nothing worth noting in it The Beds in the Inns are made like Presses or Cupboards which you go up a Ladder to and after plunge your self into a deep Feather-bed and have another of the same sort for your covering Two good hours and an half from Arnheim we passed the Yssell divided into three Branches very near each other And then having traversed Doesbourg DOESBOURG which is a little City on that River in the County of Zutphen we were forced to Dine with Biscuit and Milk in a paltry Village and in the Evening we were treated much after the same manner at Ysselbourg YSSELBOURG which is a poor little dismantled place at the entrance into the Country of Cleves There is scarce any thing but Woods and Sandy Grounds between Ysselbourg and Wesel WESEL formerly a Hans-Town and this last place hath no great matter remarkable Its Fortifications are so so They are at present at Work on a Cittadel between the City and the Fort of Lippe on the bank of the Rhine The Elector of Brandenburg gives liberty for the publick exercise of their Religion to the Roman Catholicks in his Dutchy of Cleves by a Treaty which that Prince made with the Duke of of Neuburg now Elector Palatine on condition that the Duke should grant the same liberty to the Protestants in his Dutchies of Juliers and Berg. There are four Churches at Wesel The Protestants called Calvinists have the two principal the Lutherans the third and those of the Roman Communion the other The Jews have a little Synagogue there We passed the Lippe half an hour from Wesel which River throws it self into the Rhine and we came the same day in good time to Duisbourg DUISBOURG formerly a Hans-Town This City is about the bigness of Wesel without Fortifications or any thing considerable but its University The principal Church is fair enough and belongs to the Protestants The Scholars walk about the Streets in their Morning-Gowns like those of Leyden I was informed that the Roman Catholicks might carry the Host about there according to the plenary liberty which is granted them in all this Country though they chose rather to refrain from doing it lest any accidents should happen which might disturb the peaceable manner of living which they and the Protestants enjoy together A good half League from Duisbourg we entred into the Country of Berg which with that of Juliers belongs to the Duke of Neuburg Eldest Son to the Elector Palatine And two hours after we passed through Keyserwaert KEYSERWAERT which is a very little City upon the Rhine It belongs to the Elector of Cologne to whom as we were informed it remains in Mortgage and by whom it was Fortified We have now been a few hours at Dusseldorp DUSSELDORP where we have already walked about a great while to discover something worth our Observation This City is bigger by half than Duisbourg and every way better there are no Suburbs to it no more than to Keyserwart The Fortifications are very well kept and the Electoral Prince the Duke of Newbourg there makes his Residence This is all I can now say I am SIR Yours c. At Dusseldorp Octob. 23. 1687. LETTER V. SIR THis Letter will give you an Account of part of what I could observe at Cologne in three days COLOGNE an Imperial City and hans-Hans-Town Otho the Great made it an Imperial City and gave it the Priviledges it now enjoys As we wander'd in our Walks abroad you must expect no regular Order in the little Relations which I send you I am glad to give you this Advertisement by the by that you may not expect to have things in a better Method than we found them Cologne is to be seen far enough off and all in plain view in a level Country The City is very great There are 24 Gates 13 to the Land and 11 on the Rhine surrounded with a Wall and dry Ditch with Towers and Bastions which defend its Gates There is rarely so great a number of Steeples to be any where seen as appeared to us on the side we approached it Cologne as you know is an Imperial City governed by its Burgo-Masters But the Arch-Bishop hath there a very great Power This Prince takes cognizance of all Affairs both Civil and Criminal and can Pardon those whom the Magistrates condemn And the Oath which the City takes seems to be a kind of Homage It is in these terms We Free Burgesses of Cologne do this day for now and for ever promise to Arch-Bishop of Cologne to be faithful and favourable to him as long as he shall conserve in our Rights and Honour and in our ancient Priviledges Us our Wives our Children and our City of Cologne So God and his Saints help us There is great Jealousie between the City and the Elector They will not suffer him to stay long there with any great Train Many Arch-Bishops have attempted their Liberties Vnder the Reign of the Emperour Adolphus of Nassaw the Inhabitants went in Arms to meet their Arch-Bishop as far as Woringhen in Brabant where having put the Keys of their City between him and them in the Field of Battel to be the price of the Victory they obtained that with their Keys and Franchises They have ever since celebrated a Festival on this Account with a great deal of Ceremony Heiss If you please you may have the Answer which the Bishop returns them it was a Burgo-Master gave me them both We by the Grace of God Arch-Bishop of the Holy Church of Cologne and Arch-Chancellor of the Empire in Italy To the end that there may be an amicable Confederacy entire Confidence and sincere and inviolable Peace between Us and our dear Burgesses of the City of Cologne do make known to all by these Presents that we do promise and declare sincerely and without Fraud that we do confirm all their Rights and Franchises written or not written old or new within or without the City of Cologne which have been granted to it by the Popes Emperours Kings and Arch-Bishops of Cologne without ever doing any thing to violate the same In Testimony whereof c. The Chapter of Cologne is composed of sixty Canons who ought all to be Princes or Earls The four and twenty Eldest are the Capitularies It was formerly the Electors of Cologne who Crowned the Emperour according to the Constitution of the Golden-Bull but these Electors not having been Priests for a long time those of Mentz perform that Office in their stead and the last have * They pretend also to this right in quality of the first Arch-Bishops The Emperour now reigning was Crowned by the Arch-Bishop of Cologne since remained in possession of that Priviledge I am inform'd that there are here many Protestants known to be such They go into the Lands of the Duke of Newbourg to exercise their Religion They are always call'd by their old name of â€
have less noise but the trouble to get up to them is an inconvenience The Lady of Newburgh Vol. 2. P. 109 When we entred into the Valley of Bolsane we were astonished to find the Air as sweet as could be imagined The Vineyards were all green as well as the Willows the Roses the Mulberies and a great number of other Trees A true Spring in the middle of Winter This proceeds from its being sheltred from ill Winds or from some other circumstance of the Country Bolsaner is in the Bishoprick of Trent BOLSANE it is a very little City and its Fairs are all it can boast of There are four in the Year and each lasts fifteen days in which the Merchandizes of Germany and Italy are exchanged We observed in the Roof of the Body of the great Church a round Hole about three foot diameter round about which is a kind of Garland which is tied with Ribbons of several Colours and on which I know not how many great Wafers hang. They told us that on Ascension-day there was a kind of Opera in this Church and that a Man which represented Jesus Christ was lifted up to Heaven through this hole All the Valley of Bolsane is full of Vineyards and the Vines are highly esteem'd by the People of the Country but Strangers are not pleased with them because of their sweetish Taste It is but a good days Journey between Bolsane and Trent through the Valley which is very fruitful and pleasant From place to place near the Vines are little Huts of Straw which are supported by three high Firr-Poles placed like a Trevet there they hide themselves with a Carbine in one of these little Baracques and kill the Bears which come down from the Mountain to eat the Grapes TRENT Trent is a little City not much bigger than Bolsane and is almost situated after the same manner It is founded on a flat Rock of a kind of white and reddish Marble of which most of the Houses are solidly built This City hath many times been laid waste by the Inundations to which it is subject The River often overflows and the Brooks of Levis and Fersena tumble sometimes from the Mountains with such a terrible impetuosity that they drive before them great Rocks and rowl them even into the Town Trent is begirt with a single Wall and the Adige runs by the side of it They boast of the Bridge which is built over this River without having any thing extraordinary to show They recommended to us the Bishop's Palace as a great and splendid Edifice and I remember I have formerly heard the same things said of it But these Reports created in us false Notions of that House which is low and but of a very indifferent size The Bishop is a Temporal and Spiritual Lord in his Diocess which is of a large extent Some place it in Italy others make it part of Tirol But these last deceive themselves if we may believe the People of the Country for they say Trent is in Italy though the Bishop be a Prince of the Empire and the common Language of Trent is Italian They shew'd us in a Chapel of the Cathedral the Crucifix under which the Synod was sworn and promulg'd It is as big as the Life and they say it bowed its Head to testifie the Approbation which it gave to the Decrees of that Assembly They add That no Man ever knew what it was made of so that many doubt whether it were made with Hands They are about to take it from the dark Place in which we saw it and place it in a magnificent Chapel which will shortly be finished where they expect it will do more Miracles than ever It is call'd by way of Eminency The Holy Crucifix From thence we went to St. Mary Major which yet is but a little Church It is built of a kind of base Marble whose Squares are only cut a little less and it was in this place the Council sate The Organs of this Church are extraordinarily great They played to us many new Ayres and counterfeited the Cries of a great many Animals They beat a Drum and did I know not how many other things which have little relation to this place or to the gravity of the Council which is represented in a great Picture hard by Rigord Physician and Historiographer of Philip Augustus writes that in 1180 the Jews of Paris tore by Whipping and Crucified a Boy of 12 Years old named Richard the Son of a Citizen that the Criminals were put to death that all the Jews were driven out of the Kingdom and young Richard was canonzied R. Dumont continuer of of the Chronicle of Sigibert Rob. Gagum Library-Keeper of Louis XII Duplerick and many others report the same Story Mezeray saith that Louis Hattin recall'd the Jews and that Nation being accus'd for poisoning the Fountains and Wells in 1321 were banish'd for ever by Philip V. the Edict yet remains Afterwards they carried us to the Church of St. Peter to see the little Saint Simonin in his Chapel They say that in the Year 1276 the Jews stole the Child of a Shooe-maker whose name was Simon and after they had shed his Blood in a most cruel manner to serve at the Celebration of one of their Feasts they threw the Carcass into a Water-Pipe which pass'd at present to the House where the thing was done and where their Synagogue was at that time and that the Body was carried by the Current into the River and taken up by Fisher-men In a Word the whole Villany was discover'd the Jews were convicted Thirty nine of them hang'd and the rest banish'd the City for ever Sixtus IV. who was then Pope being inform'd of the whole matter thought fit to Canonize the Child and gave it the name of Simonin the diminitive of Simon the Father's Name The Body was embalm'd and is to be seen openly in a Case which is upon the Altar of the Chapel dedicated to him They keep also in an adjoining Cupboard the Knife Pincers and Four great Iron Needles with which his Butchers tormented him and Two Goblets of Silver in which they drunk his Blood Thus the Jews were expell'd But some Years after they obtain'd permission to abide in the City Three Days to do Business and they assur'd me that these Three Days were reduc'd to Three Hours for their obstinate Defence of Buda in the last Siege They have painted this Story at Francfort under the Bridge Gate to load these miserable People who live in that City with new Reproach they have added other infamous Figures where the Divel and Swine are represented mocking and laughing at the Jews I forgot to tell you that the little Simonin was but Twenty eight Months old when he was thus Martyr'd I remember the two last Verses of an Epitaph on the Tomb of a young Lady in the Church of St. Mark I believe they will not displease you This young Wife says
at Vienna or follows the Imperial Court This ‖ This Council is alâ—o compos'd of Members of both Religions Council is not perpetual nor in all respects of equal Dignity with the Imperial Chamber yet Cases of the same nature are also debated and soveraignly determin'd here No Suits can be remov'd from one of these Chambers to the other only in some cases a review of the Judgment may be obtain'd before the Emperor himself The express Orders which the Mareschal de Turenne receiv'd during the last Wars not to disturb or interrupt the ordinary course of Justice in the Chamber of Spire makes the Members of that Court believe that they shall be still treated with the same Respect And they are so firmly perswaded of the * A little after the first Edition of this Book Spire and Worms were plunder'd by the French Troops without the least regard to the Imperial Chamber French Civility that tho' they lye open to an Invasion in case of a Rupture they never think of removing either the Court or Original Records I shall pass from Spire to Colen having nothing to add to the account I have already given you of the Cities that lye between ' em JULIERS At our departure from Colen we took the Road to Juliers the Motropolis of the Dutchy of the same Name As far as we could judge by the slight view we had of it 't is pretty well fortified Here the Protestants enjoy the free exercise of their Religion by vertue of the Treaty which I mention'd before AIX LA CHAPELLE an Imperial City 't is also call'd Royal being perhaps honour'd with that Title because according to the Tenor of the Golden Bull the King of the Romans ought to receive his first Crown here Heiss Leaving Juliers we pass'd thro' a good and pleasant Country and in four or five hours came to Aix la Chapelle That famous City is still large and beautiful tho' it has lost much of its ancient lustre It has also preserv'd its Liberty entire only the Duke of Newburg as Duke of Juliers within whose Lands it lies has a Right to name the Burgo-master 'T is under the Protection of the King of Spain as Duke of Brabant This * This City is double the inward City call'd Carolina is enclos'd with its ancient Walls Blond City was almost wholly rebuilt by Charles the Great having lain desolate for almost four Ages after it was sack'd by Attila The same Emperor endow'd it with several Privileges made it the capital City of Gaul beyond the Alps and honour'd it with his usual Residence He built also the great Church from which the Town took the Name of Aix la Chapelle whereas before it was call'd Aquisgranum from a †The old Tower join'd to the Town-house on the East side does still retain the name of Granus or Granius Idem Roman Prince nam'd Granus a Brother or Kinsman of Nero who having discover'd Mineral Waters in this place built a Castle and laid the first Foundations of the City Charles the Great ‖ At the age of 72 years in the Fourteenth year of his Empire the Forty eighth of his Reign and of Christ 814. dy'd here and his Tomb remains to this day For the space of above Five hundred years several Emperors that succeeded Charles the Great were desirous to be Crown'd at Aix and I think I told you that Charles IV. made a positive regulation of this Ceremony by one of the Constitutions of the Golden Bull which ordain'd that the Emperors should afterwards receive their first Crown here but that Custom has been laid aside for some time and there remain only two Marks of the ancient Privileges of this City first there are Deputies sent both to Aix and Nuremburg to acquaint 'em with the Election of a new Emperor that they may send the Imperial * Ornaments and other things necessary for the Solemnity of the Inauguration Aix sends some Relicks a book of the Gospels written in Letters of Gold and one of Charles the Great 's Swords with the Brit I have already given an account of the Ornament that are kept at Nuremburg that are deposited in their hands And secondly wheresoever the Ceremony is perform'd the Emperor declares solemnly That tho' for some particular Reasons he could not receive his first Crown at Aix that Omission shall not be interpreted to the prejudice or diminution of the Privileges of that City The Emperor is always a Canon of Aix and takes an Oath for that purpose on the day of his Coronation Some Persons here assure me that both Religions enjoy equal Privileges at Aix but I must confess I forgot to enquire when I pass'd by that City and therefore I will affirm nothing positively I read t'other day in a short description of the Country of Juliers 〈◊〉 Monulsus and St. Godulrus Bishops of Liege that two Canoniz'd Prelates gave themselves the trouble of rising from the Dead on purpose to be present at the Dedication of the Chapel of Aix after which they march'd back to their Tombs Does not this Story put you in mind of L. Q. Cincinnatus who after he had been Dictator and gain'd a Battel return'd peaceably to his Plough MASTREICHT We stay'd but two or three hours at Mastreicht a City of an indifferent largeness pretty well built and strongly fortified the Garrison consists of between Nine and Ten thousand Men and we saw the †The present King of England Prince of Orange take a review of ' em Some Battalions perform'd several Martial Exercises and they are all extreamly well disciplin'd The little part of the City on the right Bank of the Meuse is call'd Wyek I know not whether you have observ'd that the Names of Mastreicht and Vtrecht are both deriv'd from the word Trajectum which is their common Name in Latin Vtrecht was call'd inferius or ulterius Trajectum and was the passage of the Rhine And Mastreicht was nam'd Mosae Trajectum the passage of the Meuse and Trajectum superius or the upper Passage About Three a-clock in the Afternoon we left Mastreicht LIEGE and arriv'd the same Evening at Liege which we found so full of People The Bishop's Seat was formerly at Tongres from whence it was transferr'd to Mastreicht and from thence to Liege Heiss by reason of the Ceremony of the Bishop's Election that we could not be accommodated with Beds Liege is a pretty large City populous and adorn'd with some fine Structures of which the Cathedral Church and the Bishop's Palace are the two principal Formerly there was not a Chapter in the whole Empire so honourable as that of Liege The Annals of this City relate that in the year 1131 when the Emperor Lotharius II. was crown'd in this place by Pope Innocent II the Chapter that assisted at the Ceremony was compos'd of nine Sons of Kings fourteen Sons of Dukes who were Soveraign Princes nine and twenty
and Towers separated from the Body of the Church but they are perfect Strangers to such Steeples as that of this Cathedral Thirty paces from the same Church there is a Well where we observ'd that the Iron branches on which the Pully hangs are adorn'd with Foliages and were told that they were wrought by a famous Smith call'd Quintin Mathys This Anvil-beater became enamour'd of a Painter's Daughter and had the good Fortune to touch her Heart he was handsom witty and ingenious and besides was Master of a considerable Fortune for a man of his Profession but the Painter would by no means be perswaded to give his Daughter to a Black-smith The old man's Obstinacy did not dishearten Quintin his Love animated him and taught him to overcome that difficulty he exchang'd his Hammer for a Pencil and in a little time equal'd and even surpass'd the best Painters in Antwerp after which he receiv'd the dear Reward of his Labours This generous Lover dy'd Anno 1529 and was buried at the Foot of the Cathedral near the great Portal the following Verse is engrav'd on the Wall over his Tomb. CONNVBIALIS AMOR DE MVLCIBRE FECIT APELLEM Love metamorphos'd Vulcan to Apelles Plantin's Printing-house remains in some measure to this very day 't is now in the possession of Moretus who is also a very skilful Printer The Water of the Scheld being always brackish before Antwerp and the Fountains of the City not sufficient to serve the Brewhouses they were forc'd to be at the charge of bringing a new supply of Water by a Canal which empties its self into a great Cistern out of which the Water is rais'd by Engines to a large Bason from whence 't is distributed by forty Pipes to as many Brewhouses The Brewers are fix'd to that number by reason of the great scarcity of Water which they have only at certain hours and every one knows when to open the Cock of his Pipe Some Authors relate That Charles the Fifth passing thro' Paris to show his contempt of that City said he would put it in his * In French Gan signifies a Glove and Ghent is also call'd Gant In the year 1427 the Count of Nassaw Baron de Diestein the Marquess of Bergopzom and the Baron of Wesemale caus'd the Circuit of several great Cities to be measur'd for a Wager and they found as it appears by an authentic Record still extant that the Circumference of Lovain exceeds that of Ghent by three Rods or sixty Feet Voyage to Flanders Glove meaning That it might be contain'd in Ghent The Jests of great Princes are commonly receiv'd as Oracles and this little Story whether true or false has doubtless occasion'd the ridiculous mistake of several Authors who speak of Ghent as of the greatest City in Europe I know not whether it might not be contain'd in the Suburb of St. Germans but I 'm sure it will appear very inconsiderable if it be compar'd to Paris 'T is true Ghent is a City but Paris is a little World After all it must be acknowledg'd that Ghent is a very pleasant place 't is a fine City neat prettily built in a good Air and convenient situation whereas at Paris the Houses hide the City here they are not so thick but that the Town may be easily view'd The French King took it in six days notwithstanding the Inundations of its Sluces Ann. 1678. It receives great Advantages from the neighbourhood of the Scheld and Lys there is a Bridge over the latter on which there are two Statues of Brass representing one Man ready to cut off another's Head The same Figures are to be seen in a large Picture in the Town-house with this Inscription written below Ae Gandt le en Fandt fraepe sae Pere se taete desuu maeis se heppe rompe si graece de Dieu 1371. I know not whether you can understand this Gaulish or rather old Walloon Tongue without the help of an Interpreter A Gand says the Inscription l'Enfant frappe son Pere dessus la teste mais son épée romp par la grace de Dieu To explain the meaning of it they told us the following Story A Father and his Son being convicted of a certain Crime receiv'd Sentence of Death but afterwards a Pardon was offer'd to either of 'em that would be the other's Executioner This rigorous Mercy inspir'd both the unhappy Wretches with a desire of dying and they contended obstinately for that which they esteem'd the more advantageous part of so cruel a Choice but at last the Father prevail'd he had a greater Strength of Mind and the length of his Life had weaken'd the desire of it After the Son had resolv'd to take away the Life of him to whom he ow'd his own and had already put himself in a posture to give the fatal blow the Sword either broke in the Air or the Blade flew out of the Handle which Accident being interpreted as a particular Effect of Providence both the Malefactors were set at liberty The ancient Building call'd the Princes Court was heretofore the Palace of the Counts of Flanders We went thither to see the Chamber where Charles the Fifth was * The Prelates of Ghent presented him with a Bible as soon as he was born with these words written on it Study this Book Act. Her de Ch. V. born which is so little a Room that 't is impossible there could ever be a Bed in it and yet there is an ancient Inscription which proves evidently that this is the place where that Prince came into the World However Ghent has no reason to boast of giving birth to so great a Prince In the Church of the Nuns call'd Beguines there is a miraculous Crucifix with an open Mouth It happen'd one day during the time of the Carnaval that all the Sisterhood went abroad to take their Pleasure leaving only one of their Companions at home who was perhaps as great a lover of the Sport as any of the rest and unable to bear so great an Affront went to make her Complaint to the Crucifix from which she receiv'd the following Answer Grieve not my Daughter to morrow thou shalt rejoice with me at my eternal Wedding This Prophecy was entirely accomplish'd for the Beguin dy'd the next day and the Crucifix remain'd ever afterwards with its Mouth open for he us'd it so roughly afterwards that it had been better for that City he had never been born 'T is observ'd that his birth happen'd on St. Matthias's day and that afterwards on the same day he was proclaim'd Emperor and took King Francis I. Prisoner The Cathedral is a vast Structure dedicated to St. Bavon Here I observ'd an Epitaph on a certain Prelate which tho' plain and short is perhaps more expressive than the most studied Elogies Ecclesia Antistitem amisit Respublica Virum The Church has lost a Bishop And the Commonwealth a Man From Ghent we embark'd on the Canal that
I heard from Persons of unsuspected Credit without the least Design to offend any Man whatsoever I hope every candid Reader will make a Distinction between those things which I affirm positively and those which are usher'd in with a 'T is said tho' even in these Cases I have related nothing but what is grounded on the general Opinion and was never contradicted by any with whom I have had occasion to converse For after all I would not be oblig'd to warrant the Truth of these common Reports which are oftentimes found to be common Lyes To avoid the Confusion occasion'd by the various length of Leagues and Miles in Germany I usually express the distance of Places by the Number of Hours that are commonly spent in travelling between 'em and if at any time I make use of the Word League I understand an Hour's Journey The Italian Miles are generally known and need no explication only the Reader may take notice That Two Miles in Piedmont make almost Three after the ordinary way of reckoning and that the Miles of Lombardy are the shortest of all I shall only add That when I measure any Distance by a certain number of Paces I mean the Steps I usually make in Walking ADVERTISEMENT Some BOOKS newly Published THe Present State of Persia With a faithful Account of the Manners Religion and Government of that People By Monsieur Sanson a Missionary from the French King Adorned with Figures The Present State of the Empire of Morocco With a faithful Account of the Manners Religion and Government of that People By Monsieur de St. Olon Ambassador there in the Year 1693. Adorn'd with Figures Letters written by a French Gentleman Giving a faithful and particular Account of the Transactions of the Court of France relating to the Publick Interest of Europe With Historical and Political Reflections on the ancient and present State of that Kingdom Communicated by the famous Monsieur Vassor The Roman History from the Building of the City to the perfect Settlement of the Empire by Augustus Caesar containing the space of 727 Years Design'd as well for the understanding of the Roman Authors as the Roman Affairs By Lawrence Echard A. M. of Christ-College in Cambridge The Life of the Famous Cardinal-Duke de Richlieu Principal Minister of State to Lewis XIII King of France and Navarr In Two Volumes A NEW VOYAGE TO ITALY A. M. D. W. LETTER I. SIR HOLLAND is a Country so near and so well known to yours that I should perhaps have said nothing of it had not your express Commands obliged me to it in compliance therefore with your desires I will endeavour to give you an Idea of this rare Country with a particular Account of the Cities I saw there As to the rest Holland hath so many particulars worth your Observation and View that I think it impossible you should decline making a Voyage thither The Passage over is but short and you will have a thousand opportunities to render it convenient But being persuaded that you will not fail one day to satisfie so reasonable a Curiosity I shall not entertain you so largely as I might with an account of those charming Provinces wherein I have formerly for a long time sojourned We observed from our Vessel as we approach'd these Coasts that the nearer we came we perceived the tops of the Trees and the summits of the Steeples as if they issued out of a Land sunk under Water In short Holland is universally flat and low like one continued Meadow 'T is cut into Canals and large Ditches to receive and drain the Waters which otherwise would soak the Lands like drunken Tosts there are but few Places that can be Cultivated A Country like this is not naturally Habitable yet Industry constant Labour and the Love of Profit have brought it into such a State that there is not in the World one so Rich and so well Peopled proportionably to its extent * Pufendorf Others pretend that the Seven Provinces together do not contain more than Two Millions of Inhabitants It is difficult for a private Person to learn the certainty of those kind of things See Vossius Some do not stick to averr that this little Province alone includes more than Two Millions and Five Hundred Thousand Souls The Cities are as it were †The Vnited Provinces have one City of the first Rank viz. Amsterdam Above twenty of the second Rank which may compare with the great Cities of France after Paris More than Thirty of the third which equal Parma and Modena Above two hundred great Towns and more than eight hundred Villages G. L. link'd together and we may say that they are all of a sparkling Beauty The more we consider them the more agreeable we find them * There is no less curiosity and neatness in their Ships than in their Houses This Cleanliness extends throughout You may find it in the Stables where the Cows Tales are tied up with a little Cord to the Roof least they should defile themselves They wash all and scowre all the Walls Moveables and Vtensils of Houshold-stuff Great care is taken to keep their Houses neat and fine both within and without they Wash them and Paint the very Bricks over from time to time so that they always look new The Doors and the Cross-bars are commonly revested with hewn Stone or Marble the inside of the Shops and lower Rooms even with the common Tradesmen are also commonly lined with square Tiles The Glass-Windows all shine like Chrystal every Window hath its Shutters which are commonly painted red or green and make altogether a mixture most pleasant to the sight The Streets are so clean that the Women walk abroad in Slippers all the Year The Canals every where are adorned with two rows of Trees which make a delightful Shade and a delicate Walk on each side the Streets You have here almost a general Idea not only of the Cities but also of the Towns and Villages for the same Order and Neatness is to be seen throughout The most usual way of Travelling is by the Canals and nothing is so convenient The Boats are drawn by Horses and they go off at set hours You are therein conveniently seated against Storms of Rain or Wind So that you change the Country without knowing almost that you are out of the House When the Canals are Frozen the Skates and the Sledges are instead of the Boats and this new way of Travelling is a second Pleasure Those who slide skilfully on Skates will out-run the Post-Horses some will undertake to go a League in ten Minutes Thus you see how commodious their Canals are but this is not all the convenience they receive by the drain of their Waters they are also useful for Traffick and transport of Goods as well as Men. The Earth which they take out raises the Banks and makes the ways more fit for Foot-Men they serve both for Enclosure and Ornament In some
inclosure where the Beguines are obliged to be present at the hours appointed for their Devotions Their Habits are black and something fantastical They regulate their Expences as they please themselves as well for their Table as Furniture They receive and pay Visits when they please They quit the Beguinage when they are minded to Marry or on any other occasion And it may be said that this retreat far from the vowed constraint of a Convent is a very sweet and reasonable manner of living The confusion caused by the Coaches by reason of the perpetual Carriage of Merchandizes and the danger of shaking the Houses which as I told you are founded on Piles is the reason that none but Strangers and Physicians are allowed to have any Sleds indeed are permitted but that being a slow and uneasie Carriage there are none but old Women who make use of it We went to see a French Opera where there was neither Machines nor rich Cloaths nor good Actors That which we found most pleasant was a great Lass You ought to see at Amsterdam the Cabinets of Mr. Wiltzen Vanderhem Occo and Grill. C. Patin who acts the part of a Man and pronounc'd what she sung so well that one would have believed her naturally French tho' all she said was by rote for she understood not a word of French They say she was a Drummer for five or six Years amongst the Dutch Troops It is requisite I should say something of the famous Musick-Houses They are a kind of Taverns or Halls for Dancing where the young People of the meanest sort Men and Maids meet every Evening These are the meeting places but the Intrigue is carried on in another Usually Strangers have the curiosity to see them They must make shew as if they had a mind to drink a Glass of Wine when it is offered and give some gratuity to him or her who presents it The Exchange of London is about 148 foot in length and 120 in breadth The Burse or Exchange was built in the Year 1608. It is a Building of fine carved Stone and founded on more than two thousand Piles The place where the Merchants assemble is 200 foot long and 124 in breadth The Galleries are supported by forty six Pillars they are neither so fine nor so numerous as those on the Exchange at London The Academy vulgarly called the illustrious School is a handsome Building There they teach the Oriental and other Tongues Divinity Philosophy History c. The Lawyers and the Physicians have also their Schools There are five Towers in the City each of them having a great Clock which are so placed and distributed that the hours may be easily known in any part of the City I had an hundred other Curiosities to tell you of Amsterdam but I once more advise you to visit them your self We hope to depart to morrow for Utrecht by the Canal and tho' I cannot precisely tell the way we shall take thence to Cologne yet I shall not fail to write to you as soon as I shall have wherewithal to fill a Letter I returned yesterday from Losdun whither some Friends obliged me to go a second time with them I am very glad I can inform you that the Inscription which is seen in the Church of this Village differs from that in the Annals which I cited to you in that it calls the Bishop who Baptized the 365 Children Guido Suffragan of Utretcht and in the Annals he is named William Suffragan of Treves This variation calls not in question the truth or probability of the Fact There are many times alterations in the speaking and writing of things which in themselves are very true and this might be by the fault of the Transcriber Above the Inscription are these two Verses En tibi monstrosum nimis memorabile factum Quale nec à mundi conditione datum And below Haec lege mox animo stupefactus Lector abibis I am SIR Yours c. At Amsterdam this 20th of October 1687. LETTER IV. SIR WE were seven whole hours on the Canal between Amsterdam and Utrecht but the way was extreamly pleasant as well because of the fair Weather and the fine Country as of the good Company we had in the Boat We left on the Right-hand three Leagues from Amsterdam the old Castle of Abcow with the Village of the same name where are the bounds of the Province of Holland It was late when we came to Utrecht and our Affairs allowed us to stay there but some part of the next day This City begins to abate of the extream neatness of the Province of Holland though it yet retains enough of it You know it is great ancient and famous for its University UTRECHT The happy Union made here in the last Age * Anno 1579. which is the Band and Knot of the Republick is an eternal Honour to this City They boast of the extraordinary height of the Steeple of this Cathedral in which Church are kept some pretended Reliques This Church was begun by Dagobert I. about the Year 630. which are in great Veneration with the Romanists M. Kercringius a famous Physician and Anatomist dwelling at Utrecht hath Foetus's of all Ages by which you may observe the order proportion and progress of their Formation from the Egg to the forming of all the Organs of the Body C. Patin The Walk of the Mall is fine and those of Utrecht esteem it the more because it was spared by order of the French King when he came to that City some Years since and his Troops as you know ruined all things thereabouts A Gentleman of Utrecht imparted a curious Observation to me by which you may judge of the number of Towns throughout this Country he found forty eight to each of which one may go easily from Utrecht in a day and there are thirty three of them to which you may go and come back the same day When you go out of Utrecht you find a Country altogether different from that we left last The Canals and Ditches of Holland are changed into Hedges and the Meadows into high and plowed Fields Two hours from Utrecht we crossed the fine Avenues of Zeist in sight of a Castle on the right hand ZEIST It is a very fair Building compassed with large Ditches full of running Water and adorn'd with Woods Gardens Statues Fountains and all other Embellishments you can desire This House belongs to one of the great Lords of the Country who built it some Years since and hath the repute of doing things magnificently Between Rhenen and Arnheim the Fields are almost wholly Planted with Tabaco and the Stakes by which it is propped make a shew of Vineyards at a distance Approaching the Village of Rhincom three hours on this side Rhenen you find a boundary Stone which separates the Lordship of Utrecht from the Dutchy of Gueldres Arnheim is tolerably Fortified ARNHEIM otherwise I found
to her Husband Immatura peri sed tu diuturnior annos Vive meos conjux optime vive tuos I am SIR Yours c. At Trent Dec. 13. 1687. LETTER XIV SIR ROVEREDO WE passed thro' the little City of Roveredo where there is a great Trade of Silk Bourguetto is not far off which is the last Village of the Trentin and Ossenigo the first of the State of Venice a little Cross of Wood makes the Separation between these two Sovereignties A little on this side of Roveredo we travers'd a Country all full of loose Rocks scatter'd here and there as if an Earthquake had thus sow'd them from the Ruines of some Mountain This is call'd the Wood of Roveredo though there be not so much as the Branch of a Tree in it The Passage is sometimes dangerous by reason of Thieves as well as the Forest of Vergnara which is between Ossenigo and the Fort of Guardara Our Messenger advis'd us to take a Convoy in this last Passage When you are come into the States of Venice you find no more of those Stoves of which Germany is full and you find a sensible change in every thing CHIUSA We were constrain'd to lodge in a little Village call'd Seraino because it was too late to get to Scluse That is a very considerable Fort whose Situation is something like that of the Scluse which we met between Geneve and Lyons on the River Rhosne I fansie I have seen the Description of it in your Closet The first is at the Foot of a high Rock the way which leads to it is dug out of the craggy part of the same Rock and on the other side is a Precipice at the bottom whereof rowls the Adige After we had pass'd this Fort and had for some time follow'd the Banks of that River which glides along among high Rocks we found the Heaven open'd and entred into a vast Plain whereas ever since our Departure from Munich we had been enclos'd between the Mountains This Plain is stony and barren in divers Places There are in it some Olive-Trees and White Mulberries for the Silk-Worms the Vines ate planted at the foot of Cherry-Trees and young Elms and they join themselves in Garlands from Tree to Tree We pass'd the Adige in a Ferry-Boat two good Leagues from Seraino and a quarter of an Hour after VERONA we plainly perceiv'd Verona where we arrived the same Day By what we saw at our entrance into it we judg'd it to be but thinly Peopled There are great void places on this side and Grass growing in the Streets and the greatest part of them not paved It 's true the rest of the City is not like this part but putting all together Verona looks like a poor place and indeed there is but little Trade in it and those which live on their Rents make no great Figure If there be some fine Buildings it is certain that the Houses in general are very low and unequal The greatest part of the Balconies are of Wood so loaded with little Gardens in Pots and Cases that it seems dangerous to pass under them The Streets are dirty and almost all narrow In a Word This City is not at all fit to please the Eyes of a Traveller Nevertheless it is very great in a good Air and its Situation is admirable As it yields but little satisfaction when you behold it near and take a particular view of it so much the more will you admire it when you look upon it from some eminency We went up to the Castle of St. Peter which is on a rising ground within the Compass of the Walls and we could not give over viewing it from this Place where we had a full prospect of it and were charm'd to behold that admirable Garden of Pleasure in the midst of which it is seated The Adige crosses it and Four fair Stone Bridges make the Communication between the two Parts into which the River divides it The Castle of St. Felix is behind that of St. Peter and both together command the City The other Fortifications of this place are much neglected and very irregular The Amphitheatre of Verona is a thing so much the more surprising because we do not frequently meet with such Monuments of antiquity * The outward Wall or Front The Inclosure is all destroy'd but they have taken care to repair the Benches according as they fell to decay there are Four and forty of them and I counted Five hundred and thirty Paces in the highest round and Two hundred and fifty on the lowest Every Step is near a Foot and a half high See the little Treatise which Justus Lipsius hath writ of Amphitheaters and is about Twenty six Inches in breadth This last Distance could not be less that so those who sate behind might not be troublesome to the others with their Feet At every end of the Arena between the Benches there is a Portal of Twenty eight Foot high by which the Entrance is to the Arena out of the Street and above every Portal a kind of Tribune or Platform of Twenty Foot long and Ten broad closed before and on the sides with a Balcony of Marble †Others attribute it to the Emperour Maximin Euseb It is commonly said that this was the work of Augustus but I find but little Proof of it You see still remaining a Triumphal * The Inscription of this Arch can no more be read See how it is related by N. Vignier in his Historical Library Colonia Augusta Verona Gallieniana Valeriano II. Et Lucilio Coss muri veronensium Fabricari die III. Non. April dedicati prid no. Decemb. jubente sanctissimo Gallieno Aug. N. Arch and some Ruines of Ancient Monuments The Cathedral is a little dark Church Pope Lucius III. is interr'd there and they have written for an Epitaph on his Tomb-Stone Ossa Lucii III. Româ pulsus invidiâ I expected to have found another which is more ingenious which I remember I have read somewhere Luca dedit tibi Lucem Luci Pontificatum Ostia Papatum Roma Verona mori Immo Verona dedit tibi Lucis gaudia Roma Exilium curas Ostia Luca mori You know this Pope had great Broils with Frederick Barbarossa as well as Alexander III. his Predecessor But these were not the only Cause of his leaving Rome He was driven out by the Magistrates and by the * Lucius est piscis rex atque Tyrannus aquarum A quo discordat Lucius iste parum Devorat ille homines hic piscibus insidiatur Esurit hic semper ille aliquando satur Amborum vitam si laus aequata notaret Plus rationis habet qui ratione caret People because he would be too Imperious It is said that Pepin the Son of Charlemain and King of Italy built the Church of St. Zeno at Verona It must be confess'd the Carvers of that time were miserable Artists Never were there seen such wretched
weight with which it was over-loaded That thirty Persons were killed on the spot and a great many others wounded and all that little City was in a great disorder and unspeakable affliction on this occasion There scarcely being any considerable Family which had not its share of this misfortune Departing from Senegallia we entred again on the Shore and travelled seventeen Miles without finding any Houses but an old Castle and some Taverns about an hundred paces from the Sea Near the little Village called the Turret we fell back into the Land-way for three Miles to Ancona ANCONA where we now are This City is seated on a double Hillock at the point of the Promontory It is bigger than any one of the four or five Towns last mention'd but not much richer though its Haven be very good Traders of all Religions may dwell at Ancona provided they make no publick Exercise of any besides the Religion of the Country They whiten Wax very well at Ancona Du Val. and the Country about it very fruitful It is a wonderful thing that the Trade is quite ruin'd in a place which was formerly so famous for it 'T is true that after the like example of Antwerp we ought not to be surpris'd at any accidents of this nature The Streets of Ancona are narrow and consequently dark There are neither fair Houses fine Churches nor considerable Places in it and its situation up Hill and down Hill renders it very inconvenient The Citadel which is on the first ascent you come to commands both the City and the Haven And on the other Hill which makes the point of the Cape is the Church of St. Cyriack to which we ascended with a great deal of trouble and little satisfaction It is a low and dark Edifice of which the Front is cover'd indeed with fine Marble but without any order or ornament of Architecture That which is principally esteem'd in this Church by the People of the Country are the Bodies of the pretended Saints and the number of Relicks They boast they have St. Ursula as well as those of Cologne As for us what pleased us best was the prospect which we had of the Sea of the City and of a pleasant Country At the entrance of the Mote there is a Triumphal-Arch of very fine white Marble This Arch was erected for Trajan by order of the Senate The Inscription which is still very entire let us know that it was in acknowledgment of this that that Prince repair'd the Harbour at his own charge They told us whilst we were considering this Monument that I know not what Monks had oftentimes earnestly requested that they might employ the Materials for some use in their Convent And that at last they were fain to drive them away with Threats to be rid of their Importunity The Exchange where the Merchants meet resembles a Portico of a reasonable bigness There were at the four Corners of the Arch four Statues which represented Faith Hope Charity and Religion But there happen'd an Earthquake some Years since which shook all these Statues and threw down that of Religion I cannot forbear giving you some account of the Habits which thanks to the Holy-day we saw here to day The principal Burgesses usually wear a black Cloak lined with green blue or fillamott Stockings Shoes whited with Chalk and tied with coloured Ribbon the Doublets unbutton'd adorn'd with Embroidery of several Colours and great Sleeves to their Shirts which hang down to their Fingers ends The ordinary Citizens Wives and Daughters wear a kind of Coif on their Heads with a long Fringe which covers their Faces and drives away the Flies like Horse-trappings The body of their Gown is red or yellow fastned on four sides with Laces and all overlaid with coloured Galoon The Wastcoat short their Petticoats of the same size and all of fifty Colours The great Madams are deck'd and trimm'd up as much as they can after the French Mode But to say truth their Apishness is more ridiculous than the others natural Dressing All this does neither good nor hurt but there is another Custom which as we were inform'd runs from Ferrara almost all over Italy and is very inconvenient especially at this time of the Year They know not what Glass is and their Chamber-Windows are made of Linen or Paper always torn so that they are fain ro invent Machines every Evening to shelter themselves from the Weather This made us sometimes bewail the loss of our Straw in Germany where if we wanted Beds we had at least a good Stove well heated and closed To compleat our Misfortunes they commonly brought us a Fricacy of three Eggs or as many Pilchards for the Supper of five or six Persons You must Fight for your Victuals and yet pay as much as for the best Cheer The set Price was at so much a Head three Julio's for Dinner and four for Supper which comes to about * About fifty Sols French Money Polybius relates that in his Time about the Year 550. they had a good Meal in Italy for a Denier Hospites viatoribus honestè acceptis omnibus ad victum necessariis abunde subministratis non amplius quam siliquem capiunt haec oboli tertia pars est four Shillings a day I am inform'd the Post is just going which makes me finish my Letter that I may not miss the opportunity of sending it to you I will add only one word touching the flux and reflux of the Sea You must know that it is more or less observable according to the distance from the bottom or extremity of the Gulf. At Venice the Tide rises four foot and an half or thereabouts near to Ravenna three at Pesara two and one almost at Ancona so that at last it decreaseth to nothing I hope we shall arrive at Loretto to morrow about Noon You may assure your self I shall use all means necessary to give you an exact account of the Santa Casa I am SIR Yours c. At Ancona Feb. 24. 1688. LETTER XIX SIR I Believe there is not in Italy a better Country and worse ways than between Ancona and Loretto we got thither yesterday like poor Pilgrims weary and dirty having been forced many times to alight to ease the Coach All the World hath heard of our Lady of Loretto But since discourses concerning her are various and the matter of it self very curious I intend to give you an abridgment of all that I saw or learned on this occasion The House which they here call Sacratissimo Sacello Gloriosa Cella Domus aurea Domus sapientiae Vas insigne Devotionis Sanctuarium Dei Propitiatorium Altissimi Civitas refugii Puteus aquarum viventium Terror Daemonum Spes desperantium Gloria Jerusalem Tabernaculum foederis Solium gloriae Dei. Sacrarium Divinitatis c. Sacrosanta Casa is say they the same in which the Virgin Mary was born where she was betroth'd and marri'd to Joseph where the Angel
by a secret and artificial contrivance of the Architect And there are some who pretend that it seems to lean to all sides according to the different position of the Spectator But they are all equally mistaken and in vain strive to find out a Mystery where there is none for any reasonable and attentive Considerer will be easily convinc'd by his own Observation without further Proof that the Tower does really lean and that its inclination was accidentally occasion'd by the sinking of part of its Foundation The heighth of this Tower amounts to One hundred eighty and eight feet The Stairs that lead to the top of the Tower consist of 193 Steps and it has the Figure of a perfect Cylinder The Platform or Balcony on the top is surrounded with Rails from whence having let fall a Plummet on the side that enclines most after several Tryals to the right and left hand I found that my Lead touch'd the Ground exactly at the distance of fifteen feet from the Foundation The Burying-place call'd Campo Santo because of the Earth which the Pisans * When they assisted Frederic the First call'd Barbarossa who took Jerusalem brought from the Holy Land in the year 1228 is a kind of Cloyster 190 paces long and 66 broad comprehending the breadth of the Portico's It contains a great number of Tombs Here I observ'd an ancient Inscription fix'd against the Wall under one of the Portico's which is a Decree of the City of Pisa occasion'd by the death of Caesar ordaining the People to wear Mourning a whole year and in the mean time to abstain from all public Divertisements I will not trouble you with a description of the Garden of Simples or of the Collection of Natural Curiosities in the School of Physic for I could not find any Rarities in 'em which I had not already seen in other places The * They wear a red Cross on a black Cloak and a flamecolour'd Collar Knights of St. Stephen have their resisidence at Pisa You are not ignorant that this is the Great Duke's Order and that it was instituted by Cosmo I in the year †On the 6th of August after he had gain'd the Battel of Marciano The Knights must be of Noble Blood and born in lawful Wedlock They vow Conjugal Chastity Their Cross is like to that of Malta Every one of 'em is oblig'd to say a hundred Pater Nosters and as many Ave Maria's daily and on certain occasions they double the Dose 1561. The Church of the Order is very full of Standards Ship-Lanthorns and other Spoils taken from the Turks and over against it in the Place is the Statue of the Founder LEGHORN Pisa is fourteen miles distant from Leghorn The interjacent Country is flat and the Way lies for the most part through Woods of ever green Oaks Cork-Trees and Wild Myrtles 'T is said that all these Forests were formerly cover'd by the Sea which reach'd within three miles of Pisa to a place where there is now a great Church at the entry of the Woods They tell us That one day as St. Peter was fishing there arose a Tempest which drove him to this very place where he was shipwreck'd And they add That he erected an Altar there about which the Church was built by a certain Pope some Ages afterward It would be needless to relate the rest of the Story I have already told you that Leghorn is a modern City it is situated on a flat Ground and surrounded with handsom Fortifications cover'd over with Brick the Streets are large streight as a Line and parallel the Houses are generally of equal heighth and almost all painted on the outside Most of the Painting was done by Aug. Tasso a Native of Bologna The Harbour is not so well stor'd with Ships as several others but the Trade of the Bank is very considerable This is the only Sea-Port in the Dukedom of Tuscany and the station of the Great Duke's Galleys There is a House built on purpose for the Slaves or a kind of Hospital in which they lye contrary to the Custom of all other places In our Journey from Leghorn to Lucca we were forc'd to pass a second time thro' Pisa three miles on this side of which we saw the rugged Mountain of St. Julian which divides Tuscany from the Signiory of Lucca Lucca is situated in the midst of a fertile Plain which extends fifteen or twenty miles LUCCA according to its various dimensions and is surrounded with very rich and well-inhabited Hillocks The Fortifications of the City are pretty regular and well lin'd but their Foundations are level with the Plain We walk'd round the Ramparts in one hour which is an Argument of the smallness of the Town but to make amends it contains many great Houses and exceeds Pisa in the number of its Inhabitants by almost one half Here they carried us to see the Palace of the Republic where the * Vexillifer or Standard-bearer Gonfalonnier lodges with his nine Counsellors call'd Anziani We were inform'd that these Magistrates do also usually eat together in this Palace while their Wives and Families in the mean time live at home The State of Lucca is a Fief of the Empire and under its protection The Government is purely Aristocratical for the Soveraignty is lodg'd in the Council of Two hundred and forty Nobles who are divided into two Bodies which succeed one another every six months with the Gonfalonnier at their Head The Office of this Chief Magistrate of the Republic is not unlike to that of the Doges of Venice and Genoua save only in this respect that he continues but two months in the possession of the supreme Dignity by which he receives no other Advantage than the maintaining of his Table at the public Charge during that time He wears a Bonnet and Stole with a Robe of Crimson Velvet and has the Title of a Prince tho' he is only stil'd His Excellency He may be chosen again to the same Dignity after an interval of six years and his ordinary Guard consists of threescore Switzers From the Palace we enter'd into the Arsenal where there is a considerable quantity of Arms for so small a State and besides they are kept in good order From thence we went to the Cathedral to see the Chapel of the Volto Santo 'T is said That Nicodemus having often attempted in vain to paint a Crucifix the Angels that beheld his fruitless Labours took his Pencil from him and finish'd this Piece They cannot give a positive account how this Picture was first brought to the Church of St. Fredian but they assur'd us that it remov'd from thence to the Cathedral and remain'd hanging in the Air in the same place where we saw it till they had built an Altar under it on which it rested and about which they afterwards built a magnificent Chapel This Image does not work so many Miracles as several others but every
went also to the Church of the Holy Cross principally to see the Tomb of Michael Angelo which is certainly a very considerable Monument tho' in my opinion not altogether suitable to the Merit of so great a person In the Chapel belonging to the Family of the Zanchini in the same Church we observ'd on the Altar a Picture by Angelo Bronzini in which Christ is represented delivering the Souls of the Fathers among whom there are many Female Spirits that appear too gay and airy for an Altar-piece And even some say That she who bears the Name of Eve is the true Resemblance of the Painter's Mistriss They add also that the Figure of a Man at the right corner of the Picture below looking stedfastly on the pretended Eve is Bronzini's own Phiz This puts me in mind of Pinturicchio who in the Vatican painted Pope Alexander the Sixth prostrate at the Feet of Julia Farnese under pretext of making him adore the Virgin Among the holy Rarities we observ'd in the Churches besides the Rods of Moses and Aaron which I mention'd before I shall only name the Hood St. Francis wore when he was stigmatiz'd which is to be seen in the Church of All-Saints Two of Judas's thirty pieces of Silver which are preserv'd in the Annuneiâ—â—â— and the Crucifix that spoke to St. Andrewâ—â—Vrsina which is in the Church of the Carmelites The Monks of St. Mark make excellent Balsams and prepare all manner of Perfumes we bought some of 'em and had sometimes the pleasure to walk in their Cloysters and odoriferous Gardens where we breath'd nothing but Oranges and Jesmins But the truth is there is not any part about Florence that is not altogether charming The Great Duke has several fine Houses of which we only saw Poggio Imperiale and Pratinola These are very pleasant places and I may even venture to say they have Beauties that are not common But the magnificency of Gardens and Waterworks is advanc'd to such a heighth in France that the best way to save the Credit of Frescati and Pratinola is to pass over in silence all their petty Wonders that were formerly so highly extoll'd We visited also the Arsenal and the Citadel of St. John Baptist which is a strong place and kept in good order But the two Forts of Belvedere and St. Miniato are in a manner wholly neglected The Great Duke has diverse Nurseries for several sorts of Animals Villani relates In the Hospital ad Scalas there is the Tomb and Epitaph of a human Monster who had two Heads and four Hands on one Body This double man nam'd Peter and Paul had different Affections One of the Heads wept while the other laugh'd and slept while his Companion was awake This Monster liv'd Twenty years and Twenty days Schrader That in the year 1331 two young Lions were cubb'd at Florence who liv'd to grow great The same Author writes That at another time a Lion made his escape out of his Hole and terrified the whole City that having met a young Child whom he lifted up between his Paws without hurting it the astonish'd Mother ran with Cries and Tears to the ravenous Animal who looking stedfastly upon her restor'd the Child without offering the least Violence to either of ' em I must not conclude this Letter without mentioning those Stones found on the Mountains near Florence which being saw'd thro' the middle and afterwards polish'd some of 'em represent several sorts of Trees and others are mark'd with the Figures of Towns and ruin'd Castles Kircher calls the former Dendrites from the Images of Trees that appear on 'em and the same Author makes several curious Remarks on this occasion which I will not insist upon in this place since doubtless you remember 'em as well as I. There is one thing more which I must not forget to tell you for tho' Florence is certainly one of the finest Cities in the World and has the advantage of a most delicious situation yet it must appear a very sad and melancholy place to those who are accustom'd to enjoy the Pleasures of Society Sir D. who you know has resided here for several years is not able to express his uneasiness under the intolerable Constraint and eternal Ceremonies of this place and particularly exclaims against the Invisibility of the beautiful Sex and indeed these Customs can never be endur'd by any but such as are accustom'd to 'em from their Infancy I am SIR Your c. Florence May 23 16â—â— LETTER XXVIII SIR WE could not find one Litter at Florence to carry us to Bologna I know not by what Accident the whole Country was cover'd with a Deluge of Monks who took up all the easie Carriages We had two days Journey to make thro' a very rough and mountainous Country 't is true 't is not impassable in a Calash but we should have been oftentimes forc'd to alight and walk afoot and therefore we resolv'd to make use of Horses The Way between Florence and Bologna is a perpetual Chain of the Apennin Mountains the highest we met with in our passage is call'd Monte Juovo The Country generally speaking is barren and desart only the Valleys of * On the third of July 1642 this little Town was destroy'd by an Earthquake Schrad Scarperia and †Fiorenzola was built by the Florentins An. 1332. Villani writes That they laid the Foundations of it under the Ascendant of the Sign Leo that it might become a potent and durable City But he adds That these Precautions were very unsuccessful Some think this is the Fidentia of the Ancients Fiorenzola deserve a somewhat better character the first of these places is famous for Cutler's Work where for five or six pence you may buy a Knife with a dozen of Blades to one Handle and you may have some of all prices 'T is observ'd that towards the Village of Pietra-mala the Air sparkles sometimes during the night A little on this side between Pietra-mala and Loyano at the Village of Scari calassino are the limits of Tuscany the Great Duke of Tuscany's Arms are on one side of a Post and the Pope's on the other From the top of the last Hills which end at Bologna we discover'd the Sea on our right hand and directly opposite to us we had a full view of the vast and admirable Plain of Lombardy which spreads its self along the Po between the Alps and Apennine Hills the surface of the Sea is every where spherical and therefore we can see but a little part of it at once but Lombardy being exactly level discovers a prodigious extent of Land especially if it be view'd from a rising Ground The Apennin sinks by degrees into little fertile Hills BOLOGNA the Fat. as it approaches Bologna which is * On the Via Aemilia seated at the foot of the Hills and opening of the plain Country to take a full prospect of it you must go up to the Convent of St. Michael
B. Sac l. 10. c. 3. The same Author says That the Land about Pavia produces naturally very good Asparagus twice every year and that the Country People for the most part eat the Roots raw He relates also That the Po which at present is five or six miles distant from Pavia did formerly change its course and that its ancient Channel is still to be seen about Five hundred paces from the City This gives light to certain Passages in old Geographers who place Pavia near that River Padus adds that Author saepe totus ab alveo prosiliens alium sibi extemplo alveum sine fossoribus eruit Si ab Apennino aquarum copia irruat fluctus in adversam ripam torquet contra verò si ab Alpium latere aquarum impetus fiat Si ex utrâque parte effertur supra modum The Tesin is so rapid that in less than three hours with one Rower we sail'd above Thirty miles says D. Burnet Coming out of Pavia we pass'd the Tesin on a cover'd Bridge This is a very rapid River and the greatest of all those that fall into the Po. Its Inundations are dreaded by the People of the Country because its Waters are fatal to the Fields which they overflow When these Inundations last eight days which happens but seldom the coldness of the Water kills the Herbs and the Land hardly recovers its fertility for some years after How different are the Waters of this River from those of the Nile Pavia was formerly call'd Ticinum from the name of the River that washes its Walls Saccus relates That its name was chang'd when Odoacer In the year 472. after he had destroy'd it granted an Immunity of five years to the Inhabitants with permission to rebuild their City they call'd it Papia quasi piorum Patria from the Piety of its Citizens not as some vainly imagin because they receiv'd the Christian Religion at that time for they were Christians long before but to denote the Love or as the word is sometimes us'd Piety which those Patriots express'd for their Country who went to Ravenna to beg the King's Mercy and Pardon Me si audieritis said one of those Deputies after their return nomen inveniemus quod nostrae pietatis officia in Patriam restituendam paucis Syllabis posteritati attestabitur Ticini nomen aquis restituetur Papia piorum Patria c. I shall add only one Observation concerning this City That two Kings had the Misfortune to be taken Prisoners here Desiderius by Charlemain and Francis the First by Charles the Fifth I am SIR Your c. Pavia June 12. 1688. LETTER XXXII SIR FIfteen Miles from Pavia we din'd at the Town of Voghera Voghera and the same day arriv'd at the little City of Novi Novi which is seated at the foot of the Apennine thirty miles from Genoa and under the Dominion of that Republic The way between Novi and Genoa is very mountainous and we met with nothing worth our Observation on all this Road. GENOA the Proud You know the City of Genoa is situated at the end of a Gulph partly on the brow of a Hill which forms a Crescent round the Gulph From the Year 1494 to 1528 the State of Genoa was subject to above twelve kinds of Government and partly on a little Plain between the foot of the Hill and the Sea-shore The Streets in the general are extreamly narrow and the Houses consist of six or seven Stories in the lower part of the Town but by degrees as the ascent rises the Houses are lower and built at a greater distance This situation is certainly very pleasant to the Eye but in other respects very troublesome and inconvenient especially for Coaches which are not much us'd here the Ladies are carry'd in Litters and the Men of Quality have either Chairs or Calashes which they guide themselves The Town is surrounded with a double Fortification which covers it behind and reaches on both sides to the Shore The nearest and best of these Fortifications properly encompasses the City and the second encloses all the rising Grounds that command it My Eyes have often convinc'd me of the Falshood of what I had formerly heard but I never observ'd a wider or more remarkable difference between the Accounts I receiv'd from others and my own Observation than with respect to this City 'T is confidently reported and generally believ'd that Genoa is built of Marble Rubens compos'd a Treatise of the Palaces of Genoa They who live at a distance from it scarce ever mention it without adding this Observation concerning it which is grown so common that 't is almost turn'd to a Proverb But which is still more surprizing several Persons that have seen it are so accustom'd to that way of speaking that they cannot forbear relating the same Story either because they have seen it without considering it attentively or because they chuse rather to leave the World in an Error than to disturb so pleasant a Dream And perhaps some are willing to take advantage of this general Prejudice which gives 'em so fair an opportunity to embellish that part of the History of their Voyages But after all I can assure you 't is absolutely false that Genoa is built of Marble Brick and Stone or both mix'd together are the ordinary Materials of its Houses and they are almost all cover'd with Plaster 'T is true there are some Houses in the Strada nuâ—va that are richly adorn'd with Marble and even the Fronts of four or five of 'em are almost wholly built of it but these are all the Marble Houses in Genoa and I leave you to judge whether this be a sufficient Reason to pretend that the whole City is built of Marble or whether it might not be affirm'd on better grounds That London is wholly built of Stone or Paris of Brick But tho' Genoa is not wholly built of Marble it may justly boast of some very beautiful Structures for the Houses are extreamly large and fair in the five or six Streets that are of a considerable breadth and in the magnificent Suburb of S. Pietro d'Arena And besides Slate and Glass are as common here as they are rare in most other parts of Italy I have heard so often of the Gardens in the Air that are to be seen in this City that I think my self oblig'd to give you some account of ' em If the Relations of Travellers were exactly true and things were call'd by their own proper Names those who never saw Genoa would not form such lofty Ideas of these pretended Gardens in the Air as if they were Machins of an Opera or Imitations of the famous Gardens of Semiramis There is so little even Ground in this City that as I intimated before they are oblig'd to make the Streets narrow and the Houses very high from whence you may reasonably conclude that there is not much spare room for Gardens To supply
could produce no Witnesses to prove her Accusation The Case was just going to be decided against her when she remember'd that the Promise was made in the presence of a Crucifix to which she appeal'd and beg'd the Judge with Cries and Tears to go to receive the Testimony of her new Witness Her Request was granted and some Persons were deputed to interrogate the Crucifix which answer'd only with a Nod but considering the manner in which the Questions were propos'd that Sign could not be otherwise interpreted than as a confirmation of the poor afflicted Lady's Pretensions and therefore the Court ordain'd that the Marriage should be solemniz'd the same day Thus the injur'd Lady obtain'd her desire and to crown her good Fortune the Gentleman's Heart was touch'd he obey'd the Sentence with Joy and the happy Pair became a memorable Instance of Conjugal Affection * The Ashes of this Saint are kept in the Cathedral in a Shrine supported by four fine Columns of Porphyry which were brought from Smyrna Ann. 1098. Gal. Guald Prior. St. John Baptist and the Emperor are the two Protectors of this Republic The Image of the former is stamp'd on its Coin which is the fairest in Italy and besides of the richest Alloy The Trade of Genoa is very much decay'd it consists particularly in Velvet Point Gloves dry Confections Anchoveys and several sorts of Fruits There are some private Persons very rich but the Republic is poor Neither Corn nor Wine are sold in the Markets for the Government reserves that Trade for its self There is not a Pint of Wine sold by the Inn-keepers but what is brought from the Cellar of the State and since they gain nothing by the sale of Liquors they make the most of their other Commodities The Bakers are also oblig'd to fetch their Corn from the public Granaries These are the most material Observations I have made during my short stay in this City The Canon Ferro has a Cabinet of Curiosities I am SIR Your c. Genoa June 20 1688. LETTER XXXIII SIR IN our Journey from Genoa to Cazal we were oblig'd to return by the way we came to Novi where we hir'd a Coach to Turin and the next day din'd at the little City of Alexandria The Art of besieging Towns was hardly known when Frederic Barbarossa's Army lay six months before Alexandria ALEXANDRIA without being able to take it The Fortifications of this place are very mean That Emperor call'd it Caesarea but Pope Alexander III. would have it nam'd Alexandria 'T is false that ever any Emperors were crown'd in this City with a Crown of Straw and I believe 't is hard to prove the Truth of another Story which says that Frederic in derision call'd it Alexandria of Straw However it retains that name to this very day Cazal is a well fortified City CAZAL seated on the right Bank of the Po. The old Castle is not useless but the new Citadel is a very important place It has six great Royal Bastions Half-Moons before the Curtains a broad and deep Ditch full of Water and an Arsenal furnish'd with Arms for Ten thousand Men. There were formerly some Irregularities in the Fortifications but the French have put all things in order I must not forget to tell you that they have doubl'd all the Bastions for the old Bastions were so large that there was room enough within 'em to make a second Rampart which without the least confusion forms a new Bastion in the middle of the former The Town belongs still to the Duke of Mantua who receives some inconsiderable Duties from it and the French Garrison keeps it for him Leaving Cazal we pass'd a fourth time over the famous * The Po. Eridanus and our Coach for a long time after follow'd the Banks of that River We pass'd by the Gate of Trin a little fortified Town in that part of Montferrat which belongs to the Duke of Savoy Verrua is a much stronger place on a rising Ground on the right side of the Po. Eight miles from Cazal we enter'd into Piedmont the Land being still level As we advanc'd further we found our selves engag'd among the Mountains in a large and flat Valley almost entirely surrounded with the highest Alps. Where this Plain is good nothing can be better but there are some places in it that do not at all merit that Character Hail is the Scourge of Piedmont As we pass'd along we took notice of two or three large spots of Ground where but two days before it had made a prodigious havock on the finest Corn-fields in the World The Straw was chop'd and driven into the Ground and even the Walnut-trees Vines and other Trees were half broken They reckon but Five and forty miles from Cazal to Turin but the miles in Piedmont and Montferrat are much larger than the common miles of Lombardy Turin is situated in a Plain TURIN on the River Doire Three hundred paces from the Po. 'T is a very pleasant Town all its Avenues are chearful and delicious and that which makes us more sensibly charm'd with the free and agreeable Humour of the Inhabitants is our Abhorrence and late Experience of that intolerable Sowreness and Unsociableness that reigns over all the rest of Italy where we convers'd more with Statues than Men. With respect to the manner of living Turin is not inferiour to the politest Cities in France the Language of that Kingdom is as commonly spoken here as the Italian the People are generally well bred and handsom and there is not a Court in Europe more sprightly and gay than that of the Duke of Savoy The old part of Turin cannot boast of much Beauty but the new half is built after a quite different manner The Streets are broad and streight as a Line the Houses large high and almost all uniform There cannot be a finer Street than that which passes thro' the two open Places and reaches from the Castle to the new Gate Both these Places are large and of a regular Figure but the new one is encompass'd with Houses in exact Symmetry and a large Portico runs all about it There is the old and new Palace The Duke's Palace makes not so fine an appearance on the out-side as the Apartments within it are beautiful The Palace of the Jesuits and that of the Prince of Carignan are but just finish'd and seem to be very magnificent I name that of the Jesuits first because it excels the other Tho' this City was almost doubl'd under the late Duke 't is still of a very indifferent largeness the same Prince enclos'd it with a regular and well-lin'd Fortification The Citadel is very strong and handsom tho' not yet quite finish'd 't is countermin'd throughout and has the conveniency of a good Well where Horses go down and come up without meeting by a sort of double Stairs without Steps which wind about so often that the Descent is very easie The
Counts of the Sacred Empire and eight Barons But now any Licentiate Doctor in the University of Lovain may be a Canon of Liege This City is divided by the Meuse into two parts of which that on the left side of the River is the principal They are join'd by a fair Stone-bridge which gives a passage under its Arches to great Barks which bring all sorts of Merchandise and are very convenient for Trade Coal is also found in France in some parts of Auvergne and in Forests There are many Armorers in this place who are drawn hither without doubt for the conveniency of Coal which is found here and burnt as commonly as at London 'T is call'd Houille from a certain Smith nam'd Good-man le Houilloux by whom they pretend it was first discover'd They add that a Ghost under the shape of an old Man cloth'd in white shew'd him the Mine The Vineyards with which the little Hills of Liege are almost wholly cover'd deserve to be taken notice of because of the Climate tho' the Wine is not strong The same Hills contain Quarries of very fine black Marble Departing from Liege we pass'd in sight of Tongres and Saintron and lay at the little City of Tilmont Tilmont or Tirlemont The next day we din'd at Lovain and arriv'd in the Evening at Brussels where we still remain LOVAIN the Metropolitan See of Brabant One of the Laws of the University ordains that Whoremongers should be Beheaded with a Wooden Saw and Pimps or those that are accessory to the committing of Whoredom banish'd It was formerly the Privilege of the Dean of the Canons to receive the Oath from the Duke of Brabant at his accession to the Soveraignty The Well in the Castle is remarkable for its depth and an Eccho that resounds in it There is a Tower in the City call'd Verloren Kost or Charge Lost because the People of Lovain intended to have built Seven other Towers like to this but were prevented by some Accidents so that they erected only one Voyage to Flanders by a nameless Author There are some Vineyards about Lovain Lovain the second City of Brabant is very large and pleasantly built 't is said there are some Monuments in it of the age of Caesar We visited several fair Churches the Town-house the School of Medicine and some other considerable Structures but in my Opinion the Vniversity is its greatest Ornament which was founded by John IV Duke of Brabant in the year 1425. It contains Five and forty endow'd Colleges with Schools of Divinity Law and Physick An Inhabitant of Lovain who happen'd to be in an Inn where we were offer'd to carry us to a Convent a quarter of a league from the City where he promis'd to procure us a sight of several Curiosities but we had not time to accept of his Kindness He told us that among other things there was in that Monastery a Genealogical Stem of the House of Croüy by which it appear'd that the Head of that Family now living was descended in a right line from Adam An English Gentleman to whom I related the Story t'other day assur'd me that he knew several Families in Wales who produce like Catalogues of their Ancestors But don't ye think they might content themselves with deriving their Pedigree from Noah If these Gentelmen had read * See E. Pasquier Part 2 Book 19 Letter 6. Le Feron's Heraldry who informs us that Adam bore Three Fig-leaves in his Coat of Arms 't is probable they would not make use of any other Scutcheon I hope we shall meet with some noble Preadamites some time or other At Mr. Gutschoven's House who is a Physician and great Anatomist we saw several embalm'd Bodies dissected after divers methods and very well preserv'd in which the Veins Arteries Muscles Nerves c. are separated and distinguish'd from each other so that almost the entire Contexture of the Parts of a Human Body may be perfectly discern'd The Veins Arteries and even the least Fibres are fill'd with a certain red matter which makes 'em appear like so many Branches of Coral This is esteem'd a rare Curiosity I must not forget to mention another Rarity which we saw at Milan Some Dutch Mariners shew'd for Two-pence a Sea-Calf which they had taken on the Coast of Greenland and was grown so tame that he who had the chief care of it could make it play a hundred apish Tricks 'T is about the bigness of a Lamb fifteen days old its Hair is smooth soft and almost of an Olive colour it has a short Head with two Whiskers like a Cat Pinnis quibus in mari utuntur humi quoque vice pedum Serpunt Plin. and its four Feet end in Toes or Claws join'd like those of a Goose it walks and stands on its fore-feet and draws the other two after it which are always stretch'd backwards This Amphibious Creature is at present nourish'd with Milk I remember as we pass'd by the Hague almost a year ago a Lady of Zealand told me she had seen a tame Sea Dog at Tergoutz who eat all sorts of Victuals and bark'd like other Dogs but made a duller noise I have been long expecting with impatience to hear from you I entreat you to do me the favour to write to me as soon as you can I am very sincerely SIR Your c. Brussels Aug. 12. 1688. LETTER XXXVII SIR YOUR Reflexions on my last Letters and several other Passages in that which I receiv'd from you might furnish me with sufficient matter for a very long Answer but since I hope to have the honour to see you very speedily I shall defer the further consideration of these points till our meeting and at present only communicate to you some of those Observations I have made during our stay at Brussels I need not tell you BRUSSELS that this is the capital City of the Dutchy of Brabant and the ordinary Residence of the Governors of the Spanish Netherlands This City is of an oval Figure large populous enclos'd * On one side there are some neglected Fortifications which were never lin'd only with a Wall and Ditches and situated partly in a Plain and partly on the Brow of a little Hill The low Town is divided by great Canals which are fill'd by the little River Senne and communicate with that of the Scheld These Canals are navigable by Barks of a considerable burthen and are very convenient for Trade The Air of Brussels is very good the public places are adorn'd with Fountains the Streets are of a convenient breadth and well pav'd the Houses large and commodious and the whole neighbouring Country is extreamly fertile The People of Brussels and generally of all Brabant are free kind civil and perhaps a little too easie but notwithstanding all their Simplicity they change their Humor when they are provok'd and have on some occasions given sufficient Proofs of their Bravery The Palace usually call'd
the Court where the * The Marquess of Castanaga 1688. Since the first Edition of this Book the Elector of Bavaria was made perpetual Governour 1691. Governour resides is neither regular nor magnificent and at most can be call'd moderately beautiful but the prospect of the Park from its principal Apartments is extreamly pleasant Descending from the Palace to the Park on the end of a Wall near the little Garden I observ'd a great Gun the Story of which deserves to be related but that I may not detain you too long I shall only subjoin the †The sum of which is that one of the Enemy's Ships being blown up by a Shot that Cannon together with a young Maid were carried thro' the Air and fell in the Palace and that the Governess of the Netherlands order'd the Maid to be educated Inscription which is engrav'd on a piece of Marble beneath the Cannon Dederit ne viam Casúsve Deúsve Mirabili certe casu Hostilis navis tormentis Regiis perforata Cum accenso pulvere crepuisset Hoc tormentum unà Juvenculam Altè sublatam in Regis Praetorio deposuit Adeo tutum in Rege non solum Innocentia Sed etiam supplex hostilitas perfugium habet ISABELLA CLARA EUGENIA BELGII PRINCEPS in rei monumentum Tormentum hîc deponi Juvenculam ali jussit From the Garden or Flower-plot you ascend to the Park which is planted with Oaks Beech-trees and Walnut-trees and contains a great number of Deer It s lovely Alleys make one of the pleasantest Walks about the City and you may also walk quite round the Ramparts almost always between two rows of Trees On the other side of the Park there is a little House of Pleasure which was * After he had resign'd his Power he retir'd to this House and stay'd there five or six months built by Charles the Fifth and where among other things the Cradle of that Emperor is still preserv'd In the great Hall of the other Palace he resign'd the Kingdom of Spain to his Son Philip. Not far from thence they shew'd us a large Gallery full of several sorts of Arms and Furniture for Turnaments besides ancient Suits of Harness or Armour of several Emperors Kings Archdukes and other Princes or great Captains In the same place they have also taken care to preserve the Memory of three illustrious Horses whose Skins are glu'd on artificial Horses of the same stature with the Originals They told us That one of these Horses was sold for 12000 Crowns to Philip II who made a Present of him to Lewis de Requesens great Commander of Castil and †After the Duke of Alva Governour of the Netherlands The second had the Honour to bear the Infanta Isabella when she made her Entry into Brussels And the third sav'd the Life of Archduke Albert at the Siege of Ostend One of my Friends gave me the Epitaph of the last of these Animals whose Name was Noble you will find in it a Reflexion worthy of a Horse of Merit Siste gradum Spectator ego de nomine dicor Nobilis at Virtus nomine major erat Archiduci Alberto prostravi terga tenacem Cum circa Ostendam Martia Erinnys erat Hunc ipsum eripui pugnantem hostilibus armis Cum Mors sanguineum falce parabat opus Me magis ardebat Miles quia Virginis instar Cernebat niveâ crescere fronte jubam Hinc ut me raperet crebrò sua spicula enses In caput ignoti struxerat Archiducis Evasi eduxique Virum meque ipse reduxit Incolumem Nostrae non erat hora necis Ast anno vertente die quo evasimus ambo Nobilis interii Cernite qualis eram There is a very odd Custom in this City that Coaches are drawn by Dogs as usually as by Horses These Dogs are not extraordinarily big They Harness three or four Mastiffs whom they place at one another's side and make 'em draw prodigious weights I am certainly inform'd that on a Wager two of those Animals drew five Men in a Coach from one end of the City to the other Besides which is the main conveniency in this way of carriage Dogs may be kept at a much easier rate than Horses and here there are Eating houses or Half-penny Ordinaries for 'em where they may fill their Bellies with Flesh taken from the Dunghills and such other Victuals †I believe M. is guilty of a Mistake which doubtless proceeded from his misunderstanding the following Passage in Dionys Halic Mihi sane tria magnificentissima videntur ex quibus maxime apparet magnitudo Romani Imperii Aquaeductus viae Stratae Cloacae reputanti non solum utilitatem operum verum etiam impensarum magnitudinem quam vel hinc licet conjicere quod ut affirmat C. Aquilius neglectas aliquando Cloacas non transmittentes aquas Censores mille talentis purgandas locaverint According to F. Nardin 's Calculation a Thousand Talents are equivalent to Six hundred thousand Crowns of Gold Since it has been observ'd by some Authors that the Roman Censors caus'd the * Filth that was taken ex latrinis or out of the Common-shores to be * M. confines the meaning of the Phrase to hominum stercora or Human Excrements but this is a second Error for the Cloaca maxima was the Common-shore or Sink of all manner of Filth and Nastiness according to Livy Receptaculum omnium purgamentorum Urbis sold and that the price of it in one year amounted to Six hundred thousand Crowns I may venture to acquaint you that they drive the same Trade at Brussels They gather all the Filth of the City very carefully into one place and after it is duly fermented it is bought and sold like other Commodities I had the fortune one day to pass by that place just as three or four Dutch Barks were taking in their sweet Lading this put me in mind of Juvenal's Reflexion which I think could never be more fitly apply'd lucri bonus ex re Qualibet You know Vespasian's Answer to Titus concerning the Imposition on Urine As they are great Lovers of Flowers in Holland and Flanders they take particular care to preserve this sort of Dung to make Beds for 'em and I fancy the odoriferous Smell of those Flowers might furnish matter for a Riddle not unlike to that of Sampson's Honey To change the Subject of our Discourse I can assure you that there are few Cities in this Country so well furnish'd with good Company as Brussels Almost all the Inhabitants speak French there is a great number of Persons of Quality the Ladies are handsom and a Stranger may be easily introduc'd into the best company Four or five great Streets of the low Town form an Island and at the same time a kind of Circle where they usually take the Air in Coaches every Evening and even in Winter as well as in Summer for they chuse rather to take their Pleasure in Coaches than
to walk a foot whereas at Paris the Tuilleries are more frequented than the Walks for Coaches I told you before that at Rome and in some other Towns of Italy the Men never enter into the same Coach with Women and the same custom is also generally observ'd here when they go to take the Air. But whereas at Rome they are possess'd with an opinion that Decency will not admit the Women to be seen in company with Men here they separate out of pure Gallantry Perhaps you will imagin this to be a Paradox but you must consider that the Men go on one side and the Women on the other and that they meet and talk and ogle as they please Thus their division occasions a more general Society which would be very diverting if every one were not oblig'd to salute all that pass by and to repeat his Salutations as often as he meets another Coach There is a pleasant Ceremony observ'd by the Citizens on the 19th of January The Women undress their Husbands and carry 'em to Bed and on the morrow the Husbands treat their Friends I cannot give you a positive account of the Original of this Custom but I had the fortune to be in a company where there were two different Reasons given for it and both the opposite Parties persisted obstinately in their several Opinions Some alledg'd that on a certain time which they did not think fit to mention more particularly the City being reduc'd to Extremity after a long Siege at last surrender'd on Condition that the Women should be suffer'd to depart unmolested with their little Children and all that they could carry with 'em besides and that instead of packing up their Toilettes every one march'd out with her Best-beloved between her Shoulders and so cheated their Enemies Others who laugh'd at this Story and call'd it a Fable assur'd us that a considerable number of the Inhabitants of Brussels follow'd St. Lewis in his first Croisado and had the good fortune to suffer less than most other Troops which compos'd that numerous Army when it was totally routed For continu'd our Informers the greatest part of 'em either escap'd or were redeem'd and afterwards they join'd in a Body to return home Now their Wives hearing of their approach ran to meet 'em and in a Transport of Joy caught 'em up and carried 'em home in their Arms. But if I durst presume to mend the Story instead of overloading the Women with so unreasonable a Burden I would content my self with making 'em undress their Husbands the first night after their return by reason of the good Humour of the former and the Weariness of the latter These Warriours put me in mind of a sort of Monument that is to be seen over the Gate of Flanders where there are Figures of Men arm'd with Spits An honest old Man who made me take notice of 'em told me that they were plac'd there for a Memorial of the Valour of his Countrymen on the following occasion When the People of Ghent revolted under the Government of the Queen Dowager of Hungary Charles the Fifth's Sister and came to surprize and plunder this City the Rabble of the Town sallied out of the above-mention'd Gate arm'd with Spits and Pitchforks and bravely repuls'd the Enemy The finest Churches in Brussels are those of St. Gudula and of the Jesuits These Fathers have great Bells such as are us'd in Parish Churches contrary to the usual Custom They made use of the Pretext of certain extraordinary Catechizings to obtain leave to ring a small Bell but by degrees they left off that troublesom Exercise and in the mean time augmented their * Bell. This piece of boldness stirs up the Jealousie of the other Monks who were not over-fond of the Jesuits before The Chapel of the Holy Sacrament of Miracles is particularly taken notice of at St. Gudula's because of the Relicks that are kept in it There is a Tradition that certain Jews having bought several consecrated Hosts of a Priest stab'd 'em with a Knife and that a great deal of Blood flow'd out of the Wounds The Jews were burnt on the highest Tower of the City-walls so that the Fire was seen at the distance of Ten miles and the Hosties were found and plac'd on the Altar of the Chapel in a Shrine of Gold This Story is painted on the Wall near the Quire The Church of the Capuchins is one of the finest Temples that those Fryars have in any part of the World There are several Rarities in the Library of the Jesuits and among other things the Chair of Leather gilt in which Charles V. perform'd the Ceremony of his Resignation The Chapel of the Family of Tassis in the Church Des Sablons deserves to be particularly consider'd I 'm inform'd that of Five and thirty thousand Acres which the Province of Brabant contains Nine and twenty thousand are possess'd by Ecclesiastical Societies There are some few Protestants at Brussels but they are not allow'd the least degrees of Liberty neither do they own their Religion openly yet this Country is not under the Power of the Inquisition for the States would never suffer that Tyrannical Court to be establish'd among ' em I design'd to have given you some account of the Academy the Theater the public Place the Town house with its Pictures and fine-Tower the Duke de Bournonville's Gardens the Count of Egmont's Hall the Carmelites Garden and the Glass-house but I am forc'd to conclude my Letter You know that Lace and Tapestry make a part of the Trade of this City We are just going to take a turn to Antwerp from whence we design to return hither and after two or three days to proceed on our Journey homeward by the way of Ghent Bruges Ostend and Newport where we expect to find the Yacht I am SIR Your c. Brussels Sept. 23. 1688. LETTER XXXVI SIR FROM Brussels we made use of the ordinary Passage by the Canal and in five hours came to the Village call'd little Villebroeck where we embark'd on the Ruppel and by the help of a favourable Wind and Tide in less than two hours arriv'd at Antwerp At our departure from Antwerp we hir'd a Coach which carried us by the way of Mechlin to the little City of Vilvorden where we took Boat for Brussels which is but two leagues distant MECHLIN Mechlin is famous for its neatness in which nevertheless if I may judge by what appear'd to us it exceeds not other places There is a great deal of Lace made here and the River Dyle on which the Town is situated fills the Canals which open a communication between this and most of the neighbouring Cities The Women of the Lordship of Mechlin go frequently to Brabant to be brought to Bed that their Children may enjoy the Privileges of the Natives of that Province I have subjoin'd an Abstract of these so much talk'd of Privileges I. The Duke who at present is the King of
name of Wolf which it still retains John Pic de Mirandole II. hath written that a Woman of his Country named Dorothy brought twenty Children into the World at two Births nine at one and eleven at the other Albert the Great speaks of a German Woman who was brought to Bed of one hundred and fifty Children It would be no hard matter to produce a number of the like Examples the Fourth Earl of Holland You have heard what hath been said of this Lady that having reproached a Beggar-Woman for having too many Children the poor Creature in answer wished her as many as there were days in the Year which that Year accordingly happened for the Countess was brought to Bed of three hundred sixty five Children who were all Christned and the same day buried in the Church of Losdun This History is to be seen a little more at large in a great Picture on the sides whereof the two Basins are fixed We must not forget that the Boys were named John and the Girls Elizabeth Mark Cremer relates of a Polonian Lady the Wife of Count Virboslaus who in sequel of such an Imprecation was brought to Bed of thirty six Children I am loath so soon to part with the Hague which without contradiction is one of the most pleasant Places in the World but I must say something of Leyden and Haerlem before I finish my Letter But think not that when you leave the Hague and come to Leyden you fall into a desart Country Every thing hath its value and that of Leyden is not small it is true all the Cities of Holland are fair to amazement And we cannot praise one enough without saying so much as must leave us no expressions for the other Nevertheless I should be glad to be able to give you some new Idea of the Beauties of Leyden LEYDEN This City hath not so great a number of Coaches as are seen at the Hague nor so much noisie business as Rotterdam But perhaps its quiet is far more charming It is a great City but repose Rules there and in it you enjoy all the sweets of a Country Life It s little disturbance allows it an extraordinary Neatness Nothing comes near that of its Houses and we may compare the Streets to so many Alleys of a well-adorned Garden Yet we must freely confess that the Inhabitants of Leyden would willingly consent that their Pavement should be less clean and that they endured a little more trouble on condition they could be Masters of a good Haven I have heard Projects have been contrived about it But it 's said that their Land lies so low that they dare not give the Sea a Passage So that the Woollen-Manufacture makes the greatest Trade of this City You know Leyden is very * Some believe that the Town is a work of the Romons Others attribute it to the Saxons but Jo. Scaliger pretends it was made by the Earls not above four or five hundred Years ago ancient and there are still found some Marks of her Antiquity But that which renders it most Famous is her †The number of Scholars is fifteen hundred or thereabouts The Vniversity hath divers Privileges University They commonly lead the Strangers to the Physick-School and in the Anatomy-Hall you may see a great number of Skeletons of Men and Beasts Many natural Rareties and other Curiosities as of Plants Fruits Animals Arms strange Habits Pictures Mummies curious Works Urns Images c. I fear you would incline to be incredulous of the Story of a Prussian Peasant which is there Painted He had swallowed a very large Knife So that they were forced to cut open his Stomach to get it out after which as is said he lived eight Years In the midst of the Hall is an unfortunate Thief whom they derided to extremity after they had Hanged him They fixed his Skeleton to a Gibbet upon that of an Oxe because he had been a Cow-stealer they made another Shoes of his own Skin and a Shirt to another of his own Bowels The Physick-Garden is not far from hence A great number of Rareties are still to be seen in the Gallery of this Garden and in the Cabinet called the Indian-Cabinet to which this Gallery leads I remember I observed amongst other things an Ape and a Cat which were produced with * There are many flying Cats in the Province of Malabar Tassoni Wings The hand of a Mermaid A Stare with long Ears a Vegetable Priapus which is a most curious Plant A Monster which issued out of a Hens Egg. A Piece of Money of Card or Paper made at Leyden when it was Besieged by the Spaniards in 1574. And a Serpent brought from Surinam on whose Skin are several natural Figures which much resemble some Arabick Characters I make you this last Observation because your Tutor very much admires this little wonder of Nature But indeed to speak freely I find nothing singular in this no more than in the Greek Letters which form as some thought the turnings and windings of a Maze There is so universal a diversity in all things in the World that it is easie to find the like of the first Figure which presents it self if we would give our selves the trouble of a search The greatest part of Animals Insects and other things are hanged up in Vials fill'd with Spirits of Wine whereby they are preserved from Corruption Going out hence we were to see the great Church which is a vast Pile and afterwards we took Boat for Haerlem But before we proceed on our Voyage I must needs give you some account of the unfortunate destiny of the Rhine of which there are some small remains at Leyden Other Rivers increase their course and their glory at the rate they proceed but this so great and famous River becomes nothing and is utterly lost in the Harbour After it hath been constrained to divide it self at Meeting with the Skenk Fort where one half of its Waters take the name of Wahal the Yssel robs it * It is to be observed that the branch of the Rhine which takes to the right a little above Arnheim and carries the name of the Yssel is not properly the Yssel It is a Channel which Drusus digg'd and brought near to a place now called Doesbourg to make a communication at this place between the Waters of the Rhine and the Yssel of the other half a little above Arnheim Yet it goes on to that City though much weakned and at seven or eight Leagues from thence is again oblig'd to separate at the little City of Dorstadt It s principal Branch there takes a new Name and is called the Leck and the poor little stripp'd Rivulet which escaped and turns to the Right retains still its name of Rhine and passeth on to Utrecht where it hath a fourth Division The Vecht breaks off at that place and takes its course to the North And the little thred of Water which is
Man thought her a Ghost and all in a fright run to tell the thing to his Master So far may be true now comes the Fable The Master as incredulous as the Man called him Fool and said he would as soon believe his Horses were in the Garret and instantly a most dreadful noise was heard in the Garret the Man went up thither and found six Coach-Horses there without counting the rest in the Stable The Consul amazed at so many Prodigies was not able to speak the Man was in an Extasie or Swound in the Garret and the living deceas'd quaking in her Shroud was expecting to be let in at last it came to pass that the door was opened and they chafed and us'd her so well that she reviv'd as if nothing had pass'd and the next day they made Machines necessary to let down the Horses And to make the truth of this appear there is at this day to be seen in the Garret some Wooden Horses which are covered with the others Skins And they shew in the Church of the Twelve Apostles a great piece of Linen Cloath which this Woman Spun after her return to the World in which she lived seven Years afterwards I have nothing further to tell you of Cologne only that this is the Country wherein we first begun to find Vines tho' Wine here is very dear in the Houses of Entertainment And that there are yet remaining some * Leskirken and Judaes Families who affirm they are issued from the Roman Race and who produce their Genealogies from the first time this City was made a Colony of the Empire I am SIR Yours c. At Cologne Octob. 26. 1687. LETTER VI. SIR THE Ways from Cologne to Mentz are so bad at present and the Chariot so unpleasant and uneasie that we chose rather to remount the Rhine let the Passage be never so slow BONN We quickly arriv'd at Bonn which appeared to us a little dirty City I could not learn that there was any thing in it to deserve our stay there The Fortifications are neglected and the Palace of the Elector of Cologne who there makes his Residence seems to be but a very indifferent House We had in the Boat a Burgo-Master of Cologne ANDERNACH and Keyserwaert have a right of Toll on the Rhine who told me as we passed by Andernache that there are some Gentlemen in that little City who have particular Priviledges and are called Free Knights He also told me many Stories of a great House on the other side the Rhine which is not Inhabited and which he said was haunted with Spirits the ordinary scandal of uninhabited Houses or Castles COBLENTZ The most ancient Arch-Bishoprick in all Germany and the Residence of the Elector of Treves The Chapter of Treves admit neither Princes nor Earls easily The Canons are as much as is possible only Gentlemen they must prove sixteen Descents of Nobility both on the Father and Mother's side Heiss Coblentz is built upon a nook of Ground which the Moselle makes when it falls into the Rhine This City seemed to us very agreeable and they told us it was very well Fortified on the Land side but we saw only single Walls on that part which is watered by the Moselle and the Rhine The Castle which is on a rising Ground on the other side of the River is a very strong place and wholly commands the City They call this Castle Ehrenbreisten EHRENBREISTEN which signifies the famous Rock or the Rock of Honour It is built on the Ruines of the Fort of Hermestein of which there remains only that corner of the Rock on which the Windmil stands There is always a good Garrison in this place with store of Arms and Ammunition The Palace of the Elector of Treves is at the foot of the Hill under the Fortress and on the Bank of the Rhine Over-against the Town of Caub which belongs to the Elector Palatine half a League from Baccharach which appertains to him likewise there is an old Castle called Pfaltz in the middle of the Rhine from whence as some say the Pfaltzgravts or as we call them the Palsgraves or Counts Palatines derive their Name BACCHARACH Baccharach is a very little City built on the side of a Hill and famous for its excellent Wines One of the Ministers of the place with whom we Dined pretended that Baccharach was derived from Bacchi Ara or the Altar of Bacchus and he told us there were four ancient Towns in the Neighbourhood which were also Consecrated to Bacchus Steegbach which is on a Hillock Scala Bacchi the Ladder of Bacchus Diebach Digitus Bacchi or the Finger of Bacchus Handbach or Mannersbach Manus Bacchi or the Hand of Bacchus And Lorch Laurea Bacchi or the Bays of Bacchus As we parted from Baccharach a furious Storm arose which cast away a large Boat and ours was not without some danger We went ashore a little before we came to Rudisheim where the bad Weather constrained us to stay a while and we passed by an old ruinous House which they said belonged to that wicked Arch-Bishop of Mentz Mentz was made an Arch-Bishoprick by Pope Zachary Anno 745. who was eaten by Rats The Rhine makes there a little Island in the midst of which is a square Tower which they call the Tower of Rats And it is commonly reported that this Prelate who was then the most wicked and cruel Man alive fell sick in that House which I lately mentioned some say it was in another a little further off but that is nothing to the Story and that by an extraordinary Judgment of God he was environed with Rats which could by no means be driven away They add that he caused himself to be carried into the Island where he hoped he might have been freed from them but the Rat 's multiplied swam over the River and devoured him An ingenious Man whom I saw in this place assured me that he had read this Story in some old Chronicles of the Country He said he remembred that the Arch-Bishop was there nam'd Renald and that this happened in the Tenth Age. I would willingly give credit to this Story but I fear however that there is some mistake in it For I know that about this time there was a certain Priest named Arnald who fraudulently dispossessed the Arch-Bishop Henry and that this Arnald was Massacred by the People which may have given occasion to some confusion in these Histories Another Person told me that the Name of the Arch-Bishop was Hatton II. surnamed Bonosus and that in a time of Famine he caused a great number of poor People to be assembled in a Barn where he caus'd them to be burnt saying These are the unprofitable Vermine which are good for nothing but to consume the Bread which should serve for the Sustenance of others However Pliny upon the Testimony of Varro relates that the Isle of Gyara one of the
Cyclades was abandoned by the Inhabitants because of Rats He adds That a City of Spain was overthrown by Rabbets One in Thessaly by Moles One in France by Frogs And another in Africk by Mice this Story is generally believed here though others look upon it as a Fable Some will lightly and hastily swallow any Prodigy and others may offend as much by too much incredulity If the Holy Scripture describes us a Pharaoh pestered with Lice and Frogs and an Herod devoured by Worms why should we hastily condemn the like event for a Fable More surprizing things have no doubt fallen out And I remember I have read two such Histories in the Fasciculus temporum The words of the Author are very like these Mures infiniti convenerant quemdam potenter circumvallantes cum in concivio nec potuerunt abigi donec devoraretur That is A multitude of Mice compassed him about strongly assaulting him in a Banquet nor could they be driven away till they had devoured him This happen'd about the Year 1074. He adds Idem cuidam Principi Poloniae contigit The same thing hapned to a certain * Poppiel II. Surnamed Sardanapalus he his Wife and Children were eaten by Rats Anno 823. Poppielus Principes Polonorum Patruos suos veneno per fraudem interimit eósque insepultos projicit sed ex cadaveribus mures enati sunt qui Poppielum ambos ejus filios una cum uxore devorant Chronicon de Pop. Garon places this event in the Year 830. And he adds That the Rats eat the name of Hatton which was in many places in the Tower of the Rhine The History of Hatton is related at large by Trithemius in his Chronicles and by Camerarius in his Meditations Calvisius reports that in 1013. a certain Soldier was eaten by Rats See 1 Sam. ch 6. ver 4 5. Prince of Poland From Bonn to Binghen three Leagues below Mentz the Rhine is almost always between the Mountains this Passage which it so happily met with seems to be a particular work of Providence You would fansie it to be a Canal made on purpose for this River cross a Country which naturally was inaccessible to it for fear that not being capable to continue its course it should swell and overflow the Provinces which now its Stream only waters At the foot of the Mountains which thus shut it up the whole Country is full of Vineyards and there are to be seen on its Banks both to the right and left a great number of little Cities and good Villages Castles there are also very frequent most of them built on ascents and even on the points of the sharpest Rocks I counted forty since my departure from Cologne I observed also in my way a strange fantasticalness in the Habits of the Peasants especially the Women About Bonn and Rhindorfe they wore only on their Heads a little Cap of coloured Stuff bordered with Galoon of another colour Their Hair hangs in Tresses quite down their Backs They make their Waste extreamly short and have a broad Leather Girdle with which they girt themselves half a Foot below their Waste which is compassed with a thick folded Rowl and lifts up their Petticoats so high that they reach but little below their Knees The Rhine is very broad all the way from Binghen to Mentz MENTZ At Mentz you go over it on a Bridge of Boats which hath no supporters The first thing you meet with when you come to this City from Cologne is the Elector's Palace it is of reddish Stone and its Architecture hath a great number of Ornaments after the German though otherwise regular and magnificent enough The bad Weather hindred us from seeing the Arsenal as well as the Citadel and other Fortifications But we were assured our loss was not great there being nothing at all rare in any of them They told us that in the middle of the Citadel there is a kind of Tower commonly call'd the Tomb of Drusus Drusus Germanicus Brother to Tiberius died in Germany to the great Grief as you know of the People and Army But he died not on the Rhine Besides you may remember that his Body was carried to Rome to be burnt in the Field of Mars It is true that after Augustus had caused the Senate to give him the Surname of Germanicus he also made Statues to be erected for him with triumphal Arches and other Monuments on the Banks of the Rhine And perhaps this Tower or Mausoleum was one of his honorary Tombs which the Ancients call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Ornaments in which the Electors celebrate Mass are extraordinary Rich And the Canopy under which the Host is carried on certain occasions is all covered with Pearls I remember I have read in the Chronicles of the Abbey of Usberg that they had formerly in the Treasury of the Vestry an hollow Emerald of the bigness and shape of half a large Melon This Author said that on some days they put Water into that Cup with two or three little Fishes which swam about in it and when the Cup was covered they shewed it to the People and the motion of the Fishes produced such an effect as persuaded the silly People that the Stone was alive Every Elector bears the Arms of his own House but he Quarters Gules a Wheel Argent which are the Arms of the Electorate It is said that the Original of these Arms came from the * Willigese or Viligese of the Country of Brunswick This Chapter is wholly composed of Gentlemen There are 42 of which 24 are Capitularies Two thirds of their Suffrages are required in the choice of an Elector Heiss The Vniversity was Founded by the Arch-Bishop Ditherus Anno 1482. Calvis first Elector who was the Son of a Cart-wright There are to be seen in this Church many magnificent Tombs of these Princes who commonly are buried there The Protestants may live at Mentz but not exercise their Religion there The City is indifferently large but not much Peopled and the University in no very good Condition However the situation makes amends which is very pleasant and the Country about it is excellently good You know that the Elector of Mentz is the first of the Ecclesiasticks and Dean of the Electoral College I shall say nothing of his Fines or Revenue nor of those of the other Princes for in things of that nature 't is almost impossible to make a right Judgment I am SIR Yours c. At Mentz Nov. 3. 1687. LETTER VII SIR AFter we had crossed the Rhine before Mentz we entred into the Meine which by the Figure Parenthesis is called Moganus as well as Moenus and from thence some think Moguntia took its name We made use of the ordinary Boat of Francfort and came thither the same day in very good time FRANCFORT an Imperial City Eleven Royal Bastions This City is larger richer fairer and better Peopled than Mentz Its Fortifications seem tolerable though they
after we had gone through Woods that were drowned by the overflowing of that River which made the ways both dangerous and difficult we found them very good between the End of this Wood and the City of Worms which is but two little Leagues WORMS an Imperial City This City is about three or four hundred Paces on the left side of the Rhine in an excellent Country and most pleasant Situation It is girt about with a double Wall without any Garrison or even Fortification that is worth Observation * Worms was formerly an Arch Bishoprick But Pope Zachary removed the See to Mentz to punish the Arch-bishop Gervillian who contrary to his Faith killed a Man whom he invited out of the Camp of the Saxons his Enemies to have a familiar conference with him Heiss This is a poor Bishoprick The Bishop hath a great Power there though it be a free and Imperial City It is near as large as Francfort but poor melancholy and ill peopled They shewed me a House that was lately sold for a thousand Crowns which had been Lett formerly for a thousand Crowns per Annum There are many void places in this City in which they have planted so many Vines that they yield every Year fifteen hundred Foudres of Wine the Fouder is a Cask which holds about two hundred and fifty English Gallons They highly prize this Wine and they have a Proverb That it is sweeter than the Virgins Milk The City presents it to Persons of Quality as they pass by as also Fish and Oats The Fish is to shew the Right of Fishing which they have on the Rhine but what the Oats signifie I know not it cannot be to represent their Territory because they have none The Lutherans have here a Church and besides that they preach by turns with the Roman Catholicks in that of the Dominicans the rest belong to the Roman Catholicks who carry not the Host publickly nor make any Procession except the Day after Easter The Protestants whom I will still call Calvinists to distinguish them from the Lutherans have their Church at Newhawsel in the Palatinate about half a League from the City the Lutherans are not shy sometimes to Christen their Children there which is directly opposite to the Practice of the Lutherans at Francfort They say that a Lord of the House of Alberg having brought a great many Jews from Palestine sold Thirty of them for a Piece of Silver at the City of Worms where they were for a long time treated as Slaves before they could obtain the Liberty which they at present enjoy in common with the other Inhabitants The Church of St. Paul seems to be an ancient Building but I believe that of St. John is the older This last is built with very great square Stones and its Figure is quite irregular The Walls are above twelve Foot thick the Windows are narrow and there are Galleries all round the outside of the Building just under the Roof There is but little Appearance that this was built for a Church the Cathedral is a long Structure of a considerable Height with a Tower at each of the four Corners the whole Building is very massive and embellished with Gothick Ornaments They shewed us a certain Animal over one of the Doors of this Church of which the People tell a hundred Stories This Animal is as big as an Ass and hath four Heads one Head of a Man one of an Oxe one of an Eagle and one of a Lion it lifts up the two first and hangs down the other two The right Foot before is a Man's the left an Oxe's the two hinder Feet are of an Eagle and a Lion and a Woman sits upon the Beast If I durst penetrate into this Mystery I think it might be conjectured that this Hieroglyphick is a Chimera composed of the four Animals in the Vision of Ezekiel and that the Woman represents the Gospel I took notice of a Picture over the Altar of one of the Chapels of this Church in which the Virgin is represented receiving Christ as he descends from the Cross while several Angels carry the Instruments of the Crucifixion to Heaven But either the Painter has forgot or else the Angels have since brought back all these Reliques There is another very curious Picture at the Entrance of the Church of St. Martin over a moveable Altar This Picture is about five Foot Square God the Father is on the Top of one Corner from whence he seems to speak to the Virgin Mary who is on her knees in the midst of the Picture she holds the little Infant Jesus by the Feet and puts his Head into the Hopper of a Mill the twelve Apostles turn the Mill by a Wheel with their Hands and they are assisted by these four Beasts of Ezekiel which we just spoke of who work on the other side Not far off the Pope kneels to receive the Hosts which fall from the Mill ready made into a Cup of Gold He presents one to a Cardinal the Cardinal gives it to a Bishop the Bishop to a Priest and the Priest to the People There are in the City two publick Houses one of which is called the Burgher's House in which the Senate assembles twice every Week about the Affairs of the State the other is for the Magistracy and is the Place where common Causes are pleaded It was in the first that Luther made his Appearance on an occasion known to all the World They tell us that this Doctor having spoke with much eagerness and being besides heated by the fire which was before him some body brought him a Glass of Wine which he receiv'd but such was his vehemence that he forgot to drink and without thinking of it set it on a Bench which was by his side they add that the Glass immediately after broke without any Person 's touching it and it passed for current that the Wine was poisoned I will make no Gloss upon this Story But afterwards the Bench on which he set the Glass was broken and some Pieces were taken out of it which some zealous Lutherans keep in memory of their Master We went also to see another House which they call the Mint in which among other things I observed a * These two Verses are written on the Top of the Leaf Mira fides pedibus Juvenis facit omnia recta Cui pariens mater brachia nulla dedit Leaf of Parchment in a square Frame upon which there are twelve sorts of Hands written very fairly with many Miniatures and Draughts boldly traced with a Pen. It was written by one Thomas Schuveiker who was born without Arms and perform'd this with his Feet They also shew another little round piece of Vellum about the bigness of a Guiney upon which the Lord's-Prayer without abbreviation is written But this is no extraordinary thing I know a * Maximin Mossileni Man who wrote the same Prayer six times in the same compass more
that about Wiseloc◠and Sintzheim a Loaf of Wheaten Bread weighing eight Pounds cost but Two-pence We were four days coming hither from Heidelberg and we scarce saw any thing but Firr-trees all the way I believe there are not more in Carolina there are I know not how many little Towns which deserve not to be mentioned WINSHEIM an Imperial City WIMPHEN an Imperial City PALEMBERG Winsheim is the best of them and is a Free City as well as Wimphen All the Inhabitants of both are Lutherans I fansie a more pleasant Assembly was never seen than that of the Burgo-Masters of the little City of Palemberg These Sparks were in the same Tavern where we eat which is the place where they ordinarily meet when they have any important Affair to debate imagine you see a dozen or fifteen Peasants with pointed high-crowned Hats loaden with green and yellow Ribbon with red or blue Wastcoats and Ruffs or Cravats of black Taffeta their Hair cut round close below their Ears and their Beards after the Mode of the Capouchins The whole Club is tipsie their Elbows on the Table every Man with a Glass in his hand drinking without intermission splitting of Causes and every one striving to outbawl his Fellow their Gestures and Postures are much more diverting but such as cannot be expressed In the mean time it is not at all strange that they should love Drink so much in this Country since they can have four great Pots of Wine for a Peny for they know not what a small Measure means If a Traveller demand a Cup of Wine as he goes by they bring him a Jack enough to make ten Men drunk The Tabacco and the Hops supply the place of Vines when you approach this Place and the mountainous Country begins to grow plain and lower so that you may see the great and fair City of Nuremberg at a good distance NUREMBERG an Imperial City Before we came at it we often found our selves on the Banks of the little River of Pegnitz which runs from it but serves only to turn the Mills It might without any difficulty be made navigable and the Profit that would result from such an Undertaking would quickly recompense the Charge But this defect doth not hinder Nuremberg from being a City of great Trade very rich and well peopled It is said to be twice greater than Francfort and it hath seven other Cities in its Territory with four hundred and eighty Boroughs and Villages Its Fortifications are of little esteem in respect of those that are now in use but it enjoys a profound Peace and being in the Heart of Germany its Neighbours preserve it while they defend themselves Should the Emperour be Master of Nuremberg as he is of his hereditary Countries it would not be very advantageous to him for at the bottom as free as these little States are they are nevertheless Slaves to the Emperour being at the same time Fiefs of the Empire they are made to contribute Men Arms and Money on occasion and there are a thousand ways found to vex them if they perform not the things required of them It hath 6 Gates 228 principal streets publick Fountains and 118 Wells Gal. Gualdo Nuremberg is a very fair City though the Structure of its Buildings is somewhat Gothic and not at all agreeable to the true Rule of Architecture The Houses are generally great handsome and strongly built Some are covered with Pictures on the outsides and almost all the rest are of very fine hewen Stone There are many Fountains of Brass in sundry places of the City we saw a very magnificent one which is yet at the Artificers house on which there are Brass Statues to the Value of Seventy thousand Crowns besides other Ornaments The Streets are broad clean and well paved but it is Pity they are not more strait The Tradition of the Country will have Nuremberg to be built by Nero and there is one of the Towers of the Castle which is called the Tower of Nero but this is but a poor Argument I rather think that Noriberga called also in Latine Mons Noricorum was derived from Noricum the old Name of the Country and the word Berg which in high Dutch signifies a Mountain The Castle is on a high Rock though the rest of the City be flat enough The Form of the Castle is wholly irregular because they have been forced to make it agreeable to the Mass of the mishapen and unequal Rock They assur'd us that the Well in it was sixteen hundred Foot deep but none of us would believe them they also told us that the Chain of the Bucket weighs three thousand Pounds We saw in one of the Halls of this Castle four Corinthian Pillars about fifteen Foot high which they say the Devil brought from Rome upon a Challenge which a Monk made him The Story would be too tedious to relate at length They tell another of a famous Conjurer of the Country who leap'd on horseback over the Castle Ditches and shew the Print of the Horses Shoes on the Stones of the Parapet The Ornaments which are used at the Anointing of the Emperour are kept in the Church of the Hospital The Diadem or the Crown called also the This is the Crown of Charlemain it weighs fourteen pounds Infula is of Gold and covered almost all over with precious Stones It is not closed as the Imperial Crowns which they ordinarily paint to us Suppose that instead of the Fleurets on Ducal Coronets there are the Plates rounded on the top which are joined by the sides and make the Compass of the Bonnet There are seven of them and that before is the most richly adorned There is a Cross on the top of all and a Semicircle supported between the two head Plates behind which is rais'd above the Bonnet and joined to the top of the Cross The Sceptre and Globe are of Gold and they say that the Sword was brought by an Angel from Heaven The Robe of Charlemain is of Violet Colour embroidered with Pearls the Imperial Cloak is edg'd with Pearls and strew'd with Eagles of Gold and a great number of Jewels there are likewise the Cope the Stole * Embroider'd with Stones the Breeches the Stockins and the †cover'd with Plates of Gold Buskins They also keep many Reliques in this Church and amongst others the Iron Head of blessed St. Longin's Lance. They are not ignorant that the pretended Head of this Lance is to be seen in above ten other places of the World but say they theirs ‖ Lancea Domini reperta est in Antiochia à quidam rustico cui beatus Andreas locum ostendit Quidam cum ea totum exercitum letificavit W. Roolwink came from Antioch it was St. Andrew who found it one Man with it discomfited a whole Army it was the thing of the World which Charlemain loved most The other Lances are Counterfeits and this is the true one
The Skirts were full of little close Knots of black Sattin Ribbon and the streight Cuffs fell just on the Fist Over this she had a Neck-band of Fine Antique Lace cut before like a Man's Band and ending in a Point behind which reached down to the middle of the Back She had besides a great Gold Chain on her Shoulders just like the Collar of some Order and such another Chain for her Girdle Her Petticoat was short enough and adorn'd below with Gold Fringe and Black Bone-Lace We had the Pleasure to see this Fair one dance with a Senatour in a great Ruff and I believe at Japan there could not be found Customs more different from ours than those which we observed at this Feast I should never make an End if I should undertake to describe all the other Habits But as fantastical as all these Dresses might seem at first view one might be easily accustom'd to them and every Habit appears handsom and becoming when the Persons that wear them are of themselves beautiful and agreeable There are not more industrious People in the World than the Artists of Nuremberg some attribute to them the invention of * Some say that a Monk called Berthold Schwartz was the inventor Others believe that it was one named Bertrand the Black of Chioggia But Tavernier and many other Travellers pretend that this Invention came from China as well as that of Printing Luke de la Porta is of the same Opinion He adds that the Augustins brought the use of both of them into Europe Fire-Arms as well as that of Cannon-Powder Others affirm that this Powder was invented at Chioggia in the State of Venice and there are some who pretend that it came from Denmark All Europe is fill'd with the little Curiosities of Nuremberg There are some of Wood of Ivory of Alabaster and even of Paper and Starch Their Houses are large and neat and I believe there is not a Ceiling in all the City which is not accompanied with an undersetting of very fine Joyner's-Work I cannot express the Particular Kindness they have for Horns for all their Houses are full of them They are every where instead of Pictures and other curious things You often see in the finest Chamber a Stag's or Bull 's Head with a magnificent Pair of Horns hanging on the Ceiling without any other Design but for Ornament We were but poorly treated on all the Road from Heidelberg and Straw was commonly our Bed But we made our selves amends at Nuremberg where the Houses of Entertainment have very good Accommodations They serv'd us every Day with late Fruits which I never saw any where else We are here at the end of November and commonly eat very good Fish St. Sebald is the principal Church where they show a Wooden Crucifix which passeth for a Master-piece The Church of St. Laurence is the biggest of all These are both Gothick but the last hath Eight Doors which is look d upon as a singularity The great Church-yard is worth the seeing There are in it above Three Thousand Tombs with Epitaphs and Coats of Arms wrought in Brass No Jews are suffer'd to live in the City because they formerly Poysoned the Fountains They reside in a Village not far off and may for a small piece of Money The Author of the State of the Empire relates that the Burghers of Nuremberg have a singular and extraordinary Priviledge to drown their Children come into the City provided they depart the same day The Roman Catholicks are but few in number and they have but half a Church where they perform their Service after the Lutherans are gone out Those who are called Calvinists go a League from the City into the Marquisate of Onspach and their Children are Baptized by the Lutherans as at Francfort We are preparing for our departure to morrow Morning to continue our way to Ausbourg I will also continue to write to you from thence and will omit no opportunity to show how much I am SIR Yours c. At Nuremberg Nov. 22. 1687. LETTER X. SIR INGOLSTADT BEtween Nuremberg and Ingolstadt the Ways are very bad and full of Forests but when you come near this City you find a Champion Country excellently well till'd Ingoldstadt is seated on the Danube in the Dutchy of Bavaria of which it is the strongest place It is indifferently large The most part of the Houses are painted or whited without The Streets are broad straight and well pav'd And the whole City seemed pleasant enough though it be poor and ill Peopled They boast much of the Arsenal but you must be put to trouble to obtain liberty to see it so that we would not take the pains I know very well that these inaccessible Arsenals are commonly the worst provided for if they were well filled and furnished they would make a publick Show of them rather than hide them But they excuse themselves upon some secret Reasons when they have nothing to show but Cross-Bows and rusty Firelocks Nothing is more easily obtain'd than the sight of the Arsenals of France and it is as true that nothing is finer and in better order I observ'd at Ingolstadt as in most of the other Cities of Germany that every where near the Fountains there are Casks of Wood or Brass mounted on little Carriages with four Wheels which serve to carry Water when any Fire happens And this is very wisely contriv'd But they have another Custom throughout all this Country which we thought much more troublesome than useful These are certain Singers in the Night who trot about every hour They gave notice to beware of Fire and afterwards exhort us to sleep quietly without considering that their horrid Musick keeps all the City awake NEWBOURG We came from Ingolstadt to Newbourg which is a very little City and without Fortifications It stands on the right Bank of the Danube which is grown broad and rapid tho' at this place it be very far distant from its main strength We past it over a Bridge to go up into the City at our entry we had a view of the Castle which is seated on a Rock Though the outsides are without Ornaments yet they make a handsome appearance Within there are great Appartments even with the Ground which are very convenient But the Elector Palatine to whom this Dutchy of Newbourg belongs was constrain'd to send all the Furniture of this Castle to that of Heidelberg this last being stripp'd as I have already told you There remains only one Cabinet which is full of rare Pictures and other Curiosities which we had not time to examine particularly I remember to have observed a round piece of very hard Stone which weighs four pound and was found in the Body of a Horse I believe we might justly call this Stone a kind of Bezoar since according to the report of Tavernier the Bezoar is found in the Paunches of Cows and Apes as well as in those of
Goats The Church of the Jesuits is the fairest in the City but there is a pleasant thing to be seen in that of St. Peter Mark d'Aviano the Capouchin famous for the Miracles which are attributed to him was at Newbourg about five Years since As he went into St. Peter's Church he perceiv'd in a corner an old Nostradame of Wood which was all mangl'd and covered over with Dust The zealous Father could not without Grief behold our Lady in so unbecoming a condition He prostrated himself before her and began to thump his Breast and to break out into Lamentations As he was in the midst of his Groans he suddenly cry'd out A Miracle and protested that the good Lady had mov'd her Eyes and look'd on him There were then many old Women in the Church who ran together at the cries of the Capouchin and with joy embraced the occasion that they were able to say that they had been witnesses to a Miracle There was no need of many Arguments to convince them for they all cried out with the Capouchin that our Lady had look'd upon him Immediately he went out with them and fill'd all the City with the noise of the pretended Miracle He was supported by the great ones and after certain Preambles which 't is needless to relate they went to St. Peter's in Procession They cleaned the Statue took the Sacrament off the great Altar which was dedicated to it dress'd our Lady in a splendid Habit and plac'd her on that Altar where she works Miracles by Millions The Princes and the People load her with Presents and People come from all parts in Pilgrimage to her AUSBOURG an Imperial City Galeazzo Gualdo Pr. pretends that it was built presently after the Deluge The whole Country is very agreeable and extraordinarily good between Newbourg and Ausbourg except when you draw near to this last City where the Lands are boggy and barren Those of Ausbourg pretend that their City is the fairest of all Germany they say also that it is greater than Nuremberg but confess that it is not so well Peopled If the Streets be broader and straiter it is certain that generally the Houses are not so fine they are commonly plaster'd and whited without or adorn'd with Pictures I saw but very few of hewn Stone All the floors of the Chambers are pav'd with a certain yellowish Marble which comes from Tirol and the Ceilings are either of Joyners-work with Compartiments or of a certain Cement which polishes very well and is very durable But there is one great Irregularity in all their manner of Building The greatest part of their Chambers are form'd into Figures which have no name and are also spoiled by the ill placing of the Stairs which take away great Corners of them Ausbourg is the Capital City of Suabia You know Augustus sent a Colony thither after he had much enlarg'd and embellish'd it It was called Augusta Vindelicorum to distinguish it from Augusta Treverorum Augusta Taurinorum and other Cities which likewise bore the name of Augusta I observed somewhere among the Paintings of the Houses the Anagram of Augusta Vindelicorum which is Orta Deâ vulgum vincis The People of this Country were call'd Vindelici because they Inhabited about the Rivers of * Pergis ad Augustam quam Vindo Licús que fluentat Respicit latè fluvios Vindónque Licúmque Miscentes undas nomina littoris unde Antiquam gentem Populúmque Urbémque vocarunt Vindelicam Ricchardus Vindo and Licus which are at this day called Werda and Leck and between which the City of Ausbourg is seated It hath been pillag'd so often particularly in the time of Attila that there are scarcely any remains of its Antiquities to be found It is I know not how long since they dug out a Pillar five or six Foot high over which was the figure of a Pine-Apple There were also found some Medals of Augustus on the Reverse of which the like Pillar is to be seen As it was the usual Custom to mark out by some bounds the increase of the Empire on the Frontiers of the Conquer'd Countries and to joyn to those limits some representations of the things which were most common in the new Provinces It is very probable that this was the use of the Pillar I just now mention'd and of the Pine-Apple which is over it for all this part of Germany is full of Pines and Firr-Trees There is also a great deal of appearance that for this reason Ausbourg bears a Pine-Apple in its Arms. Though there be hardly any thing good or regular in the Fortifications of this Town yet hath it sometimes sustain'd very rude Assaults with much vigour It is now Forty three Years since the Swedes and French besieged it and reduced it to Famine without being able to take it It is an Imperial City and its Senate are half Lutherans and half Roman Catholicks But this Senate is not the sole Master of the State five or six Sovereigns share it among them A good part belongs to the Bishop Almost all the Territory is his Demesne and he hath his Palace in the City though he resides at Dillengen where also the University is You know that all the Bishops of the Empire are Temporal Princes in their Diocesses except those of the Hereditary Countries of the House of Austria The Roman Catholicks here make publick Processions and carry the Host publickly The Lutherans commonly pull off their Hats when they cannot avoid meeting the Host They do all they can possibly to avoid giving scandal to either Party The Poor of both Religions are put into the same Hospitals and are there assisted by their own Ministers without any opposition The Jews have a separate place in the City they are obliged to pay when they resort thither a Florin per hour which is a piece of Money worth about three Shillings English The Town-House is a great four-square Building of very fair hewn Stone The Portal is of Marble and almost all the Rooms are Wainscoted and Ciel'd with Ash of Poland which is very fine The great Hall is extreamly Magnificent It is one hundred and ten foot long fifty eight broad and fifty two foot high the Pavement is of green Marble The Walls are covered with Paintings between which there are many Devices and Emblems which relate to the Government but the Roof excells all the rest in Beauty It consists of Compartments the Squares and Pannels of which are inriched with gilded Sculptures and filled with Pictures and other Ornaments And this is all so well ordered and performed that it deserves a particular Observation The Arsenal is very great The two Halls below are full of Cannon of which the greatest part are of Brass There is a Culverin of Leather twenty six foot long which is a six Pounder The upper Stories are filled with good Arms. During the Wars of the Neighbouring Princes in this last Age the People of Ausbourg were
may yet say that the little solidity and the little hardness of a Mushroom makes it a thing the least in the World Petrifiable the Metamorphosis must be done in a trice We saw a Burial lately of which I must give you some Account The Body was dress'd in Black with a White Linen Cloak a fine Peruke on the Head a Hat and above that a Garland of Flowers The Corps was laid on a Quilt with a Counterpane of Flower'd Silk Yellow and Red and supported with a Pillow of the same Stuff Four Men carry'd it thus all open and the Company follow'd Two and Two of which only those wore Garlands who were never Married This was also the Custom of the Ancients and they call'd it Corona pudicitiae The Crown of Chastity Some Hours before we had another Rencounter It was a Woman richly dress'd who walk'd thro' the City between two Nuns and was going to take the Habit. It is ordinary in this Country to go thus in publick whereas in France and many other places this Ceremony is perform'd in the Convent M. Montel A French Merchant who dwelt here many Years has just now given me an Account of a Procession which he had often seen and which I have a great mind to relate to you before I finish my Letter Mark 11.7 They at Verona believe after that Jesus Christ had made his Entrance into Jerusalem he gave a Key of the Fields to the She or He-Ass which he made use of to ride on being willing that the Beast should pass the rest of his days in quiet and liberty They add that the Ass weary with having so long gnaw'd on the Pastures of Palestine resolv'd to visit foreign Countries and to undertake a Voyage by Sea he had no need say they of a Ship the Waves became smooth and the liquid Element as hard as Crystal After he had visited the Islands of Cyprus Rhodes Candie Malta and Sicily he pass'd over the Gulf of Venice and staid some days in the place where that famous City was since built But the Air seeming to him to be unhealthful and the Pasturage bad among the Salt and Marish Isles Martin continu'd his Voyage and mounted the River of Adige dry-shod and coming up to Verona he made choice of that for his last Residence After he had liv'd there some Years like an Ass of Estate and Quality he died at last to the great Grief of the Con-fraternity So lamentable and universal a Braying made the Echoes resound thro' the Country and never was so sad a Melody heard at the Funeral of such an Animal not even in Arcadia it self But they quickly found a way to alleviate their Grief for all the Honours imaginable being render'd to the blest Deceas'd the Devotees of Verona carefully preserve the Reliques and have put them into the Belly of an Artificial Ass made for that purpose where they are kept to this day to the great Joy and Edification of Pious Souls This Holy Statue is kept in the Church of Nostre Dame of the Organs and Four of the lustiest Monks of the Convent in Pontifical Habits carry it solemnly in Procession two or three times in the Year You know Catullus was of Verona Tantum magna suo debet Verona Catullo Quantum parva suo Mantua Virgilio I am SIR Yours c. At Verona Dec. 16. 1687. LETTER XV. SIR THE Country between Verona and Vicenza is fruitful well manur'd and almost every where level The Trees are planted in Chequers on which the Vines are rais'd and spread themselves among the Branches and the Ground is carefully till'd We din'd at a little Village call'd La Torre where are the Bounds between the Veronese and Vicentin The Wine of this Country is of so faint a Sweetness that it is noxious to the Stomach Yet there are Wines at Verona that are much esteem'd and I think I have read in Suetonius that Augustus made them his ordinary Drink The Bread is as if it were Earth tho' very white and excellent Flower it is because they know not how to make it Together with this they treated us with a Dish of grey Pease fried in Oil and this was all our Feast Is it not very strange that we should be in danger to die of Hunger in a good Country after we had fed plentifully among the Rocks and Mountains The Soil is fat and consequently the Ways bad insomuch that at this Season there was need of Seven or Eight Horses to draw the Waggon-Coaches they put them all together under the Coachman's Whip that he may drive them without a Postilion Vicenza is less by half than Verona VICENZA and is only encompass'd with tottering Walls Three or Four little Rivers meet there by which divers Commodities are imported but none of them are Navigable Our Guide carried us to some of the Churches The Coronata is well paved and wainscotted That of the Religious of St. Catharines hath Three fair Altars There are some good Pictures in the Cathedral and they show us likewise in the Choir a Work of carv'd Stones which the Sexton prais'd very much tho' the matter be of little value the Performance is better than the Design The Town-House is very indifferent yet they boast of it as a rare Piece For to tell you the truth it is a difficult matter to accommodate one's self to the high-flown Discourses of the Italians It is impossible for them to speak modestly for when they would praise any thing they do it with exaggerations and he who hath the good fortune to please them is always Wonderfull Marvelous and Incomparable We have already seen I know not how many pretended Eighth Wonders of the World When we complain'd that we saw at Verona so few considerable Buildings in so great a City and which had formerly been so famous they promised us that we should find Mountains and Miracles at Vicenza They told us Vicenza was full of stately Palaces of an extraordinary sumptuous Architecture These were indeed big Words but 't is certain that never any found themselves more disappointed than we were when we came to see these pretended magnificent Palaces of Vicenza for we must use the Phrases of the Italians who must be allow'd to call whatsoever they please a Palace A little Citizen's Hall which you in England call a Parlour in Italy hath the Title of The Chamber of Audience when you may as well give the Title of Embassies to a Footboy's Message It is all one to me whether they call the Lacqueys Embassadors or all their Houses L'Ouvres This is the best in the World in Italian but for us or others who are no Italians we cannot suffer our selves to be surprized with their Palaces nor their most Sumptuous I know not very well what the Word Palace signifies in your Tongue but those who are somewhat versed in our Language ought to have no regard to the resemblance of the Word Palais to that of Palazzo
sometimes most Tragical part of the Play I will say little of their Comedies all the World knows they are but ridiculous Fustain and wretched Buffooneries scurvily performed Nevertheless let them be never so silly there is always some Grimace with some Posture or Trick of Harlequin that makes the Spectators laugh the most luscious Bawdy is pronounced in the most expressive terms and the little Damsels of those Societies never mince the matter When they are just ready to begin they commonly open the Doors for the Messieurs the Watermen who make a considerable Body at Venice and are vrey necessary Persons Their Office on this Occasion is to clap their Hands and bawl out like Mad-men to give from time to time Applause to the Actors I cannot either express or make you conceive what Terms they use when they congratulate the Women who receive also other Applauses by Sonnets made for them and printed which you shall see fly from all sides of the Theatre Before I finish this Article I must tell you that these Theatres belong to some Noble-men who get considerably by them tho' they continue no longer than the Carnival lasts The places which they call Ridetti are properly the Academies of Basset They are open'd at the same time with the Theaters there are none but Noble-men who cut They dismiss the Gamesters when they please and they have so much good Fortune joyn'd to their Privileges and good Play that the Bank is almost always Fortunate There are Ten or Twelve Chambers on a Floor with Gaming-Tables in all of them You can scarcely turn your self in them but tho' the Throng is so great yet is there a profound Silence To come into these places you must necessarily be mask'd The Courtesans come thither in Shoals and the other Ladies also who under their Masks may enjoy all the publick Pleasures of the Carnival but they still are follow'd by Spies or by their Husbands Besides the Chambers of Play there are some for Conversation where they also sell Liquors Sweet-meats and such like things They put not off their Masks and by the Privilege of this Disguise provided they be in good Cloaths they may speak to the Ladies even to those whom they may suppose of the highest Quality But you must injure no Body Beside that the Mask is Sacred one will seem to take no notice who hears all that is said to his Wife and who hath a great many Bravo's at his Heels for by that name they call the Hectors and profess'd Murderers Not that it is impossible to act a piece of Gallantry * In the business of the Ladies it suffices at Venice to have good Breeding and Money and sometimes to give a noble Treat Anc. Des of Venice with the best guarded of them when they are not over severe As the Difficulty augments the Desire so this Desire invents the Means and those who understand the Practise of this Country will do more with the Wink of an Eye than in other Countries we can perform by the longest Assiduities But all these things are out of my Sphere therefore I must beg your leave to go on The greatest Masquerading is in the place of St. Mark where the Crowd is sometimes so great that one cannot turn himself You may put your self in what Equipage you please but to do it well you must be able to maintain the Personage you represent Thus for example when the Harlequins meet they jeer one another and act a thousand Fooleries The Doctors dispute The Bullies vapour and swagger and so of the rest Those who are not willing to be Actors on this great Theatre take the Habit of Noblemen Some Polonian Dress or the like which obliges them to nothing Maskers are not permitted to wear Swords The Women are Habited as they please and are to be seen there in most magnificent Dresses In the mean time the place is filled with Puppet-Plays Rope-Dancers and all sorts of such People as you see at Bartholomew-Fair But those which in my Opinion are the pleasantest of all are a kind of Almanack-makers and Fortune-tellers who have their little Stages environ'd with Spheres Globes Astronomical Figures Characters and Conjuring-Books of all sorts these Pronouncers of Oracles have a long Pipe of Tin with which they speak in the Ear of the Curious who stand below the Scaffold They speak more or less according to the Persons and observe without any notice taken the Countenance of the Consulter when they perceive he Smiles and by some other gesture denotes his Approbation they give over speaking a little and ring a little Bell with wondrous Gravity to make known that by virtue of their Art they have dived into a very secret Affair or else that they have hit extraordinarily right When they swear only By God it signifies nothing that is only a common Road of speaking which no body regards But when they would be believed they call to witness the Saint of Padua or the most blessed Lady of Loretto and then all the standers by look seriously and devoutly and pull off their Hats as when a Psalm is sung at the Gallows It is pleasant to see the Priests and the Monks of all Orders who take up the Tubes three quarters of the time I will say nothing of the Bull-baitings Consult the Book of the S. Didiers Goose-catching Combats at Fifty-Cuffs Balls Races of the Gondola's or of their Feasting on Shrove-Tuesday on which day they cut off a Bull's-Head before all the Senate in memory of a Victory in Friuli These Stories are too long to be related neither am I particularly acquainted with them Moreover you must know that the Carnival is not the only time in which they wear Masks at Venice They use 'em in all Feasts of Pleasure with the Mask they run to the Audiences of Ambassadors And on ascension-Ascension-day all are masked from the Noblemen in the Bucentaur to the Mobb in the City All these are admirable Times for the Gondoliers not only because of the profit it brings them by their Gondola's but because it is a time of Intrigues and a Gondolier will undertake any thing They know all the turns and by-ways they pretend to know the critical Minutes and the private Stairs and to hold correspondence with the Waiting-Women they furnish Ladders of Cords on occasion they promise in your Ear to bring you to places esteemed otherwise inaccessible they are for all uses and would perform the Trade of Bravo's if necessity required Their great business is Pimping They offer without asking to deposite a Summ of Money and lose it if their Wares prove unsound A Common Gondola Vol. 2. Pag. 198 The Arsenal of Venice passes for one of the fairest and greatest of Europe and all the World agree that it is a most important Piece But it is to be considered that it is the only one which the Venetians have in Italy and all the Ammunition they have is stored up here
a Mean to accommodate the Affair and have concluded that a Priest fitted for Musick may exercise the Priesthood as well as another provided he hath his Necessities or if you will his Superfluities in his Pocket I will not be bound to produce the Act for this Regulation which certainly was only given vivâ voce But let that be as it will I can positively assure you from my own certain Knowledge that what I have told you is Truth Father Mark Aviano Mr. Scheibler a Lutheran Minister in the County of Juliers hath writ a Book concerning the Miracles of this Capuchin And you may see some Stories of him in the Treatise of J. Zwingerus Prof. in Divin at Basil de festo Corporis Christi whom I mentioned in my Letter from Ausbourg is at present here I went twice or thrice to hear him preach but could not get admittance One must go three or four Hours before if one intends to get a Place The Devotion of the People is so great for this pretended Miracle-monger that at first they tore his Cassock and pull'd off the Hairs of his Beard and had certainly pull'd him to Pieces that they might get some Relicks of him if his Friends had not bethought themselves to make a Hole in the Church-Wall by which he enters in a Chair thro' a Galery which leads directly thither from a neighbouring House and so preserved him from these foolish Devotees It is just I should add something of the famous Frier Paolo All that I could learn concerning him among the Friers Servites was that they hold his Memory in great veneration But to tell the Truth those who spake of him to me knew but little of him as I might judge by their Discourse they telling me that they knew not where his Body was but God would discover it in due time They have preserv'd the Dagger which this great Man call'd the Roman Style on so just and true an Occasion This Dagger is to be seen at the Feet of the Crucifix which is upon the Altar of St. Magdalen I should never make an end should I undertake to speak of the Churches the Cabinets of Curiosities See divers other Remarks upon Venice at the beginning of the Second Tome Among the Cabinets you may particularly see those of the Palace of Rosini of the Procurator Justiniani of the Family of Capello of M. G. Barbaro of Messeur Morosini Grimani Justiniani Garzoni and Zani of the Baron de Tassis of Dr. Bon and of Francisco Rota Spon and an hundred other things but I shall content my self with what I have said at present We are resolv'd to lie to morrow Night at Padua where we have secured a Coach to carry us to Loretto The Frost which hath continu'd for two whole Months hath so dried the Ways that we hope to jogg on easily I expect at Rome to hear News from you Pray let me not be disappointed of my Hope believe that I am sincerely SIR Yours c. At Venice Feb. 14. 1688. LETTER XVIII SIR THere is not any thing worth Observation between Padua and Rovigo only that the Country is Plain and Fruitful watered with many Rivers and well cultivated It is every where full of Meadows Groves Vineyards and well-till'd Spots of Ground The Venetians have there some Houses of Pleasure but the common Habitations when you draw near to Rovigo are but Huts made of Reeds which a Fire would reduce to Ashes in less than an Hour yet are they as merry there as in a Palace We saw often come out of these Cabbins whole Troops of Maskers dancing Gambols to the Tunes of the Violin and Bagpipe These Country Crews perhaps are to be preferred before the Rabble of Venice ROVIGO Rovigo is a poor little City begirt with a Wall just falling to ruine Yet it is the Residence of the Bishop of Adria That ancient and famous City which gave name to the Gulf being now but a pitiful half-drowned Village FERRARA Ferrara is very great and pretty handsome tho' ill peopled Some say it was called Ferrara as if ferè auren half Golden because of its rich Trade But at present it is so poor and desolate that it cannot be view'd without Compassion In the Year 1570 in Forty Hours time Ferrara suffered One hundred and sixty â—olts of an Eaâ—thquake and was almost all destroyed Schrad In a place where Four great Streets meet we made a short stop without perceiving any one Person in any of them It is generally acknowledged that this City hath more Houses than Inhabitants In the mean time the Ferrarese is one of the best Parts of Lombardy it is a plain and fat Country which wants nothing but Tillage You know this Desolation is an effect of the Severity of the Government * Servierent tibi Roma prius Domini Dominorum Servorum Servi tibi sunt jam Roma Tyranni All that falls into the Hands of the Popes presently becomes Miserable Commonly these old Princes are constrained to do a great deal of Work in a little time to enrich their Families they care little what becomes of the Estate after their Death When Ferrara was united to their Demesnes under the Pontificat of Clement VIII that Pope built a very strong Du Val writes that this Citadel cost Two Millions of Crowns of Gold Citadel which is still in good Order As for the other Fortifications they are wholly slighted The ancient University of Ferrara is at present reduced to a paltry College of the Jesuits Near the Cathedral there are some Statues on Horse-back of Brass of which one they say represents a Duke of Bozzolo Over-against the Palace of the Nobility you see also the Statue of Duke Hercules II. on Horse-back on the Pedestal of which there is a Decree engraved which grants a Refuge or Sanctuary to Criminals for Twenty Paces round about They carried us to the Ducal Palace to the Marquis de Villa's House to the Cathedral and many other Churches and Convents But tho' all these places have their own Beauties I believe the Description of 'em would not be very pleasant to you yet will I not forget to send you the Epitaph of poor Ariosto They have lately repaired his Tomb in the Church of the Benedictines Notus Hesperiis jacet hic Ariostus Indis Cui musa aeternum nomen Hetrusca dedit Seu Satyram in vitio exacuit seu Comica lufit Seu cecinit grandi bella Ducesque tubâ Ter summus vates cui summi in vertice Pindi Tergaminâ licuit cingere fronde comas They carried us also to the Opera where we saw nothing extraordinary The principal Actress was a little pretty Songstress of Twelve or Thirteen Years old who that day was to make the first Essay on the Theatre and according to common Report was that Evening to enter into the Service of one of the principal Gentlemen of the City All the chief Boxes were
the three Stones together weigh no more than one of 'em singly and consequently one weighs as much as all the three Not far from thence is the City of Assisa where they keep the Bones of that Saint who preached to the Swallows and made himself a Wife and whole Family of Snow and whose Legend is stored with Fables You know the Man ‖ They pretend that his Body and that of St. Dominick are side by side standing on their Feet At Porciuncula five Miles from hence they boast to have the first of these Saints St. Francis and at the great Convent of Bologna they affirm also they have the Body of St. Dominick His Relicks are under the great Altar of the Cathedral but no living Soul is permitted to see them It is said that a certain Bishop of the Isle of Corsica who believed himself to have a greater Privilege than others about sixty Years ago obstinately resolved to see them and that by Divine Permission he was presently struck with sudden Death It is true so much intercession was made to this Saint that a little after the Prelate came to life again Near the Village of Pesignano between Foligno and Spoletto and at the Foot of the Hill which surrounds the Plain a plentiful Spring runs out of four Outlets under a Rock and instantly makes a little Lake There the four Rivulets being united make from thence a pleasant River which afterwards forms an infinity of Meanders which without doubt contribute very much to the fruitfulness as well as Ornament of the Country it waters About two hundred Paces from this Spring there is on the Way-side a very little Temple of Corinthian Order One who seem'd to have some skill in Antiquity told me at Spoletto that this little River is the Clitumnus spoken of by some ancient Authors and among others by Virgil in the Second Book of his Georgicks and the Reasons alledged for this Opinion seem very probable But that which the vulgar Opinion adds that the little Temple consecrated to Clitumnus was made a Deity is a Story without any appearance of Truth For besides that this Temple is built Cross-wise and Eastward as the most part of the Christian Churches are and that there are Crosses carved in divers places of the Pediments which agrees not with the fashions of Paganism The three following Inscriptions are engraved on the Frises of the Front and on both sides 1 ✚ S C S Deus Profetarum qui fecit Redimptionem 2 Deus Angelorum qui fecit Resurrectionem 3 ✚ S C S Deus Aposto **** the rest is broken off The Characters are not in the least Gothick nor any other part of the Architecture Perhaps this Temple was built out of the Ruines of that of Clitumnus It is now call'd S. Salvatore and the Bishop of Spoletto says Mass there once a year From Pesignano to Spoletto SPOLETTO which is but seven Miles you coast the plain Country at the foot of the Hills there are in all these Parts a considerable number of Villages and Houses scatter'd here and there Spoletto lies within the Mountain over the rich Plain which I describ'd before It is a poor City thinly peopled ill built and in a very uneven Situation They carried us to the Cathedral after they had boasted much of the height of the Body of the Church but after all we found nothing extraordinary in its height The Pavement is made of little Pieces of Marble inlaid like the Church of St. Mark at Venice and all the Pediment of the great Portal is fine Mosaick on a Golden Ground From thence we went to the Castle which is in the highest place of the City It is only strong by its Situation but we found nothing in it to recompense the trouble we had in going up to it They shewed us from this height about five hundred Paces from the City a Church which had been consecrated to Concord and is now call'd The Chapel of the Crucifix There are at Spoletto some other old Fragments a Triumphal-Arch half ruined some Remainders of an Amphitheatre and divers loose Marble Stones but without any Inscriptions except the Arch on which we may yet distinguish some Characters The Aqueduct which joyns the Mountain of St. Francis to that of Spoletto is the more considerable in that it is entire and hath always been in use since it was first made But this is a Gothick Work it is three hundred and fifty Paces in length and two hundred and thirty Foot high measuring from the top of it to the bottom of the Valley Three Miles on this side Spoletto we passed the Somma which is the highest Mountain on this Road. And after we had been for five or six Miles amongst the dry and desart Rocks those Rocks were on a sudden changed into Embellishments During the space of four Miles we found Nature had employed all its endeavours to cover these Mountains entirely with Laurels wild Olive-Trees Tamarinds Junipers Ever-green Oaks and a wonderful variety of other Trees or Shrubs which preserve their Verdure all the Winter If you pass that way in January or July you find it still almost the same 'T is true that as the Plain of Foligno looks chearful and pleasant this seems to have a sad and melancholy Beauty At our approach to Terni those Mountains which had always confined us in a streight Passage on the Brink of the Torrent which runs at the bottom of the Valley left us by degrees and we found our selves in a great Forest of Olive-Trees These Trees were loaden with Fruits it being the Custom to let them ripen till they fall off themselves or with the least shaking The green Olives which they preserve in Pickle are gathered before they are ripe and they take away their bitterness by Art Those which are ripe have no less bitterness than the green ones And it is very strange that the bitterest of Fruits should produce the sweetest Liquor As we left this Wood of Olives we travelled about a Mile in a Plain whose agreeable Air and Fruitfulness was little inferiour to that of Foligno and then came to Terni which is on the River Nera in the midst of this excellent Country Terni is less than Spoletto TERNI but appeared to us somewhat better peopled It s whole Trade consists in Oil. They told us that during six Months of the Year Pliny praises the Cabbages and Turneps of Interamnia It has been called Interamnia Interamnia and Interamnium they make there an hundred Charges of Oil every Day The Charge weighs six hundred Pounds and is worth near twelve English Crowns This City is very * Interamnia anno ante Christum 671 condita vivente Numâ Pompilio ancient It appears by an Inscription which we observed in the Porch of the Seminary near the Cathedral that its Foundation is not of much later date than that of Rome This Inscription was made for Tiberius and
great Prince The House is almost cover'd over on the out-side with Antique Basso relievo's which are dispos'd in so natural an order and with so much Symmetry that you would be tempted to think they had been purposely made to fill those places where they are now set Of all that multitude of Statues with which the Apartments of this Palace are replenish'd I shall only take notice of the * On the Base 't is written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Made by Agasias Son of Dositheus the Ephesian Gladiator of which you have a Copy in Brass at the end of the Canal in St. James's Park the Juno of Porphyry Romulus's Wolf of fine red Marble of Egypt the Busts of Hannibal Seneca and Pertinax the Hermaphrodite and the old Silenus holding Bacchus in his Arms. The David throwing a Stone out of a Sling at Goliah the Aeneas carrying his Father and the Transformation of Daphne are three modern Pieces made by Bernin which deserve to be rank'd among the first It would be an endless Labour to enumerate all the fine Pictures The St. Anthony by Caracchio and the Dead Christ by Raphael are esteem'd the two principal I cannot forbear repeating once more That the Villa Borghese is a delicious place If all the Royal Magnificency which adorns some other places does not appear in this with so much Splendor yet it must be acknowledg'd that its Beauties are more soft and charming such tender and natural Beauties as touch our Hearts more sensibly if they do not inspire us with so much awe And even I will add That Rome being the Source of Antique Statues and Sculptures some of which are inimitable all the rest of the World must yield the precedency in this point to the House of a Roman Gentleman As we were walking in the little Flower-Garden the Gardner made us take notice of a double white Hyacinth the Root of which he assur'd us cost Five hundred Crowns a year before I know that Tulips have been sold in Flanders for Four or Five hundred Pistols so great was the Fondness that some Persons had for these Flowers We need not longer wonder at the great price of Jewels since the least durable Beauties in the World are valu'd at so high a rate The Villa Ludovisia is very much out of repair by reason of the absence of the Prince of Piombino who is Lord of it There is a prodigious multitude of ancient Statues to be seen in this place The Faustina in love with a Gladiator whom she embraces before he goes to fight the two Gladiators one * He is usually call'd the Dying Mirmillo There were three principal sorts of Gladiators Andabates Retiarii and Myrmillones Galtruch expiring and the other resting himself the Statues of Bacchus Mercury and Concord are all admirable Pieces The best Pictures have been carried to other places with the richest Furniture yet they shew'd us a Bedsted enchas'd with several sorts of precious Stones to the value as we were inform'd of Twenty thousand Pistols but at present 't is out of order In the same Chamber we saw a heap of Bones which they assur'd us was the Skeleton of a petrefy'd Man but they are mistaken for the Bones are not turn'd to Stone only they are cover'd over with a candy'd Film or stony Crust which has given occasion to their Error Not that I imagine Bones uncapable of Petrefaction as well as other things for I believe there is nothing in the World that may not be subject to such an alteration In the several Cabinets of Curiosities that I have seen in my Travels I have observ'd a prodigious Variety of petrefy'd Bodies Fruits Flowers Trees Wood Plants Bones Fishes Bread pieces of Flesh and Animals of all sorts Pareus relates an Instance of a Child that was turn'd to a Stone in the Mother's Belly And which is far more surprizing we are inform'd by the Histories of our Age that an entire * The Town of Biedoblo See Kircher's Mundus Subterraneus Aventinus in his Bavarian Annals speaks of several Persons in that Country who as they were milking their Cows were suddenly transform'd into Statues of Salt by the force of certain spirituous Steams that broke forth in the place where they were during a great Earthquake in the year 1348. City in Afric was petrefy'd in one night with Men Beasts Trees Houshold Furniture Tools and every thing that was in the Town without exception The Villa Chigi abounds with little Water-spouts which never fail to besprinkle the Curious if they do not take care to prevent those Showers by feeing the Gardener when they enter There is also a Cabinet of Curiosities of which the little Adrian of Oriental Jasper is the most celebrated Piece The great Alleys of the Villa Montalto or Savelli with its Statues and Pictures make it vye with the finest Country-houses about Rome Here is still to be seen Sixtus the Fifth's little grey Chamber while he was yet only Cardinal Montalto and as you know a Franciscan The Germanicus the Pescennius Niger the Scipio the Goddess Naenia the Adonis and the Gladiator are reckon'd among the principal Antiquities And among the Pictures the Dead Christ by Raphael the S. Francis by Caracchio the Virgin and the Bacchus by Guido with the S. John by Pomarancia The Gardens of the Villa Pamphili would be in my Opinion the fairest that I have seen if they were kept in better order for here I observ'd a more judicious design more Symmetry and a more regular disposition of all the Parts than any where else The House is adorn'd on the outside with fine Antique Basso relievo's like that of the Villa Borghese and it is no less replenish'd within but the best Statues were very much disorder'd by an Accident which I shall relate to you The Prince Pamphilio while he was yet very young was importunately sollicited by the Jesuites to enter into their Society He was not altogether averse to this motion and those designing Fathers employ'd all their Cunning to gain him under a Pretext of Devotion to which they knew he was very much enclin'd Among other Stratagems which they us'd they exclaim'd loudly against the Indecency of those naked Marble Figures which he kept in this Palace and the tender Consciences of these rigid Casuists oblig'd him at length to order several parts of these Statues to be cover'd This poor young Prince to humour his ghostly Fathers caus'd Shirts of Plaster to be put on all his Marble Subjects Men Women and Children This Reformation was very grievous to some persons especially to Painters Sculptors and Antiquaries but no humane Consideration could prevail with the Priest-ridden Prince to desist from his pious design to hide so many tempting and dangerous Objects They were all daub'd and plaster'd over without mercy save one little Bacchus who had the good fortune to escape this holy Fury as the young * He was afterwards made a Duke Lord of Force was preserv'd from
could have believ'd that the Vicar of Christ would compose a List of enormous Crimes and unheard of Impieties with the Price of * Gaude Mater nostra Roma quoniam aperiuntur Cataractae Thesaurorum in terra ut ad te confluant rivi aggeres nummorum in magna copia Laetare super iniquitate filiorum hominum quoniam in recompensationem tantorum malorum datur tibi pretium Jocundare super adjutrice tua discordia quia erupit de puteo infernalis abyssi ut accumulentur tibi multa pecuniarum praemia Habes quod semper sitisti decanta canticum quia per malitiam hominum non per tuam Religionem orbem vicisti Ad te trahit non ipsorum devotio aut pura conscientia sed scelerum multiplicium perpetratio litium decisio pretio comparata Cour. Abbas Ursp Venalia nobis Templa Sacerdotes Altaria Sacra Coronae Ignis Thura Preces Coelum est venale Deusque B. Mant. Absolutions to be granted for ' em I bought this Book three days ago in Rome 'T is true they are asham'd of it they have endeavour'd by all means to suppress it and it is inserted in the Index Expurgatorius of the Council of Trent but the Blot will never be wip'd off and after all these Grimaces Dispensations are sold here daily Before I bid adieu to Pope Joan I must not forget to put you in mind of what †Mezeray in the Life of Charles the Bald. Mezeray writes concerning the Story that is the subject of our Controversie That this Opinion was generally receiv'd as an undoubted Truth for the space of Five hundred years If you desire to know the reason why the Use of this Chair is laid aside the following Epigram by ‖ John Bishop of the Five Churches in Pannonia or Hungary Pannonius will satisfie your Curiosity Non poterat quisquam reserantes Aetherae Claves Non exploratis sumere Testiculis Cur igitur nostro mos hic nunc tempore cessat Ante probat quod se quilibet esse Marem Or this Les petits Enfans qu'ils font Sont preuves assez râ—éâ—es Que les Saints Peres ne sont Ni Coquatres ni Femelles The Sence of both which may be thus express'd Of old e're Popes had learn'd to kiss None were then sure they kept no Miss Made Porters of the Bow'r of Bliss Till Rev'rend Fist had grop'd 'em But now thank Heav'n we 've surer Signs For th' Offspring of their Sacred Loins Displays the Vigor of their Groins Before they claim the Popedom Pasquin's Verses on Paul II and Innocent VIII are much to the same purpose Pontificis * Paul II. Pauli Testes ne Roma requiras Filia quam genuit sat docet esset marem Octo †Innocent VIII Nocens Pueros genuit totidemque Puellas Hunc merito poteris dtcere Roma Patrem The Church of ‖ So call'd from Plan. Lateranus a Roman Lord who had Gardens in this place He was kill'd by Nero's Order after he had been nominated to the Consulship St. John de Lateran is very large and magnificent She assumes also the lofty Title of the ‡ These two Verses are engrav'd on the Portico Dogmate Papali datur simul Imperiali Ut sim Cunctarum Mater Caput Ecclesiarum Head and Mother of all Churches Sixtus V. built a vast Palace near this Church * I hear that it was since made a Hospital which was never inhabited Near adjoyning to that Building is the Lodge call'd Sancta Scala from the 28 Steps that were transported thither They are of white Marble very much worn and they pretend that these are the Steps by which Christ ascended to Pilate's House At present none are permitted to ascend 'em but ‡ There are two little Stairs one on each side by which those that please are permitted to walk up to the Sancta Sanctorum kneeling which cannot be done without trouble but to make amends for that they obtain at every Step Indulgences for Three years and as many times Forty days The Chapel at the top of the Stairs is call'd Sancta Sanctorum or the Holy of Holies from an Image of Christ which they believe was made by Angels and is religiously preserv'd there I have seen this Piece and can assure you it is very ugly and ill shap'd Women never enter into this most Holy place In our return from the Sancta Scala we pass'd by St. Mary major which is a vast and magnificent Structure A certain Roman Lord full of Devotion to the Virgin being one night warn'd in a Dream to go next morning to Mount Esquilin and there to build a Church to the honour of the Mother of God in the place where he should find Snow and Pope Liberius having also had the same Vision they walk'd together to the place appointed It was on the Fifth of †Ann. 355. August yet they found Snow which they remov'd with their own Hands and immediately laid the Foundations of this Temple You never saw any thing more rich or finely built than the Chapels of ‖ Dominick Fontana was the Architect of this Chapel We were inform'd that it cost Seven hundred thousand Roman Crowns Sixtus V. and Paul V. in the last of which they preserve the Manger of Bethlehem and an Image of the Virgin made by St. Luke about which they have several times found Angels singing Litanies Not far from thence is the little Church of St. Anthony whither all the Horses of the City are brought on that Saint's Festival to receive a Benediction at the Door of the Church Castel-Gandolfo is 16 miles distant from Rome But to change the Subject of my Observations that their Variety at least may please you I shall in the next place give you some account of our Voyage to Castel-Gandolfo This House has nothing remarkable in it tho' it belongs to the Pope Cardinal H has an Apartment in it and sometimes goes to pass a few days there where he may be free from the Encumbrances of the Ceremonies of Rome than which nothing can be more troublesome to a Cardinal During our short stay at this place we took several turns into the adjacent Country About a mile from the Castle we visited the little Town of Albano ALBANO where the famous City of Alba was formerly seated extending according to the common Belief from the brink of the Lake of Castle Gandolfo to the new Town of Albano but this Opinion is controverted and I will not undertake to decide the Question We saw at Albano a kind of Tower or ruin'd Mausoleum commonly call'd the Tomb of Ascanius but this Opinion seems only to be grounded on a very uncertain Tradition But I may speak more positively of another ancient Tomb near Albano which is generally believ'd to be the Sepulchre of the Two Horatii and the Three Curiatii 'T is plain that the Five Pyramids which are on the Tomb
thing that it does is wonderful in the highest degree 'T is the principal Object of the Devotion of these People and they stamp it on their Coyn with the Arms of the Republic You may easily imagin that this Crucifix met with a very kind reception at the Cathedral The Cathedral is dedicated to St. Martin yet 't is hard to divine the Reason why it preferr'd St. Martin to St. Fredian since 't is certain that this City was much more oblig'd to the latter than to the former The number of the Favours and good Offices it receiv'd from him is almost infinite but his saving it from the Inundation of the Cerchio deserves to be particularly remember'd One day when St. Fredian was at Lucca The River is at present two or three miles distant from Lucca the River began to swell prodigiously and threatned the City with a dreadful Inundation but the holy Man commanded it immediately to change its course and to follow him without murmuring whithersoever he should conduct it and his Orders were instantly obey'd to the great Joy and Astonishment of all the People In the same Saints Church there is a Marble Table seventeen foot long about six and a half broad and fourteen inches thick the Story of which is contain'd in the following Inscription O quisquis legis lapis es ni lapis hic te moveat in admirationem culium D. Frediani qui templo huic construendo molem hanc in montibus ad quartum lapidem nactus viribus impar sed spiritu fervens mirâ facilitate manibus humerisque suis Canonicorum in plaustrum binis indomitis vacculis trahendum impositum sexto salutis saeculo hac in Aede statuit sacrum Monumentum In the middle of the same Church we took notice of a Tomb-stone with these words inscrib'd upon it Hic jacet corpus Sancti Riccardi Regis Angliae Here lyes the Body of St. Richard King of England I cannot imagine who this Royal Saint should be * Sirnam'd Coeur de Lion Richard I. if my Memory does not deceive me dy'd in France of a Wound after his return from his Voyage beyond Sea and was interr'd in the Abbey of Fontevraut Richard II. was dethron'd by the Parliament and the Duke of Lancaster and afterwards stabb'd at Pomfret from whence his Body was carried first to St. Paul's then to Langley and at last to Westminster where his Tomb still remains And Richard III who was no more a Saint than his two Predecessors of the same Name but rather a very wicked man was slain at Bosworth in Leicestershire and buried in the City of Leicester Besides I do not remember that ever there was a King Richard in England before the reunion of the Heptarchy So that this Epitaph puzzl'd us all However I will not at present entertain you with our Conjectures concerning it but you will do us a singular pleasure by communicating yours to us I cannot forbear relating to you the Story of our Lady of St. Austin's for perhaps you never heard of a more pleasant Trick play'd by an Image A certain Souldier having lost considerably at Dice fell into a rage and at last laid the blame of his ill Fortune on our Lady who was then plac'd against the Wall of the Court of Guard and after he had call'd her a thousand hard Names to crown his Insolency he threw a Stone at her which was levell'd directly against the Head of the little Jesus But our Lady says the Story perceiving the danger prevented the blow by tossing her Child so nimbly from her right Arm to her left that he receiv'd not the least hurt To preserve the Memory of this Event the little Jesus stuck so close to his Mother's left Arm that she could not with all her strength bring him to his former place so that she was e'en forc'd to let him have his Humour and he remains upon her left Arm to this very day which is look'd upon as an undeniable Argument of the Truth of the Story by the devout Pilgrims who come to visit this Image To make an end of the Story the Earth open'd on a sudden and swallow'd up the impious Soldier The Hole is still there and these charitable Devotees are very careful to admonish the curious Stranger not to come near it because it is in their Opinion the very Mouth of Hell but certainly such a dangerous place ought to be rail'd in You are not ignorant that several noble * Calendrini Burlamachi Turretini Micheli and some others Families of Lucca retir'd to Geneva about the time of the Reformation The Country between Lucca and Florence is fertile and well cultivated PISTOYA Pistoya is in the middle twenty miles distant from each of ' em This is a very poor and desolate City especially since it lost its liberty for tho' it can make a shift to live on the fat of the Land it can never grow rich without Trade of which it is wholly destitute It is bigger than Lucca its Streets are large and streight and the Remainders of its ancient Beauty are sufficient to convince us that it was formerly a fine City The Inhabitants of Pistoya have a particular veneration for St. James because they were formerly assisted by him and have still a great number of his Relics He has a Chapel in the Cathedral The Altar is cover'd with Plates of Silver and surrounded with Lamps of great value Citta Pistoyese chiare case oscure Chiese The City of Pistoya has light Houses and dark Churches where I observ'd a Prayer directed to him in which he is call'd the First or Chief of the Apostles Tu qui primatum tenes inter Apostolos imo qui eorum primus c. Some think the Factions of the Guelphs and Gibelins were so call'd from Guelph and Gibel two Brothers and Gentlemen of Pistoya of whom the elder espous'd the Quarrel of Pope Gregory the Ninth while the second asserted the Interest of the Emperor Barbarossa But I should rather embrace the Opinion of those who derive the Names of those Factions from the illustrious and potent †About the Confines of Italy and Germany on the Upper Rhine See Maimb of the Decadence of the Empire l. 5. Families of the Guelphs and Gibellins who were at enmity with one another long before their Jealousies and Animosity were rais'd to the utmost heighth by their declaring one for the Emperor and t'other for the Pope The above-mention'd Etymology of St. Katherine will I 'm afraid appear so ridiculous to you that you will perhaps be tempted to suspâ—ct I invented it but I assure you I took it from the famous Golden Legend and both to clear my self of such a suspicion and to divert you after so long a Letter I shall subjoin some other Etymologies of the same stamp which I read not long ago and remember pretty exactly To begin with St. Christina my Author tells you That her Name
signifies anointed with Cream because she had the Balm of Sweet Odour and the Oil of Devotion Would you not have discover'd this rare Etymology at the first glance Damian he proceeds had his Name from the Hand of God Main de Dieu because he wrought divinely Beatrix is an Abridgment of two Words Blessed and Sad Benoiste and Triste Martin was so call'd because he kept the Field of Battel against Vices or as one should say Ung des Martyrs des Martyrs ung d' Martyrs in Martyrin Martin And is not this as plain as the derivation of Equus from Alfana or of the word Lackey from Verna George comes from Ge or Earth and Orge Barley that is a Cultivater of Barley Siphorian is deriv'd from Symphony for he chanted the sweet Tunes of Virtue Maurice comes in a streight line from Amen and Cis that is Vomiting hard and Us which signifies Counsellor or Hasty Vomiting by reason of his throwing off Superfluities Hard because be endur'd Torments Counsellor because he admonish'd the Knights his Companions and Hasty from the ardour of his Zeal This is as clear as a Sun-beam S. Gorgonian is originally deriv'd from Gorgos which signifies Subject or from Gonos that is an Angel and Denan which is interpreted Fruit for he was Subject to God without an Angel and was afterwards made new Fruit by Martyrdom Alexis is as one should say issant de Loy issuing out of the Law for he issued from the Law of Marriage to preserve his Virginity Jerome comes from Norma a Rule Cecilia from Lis du Ciel the lilly of Heaven Cyprian from Cypris Saturnian from Saturace nuce because the Pagans and Heathens glutted themselves with his Torments as the Crow gluts her self with devouring Nuts When you have a mind to a second Service my venerable Legend will furnish you with a plentiful one but I believe you have enough at present I am SIR Your c. Florence May 17. 1688. LETTER XXVIII SIR I Would not neglect the occasion of writing to you the day after our arrival at Florence tho' I could not then give you any account of this lovely City We have seen so many things in it since that my Journal would furnish me with sufficient matter for a Volume But in pursuance of my wonted method I shall in the first place give you a brief description of it and afterwards proceed to communicate some particular Observations which perhaps will be new to you Florence the chief City of Tuscany Seat of an Archbishop and Residence of the Great Duke FLORENCE the Fair. is situated on the River Arno as it were in the middle of the Arena or bottom of an Amphitheater At the distance of four or five miles excepting only the side that looks towards Pistoya it is surrounded with very fertile Hillocks which rise insensibly and by degrees unite themselves to the high Mountains The vast number of Houses which cover both the little Hills and the interjacent Plain make a very delightful and admirable Prospect If from one of the Towers of Florence you took a view of this large Bottom so full of Villages and Houses of Pleasure you would think it were an almost infinite continuation of the Suburbs of the Town and it may be justly said that this rich and delicious Valley is the best inhabited place in the World I was inform'd by a curious and exact Person that the Walls of this City are just Fifteen thousand Two hundred and forty Brasses or Fathoms in compass and that the River Arno which runs thro' it is Five hundred Fathoms broad so that reckoning the double breadth of the River with the circumference of the Walls the Circuit of Florence amounts in all to Sixteen thousand Two hundred and forty fathoms Three of these Fathoms make exactly five Feet and eight Inches English measure and consequently 16240 Fathoms amount to Thirty thousand six hundred and seventy five Feet which you may reduce as you think fit The City is pretty round The same Person assur'd me that Florence contains within its Walls Eight thousand and eight hundred Houses Sixty thousand Souls Two and twenty Hospitals Eighty and nine Convents Fourscore and four Fraternities a Hundred fifty and two Churches Eighteen Halls or Galleries belonging to Merchants Seventy and two Courts of Justice six Columns two Pyramids four Bridges seven Fountains seventeen Places or Courts and a Hundred and sixty public Statues The Streets are pav'd with large pieces of a greyish Stone call'd Pietra forte which is brought from the neighbouring Quarries A good number of the Houses are built with the same Stone and many of 'em are extraordinarily large and beautiful And even there are some who pretend that the Florentine Palaces to speak after the Italian manner are the handsomest Structures in Italy The * Near the great Gate of this Palace there is a large Magnet which was spoil'd by the Fire Spon says that it weighs 5000 pounds Palace Pitti where the Great Duke lodges is a magnificent Building and extoll'd beyond measure by the People of the Country Yet I observ'd one fault in it which is the littleness of the Court with respect to the Building you will be of the same opinion after I have told you that the heighth of the Palace to the Cornish of the third Order amounts to a hundred and twenty two feet and yet the Court is but a hundred and sixty foot long and a hundred and forty broad so that you cannot chuse a place in all the Court to view the Palace without lifting up your Head in a very troublesome manner Before we enter'd into the old Ducal Palace The four Statues of white Marble on the Bridge of the Trinity represent the four Seasons They were made by Michael Angelo where all those rare and precious things are to be seen that make so great a noise in the World we took a view of the Statues in the Place or Court I shall only name these following the David by Michael Angelo the Judith by Donatelli the fair Sabin Woman violently carried away by John of Bologna the Perseus of Brass by Cellini the Hercules and Cacus by Bandinelli and the Brass Statue on Horseback of Cosmo I by John of Bologna These are all admirable Pieces The three Basso-relievo's on the Pedestal of the last-nam'd Statue represent Cosmo I. kneeling before the Pope to †Obzelum Religionis praecipuumque Justitiae Studium receive from him the Title of Great Duke the same Prince making his public entry into Florence in a kind of triumphal Chariot and the Ceremony that was solemniz'd when the Senate of Florence resign'd the Soveraign Authority to him by investing him with the Ducal Dignity The great Gallery of the Palace is almost Four hundred foot long the underfretting of the Roof is painted and we walk'd between two Ranks of Statues and Busts which are almost all Antique Pieces On the top against the Wall are the Portraictures
Line proportionably to the heighth of the hole thro' which the Ray enters At the Church of Corpus Domini they shew an embalm'd Body which is black and dry like a Mummy and pretend that 't is the Body of a * Katherin Vigri Saint that works many Miracles She is seated on a Stool and muffl'd up in a hundred sorts of Hoods with many Rings on her Fingers Her Nails and Hair if you will believe our Informers grow as much now as when she was alive which was the first and principal Mark of Holiness that laid the Foundation of her Fame 'T is impossible to behold such a ghastly Spectacle without Horror They have also an extraordinary veneration for an Image of our Lady made by St. Luke and are perswaded that she would infallibly come once every year to visit 'em if they did not go to her But they are too complaisant not to take a Journey of five miles to wait upon her at the place of her residence At Mount la Guardia They are making a cover'd way to go in procession from the City to that Mountain and the Work is already far advanc'd and for three days afterwards they carry her about the City with more Pomp and Ceremony than was us'd in the Reception of Charles the Fifth and Clement the Seventh The Companies of Artificers the Fraternities Convents Parishes Magistrates Gonfalonier and Legat assist all together at the solemnity of this Procession The Image is carried under a rich Canopy and when she passes by the Spectators throw themselves upon their Knees with Sighs and Groans that put us in mind of your Quakers in England We saw also the magnificent Chapel and Tomb of St. Dominic in the Church of the Dominicans The Benches in the Quire are adorn'd with inlaid Work of several colours done by Fryar Damian of Bergamo The same Praises are given to this Work now that were wont to be bestow'd on it formerly for commonly one half of our Actions proceeds meerly from Custom Nevertheless that Art has been very much improv'd since those times they have found out the Secret of imprinting natural Colours on Wood and in the general such Works are now perform'd with quite another turn a great deal more delicacy and exactness In the same Church we saw the Tomb of * Call'd also Enzelin Hentius King of Sardinia and Corsica Bastard Son of the Emperor Frederic II. That young Prince was taken Prisoner by the Bolognians as he was coming to assist their Enemies the People of Modena His Father left no means unessay'd to procure his Liberty he strove in vain to move the Bolonians both with Prayers and Threatnings and at last promis'd to †Cum tantum Auri pro redimendo Filio polliceretur quantum ad moenia Bononiae circulo aureo cingenda sufficeret surround their City with a Circle of Gold but they would never be perswaded to deliver their Prisoner 'T is true they maintain'd him at the public charge and treated him as a King but as a captive King He liv'd Two and twenty years nine months and sixteen days in confinement and died in March 1272. There is an Epitaph on his Tomb that gives a particular account of the whole Story When I reflect on the Emperor's Offer and the Obstinacy of that little Republic I cannot forbear suspecting that there was some Mystery in the Golden Circle If Frederic had intended to make his promis'd Chain heavy 't is probable he would have offer'd some particular Sum without using the ambiguous Expressions of Circles and Surrounding And the Bononians would not have been so inexorable if they had not fear'd to be deceiv'd and perhaps imagin'd that the Circle would at last dwindle into a Thread Near the great Tower ‖ This Tower was erected by Gerard Asinelli An. 1109 it is 376 foot high The Garisenda was built by Otho and Philip Garisendi Ann. 1110. It s heighth amounts to 130 and its inclination to 9 feet Gal. Guald Asinelli there is another call'd Garisenda which leans like the Tower of Pisa The general Opinion is that its Inclination is an effect of the singular Art of the Builder whose Wit is no less admir'd here than the Timorousness of certain Monks is derided who were so terrify'd by the leaning of the Tower that they resolv'd to leave their Convent which lay under it The Opinion of those who pretend that this Monument was purposely erected in a leaning posture does certainly proceed from their Ignorance It is a square and even Tower built of Brick like that of Siena and Viterbo mention'd in one of my preceding Letters it was not design'd for an Ornament nor erected to display the Wit of the Architect and without doubt it was more for the Interest of those that built it to secure the stability of its Foundations than to affect an useless singularity in its Structure And after all it would not be a very difficult task to build an enclining Tower you are not ignorant of the Reasons on which such an Operation might be grounded and you may try the Experiment when you please by making a pile of the Men on your Tables This Tower puts me in mind of a Story related by Childrey one of your English Naturalists that there is a Steeple in Bristol which is variously agitated according to the motion of the Bells Before I came hither I had seen the Epitaph of that Proculus who lies interr'd in St. Proculus's Church in this City Si procul à Proculo Proculi campana fuisset Jam procul à Proculo Proculus ipse foret But I always fancy'd according to the common Opinion that St. Proculus's Bell had knock'd out his Namesake's Brains whereas I 'm inform'd here that this Proculus being a very studious person accustom'd himself for several years to rise every Morning at the sound of that Bell which was at last the occasion of his death The shining Stones so generally known under the name of the Bononian Stones are found on the Hill of Paderno three miles from the City Barthol Zunicheli is the only person that knows how to prepare ' em We find the Heats no less troublesome here than among the sandy Mountains of the Apennins but to make amends we have Ice and all sorts of cooling Liquors thro' all the Country the Men use Fans as well as the Women there are some made of Paper not unlike to a Fane or Weather-Flag and sold for a penny In our Inn we had a Machine that play'd on the Table to drive away the Flies We were frequently entertain'd with Lake-Tortoises about the bigness of Trenchers their Flesh is firm and of a pretty good savour Last night about Sun-setting we left Bologna and travell'd ten miles to Sanâ—ogia a little Village equally distant from that City and Modena We are assur'd that henceforward the whole Country as far as the Alps is as smooth and even as a Bowling green and that
Grandeur of his Subject but such a groundless Zeal must either be an Effect of an excessive and unwarrantable Complaisance or proceed from an unjust Prejudice The outside of this Structure is neither beautiful nor regular and I can assure you from my own Experience that a Stranger may pass by it and even look upon it and touch it without imagining it to be a Palace 'T is true there are many Galleries and Apartments in it and therefore it may be call'd large and commodious which are the highest Epithets that can be bestow'd on it as well as on White hall Our Guides assur'd us that this Palace was very richly and magnificently furnish'd before it was * The 18th of July 1630. pillag'd by the Imperial Army It seems succeeding Princes have been discourag'd by the greatness of that loss from endeavouring afterwards to repair it for many of the Rooms remain still empty Nevertheless it must be acknowledg'd that there is not the least defect in the Duke's Apartment the Hall of Antiquities is full of rare and fine Pieces and the Cabinet of Curiosities is extreamly well furnish'd Of seven or eight Pleasure-houses that belong to the Duke of Mantua we saw only Marmirol and la Favorite which are very lovely Seats Marmirol especially is a charming place admirably well furnish'd adorn'd with Pictures and Antiquities and embellish'd with several Gardens Orange-walks Bird-houses and Fountains besides which it enjoys the advantageous Neighbourhood of a Wood and of a delicious and limpid Brook See Mezeray in the Life of Charlemain The Reverend Mr. St. Longin is the most precious Relic in Mantua together with some Drops of that miraculous Blood which was found in this City in the time of Leo III and * This Order was instituted An. 1608 by Vincent Gonzaga at the marriage of his Son with Margaret of Savoy He created Twenty Companions of the Order and put this Devise about the Collar Nihil isto Triste recepto afterwards gave occasion to the Institution of the Duke of Mantua's Order Both these venerable Rarities are kept in St. Andrew's Church at the entry of which I observ'd another extraordinary Piece 't is a Bell almost six foot in diameter with eight openings like Windows three foot high and one broad in its circumference They told us some Stories concerning the oddness of its Fabric but without the least appearance of Truth 'T is impossible to leave Mantua without remembering Virgil who was born in the Village of Andes near this City Mantua Musarum domus atque ad Sidera cantu Evecta Andino Sil. Ital. l. 8. Besides the Cathedral Strangers usually visit the Churches of the Jesuites of St. Barnabas St. Maurice St. Sebastian St. Vrsula and St. Barbara the Town-house Theater Manufactories Mill of the Twelve Apostles Synagogue and Shambles Two and twenty miles from Mantua we pass'd over a River which separates that Dutchy from the Signiory of Venice and eighteen miles further we arriv'd the same Evening at Bressa BRESSA where we lodg'd The first Object that struck our Eyes as we enter'd into this City was the sight of Women in the Streets and Shops as 't is usual in France and England for we had seen none of that Sex since our arrival at Verona Bressa seems to be pretty well stor'd with Inhabitants and a place of Traffick People stir about here after quite another manner than in most Towns of an indifferent largeness we have hitherto seen in Italy The Fortifications of this City are inconsiderable but it is defended by a very strong Citadel which stands on a little Hill adjoining to the City and as it were on the first step of the Alps. The Palace of Justice is a great and fair Building of a certain hard Stone resembling Marble On the Pediment of the Front are these words written Justiciae with a c. Fidelis Brixia Fidei Justiciae consecravit Opposite to this Palace there is a Portico five hundred paces long and almost quite fill'd with Armourers Shops The Fire-Arms that are made here are famous thro' all Italy The Neighbourhood of the Alps furnishes this City with a great number of fine Springs and a very commodious Rivulet In the Cathedral they preserve with a great deal of Veneration that which they call Constantine's Oriflame but we could meet with none that were able to give us an exact description of it because it is never fully shown The Sexton who entertain'd us with a Relation of its Virtues told us only that it is a blew Cross of unknown matter and that it is the same that appear'd to Constantine with this Motto In hoc Signo vinces in the Battel which that Emperor fought against Maxentius but we must not give Credit to this account of it The Cross or Figure of a Cross mention'd in that Story was only a sign that appear'd in the Air and not a palpable Cross nor can it be properly call'd an * Some derive the word Oriflame from Flammula a Banner or Standard and Aurea Golden because it was fasten'd to the end of a gilt Lance. Others think it was so call'd because it was made of a sort of Gold and Flame-colour'd Stuff It was adorn'd with green Tassels Du Cange Oriflame which signifies a sort of gilt Banner or Standard Mezeray tells us That under the second Race of Kings St. Martin's Cope was born at the Head of the French Armies But he adds That the Race of the Capets having a particular Veneration for St. Denis made use of the Banner call'd Oriflame which belong'd to that Saint's Church Perhaps then the Oriflame at Bressa may be the †The Labarum was a purple Banner which was never made use of but when the Emperor commanded the Army in person It was enrich'd with Fringes of Gold and Jewels Constantine order'd this Cypher to be written on it which consists of the first Letters of the Name of Christ Labarum to which Constantine added the Name of Christ after his Victory over Maxentius But to speak more reasonably give me leave to say that this Vision seems to be the Product of some Enthusiastical Brain as well as that shining Image of the Virgin holding the little Jesus in her Arms which the Tyburtin Sibyl shew'd to Augustus in the Air. All the way from Bressa to Bergamo we coasted the Ridge of the Alps on our right hand at the distance of two or three miles We pass'd over the River Oglio a second time at Palazzuolo which is seated exactly in the middle between the two above-mention'd Cities being Fifteen Miles distant from each of ' em BERGAMO Bergamo is a strong Town and a place of Traffic seated on a little Hill at the foot of the Alps. Besides its Fortifications which are well lin'd and in good repair it has a Citadel with some Forts and advanc'd Works which defend the rising Grounds that command it It has also five Suburbs which are
surrounded on the inside with a Portico supported by Marble Pillars every Chamber being twenty foot broad or somewhat less 't is plain that the length of each Gallery comprehending the thickness of the Walls must amount to about Eighteen hundred Feet The great Place within is a Meadow wash'd by several Brooks of running Water and in the middle of the square is an Altar under a Dome supported by Columns The Doors of the Chambers are so contriv'd that all the sick Persons may see Mass said from their several Beds The Church which at present bears the name of St. Ambrose is the same into which that ancient Doctor refus'd to admit Theodosius There are Pictures and Sculptures in it which are the Productions of the most ignorant Ages They made us also take notice of a Dragon of Brass that stands on a Marble Column Donato Bossi thinks it is a Figure of Aesculapius's Serpent Tristan Caleo suspects that it is a Memorial of some extraordinary Event like the Goose in the Capitol See the Exercitationes Sacrae of Georg. Maebius de Aeneo Serpente Morigi Besozo and some others say That this is a Representation of the Serpent that Moses erected in the Wilderness and produce some Passages of Chronicles that seem to favour their Opinion Others pretend that it was cast out of the Fragmenta of that Serpent and the People are firmly perswaded that this is the Serpent of the Wilderness in proper Person II Kings 18.4 and in that belief have recourse to it on certain occasions as to one of the most effectual Relicks Bossi and Charles Torre declare That they have been several times Eye-witnesses of the Adoration paid to this Image In the Church of St. Eustorgia they preserve the Tomb that contain'd the Bodies of the Three Kings before they were remov'd to Colen They pretend that the Odour of Sanctity which remains in this Sepulchre compleats the Cure of Diseases tho' it never undertakes any that are difficult But you must not imagin that they are destitute of Remedies in such cases for they have as good Madona 's and as powerful Relicks at Milan as any are in Italy At St. Alexander's alone there are a hundred and forty four thousand Martyrs of the Catacombs of St. Sebastian The other Curiosities of this place are Works in Steel and in Rock-Crystal which is found not far off in the Alps they make Looking-glasses of the largest pieces which rarely amount to a foot square The Proverb says that He that would do a Kindness to Italy must destroy Milan which some think alludes to the Trade of Milan that would be dispers'd thro' the rest of the Country but others believe this Apophthegm was occasion'd by reason that the most * This City has been 40 times besieg'd and 22 times taken Du Val. fatal Wars to Italy have always had their Original in this City We had the Curiosity to go two miles from Milan to the Marquess of Simonetta's House to hear an Eccho that repeats the last Syllable above ‡ Lucretius extols an Eccho that answer'd seven times Sex etiam septem loca vidi reddere voces Unam cum jaceres l. 4. forty times We made the experiment in a cover'd Gallery in one of the wings of this Building and the Eccho answer'd from the other Wing The Sound decreases gradually like the reboundings of an Ivory Bullet In our Journey from Milan to Pavia which is but fifteen miles distant we went a little out of the way to see the famous †In the Plain of Barco Monastery founded by ‖ The same who founded the Cathedral of Milan All the Pictures in the Chapel of St. Michael were done by P. Perugini Raphael's Master In the Vestry there is a Christ crown'd with Thorns by Passignani which is much esteem'd The Pictures in the Quire were made by Daniel Crespi John Galeas Visconti first Duke of Milan The Body of the Church is of a Gothick Architecture but the Chapels and Altars are not inferiour to the richest and finest Pieces in the Churches of Naples The Cloyster is also very fair and the Parks Gardens Rivers Avenues and other Ornaments of this House make it a very charming Solitude There are at present Fifty eight Monks in it PAVIA The poor little City of Pavia has lost its ancient lustre 'T is impossible to divine by what remains of it at present that it was once the Metropolis of a Kingdom and the Residence of twenty Monarchs The Castle is an old neglected Heap and the Fortifications are in a very mean condition A Traveller may satisfie his Curiosity by passing thro' the great Street the rest of the City being almost desolate Founded by Charlemain and re-establish'd by Charles IV. Boetius was a Native of Pavia As far as we could judge the University is much decay'd as well as the Town It consists of Five Colleges among which that of Borromeo is chiefly remarkable for the beauty of its Building The Scholars walk thro' the City in their Gowns and those of every College have different Robes Over-against the Cathedral which is an old low and dark Structure and built awry there is a Figure on Horseback of Brass which is is thought to be a Statue of Antoninus Pius 't is commonly call'd the Regisol In the Life of Pope Gregory the Second There is a kind of Mast of a Ship to be seen in the Cathedral which is thought by the People to be Orlando furioso's Spear tho' for what reason I know not I find it had the same Name in the time of Platina who thinks it was brought from Ravenna when that City was taken and sack'd by King Luitprand It was the same King Luitprand who according to the Tradition brought the Body of St. Austin from Sardinia to Pavia and buried i◠in St. Peter's Church which at present belongs to the Augustin Friars but the place where the Body lies could never be discover'd and the magnificent Tomb of Marble in the Chapel at the side of the Church is only an honorary Monument erected by the Monks In a Bookseller's Shop at Pavia I found by chance the History of that City written by Bernard Saccus one of its Inhabitants who among other things gives an account of the Translation of St. Augustine's Body the Story is thus as I transcrib'd it out of the Author In Templo D. Petri à Luitprando edificato conditum Augustini corpus fuit ne facilè resciri posset ferunt Luitprandum tribus locis effossis structisque sepulchris alibi deinde nocte paucis operi adhibitis jussisse corpus condi omnibus sepulchris eâdem nocte occlusis ut certâ corporis sede ignoratâ difficilior in aevum fieret occasio ejus perquirendi rapiendique Constructum deinde alio seculo Sacellum Divo Augustino fuit juxta Templum divi Petri in quo Sacello Arca marmorea ac celebris composita est Augustini Sepulchrum repraesentans
that Defect several Persons adorn the Balconies of their Houses with Flower-pots and some perhaps cover 'em with Earth when the Buildings are all to bear the weight of it these are the Gardens in the Air that make so great a noise in the World tho' there are many other things that are not so much as heeded which in this sence may be said to be in the Air. The most beautiful Edifices receiv'd no hurt by the French Bombs which were level'd directly at the Heart of the City where the Houses were thickest and 't is but too apparent they were not thrown there in vain for notwithstanding all the Reparations that have been made since there are at present above Five hundred ruinous Houses in one part of the City And most of the private Sufferers in that general Calamity had the double misfortune to lose all that they had by losing their Habitations so that they were not only incapacitated to rebuild 'em but even were not able to pay the charge of removing the Rubbish 'T is plain then that they who have a mind to see Genoa the Proud must not look for it here In the Church of Our Lady of the Vineyards they show'd us a Bomb which fell there without doing the least execution and I believe would gladly have told us that this was an Effect of its Reverence to so sacred a place if some less respectful Bombs had not thrown down four or five other Churches and as many Convents During that fatal showre of Fire and Brimstone the Doge with thirty Persons more took shelter in the great Hospital call'd the Albergo which being very high and large not only afforded a safe retreat to a great number of the Inhabitants but preserv'd a considerable part of their Goods for they brought thither all that could be carried They are at present working on a Third Mole which will stretch further into the Sea than the other two and they hope secure 'em against the danger of a second Assault The Haven of Genoa is large and of a convenient depth but it lies open to the Lubeccio or African Wind which is almost South West and is the most dangerous Wind that reigns in in this part of the Mediterranean So that they were forc'd to make a little secure Harbour within the Port for their Galleys of which at present they have only six to so small a number are the once formidable Navies of Genoa now reduc'd The Pharos or Watch-Tower is very high which here as at Rochel is call'd the Lanthorn Tower To see the whole City distinctly it must be view'd from three several places from the top of this Tower from the Sea about the distance of a mile and from the top of its Hill These three different Prospects are sufficient to give a compleat Idea of the Town The Doge of Genoa Vol. 2. P. 229. The Ladies usually appear in Gowns after the French manner and the ordinary Women wear little Fardingales The Noblemen never wear Swords They are not ty'd to any particular sort of Habit but they are usually cloth'd in black and in Cloaks They stile themselves Dukes Marquesses Counts c. whereas the Noble Venetians as I told you before assume none of these Titles We saw all the Members of the Senate assembl'd in a body and in their Formalities at the Procession on Corpus-Christi-Day The Doge was in a Crimson Gown with a sort of square Bonnet Two Battel-axes and a Sword in the Scabbard were carried before him and a Senator march'd on each side of him in black Gowns of the same fashion with his own The Doge is stil'd His Serenity the Senators The Doge ought to be Fifty years old compleat Their Excellencies and the Noblemen Most Illustrious 'T is true this last Title is not very honourable in Italy where 't is usually given to any man that wears a Ribbon in his Cravat yet the Genoese Noblemen as well as those of Venice compose the Great and Soveraign Council both these States being purely Aristocratical The Doge of Genoa has no more Authority than the Doge of Venice yet the first is crown'd with a Royal Crown of Gold and a Scepter is put into his Hand because of the Kingdom of Corsica which is actually under the Dominion of that Republic When the two years of the Doge's Administration are come to an end Deputies are sent to the Palace to tell him that His Serenity's time is expir'd and that His Excellency may retire to his own House To return to our Procession the Streets were hung with Tapestry and spread with green Herbs all the Windows were full of Ladies dress'd to the best advantage and deck'd with the richest Ornaments they could procure they had Baskets full of Flowers which they strew'd on the Procession according to the different Inclinations of their Hearts sometimes out of Devotion to * So they call the Sacrament the Most Holy and sometimes out of Civility or Affection to the young Gentlemen of their acquaintance who follow'd the Procession all their Peruques were powder'd with 'em and for every handful of Favors they receiv'd they made low Reverences to their fair Benefactresses The Church of the Annunciata is the finest in Genoa but notwithstanding all its Beauty and Magnificency 't is far inferiour to many that I have already describ'd and therefore I will not trouble you with a particular account of it I shall only observe that it was built at the charge of one †Of the Family Lomellino Citizen of Genoa which is the most remarkable thing that can be said of it I will not lose time in relating the Story of the Crucifix at St. Jerome's which spoke to St. Bridget tho' the rare Discourse that pass'd between 'em might perhaps divert you for some Moments At St. Mary's of the Castle there is another In the Cathedral there is a great Dish made of one single Emerald in which if you will believe the common Tradition the Paschal Lamb was serv'd up when Christ eat the Passover with his Disciples Venerable Beda says the Lamb was brought in a Silver Dish but Madam St. Bridget thought fit to substitute one of Ivory and why might not you or I with as much reason venture to say that it was an Earthen Dish Du Val thinks this Emerald Dish was one of the Presents which the Queen of Sheba made to Solomon which is particularly honour'd by Maids for the following reason A Gentleman who had for a long time courted a young Lady with a design to deceive her resolv'd at last to have recourse to the usual Stratagem of gaining his Mistriss by a Promise of Marriage which he did says the Story in a place of the City where this Crucifix stood at that time I will not undertake to describe all that pass'd between 'em on this occasion but the Gentleman refus'd to fulfill his Promise The abus'd Lady enter'd an Action against him but
the first night after our departure from Turin next morning we pass'd by the Gate of Susa SUSA a little City seated among the Mountains by which 't is commanded almost on every side and din'd at Novalesa Novalesa Mount Cenis at the foot of Mount Cenis This is the highest Mountain of the Alps over which there is a Passage but you must not conclude from thence that it is another Caucasus or Tenerif neither must you fancy it to be a single Hill or that the Way lies over the top of it For when a Traveller comes to the highest part of the Passage he finds himself in a Plain or a new Valley with respect to the lofty Mountains that surround it At Novalesa we took Mules to ascend the Hill The Way is pretty broad and free from Precipices but uneven and full of Stones On the highest accessible part of it there is a Cross that divides Piedmont from Savoy and consequently is one of the Boundaries of Italy In the middle of the Plain there is a Lake of so great a depth that if we may believe the common Report its Bottom could never be reach'd by sounding it is a large mile in compass and sends forth a great Brook which falls into the little Doire near Susa The Snow was almost all melted on the Hill 't is true the highest tops of the Mountain on both sides were cover'd with it but there were only some Heaps left here and there in the passage The tumbling of the Snow makes the passage dangerous in some places and in some Seasons of the Year otherwise there is no danger at all in it The side of the Hill towards Savoy is much rougher than the other and Travellers are usually carried this part of the way by Men tho' they might pass it on Horseback as Charlemain's Army did heretofore They made us sit down in ordinary Chairs to which they had fasten'd Arms like the Shafts of a Litter We were each of us attended by four Men two who bore the Chair and two more to relieve their Fellows At the foot of the Hill we pass'd the little River Arche on a Bridge of Wood to the Village of Lasneburg I have almost nothing to relate concerning Savoy The Country is generally mountainous and we found hardly any thing remarkable in that part of it thro' which we pass'd Chambery the Metropolis of the Dutchy CHAMBERY formerly the Residence of the Dukes and now the Seat of a Parliament is a very small and unfortified City seated at the foot of the Mountains near the Confluence of the Lessa and Orbana neither of which is navigable We were told that its Inhabitants are very civil and the Ladies handsom S. JOHN DE MAURIENNE St. John de Maurienne is situated in a pleasant Valley of the same name We pass'd by within two hundred paces of the City without entring into it being credibly inform'd that it was not worth the while to go so far out of our way to see it MONTMELIAN Neither did we stop at Montmelian which is a little City on the right Bank of the Isera defended by a Citadel indifferently strong AIX Aix is much frequented by reason of its Baths I know not whether you have observ'd that the French Name of those Towns that are call'd Aix is deriv'd sometimes from Aqua and sometimes from Augusta Aqua Sextiae Aix in Provence Aquisgranum Aix la Chapelle Augusta Alorum Ais or Auchs in Annagnac About Annecy we found the whole Country in a general Consternation for fear of the Vaudois there was a Report That above Two thousand of these poor Exiles were enter'd into Savoy towards Evian and had already burnt five or six Villages but there was not the least Ground for such an Alarm The Dutchy of Savoy is separated from the Territory of Geneva by the River Arve over which there is a Bridge of Wood that leads almost to the Gates of Geneva The Arve is a great Torrent which falls from the Mountains and always brings some Gold-dust along with it but it happens very rarely that a Man is able to refine so much of it in a day as he might earn at some other Work and therefore this Gold is almost wholly neglected I will not undertake to give you an account of the Antiquity Government GENEVA or History of Geneva of which we have had so many Descriptions I shall content my self with giving you a general Idea of this City to which since I had occasion formerly to be pretty well acquainted with it I shall add some particular Observations The Rhone at its coming out of the Lake forms a little Island On the right Bank of the River or rather toward its right Channel the Land is low and even but on the other side there is a Hillock that rises insensibly The principal part of the City is seated on this Hillock the rest of it is in the Island and beyond the Rhone and the whole is encompass'd with a Fortification The Republic of Geneva is in League with the Switzers The Republic of Geneva enter'd into a perpetual League with that of Bern An. 1536 which has been frequently renew'd since J. Simler particularly with the Cantons of Zurich and Bern and in this their great Strength consists Their Ramparts may preserve 'em from a sudden Surprisal and might perhaps protect 'em against all the Force of Savoy But tho' these Fortifications are not contemptible they could not long resist a more potent Enemy if the State had nothing else to depend on They have good store of Cannon and a well-furnish'd Arsenal where they preserve the famous Ladders that were made use of by the Savoyards * In the year 1602. in the Scalado of which you have doubtless read an account In the same place they keep the Petard that was design'd to burst open the new Gate These are two lasting Monuments of their Deliverance in memory of which they still continue to solemnize a * Decemb. 12 22. Festival with Thanksgiving and extraordinary Sermons suitable to the occasion and also with little Feasts or rather with joining the Meals of several Families according to the various Tyes of Relation and Friendship by which they are united They never part without singing a Song that was made about the time of that Action of which it comprehends the principal Circumstances and is now become an essential part of the public rejoicing The Republic keeps some Gallies on its Lake and there are also others belonging to the Duke of Savoy and the Switzers I say its Lake for the Lake was given to the City by its Masters when it was a Roman Colony and the common way of Expression at present seems to confirm that Donation The Duke of Savoy keeps a †Belle-rive Fort on the Bank of the Lake at the distance of a large league from Geneva contrary to the Treaty of St. Julian in which among
Virgin 's immaculate Conception began to be publickly discredited But the Monks push'd the matter too far Jetzer at last perceiv'd the Cheat and they finding themselves discover'd at the first endeavour'd to gain him by Promises and Prayers but afterwards proceeded to Threatnings and attempted several times to poyson him which he observing made his escape out of the Convent and declar'd the whole matter to the Magistrate who ask'd and obtain'd ‖ Two Bishops and the Provincial of the Jacobins extraordinary Judges of the Pope to decide so intricate a Case The four Monks whom the management of their Intrigue had engag'd in a complication of the most enormous Crimes were put to the Torture and confess'd all the Villany after which they were deliver'd over to the Secular Power degraded and * An. 1509. burnt in the public place The Novice also underwent the Torture but was at last acquitted SOLOTURN The People of Soloturn are very superstitious they had formerly an Image of Christ on the Cross habited like a Switzer Soloturn is seated in a fertile Valley on the River Aar which passes also by Bern it ‡ In Celtis nihil est Soloduro antiquius unis Exceptis Treviris quarum Ego dicta soror Simler pretends that Soloturn was built by Ninus boasts much of its Antiquity and in that respect assumes the Title of the Sister of Triers It s Latin Name is written several ways by modern Authors but in the Itinerary of Antonin 't is call'd Solothurum from a Tower as some think that was erected here in honour to the Sun 'T is encompass'd with regular Fortifications which are lin'd with great pieces of a sort of white Marble The French Ambassador always resides here and 't is the Opinion of the People that he fortified the Town The People of Guastalla in the Dutchy of Milan are of the same opinion concerning their †Dr. Burnet assures us that in Sept. 1685 the Fortifications of this place had already cost the Inhabitants above Two millions Fortifications on which Five hundred Men are constantly at work 'T is impossible to perswade 'em that the Fund of that Expence is in their Duke's Coffers they acknowledge indeed that he might defray the Charge himself but they have their own Reasons to believe the contrary Basil is the largest fairest BASIL This City was united to the Cantons 1327. J. Simler and richest City in Switzerland tho' 't is surrounded only with a Wall defended by some Towers and 't is also famous for its University The Rhine is already very broad and rapid at this place it runs thro' the City dividing it into two parts which are join'd by a lovely Stone Bridge That part of it next Germany is much less than the other which is seated on a rising Ground The Bishop that takes his Title from this City has his Residence at Poirentru as the titular Bishop of Geneva resides at Annecy but neither of those Prelates have any Power or Jurisdiction over these Cities There are several considerable Libraries in this City with some * In that which belongs to Mr. Sebastian Fesch there are many rare Pictures and several very singular Medals that are not to be met with any where else Ch. Patin The Cabinet of Erasmus and Amersback belongs to the University where there are also Twenty Original Pieces by Holben among which the dead Christ is particularly esteem'd and might have been sold for a Thousand Ducats There are four excellent Series's of Medals Greek Consulary and Gold and Brass Imperials the Gold Medal of Photina Trajan's Wife is one of the most rare The following Epigram is under a Picture of Erasmus that represents half the Body Ingens ingentem quem personat Orbis Erasmum Hic tibi dimidium picta Tabella refert At cur non totum Mirari desine Lector Integra nam totum Terra nec ipsa capit Among the Manuscripts in the Library there is a very rare Virgil and an Alcoran written on China Paper Ch Patin Cabinets of Curiosities The Body of the Senators assembl'd in Council with their venerable Beards and Accoutrements is look'd upon as one of the most remarkable Rarities in this City by those who are not accustom'd to such Sights Those who love Painting usually go to see the fine Pictures at the Town house and especially the Dance of Death by the famous Holben who was born in this City and learn'd his Art without the help of an Instructor and 't is observ'd that there is a certain peculiar turn in his Works He was call'd to England by Henry VIII and 't is said he embrac'd that occasion with Joy to get rid of his peevish Importance at home His Dance is to be seen in a public place on the Wall of the French Church-yard it represents a Train of all sorts of Persons holding one another by the Hand and carried to the Grave by Death who leads the Dance 't is a Medley of Persons of both Sexes and all Ages and Conditions 'T is a general Custom over all Switzerland and even in the little Towns to send a Present of Wine to Travellers of great Quality They who bring it have a set form of Speech which serves indifferently for all sorts of Persons only they must take care to insert the word Excellency and other Titles of Honour in their proper places according to the Dignity of their Guest which is sometimes as difficult a Task for 'em to perform as for the Person to whom their Complement is address'd to forbear laughing at their fine Harangue But after all they expect to be answer'd in Money HUNNINGHEN An easie Descent leads from Basil to Hunninghen along the left Bank of the Rhine The Cavalier erected in this place on the Bastion that looks towards Basil with the Battery of great Guns level'd against that City are sufficient Indications that 't is not far from the Village of Hunninghen to the City of Basil I will not undertake a particular description of the Fortifications of Hunninghen but content my self with telling you in the general that no Cost was spar'd to make 'em very good the Rhine fills the Ditches and forms a little Island over against the place so that they were oblig'd to build a double Bridge over the two Arms of the River and these Bridges are admirably well fortified both in the Island and on the side next Germany From Hunninghen we came to Friburg FRIBURG in Brisgaw another important place four leagues from the Rhine 't is seated in a Plain at the Foot of the Hills and tho' it encloses a large extent of Ground the Fortifications that surround it are very good and regular The Mareschal de Crequi took this place after a Siege of nine days in the year 1677. It has oftentimes chang'd its Lords but never chang'd its condition so much as since the last Conquest It s present Masters have in a manner fill'd the neighbouring Hill
with heaps of Forts and Trenches pil'd upon each other and by so doing have not only possess'd themselves of the high Grounds that command the City but cover'd it with the Cannon of Forts They make several little Knacks in this City of a sort of Agat found in the Neighbourhood 'T is four hours Journey from Friburg to Brisack BRISACK I am not at all surpriz'd that this City was formerly call'd the Pillow of the Empire for both its Figure and Strength deserve that Title Imagin you see a Hillock which seems to have been artificially rais'd of Beds of Earth laid on purpose in the middle of a Country smooth as Ice On one end of this little Hill or Pillow stands the Town the Citadel is on the other and both are encompass'd with an excellent Fortification at the Foot of the Hillock There is a Stone Bridge over the Rhine extreamly well fortified on the side next France SCHELESTAT formerly an Imperial City Schelestat is in the lower Alsatia four leagues from Brisack and three from the Rhine It is situated in a flat Country not commanded by any Enemy and enclos'd with Fortifications that are of the same nature with those of the last-mention'd Cities These places cannot be describ'd without repeating the word Fortification a hundred times in a quarter of an hour STRASBURG formerly an Imperial City Strasburg is a Prodigy which in that respect surpâ—sses all the other fortified places on the Rhine The Plat-form I have sent you will give you a clearer Idea of it than the exactest description I could make It was formerly an Imperial City and follow'd the Doctrin of Luther You may remember that this Great Fair and Potent City fell into the French King's Hands Sept. 30. 1682. The * It s Heighth amounts to Five hundred seventy and four feet It was finish'd in the year 1449. Mirabile opus caput inter nubila condit Aen. Sylv. The Basso relievo's on the tops of the great Pillars of the Church are not so visible but they are surprizing for this being a Fabric of Three or Four hundred years old it is very strange to see such representations as are there There is a Procession represented in which a Hog carrieth the Pot with the Holy Water and Asses and Hogs in Priestly Vestments follow to make up the Procession there is also an Ass standing before an Altar as if he were going to consecrate and one carrieth a Case with Relicks in which one seeth a Fox and the Trains of all that go in this Procession are carried up by Monkeys Dr. Burnet from Mr. Ablancourt Steeple of the Cathedral is the highest Pyramid in Europe and the Church is at present in the possession of the Roman Catholics The Bishop said Mass there and harangu'd the King a few days after the Conquest of the City I can assure you as one that has seen 'em both that the great Clock of Strasburg does much exceed that of St. John's at Lyons both in the variety and curiosity of its motions They say at Strasburg that the last-nam'd Clock is the best in France but that theirs cannot be parallel'd in the whole World There is a printed Description of it with a very exact Figure The little River Ill runs thro' this City and afterwards is branch'd out into several Channels The Rhine is about a mile distant towards the right hand The Arsenal which not long ago was celebrated over all Europe is now almost quite disfurnish'd The Womens Habit is very odd and fantastical I must tell you before I conclude my Letter that all the Towns and Villages we have hitherto seen in Alsatia are either wholly ruin'd or half burnt this lovely and unfortunate Country having been several times laid waste during the Wars I am SIR Your c. Strasburg Jul. 22 1688. LETTER XXXVI SIR SOME particular Reasons having oblig'd us to leave Strasburg and make all the haste we could to Brussels we resolv'd to embark on the Rhine tho' not without some reluctancy because we had already travel'd the same way between Mentz and Colen Between Strasburg and the little City of Germensheim we stop'd at Fort-Lewis Fort-Lewis which is another French Fort and not inferiour to the rest in Strength Here the Rhine makes an Island which is cover'd with a Fort of four Bastions and the two Bridges are fortified on each side on the Banks of the two Arms of the River Night coming on somewhat sooner than our Boatmen expected we were oblig'd to land at a miserable Village where we could neither find Beds nor Victuals but that was not our greatest Misfortune for an innumerable multitude of Gnats tormented us the whole night on our Straw in a Barn and would not suffer us to rest a moment PHILIPSBURG We went ashore afterwards to see Philipsburg which is a small Cannon-shot distant from the Rhine on the German side It was formerly a * Caâ—â—â— Udenbâ—â—â— Village fortified by Christopher Sotteren Elector of Triers by reason of the conveniency of its situation being naturally of difficult access in the middle of a Marish and not commanded by any rising Ground 'T is a regular Heptagon with Half-Moons before each Curtain This Town is a Fief and under the jurisdiction of the Bishopric of Spire * Since the first Edition of this Book this place is faln again into the hands of the French it was taken from the French after a long Siege in the year 1676 by the Germans who relying on the Faith of the Truce have not a very strong Garrison in it Spire is a pretty little City SPIRE an Imperial City weak and without Trade tho' it was famous heretofore that which makes it considerable at present is the Imperial Chamber which after it had mov'd from place to place for above Two hundred years was fix'd here by Charles V. This Chamber is a Soveraign Court where all the Affairs of the Empire that are brought before it are judg'd without appeal unless in some few Cases The Chief †This Judge must always be a Roman Catholic and has 4000 Crowns Salary Of the two Presidents one is a Roman Catholic and the other a Protestant and of the Fifteen Assistants there are only Seven Protestants the rest being Roman-Catholicks The Presidents have 2000 Crowns each and every Assistant 1000. The Chamber never meddles with the Business of the War 'T is remarkable that the contending Parties can never discover the Names of those who state the Case either before or after it is decided They who appeal to the Emperor are oblig'd to consign a certain Sum which if they receive a favourable Sentence is restor'd to 'em if otherwise they lose it Heiss Judge represents the Emperor's Person and has the Imperial Scepter laid before him as a mark of the Dignity with which he is cloth'd There is also another great Tribunal in Germany call'd The Council of the Court because 't is held
Spain shall not call a Meeting of the Prelates or inferiour Clergy without the Knowledge Consent and particular Approbation of the Two other States the Nobility and Common People II. The Duke shall not prosecute any of his Subjects or Inhabitants of the Country but by the usual methods of Justice that the accus'd Person may defend himself by his Counsel and plead his own Cause publickly III. The Duke shall not be impower'd to impose Taxes or any other Exactions on his Subjects without the Consent of the States of the Country IV. No honourable Office shall be bestow'd on Forreigners excepting only some inconsiderable Employments V. When the Duke calls a Meeting of the States-General to require any thing to be granted to him those of Brabant shall not be oblig'd to go out of their own Province or to come to any conclusion but in the same VI. If the Duke shall by Force Fraud or any other way infringe or violate any of the said Privileges the People of Brabant after they have duly and civilly protested against him shall be held to be absolv'd from their Oath of Fidelity and may freely do as they shall think fit The Province of Brabant and Lordship of Mechlin by an ancient Custom never receive any particular Governor The great Council Royal which was instituted by Charles Duke of Burgundy in the year 1473 and formerly follow'd the Court was fix'd at Mechlin An. 1503. It judges Soveraignly and without Appeal the Knights of the Golden Fleece nor can its Judgments be review'd I could not hear of any Rarities worth observation in this City ANTWERP formerly a Hans Town The famous City of Antwerp deserves to be more particularly describ'd 'T is seated on a smooth and level spot of Ground on the right Bank of the Scheld its Figure approaches to a Semicircle the diameter of which is wash'd by the River and I 'm credibly inform'd that it contains Five thousand six hundred and thirty five Geometrical paces in compass The Houses are built partly of Wood and partly of Brick after an unusual manner with Battlements on the Pinacles on the tops of 'em and very high Roofs according to the common Fashion of the Country yet they are generally handsom The Streets for the most part are large streight and well pav'd The Fortifications are indifferent the Ramparts are adorn'd almost throughout with double Alleys border'd with great Trees which make very pleasant Walks the Citadel is strong but somewhat neglected 't is a regular Pentagon It was built in the year 1567 and I 'm told it cost Five hundred thousand Ducats the Duke of Alva's Statue in Brass was erected in the middle of the Place of Arms he was represented in compleat Armour but without a Headpiece his right Arm was extended toward the City and his Hand open Under his Feet was a monstrous Figure with two Heads and six Arms it had two Dishes hanging at its Ears and at its Neck a Wallet or Satchel out of which issu'd two Serpents The six Hands held a Torch a Leaf of Paper a Purse a torn Cloak a Club and an Ax and at the Feet of the Monster there was a Visor On the Face of the Pedestal that look'd toward the City were these Letters * Ferdinando Alvarez a Toledo Albae Duci Phil II. Hisp Regis apud Belgas praefecto quod extincta seditione Rebellibus pulsis Religione procurata Justitia culta Provinciis Pabem firmaverit Regis Optimi Ministro fidelissimo positum F. A. A. T. A. D. P. S. H. R. A. B. P. Q. E. S. R. P. R. P. I. C. P. P. F. R. O. M. F. P. This Statue was not long after broken by the People I find a pleasant Story in Chappuys which I cannot forbear relating to you When the Spaniards made the Duke of Arschot Governour of this Citadel the Duke putting his Hands between the Person 's Hands who was to receive his Oath pronounced these words I swear by the Name of God and of the Holy Mary that I will faithfully keep and preserve this Citadel c. After which the following Answer was return'd to him as part of the Ceremony If you do so God assist you if not the Devil take you Soul and Body And the whole Assembly answer'd Amen The Scheld is large and deep over against Antwerp and two leagues on each side of it this was formerly the richest and most frequented Port in Europe I read not long ago in some Fragments of the Annals of this City that the Trade of it in the year 1550 amounted to a hundred and thirty three millions of Gold without reckoning the Bank In the same Memoirs Omnimodae Merces Artes priscaeque novaeque Et quae sunt aliis singula cuncta mihi Scal. I found the following Story which may serve for a Specimen of the ancient Riches of Antwerp One John Daens a Merchant lent a million of Gold to Charles V I think toward the prosecution of the War of Hungary the Emperor at his return from that Expedition came to Antwerp and was invited to Dinner by his Creditor he accepted the Invitation and was splendidly entertain'd and the Merchant after he had burnt a Fire of Cinnamon all the while at last to crown the Treat threw the Emperor's Obligation into the midst of it I need not tell you that there have happen'd great Alterations since that time The Port of Antwerp is destitute of Ships the Exchange is desolate and unfrequented and the City tho' still beautiful enjoys a sad Tranquillity yet there are many rich Families in it London and Antwerp were the two principal Cities of the German Hanse or League That great Society had a * T is call'd the Osterlings House large and fair public House in the last of those Cities which is still to be seen the Bourse or Exchange is Ninety Foot long and Seventy broad comprehending the wideness of the Portico's that surround it on the inside It was built in the year 1531 and took its Name from a House that stood formerly in the same place on which there was a Scutcheon charg'd with three †Bourses in French Purses and from that time the public places appointed for the meeting of Merchants have almost every where retain'd the Name of Bourse The Town house is also a very fine Structure The first time I saw the Churches of Antwerp I confess I was surpriz'd with their Magnificence and especially I admir'd that which belong'd to the Jesuits where there is nothing to be seen but Marble and rare Pictures but since that time I have seen a hundred Churches in Italy which surpass those of this City Nevertheless that Country cannot boast of such a Pyramid as the Steeple of the Cathedral of Antwerp which is almost as * 420 foot high There are Three and thirty Bells in the Tower high as that of Strasburg and more finely wrought 'T is true the Italians have Domes
by our Friends with the choice of two or three sorts of passage but since we travell'd only to see the Country we hir'd a Coach with six Horses to carry us and our Baggage whithersoever we pleas'd for three Crowns a day paying the same rate for the return So that if we had gone directly from Francfort the charge of our Coach would have amounted to six Crowns a day but after we had spent four days in traversing the Country we left the Coach at Heydelberg reckoning only two days for its return to Francfort We were forc'd to make another bargain from Heydelberg to Nuremberg which in that Season of the year is six days Journey We gave as I remember thirty Crowns for the carriage of our Persons and Goods and twenty Crowns for a whole Coach from Nuremberg to Augspurg on condition that we should take Ingolstat and Newburg in our way They who go by Dunavert make a whole day's Journey less but we were resolv'd to see Ingolstat which is the strongest place in Bavaria There are Stage Coaches that go from Augspurg to Venice or at least to Mestré near Venice and the Rates of the Places are regulated but they do not pass by Munick which we were desirous to see for several Reasons and besides the Country is extreamly rough for Coaches they are very apt to overturn and the Passengers are often constrain'd to alight by reason of the continual ascending and descending among the Mountains And therefore we agreed to be carried on Horseback and our Charges born from Augspurg to Venice by the way of Munick Inspruck Bolsana Trent Verona Vincenza and Padua at the rate of twenty Ducats of Gold a head We made this Bargain by the Advice of an interess'd person but we were inform'd afterwards that we paid too dear by a fifth or sixth part I thought fit to acquaint the Reader with this passage not that he may imitate our Example but that he may draw some Advantage even from our Blunders We were desirous to arrive at Venice before the Carnaval which was not necessary for 't is sufficient to see the three last weeks of it especially for those who intend not to spend more time in travelling than we determin'd to do I advise those who may happen to be at Augspurg at the same season when we were there and design also to be at Venice during the Carnaval to make a particular Bargain for Munick and from thence to go to Ratisbon where they may embark on the Danube for Vienna and return to Venice by Saltzburg and Palma nuova and even they may make a little excursion from Vienna to Presburg that they may be able to say they have seen some part of Hungary and after all come in time enough to Venice They may afterwards take occasion to see Padua Verona and Vincenza Those who are of a tender Constitution will do well to provide good Furs at Munick before they engage in the Alps if they are to pass 'em in the Winter for besides that they will be in a manner overwhelm'd with Snow the Cold is very piercing among those Mountains When one is at Inspruck he ought by all means to visit the Cabinet of Curiosities and other Rarities in the Castle of Amras for which little Journey he may hire a Coach of the Inn-keepers And that he may have time to satisfie his Curiosity he ought so to contrive his Journey that he may have half a day to spend in this place At Stertzlinghen between Inspruck and Trent 't is convenient to leave the direct Road which leads to Trent by the Castle of Tirol and to take that of Brixen 'T is true the first way is shorter but 't is dangerous by reason of its Precipices and for this Reason the Guide ought to have timely warning to take the Road of Brixen There are some good Inns at Venice such as the Louvre the White Lyon and the French Arms but when one intends to spend some months in that City the best way is to hire a furnish'd House There are always some Apartments to be let in the Procuraties which as it is the dearest is also the finest part of the Town At the Louvre you are entertain'd for eight Livres a day and the White Lyon and French Arms are somewhat cheaper but you must always remember to make your Bargain for every thing before you go into the House to avoid after-Debates For seven or eight Livres a day you may hire one of the prettiest Gondola's with two Rowers whom you may put into Livery and employ in what service you please The ordinary Gondola's cost fifteen pence an hour Twenty pence make a Livre and a Spanish Pistol contains nine and twenty Livres I have already spoken of the Ridotti at Venice which are Gaming-houses or Academies of Basset where the Noblemen cut and Fools lose their Money Here we receiv'd the first Letters we had from England A Traveller ought always to acquaint his Correspondents where he intends to stay for some time that they may send their Letters thither which for the greater Security may be directed to some Banker 'T is true a Man may make a shift to live without News but Bills of Exchange are absolutely necessary in a strange Country and great care must be taken to prevent their miscarrying the surest way is to get a Letter of Credit which is current every where Travellers are not stop'd on the account of Customs or Imports either in Holland or Germany and rarely in the State of Venice The Toll-gatherers saw us enter into the Laguna's without speaking one word to us tho' we had a considerable quantity of Baggage but in other parts of Italy the Tolls are very frequent and troublesom Nevertheless you may usually buy your peace at the rate of a few * A Piece of Money about the value of 6 d. Julio's and we never met with any of those Officers so obstinate as to open our Portmantles save only at our arrival at Rome at Pisa as we came from Leghorn and at our departure from Naples and Bergamo It froze without intermission all the while we staid at Venice and generally speaking we found the Winter very sharp all over Italy Most People are perswaded that there is hardly any Winter at all in this Country and therefore they usually chuse that Season to travel thither But I can produce several Reasons against the Winter and I know no more than one against the Summer In Winter the Ways are uneasie and dangerous especially in the Mountains by reason of the Snow and Ice The Days are short a Traveller comes late to his Lodging and is often forc'd to prevent the Sun in the Morning besides the Country looks dismally Nature is in a manner half dead and neither Fruits nor Flowers are any where to be seen The Summer corrects all those Inconveniencies 't is hot I confess but that trouble may be easily avoided by reposing during the
for ten but the greatest concourse of Strangers at Rome is in the time of Lent and at Easter which enhances the price of many Conveniencies They who are at Rome in Lent may easily obtain a permission to eat Flesh and even the Inn-keepers on the Roads will accommodate you with it but you must not ask it too openly lest you expose 'em to Censure I have seen some Passengers quickly satisfie the Scruples of their Landlords by threatening to go to another Lodging But generally the lean days deserve that name with a witness almost every where in Italy and 't is hardly possible for a Stranger to accustom himself to those Severities A Traveller who intends not to stay above two or three months at Rome should immediately after his arrival agree with a skilful Antiquary and fix certain times to visit with him the principal Rarities of that famous City for tho' several Authors have attempted to describe 'em a curious and inquisitive Person who examines things upon the spot and with his own Eyes will always be able to make some new Observations and therefore without consulting Books unless as Helps and Guides he ought to take a particular view of every thing that is remarkable and set down all that he sees in his Journal for it happens not unfrequently that a Traveller finds a very considerable difference between his own Observations and the Descriptions of others when he compares 'em together And to make his Industry the more successful he ought always to carry a Note book about him and every Evening to examin and transcribe the Observations of the Day nor will it be improper to use this method every where else as well as at Rome To ease my Memory and that I might be able on all occasions to gratifie my Curiosity by an exact enquiry into what was most remarkable in every City and Country thro' which we pass'd I drew up the following Catalogue which always furnish'd me with a sufficient number of useful Questions Climate Government Forces Arsenals Garrisons Fortifications Castles Citadels Largeness of Towns Religion Language Coins Trade Manufactures Riches Academies Vniversities Bishoprics Antiquities Monuments Libraries Cabinets of Rarities Learned Men. Skilful Artificers Painting Sculptures Architecture Palaces Houses of Pleasure Confines Prospects Passes Entries Bridges Rivers Woods Hills Towns and Villages Customs Fashions of Clothes Privileges Adventures Late Accidents Natural or artificial Rarities Soil Plants Fruits Animals c. D. Pietro Rosini was our Antiquary at Rome he is well acquainted with Medals and trades in ' em I think we gave him three Pistols a month 'T is convenient for a Traveller to view the Curiosities of Rome in the company of other Strangers for so his Pleasure is encreas'd by the converse of his Companions and many Eyes see better than one No man ought to undertake a Voyage without making Provision of several sorts of Measures Geographical Charts a Watch Prospective-Glasses a Mariner's Compass and Quadrant And as far as he is able he ought to take the dimensions of every thing in order to which he may easily carry along with him a Cane divided into several Measures And besides I took care to furnish my self with a piece of Packthread well twin'd and wax'd fifty fathom long and divided into feet by Knots by the help of which I could in a moment measure long Distances the heighth of Towers bigness of Pillars and what else I thought fit to observe A Roman Palm or Span and a half make just thirteen Inches English measure the Roman Foot is shorter by six lines than that of England Eight Roman Feet make a Roman Canne and a * Brass or Fathom of Milan makes 22 inches and a half English measure Brasse or Fathom of Florence is equal to two Roman Feet A Traveller finds so much Pleasure in consulting the Maps of the Countries thro' which he passes that he can hardly forbear wishing he had compleat Setts of all that are extant there are three things which ought to be observ'd on this occasion by those who design to travel first they ought not to content themselves with resolving to buy Maps in the Countries whither they intend to go but make sufficient provision of 'em before their departure and even take some of all Authors for we enquir'd for 'em in vain in several great Cities and it happens not unfrequently that the least esteem'd are upon tryal found to be the most exact Secondly their Maps ought to be pasted on Linnen or Canvas and roll'd up on Sticks And in the last place every judicious and curious Traveller ought to note down all the Errors he perceives in 'em and communicate his Observations to those who make 'em for if every ingenious Person would endeavour to promote so useful a Design in a little time we should have no reason to complain of the Uncorrectness of Maps The Prospective-Glasses ought to be of several sorts and adapted both to great and small Distances they are useful for those who are desirous to take a distinct view of Inscriptions Pictures Statues Ornaments of Architecture c. To return to Rome the Curious may furnish themselves with Prints of all its Antiquities and other remarkable things that are to be seen in and about the City of almost all which they may have compleat Setts for a hundred Pistols Not only in that City but every where else 't is convenient for a Traveller to make a Collection of such Prints which will be of use to refresh and rectifie his Ideas of the places he has seen and they who are most curious may carry a skilful Designer along with ' em I thought to have subjoin'd a Catalogue of about Three hundred of the finest Pictures we saw at Rome but I 'm inform'd there is an entire Collection of all those Pieces already communicated to the Public The Roman Calashes are very pretty and fit for taking the Air in a level Country but not at all convenient for travelling in the mean time since several persons are very fond of 'em I advise those who design to make use of 'em for a Journey to take care that they be bound more securely with Iron than usually they are to chuse such as are cover'd with Wax'd Cloth rather than with Leather which grows hard cracks and is too heavy and to place the Body of the Calash immediately upon the Shafts instead of hanging it for so it will be less apt to overturn But the best way is not to meddle with these Calashes which occasion so much trouble to those who use 'em for they must buy Horses and hire new Servants both which are subject to a thousand Accidents and so many different Cares spoil the pleasure of Travelling And even sometimes the Grooms prick the Horses Feet in shoeing 'em when Gentlemen travel on their own Horses to oblige 'em either to buy others or stay till their own are recover'd After all Money makes every thing easie and there is
also call * Others say this is the Frumicino about Two hundred Paces from the Pisatello Pisatello I confess I was not a little surprised when I saw our Coach pass that famous Brook without any stop tho' I had learned also from Lucan that it was no great River Fonte cadit modico parvisque impellitur undis An Hour after we took our way by the Sea-side The Sand is firm and even without any Rocks or Shells We pursu'd this Way till within a Mile of Rimini where we were oblig'd to go within Land that we might pass the River formerly called Ariminum of the same Name with the City whose Walls it washes But at present it bears the name of Marechia Rimini is a little poor City RIMINI yet the Country is rich and well till'd Sigismond Pandolphus Malatesta formerly fortified it but its Wall is at present in great disorder You know the Malatesti's were formerly Lords of many places in this Province The Bridge of Marble on which there are two very entire Inscriptions by which it appears that it was built by Augustus and Tiberius and the Triumphal-Arch erected by Augustus are the two principal Monuments of this City There are also to be seen the Ruiues of an Amphitheatre behind the Gardens of the Capuchins And Five hundred Paces farther without the City there is a Tower of Brick which was the Pharos of the ancient Haven but the Sea is fallen back half a Mile from this Place and the Pharos is at present encompassed with Gardens P. Malatesta finished the Destruction of the Harbour which was once accounted one of the best in Italy to build the Church of St. Francis with the Pieces of Marble which he took from thence This Church were it finish'd might pass for a fine Structure They keep there a Nostre-dame which serves for nothing but to bring Rain or stop it when there is either too much or too little She never is asked any thing but on one of these two Occasions The Library of the Count de Gambalonga is very numerous but there are no Rarities in it if we may give credit to him who showed it to us They made us observe in the midst of the Market a kind of Marble Pedestal on which these words are engraved Caius Caesar Dict. Rubicone superato civili bell Commilit suos hic in foro Ar. adlocutus The Statue of Paul V. in Brass is in another Place and near to that a Fountain of Marble of excellent Workmanship Departing from Rimini we march'd on the Downs for Fifteen Miles between the Sea and the Fields I observ'd as we passed thro' the Village Catholica Catholica over the Portal of the great Church an Inscription which says That a Council of Bishops almost all Arrians being assembled at Rimini in the Year 359 the Orthodox perform'd their Devotions in this Village which hath ever since born the Name of Catholica You know the History of this Council if it may be properly so call'd We perceived Ten or Twelve Miles from thence towards the Appennine the City and Republick of Marin on the top of a Mountain at the Foot of which are the Limits of that State This little Swarm of Bees hath maintained it self very happily for many Ages not being expos'd to the Envy or Jealousie of any of its Neighbours It is about Six or Seven Miles from Catholica to Pesaro All this Country is strewed with fine Houses and is very pleasantly cultivated Pesaro is greater better built PESARO neater and pleasanter than Rimini Its Situation is upon a small Ascent which gives it a purer Air and better Light Nothing can be more pleasant than the little Hills which surround it It is a delicate Mixture of Pastures Vineyards and Orchards The Olives are admirable but the Figs in goodness and esteem surpass all other Fruits The Figs of Pesaro are famous over all Italy The best Meat costs not above three Bayoques the Pound which is Eighteen Ounces that is to say somewhat less than two Farthings The Bread and the Wine are proportionably cheaper and so of the rest The Sea and the Rivers furnish it also with all sorts of excellent Fish so that in all respects this City is excellently provided with all things necessary for Life It is tolerably well fortified tho' something after the old fashion and the Houses are generally handsome We found no old Monuments in it There is a very fair Fountain in the great Place and a Statue of Pope Urban VIII under whose Pontificat this City and all the Dutchy of Urbin were re-united to the Ecclesiastical State At our departure from Pesaro we coasted along the Shore for Seven Miles as far as Fano FANO It continues still as I represented it on the other side of Rimini excepting that the Sea brings thither great Heaps of Walnuts Chesnuts Rushes Leaves and divers other things which probably come from the Rivers and are driven back from time to time by the Wind. One of our Company found on the Strand one of those little Fishes which they call in this Country Cavaletto some call it in France Cheval Marin or the Sea-Horse and others the Little Dragon I have often seen it in the Cabinets of Curiosities and I believe you also know it It becomes drie in a little time by which means it is easily preserved without farther trouble It is certain this little Creature hath something of the Head and Neck of a Horse They attribute many Properties to it and they assured us amongst other things that it cures Madness from biting by a Mad-Dog being eaten roasted and applied to the bitten place skinned and beaten with Honey and Vinegar Fano is a pretty little City We found nothing remarkable in it but one Triumphal-Arch the Inscriptions of which are almost quite defaced This Arch hath Three Gates whereas that of Rimini is only a single Arch. They boast of the Pig-nuts of Fano and pretend that the Women there are the handsomest of all the Country but I fansie this pretended difference may be a little suspected A Mile from hence we passed on a Wooden Bridge about Five or Six hundred Paces long over the several Branches of the Pongio which drowns all this Extent when the Snow on the Appennine begins to melt And afterwards we took the Way on the Sea side for Fifteen Miles to Senegallia Tho' this be an old City SENEGALLIA yet could we find no Marks of its Antiquity it is enclosed with good Walls which are defended by some Bastions but all very irregular By good fortune and rather because of our weariness than any thing else we refused to go to see a Play which was acted at the Governour 's House The next Morning which was the Day before Yesterday they came to tell us that a little before the end of the Play the Arch which supported the Theatre with part of the Stage and the first Seats fell under the