England that so they may be lodged in Winter and defended from the Breeses that blow sometimes so sharp from the Alps that otherwise they would kill those delicate Plants whereas in Tuscany they grow as other Trees in their Gardens and in the Kingdom oâ— Napleâ— they grow wild without any Care or Cultivation We were at Vincenza upon a Holy day and there I saw a preparation for a Procession that was to be in the afternoon I did not wonder at what a French Papist said to me that he could hardly bear the Religion of Italy the Idolatry in it was so gross The Statue of the Virgiâ— was of Wood so finely painted that I thought the head was Wax it was richly clad and had a Crown on its Head and was set full of Flowers how they did when it was carried about I do not know but in the morning all people ran to it and said their prayers to it and Kissed the Ground beâ—ore it with all the appearances of Devotion From Vincenza it is eighteen mâ—les to Padua all like a Garden here one sees the decays of a vast City which was once one of the biggest of all Italy the compass is the same that is was but there is much uninhabited ground in it and Houses there go almost for nothing the Air is extream good and there is so great a plenty of all things except Money that a little Money goes a great way The Vniversity here tho so much surported by the Venetians that they pay fifty Proâ—essors yet sinks extreamly there are no men of any great Fame now iâ— it and the quarrels among the Students have driven away most of the Strangers that used to come and study here for it is not safe to stir abroad here after Sun set The number of the Palaces here is incredible and tho the Nobility of Padua is almost quite ruined yet the Beauty of their ancient Palaces shews what they once were The Veâ—etians have been willing to let the ancient Quarrels that were in all those conquered Cities continue still among them for while one kills another and the Children of the other take their Revenges afterwards both comes under the Bando by this means and the Confiscaâ—ion goes to the Senate At some times of Grace when the Senate wants Money and offers a pardon to all that will compound for it the numbers of the guilty persons are incredible In Vincenza and the Country that belongs to it I was assured by Monsieur Patin that learned Autiquary that hath been â—any years a Professor in Padua that there were five and thirty thousand pardoned at the last Grace this I could hardly believe but he bid me write it down upon his word The Nobility of Padua and of â—he other Towns seem not to see what a profit their Quarrels bring to the Venetians and how they eat out their Families for one Family in the same mans time who was alive while I was there was reduced from fourteen thousand Ducats Revenue to less than three thousand by its falling at several times under the Bando But their Jealousies and their Revenges are pursued by them with so much vigour that when these are in their way all other things are forgot by them There is here the remnant of the Amphitheater tho nothing but the outward Wall stands There is here as well as in Milan an inward Town called the City and an outward without that called the Burgo but tho there is a Ditch about the City the great Ditch and Wall goeth about all and Padua is eight miles in compass it lies almost round The publick Hall is the Noblest of Italy The Dome is an ancient and mean Building But the Church of S. Anthony especially the Holy Chappel in it where the Saint lies is one of the best pieces of modern Sculpture for round the Chappel the chief Miracles in the legend of that Saint are repâ—esenâ—ed in Mezzo Rilievo in a very surprizing manner The devotion that is paid to this Saint all Lombardy over is amazing he is called by way of excellence il Santo and the Beggars generally ask Alms for his sake But among the little Vows that hang without the Holy Chappel there is one that is the higheâ—t pitch of Blasphomy that can be imagined Exaudâ—t speaking of the Saint quos non auâ— it ipse Dâ—us he hears those whom God himself doth not hear St. Iustina is a Church so well ordered within the Architecture is so beautiful it is so well inlightned and the Cupulo's are so advantageously placed that if the outside answered the inside it would be one of the best Churches of Italy but the Building is of Brick and it hath no Frontispiece there are many new Altars made as fine as they are Idolatrous all full of Statues of Marble This Abby hath a hundred thousand Ducats of Revenue and so by its Wealth one may conclude that it belongs to the Benedictine Order Cardinal Barberigo is Bishâ—p here he seems to set St. Carlo before him as his pattern he hath founded a Noble Seminary for the secular Priests he lives in a constant discipline himself and endeavours to reform hiâ— Clergy all he can but he is now in ill terms with his Canons who are all Noble Venetians and so allow themselves great liberties of which they will not be willingly abridged he is charitable to a high degree anâ— is iâ— all respects a very extraordinary man. In the Venetian Tâ—rritory their subjects live easie and happy if they could be so wise as to give over their Qâ—arrels but tho the Taxes aâ—e not high they oppress theiâ— Tenants so â—everely that the Peasants live most miserably yet on all hands round about them the Oppressions being more intolerable they know not whither to go for ease whereas on the contrary the miseries under which their Neighbours groan chiefly those of the Ecclesiastical State send in an increase of people among them so that they are well stoekt with people but the Venetians are so jealous of their Subjects understanding Military matters which may dispose them to revolt that they never make any Levies among them for their Wars this jealousie is the true ground of that maxim tho another is pretended that is more plausible which is their Care of their own people whom they study to preserve and therefore they hire Strangers rather than expose their Subjects It is certain a revolt here were no hard matter to effectuate for the Garrisons and Fâ—rtifications are so slight that those great Towns could easily shake off their yoke if it were not for the Factions that still reign among them by which one party would chuse rather to expose the other to the rigor of the Inquisitors than concur with them in asserting their Liberty and the Inquisitors in such cases proceed so secretly and yet so effectually that none dares trust another with a Secret of such consequence and the oppressed Nobility of those States retain still so
belonging to the Family of Fesch Of the Councils of the Town and of the several Bailiages under their Jurisdiction The proportion of Armed Men they can raise The number of their Professors p. 190 to 195. Of Hunningen The Largeness Figure and Quality of that Fortification p. 195 196. Of Brisac and the Fortification belonging to it with its Figure greatness and strengâ—h p. 196 197. Of Strasburg The Town with its old and new Fortifications described The Animosity of the Lutherans against the Calvinists as well as against the Papists Tho they have Pictures in their Churches yet they Worship them not p. 197 198. By what means the City fell into the hands of the French. The Decay it already suffers in Trade with an account of the Treatment of Mr. Dietrick by the French contrary to the Terms of the Capitulation p. 199 Of Philipsburg its Natural Scituation and Artificial strength and how recovered from the French p 200 201. Of Spire which as it is an ill Fortified so it is a poor Town and subsisteth chiefly by the Imperial Chamber that sitteth in it A late Dispute between the Town and Chamber concerning Priviledges The Government of the Town is wholly Lutheran only the Cathedral is in the hands of the Bishop and Chapter The meanness of the Tombs of the Emperors that lye buried there A Fable concerning St. Bernard with some marks relating to it on the pavement of the Church and an account of some Figures in the Cloister p. 201 202. Of the Lower Palatinate and of Heidelberg Of the Scituation of the Town The Wine-Cellar with the Celebrated Tun that is in it The Wisdom and Conduct of the late Prince Charles in peopling and setling this State. The nature and proportion of the Taxes he laid upon the Subjects and their contentment under them The People of Germany only bound to their particular Prince tho the Prince himself be under some Ties to the Pareus's Commentary on the 13. of the Romans vindicated upon this Foundation by Fabritius A Character of Him and Dr. Miek p. 203 204. Of Manheim The care Prince Charles Lewes took to fortify it His granting Liberty not only to Christians of all parties but also to the Iews and thereby peopling his Countrey which had been strangely desolated His Character p. 204. Of the present Prince His Probity Vertues and Stedfastness to the promises he made his Subjects with relation to their Religion p. 205. The Beauty and Fertility of the Country from Heidelberg to Frankfort The latter described The three Religions tolerated there The Original of the Bulla Aurea preserved among the Archives of that City Lewd Women condemned here to the Pistrina or hand-mill The Iews permitted to dwell there and to have Synagogues An account of the Fortification of the Town and its Wealth p. 206 207. Of Hockam that yields the celebrated Wine A famous Picture over one of the Popish Altars at Worms as the Author was told but did not see either it or the Town by reason of having taken another road p. 287 288. Of Mentz Its Scituation Compass Cittadel and Fortification of the Town The Elector an absolute Prince The Demeasne of the Electorat and what Taxes he imposeth on his Subjects with the number of Armed men he can bring into the Field How He and his Chapter chuse the Prebends by turns and in whom the right of chusing the Elector resides p. 209. Of Bacharach and of the Tower where the Rats are said to have eaten up an Elector A Labourer at Geneva stung to death by Wasps ibid. Of Coblentz its Scituation Strength and Fort stiled Hermanstan p. 209 210 211. Of Bonne where the Elector of Collen resides A Character of the present Elector A Story about the Forgery of Medalls and to what value there were found of them at the last siege of Bonne Of some Rarities belonging to the Prince p. 211 212. Of Collen tho a City of great extent yet ill built and worse peopled The Iews are allowed here to live and in what place the Protestants are permitted the exercise of their Religion The Churches and Convents with an account of the Fable of the three Kings and 11000 Vrsulins Of the late Rebâ—llion there and how occasioned with the excesses that attended it p. 213 214. Of Dusseldorp The Palace The Iesuites Colledge The Protestant Religion tolerated there and by whose procurement p. 214. Of Keiserswart and how fortified Of Wesel A fair Town meanly fortified but populous and rich p. 214 215. Of Cleve ibid. Of Nimmegen A Character of Sr. William Temple whose Picture hangs in the Stadthouse with an ample commendation of his Book of the Low Countries p. 215. A large and just Character of the present Prince of Orange and of the glorious service he performed in rescuing his Country from the French p. 216. An Appendix containing Remarks of an Italian Gentleman upon Switzerland the Grison Country the Bailiage of Lugane the Lakes the Dutchey of Ferrara the Estate of Bolognia the Country of the Great Duke of Tuscany the temporal Government of the Pope and the Reduction of the Interest due by the Montes aâ— Rome and of the Avarice of the Iesuits and Priests p. 222 c. SOME LETTERS Containing An account of what seemed most remarkable in Switzerland Italy c. Zurich the first of September 1685. SIR IT is so common to write Travels that for one who has seen so little and as it were in haste it may look like a presumptuous affection to be reckoned among Voyagers if he attempts to say any thing upon so short a â—amble and concerning Places so much visited and by consequence so well known yet having had opportuniâ—ies that do not offer themselves to all that travel and having joyned to those a curiosity almost equal to the advantages I enjoyed I fancy it will not be an ungrateful entertainment if I give you some account of those things â—hat pleased me most in the places through which I have passed But I will avoid saying such things as occur in ordinary Books for which I refer you to the Prints for as you know that I have no great inclination to copy what others have said so a traveller has not leisure nor humour enough for so dull an employment As I came all the way from Paris to Lions I was amased to see so much misery as appeared not only in Villages but even in big Towns where all the marks of an extream poverty showed themselves both in the Buildings the Cloaths and almost in the looks of the Inhabitants And a general dispeopling in all the Towns was a very visible effect of the hardships under which they lay I need tell you nothing of the irregular and yet magnificent situation of Lions of the noble Rivers that meet there of the Rock Cut from so vast a height for a prison of the Carthusians Gardens of the Town-house of the Iesuites Colledge and Library of the famous Nunnery of S.
of Italy do know that Pâ—sa was formerly a very powerful Commonwealâ—h that it flourished in Trade and Commerce and that there were a great many wealâ—hy Citizens belonging to it there needs no other proof of this than what we read that upon a certain occasion a hundred of the Citizens equip'd each of them a Gally at their own Charges whiâ—h they maintained during all the War. The great Actions are well known whiâ—h they have done in the Levant by their Flâ—ets and how they a long time opposed the Duke of Florenâ—e who at length subdued them by the Assistance of the Spanish Arms. Pisa is one of the largest and most beautiful Cities of Italy the Buildings are stately and fine so is one of their Churches which with its Dependencies is one of the finest in all Italy The City is built upon the River of Arne which divides it in the midst it is navigable for Vessels of a great burthen â— and at Ligorne which is twelve Miles distance it falls into the Sea. It is one of the best scituated Towns in all Italy for Trade with which it flourished extreamly whilsâ— it was a Republick at present not only the City but â—he Country belonging to it is wholly depopulated Writers say that there were formerly above one hundred and fifty thousand Inhabitants whereas now there are not twelve thousand The Grass grows in most of the Places Streets of the City and most of the Houses are deserted and lye void I was my self in a fair large Pallace which was let for six Pistoles per annum the greatest part of their Lands lye wast and the Air is very unhealthy in most parts because of the small number of Inhabitants The Duke of Florence thought there was no way to secure himself of this great City but by depopulating of it and ruining the Trade which rendred it so potent so that at present there is not any Trade there at all The City of Sienna was also formerly a very fine Common Wealth and had in it many noble rich and powerful Families but since that the Duke of Florence hath reduced it to his Obedience he hath ruined most of the Nobility and Gentry many of them retiring into France and into the territories of some of the Princes of Italy As to the City of Florence it self it is extreamly decayed to what is was since it came under the Government of the House of Meâ—icis It is plain from the History of Machiavil and other Italian Authors that lived in those times that it was three times more populous when it was a Republick than it is now The Great Duke keeping his Court and residence there one would think should make the City flourish the more yet it wants a great deal of that Luster and Splendor it had when it was a Commonwealth Remarks upon the Temporal Government of the POPE THere are certainly very few People so miserable aâ— those who live under the Dominion of the Pope most of the States of Italy and where there are the most Subsidies and Impositions have not put any tax upon Corn and Grain which make Bread because there is no person tho never so miserable that can subsist without it there is that humanity and regard had to the People in not laying Taxes upon Bread because 't is the common Nourishment and absolutely necessary even for the most Indigent and Poor tho Impositions are laid without scruple upon Wine and other Merchandises because thy are not so necessary as Bread yet the Pope makes no scruple to lay very great Impositionâ— upon Corn and Bread throughout all his Dominions except in those places that have yet preserved their Liberties It was Donna Olimpia that during the Pontificat of Innocent the X. began to put Taxes and Imposts upon Corn and made such Laws which have ruined the most part of the great Nobility and Gentry that live under the Ecclesiastical Government who had their revenues consisting in Corn. All the Popes who have reigned since Innocents time have found such a great Advantage to themselves by these Laws of Donna Olympia that they have continued them ever since and it is at present a very Considerable part of the Ecclesiastical Revenue The substance of which said Law or Ordinance is this That no person whatsoever is suffered to sell Corn to any Strangers but all those that have any are obliged to sell it at a price certain to the Ecclesiastical Chamber which is not at the most above one moiety oâ— the real Value and then the Ecclesiastical Chamber sells it again at double the price In Italy there is no person either in City or Country in the Popes Dominions who is permitted to make their own Bread but eveâ—y one is obliged to buy it of the Bakers who are appointed by the Chamber in each Village and Burrough there is but one Baker Established by the Chamber to make and sell Bread the Baker is obliged to take the Corn of the Chamber at a certain price and to make the Bread of such a quality and weight and to sell it at a price Certain In the great Cities as at Rome there are Very many Bakers who are all obliged to buy a certain quantity of Corn of the Ecclesiastical Chamber for a whole Year to come which they pay for beforehand and give ten Crowns the Salme or measure when at the same time the Chamber bougt it of the particular persons for five Crowns at the beginning of the year all the Bakers are obliged to take the same Quantity of Corn for the Year ensuing altho sometimes they have a great deal of the last years Corn upon their hands which they must deliver to the Chamber for five Crowns the Salme or measure and then the very same Corn is sold them again for ten Crowns I do not believe that there is any Country in the World that draws more profit from their Subjects for Corn â—â—an the Pope doth in his Dominions which hath been partly the Cause of the ruin of the Ecclesiastical Estate since the Establishment of the said Law which was about thirty years since the Country is unpeopled and great part of the Lands lie void and uncultivated because it is not worth while to manure them when the greatest advantage and profit arising thereby goes to the Pope In travelling through the Ecclesiastical Territories in Romania and between Rome and Naples there are vast quantites of Land unmanured A Traveller passing through the Estate of a Roman Prince told the Prince upon his return to Nâ—ples he would if he pleased send him Husbandmâ—n that should manure his Land thinking that it had been for want of Labourers that the Lands lay yoid and wast The Prince told him that he did not want people to Cultivate his Lanâ—s but because they were obliged to sell all their Corn and Grain to the Chamber at a Very Low Price it would not quit Cost to Manure and Cultivate it Touching the
Peter of the Churches particularly S. Irenees of the remnants of the Aqueducts of the Colums and the old Mosaick in the Abbey Dene In short Mr. Spon has given such an account of the Curiosities there that it were a very presumptious attempt to offer to come after him The speech of Claudius ingraven on a Plate of Brass and set in the end of the low walk in the Town-hsuse is one of the noblest Antiquities in the World by which we see the way of writing and pointing in that age very copiously The shield of silver of 22 pound weight in which some remains of gilding do yet appear and that seems to represent that generous action of Scipio's of restoring a fair captive to a Celtiberian Prince is certainly the noblest piece of Plate that is now extant the embossing of it is so fine and so entire that it is indeed iâ—valuable and if there were an inscription upon it to put us beyond conjecture it were yet much more inestimable A great many Inscriptions are to be seen of the late and Barbarous ages as Bonum Memorium and Epitaphium hunc there are 23. Inscriptions in the Garden of the Fathers of mercy but so placed as it shews how little those who possess them do either understand or value them I shall only give you one because I made a little reflection on it tho it is not perhaps too well grounded because none of the Criticks have thought on it The Inscription is this D. M. Et Memoriae Aeternae Sutiae Aâ—thidis Quae vixit Annis XXV M. Xâ— DV Quae dum Nimia pia fuit facta est Imâ—ia Attâ—â— Probatiolo Ceâ—alius Calistio Conjux Pater siâ—â—vivo ponendum curavit sub ascia dedicavit This must be towards the barbarous Age as appears by the false Latin in Nimia But the Inscription seems so extravagant that a man dedicating a Burial-stone for this Wife and Son and under which himself was to be laid with ceremonies of Religion should tax his Wife of impiety and give so extraordinary an Account of her becoming so thro an excess of piety that it deserves some consideration It seems the impiety was publick otherwise a Husband would not have recorded it in such a manner and it is plain that he thought it rose from an excess of piety I need not examin the conjectures of others but will chuse rather to give you my own and submit it to your censure It seems to me that this Sutia Anthis was a Christian for the Christians because they would not worship the Gods of the Heathens nor participate with them in their sacred rites were accused both of Aâ—heism and Impiety This is so often objected and the Fathers in their Apologies have answered it so often that it were lost labour to prove it so this Wife of Cecalius Calistio having turned Christian it seems he thought he was bound to take some notice of it in the inscription But by it the gives a honourable character of the Christian Doctrine at the fame time that he seems to accuse it that through an excess of piety his Wife was carried to it since a mind seriously possessed with a true sense of piety could noâ— avoid the falling under a distaste of Paganism and the becoming Christian. At Grenoble there is not much to be seen the learned Mr. Chorier has some Manuscripts of considerable antiquity In one of Viâ—etius de re Militari there is a clear correction of a passage that in all the printed Editions is not sense In the Chapter of the sise of the Souldiers he begins Scio semper mensuram a Mario Consule exactam A is in no M S. and Mario Consule is a mistake for trium Cubitorum for III. which are for trium have been read M. and C. which stands for Cubitorum as appears by all that follows was by a mistake read Consule so the true reading of that passage is Scio mensuram trium Cubitorum fuisse semper exactam He shewed me another M. S. of about 5 â—r 6. hundred years old in which S. Iohn's Revelation is contained all exemplified in Figures and after that comes Esops Fables likewise all designed in Figures from which he inferred that those who designed those two Books valued both equally and so put them together I will not describe the Valley of Dauphine all to Chambery nor entertain you with a Landskip of the Countrey which deserves a better pencil than mine and in which the heighth and rudeness of the Mountains that almost shut upon it together with the beauty the evenness and fruitfulness of the Valley that is all along well watered with the River of Liserre make such an agreeable mixture that this vast diversity of objects that do at once fill the Eye gives it a very entertaining prospect Chambery has nothing in it that deserves a long description and Geneva is too well known to be much insisted on It is a little State but it has so many good Constitutions in it that the greatest may justly learn at it The Chamber of the Corn has always two years provision for the City in store and forces none but the Bakers to buy of it at a taxed price and so it is both necessary for any extremities under which the State may fall and is likewise of great advantage for it gives a good yearly income that has helpt the State to pay near a Million of debt contracted during the Wars and the Citizens are not oppressed by it for every Inhabitant may buy his own Corn as he pleases only publick Houses must buy from the Chamber And if one will compare the Faith of Rome and Geneva togetheâ— by this particular he will be forced to prefer the latter for if good Works are a strong presumption if not a sure indication of a good Faith then Iustice being a good Worâ— of the first form Geneva will certainly carry it At Rome the Pope buys in all the Corn of the Patrimony for none of the Landlords can sell it either to Merchants oâ— Bakers He buyes it at five Crowns their measure and even that is slowly and ill payed so that there was 800000. Crowns owing upon that score when I was at Rome In selling this out the measure is lessened a fifth part and the price of the whole is doubled so that what was bought at five Crowns is sold out at twelve and if the Bakers who are obliged to take a determined quantity of Corn from the Chamber cannot retail out all that is imposed upon them but are forced to return some part of it back the Chamber discounts to them only the first price of five Crowns whereas in Geneva the measure by which they buy and sell is the same and the gain is so inconsiderable that it is very little beyond the common maâ—ket price so that upon the whole matter the Chambâ—r of the Corn is but the Merchant to the State. But if the publiâ—k makes a
moderate gain by the Corn that and all the other revenues of this small Commonwealth are so well imployed that there is no cause of complaint given in the administration of the publick purse which with the advantages that arise out of the Chamber of the Corn is about 100000 Crowns revenue But there is much to go out of this 300. Souldiers are payed an Arsénal is maintained that in propoâ—tion to the State is the greatest in the World for it contains Arms for more Men than are in the State thére is a great number of Ministers and Profâ—ssâ—rs in all 24. payed out of it besides all the publick charges and Offices of the Government Every one of the lesser Council of 25. having a 100. Crowns and every Syndic having 200. Crowns pension and after all this come the accidental Charges of the Deputies that they are obliged to send often to Paris to Savoy and to Switzerland so that it is very apparent no man can enrich himself at the cost of the Publick And the appointments of the little Council are a very small recompence for the great attendance that they are obliged to give the Publick which is commonly 4. or 5. hours a day The Salary for the Professors and Ministers is indeed small not above 200. Crowns but to ballance this which was a more competent provision when it was first set off 150. years ago the price of all things and the way of living being now much heightned those imployments are here held in their due reputation and the richest Citizens in the Town breed up their Children so as to qualifie them for those places And a Minister that is suteable to his character is thought so good a match that generally they have such Estates either by succession or marriage as support them suteably to the rank they hold And in Geneva there is so great a regulation upon expences of all sorts that a small sum goes a great way It is a surprising thing to fee so much learning as one finds in Geneva not only among those whose profession obliges them to study but among the Magistrates and Citizens anâ— if there are not many men of the first form of learning among them yet every body almost here has a good tincture of a learned education in so much that they are masters of the Latin they know the Controversies of Religion and History and they are generally men of good sense There is an universal Civility not only towards Strangers but towards one another that reigns all the Town over and leans to an excess so that in them one sees a mixture of a French openness and an Italian exactness there is indeed a little too much of the last The publick Iustiâ—e of the City is quick and good and is more commended than the private Iustice of those that deal in trade a want of sincerity is much lamented by those that know the Town well There is no publiâ—k leudness tolerated and the disorders of that sort are managed with great address And notwithstanding their neighbourhood to the Switzers drinking is very little known among them One of the best parts of their Laâ— is the way of selling Estates which is likewise practised in Switzerland and is called Subhastation from the Roman custum of selling Sub hasta A man that is to buy an Estate agrees with the owner and then intimates it to the Goverâ—ment who order three several proclamations to be made six Weeks one after another of the intended sale that is to be on such a day when the day comes the Creditors of thé seller if they apprehend that the Estate is sold at an under value may out-bid the Buyer but if they do not interpose the Buyer delivers the money to the State which upon that gives him his tiâ—le to the Estate which can never be so much as brought under a debate in Law and the price is payed into the State and is by them given either to the Creditors of the Seller if he owes money or to the seller himself This Custom prevails likewise in Swisse where also twelve years possession gives a prescription so that in no place of the World are the titles to Estates so secure as here The constitution of the Government is the same both in Geneva and in most of â—he Cantons The Soveraignty lies in the Council of 200 and this Council chuses out of irs number 25. who are the lesser Counâ—il and the censure of the 25. belong to the great Counâ—il they are chosen by a sort of Ballâ—t so that it is not known for whom they give their votes which is an affectual method to suppress sactions and resentments since in a competitâ—on no man can know who voted for him or against him yet the Election is not so carried but that the whole Town is in an intrigue concerning it for since the being of the little Council leads one to the Sindicat which is the Chief honour of the State this dignity is courted here with as active and solicitous an ambition as appears elsewhere for greater matters The 200. are chosen and censured by the 25. so that these two Councils which are both for life are checks one upon another The Magistracy is in the one and the Soveraignty in the other The number of 25. is never exceeded in the lesser Câ—uncil but for the greater tho' it passes by the name of the Council of 200. yet there are commonly 8 or 10. more so that notwithstanding the absence or sickness of some of the number they may still be able to call together near the full number There is another Council besides these two composed of 60. consisting of those of the 200. that have born Officâ—s such as Auditors Attornâ—y-Generals or those that have been in other imployments which are given for a determinate number of years this Court has no Authority but is called together by the 25 when any extraordinary occasion makes it advisable for them to call for a more general concurrence in the Resolutions that they are about to form And this Council is of the nature of a Council of State that only gives advice but has no power in it self to enforce its advice The whole body of the Burgesses chuse the Syndics the first Sunday of the year and there are some other Elections that do likewise belong to them The difference between the Burgesses and Citizens is that the former degree may be bought or given to Strangers and they are capable to be of the 200 but none is a Citizen but he that is the Son of a Burgess and that is born within the Town I need say no more of the Constitution of this little Republick its chief support is in the firm Alliance that has stood now so long between it and the Cantons of Bern and Zurich and it is so visibly the interest of all Switzerland to preserve it as the Key by which it may be all laid open that if the Cantons
Italy that can be compared to them they have the full view of the Lake and the ground rises so sweetly in them that nothing can be imagined like the Terrasses here they belong to two Counts of the Borromean Family I was only in one of them which belongs to the Head of the Family who is Nephew to the famous Cardinal known by the name of S. Carlo on the West-end lies the Palacâ— which is one of the best of Italy for the Lodgings within tho the Architecture is but ordinary there is one noble Apartment above four and twenty fooâ— high and there is a vast Addition making to it and here is a great Collection of noble Pictures beyond any thing I saw out of Rome The whole Island is a Garden except a little corner to the South set off for a Village oâ— about forty little Houses and because the figure of the Island was not more regular by nature they have builâ— great Vaults and Portico's along the Rock which are all made Grotesque and so they have brought it to a regular form by laying Earth over those Vaults There iâ— first a Garden to the East that rises up from the Lakes by five Rows of Terrasses on the three sides of the Garden that are watered by the Lake the Stairs are noble the Walls are all covered with Oranges and Citrons and a more beautiful spot of a Garden cannot be seen There are two Buildings in the two Corners of this Garden the one is only a Mill for fetching up the Water and the other is a noble Summer-house all wainscotted if I may speak so with Alabaster and Marble of a fine colour inclining to red from this Garden one goes in a level to all the rest of the Alleys and Parterres Herb-Gardens and Flower-Gardens in all which there are variety of Fouâ—tains and Arbors but the great Parterre is a surprising thing for as it is well furnished with Statues and Fountains and is of a vast extent and justly scituated to the Palace so at the Further-end of it there is a great Mount that face of it that looks to the Parterre is made like a Theater all full of Fountains and Statues the height rising up in five several Rows it being about fifâ—y foot high and about fourscore foot in front and round this Mount answering to the five Rows into which the Theater is divided there goes as many Terrasses of noble Walks the Walls are all as close covered with Oranges and Citrons as any of our Walls in England are with Laurel the Top of the Mount is seventy foot long and forty broad and here is a vast Cistern into which the Mill plays up the Water that must furnish all the Fountains The Fountains were not quite finished when I was there but when all is finished this place will look like an Inâ—hanted Island The Freshness of the Air it being both in a Lake and near the Mountains the fragant Smell the beautiful Prospect and the delighting Variety that is here makes it such a Habitation for Summer that perhaps the whole World hath nothing like it From this I went to Sestio a miserable Village at the end of the Lake and herâ— I began to feel a mighty change being now in Lombardy which is certainly the beautifullest Countrey that can be imagined the ground lies so even it is so well watered so sweetly divided by Rows of Trees inclosing every piece of ground of an Acre or two Acres compass that it cannot be denied that here is a vast extent of Soil above two hundred Miles long and in many places a hundred Miles broad where the whole Countrey is equal to the loveliest spots in all England or France it hath all the Sweetness that Holland or Flanders have but with a warmer Sun and a better Air the Neighbour-hood of the Mountains causes a freshness of Air here that makes the Soil the most desirable place to live in that can be seen if the Government were not so excessively severe that there is nothing but Poverty over all this rich Countrey A Traveller in many places finds almost nothing and is so ill furnished that if he doth not buy provisions in the great Towns he will be obliged to a very severe Diet in a Countrey that he should think flowed with Milk and Hony but I shall say more of this hereafter The Lago Maggiore discharges it self in the River Tesine which runs with such a force that we went thirty Miles in three hours having but one Rower and the Water was no way swelled From this we went into the Canale which Fâ—anâ—is is the First cut from this River to the Town of Milan which is about thirty foot broad and on both its Bankâ— there are such provisions to discharge the Water when it rises to such a height that it can never be fuller of Water than is intended it should be it lies also so even that sometimes for six Miles together one sees the line so exact that there is not the least crook it is thirty Miles long and is the best Advantage that the Town of Milan hath foâ— Water Carriage I will not entertain you with a long description of this great City which is one of the noblest in the World to be an Inland Town that hath no great Court no Commerce either by Sea or any Navigable River and that is now the Metropolis of a very small State for that which is not Mountainous in this State is not above sixty Miles square and yet it produces a Wealth that is surprising It pays for an establishment of seven and forty thousand Men and yet there are not sixteen thousand Souldiers effectively in it so many are eat up by those in whose hands the Government is lodged But the Vastness of the Town the Nobleness of the Buildings and above all the surprising Riches of the Churches and Convents are signs of great Wealth The Dome hath nothing to commend it of Architectâ—re it being built in the rude Gothick manner but for the vastness and riches of the Building it is equal to any in Italy St. Peters it self not excepted It is all Marble both Pavement and Walls both outside and Inside and on the Top it is all flagg'd with Marble and there is the vastest Number of Niâ—hes for Statuâ—s of Marble both within and without that are any where to be seen It is true the Statues 〈◊〉 some of the Niches are not proportioned to the Niches themselves the Frontispiece is not yet made it is to be all over covered with Statues and Bas-reliefs and Pillars of which there are four Rows in the Body of the Church have each of them eight Niches at the top for so many Statues and tho one would think this Church so full of Statues that almost every Saint hath his Statue yet I was assured they wanted seven thousand to finish the design but these mâ—st chiefly belong to the Frontispiâ—e The Church as I could measure it
one of the most inquisitive Men of the Assembly There is also a Grandchild of the Great Alciat who is very câ—rious as well as learned Few Churchmen come into this attempt for the reviving of Learning among them Oâ— the contrary it is plain that they dread it above aâ—things Only one Eminent Preacher Rinaldi that 〈◊〉 Archdeacon of Capua associates himself with them â—e was once of the Iesuits Order but left it and as that aloâ—â— served to give a good Character of him to me so upon â— long conversation with him I found a great many other tâ—â—ngs that possessed me with a high value â—or him Some Physicians in Naples are brought under the Scandal of Atheism and it is certain that in Italy men of searching understandings who have no other Idea of the Christian Religion but that which they see received among them are very naturally tempted to disbelieve it quite for they believing it all alike in gross without distinction and finding such notorious Cheats as appear in many parts of their Religion are upon that induced to disbelieve the whole The Preaching of the Monks in Naples are terrible things I saw a Iesuit go in a sort of a Procession with a great company about him and calling upon all that he saw to follow him to a place where a Mountebank was selling his Medicines near whom he took his Room and entertained the people with a sort of a Farce till the Mountebank got him to give over fearing lest his action should grow tedious and disperse the company that was brought together There are no famous Preachers nor men of any reputation for learning among the Iesuites I was told they had not men capable to teach their Schools and that they were forced to hire Strangers The Order of the Oratory hath not that reputation in Italy that it hath gained in France and the little Learning that is among the Clergy in Naples is among some few Secular Priests The new Method of Molino's doth so much prevail in Naples that it is believed he hath above twenty thousand Followers in this City And since this hath made some noise in the World and yet is generally but little understood I will give you some account of him He is a Spanish Priest that seems to be but an ordinary Divine and is certainly a very ill Reasoner when he undertakes to prove his Opinions He hath writ a Book which is intituled il Guida Spiritualâ— which is a short abstract of the Mystical Divinity the Substance of the whole is reduced to this That in our Prayers and other Devotions the best Methods are to retiâ—e the mind from all gross Images and so to form an Act of Fâ—ith â—â—d thereby to present our selves before God and then to sink into a silenoe and cessation of new Acts and to let God act upon us and so to follow his Conduct This way he prefers to the multiplication of many new Acts and different formâ— of Devotion and he makes small Account of corporal Austerities and reduces all the Exercises of Religion to this simplicity of Mind He thinks this is not only to be proposed to such as live in Religious Houses but even to Secular persons and by this he hath proposed a great Reformation of mens Minds and Manners He haâ—h many Priests in Italy but chiefly in Naples that dispose those who confess themselves to them to follow his Method The Iesuites have set themselves much against this conduct as foreseeing that it may much weaken the Empâ—â—â—â— that Superstition hath over the Minds of People that 〈◊〉 may make Religion become a more plain and simple thingâ— and may also open a door to Enthusiasms they also pretend that his conduct is Factious and Seditious that thiâ— may breed a Schism in the Churâ—h And because he saith in some places of his Book That the Mind may rise up 〈◊〉 such a Simplicity in its Acts that it may rise in some of its Devotions to God immediately without contemplating tâ—â— Humanity of Christ they have accused him as intending to lay aside the Doctrine of Christ's Humanity tho it 〈◊〉 plain that he speaks only of the purity of some singâ—â— Acts Upon all those heads they have set themselveâ— much against Molinos and they have also pretended that some of his Disciples have infused into their Penitenâ—â— That they may go and communicate as they find themselvâ—â— disposed without going first to Confession which they thought weakned much the yoke by which the Priâ—â—â— subdue the Consciences of the People to their Conducâ— Yet he was much supported both in the Kingdom of Napâ—â—â— and in Siâ—ily he had also many Friends and Followers 〈◊〉 Rome So the Iesuites as a Provinâ—ial of the Order aâ—â—â—red me finding they could not ruin him by their oâ—â— force got a great King that is now extreamly in the Iâ—â—â—rests of their Order to interpose and to represent to the Pope the danger of such Innovations It is certain 〈◊〉 Pope understands the matter very little and that he is poâ—sessed with a great opinion of Molino's Sanctify yet upon the Complaints of some Cardinals that seconded the Zeal of that King he and some of his Followers were â—â—pt in the Inquisition where they have been now for some Months but they are still well used which is believed to flow from the good opinion that the Pope hath of â—im who saith still that tho he may have erred yet â—e is certainly a good man Upon this Inprisonment Paâ—quin said a pleasant thing in one week one man had been condemned to the Gallies for somewhat he hath said â—â—â—ther hath been hanged for somewhat he had writ and Maliâ—â—s was clapt in prison whose Doctrine consisted â—â—efly in this that mâ—n ought to bring their minds to a state of inward quâ—etness from which the name of Quieâ—â—â—â—â— was given to all his followers The Pasquinade upon all this was Si parliamo in Galere si scrivemmo Imâ—iâ—cati si stiamo inquiete all' Sant ' Officio â—e che bisogâ—â— forâ— If we speak we are sent to the Gallies if 〈◊〉 write we are hanged if we stand quiet we are clapt dapt in the Inquisition what musâ— we do then Yet his Followers at Naples are not daunted but they believe he will come out of this Tryal victorious The City of Naples as it is the best scituated and iâ— the best Climate so it is one of the Noblest Cities of â—â—rope and if it is not above half as big as Paris or London yet it hath much more beauty than either of them The Streets are large and broad the Paveâ—ent is great and Noble the Stones being generally above a foot square and it is full of Palaces and great Buildiâ—gâ— The Town is well supplied by daily Markets so that Provisions are ever fresh and in great plenty the Wine is the best of Europe and both â—he Fish and Flesh is extream good it is scarce ever cold in Winter and there is a
of sevâ—nty six Years and had a hundred and fifteen Persons all alive that had eâ—ther descended from him or by marriâ—ge with those that descended from him called him Father And Mr. Calendrin a pious and laborious Preacher of that Town that is descended from the Family of the Calendrini who receiving the Reformation about a hundred nnd fifty â—â—ars ago left Lucea their Native City with the Turreâ—â—â— the Diodati and the Bourlamacchi and some others that came and setled at Geneva He is now but seven and forty years old and yet he hath a hundred and five Persons that are descended of his Brothers and Sisters or â—arried to them so that if he liveth but to Eâ—ghty and the Family multiplieth as it hath done he may see some hundreds that will be in the same relation to him but such things as these are not to be found in Italy There is nothing that delights a stranger more in Rome than to see the great Fountains of Water that are almost in all the corners of it That old Aquaduct which Pâ—â—l the V. restored cometh from a collection of Sâ—â—rces five and thirty Miles distant from Rome that â—â—ns all the way upon an Aqueduct in a Cannel that is vaulted and is liker a River than a Fountain it breaketh out in five several Fountains of which some give water about a foot square That of Sixtus the V. the great Fountain of Aqua Travi that hath yet no decoration but dischargeth a prodigious quantity of Water The glorious Fountaâ—n in the Piazza Navona that hath an air of greatness in it that surprizeth one the Fountain in the Piazza de Spagna those before S. Peters and the Palazzo Farnâ—â—â— with many others furnish Rome so plentifully that almost every private House hath a Fountain that runs contiâ—ually All these I say are noble Decorations that carry an â—sefulness with them that cannot be enough commended and gives a much greater Idea of those who have taken care to supply this City with one of the chief Pleasures and Conveniences of Life than of others who have laid out â—illions meerly to bring quantities of Water to give the eye â— little diversion which would have been laid out much â—ore nobly and usefully and would have more effectually enternizâ—â— their Fame if they had been imployed 〈◊〉 the Romans did their Treasures in furnishing great Toâ—â— with Water There is an universal Civility that reigns among 〈◊〉 sorts of people at Rome which in a great measure floâ— from their Government for every man being capable of 〈◊〉 the avancements of that State since a simple Ecclâ—siastick may become one of the Monsignori and 〈◊〉 of these may be a Cardinal and one of these may bâ— chosen Pope this makes every man behave himself towarâ— all other persons with an Exactness of Respect for 〈◊〉 man knows what any other may grow to But this makâ— Professions of Esteem and Kindness go so promiscouâ—â—â— to all sorts of persons that one ought not to build toâ— much on them the conversation of Rome is generally upoâ— News for tho there is no news Printed there yet in the several Antichambers of the Cardinals where if they makâ— any considerable figure there are Assemblys of those thâ—â— make their Court to them one is sure to hear all the 〈◊〉 of Europe together with many speculations upon what pâ—â—seth At the Queen of Swedens all that relateth to Germany or the North is ever to be found and that Princess thaâ— must ever reign among all that have a true tast either oâ— Wit or Learning hath still in her drawing Rooms the beâ—â— Court of the Strangers and her Civility together with thâ— vast variety with whiâ—h she furnisheth her conversation maketh her to be the chief of all the living Rarities that onâ— sees in Rome I will not use her own words to my self which was That she now grew to be one of the Antiquitiâ—â— of Rome The Ambassadors of Crowns who live here in another form than in any other Court and the Câ—â—dinals and Prelates of the several Nations that do all mâ—â—â—â—nd center here make that there is more news in Rome than any where For Priests and the men of Religious Oâ—ders write larger and more particular Letters than any other sort of men But such as apply themselves to makâ— their Court here are comdemned to a loss of time that 〈◊〉 need be well recompenced for it is very great As for 〈◊〉 â—hat Studies Antiquities Pictures Statues or Musiâ—k â—â—ere is more entertainment for him at Rome than in all â—he rest of Europe but if he hath not a tast of these things 〈◊〉 will soon be weary of a place where the Conversation is â—â—ways general and where there is little Sincerity or Openâ—â—â—â— practised and by consequence where friendship is 〈◊〉 understood The Womâ—n here begin to be a little more â—â—â—versable tho a Nation naturally jealous will hardly â—â—ow a great liberty in a City that is composed of Ecclesiaâ—â—icks who being denyed the priviledge of Wives of their 〈◊〉 are suspected of being sometimes too bold with â—â—e Wives of others The Liberties that were taken in the Constable of Naples's palace had indeed disgusted the Roâ—â—ns much at that Freedom which had no bounds â—â—t the Dutchess of Bracciano that is a Frenâ—h Woman â—ath by the exactness of her deportment amidst all the innocent Freedoms of a Noble Conversation recovered in a great measure the Credit of those Liberâ—ies that Laâ—iâ—â— beyond the Mountains practise with all the strictness of Vertue For she receiveth visits at publick hours and in publick Rooms and by the liveliness of her Conversaâ—â—on maketh that her Court is the pleasantest Assembly oâ— Strangers that is to be found in any of the Palaces of the Italians at Rome I will not ingage in a description of Rome either ancient or modern this hath been done so oft and with such â—â—actness that nothing can be added to what hath been already published It is certain that when one is in the Caâ—â—tol and sâ—es those poor Rests of what once it was he is sâ—rprized to see a building of so great a fame sunk so low that one can scarce imagine that it was once a Castle sciâ—â—ated upon a Hill able to hold out against a Siege of the Gâ—â—ls The Tarpeian Rock is now of so small a fall that a man would think it no great matter for his diversion to leap over it and the shape of the ground hath not been so much altered on one side as to make us think it is very â—uch changed on the other For Severus's Triumphal â—rch which is at the foot of the Hill on the other side is not now buried above two foot within the ground as â—he vast Amphitheater of Titus is not above three â—oot sunk under the level of the ground Within the Capitol one â—eeâ— many Noble remnants of Antiquity but none is more glorious as well as more useful than the Tables of 〈◊〉 Consuls which
which maketh the passing of Mâ—n dangerous when they must march for some time after their passage through a dâ— filépunc The fiâ—st night from Basil we came to Brisac which is a poor and miâ—erable Town but it is a noble Fortificatiâ—n and hath on the West-side of the River over which a Bridge is laid a regular Fort of four or five Bâ—stions The Town of Brisac riseth all on a Hill which is a considerable height there were near it â—wo Hills the one is taken within the Fortification and the other is so well levelled with the ground that one cannot so much as find out where it was All the ground about for many Miles is plain so that from the Hill as â—rom a Cavalier one can see exactly well especially with the help of a Prospect all the motions of an Enemy in case of a Siege The Fortification is of a huge compass above a French League indeed almost a German Leaâ—ue the Bastions are quite filled with Earth they are faced with Brick and have a huge broad Ditâ—h full of Water around them the Counterscarp the covered Way which hath a Palisade withâ—n the Parapet and the Glacy are all well executed there is a half Moon before every Cortine the Bastions have no Orillons except one or two and the Cortines are so disposed that a good part of them defendeâ—h the Bâ—stion The Garrison of this Place in time of War must needs be eight or ten thousand Men there hath not been much done of late to this place only the Ditâ—h is so adjusted that it is all defended by the Flanks of the Bastions But the noblest place on the Rhine is Strasburg it is a Town of a huge extent and hath a double Wall and Ditch all round it the inner Wall is old and of no strength nor is the outward Wall very good it hath a Faussebraye and is faced with Brick twelve or fifteen foot above the Ditch the Counterscarp is in an ill condition so that the Town was not in case to make any long resistance but it is now strongly fortified There is a Ciâ—tadel built on that side that goeth towards the Rhine that is much such a Fort as that of Hunningen and on the side of the Cittadel towards the Bridge there is a great Horn-work that runs out a great way with Out-woâ—ks belonging to it there are also small Forts at the two chief Gates that lead to Alsace by which the City is so bridled that these can cut off all its communication with the Country about in case of a Revolt the Bridge is also well fortifyed there are also Forts in some Islands in the Rhine and some Redoubts so that all round this place there is one of the greatest Fortifications that is in Europe Hitherto the Capitulation with relation to Religion hath been well kept and there is so small a number of new Converts and these are for the greatest part so inconsiderable they not being in all above two hundred as I was told that if they do not imploy the new-fashioned Missionaries à la Dragonné the old ones are not like to have so great a harvest there as they promised themselves tho they are Iesuites The Luâ—herans for the greatest part retain their Animosities almost to an equal degree both against Papists and Calvinists I was in their Church where if the Musick of their Pâ—alms pleased me much the Irreverence in singing it being free to keep on or put off the Hat did appear very strange to me The Churches are full of Pictures in which the â—hief passages of our Saâ—iourâ— Life are represented but there is no sort of religious respect pay'd them they bow when they name the Holy Ghost as well as at the Name of Iesus but they have not the Ceremonies that the Lutherans of Saxony use which Mr. Bebel their Professor of Divinity said was a great happiness for a similitude in outward Rites might dispose the ignorant people to change too easily I found several good people both of the Lutheran Ministers and others acknowledge that there was such a Corruption of Morals spread over the whole City that as they had justly drawn down on their heads the Plague of the loss of their Liberty so this having toucht them so little they had reason to look for severer strokes One seeth in the ruin of this City what a miscievous thing the popular pride of a free City is they fanâ—ied they were able to defend themselves and so they refused to lâ—t an Imperial Garrison come within their Town for if they haâ— received only five hundred mâ—n as that small number would not have been able to have opprest their Liberties so it would have so secured the Town that the French could not have besieged it without making War on the Empire but the Town thought this was a Diminution of their Freedom and so chose rather to pay a Garrison of three thousand Souldiers which as it exausted their Revenue and brought them under great Taxes so it proved too weak for their defence when the Frenâ—h Army came before them The Town begins to sink in its Trade notwithstanding the great circulation of Monâ—y that the expence of the Fortifications hath brought to it but when that is at an enâ— it will sink more sensibly for it is impossible foâ— a Place of Trade that is to have alwayes eight or ten thousand Souldiers in it to continue long in a Flourishing State. There was a great Animosisy between two of the chief Fâ—milys of the Town Dietrick and Obrâ—cht the former was the Burgomaster and was once almost run down by a Faction that the other had raised against him but he turned the tide and got such an advantage against Obrecht who had writ some what against the Conduct of their Affairs that he was Condemned and Beheaded for writing libels against the Government His Son is a learned man and was Professor of the Civil Law and he to have his turn of revenge against Dietrick went to Paris last Summer and that he might make hiâ— Court the better changed his Religion Dietrick had been alwayes looked on as one of the chief of the Frenâ—h Faction tho he had been at first an Imperialist so it was thought that he should have been well rewarded yet it was expected that to make himself capable of that he should have changed his Religion but he was an ancient man and would not purchase his Court at that rate so without any reason given and against the express words of the Capitulation he was confined to one of the midland Provinces of Franâ—e as I remember it was Limosin and thus he that hath been thought the chief cause of this â—own's falling under the power of the French is the first man that hath felt the effects of it The Library here is considerable The Case is a great Room very well conâ—rived for it is divided into Closets all over the body of the Room which runs
Season of the Year gooâ— Trouts very good Chambers and Beds after the manner of the Country When you leave the Grisons Country and are â—ome into the Country of Chavenne the People begin to speak broken Italian altho' this latter is a more fertil Country yet the Inhabitants and Pâ—asants do not live so well as in the Grisons Country for that the Natives are more slothful and lazy and here again there are abundance of poor People as you will find in all parts of Italy Of the Bailiages of LUGANE THere are on the other side of the Mountains four Bailiages which were formerly part of the Dutchy of Milan Lewis XII when he lost that Dutchy gave these Bailiages to some of the Switz Cantons These Bailiages are called Lugane Lucarno Mendris and Belinston I shall only take notice of the Bailiage of Lugane which contains ninety nine Villages The Territories of this Bailiage and of the others are not near so good as that of Milan to which it joyns yet the Villages of this Bailiage are very populous the Land is very fruitful because it is well cultivated and all the Inhabitants live contented and well there are no Beggars amongst them nor hardly any Object of Misery and Want Their Houses are all good well built and kept in good repair The Territory of Milan is certainly one of the best in all Italy it produceth Wine Corn and Oyl in abundance very great quantity of Silk and generally speaking all sorts of Fruits there is also excellent Pasture for Cattle and yet the Peasants there do not live so well by much as in the Bailiage of Lugane for there is a great deal of Land that lyes unmanur'd and the Country is not near so populous as in Lugane There can be no other Reason given for this Difference but that Milan is under the Dominion of Spain That the People are loaden with Imposts Subsidies and Taxes which makes them very poor whereas the People of Lugane are under the Government of Switzerland who put no Taxes or subsidies upon them Remarks upon the LAKES I Do not know that in the Kingdom of France as it was thirty years since there were any Lakes except perhaps in the Mountains of Dauphiné From the Lake of Iour to the Lake of Garde which is at Desenesan between Bresse and Veronne in the Territories of Venice there are a great number of Lakes one of the most considerable is that of Geneva then there is the Lake of Newchattel the Lake d'Yverdun the Lake of Morat the Lake of Bienne the Lake of Quinti the Lake of Lucerne the Lake of Constance the Lake of Valestat and many others in the Mountains of Switzerland There is on the other side the Mountains a great and considerable Lake called Come also the Lake of Lugane the Lake Major which is above 60 miles long and likewise the Lake de Gardâ— All these Lakes are replenish'd with most excellent Fish and particularly Trouts but in the Lake de Garde there is found an admirable Fish called Carpion which is far more delicate than either Trout or Salmon but they are not so great for those of the largest sise do not weigh above fifteen pounds I do not think that in any part of Europe there are so many fine Lakes to be found in so narrow a Compass as those which I have here mentioned Concerning the Dutchy of FERRARA THe Duke of Ferrara hath always been but a little Prince because his Dâ—minions are not very great yet there have been several of the said Dukes for above 150 years ago and since that have made a handsome Figure and held a considerable Rank amongst the Princes of Italy The Country was formerly very populous and the Lands being fertil and well cultivated the Revenue of the Prince were considerable and he kept a good Court. But since that Dutchy iâ— devolved upon the See of Rome by the Death of the last Duke who dyed without Issue Male the Country is almost depopulated the most part of the Lands are desolate and for several Years last past the Dutchy is infected with Diseases purely for want of Inhabitants There werâ— formerly in the Time of the Dukes of Ferrara more than one hundred thousand People and at present there are not 15000. The Grass grows in the Streets and most of the Houses are void Polesino is one of the best parts of Italy and that part of it which is possessed by the Venetians is very well cultivated and populous and 't is one of the best of their small Provinces As soon as you pafs the great Arm of the River Po which is called the Lagoscouro which separates that part of the Polesino which belongs to the Venetians from that which belongs to the Pope although the Land and Country is the very same yet the most part of those Lands of the Polesino which belongs to the Ecclesiastical State are desolate and â—ast The Grass lyes withered and rotten upon the ground because there is no body takes care to mow it and in passing through great Villages you 'l find all the Houses abandon'd and not one Inhabitant to be found It is not easily to be imagined how it is posâ—ible that a Country so populous and flouriâ—hing should in less than 80 years be so entirely ruined and dispeopled by this it is very apparent that no Subjects are so unhappy as those that live under the Domination of the Clergy Concerning the Estates of BOLOGNIA IF the Popes had been able to have made themselves masters of Bolognia as they have done of Ferrara they would thereby have reduced it to the same miserable condition but Bolognia hath always preserved their Priviledges and the Civil Government by means of the Gonfalonniers under whom they are governed they have tâ—e right of sending Embassadors to the Pope who injoy the same Prerogatives as do the Embassadors of the other free Princes and States The Pâ—pe cannot confiscate the Goods of any Subject of Bâ—lognia for any Crime whatsoever The great Mischiefs which too frequently happen here more than in other parts are Assassinations and Murthers those that commit them fly for shelter to some of the Churches as to an inviolable Afylum from whence the Legats themselves cannot bring them to be punished or perhaps they retire into the Country into some Strong hold or into the Territories of a Neighbouring Prince where they are certainly secure and there remain until the Legation of the then Câ—rdinal be finished and afterwards make an agreement with the Successor who for Money pardons them having Power so to do all the Crimes and Murthers they have committed In other respects the People of Bolognia are very happy and live in great plenty for that the Country is mighty fruitful and they pay no Taxes to the Prince Remarks upon the Country of the Great Duke of TUSCANY THere are in thâ—s Great Dukedom three considerable Cities Florence Pisa and Sâ—enna All those who have read the Histâ—ry