amongst them one of the principall reasons is because they appropriate some staple materiall commoditie to every one of the great Townes as Amsterdam hath the trade of the East and West Indies Roterdam the English Cloth Dort the Rhenish Wines Middelborough the French Wines Treveres the Scots trade the Hage the residence of the Prince and the States Haerlam subsist by knitting and dying and so forth which is a very laudable cours not to suffer one place to swallow the wealth anâ— traffique of the whole like the spleene in the naturall body whose swelling makes all the rest of the members languish SECT. XIV HAving thus passed the diameter of France run over Spaine crossed the Mediterranean to Italy and observed the multiplicity of Governments therein having thus climbed the Alpes and traversed the best part of Germany having also taken the length of the Belgique Lion of all which France for a Kingdome Venice for a Republique Millan for a Duchy Flanders for a County beare the bell having I say Travelled through all these places all which may bee done compleatly in three yeares and foure months which foure Months I allow for itinerary removals and journeys and the Yeares for residence in places it wiâ—l be high time now to hoyse sayle and steere homwards where being returned hee must abhorre all affectation all forced postures and complements For Forraine Travell oftentimes makes many to wander from themselves as well as from their Countrey and to come back mere Mimiques and so in going farre to fare worse and bring backe lesse wit than they carieth forth they go out Figures according to the Italian Proverb and returne Cyphers they retaine the Vice of a Countrey and will discours learnedly thereon but passe by and forget the good their Memories being herein like haire seeves that keep up the branne and let go the fine flowrâ— They strive to degenerate as much as they can from Englishmen and all their talke is still Forraine or at least will bring it to be so though it be by head and shoulders magnifying other Nations and derogating from their own Nor can one hardly exchange three words with them at an Ordinary or else-where but presently they are thâ—other side of the Sea commending either the Wines of France the 〈◊〉 of Italy or the Oyle and Sallets of Spaine Some also there are who by their Countenance more than by their Cariage by their Diseases more than by their Discourses discover themselves to have been Abroad under hot Climats Others have a custome to bee always relating strange things and wonders of the humor of Sir Iohn Mandevile and they usually present them to the Hearers through multiplying glasses and thereby cause the thing to appeare far greater than it is in it self they make Mountaines of Mole-hils like Charenton-Bridge-Eccho which doubles the sound nine times Such a Traveller was he that reported the Indian Fly to be as big as a Fox China birds to be as big as some Horses and their Mice to be as big as Monkeys but they have the wit to fetch this far enough off because the Hearer may rather believe it than make a voyage so far to disprove it Every one knowes the Tale of him who reported hee had seen a Cabbage under whose leafes a Regiment of Souldiers were sheltred from a shower of raine Another who was no Traveller yet the wiser man said hee had passed by a place where there were 400 brasiers making of a Cauldron 200 within and 200 without beating the nayles in the Traveller asking for what use that huge Cauldron was he told