Florence and of both because she is odious to both and that upon the account of State and of private interest they wish to see her brooght low In it are many Noble and Rich Families as Doria of which are the Marquess of Toreglia Prince of Melfy of the branch of Andre Doria and the Duke of Tursi Spinola the Marquess and de Duke of Sestri Marquess de los Balbases a Spanish Title because a Grandee of Spain other Families are Fieschi Grimaldi Giustiniani Pallavicini Cibo Carrieri Imperiale and some others Now the Marquess Hyppolito Centurione with his Ships and Gallies is entred into the French service Of the state of Luca. I See I do fall from an Ocean into Rivers yet there is water enough for me to swim in in some places if not every where You will not be troubled with hearing a long enumeration of places and Dominions yet 't is to be admired of the places I am now to speak of not how they can preserve themselves this the jealousie between and the interest of their Neighbours joyned with watchfulness on their side doth for them but how formerly in times of conquest they could free their necks from the yoke of their potent Neighbours Luca is one of these places which hath sometimes been possessed by the Goths the Emperours of Constantinople the Faseoli Castrucci Spinoli by the Family Della Scala by the Fiorentini Pisani and by one Carlo of Bohemia who having made a Bishop Governour of it this Bishop received 25000 Crowns and left them the liberty they are now in their Dominion is extended upon few Mountains not much inhabited upon the top of which they have some strong holds as Monte Ignoso Castiglione Minuoiano with Camagiore and Via Reggio upon the Sea but the best they have is the City well seated people'd and fortified with the territory belonging to it which produces abundance of Olives the best of Italy and the industry of the Inha bitants about Silk-works makes the City flourish and grow rich every one in it hath something to live upon there are in it a matter of 10 Families esteemed at least worth 20000 Crowns a year others to the number of 30 have some 15000 some 10000 a year and above 60 have been between 4 and 5000 the yearly Income of the Commonwealth comes to not much above 100000 Crowns with a treasure they have esteemed a Million with certain Plate and Jewels which upon occasion might bring in some monies They are governed by a Council of 150 of the chief Citizens the City is divided into three parts which they call Tertieri out of every one of which the General Council doth Elect three men in all Nine called Senators who joyned with the Gonfaloniero their head are called la Signoria The Senators do command by turns every three dayes the Gonfaloniero hath a bare Title and nothing but the precedency above the rest he is himself commanded by the Senators he keeps his place but two months then another is chosen but within that time he may not go out of the Palace under pain of death As for Warlike affairs they are in a good condition upon the defensive their listed Militia's are of 18000 men besides the City contains 30000 Inhabitants and is constantly Guarded by 300 good Souldiers whereof 200 are born in the City and have the keeping of the Gates Walls and other places the other 100 are all strangers born 50 miles at least from the City amongst them they admit no Florentine their Captain is a Stranger too the Palace is committed to their Guard and under pain of death they may not come nigh the Walls The City keeps a constant provision of mouth and ammunition of War for whole 7. years their few strong Holds are well provided and their Souldiers well paid which is the onely way to keep them upon duty and obedience so that their care and the plenty of their Territory about the City do supply the narrowness and littleness of it In a word if they come short of other Princes and Republicks as to the extent of dominions they have great advantages above them another way First they are not revengeful as all the rest of Italians are they casily forgive offences received which doth argue the goodness of their nature upon this account they are a proverb to other Italians Riceve gli affronti come un ' lucbese 2dly their women are very modest and inclined to chastity and their young men sober and temperate some out of a Natural inclination and others by virtue of the good order kept amongst them for 24 men known to be of a good Life and Conversation are chosen out of the Council to be inspectors over the manners of Youth this they call consigliodi discoli specially of deboist persons and every time they meet which happens once a year every one puts in his Bill with the names of those whom he hath found and observed to be unruly and if the name of one be put in the little Box by the two thirds that is by sixteen herein is his sentence conteined of 3 years banishment he must go out of the City the next day after he hath had warning and within 3 dayes after out of the State So that by the observation of these good Orders God fits them the better for conversion and reformation after the reading of Scriptures which they are much inclined to hence it is that we have seen so many families leave Luca and go to Geneva to enjoy the liberty of the Gospel and to make an open profession of the truth after these commendations 't were superfluous to say they have also amongst them two sorts of Virtuosi the one called Oscari and the other Freddi They might boast of the antiquity of their City which was built by Lucamon King of Toscany but they have a greater advantage which they glory in that this is the first City of Toscany which received the Christian Faith though they be united amongst themselves they are not sometimes without troubles at home caused by the pride of their Clergy which is so far protected by Popes that Urban the 8th for their sake excommunicated the Republick This people is Civil to Strangers and very courteous to those who come into the City yet so watchful over them that they have the council Della Vigilanza to know what they come for whence they come and whether they go not allowing them to wear swords in the streets without a special leave yet they give them liberty to walk upon the Moat by the Walls and to view the same in this City the tongue is spoken in the purity of it All their maximes of State are onley about the defensive part and how to preserve themselves from their great Neighbour the Gran ' Duke who would be glad to bring Toscany to her old limits that way wherefore the Republick hath a strict correspondency with Genoa which fears the same however as I have observed
seated in them they are certainly of a most revengeful nature and therefore 't is very dangerous to offend them they profanely say that Vengeance is so sweet a thing and so great a good that upon that account God doth reserve it to himself as a thing wherein he will not have men to share with him and as Italians to attain it use all possible means let them be lawful or unlawful and as it carries them to the utmost extremities so I am of opinion that there is a cruelty in that nature which is so bent to the execution of it out of this principle I mean of cruelty Pope Sixtus Quintus used to say upon the occasion of a great Princess who in his dayes was brought upon the Scaffold Che Gusto said he di tagliar teste coronate what a pleasure is it to cut off Crowned Heads Northerly people do blame the wayes which they use to be avenged as poysoning stabbing and the like but they and the Spaniards too laugh at us and call Germans French and other Nations fools who use to challenge and fight duels one with another for so doing for say they if one hath been offended is he not a fool to take the way perhaps of receiving a greater offence instead of a satisfaction and to venture his life upon such an account but men ought to take their advantage the truth is the Italian is a dangerous person upon this account for he appears cold in his anger constantly thinking upon the means how to be avenged he keeps the injury in the bottom of his heart and the worst is that he dissembles and conceals his desire of revenge which aims at no less than the death of the offendor by the means of poison dagger or any other way leaving nothing unattempted to bring his design to pass Neither will they hearken sincerely after a reconciliation for their proverb saith Amicitie reconciliate eminestre riscaldate non furono mai grate there was never any pleasure in reconciled friendships nor in warmed pottage and this is so deeply fixed in their hearts that many die obstinate in that resolution Upon this subject there is a very notable passage of an Italian Gentleman who being strongly exhorted by a Franciscan Fryar to be reconciled to his Enemy answered him in these words You exhort me to forgive as a Christian and I cannot do 't being a Gentleman I was born a Gentleman before I was a Christian for I am the one by nature and the other by virtue of my baptisme therefore I will first be avenged as a Gentleman before I forgive as a Christian. From what hath been said we make some few general observations namely that the Italian Nation is not only fallen from that great power it had formerly but also it hath much degenerated from that heroick virtue and martial spirit it had before for a thousand eminent men it produced formerly there is hardly one now and that generosity of the Lion which they had heretofore is turned into the cunning of the Fox so their businesses are mannaged with dexterity not to speak worst more than with strength hence it may be concluded that virtues though but moral ones make glorious States Kingdomes and Republicks and Vices are the cause of their decay as it hath happened to the Roman Empire Virtue gets honour strength and riches and as the best things are apt to be corrupted in their use so these produce pride ambition idleness covetousness and other vices which causes destruction one time or other It appears also from hence how unfortunate the condition of those petty Princes are who depend upon others for their preservation their protectors do often turn to be their oppressors and yet they dare not camplain of it how watchful must those be who have ambitious and much more potent Neighbours than themselves 't is a sad case to think what straights they are sometimes brought to to provide for their safety and how many real evils they are exposed unto to maintain that vain shadow of liberty which they are so taken with and that dream of a Sovereign Authority of which they be so fond of they waste and consume themselves in charges for their preservation and are besides obliged to observe the humours of friends and foes and what is this to the odium and disaffectedness of their Subjects which they often bring upon themselves who must bear the burthens and be at the charges of upholding this Authority which makes also the condition unhappy of the people who lives under such Princes as have no power to protect them and as the right use of these two Princely virtues Valour and Prudence do consist in these two things to free his States from forreign and to avoid civil wars certainly if they can prevent neither but with much difficulty by reason of weakness and discontents they must needs be constantly offended with dangers and fears which makes to them their life uncomfortable and let things fall out how they will if ever they be engaged in any troubles at home or abroad what success and advantage can they get either from those who are much more potent then they or from those in whom their strength ought to lie by this last they act against their own interest and do as it were tear themselves in pieces for 't is not enough for a war to be just 't is necessary it should also be beneficial and advantagious I must make one observation more that the number of petty Princes such are all Italian ones in comparison of potent Kings and Kingdoms as England France and Spain doth much contribute to their common safety and preservation for every Prince watches constantly the design of another not only upon his own States but upon that also of his Neighbour for he is much concerned that the dominions of one of his neighbours should not fall into the hands of another who would thereby grow too potent for him and one time or other bring him upon the Stage and 't is a necessary maxime not only to remove the will and inclination he hath to do him hurt but also to hinder and prevent his being able to do it So then that mutual jealousie which they have one of another keeps the scales even between them and if a single one would attempt something upon him who is weaker then the others whuld not fail directly or indirectly to assist the weakest and if the Prince should happen to be stronger than all the other together rather than be made a prey to such a one they would call in a forreign power to ballance him as it hath been of late done in Germany for Princes there being grown very jealous and not without cause much affraid of the Emperours power they brought in the French and the Swedes who having gotten an interest in the Empire the one in Alsatia the others in Pomerania and Bremen and are now concern'd to curb the Imperial Authority if it
have seen numbers of them dine so close by a wall to enjoy the heat of the Sun which is their ordinary fire in those parts so saving they endeavour to be in every thing yet if any one will have the pleasure how well they can eat or rather devour let him treat them at his own charges For certain flesh isvery nourishing there but this is not the onely reason of their sobriety 't is also dear in part because 't is scarce and also by reason of a great Tax laid upon Butchers Fruits herbs and roots are things which they feed upon most of all and in every thing almost they use much Pimiento a kind of red Pepper which grows in the country but they are not used to see any quantity of meat upon a table this is the reason why Gondomour being gone back into Spain from his Ambassy in England and being asked by his Master about several fashions used here in the Court amongst the rest being very inquisitive to know what ceremonies were used here when the King was at table he answered for his part he could not well tell though he had been in the Dining Room when his Majesty was at Dinner because said he he was hidden from him by a great piece of Beef which was laid upon the Table They allow not their wives to sit at table with them those persons of quality are private in a chamber and by themselves but others of the common sort of people do usually keep in the same chamber where their husbands dine at a table with their children or else there is a place raised half a foot or thereabouts above the flower with a Carpet laid over it thereupon the wife and children either kneel or sit without Chairs and eat what the husband is pleased to send them from his Table so that to speak the truth they are deprived of their liberty and kept in great subjection little different from slavery Which hard usage they are sensible of upon occasion doing them all the turns of unfaithfulness which they are able being naturally by the influences of the climate the hot things they eat and drink and out of a desire of the liberty they see themselves abridged off much inclined to luxury they take care to curle their hair keep their breast naked yet not so low as the shoulders they paint much with red their lips and cheeks a custom so general amongst them that they hide it not one from another they wear above their wast a fardingale or Guarda infanta as they call it which is like a circle of a good breadth and very fit to hide a big belly when they go thorough a narrow door they must strike it down of one side those of an inferiour quality when they are abroad do usually wear a black Hood which falls lower then their breast and shoulders and hides the whole face except one eye which is all one is able to see of it whereby they are so hard to be known that towards evening a husband going by his wife shall have much ado to know her though they be more civil to those strangers or others whom they intend to favour by uncovering the whole face when they come nigh to them they improve the few moments they have of liberty and they endeavour to hazer su Agosto to speak in their own words or as we say Make Hay whilst the Sun shines and they do it de la buena gana with a good will Men there are extraordinarily careful of their Beards which are black and thick with Mustacchio's 〈◊〉 Tusks to save them at night they have las bigotes that is a kind of a waxed Case which they lay upon it and which to one who knows not what it is seems very strange in a morning when they appear with it at a Window they also make a Beard so essential to a man that if he be altogether shaven as now we are in England they will doubt whether or not he be an Eunuch and in the streets of Madrid I have seen an outlandish man of about 30 years of age taken by the arme by a woman who never saw him before and asked him very boldly tien los Cojones voste Sir are you a whole man because he was wholly shaven A thing which most of all seemed strange to me in Spain is the custome of some to walk in the streets with Spectacles on their Noses which with a little thread they tye to both ears and there is a two-fold reason for it the one is the scorching heat of the Sun which heats so much the ground that the reverberation of it is hurtful to the eye but as in Winter the sun is not so hot as in Summer so methinks the use of these Spectacles should cease therefore besides the former there is an inward reason arising from the immoderate luxury which they are given to for by reason of the strict communication there is between those parts and the head specially the Opticks the Organ is much offended and consequently weakned so that this people becomes short sighted and I think that the fresh waters with Ice which they so much drink of in summer are used to cool their lust more then to quench their thirst The extraordinry long swords they have must needs be very inconvenient specially by reason of the long cloaks they wear them under insomuch that most part of time they must turn up their cloaks of one side when they walk and the other hand they must lay upon the hilt of the sword that thereby the point of it be lifted up otherwise it would constantly trail upon the ground and often the crosse above the hilt being of one side turned upwards and downwards on the other seems at the same time threatning heaven and earth Formerly they used to wear Ruffs about their necks which were forbidden because in Arragon a great man was strangled with it so that since that time they have been lookt upon as a halter about ones neck and instead of it they use a little band stretched and stiffned with a little wire In their discourses they would be taken for Senators for upon every occasion they play the Statesmen they dispose of Crowns Scepters and Kingdoms just as if they were of Gods council they decide the fortune of Princes censure the actions and carriage of Ministers of state and when they are three or four together one would think that like so many Gods they sit in council to resolve upon the fare and dispose of all States and Empires of the world and this not by conjectures but out of a certain and infallible knowledge and whilest they fancy Mountains of Gold and think how to dispossesse other Nations of their Country they take no notice how void of people their own is by reason of their driving the Moores out of Granada of their Plantations in the Indies their wars in Flanders and Italy and of the many Garrisons they must keep